"Right now, you are the ones keeping me from taking another victim to the hospital wing. What will you do if her health suffers because of your actions? On top of that, you're intentionally ignoring the only actual evidence you can gather. Are you willing to take responsibility for messing up that badly?"
The bleached-blond-haired boy pointed out mockingly, but the look in his beastly yellow eyes was cold enough to chill others to their cores.
"This isn't over."
"Yes, it is."
Amelia scoffed, stepping aside to make way, but Rotsard didn't let her have the last word.
Rotsard left the two behind, going straight to the hospital wing, trying his best to sneak by to save the girl he was carrying in such an unrefined manner, the embarrassment.
The first part of the encounter has been completed… more or less, that is.
For some reason, Amelia was the one taking the initiative, but everything that should have been said was said nonetheless.
Who knows? Maybe Justin getting pushed to the sideline would get him to be more proactive for the latter part?
Rotsard didn't have to wait long for that.
"Rotsard Vallhall!"
After all, the moment he stepped into the main hall of the Academy building after leaving the unconscious female upperclassmen in the hospital wing, Justin called out to him, forcing the two of them to become the center of the attention that early evening.
"I demand a duel!"
The future hero called out, causing other students present to turn their heads towards Rotsard, wondering what did he do this time.
None of them had even a sliver of a doubt that it was something nasty.
Some even immediately connected the dots and assumed that he was the culprit behind the knock-out epidemic.
"And what are the supposed conditions? Should I remind you that I will reject any notion that will jeopardize the honor of another noble?"
"...!"
The bleached-blond-haired boy let out an annoyed sigh and scoffed, causing the future hero to flinch.
"...I…"
"You…?"
Justin clenched and relaxed his fists a few times before letting out a single word that made Rotsard inquire as he raised his brow.
"...since you are speaking about honor so much, if I win, I want you to tell me exactly what you witnessed in that storage room. Swearing on your honor that you will tell only the truth."
After a couple of deep breaths, the future hero managed to say at least a piece of what he wanted.
"Reasonable, so far. But what will happen if you lose?"
"...!"
Rotsard nodded with a dismissive smirk and asked, causing Justin to flinch as his face flushed.
"If… if I lose to you, I will be acting as your servant. You will be able to ask me to do anything as long as it won't be breaking the law or bringing shame to the noble sponsoring me… You will be able to use me as your training dummy or whatever else will come to your mind… and… and…"
Justin's words brought up quite the stir amongst the students present, but the future hero wasn't quite done, it seemed, although whatever he was going for appeared to be difficult for him to voice out.
"...you... You will be able to see my crying face whenever you want…"
"...hmm…?"
Justin finally said his piece, causing the hall to turn silent, even Rotsard furrowed his brows in momentary confusion before…
"Pffft…! Ahahaha~! Look who started to learn his place~! Aren't you a cute one for a filthy peasant?"
…bursting out into a peal of laughter, leaning back and literally having to wipe off tears of joy from the corner of his eye.
"U-until the end of the semester! Only until the end of the semester! If I lose... AND I WON'T…! I will act as your servant, but at the start of the first semester of our second year, we will duel again, and if I win, I'll be free again!"
The future hero's face turned completely red, and he hurriedly added, doing his best to sound serious and maybe even threatening, but no matter how much he waved his hand and stomped his foot, the damage was already done.
"...!"
Rotsard was going to say something else, but then a shadow appeared in the corner of his eyes…
…fluctuating in amusement, just as if everything was going according to its wishes, and a chill ran down Rotsard's spine…
That's not how things should go… he should be the one mocked, the one on the losing side! What is his ego food for if it destroys the chances of humanity's survival?!
He was acting like a filthy peasant, blinded by the now, unable to wrap his head around the concept of the future…!
"Know my benevolence. I agree. Go get the teacher to be the judge. I'll be waiting at the training ground. Can't wait to humiliate you."
It was already too late to completely reverse the situation, so the bleached-blond-haired boy tried his best to sound as detestable as possible and agreed hurriedly.
"You'll eat those words!"
"..."
He even stayed silent and let Justin have the last word in the exchange, although he had to bite his tongue to stop himself from retorting.
There wasn't much time, and Rotsard had to figure out how to create the most humiliating way of losing that would showcase how despicable of a person he was.
Simply falling over after one hit wouldn't cut it. Justin had to see him as a threat and train even harder…
…the trick with the empty vial probably won't cut it the second time…
Should he ask Mira to act as if she was buffing him from the sidelines?
If played right, the public opinion would surely declare him a despicable guy who forces his fiancee to help him cheat…
…but that also could put Mira in bad light, so it shouldn't be a valid strategy unless it was the last possible one…
In the deofol's story…
"!"
Justin suddenly straightened his back as his eyes widened!
He should just follow the story!
Agitated, he should be blindly charging at Justin as the composed future hero will gracefully dodge and slap him around!
There's literally no reason to make it more complicated than that!
If worse comes to worst, he will just act as if Justin managed to trip him and nose-dive into the dirt.
Or maybe Justin will show the promise of the future hero he is supposed to become and will actually him a sliver of his future might?
"..."
Rotsard's expression turned cold as he glared to the side, catching a glimpse of the amused shadowy figure in the corner of his vision.
Futile death either way, huh…?
But the humiliation and eventual sacrifice won't be futile at all if it will become the foundation for that filthy peasant turning into an actual savior of the world.
A noble endures.
A noble does what is necessary, no matter what kind of suffering and sacrifices he will have to go through.
A disgusting being like a deofol could never understand that concept.
"Nothing will get torn apart by despair! When the time comes, you will choke on my whole soul, you repugnant filth!"
The already fierce, beastly yellow eyes of the young noble turned murderous as he gritted his teeth and growled at the shadowy figure.