Teacher Karlasth continued to glance over at Rotsard with a cautious expression, which others read as the man worrying for the trouble child, causing a disruption just like before.
Putting that aside, just from the observation alone, Amelia Edemsworth performed the best out of the majority of the first-year students.
Although six more people were capable of using 4th tier spells like her, Amelia excelled in control over them, and some of her classmates would even start suspecting that she was actually already capable of using even 5th tier spells but was simply holding back on showing off.
After most were done, it was the turn for the students using unorthodox magic.
The future hero Justin was one, for example, with him only being able to use internal spells, although, despite being quite special, he wasn't the only first-year student of that disposition.
Although not from the same class, there was actually another boy unable to use any external magic, although in his case, he was almost completely utility-spell-focused, and his spells immensely improved his senses.
That did make evaluating him a bit more complicated, but the appropriate arrangement has been made, so things went smoothly for him.
Similarly to Justin, he was provided with both close and distant targets, allowing him to showcase his enhanced strength and speed, as well as defense and reflex.
"..."
As the future hero was done with his performance, Rotsard squinted his eyes, staring at the training dummy pierced by a spear thrown by Justin.
The future hero was actually the only person who managed to damage the training dummy to that degree, despite all the defensive spells cast on it, and received universal praise from his classmates and jealous stares from the other first years who weren't familiar with his personality all that much.
The last special case was, of course, Rotsard.
As he approached the spot, all of his classmates backed away considerably, causing other first-years to stare at them in confusion.
"Student Vallhall. First, tell us what spell you'll be using."
The assistant teacher spoke up preemptively in a tense voice, which she hadn't done for anyone else.
"If it's the Descent of the Silent Night, don't. Don't even try. Use something less complicated."
"...?"
She added sternly, causing Rotsard to tilt his head to the side, his yellow eyes full of absolute confusion…
…less complicated…?
"...!"
And then the realization hit him!
That woman knew nothing about how the spells from the essence of winter worked!
Not to mention that Rotsard was only ever taught the pattern for the Joy of First Snow.
And speaking of…
"In that case, I'll try to just restrict myself to the Joy of First Snow. Haaa…"
Rotsard nodded in acknowledgement and breathed out, glaring at the faraway target and reaching his hand towards it.
"Snow…"
He focused and began circulating his mana in the spell's pattern, beginning to chant the incantation.
"..ba-GHURGH…!"
But the moment he felt his palm growing cold - the sign of the spell about to be unleashed - his mana broke out of the pattern, and the backlash stirred up his insides, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
Blood that while blackish-red, was also unnaturally thick and gooey, closely resembling hot tar.
"!!!"
"S-student Vallhall!?"
The other students let out shocked, and horrified voices, and even the assistant teacher let out a worried gasp…
"It's nothing. Ptfu. A little mistake, I'm alright. Let me continue."
Rotsard raised his hand and declared, spitting out some blood mixed with saliva.
"Go on."
"Head teacher…!"
Teacher Karlasth nodded, giving his approval, ignoring the baffled gasp of the assistant teacher Hervolst.
"Snowb-GLURFGH…!"
"!!!"
Without further ado, Rotsard repeated his attempt, but the only difference was that this time he tried to hold back the cough, which resulted in him spitting out blood anyway, only from the corners of his mouth and nose…
"...that's… nothing… I'll continue…"
With the gooey blood dripping down his chin and on his clothes and shoes, Rotsard spoke while unintentionally blowing bloody bubbles.
"That's most certainly can't be called nothing, student Vallhall!"
The assistant teacher declared with such gusto that she dropped her notebook, slamming it to the ground…
"...!"
…which caused Rotsard's eyes to widen as if he realized something…!
"Student Vallhall, if you cannot use ma…"
"Teacher, I can show an internal spell just like that filthy peasant, can't I?"
The woman picked up her notes hurriedly before addressing the bleached-blond-haired boy, but was interrupted by him.
"Student Vallhall! It's frowned upon to use such inappropriate language while talking about your classmate! You should be ashamed of yourself!"
The assistant teacher frowned and fummed.
"That's beside the point. I can throw something, and it will count, can't I?"
"That's right. As long as you are empowered by magic."
"Head teacher…!"
Rotsard shrugged off the scolding and insisted, which made teacher Karlasth sigh and nod, which in turn caused the assistant teacher Hervolst to let out a gasp of disbelief.
"Well then~"
"...?"
The bleached-blond-haired boy smirked and walked towards the teacher, causing them to glare at him in suspicion.
But they weren't of interest to Rotsard at all.
The bucket with water that ended up not being necessary, though, was.
Rotsard stuck his hand into it while circulating his mana in the pattern of the spell, but without attempting to unleash it, which still caused the temperature of his palm to drop so much that it froze the water.
With that step ready, Rotsard simply pulled out the ice block from the bucket and returned on the spot, winding back his ice-bound hand and carefully taking aim.
"!"
And then he scowled, giving it his all, and threw the block of ice at the training dummy!
*BOOOOOOM*
"KYAAAAAGH…!"
"UWAAAAH!?"
…or at least he attempted to, because the moment that the ice slipped off his hand, it ended up exploding into a cloud of white vapor while a deafening shockwave caused his fellow first-year students to cry out either in pain or in shock as many had their eardrums ruptured!
"...agh, shit…"
The moment the cloud of vapor faded, Rotsard focused solely on his target, let out a bitter groan.
It was completely intact.
And after further inspection of his immediate surroundings, he clearly saw the stirred-up ground in a radius of around four feet all around him, but nothing besides it.
He messed up…
"Wait… I didn't have to use ice as a projectile… Let me just…"
"ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"
Suddenly, Rotsard straightened his back and gasped in realisation, but for a change, he was the one getting interrupted by the assistant teacher and not the other way around.
The woman was holding one hand to her left ear while staring daggers at the bleached-blond-haired boy.
"I agree with assistant teacher Hervolst. You certainly showed more than enough. You can be sure that the headmaster will hear everything."
Teacher Karlasth stepped in front of the woman and declared.
"You can return to your dormitory for the time being. As for the others… All injured students follow me to the hospital wing."
The man announced with an ice-cold expression, walking past Rotsard and waving his hand at the rest of the students.
"...tsk… that's not how I wanted it to go…"
"...!"
The bleached-blond-haired boy clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath, unaware that the only other boy capable of using internal spells besides Justin was staring at him with his mouth agape.
"?"
And of all people to notice that, Amelia Edemsworth, with blood dripping from her ears, furrowed her brows and glanced between the two, squinting her eyes in suspicion before obediently following the teacher.
Rotsard's insides didn't feel well, and he also visited the hospital wing, albeit at an appropriately later time, so that he wouldn't encounter any of the fellow first-years whom he injured.