The day of the summoning ceremony finally arrived.
Funnily enough, exactly one year prior, Rotsard challenged the commoner student for the first time and actually lost, ending up in a hospital wing and experiencing the vision of the deofol reading him the future of the kingdom from a book…
It was also the last day of peace for Rotsard.
"Just remember. Not everyone is able to even summon a fea. And even if you are, the fae might not be willing to make a contract with you."
The teacher reminded the simple truth to all the gathered second-year students.
The thing was... that shouldn't really be the case. If it was just any facility, then yes, the possibility of a student not summoning a fae or that fae not wanting to make a contract was 50:50. But, this was the Royal Academy hosting the most talented youths of the entire kingdom. If there were fae wishing to make a contract with humans, this would be their best bet.
"Student Vallhall! Allow here for a moment."
"..."
The teacher beckoned Rotsard, which was slightly unexpected because the same thing did not happen in the story…
"This shouldn't be the case, but to be absolutely sure that there will be no mishaps with the summoning for other students, could you… stay in the building until it's your turn…?
The teacher became cautious after the mishap from the other day, and she asked hesitantly…
"..."
Rotsard furrowed his brows for a moment, once again recalling how the event went in the story…
…and indeed, although there was no explanation provided, his character did come out of the academy building only when it was his turn, and although that was met with whispers and angry murmurs of other students, the teacher didn't say a thing…
So that must have been it... Or at least the closest thing to it that he could make happen.
"Of course, teacher."
"Thank you for your cooperation."
The boy nodded and immediately turned around and started walking back to the main building as the teacher called at his back.
And so, the bleached-blond-haired youth watched others perform the summoning through the window.
Despite what the teacher said, every single second-year student who walked onto the prepared stage has properly summoned and made a contract with a fae.
The circles they created after pouring their mana into the pre-prepared magic circuit embedded into a piece of parchment were all of different sizes and had colors that matched the element of the incoming fae.
The size of the magic circle, or rather a portal, didn't have anything to do with the strength of a fae and solely corresponded with the size of their true form.
Some students summoned large faes, some summoned juvenile ones…
The boy of the Drooml family, who received a… valuable lesson from Rotsard in their first year… summoned and made a contract with a water element darkish-blue horse-like beast with its hind legs covered with fish scales and a reptile-like tail that ended with a fin. Definitely one of the larger, if not the largest, fae out of all summoned that day, with the magic circle it came through being the size of a whole luxurious carriage - and of course, the fae itself not being much smaller.
Amelia Edemsworth, to everyone's surprise, summoned and made a contract with an ice element fae in the shape of a tiny bird… Northern Shrike, although it wasn't like its exact species was recognized as it was foreign to their world…
The fox-eyed cousins, who recently acted more like Amelia's servants than nobles, both, very thematically, summoned faes in the shape of foxes. The red-haired one got one of fire element, while his ashen-haired cousin got a metal element one.
"..."
Rotsard, who was observing the event to make sure whether the contracted fae matched the ones in the story, suddenly straightened his back and stared into the distance.
His nostrils enlarged as he sniffed the air, recognizing the person approaching him from behind even without the need to turn around to confirm.
"That's unexpected. What happened? Do you need help with studying, dear cousin?"
"Hmph! Don't call me your cousin! We're NOT related AT ALL! And what would you be able to help me to begin with? Cheating? Everyone knows that you cheated on the end-of-year exams!"
Rotsard snickered mockingly, causing Saria to scoff grumpily, clearly angered because she wasn't able to sneak up on the bleached-blond-haired youth.
"Hoho~? Hit a sore spot, that one, it seems~ If everybody knows so well that I cheated, why didn't the teachers call me out? Or do you believe that in the Royal Academy, students outsmart their teachers?"
Rotsard shook his head and chuckled, grinning at his own mostly transparent reflection in the window.
Somehow, although his face and body were barely showing, his beastly yellow eyes were clearly reflected, making for a truly eerie sight.
"Pfft! What. Do you think I haven't looked into it? You've helped cover up for the mess that the headmaster's nephew caused! Scum is drawn to scum! By helping the Lazalarius family save face, you lucked out and managed to pick a favor from the only person who could cover up for you cheating! You taking the top spot in your year was nothing but a dirty trick! How are you not ashamed of yourself? How can you live like this!? What's your purpose?!"
Saria snorted and declared harshly, glaring down at the reflection of the burning, beastly yellow eyes of her cousin.
"To spite people who wish for my premature death, of course~"
"...!"
Rotsard's casual answer, followed by a dismissive shrug, felt like a punch to the gut to Saria.
The silver-haired girl actually flinched and took a step back, even turning somewhat pale.
"...I… I didn't mean it like that…"
"Like what? You mean you didn't just indirectly tell me to go die? Sure you did! That's what you always do. What you've always been doing. And, what you will continue to do until I can't handle it anymore. Because that's exactly what all of you wish for. You just don't have the guts to commit to ending me yourself, so you put more and more mental pressure on me."
Saria shook her head and muttered, but Rotsard only chuckled, shook his head, and pointed out.
"!!!"
The silver-haired girl backed off with a panicked expression, looking around haphazardly as if she expected someone else to show up to join the accusation.
"How do you find your life in the Academy? Don't you find it suspicious that there are so many rules and new types of schoolwork that no one informed you about?"
"W-what...? Wait… You don't mean that..!?"
Rotsard started chuckling so hard his shoulders started to tremble, especially as Saria's eyes widened and she gasped.
"I made sure that the Royal Academy will turn into a place you will detest the most. It took a bit of effort, so I hope you will appreciate it fully~"
"Wh-why would you do that!?"
Rotsard revealed, and his grin turned so wide it almost split his face in half, while Saria could only back off even more and ask in disbelief.