Stone Mage: Revenge of the Villain System

Duke Taevas was incredulous and gripped his shoulders even tighter. "What is this nonsense, Ronin!?"

"Trust me, Father." Ronin grinned devilishly, saying that as loud as he can.

Everyone gasped in shock.

"Father?" The Krustal brothers asked at the same time.

Ronin gave his father a look that was very telling. Duke Taevas understood that look very well, it was the same one as while they were eating dinner and arguing over bringing Vyrill to the funeral or not.

It's a look that meant:

'If you don't let me get what I want, I'll reveal your secret.'

Duke Taevas had no choice but to let him go, smoke almost flaring from his nostrils from so much anger. But he wisely kept it all in.

Ronin turned to the brothers and wore a fake smile. "Ah, Duke Taevas has been like a second father to me. He treats me like a son just like how Maellan and Belladonna treat me like a brother. I am lucky to live at such a kind and nurturing household."

Jasny nodded and made a jolly grin at this. "Indeed! A rarity among nobles!"

"From what I hear from Maellan, his father was not close to the nurturing type at all. And just from observations as well. But perhaps I may be wrong. " Professor Vyrill said with his tone dripping in sarcasm.

Unlike his gullible buff guy brother, he was not that easy to fool. But he just kept quiet since it was not really his business.

What mattered to him was not the boy's real background, but his capabilities.

"You would have to pass the test just like all the other applicants did." He told Ronin, leaning down to look him eye to eye. "We could not give you a special test that only involves intelligence."

"Do you still dare to do it even when it could likely cause your death?"

For the first time, Ronin saw what he looked like under the cloak.

He was completely covered in bandages, and his eyes were moss green.

The parts that were not wrapped in white cloth showed mottled and burned skin. It truly was an intimidating sight.

But Ronin was not intimidated at all, just wondering what exactly caused this professor's injury to be wrapped from head to toe like that.

"I do." Ronin answered without hesitation.

Professor Vyrill looked at him from head to toe, those intense green eyes seeming to scan every detail of him for any information.

And stood straight back again. "Let him do it. In the yard."

He just turned and left, with his brother following after to try to convince him against it. "But he is a Coal boy! He must not even have a Mage Focus!"

"That's for us to see. That is the purpose of the Triannum test, is it not?" Professor Vyrill answered.

Ronin almost saw a semblance of a smile when he said that. He also grinned, starting to like this side character more and more.

And so, there they were again like 10 years ago. In the backyard where Maellan had killed 5 Quartz dummies.

Duke Taevas also followed with a clenched fist. "You two might want to go easy on him."

Ronin shook his head. "No. I want 5 just like Maellan had."

Professor Vyrill titled his head in acknowledgment. "He says five so I will give him five. What do you think, brother?"

Jasny fiddled with the tips of his scruffy beard nervously. "Well... The moment he shows he could not survive it, immediately have them retreat."

Professor nodded. He turned to see Ronin's determined look that just waited for the dummies to appear.....

And raised his hand to summon 5 of them!

But the exact moment he did....

Everything went dark.

"Huh?" Inspector Jasny was shocked to see that the former sunny weather just before Maellan and Cholie's burial suddenly became so dark, it looked like it was almost nighttime.

"What in the nine heavens..." Even Duke Taevas muttered and tried to reach out for anything, but he can really not see a thing.

Professor Vyrill did not care about this darkness. He continued moving his arms and the Quartz dummies went to attack Ronin, although blindly.

Ronin ran. But not out of cowardice.

He went to the toolshed.

Grabbing the usual supplies, he went to work as fast as he can within the 5 minute limit of his Blinding Darkness skill.

Professor Vyrill actually managed to still competently control his dummies even in the darkness, and so Ronin did not lower his guard.

He dodged from side to side, while also laying out ropes and pegs at a certain pattern. Then....

He took out a small sharp rock from his pocket. This had officially become his rune carver, which he now kept in his person at all times.

He drew the noose-like rune of 'Trap'.

BAAAM!!!!

"What was that!?" Inspector Jasny exclaimed, worried that it was the boy getting crushed by the dummies fist.

It was actually the sound of all 5 of them getting hung together by ropes upside down in the air, dangling and struggling!

Professor Vyrill also seemed to felt this struggle, and moved his hands even more to try to get them to move.

But the dummies were completely stuck. This was not the end for them, though.

Ronin took out the stone that he had drawn the rune for 'absorb' on. He gave it a little spin, drew a rune on the opposite side of it....

And tossed it to the struggling dummies!

That rune formed a circle, but the edges were triangular and sharp. In fact, it looked like several chaotically arranged triangles forming a circle, like sea urchin.

It was the rune for 'bomb', 'explosive', and.....

'Release'.

As it came in contact with the crystal dummies, it did release that electric energy that it had absorb. Quartz has a really special relationship with electricity. It is piezoelectric, which means.....

That though it was not conductive and electricity passes through it, an electrical charge is released just from pressure and a deformation happens when it gets in contact with electricity.

Which was why the Quartz dummies died off upon contact.

He cut off the rope and took all the tools away before the 5 minutes were over.

When the darkness disappeared, the three men were only left with 5 dead crystal dummies, and a triumphantly smiling boy.

"So, do I pass enough for the Council's eyes?"

The result was obvious. In two month's time, Ronin Zafeiri, written in the records as Ronin Willowe the son of a Coal butler.....

Finally went to the Academy. As the very first Commoner student, no less.