Leo lowered his head, his face scrunched up as if pondering some difficult problem. He walked left, then walked right, pacing back and forth dozens of times until Michael's eyes started to feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Hey, have you finished thinking? You pacing around like that is really annoying me."
Michael complained, but there was no response. Right now, Leo seemed like he had drifted off to another world, completely ignoring Michael's existence.
Being treated as invisible made Michael very unhappy, but he couldn't do anything else. After all, until he fulfilled one wish, he wouldn't be allowed to move freely on this continent.
"Is nobles oppressing commoners considered fair?" Leo asked.
"I won't answer that. If that is your wish, then I will answer." Michael smirked, clearly not giving away too much for free.
If possible, he would have liked to answer directly and take Leo's wish opportunity, but the rules didn't allow it. Only when Leo confirmed it as his wish would it count.
Hearing this, Leo, of course, didn't agree. He shouldn't waste a wish on such a simple question.
"Then I wish for this world to become a place where the noble class does not oppress commoners," Leo said.
Looking broadly, what Michael said wasn't problematic, it's true that no one can escape the laws of nature. But that's not what he wanted, he thought if he made the wish a bit clearer, it could become reality.
"That also won't do, because it's already something that should be taken for granted." Michael's expression unchanged, replied calmly and steadily.
He was born in the modern world, where nobles aren't like those in feudal times. But the stratification of power in society is something that naturally exists.
Power is not just a privilege, it is simultaneously a responsibility. Those with the greatest power are the ones who must bear the most burdens.
Throughout history, there has been no shortage of successful uprisings by the lower class. Ultimately, it's just a matter of interests. Oppression will cause the people to rise up, but benefits will unite everyone, it's inevitable.
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
"You're lying to me. Since when do nobles not oppress commoners?"
Leo's eyes widened, his face flushed red like a volcano about to erupt. Without a satisfactory explanation, he would definitely beat Michael up.
Seeing the situation wasn't good and that an explanation was necessary, Michael had no choice but to elaborate, believing he could persuade a 'little kid.'
"What do you understand? Everything just about benefits. Everyone wants a better life for themselves, nobles are no exception. This desire will never stop because there's only 'better,' not 'best.' So, how are nobles and commoners different? If they're not different, how can oppression exist?"
Michael spoke calmly and steadily, as if the crimes committed by nobles had nothing to do with him.
Leo was dumbfounded. He realized he had never truly considered things from the perspective of a noble. He had some power and a lot of martial prowess, but his commoner background had always limited his thinking.
After standing silently for a few minutes, his gaze grew serious as he stared at Michael. He knew what he should wish for now.
"If vague concepts can't be wished for... then I wish to become the king of this world."
The words fell like a heavy bomb on Michael's head, making his eyes widen. How on earth was he supposed to fulfill a wish like this?
Forget helping someone else become king, even if he wanted to become king himself, he wouldn't know how.
'System, help me. How do I fulfill a wish like this?'
Michael panicked, frantically calling out to the system for assistance.
[There's no rule saying a genie must have a 100% wish fulfillment success rate.]
[If you fail to fulfill the wish, you'll be imprisoned in the lamp for ten years as punishment.]
[Moreover, 'failure' here specifically refers to the wisher dying before the wish is completed.]
While it wasn't as bad as being imprisoned for a thousand years, it still didn't look like a good thing. Could he really help with this wish? Was it overestimating him?
If he had immense power, it would be one thing, but right now he was just a regular person who lived longer. He had zero knowledge or experience in this matter.
"Alright then. I'll try my best to help you achieve your wish." Michael sighed, feeling that his upcoming life wouldn't be easy in the slightest.
This attitude was fully noticed by Leo, giving him the feeling that this genie was extremely unreliable.
"Can you really fulfill the wish?"
"I promise to help you achieve your wish, but I didn't say it would 100% come true. I can only try, you know? Don't look at me as a deity, I actually have no special powers," Michael said helplessly.
Being dragged into this rebellion against the government didn't seem like a good thing no matter how you looked at it. If the nobles in this world were truly a bunch of scoundrels, it might be manageable. If they were all kind-hearted nobles, then it would be really difficult.
Opposing a regime that has the people's support means opposing the entire world. There's absolutely no chance of winning.
'System, if I fail, can I keep the power I gain here?'
[Of course. The punishment is only related to your freedom for ten years and doesn't affect what you achieve here.]
'Whew, that's good.'
Confirmed by the system, Michael could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Even if there was a 99.99% chance he'd be imprisoned for ten years this time, he might still gain something.
"So, how are you planning to help me?" Leo asked curiously, no trace of dislike in his voice.
For him, Michael was a deity after all, even if it was the weakest kind of deity. Having a deity by his side would surely bring some benefits.