"...It's actually really simple. I want three big, brawny, bad-a.s.s men with great stamina."

"??!??!? Alright... Whatever you want it for, I don't care! Don't try to bait me to ask you more! I won't fall for it! I don't care I'm telling you!" Duke Silvan's eyes shot daggers at Lars and bulged almost halfway out their sockets, fire lighting up his pupils.

"But..."

"!!!!!!!!!!!!"

'Again!!!! This a**hole is asking to DIE!!!! JUST. SIGN. THE. CONTRACT. AND. YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!!!'

But Silvan did not voice his thoughts, instead he kept quiet and waited.

"...They also need to be... Ahem, how should say this..." Lars blushed and looked down and away, appearing embarra.s.sed to speak his mind.

Duke Silvan's face turned sour once again as he forced himself to speak the words, "...Just say it!!!! Don't pretend to be an innocent kid! We both know you're a completely messed up piece of sh*t!!!!"

Lars blushed again and looked up slowly then said, "Erm... I'm just afraid you'll feel insecure when I say this... But... Those men mustn't be as small as you..."

"What are you talking...." Duke Silvan looked confused for just half a second, speaking out of instinct before his voice trailed off and his face turned pale, before it changed to red then finally settled at a purplish-crimson as the blood rushed to his head.

"You.... You...!!!! You!!!!!!"

Lars put on an innocent look as he played dumb, saying, "Ahem... That's why I said I'm reluctant to speak! I don't want to hurt your feelings, you know! If you're wondering why I know... Who DOESN'T know in the Kingdom of the Sands...?!? Don't you know it's no secret? Every woman you've slept with has 3 things in common: Number 1, they're beautiful, number 2, not a single relations.h.i.+p lasted... And number 3... The break-up was because you were too small to satisfy them!!!!"

[Even from far off, the sounds of gurgling screams of frustration could be heard - sounds of a man who was helplessly holding on to the promise of murdering his "conversation partner" as revenge while being forced to bear with endless humiliation...]

[Yes. The screams could be heard even through the barrier - hundreds of metres underground...]

* * * * *

[2 minutes later]

After Duke Silvan calmed down again, he promptly ignored whatever had been said earlier.

He just stared at Lars impa.s.sively, unwilling to speak a single word more.

Or perhaps, not daring to say a single thing more in case he slipped up again and was baited into further ignominy. And he also did not want to think about what horrendous things the perverted, depraved boy wanted to do with the 3 men. He shuddered when he thought about the boy's disgusting preference of play.

He continued staring. And staring. And staring at Lars silently.

Eventually, Lars chuckled again and decided to finish things up. He was a bit tired of toying with the man and was pretty happy with the mental torture he'd rendered unto the royal blood man who probably had never been treated so badly ever before in his life.

"Let's make it simple. My fourth request is cheap and simple: ropes and lots of lubricant. Ahem, if you're wondering what kind... *THAT* kind..."

Duke Silvan choked a little on his own saliva when he heard Lars brazenly speak his request. He didn't mind that it was actually 2 requests in 1 - those things were dirt cheap anyway. What he did mind was that he was forced to think about the boy's deviant hobbies again because of what he said.

So he just nodded even as he resisted the fit of coughing hitting him.

Truthfully, he felt relieved that he was finally finis.h.i.+ng this ordeal. It felt like the last hour of "simple conversation" had been a terrifying battlefield. And when he realised how he was fearful towards the boy! What a horrifying thought, to be afraid of a smooth-skinned weak boy!

'Really... How foolish and slow I've grown... How can I get mad about this idiotic kid? Sigh... I've grown old and comfortable without going to the "battlefield" of external diplomacy... When I get back, I must request to go out to the field and overseas again...' He made a note to himself as he reflected on his weaknesses again.

Lars nodded in return - then began to smile. Slowly, the corner of his lips curling up into a cunning wolf-like smile.

"My last request is..."

Lars brushed his hair back and then said.

"Wanna guess...?"

