"What is a man to you?"
The question stumped both Ves and Gloriana because they each held different ideas on men and masculinity.
To Ves, a man was supposed to be brave, courageous, responsible and strong enough to protect his family.
These were the ideals his family and his culture instilled in him. While they sounded a bit old-fashioned to some, the state often made use of them to get men to volunteer for military service.
Complete gender equality didn't exist in the Bright Republic. While men and women both enjoyed near-equal treatment these days, for various reasons the military branches enlisted more men than women.
Some things never changed.
In contrast, Gloriana possessed a completely different outlook on men. Her beliefs literally elevated women to a supreme level compared to men!
Ves had been with Gloriana long enough to develop an understanding how a Hexer like her regarded men, or 'boys' in their parlance.
