Reincarnate as the Villainess's Husband - Chapter 94

Chapter 94: Religion
“So, did you do all this just to reunite me with my children?”

Neonidas smiled at Velmuth’s question and nodded. “Partly, yes. After adopting these two little sweet things, I started looking for their father, and after a while, the trail led me to you. Then I researched you and was impressed by your achievements. You built an crime empire on your own, and you did it with as much mercy as possible. I believed in the potential of your power, and right now, we’re here because I wanted to reunite you with your children and make you my subordinate.”

Hearing Neonidas’ words, Velmuth leaned back in his chair, lost in deep thought. The two of them were sitting in a room within the royal palace, while Velmuth’s two little daughters played outside in the garden.

His gaze wavered, a storm raging within him. A wound he had buried deep long ago had now been ripped open again.

His anger, his pain, and all his past regrets were thrown into chaos. A part of him didn’t want to trust Neonidas, while another part wasn’t even sure if his children were really there. Their presence felt just as they were in his memories—but it was almost too good to be real.

Velmuth clenched his teeth, his fists tightening as he took a step back. “Do you really expect me to believe that a man like you has any intention of helping me?” he growled. His voice was still threatening, but there was a hint of hesitation.

Neonidas tilted his head slightly. “Whether you believe it or not is up to you,” he said simply. “But your children are here. Either you reject them, or you risk losing them again. The choice is yours.”

Velmuth’s eyes remained fixed on his daughters, who were running joyfully in the garden. The turmoil in his heart crushed him under the weight of the emotions he had tried to suppress for years. His eyes narrowed slightly. Seeing them melted the ice within him, but at the same time, it placed a heavy burden on him.

As Neonidas’ words echoed in his mind, his thoughts became a battlefield. Was this man truly helping him? Or was he merely a pawn in a much larger game? Velmuth had grown used to power and had been shaped by suspicion for years. He couldn’t accept anything without knowing its price.

Taking a deep breath, he turned his gaze to Neonidas, studying the calm, confident expression on his face. As an crime leader, he had heard countless lies and witnessed countless betrayals. But this man… there was a sincerity in his words. Or perhaps Velmuth only wished there were.

“What do you want from me, Neonidas?” he finally asked. His voice had lost its previously threatening tone but still maintained a cautious distance.

“Every emperor has a right-hand man,” Neonidas said. “I want you to be mine. The path to my goals will be incredibly difficult, which is why I need someone I can trust.”

In truth, the biggest reason Neonidas wanted this man to serve him was simply to have a shield to save his own skin in the worst-case scenario. But regardless, Velmuth would prove to be an extremely useful tool.

“I accept… on one condition. I want my daughters. I don’t want them to be in any danger.”

When Neonidas noticed the seriousness in Velmuth’s eyes, he maintained his slight smile, but his gaze sharpened. The condition was as simple as he had expected, but that didn’t mean fulfilling it would be easy. He took a deep breath, leaned back, and thought for a moment.

Velmuth’s daughters were his greatest weakness. Neonidas knew he could use that, but if he pushed too hard, he could unleash the beast within Velmuth. And that was something he didn’t want. That was why he had to be as straightforward as possible.

“I can’t promise that,” he finally said, his voice still calm but just as firm. “We live in a world where absolute safety doesn’t exist for anyone. But I can guarantee that as long as I have the power, I will protect them.”

Velmuth’s brows furrowed, and the unease in his eyes deepened. Crossing his arms, he studied Neonidas carefully. This man’s words were different from others’. He wasn’t offering empty promises. He was speaking the truth as it was.

Neonidas continued, “If you are to be my right-hand man, there will be a price. We have many enemies, and our path is paved with blood and ashes. I will protect your daughters, but for me to do that, you need to trust me completely.”

Velmuth clenched his teeth. Trust… That word felt like a distant dream to him now. But his daughters—they were everything. For a moment, he looked outside at the garden. His daughters were laughing, holding onto the innocence of childhood. If he didn’t trust Neonidas, their future would become even more uncertain.

At last, he let out a heavy sigh and spoke. “Fine,” he said. His voice was still guarded, but no longer as harsh. “I will be your right-hand man. But remember this, Neonidas… if anything happens to my daughters, I will kill you with my own hands.”

Neonidas merely gave a small smile at Velmuth’s threatening words. “I would expect nothing less,” he said simply. Then he extended his hand. “Then we have a deal.”

After a brief hesitation, Velmuth reached out and shook Neonidas’ hand. This was more than just an agreement—it was the beginning of a new era. The fates of the two men were now intertwined, but only time would tell where this path would lead.

