The Grand Plan

After the training session ended, along with Arthur and Sonny, they entered the same cafe Daemon and Daerys ate last night.

"Why is it called happyness cafe?" Arthur asked while indulging himself in the sweetness of the hot chocolate.

"Cause, a customer who is stressed out enters through that door will only leave with happiness." Daemon sarcastically answered.

"Is that so? I see, I see."

Sonny was silent. He didn't know what to say after yesterday's skirmish. All of the other party was acting like nothing happened and they were all willy-willy friends. He peeked at Neril, who was also chatting like nothing happened.

"Sonny, isn't it to your liking?" Arthur asked while dunking the almond cookies in the hot chocolate before munching on it.

"Uh.. No- I mean yes, I do like it. It's just..." He glanced at Daemon.

"Oh, it's my treat for my new friends." Daemon proudly announced even going as far as raising the spoon to intensify the effect.

"Fri-friends...? we are... your friends?" He warily asked.

"of course, you're my friends. What? perhaps you don't want me as a friend." Sonny went silent. He was confused.

'Was this some sort of test or something or is he always like that.' Sonny mused himself. He looked at Neril for any help. Neril was nodding his head slowly. Perhaps in an understanding what he was going through.

"Kyaa... My heart is bleeding of pain because of thy refusal of my friendship from the depths of my heart." Daemon exuberantly clutched his chest with his hands and wore a pained expression.

'Shit! He really is crazy.'

Arthur and Neril just enjoyed their hot chocolate while watching the two as they have come to an agreement with Daemon's craziness.

"No, no. I didn't mean that way. I mean... if you want me as a friend, I'll be more than gracious to be your friend, my lord."

Sonny warily said.

"Oh... don't call me that. Now that we're friends, call me by name." Daemon had his elbow on the table, propping up his chin.

"O-okay..." Sonny was getting goosebumps seeing Daemon's innocent smile. It was like feeding an animal to its hearts content before sacrificing it.

Daemon was still expectantly looming at sonny while urging sonny by nodding his face.

Finally, Sonny gave in. "...Daemon."

"Ah yes," Daemon clasped his hands together "See that, that wasn't that hard, right? Now that Sonny has officially entered our friends circle, let's move on to more... pressing matters."

The atmosphere grew heavy as Daemon's demeanour completely changed. His innocent smile replaced with seriousness. Seeing the change in his demeanour the other three also stopped whatever they were doing or whatever they were eating and looked at Daemon with at most concentration. They knew whatever he was about say is very important so they intently looked at him.

"Don't you all want to kick some lordling ass?"

"What are you getting at Daemon?" Neril looked at Daemon suspiciously.

"What I mean is literally what I said," Daemon looked at all of his three tool- friends. "Just like you there are some lordling asses I also want to kick and you're going to help me achieve that."

"Wha-" Neril took a deep sigh. He knows associating with Daemon is already a faster way to approach hell hole but he has already been on that side and he had enough. He wants to restore his declining family and the best and the worst thing to do is following this crazy lordling. "What exactly do you want me- us to do? I won't do any vile things--"

"You just have to follow my words. Rest assured it is not anything vile or horrid things and for you Neril, it is a simple task." Daemon interrupted Neril.

This only deepened his confusion but with Daemon promising it's not something horrid or vile, he was down to follow the plan at least.

"Why me? What can I do?"

"People! What I need is people or more exactly the students in this case." Daemon still wore that mysterious smile with him.

"Peoples! What exactly is that you want us to do, Daemon. Be specific, I can't follow through your riddles." Arthur confusedly spoke but Daemon wasn't looking at him, he was looking at Neril who understood what Daemon was implying.

"He wants to gather the support of the un-allied and common students." Neril spoke to Arthur.

"Students! why?" Sonny was the one to ask the question now. Even though he had strength and power, he wasn't the brightest in the room so he chose to follow Neril around to not cause any trouble and jeopardise himself. But Neril started to follow the lordling. 'Following him is better than getting picked out by random dudes.' Is what Neril told him when he asked about his plans regarding the lordling.

"If we were to beat up a lordling then… that's it, he is beaten up not to mention if we have the support of the other students then the chances of us getting beaten up are less." Neril explained the situation calmly. Daemon was extremely happy to see Neril's adaptability skill.

"Okay… suppose we could do something about them inside the academy, what about the outside?"

"A rational question. Good," Daemon sip a drink form his hot chocolate before speaking. Letting everybody else to relax a bit. "They won't target you outside the academy and if they target you outside then they will face the wrath of the king."

"Wait! What? I'm not following you there, Daemon?" This time it was Neril who expressed his confusion.

"It's just like I said; you can't pick on students on outside for the reasons they have done inside the academy."

"Why!?"

"When the young 'me' was bullied by Lycus and the others, my father approached the king about the matter. Who—"

"Why the King, can't your father just complain to the headmaster." Daemon was annoyed that Arthur was interrupting him but he decided to drop it.

"Cause my bullies were from the great families and doing something to them can have negative impact on the academy and my father knows it too, so he approached the king for a solution and he called a meeting with all of the great families head. Since both parties were not giving up, the king called for a voting and three out of five families have voted to not interfere with the students matter. So, to even that decision, the king decreed that whatever happens in the academy, bullying or anything else stays in the academy, even the one getting bullied is a lordling." Daemon took another sip from his hot chocolate.

The other three was stupefied by the revelation.

"There was something like this?" Arthur jumped on his seat.

"Why didn't we know about it?" Sonny chimed in.

"Cause if this law was gone public then the fate of the lordlings would be… you can guess, right?"

"Y-you--" Neril took a deep breath. "The dominion you showed at dorm last night…"

"A bluff. But now that we are friends does that matter?" Daemon impassively said locking his eyes with Neril.

"I see." Neril slouched back on his chair carefully watching Daemon.

'He is good! Really knows how to play. This is going to be fun.' Neril thought.

"So, you want us to gather the students, right?"

"Yes. To be exact I want to gather all of them under you." He pointed at Neril.

"Me? Why?"

"Cause if the others knew that the students are under me that will put me in a disadvantage. But if they were to think that the students are doing it on their own volition, they won't be able to do anything."

"I see, but wouldn't they pin point at you, since they have seen me with you?"

"Yes, they would. If they are not that stupid, but of course that wouldn't happen since the one who is going to lead this supposed 'rebellion' won't be you, but another one."

"Another one? Who?"

"The one from this morning. The girl with the black hair and black eyes."

"Oh, you mean Amanda Lauren. Yes, she would be a good leader for the rebels but she is very uptight and a model citizen, so how are we going to convince her?" Neril casually whirled his cup. The other two were silently watching the exchange while eating and drinking. They knew this was not for them to interfere.

"We will create scenarios that compel her to take the mantle," He looked at Neril who had suspicious look "Don't worry it won't be anything bad in fact it will only help her grow."

"I see. What's my role in it then?"

"You've to mould her. You've to be there when things go wrong and help her. So, she will be loyal to you and you'll make her loyal to me."

"You're a manipulative bastard you know that?"

"I suppose that is true."

"Why are you doing this though?"

"Like I said, I also have my list of assess to be kicked and we are starting that."

"What if I decide to betray you?"

"You--" Arthur was about to scowl at Neril but was stopped seeing Dameon gesturing his hands as a sign of 'no.'

"You won't. You wont even think about betrayal at all since I'll help you to restore your declining family."

Though the atmosphere was heavy, if one looked closed they can see both of them had evil smiles plastered across their face.

'Fuck! Both of them are crazy now.' Both Sonny and Arthur thought while gulping.