The old man has been seen here and there working multiple jobs which shouldn't be physically possible for a man his age. Students were curious.

Cardin was sent to prison after he stupidly confessed in crimes in front of his class in Beacon's arena. While in prison he had an unexpected conversation with an inmate that was meant to scare him. Maybe something about that conversation was real.

When the Devil allows Stinkmeaner another chance for his revenge against the Freeman family, he tells him to spread ignorance and chaos upon the Faunus community of Remnant first. But when Stinkmeaner finds out about the Relics hidden in each Kingdom's Academies, he decides to collect all four of them for himself. Thus immediately making him enemies with Salem and Team RWBY.