The theoretical exams passed without an issue as always, but then came the time for the practical ones.
Everyone expected that, once again, Rotsard would cheat somehow and dominate them…
Perhaps be awarded the highest grade just for a single spell, like during the final exams in their first year.
But, all of the students believing that would be the case met with quite a shock!
Rotsard, red in the face, wheezing and huffing while the sweat was dripping down his nose and sliding alongside his brows and getting into his beastly yellow eyes, unable to catch up to the commoner student Justin, who dominated every single exercise.
While Rotsard was outperforming everyone else, but not by much anymore, there was a far bigger difference between him and Justin than between them and him! And that was enough for his classmates and fellow second-year students to cheer for themselves and mock him.
The difference between someone with a contracted fae, getting all the advantages from their blessings, active or passive, was finally showing the results they all prayed for this whole time.
With that pacing, it was clear to everyone that even they will eventually be able to leave Rotsard in the dust during the final exams that school year.
For the practical magic exam this year, the vice headmaster himself got involved, appointing himself as one of the examiners alongside the teacher Brice Hervolst, who still didn't get used to her promotion after the mysterious disappearance of Joshua Karlasth, the man she was an assistant of the last school year.
From the second year onwards, the students were allowed and even encouraged to involve their contracted faes in their attempts, which led to much more spectacular results than what they showed during their last finals.
For that reason, seemingly at least, the only person without a contracted fae was ordered by the vice headmaster to step aside and watch everyone else have their exams first before their turn would come.
That someone was, of course, none other than Rotsard Vallhall, and he honestly quite enjoyed the show… or at least was mildly amused by it.
The commoner student Justin shone especially bright! Even though his contracted fae was a juvenile… well, a baby… it was a Great Fae and its power output could already easily match the 5th tier spells and actually approached the 6th tier in certain aspects!
The second best result after Justin was achieved by Amelia Edemsworth whose contracted fae seemed to have gotten significantly stronger since the time together with its master it prevented the accident during the presentation on magic systems from turning into even more of a disaster.
Surprisingly, the best scorers after Amelia ended up being the two fox-like cousins who did not involve themselves with the young lady Edemsworth as much as Rotsard would expect…
As the others all completed their exams without an issue, and the bleached-blond-haired youth was finally called, taking his place in the center of the training grounds.
The first test was the same as during the first year, casting an offensive spell at a target from a distance.
"..."
Rotsard focused on the dummy in the distance, reaching out his hand as a circle of light bloomed from beneath him and disjointed ephemeral wings of light spread out from above his back…
"STOP! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
"???"
But before the youth could chant a spell's name, the vice headmaster rushed onto the field, approaching the examinee while shouting… Needless to say, everyone who stayed behind to observe the exam just shivered with attention as it was clear that the trash of both the Vallhall family and the Royal Academy got into trouble!
"Do you think you can fool my Mana Sense!? Duels are one thing, but what in the world were you thinking?! Bringing a magic amplification device into the exam meant to test your base strength?! Give me that!"
The vice headmaster called out, greatly angered, running his hands across Rotsard's uniform until he suddenly yanked something out, and started waving that item around while shouting angrily.
"I'm confiscating this magic device until the end of the practical magic exam, and that's final! You're lucky that I'm not failing you on the spot!"
The headmaster scoffed, pocketing the item, whatever it was, before any of the onlookers could have a good look at it.
"..."
"...hey, so… he was using a magic amplifying device this whole time…!?"
"That makes so much sense! How could a trash like him win all those duels otherwise!"
"I told you! See!? I told all of you that he must be using something like that!"
Rotsard's brows furrowed, and his expression darkened because of the apparent mishap, to which the students watching his exam erupted into excited whispers… Most not even bothering to whisper, and call out loudly in the open.
"Let's see what he'll do now!"
"Hey, do you want to bet if he'll even be able to properly cast a single spell?"
What was said was nothing outside of Rotsard's expectations. If anything, the mockeries of the crowd grew much milder with time, although that could have a lot to do with all of them seeing their senior getting beaten up after challenging him to a duel.
That said… if they were scared, why would they be trying to mock him anyway…?
"..."
Rotsard furrowed his brow as the sudden thought struck him.
He didn't orchestrate for that, and Nan, that is Kyle Hundred, wasn't there either to spur on such reactions against him…
Alas, there was little good in the bleached-blond-haired youth just standing there and prolonging the anticipation.
Once again, he reached out his arm, although this time he made sure to not enter the state of meditation that would create the wings and circle of light.
…the so-called magic amplification device Syon confiscated off of him was of course a dummy stand-in just so the reality would match the story the doefol read to Rotsard…
Funnily enough, just making sure he won't enter the state by accident has been almost as difficult as learning to enter it whenever he wanted.
"...haaa…"
The youth took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes, concentrating.
Finally…
"SNOW! Ghegh-water-ghegh… BALL!"
"!?!?"
He called out, making sure that the actual chant would still form, even though he masked it as a cough… it looked as if none of the students caught on, but Syon definitely noticed, especially since his eyes were bulging out as he was leaning forward and staring at Rotsard in disbelief.
What formed in front of his palm was not a perfect orb of brilliant light.
It also wasn't a crystal clear sphere of water.
Instead, it was an odd, murky ball with chunks of both cloudy ice and snow swirling within so fast it blurred the color to the point of it looking… dirty…
From the side, Rotsard's spell actually looked as if someone attempted to make a snowball out of a thawing snow from the side of the road.
"Pffft! What the hel?!"
"That's pathetic!"
*whhhhom*
The onlookers laughed as the spell shot through the air with a whistling sound…
*WHAM* *THRUMPH*
"?!?!"
But the laughter stopped as the spell first slammed into the training dummy, caving in its armor and wrapping around it almost as if it had consciousness, only to suddenly freeze into a pin cushion of jagged spikes, crushing the armor and the dummy within it as the whole thing toppled over.