Duke Silvan's half-relieved, half-expectant face froze for a beat before his face suddenly turned beet-red and he exploded in wrath for the umpteenth time.

"BOY!!!!!!!!! WHAT IS IT *THIS TIME*???? JUST SPIT IT OUT YOU b.a.s.t.a.r.d b.u.g.g.e.rED DUNGHEAD!!!" He spat out the words as he wondered if it was really worth it becoming the All-powerful ruler of the planet. Perhaps it would be better to just right here and right now rip the skin off this little monster inch by inch! G.o.d knows that would be the more satisfying option...

He began to pant heavily as he glared at Lars with bulging eyes and gripped the arms of his chair so tightly that loud creaking and cracking sounds began to emanate from the wood - and mind you, this was no mere common wood but Lebian Steelwood, harder than normal metals by manifold, and yet it was already cracking under his infuriated grasp!

'No no no, who am I kidding... Restraint and forbearance are the defining characteristics of a king! I shall be patient as a G.o.d in my conduct and prove my calibre to rule! Hahaha!'

After 5 breaths, Duke Silvan's temper gradually receded as Lars acted as if though he had neither seen nor heard anything, just sitting there with a smile still on his face. Silvan calmed down his heart and kept himself happy with the images of the inhumane acts he would perform on Lars once he was crushed under his heel - just a little more and he would have this despicable kid at his beck and call, a slave to his every command!

"Let's get this over with." Duke Silvan spoke harshly and steeled his resolve to just get this over with.

He could feel his mental state slipping and felt his mind tangled in disarray. He was grateful that this was not a hostile territory and that he was not going to face any opponents at such a time - for he knew that he was at less than 60% of his maximum capabilities right now.

"Not gonna guess...?" Lars stuck his tongue out cheekily and smiled, then pouted when Duke Silvan just gave him a level and "don't care" gaze in response.

"Fine, fine... I'll just tell you..."

"My last request is..."

Lars lifted up his hand and pointed at Duke Silvan then said, "...For Duke Silvan to be tied up, lubed up and gang-banged by those 3 "large" men!"

"Okay, consider it done..... What. Did. You. Say...?"

Duke Silvan's eyes turned murderous with an aura of death emanating from his body. He grew quiet; very very quiet, until even his breaths could barely be heard. The level of threat being exuded from his person could be sensed palpably, as if though a great dragon were bearing down upon the boy before him, daring him to provoke the dragon once more and be devoured!

But Lars nonchalantly raised his voice in a brazen tone and shouted back in response, "I'm saying! Go get f***ed in the a**, you dipsh*t! Hahahahahahaha!"

Roaring in laughter, Lars prepared all of his powers and all his equipment to be called forth in a split second - all of his painstaking provocations, teasing, insults and psychology attacks were all for this one moment - to bring down his counterpart's mental guard and even drain him of some of his mana to make this victory a surety!

Preparing for battle with all cylinders fired and his entire near-Myth power actively channeling, Lars was surprised at the one reaction he did not antic.i.p.ate...!

"Hahahahahahahhahahahhaha!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! HAHAHAHAH!!!!"

Lars was shocked out of his laughter upon hearing Duke Silvan follow suit in his laughter. He felt creeped out at someone who would laugh at the sound of a teenager telling to get f***ed to his face, and wondered if he had just discovered a dark secret of the royal family!

But his question mark was cleared very quickly as Duke Silvan announced his stance.

"Excellent, excellent indeed! You wasted so much of my time all to challenge me like this...? Did you think that I wouldn't just splatter you here and now...? Did you think you're safe just because your master is a Legend and you're under the protection of Duke Leanne...? Do you really think so...?"

Not waiting for Lars to answer, Duke Silvan continued with his monologue, "But that's not a problem. Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you unfairly... Instead, let's do it like this. What say you if..."

Duke Silvan raised his eyebrows with an expression filled with mirth while his eyes were painted with unveiled murder, then he gave his own offer.

