"It just made sense that it would be something that you would be involved with…"
"TSK!"
Syon pointed out, causing Rotsard to click his tongue so loud it sounded like an explosion.
The bleached-blond-haired youth raised his hand and waved it dismissively without adding anything, as if he was simply voiding the whole conversation.
…only that his motion had a purpose…
"!'
"Hey, look…!"
"?!?!"
Within the next heartbeat, the crack in the Great Barrier that was persisting for a couple of hours already, began closing up like a healing wound right in front of everyone, causing just as big of a commotion as when it was first discovered.
"Wh-what did you do!?"
The headmaster couldn't hold himself back and gasped, staring between the bleached-blond-haired youth and the now vanishing crack in the great barrier.
"It was a problem that would interfere with the exams. I dealt with it with simple mana manipulation, my Lord."
Rotsard responded, stunning the two…
Both the headmaster and the vice headmaster were perfectly aware that there was nothing simple about separating and removing only a certain type of mana from any magic construct, and it was nigh impossible with something as complex as the 10th tier compound defense spell the likes of the Great Barrier.
"I have no interest in that bubble, just so you know. And there are plenty of others besides me who could poke a hole in it too, like, for example…"
"..."
Rotsard shrugged and scoffed over the entire situation. He even rolled his eyes, but as he did, he was inexplicably drawn to a certain individual.
The commoner student, Justin, standing amongst the other onlookers.
In Rotsard's eyes, Justin looked miserable, pale, even slightly green, and with guilt written all over his face.
With just one look at him, Rotsard realized what must have happened…
And while it was a scenario that did not occur in the deofol's story and therefore didn't require Rotsard to make a sacrifice, having the future hero be exposed as the culprit was absolutely out of the question and had to be prevented as it could jeopardize his future.
After all, it was kind of his fault for giving the future hero a sword that was slightly too strong...
"Haaaah… Fine, fine. You got me. It was me doing some late-night training because I was bored. Didn't even realize the crack happened because I was half asleep. Sorry for the trouble. Are you satisfied with that as an explanation?"
"...huh…?"
Rotsard sucked in some air through his nose, obnoxiously loud, and then sighed with disgust before declaring and scoffing with a shrug, completely taking the others, especially vice headmaster Gemleware, by complete surprise.
"I said, you got me. It was me. But I fixed it already, didn't I? So let's leave it at that."
Rotsard frowned at the dumbfounded gasp Syon made and repeated himself, this time being more concise.
"You haven't noticed…? Student Vallhall, are you aware how little sense your confession makes?"
The headmaster Lazalarius's expression turned strict as he pointed out.
"My Lord. The Royal Academy's precious Great Barrier really isn't as complicated as you all praise it to be."
"...!?"
After a deep breath that made it sound as if just being there was the most annoying task in the world, Rotsard said with a shrug, raising one hand and extending his index finger. While most were taken aback by the outrageous vanity of the statement, Syon jolted in fear so much that, for a split-second, he looked like a scared cat scurrying back.
In that moment, Rotsard lightly moved his finger, pointed towards the sky, seemingly without any effect, but when he followed that motion up with simply opening his palm…
"!?!?!"
"!!!"
The Royal Academy's great barrier turned visible with swirls of rainbow-like oil spill on water and opened up, splitting apart, not by as little as a few feet but actually splitting apart, as if it was cut by an invisible blade of gigantic proportions!
And everyone beneath it could only stare and watch in horror!
"It's all just some simple mana manipulation. You should look into ways to improve that thing instead of just blindly believing it would remain impregnable indefinitely."
In the silence so complete one could hear a pin being dropped on the grass, the bleached-blond-haired youth scoffed, shaking his head dismissively.
"I could also force you to do that by completely destroying it. Rebuilding it from the ground up would surely make you reconsider its stru…"
"Rotsard…! Rotsard, please, please, please, stop…! Please stop, okay? Rebuilding the barrier from the ground up would cost a fortune, actual fortune! Enough to ruin one of the great families if they would end up burdened with the expense alone…! Please? For me! C-could you let go of the matter on my behalf? We… we will make it so this whole thing never even happened, and everything will just return to normal! The exams will proceed as usual and everything! Please…?"
As Rotsard continued speaking, slowly curling up his fingers with a grim inevitability to his move, Syon rushed over to him in complete panic, grabbed his hand with both of his and pressed his forehead against it, and broke out into spasmodic sobs, actually shaking in distress.
"..."
Rotsards beastly yellow eyes widened in shock. He closed his mouth before looking away with an awkward expression.
"...hey, I didn't want to act like a villain to you… Sorry, I went too far."
"...!"
He mumbled, causing Syon to flinch again, this time from a positive shock, and the vice headmaster slowly raised his tear-stained face to look at the youth.
By that time, the great barrier was already healing up, showing that, in fact, Rotsard didn't even have to make any kind of particular motion to trigger mana movement.
"Don't cry. Even if I did break it, I would help with rebuilding it. I won't break it, but even if I did I would make rebuilding it a fun experience for you. Okay? So don't cry, kiddo."
"...okay…"
Rotsard made a worried expression, seeing Syon in so much distress, and he forgot the time and place for a moment… he reached out with his other hand and softly patted Syon's head while reassuring him in a gentle voice, making Syon sniffle a bit and murmur with a slightly sore voice, nodding in agreement.
"You're a good kid~"
Syon's response made Rotsard smile.
"..."
...but that smile soon disappeared.
"..."
"!!!"
…replace with a glare that Rotsard sent towards headmaster Lazalarius, causing the man to tense up and take a step back, suddenly not so authoritative anymore.
"You've heard that? Nothing. Happened. Nothing will be written down! The exams will proceed as normal, so you all have better things to do than stand here."
Taking that as permission to address the audience, Rotsard turned around and called out. He might have acted as if he was looking over the crowd in general, but he only wanted to check on one person…
The fake blond-haired future hero, Blanid disguised as Justin. While still slightly pale, she at least wasn't greenish anymore, and it was clear that Rotsard's words reassured her. She even discreetly nodded towards Rotsard with a grateful look in her eyes.
The truth was, saying that what she felt was gratitude wasn't exactly giving it justice. Blanid was, in fact, looking at Rotsard as if the bleached-blond-haired youth was her personal savior who carried her out on his back from a burning building.
"Haaa…"
|He better be appreciative and help me out if I won't be strong enough to deal with the Arch Deofol alone, that whole show was just to save him from getting in trouble!|
…was what Rotsard thought, but, in the end, he merely let out a tired sigh and left without anyone attempting to stop him.