"I'm starting to think... maybe we should take smaller steps."
Just as Lucien had expected, Kasumigaoka Utaha backed down the moment she heard his proposal.
Well, it was hardly surprising. She'd grown up under conventional, law-abiding values. Asking her to get involved in something potentially illegal? Resistance was inevitable.
Lucien had counted on her lack of nerve from the beginning—that's exactly why he'd tossed out such an extreme idea.
The way Utaha had lit up after encountering the "supernatural" unsettled him a little. He couldn't shake the feeling something wasn't quite right. So, naturally, he thought of a way to pour cold water on her excitement.
If she had taken the bait and run with his suggestion, he wouldn't have hesitated to quietly show her the horrific fates of people brainwashed by cults.
People capable of casually turning from ordinary citizens into perpetrators? Those types didn't belong in school—they belonged behind bars.
Thankfully, Utaha clearly wasn't one of those people.
All in all, Lucien had more than enough tricks up his sleeve to make sure Utaha backed off when needed.
So when he saw her lose her earlier boldness and shrink back, Lucien smoothly changed his tone:
"Personally, I'm not a fan of that kind of approach either. I mean, I'm just a down-and-out god who's lost his faith, after all~~"
That self-deprecating line drew a sudden giggle from Utaha. But she immediately looked flustered, as if laughing at him had been inappropriate.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to make fun of you."
Lucien raised a brow. "Are you sure? Should I just assume you did mean it?"
"Pfft—!" Utaha slapped a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking. She quickly composed herself and asked, "So... what's your real plan?"
And just like that, she'd handed him the reins.
Lucien paused, considering for a moment, then replied, "Your first idea wasn't totally useless."
"My first...?" Utaha blinked, then remembered what she'd said earlier—about recruiting important people as followers. "But don't most of those high-level people lack the proper qualifications?"
"That's fine." Lucien waggled a finger. "A small percentage is enough. Besides, even if they don't qualify, influencing the people around them can work just as well."
"Think about it—political parties, hometown alliances, classmates, clubs... it's all just layers of connection. That's how influence builds."
As he spoke, Utaha couldn't help thinking about the new ability she'd gained: mind reading.
Was that the strategy? Using her ability to approach those close to powerful individuals, then subtly influence them?
Given her age, the people she'd be around were likely the next generation of the powerful—and Fujisaki Academy was full of second-generation elites.
"Wait a second... are you basing this plan around my mind-reading power?"
Before she could finish the question, Lucien interjected, "Which identity do you think works better for you—a well-known female novelist, or a respected psychologist?"
So he'd already figured out her role and positioning?
"Probably... the first one," Utaha murmured. "A famous author. I kind of like that."
But as soon as the words left her mouth, she started panicking inside.
Wait, had she ever told Lucien she was actually just a struggling light novelist?
And now she'd gone and bragged about book signings and insisted he call her sensei...
If the truth came out—that she wrote a genre scorned by mainstream media, and her debut volume hadn't even sold 20,000 copies—wouldn't that be utterly humiliating?
But if she went through with Lucien's plan and someone did expose her, wouldn't that be even worse?
She was stuck.
"A well-known novelist, huh?"
Lucien gave her a look—subtle, but telling. When he saw her shift her eyes nervously, he didn't need any confirmation to know she was hiding something.
"Well, it's not impossible," he said. "Being a licensed psychologist would require actual credentials, and those take time to earn. A novelist, on the other hand... that's a lot easier."
"Especially since you already write, and you've hosted a book signing. That makes things much more convenient."
Utaha felt like her heart was going to explode.
Oh god oh god oh god!
I can't take this anymore! Forget fooling an actual god—how am I supposed to sit here and calmly accept compliments like this?!
She was just about to confess everything when Lucien added casually:
"But considering your age, it might be best to put all that on hold. Let's wait until your reputation grows a little more."
"After all... Love Metronome doesn't exactly sound like a serious novel, does it?"
Utaha froze.
She stared blankly at Lucien. Her eyes lost focus. Only after a long pause did she finally blink and return to reality. She met Lucien's cheerful gaze—and clenched her jaw.
"You knew. You knew my pen name and what I wrote all along."
Lucien tilted his head. "What, did you forget where I work?"
Where... he works? Oh god. The bookstore. That bookstore. The one she always went to...
Utaha glanced at her bare feet on the floor and seriously considered digging a hole and disappearing into it.
So he'd known all along?!
This is mortifying!
Lucien, meanwhile, acted as if her glowing red ears didn't exist. He kept going, calm as ever:
"As the saying goes, 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' For now, secrecy is key. We can't go big and blow our cover."
"Considering we're still just students, the best move might be... starting a club."
Utaha swallowed her pride and nodded weakly. She didn't dare look up.
"What kind of club... did you have in mind?"
She didn't see the strange smile on Lucien's face as he answered:
"One that researches the occult—quietly, of course. And as for the name..."
"We'll call it: the Astronomy Club."
"But if the school won't let us register it as a club, and we have to use department instead..." Lucien's smile deepened.
"How about... the Service Club?"