"Just when I was beginning to take you seriously, you turned out to be nothing more than a coward," the demon king said, his voice laced with genuine disappointment as his sudden judgment surprised Leo.
Leo wasn't even done fully explaining his proposal yet before the Demon King suddenly arrived at an abrupt conclusion, which took Leo by surprise.
Usually, Leo would consider such comments as an attempt to gaslight him, however, this time, Leo could clearly tell that Anos wasn't just trying to provoke him, but that he truly meant it.
For a fleeting moment, Anos had felt a rare pressure in Leo's presence—a sensation he hadn't encountered in ages.
He had almost believed Leo was different, someone worthy of facing him as an equal.
But as soon as Leo began with his proposal, that illusion shattered, leaving only disdain in its wake.
"Sorry? Why am I a coward?" Leo asked, surprised by this sudden judgment, as Anos let out a deep sigh and stood up from his seat.
Chuckling, Anos pinched the top of his nose as he shook his head.
He couldn't believe that he was meeting a man just like himself, however, because he was, it only made the whole situation that much more amusing to him.
"Tell me honestly, human, you're no king and you're no strongest warrior, are you?" Anos asked, as suddenly Leo felt a bad sensation starting to well-up within him.
"You're trying to be those things, sure, but you're not there yet…. are you?" Anos said, as he saw straight through Leo's act.
'How?' Leo thought in absolute shock, as his pupils dilated in surprise.
His opponent had seen through his facade, and that too so easily….. however Leo could not figure out how?
He had said nothing that would reveal his social standing or his power level, but somehow, the Demon King seemed to have seen right through him.
Naturally, he tried to deny it, however, before he had a chance to deny it, the Demon King made a statement that made him stop dead in his tracks and reconsider.
"Don't be in a rush to respond human, think about your next reply very, very carefully, because whether we co-operate or not will depend on your response.
The truth shall set you free, and the lie will have you buried.
Say the truth, and I'll guide you as a senior.
Lie, and I will fly back with Drogo, never to see you again" Anos said, as his words made Leo rethink his hasty reply.
Of-course Leo did not wish to admit that his opponent had seen right through him, however, there was something about the fire in Anos's eyes as he looked towards him now, that made Leo believe that perhaps it was okay to tell him the truth.
It was an inexplicable decision, as every fiber of his being warned him against breaking his act and admitting it, however, Leo chose to go with his heart and admit it nonetheless, as he said "Yes, you're right. I'm not there yet, but I'm trying to be–".
It was a very difficult admission for Leo to make and he regretted it immediately when he did, however, despite how bad it felt, it was actually the right choice to make, as smiling Anos sat back down at his seat.
"I changed my mind. You're no coward…. Human. Tell me your name.
I guess the two of us aren't that different after all" Anos said, gesturing for Leo to speak, as his face now turned much more amiable than before.
He seemed to be please by Leo's reply and because Leo chose to speak the truth, Anos decided to carry this conversation forward.
"My name's 'Boss'. 'TheBoss'. Pleasure to meet you Demon King Anos" Leo said, as Anos nodded back in acknowledgement.
"If you don't mind, can you tell me how you realized that I'm no king and that I'm no strongest warrior? To be honest, it's not a perception that's false, because that's what most people in the human lands do genuinely believe, so I wonder how you saw through me?" Leo asked, as Anos chuckled and decided to pander to his curiosity.
"You don't understand the first thing about being king boy, that's how I know you're no king.
If you ally with me and achieve victory on the battlefield, there's not a single human alive who will respect you as a King, because a King's job is not to deliver victory to their people at any cost.
That's the job of a commander.
The job of the King is to uphold hope.
And you kill the hope of your people the second you ally with me.
Your worldview which revolves around personal success and victory is narrow and shallow.
It's okay, as long as you want to be the strongest warrior and a lone wolf.
However, the moment you want to become a King, your act needs to change" The Demon King said, as he began to honestly answer Leo's question without any bias or deceit.
"What do you think the definition of an ideal king is? What values do you think a good king should have?" Anos asked, as an excited expression lit up on his face.
He was clearly enjoying this conversation much more thoroughly now, and it was evident on his face, which was alive and expressive now instead of the uninterested calm that was before.
"Do you think a King should be righteous and virtuous? Do you think a King should be powerful and inspire fear and confidence? Do you think a King should be benevolent and hardworking? Or do you think a King should be grand and extravagant?
What do you think is the ideal match of qualities that makes a king? What kind of a King are you trying to be?" Anos asked, as after thinking about the question for a while, Leo replied saying:-
"A King should be both loved and feared. A King should work for the betterment of his people and try to provide them with the best life possible.
I agree with you on the fact that a true king inspires hope, which is why that's the kind of King I want to be" Leo replied, as Anos shook his head in disappointment.
"WRONG" Anos shouted, and extremely loudly at that, as he felt disappointed in how foolish Leo was.
"Wrong?" Leo questioned, sounding confused, as Anos nodded with a soft smile on his face and repeated "Wrong!"
"Let me tell you 'TheBoss', what a true king is like. Because when I do, I'm sure you will see why I was able to see through your act so easily…" Anos said, as Leo awaited his next words with bated breaths.
"When trying to understand what a true King should be, you cannot approach the question with practicality.
Us adults have extremely complex minds and our active minds often cloud our understanding of desires.
Ask an adult what a King should be like and they tell you rubbish like working for the betterment of all and loving one's people, however, ask a kid what it means to be King and they will give you the most accurate response.
They will say, to be King is to be able to do 'Whatever one wants in the world' and that is the true embodiment of what it means to be King" Anos began, as Leo felt enlightened by his words.
The way Anos explained the character of a 'King', Leo found himself on the cusp of greatness, as he seemed to begin to understand a perspective he had completely failed to observe before.