"You may think I'm flattering you. In your life, you may have encountered many people who offered insincere flattery."
"But think about this: what is the difference between me and them? What could I possibly gain by spending so much time praising you?"
Before Schiller had even finished asking his question, Magneto's expression showed that he had already fallen into thought.
After hearing Schiller's words, his first reaction had indeed been disbelief, because it sounded far too much like empty flattery.
More than that, it sounded like the kind of flattery that missed the mark entirely, carrying a faintly sarcastic edge.
After Magneto became famous, plenty of people who wanted something from him had greeted him with smiles and showered him with flattery.
Yet what they mainly praised was Magneto's immense power. That was the safest thing to praise.
Before approaching Magneto, those people had done extensive homework. They understood that praising Magneto's temperament or character would sound far too much like mockery.
The whole world knew Magneto had a terrible temper and was also a terrorist. If you insisted on whispering in his ear, "I truly admire your character," weren't you just courting death?
So this was almost the first time Magneto had heard someone admire his personal charisma. In that instant, his first reaction had been disbelief.
Before Schiller could finish his question, Magneto's way of analyzing the matter had shifted from instinct to rational thought. He had always been more rational by nature and preferred to judge anyone's reactions through logic.
But logically, the matter became even stranger.
Schiller had no need whatsoever to praise him, nor would Schiller gain any extra benefit from flattering him.
Of course, Schiller might have wanted to make use of Magneto's immense power again. But Magneto knew that if Schiller used