Rotsard Vallhall was spending the first lunch break of his third year in the Royal Academy outside, sprawled on the grass in the blind spot of the recreational area behind the main building, right next to the training ground.
He wasn't alone.
There was a scaly horse-like fae grazing peacefully a few feet away, while, right on top of him, a playful golden bear cub was climbing on its hind legs, proudly showing off to the youth.
"Nrao~! Nrao, nnnraooo!"
"Amazing~! What a clever girl you are~!"
The baby fae wasn't simply showing off its first steps, though!
Around its head hovered several ready-to-deploy spells contained into golden orbs, and none of them was below 5th tier! The baby fae knew how amazing a feat it was and was boastfully growling, basking in the cheers of the bleached-blond-haired youth.
Rotsard was smiling brightly and started patting Polari's head affectionately, making the fae drop back down on all fours and nuzzle up to him with complete trust.
That said, Rotsard wasn't using both hands. He put up his left one, opened his palm, and waited…
"Butch. I know your master told you to keep an eye on me. I also know that you're a juvenile fae and not an old one, as you told your master. You must be hungry. Come, take a break."
"...!"
Rotsard suddenly spoke up, causing a small grayish-white bird with black stripes on its wings and across its eyes, observing the trio from behind the cover of the nearest tree, to flinch and puff up all of its feathers.
"...I… I don't know what you're talking about, my liege! I… I am a very old one indeed!"
After a moment of hesitation, the bird-like fae flew out of its hiding spot and landed respectfully three human steps away from the bleached-blond-haired youth before it spoke up, trying to mask its awkwardness.
"Oh? How old exactly?"
"A-at least twen… not, thirty years old! At least thirty years old, my liege!"
Rotsard raised his brows and inquired, turning his head towards the bird hopping anxiously to the sides as it fumbled its answer.
"Oh, sweetie~ It looks like originally you were some sort of songbird subspecies… and for them, thirty years must feel very old, but for example, after thirty years, our cute Polaris won't even grow by an inch. You will be the same from now on. That's how fae work, this cutie here is the same, of course... No one explained it to you…? Is Amelia your first contractor?"
'U-ungh…! You got me, my liege… yes, master is my first master… I didn't want to present myself as a yellow-beaked newbie, and presented myself as someone more advanced in years and experience… But, of course, I will serve her with all my might nonetheless!"
Rotsard's expression mellowed out and he said in a soft voice while winking at the horse-like fae, making Butch slouch down and tuck its head under its wing in shame before flinching and chirping hastily.
"See? You're already keeping secrets from her. What's the problem with simply holding back a report about me spotting, calling over, and feeding you?"
Rotsard smirked and pointed out, shaking his hand enticingly.
"My liege, what you said isn't wrong, the thing is, as for my diet as a… Oh! Ice mana~!"
Butch attempted to reject the offer with overflowing politeness, but the moment that bluish-white glow covered Rotsard's palm, the bird-like fae gasped and flew over, instantly dropping all pretense.
It then happily sat itself on top of the youth's palm and started roosting without a care in the world.
"Oh, this is amazing…! My liege, words cannot express how grateful I am for this feast!"
It chirped with content, all tucked in and blissfully comfortable.
"Enjoy and grow strong. You're the type that grows stronger the more ice mana you consume, right?"
"Nraoooo~"
"Indeed, my liege! No detail escapes your watchful eye!"
Rotsard nodded and faced the sky, closing his eyes and hugging the happily growling bear cub while the bird in his hand chirped praises at him.
"Have you heard? There's a rumor going around that Rotsard Vallhall is a sexual deviant that raped dozens of women already! Even girls in the Academy and some of the staff members too!"
Suddenly, the quaint atmosphere was interrupted by the voice of a female student passing by Rotsard's spot, saying some rather outrageous things!
"!?!?"
"?"
"..."
Butch flinched hard on Rotsard's hand, and Polaris raised its head in confusion, not understanding some words it heard for the first time, while Rotsard only opened his eyes and then put his index finger to his mouth so that both faes would stay quiet.
"Eh? I mean… It sucks that he's brutal about it, but isn't his magic strong? My grandmothers always said that it doesn't matter who the father is or what the circumstances of the conception are, as long as the child has a strong magic, no one will give the mother a hard time, double that if the child was a boy."
The first girl wasn't alone, speaking to herself, though, and her friend responded with slight surprise, not really bothered.
"No! But that's the thing! Since he raped so many already and we never heard about other girls or staff memebers getting pregnant, isn't that obvious that he's either infertile or just a freak who performs intercourse making sure he won't impregnate the woman!?"
Clearly dissatisfied by the lukewarm response to her juicy gossip, the first girl fired back, sounding almost as triumphantly as if she caught a flaw of her friend's words.
"That's…! That's horrible! So what, he's either just useless or a monster!?"
"Exactly! That's why you need to be extremely cautious around him!"
"...those...!"
The girls called out one after the other, and Butch almost raised its voice when...
"PSHHH!"
"KYAAA!?"
"What the...?! Is this a stray fae!? Wait, no...! Oh, no, if Lady Penelopy learns that I've been reckless then...!"
The scaly horse-like fae raised its head and snorted loudly, kicking the ground with one hoof in great annoyance, scaring the girls into hurriedly leaving.
"Thanks for getting angry for my sake, sweetie~ Still, you should first worry about your master, don't you think he might be looking for you by now?"
"...pshh..."
Rotsard turned his head towards the horse-like fae and nodded at it with a smile, causing the creature to let out a pout-like snort but obediently disappear the next moment.
"...!"
"?"
The bird-like fae was shaking on top of Rotsard's palm, while the golden bear cub was looking curiously at the youth's face as he still held its ears closed so it wouldn't be subjected to hearing all the inappropriate and nasty wording.
"Those…! Those impertinent wenches! How horrid! How abhorrent! I am constantly watching my liege, and I saw him lay with only one woman besides his fiancee! And even that was consensual! Both initiated and thoroughly enjoyed by the woman!"
"..."
Butch jumped up to its little feet and started chirping furiously after the girls who had already left, causing Rotsard's eyes to widen as he slowly turned his head towards the bird-like fae.
"...you… you were watching that time too…!?"
"!!!"
A low grumble that came out of Rotsard's throat startled Butch as the realization that it had said too much had hit it.
"I…! Thank you for the meal, my liege! I got to go! My master awaits!"
Instead of trying to explain itself, Butch chirped hastily and took flight, haphazardly flapping its wings until it got out of the youth's sight.
"Unbelievable…!"
"Nrao…?"
Rotsard scoffed in disbelief, only remembering to stop blocking Polaris's ears when it let out a confused growl.
"Sorry, sorry~ Muah~!"
"Nraoo~!"
Instead of attempting to explain things, Rotsard simply apologized and pulled the bear cub to his face, loudly kissing its forehead. The happy growl that the baby fae let out was a proper confirmation that it was enough to appease it.
….but the fact about a new nasty rumor that adjusted for what Mira said publicly two months prior remained the truth nonetheless…