"G-get your hands off of…!"
Justin attempted to jolt away, but his head stayed where it was, firmly grasped, and he only managed to get his body to arch back.
"L-let me go! S-stop….!"
As he was desperately attempting to free himself, pushing against Rotsard's thighs with all his might, his voice was turning higher and higher-pitched as the cold panic over how powerless he was against his opponent was settling in his heart.
"N-n-no…! F-Fghfh…! D-don't…!"
"...?"
Suddenly, to Rotsard's confusion, the resistance the future hero was putting up lessened considerably as his body started trembling, not to mention that the struggling boy's expression turned miserable... And big tears were gathering in the corners of his eyes, surely obstructing his vision.
"Unffnhf…! P-please…!"
"!"
It wasn't when Justin sobbed and whimpered pitifully like a scared puppy that Rotsard realised something…
...what made him remember how he should act was the dark figure appearing just in the far corner of his vision...
Deofol enjoying the show.
…oh shit…!
Too far!
He went too far! In the story, Rotsard was only supposed to taunt Justin a little bit, not to turn the future hero into a sobbing mess!
Rotsard had to turn it around!
Immediately!
But how!?
He had to reignite Justin's anger. Do or say something that would spark the flames of pride!
He…
"...are you actually enjoying this, you naughty little pervert…?"
"!"
While loosening his grip on Justin's hair, Rotsard leaned even closer and whispered into his captive's ear, causing the future hero to flinch and tense up…
"N-NHOOOOO!"
"~!"
And there it was! Although Justin clearly bit his tongue and his voice was really high, he ended up forcing himself back to his feet and back off from the relieved Rotsard.
That's right! That was it!
Now, just as it should be according to the story, Justin will challenge him to compete to see who will get better results at the end-of-term evaluation! The punishment for the loser will be to fulfill one request of the other, and Justin will use it to make Rotsard apologize for…
"I-I'm not! I'm not…!"
…at least that's how it was supposed to be, but in reality, Justin stepped away, his knees all wobbly, and he sniffled, desperately wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes with the base of his palms.
"I'M NOT!"
"..."
Justin screeched and turned away only to run out of the cafeteria, leaving the bleached-blond-haired boy at a loss for words.
…did..
…did he just mess everything up, just like that…?
Stupid! How stupid he was! Why couldn't he think about something better to say?! Why couldn't his brain produce anything other than petty jabs and vicious mockery?!
Maybe if he whispered something encouraging instead, it would have worked better!
"...haaa…"
Rotsard released a heavy sigh and turned his chair back to the table, reaching towards a glass…
"My applause to you, young lord Vallhall. That peasant was getting far too conceited even for my taste."
"..."
But he stopped his hand when he was approached by another, and the person attached to it spoke up, unintentionally making Rotsard frown.
That's right… that guy…!
In the first place, if Justin hadn't been pushed and fell down, the whole situation would have been completely different!
Leaving him hanging as he offered a handshake wouldn't change a thing, so in the end, the bleached-blond-haired third-rate villain did turn to face the actual main antagonist of the first volume.
"Young Lord Vicas Lazalarius. With you in it, this place actually doesn't seem so bad anymore."
Rotsard took the offered hand and shook it firmly while nodding at a tall, fourth-year, beightly-red-haired student, while greeting him with an affirming nod.
"A member of the illustrious Vallhall family knows of someone so insignificant as me. It's an honor."
"Insignificant? You sure jest, young lord. The Lazalarius family's position amongst the five great families cannot be shaken, and you, a prodigal nephew of this Academy's headmaster, are hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius. Not knowing you would be a stain on my family's reputation."
The two exchanged the customary greeting everyone expected them to do, before Vicas unceremoniously sat beside Rotsard without invitation.
"Young Lord Vallhall, you're certainly even more of a free spirit than I expected. I honestly believed your reputation was overblown."
While the attention Rotsard's table was getting lessened to some degree, Vicas was certainly speaking too loud to be conspicuous, making Rotsard furrow his brows in a not-so-subtle sign of annoyance.
"You've even taken my spot… but considering that it led to putting some peasant back in line, I can't blame you for the rudeness. You could at least offer me a drink, though."
Vicas snickered before pointing at the bottle in front of Rotsard.
"Y-young master, I highly…!"
"Young lord Lazalarius said he wants to try it. Show some respect."
Rotsard's butler flinched and tried to hurriedly deter the haughty youngster from making a foolish decision, but the bleached-blond-haired boy raised his hand towards him and cut him off.
After that, a new glass found its way onto the table, and the special drink was poured for both Rotsard and Vicas.
The intrigued fourth-year student held the glass and was about to raise it to take in the aroma first but…
"Y-YOU!"
"...!?"
"~!"
A familiar figure reappeared in the cafeteria door, and, still high-pitched but much less shaky voice, called out, getting the attention of everyone while making Rotsard smile with relief.
"I CHALLENGE YOU! The person with better results for the evaluation will do whatever the other wants once! If I win, you will take back everything you said today! Both about me, and about the cafeteria food!"
The person issuing a challenge so brazenly and without naming a specific target of said challenge was none other than the future hero and current peasant scholarship student, Justin.
The future hero, with his eyes still red and slightly teary, was pointing his finger at the table seized by Rotsard, unaware that the student beside his target was having a massive misunderstanding…
"You won't refuse, surely… Unless you want to be known as a spineless coward who cowers in the face of a challenge!?"
"...?!"
For a second, Justin hesitated and glanced to the side, which made Rotsard lean to the side to see where he was looking, and his eyes widened in surprise once he noticed Amelia Edemsowrth leaning against the door from the other side, gesturing at the future hero with encouragement.
"Let's settle who's better once and for all!"
"...you shameless peasant…! You dare?!"
Justin added and walked away, Amelia joining his side… which ended up with none of them witnessing Vicas Lazalarius gritting his teeth and spitting through his teeth with fury.
Unknowingly, the one student whose ego was as massive as it was fragile ended up being challenged and offended by the future hero…
…just as it should have happened in the story…
"Young Lord Lazalarius. Let's have a toast."
"...what…?"
Rotsard's mood improved tremendously, and he chuckled, raising the glass his butler filled up towards the infuriated senior student.
"A toast. To your victory and that filthy peasant's imminent and humiliating defeat at your hand, of course."
"...!"
The bleached-blond-haired third-rate villain spoke calmly, nodding confidently at the first volume's antagonist and making his eyes widen in realisation.
"That's right. Instead of getting agitated, I should choose what I will make him do as punishment."
The dark-red-haired youngster breathed out and nodded, taking a glass of his own.
"To your victory."
"Cheers."
The two nodded at each other and clanked their glasses before downing them in one go…
"GUHUEGH! HUEGH! GUHUEGH!"
But while Rotsard gulped it down like water, Vicas spat it all out in a coughing fit so horrible it sounded as if he was going to throw up both his lungs and stomach.
"Wh-GHUEGH! WHAT WAS THA-GHUEGH-AT…!?"
Vicas, red in the face and with tears streaming down his bloodshot wheezed while his throat was burning as if set on fire.
"Good question. What exactly is this?"
Rotsard tilted his head and wondered out loud, glancing curiously towards his stressed-out butler.
"Pure n-neutral spirit… young lord…"
"!!!"
"There you have it. It's great to help thick blood start circulating again."
After a moment of hesitation, the butler admitted, causing Vicas's eyes to bulge out even more while Rotsard chuckled. He even went ahead and took the bottle to pour himself another generous shot…
…ignoring the hateful glare of the indisposed upperclassman…