Evolution begins with an ant colony

Leona, in response to the King's statement, began, "We have come to demand that you—" Before she could finish her statement, Oliver suddenly tapped her right shoulder with his right hand, causing her to pause.

Leaning close towards Leona's ear, Oliver whispered, "Let me handle this, okay?" Leona didn't know why Oliver suddenly wanted to take charge, but she didn't see a big deal in it, so she decided to let him. "Oh, okay," she mumbled in response.

Tower master Cordillera simply gazed at Oliver, musing, "If he's going to handle things the same way he did with me, then this won't even be a conversation."

Oliver walked slightly ahead of Leona, then spoke to King Leonheart, saying, "Alright, old man, get up. You're coming with us to meet my liege."

Oliver's words and manner of approach were so absurd and unexpected that everyone in the throne room momentarily froze. Suddenly, a voice erupted from one of the nobles. "How preposterous! How dare you refer to the king in such a manner!" It was Baron Devon Von Silkford, with brown hair, blue eyes, and dressed in blue and gold regal attire.

All the other nobles were also about to voice their thoughts when Oliver suddenly spoke up, silencing them.

"And so what?" Oliver said in a cold tone as he directed his gaze towards Baron Devon. "Are you going to punish me? Execute me, maybe?"

As he spoke, all the nobles quieted down. The strength emanating from Oliver made the air thick and heavy, sending chills down their spines and keeping them from speaking.

"I see you have all suddenly gone silent," Oliver continued. "From what I could tell, you all looked like you wanted to give me a piece of your mind. Glad to see you all understanding the power dynamics of the situation."

The king, not wanting to let things play out like this, still wanted the scenario to appear as if he was doing Oliver and Leona a favor by following them. "Is your liege in dire need of advice, like maybe how to properly manage his country or—" Before he could finish speaking, Oliver interrupted him, silencing him. "Our king doesn't need any of that," Oliver declared.

"He simply demands your presence, and so you will be coming with us to meet him, whether you like it or not."

Oliver paused, then continued, "The only thing that is stopping me from pulling you from your throne and back to our liege with a leash attached to your neck is because I don't want to sully a king's pride. I silently respect what it takes to rule a nation. But if you choose to dilly-dally, then I will have no choice but to do so." Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

The king could be seen visibly tensing up on his throne, gripping the edge of the armrest tightly and gritting his teeth. Oliver simply gazed at him with a knowing smile, understanding he wouldn't actually do anything.

Inwardly, he mused, just now, he wanted to control the flow of the conversation to make it appear as though he was the one following us of his own accord, making it appear as if he was doing us a favor.

But I've made sure to make him understand his opinion doesn't matter, and the fact that he chose to do so in the first place means he had already silently accepted the idea of following us back to see our liege. He just wanted to save his fragile pride in the process.

But with the way I've done things, I've made it appear as though if he chooses to follow us, it would be a far lesser stain on his pride than being dragged back like a dog. Oliver grinned as he mused further, so it's obvious he will now choose to follow us, weighing this option as a far better one, despite the fact it would still be a stain on his pride regardless.

King Leonheart then let out a sigh as he said, "I'll follow you to your nation immediately," he said nonchalantly and with a hint of regret.

Oliver smiled in response, "Glad we are on the same page." Cordillera, seeing this, mused, "He just forced the king into submission... He's truly a dangerous man."

Suddenly, Oliver added, "Oh, before I forget," his gaze suddenly turned intense and gold as he stared daggers at the king, "where is Hestria? She came here to have an audience with you earlier. If you have her locked up somewhere, I suggest you free her and bring her with us. She belongs to my liege now, and he doesn't take the idea of his property being handled poorly by others likely."

As he said that, the nobles present exchanged words. "I know that woman betrayed the kingdom," one said.

"We should have ended her the moment she stepped into the throne room," another added.

"We should have never even appointed her to the role of a magic knight," another said.

Oliver, hearing all this, suddenly spoke up with a cold, commanding tone, "Enough!" he yelled. This time he infused his voice with his mana, causing the atmosphere to feel oppressive, causing the nobles to not even know when their feet gave out beneath them and they fell to the floor on their knees, all wearing a terrified expression on their faces.

Oliver then spoke up, "You all are lucky nothing happened to her before we came. If something did, then I can guarantee all of you would be dead by now. I will not tolerate the idea of a person serving under my liege being overlooked by others, even if that person turns out to be a human."

The king, now visibly shaken by Oliver's display of power, struggled to regain his composure. Clearing his throat, he managed to speak, albeit with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "I assure you, Hestria is unharmed," he stated, his eyes darting nervously between Oliver and Leona. "She is currently being held in the east wing of the castle. I will have her brought to you immediately."