I'm going to create a cult within the academy.

Yep. That's the only way I'm getting what I want.

This world is crawling with cults anyway but one of them is destined to cause a massive headache down the line.

A human-supremacy cult called HuSu cult. Not exactly the brightest name out there but they were still a threat.

They believe demons are nothing but parasitic filth that should be wiped out without hesitation… and mercy.

And if I play this right…

There is a chance I can take down a future problem before it grows fangs.

When I first saw Rio after he blew up my villa, I genuinely wanted to kill him or at the very least rip off a limb or two, you know, just to lighten the poor guy's crushing sense of guilt.

But when I saw him already looking so pathetic about it… I decided to take a different route.

And honestly, it's not like the explosion actually did much to me except a few burns, a forest of splinters on my body, some delightful crushing pain and of course… the emotional damage

But me being the generous, benevolent human that I am, decided to give this little pawn a proper king. I decided to upgrade him into a key piece… before sacrificing him as the perfect trap.

I mean, that's the least he can do after trying to kill me… Sure, it might end up being way more painful than just dying but I'm pretty sure he won't mind.

And the way to advance this pawn was simple… I just had to kill Varek.

That bastard was already on my hit list long before he decided to pull this little prank on me because I knew, sooner or later, he was going to be a problem.

A big one at that.

Honestly, I might've forgotten about him for a few months if he hadn't pulled that stunt but by doing this… he basically reminded me he existed.

Still, I can't kill Varek for now… not with a death timer hanging over my head.

And that's why, until I get cured, I was hoping this bastard Rio can round up a few more cultists inside the academy and draw the attention of the HuSu cult… who already have their eyes on this place anyway.

I don't need to wipe out the entire cult.

Nope.

I just want to kill a few key people including their lovely and deranged little leader before taking the whole thing over.

Fanatics are the easiest to control, after all.

"So… what should I do?" Rio asked, his eyes steady with this sudden burst of determination.

"I'll forgive you, Rio," I said, putting on the most genuine expression I could muster. "After all, you're one of us and not one of those filthy demons."

His shoulders eased, just a little.

"But I do have one condition…"

I let the words hang, slow and deliberate.

"A very simple condition, one I am sure you won't mind. But we'll talk about that later."

"You should get away for now, the academic staff would be here any moment now."

I mean, if this bastard got caught, that would be a problem.

They would probably toss him into the Cave of Self-Reflection, and with how fragile his mind is right now, he could actually die in there.

And I can't let him die just yet… not after all the emotional labor I've invested into him.

"Meet me at Demanta Café after academic hours. If you show up…"

I lowered my voice, almost gentle.

"…I'll take that as confirmation of your intention."

I let the words settle before adding in a softer tone,

"And don't worry… I won't go after your family. Unlike Varek, I'm not fond of backstabbing."

"…Okay."

Rio finally replied after a long pause.

I threw a healing potion towards him without another word.

"Hey, Bearlo. Take this guy out of here."

Bearlo, who had been standing a few steps back the whole time, immediately perked up. He was still staring at the ruins of the villa, looking like his brain had blue-screened trying to process what happened.

"What happened here, my liege?" he asked hesitantly. "Did something happen… during your marriage?"

I resisted the urge to facepalm right then and there.

This idiot was still believing what I told him earlier.

"Just go and get that guy out of here…" I whispered, without bothering to explain.

Bearlo nodded and moved instantly.

He tossed Rio over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and started sprinting off.

As their figures started receding into the distance… something clicked in my mind.

"Oh and one more thing, Rio!" I shouted after them.

"Tell Varek… that it's indeed the greatest morning."

I mean, Varek would definitely meet Rio once he realized the guy wasn't tossed into the Cave of Reflection. He would want answers and the whole story of what happened here.

And that worked perfectly for me because it was also a test.

A test to see if Rio was actually the right person for this job.

I had planted enough emotion in his head to make him hate Varek… but whether he could control that hate, or whether it could actually overpower the fear he had toward Varek was a whole different question.

I didn't need a useless piece of trash.

I needed a smart pawn.

And if Rio actually had a brain left in that skull of his, he wouldn't mention a single thing about me or even act on that hate too early.

If he did… then I would just have to accept my investment was a waste and move on.

Better to find out now than after I'm dead, right?

I pulled a cigar from my cloak… not that I liked the things but this one wasn't exactly ordinary.

I have never smoked, neither in my first life, nor in this one and I wasn't planning on breaking that streak.

This cigar was an artifact.

One of the little treasures I picked up in that cave.

It had a particularly useful effect which boosted the body's natural healing for a while.

And honestly, it looked way cooler than chugging some mediocre potion that barely works and then locks me out from using another one for hours.

More importantly, my body already heals fast thanks to my race as an Arcane Human… and with the boost from this cigar.

I would be recovering even quicker.

Just then, I heard footsteps approaching.

There were some students gathered around, staring at the ruins of my villa in shock… and among them, I spotted one girl glaring at me with pure annoyance.

Her blonde hair tied into a neat ponytail and her violet eyes blinked sharply in my direction. Judging by her training outfit and the sweat clinging to her skin… she had just come back from a run.

A frown appeared on her face as she walked in my direction.

"What the hell happened here?" She muttered as soon as she arrived.

I looked at Viola… as a smile appeared on my face.

"Well, things happened," I muttered, knowing full well that the chaos in my life was only beginning now.

And so, my morning had finally begun.

—

After a few minutes of explaining to Viola how I vanished yesterday because the Demon King summoned me, how I somehow became his successor and how I accidentally blew up my villa while testing an artifact…

She finally believed me.

And right after that,

The staff arrived, as late as any official could possibly manage.

They questioned me, sure… but it was all just formality at that point. After reminding me to file for a new dorm through the administration, they took off.

They didn't even bother asking for the details about the explosion. Just told me to explain everything to the dorm supervisor when I applied for a new room.

Honestly, I couldn't even blame them. Those poor bastards looked more exhausted than a dead corpse.

And now here I was, walking toward Viola's Villa with her… after she offered to let me borrow one of the rooms in her villa until I am assigned my own dorm.

"Thanks for saving Sera, Rael." Viola finally spoke.

"Ahh, don't worry about that." I waved it off casually. "She's my friend too, Viola."

I had already gone over the story we would use about what happened inside the cave with Seraphina.

It had just the right blend of truth and lies to make it believable.

"You… calling someone a friend so easily?" Viola narrowed her eyes at me.

Well, to be fair, the previous Rael was basically anti-social incarnate. He barely considered anyone a friend besides Viola. Trust wasn't exactly his thing and neither was it for me.

So yeah… I could see why she was suspicious.

But before I could even explain myself, Viola suddenly stopped walking.

A mischievous, smug smile curled on her lips.

"Don't tell me you fell in love with her or something?"

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