"Let's have a bet. If you win, I'll give you your 2nd request for free! I'll reunite you with your little sweetheart, no strings attached! I'll even promise you won't have to help me at all with the tournament! And if you're still worried, I'll include into the contract to never, ever harm you whether personally or indirectly! How about it...?"

After dangling out this carrot before Lars, it was Duke Silvan's turn to smile smugly and wait for Lars to take the bait. He felt pleased to be now in control of the conversation flow and no longer at the mercy of the boy's psychological attacks.

And Lars, feeling that this discussion had taken an interesting turn, threw away his pride and just asked, "And what if I lose the bet...?"

"Oh, you won't have to worry about what happens if you lose the bet, truly, you have my word, you won't have to do anything for me if you lose the bet apart from losing in the Nationals! I totally promise this; you won't come to harm even if you lose the bet! In fact, you won't lose anything!" Duke Silvan smiled widely, baring his perfect white teeth on his perfectly handsome face that even made Lars look just slightly good-looking.

Then the older man stretched out his hand and offering it for a handshake to seal the contract.

Lars paused for awhile then asked, "Alright - as long as you include that, if the bet is too unreasonable, I can withdraw from it."

Duke Silvan nodded, sneering on the inside as he felt he should have just done this from the very start. Anyway, whatever contract rules, promises or bets would become completely meaningless after Lars became his soul-slave, right...? All he had to do was to command Lars to nullify the contract!

Lars raised his hand and reached out to shake Duke Silvan's hand. The moment their hands touched, a warm blue glow of mana began to pulse from the magic arrays where their hands met as the contract began to form.

"Don't resist, let the contract array meld with your mana core... I'll be doing the same, and the contract will be cancelled if either party refuses it..."

'Hahaha! Anyway, it's already too late, boyo... It's sealed, dealed, done and over! Hahahahah!'

With another pulse that sounded like a high-pitched heartbeat, the blue glow of the contract array sychronised with the pulsing of the tendrils of mana extending from their hands into their solar plexus where their mana cores were located. The warm glow brought with it a comfortable feeling, giving Lars a sense of peace as he felt like closing his eyes due to the encapsulating senssation.

Suddenly however, Lars gasped and tried to jerk his hand away - to no avail. Unable to control himself, his left hand clutching at his chest over the middle of his sternum desperately.

"Hahahahahaha! Boy! I must admit, you are truly a talent! A talent at disgusting, infuriating and being a sickening pain in the a** that is! And I'm extremely pleased to tell you just before you lose your ability to resist, while you still retain the last dregs of your will! Don't worry, this slave seal won't remove your senses of thought, emotion, consciousness or any of those! It will only make you unable to resist I, your master's commands, that's all! HAHHAHAHA!!!"

And Lars began to fall to his knees, face pale and choking again and again as the blue formation grew ever brighter, s.h.i.+ning like the eye of a supernova as the azure-blue tendrils snaked into and violated his mana core, destroying his ability to resist and overtaking the last vestiges of his will...!

Moments later, it was over. The light faded and Duke Silvan allowed Lars' hand to fall from his own as he tapped his nose, his habit when pleased.

"Well, I guess it's good to go through the motions! Boy, here's the bet. Hmmm... Well, since you're already a slave, it doesn't matter I guess. Ahhh, the h.e.l.l! If you can lay a finger on me, you win! Hahaha! But anyway, that's out of the question, slave!"

Lars nodded obediently, his conflicted face showing his unwillingness but his body and soul unable to resist due to the slave seal.

Having cleared that out of the way for his own pleasure, Duke Silvan then gave his directions.

"Alright. Boy, now for your first command: Slap yourself ten times on the cheeks! Hard!"

Duke Silvan announced his command with the air of a king, deeply satisfied and elated to finally be rid of this pesky and annoying child.

He listened with delightedness as he heard Lars reply, "Yes, your grace. 10 slaps coming right up."

And Lars leapt up and slapped Duke Silvan on the left side of his face, so hard that the gloomy and dark surroundings of the world around him turned a swimming white full of the entire 12 constellations in the sky in his eyes!