".....". The king looked at him with a face that said "really?". But he didn't say anything.
Honestly the reaction made Max feel a bit embarrassed. He even wondered why he said such a thing when he didn't even like spiderman that much anyway.
Without minding the obviously sketchy looking kid and his odd statement, the king quickly pressed a button to summon the guards.
But for some reason, the guards that should arrived within a second or two, weren't coming. And so, like any normal human, he kept on pressing the button despite knowing that it was clearly not working.
"Umm mister, it's clearly not working so why are you still pressing it. Max couldn't help but ask.
".....". Again the king looked at him but didn't say anything, then..
Boom!
The king hit the roof and fell back down on his chair. Looking at Max who was giving a weird judgement look, he couldn't help but fell embarrassed at what just happened.
No the king hadn't suddenly gone crazy, nor had Max done anything...to him anyway.
When Max came in, after their little exchange of words. The king noticed that he couldn't sense the child's cultivation level. Which either meant the child had no cultivation at all or he was stronger than him. The first one was impossible since there was no way a plebian(meaning people below Level one...in the novel anyway) could get into his office without anyone noticing it.
The second option was even more absurd, how could a little boy be stronger than him?.He was a Level 8 after all. So like the wise king he was, he thought of a third possibility, the child had a treasure that could hide his presence and Level. Feeling that, that was definitely what was going on, the king wanted to attack the kid and steal the treasure. But as soon as he was about to take action, his whole body was enveloped by a feeling of dread, all his senses screaming out "danger!". But as soon as the thought of attacking the kid got out of his head, the feeling of danger also went away.
Suddenly, something cliqued in his head. This kid's features were eerily similar to that monster in the Great Beast Forest. And so without further thought, he made a run for it, aiming to break through the roof. Although he knew that if the monster was close by he definitely wouldn't be able to escape, but a man has to at least try after all. While wondering how far he'd be able to get before being caught, he hit the roof face first and fell back down. His face burned from both pain and embarrassment seeing how the child was looking at him.
"Mister, you aren't very smart are you?". Max finally said the statement that made king Phar want to die right there and then. All his face had been lost in front of a child after all, he couldn't even do anything to silence him because of the beast lacking around.
"Why don't you try and spread your mana outside the room?". Max suggested.
Seeing no harm in it, the king spread his mana out. But surprisingly it couldn't penetrate the walls no matter what.
"If you had done that when the button wasn't working maybe you wouldn't have slammed your face into the roof". Max's childish voice sounded again.
And again the king was buried deeper into the pits of embarrassment.
"Call your father ou.... Wait you!!!, impossible, how are you hear!?.". The king wanted Igneel to come out so they can talk since he knew the oath guaranteed his life as long as he was on the continent. That's when he remembered that this child who looks like Igneel is likely the child whose soul he obliterated before.
"Hehehe, seems mister finally realised who I am. Oh and my father he isn't here, I'm alone even." Max said pulling a chair to sit on.
Hearing Max confirm being the same child from back then, he felt like he had been tossed into the deepest pits of hell. His body was burning up with fear, his royal robes already soaked in sweat. But when he heard that Max was alone, he was happy for a second before feeling even more fear. He had realised that the child in front of him was really stronger than him, and not by a bit too.
This realisation confirmed three things. First, the oracle was right. Second, they had failed to get rid of the child. And third, he was likely not going to leave his study alive.
"Overlord sir!, please have mercy!". King Phar immediately tossed all his reservations outside the window and immediately kowtowed in front of Max, still sweating bullets.
I'm normal times he would have put up a fight. But he wasn't dumb enough to think he stood a chance to win or escape. Hell even an ant wouldn't dare bite an elephant if it knew the insurmountable gap between them. So Phar's decision was definitely the only one that might let him keep his life.
"Overlord?, that sounds overused. I don't want to be called that, even being called young prince sounds better. Anyway mister, take a sit, I don't have time for this. I have a few questions for you. If you manage to give me satisfactory answers to them, I'll let you keep your little life". Max replied nonchalantly before ordering the king to take a sit so they could talk.
"Thank you Overl...Young prince, this servant will answer any questions you have for me in a very satisfactory manner. Thank you for your leniency, what a great son king Igneel has". Hearing that there was still a chance to keep his life, the king excitedly started bootlicking. Even if it made even him want to vomit in disgust at his own pretentiousness. He would do even worse to survive, like sacrificing his own family members if that's what it took.
"Good, now first tell me, where did you get the soul destroying spell?". Max asked, his eyes revealing a bit of disgust after being bootlicked by a middle-aged dude.
"O-Oh, t-that, a weird person with white skin and red eyes contacted me through a foreign friend. Phar said, he answered with a nervously since the person he attacked with the scroll was the one asking.
"Oh, is that so, okay. Don't know why you'd buy anything from a sketchy character like that, but it's your life after all. Anyway, there was a soul recovery or healing scroll too right?". Max asked the real question he wanted to ask.
Phar looked at him with a suspicious expression without speaking.
"Don't even think about it. I'm completely fine, I need it to heal my mother. And even if I was injured I'd still be able to kill you a thousand times without you being able to react. Max suddenly said while eating the snacks on Phar's table.
Phar fell deep into the pit of fear once again. He didn't know how Max had figured out how he was considering to attack Max with his best attack since those with soul wounds usually only retain their aura with no real power behind them. They were paper tigers of sort. But being so easily seen through by such a young child really scared the shit out of him. And so his newly budding idea was quickly killed off.
"Cough, no there was not. And the one foreign friend who introduced us is T-Thomas from Madar, it was before he tried to ra... assault your mother". Phar was even more nervous now.
"So it's the next target on my list who began it all huh". Max said, no longer paying attention to the king.
"Now what should I do with you?. If you had the healing scroll I might have spared you for what you did but...". Max was contemplating what to do with the king when he was interrupted.
"Young prince, please have mercy!, I know this servant wasn't very useful but please allow me to show my sincerity with a gift I'm sure you'll like." Phar quickly said after sensing that his death was close.
"Sure, but if you ever interrupt me again, I will kill you". Max said while sitting back down as he had stood up to leave.
"I promise it won't eve happen again...if you could unblock the room young prince" Sweat trickling down his face again, Phar spoke. (He's definitely gonna need to drink quite a bit of water after this experience... If he survives)
Max stopped enveloping the room with his space element. And so, Phar was now able to contact those outside. He didn't dare contact the guards who were mostly Level 6 with a few Level 7s since that would be like throwing eggs at a rock.