—

After securing yet another valuable asset, Neonidas retreated to his quarters. He entered the room that was once used as the king’s study. For now, Velmuth and his children still hadn’t reunited, but for that to happen, the girls needed to get used to him first.

After settling into his desk, Neonidas spent some time reviewing the kingdom’s affairs. It was no surprise that the royal family had been a little too extravagant. But what was surprising was the kingdom’s immense wealth from trading spices and sheep pelts. Not just those—many exotic fruits and vegetables were also bringing in serious profits.

This explained how the Kingdom of Hindonpon had managed to build such a large—and therefore, expensive—army. Neonidas had already seized all the royal treasury’s gold and had begun teleporting it to his own duchy’s vaults.

At the same time, he ordered the transfer of the kingdom’s fruit, vegetable, and grain seeds to his duchy. Additionally, he commanded that the hybrid livestock, unique to the Hindonpon Kingdom, also be transported there.

Not stopping there, he even captured two Konotger creatures—a male and a female suitable for breeding—and teleported them to his duchy as well.

But Neonidas wasn’t satisfied yet. He wondered what other alternatives there were to exploit this kingdom even further.

Neonidas, knowing the limits of the teleportation portal’s capacity, decided to prioritize sending the most valuable and least space-consuming resources first. But this was only the beginning. As he pondered the most efficient way to exploit the resources of the Hindonpon Kingdom, he gathered his advisors and experts in his chamber to devise a plan.

The advisors analyzing the kingdom’s economy presented Neonidas with several alternatives. The most intriguing one was to take control of the local trade routes and seize the kingdom’s connections with other nations. Hindonpon’s agricultural products, exotic fruits, and high-quality livestock were in high demand among neighboring kingdoms. If Neonidas could control this trade through his own men, he could reap massive profits from foreign markets while simultaneously monopolizing internal trade, making the people entirely dependent on him.

To achieve this, Neonidas summoned the local merchant guilds. At first, the guild masters were wary of him, but as they heard the new deals he proposed, the concern on their faces quickly turned to greed.

The new trade policy was simple: Hindonpon’s most profitable goods could only be sold at prices set by Neonidas and through merchants approved by him. This way, the guilds would increase their earnings while Neonidas’s duchy would take a significant cut from every sale made to the outside world.

With the kingdom’s army and key generals wiped out in war, there seemed to be few talented individuals left. Hindonpon had never been a kingdom that valued science or, more broadly, education. As a result, there were only a handful of skilled individuals in the military—but they had all perished.

As Neonidas delved deeper into Hindonpon’s state, he realized that the kingdom was not just an economic ruin but also a managerial and military disaster. The royal family’s years of excessive luxury had led to the neglect of the army. The existing system only served the interests of wealthy merchants and nobles, while education and science had nearly been forgotten. A king ruling by keeping his people in ignorance was not surprising to Neonidas—but to him, this was a golden opportunity.

If the people were ignorant, he could instill whatever ideology he desired. If the army was weak, he could reshape it with his own hands. If the economy relied on a single sector, he could seize total control and bring the kingdom to its knees. Conquering Hindonpon wasn’t enough—he had to rebuild it, but on his own terms. Hindonpon, which would become the 13th Duchy of his empire, would be nothing more than his personal toy—but not for amusement.

Neonidas summoned the old royal librarian to his presence. The man was elderly, his eyes heavy with the burden of time, but his intellect was still intact. Kneeling, he bowed his head.

“Lord Neonidas, I am at your service,” he said in a trembling voice.

Neonidas glanced at the man’s shaking hands before leaning back against his desk.

“Let’s talk about this kingdom’s education system. Or rather, I want to know if there even is one.”

Without raising his head, the librarian responded,

“My lord, aside from the royal family and a few high-ranking nobles, most of the population is illiterate. Schools are nothing more than small halls where a handful of teachers appointed by the palace give lessons.”

Neonidas chuckled lightly.

“So they never had any intention of educating the people, did they?”

The old man shook his head.

“No, Your Majesty. The people were meant only to work and produce. Education was seen as a luxury.”

Upon hearing this, a new idea took shape in Neonidas’s mind. Instead of viewing the lack of education as a weakness, he could turn it into an advantage. If the people had been kept in ignorance, he could teach them his own ideology, raise loyal soldiers, and reshape the kingdom’s entire intellectual framework.

“Then we will change that,” he declared firmly. “We will educate the people—but we will decide what they learn.”

As the librarian left the room, Neonidas’s fingers continued tapping rhythmically on the desk.

“The easiest way to rule an ignorant people… is through religion.”