"You kept making those annoying bets in which you wagered your own expulsion... So I decided that the best outcome would be to let you win. My mistake lies in overdoing it."
"...?!"
"What scum! Does he think that anyone would believe that he did that on purpose?!"
"No shame!"
As Rotsard declared audaciously, causing a stir amongst his fellow students who weren't able to hold back their agitated remarks.
"You… Are you claiming that you let me win?!"
Justin wasn't different from them, as he called out, enraged.
"That would be correct."
"A… wh… what… What do you mean?!"
Rotsard's immediate and infinitely calm response completely threw Justin off, making him stutter and stare at the bleached-blond-haired boy.
"My opinion about you is… a tiny bit higher than all the rest of the filth of the peasant rabble. After all, you were fished out of the septic tank you call home, cleaned up, and placed in the Royal Academy. There was a noble who saw potential in you and graciously wrote a recommendation."
"..."
Rotsard began to explain, and although Justin bit his lips and turned red at the insults, he didn't say a word, waiting for the bleached-blond-haired boy to finish.
"I will point out and mock your faults. I will severely judge each situation in which you will betray the trust put in you by that noble."
Rotsard stood up straight and then declared, taking a step towards Justin.
And then another.
"But I will never. Ever. Question the decision made by another noble. And I will definitely not try to overturn it on a whim."
The whole hall was silent, and Rotsard's low growl could be perfectly heard by all present.
"..."
Justin turned pale, frozen in place, unable to look away from the beastly yellow eyes of the bleached-blond-haired boy approaching him.
Rotsard was shorter than Justin, but the way he stood as he stopped right in front of him, made the future hero think of a wild beast ready to rip apart its prey.
"Because, us nobles have honor and principles… We're better than you filthy peasants who are unable to even perceive the bigger picture."
Rotsard's words sent chills down the spines of the onlookers, Justin included.
"If even a fraction of what I said was able to penetrate that thick skull of yours, you will stop one-sidedly forcing wagers that I cannot agree on with a clean conscience. Because the only reason I continue to let you win, is to save the face of my fellow noble who put his trust in you."
Even though Rotsard's voice turned into a whisper by the end of his monologue, everyone heard him.
"..."
Rotsard squinted his eyes and discreetly glanced to the side, as he thought, the shadowy figure of the deofol was just in the corner of his vision, barely in his sight.
That damned creature must have deeply enjoyed the show… but was Rotsard action the correct one?
In the story, he should have thrown a tantrum, making a fool out of himself, and agitating the hell out of the future hero, but, at the same time, in the story, Rotsard should be placed within the top ten…
…did he make a mistake after all…?
"...tsk…!"
"...!"
As Rotsard's thoughts were turning dark, the deofol's silhouette fluctuated and… it released a sound that sounded just like a person clicking their tongue, completely stunning the bleached-blond-haired boy…!
If… if it was agitated by his actions, doesn't that mean that Rotsard's somehow managed to achieve an outcome outside of deofol's expectations?!
Instead of achieving a good placement but ruining it by acting like a rotten bastard spoiled rotten, he humiliated himself by placing dead last, but then turned it around with a speech and still instilled a fire in the future hero's soul?!
THAT WAS POSSIBLE?!
For a moment, Rotsard's heart filled with hope, but his enthusiasm quickly subsided.
It was deofol after all. Its actions could be a trick.
It told the truth just to ensnare him in a devastating trap.
"Tsk."
Suddenly annoyed, the look in Rotsard's eyes turned even more ferocious, and he echoed the sound made by the deofol.
"That bet is void. From now on, if you wish to wager your expulsion against anything, don't even approach me."
"...!"
Rotsard's next words seemed to startle the future hero as he flinched and took a step away from the bleached-blond-haired boy.
Rotsard moved past him, other students cleared the way for him, looking away as if in shame.
"..."
"...?"
Rotsard unexpectedly stopped and turned around, his beastly yellow eyes seemed to pierce right through the startled Justin.
"I'm done holding back. While you earned a sliver of good will with the results of your evaluation, I expect you to betray that little trust in no time. But go ahead and feel free to prove me wrong."
"!"
He said coldly, glaring at the future hero, whose eyes turned wide like saucers, and only then, he actually leave.