"...!?"
"Eh…?! Wh-who's there!?"
The sight of the fluffy ball with bat wing flapping around in the grasp of the unknown third party caused the future hero to freeze up in an awkward position, and Amelia Edemsworth had to be the one to address them.
"..."
"!!!"
None of them had to wait long for an answer, although it came as a visual and not verbal one.
Rotsard Vallhall pulled himself up with just one hand while keeping the struggling fae in the other, casually moved his entire body over the wall, and even sat on top of it.
As he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. His beastly yellow eyes seemed to be burning with an eerie glow.
He did not acknowledge the fae in his grasp, desperately trying to flail its wings to freedom, and instead looked over all five people there. Two unconscious from an earlier scuffle, and three stunned by his sudden appearance.
"..."
While turning from Justin to Amela standing over Vicas's cronies, but before going to Vicas himself, Rotsard furrowed his brow while staring at the equipment sheds, but since there was no one there who should be acknowledged, he moved on without a comment.
"...Rotsard…"
"..."
Justin spoke up, retaking the attention of the bleached-blond-haired menace.
Although… The disgusted look the future hero received made him feel like his heart was pierced with countless ice-cold needles.
"...I appreciate your help… If… If you would be so kind… could you hand over…"
"Give us the fae, you bastard!"
"Please…! Young lord Vallhall, release her!"
"Yeah! R-release me!"
Everyone conscious chimed in to address Rotsard at the same time…
"...eh...?"
"Wait…"
"S-Strig…?"
Although it took them a second or two, the moment that the fluffy fae captured by Rotsard spoke up instead of screeching, all three gasped, stunned by it.
"You… you can talk…!?"
Especially Vicas, who couldn't stop staring at his former contracted fae with utter disbelief.
"You! Even a rotten bastard like yourself must have heard about what was happening in the Academy for the past months! That guy and his fae are responsible for the fainting epidemic!"
Amelia Edemsworth seemed to lose her temper and called out angrily at the bleached-blond-haired boy perched on the wall.
"Young Miss…!"
Justin turned to her and hissed, trying to make her stop, but there was little effect…
"You can make one good deed in your miserable life right now! Hand over that fae! With it, we could prove Vicas's guilt without a shadow of a doubt, and even someone like him won't be able to escape a well-deserved punishment!"
The girl roared with authority.
"..."
Rotsard didn't answer, merely furrowing his brows again as if deep in thought.
Because he was.
The story was progressing in the correct direction, although Amelia was trying to take it too far.
Rotsard shouldn't be involved in the event at all, and it wasn't his intention at all either.
Originally, he just wanted this night to be over and wanted to get back to his room. Him catching Strig? Pure coincidence.
He noticed something flying overhead and caught it since his hand was already reaching up.
Rotsard staying silent the whole time was him doing his best to figure out what he should do to not interfere with the correct path the story should take.
Luckily, Amelia's words gave him a perfect way out that would satisfy all the conditions.
"I can talk! I will talk! I will tell you everything you want to know! You want to know all the horrible things Vicas Lazalarius made me do? I will tell you! If you don't believe me, we can make a contract! I am useful! I…!"
"...!"
The struggling fae started screeching in a high-pitched voice, eager to sell out her former master without a moment of hesitation, causing the look on Vicas's face to turn from disbelief into utter betrayal.
The red-haired youngster seemed to resign himself to his fate, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists while lowering his gaze and holding back tears.
"I ca-Nffffgh!?"
"..."
The fae wanted to keep talking, but then Rotsard, for the first time, actually looked at her, and the creature's voice faltered out of fear.
The beastly yellow eyes, full of contempt, the expression twisted with disgust.
Making a deal?
With a fae who just betrayed her master?
*CRUNCH* *puah*
"NO!"
Rotsard's fist clenched, and the fae burst into black and red specks that swirled for a moment and disappeared with a flash even before Amelia managed to shout in panic.
"You bastard!"
"If you will need a witness, I will come forth and testify that you were tricked by that filthy fae."
"...!"
While Amelia cried out with spite, Rotsard looked down at Vicas, stunning him with his declaration.
"As for you two… you've done enough for the night, don't you think? Be on your way."
Rotsard's expression turned back to a disgusted one, and he waved his hand dismissively towards Justin and Amelia a couple of times, very clear about shooing them away.
"No! Absolutely not! We will not leave it at th…!"
"As a member of the five great families, aren't you ashamed of yourself for trying to tear down one of our own?"
Amelia shook her head and was about to declare something again, but was interrupted by Rotsard's harsh scoff.
"You…! OUR own!? That's it! Somebody has to make you understand your place, TRASH!"
The girl didn't take it very well and scowled while shouting, raising one hand over her head.
"You rotten bastard! Witness the difference between someone like you and me! Flame Wheel!"
"!"
Amelia called out in a domineering voice, and as she chanted, a fiery halo appeared above her.
Despite its current unassuming size, it was a real tier 4 spell that could grow in both size and power depending on how much mana was fed into it.
Although, even in its current form, it was already more powerful than a tier 3 fireball, and the moment Amelia decided to use it, the damage it would cause would be far worse.