"Yeah, that's me", I replied in a neutral yet sure tone. At least everyone in this room was either from a noble house or some big name organization. Which meant this next part was going to suck...kinda.
"Then that means you must be a pretty strong binder, granted I don't think I've seen you around the campus before...I'm not familiar with the name 'Rosewood', are you a vassal?", Kiero asked point-blank.
"No".
"Adopted into a big clan?", Brisbane added.
"No".
"An acolyte for a sect?", Lu Yan suggested.
"Nah".
"The personal apprentice to an S-class binder who you have secret forbidden feelings for?", Delira said in a tone that for some reason made my spine crawl.
"I...what"?
[Ah yes. The most forbidden(and best) relationship: Apprentice and teacher...], Voxea commented with a strange tone
[Is there something you want to share with me]?
[Not until you're older].
"Ignore that last bit", Kiero assured, "but do you have a backer of some repute"?
"...Kinda"?
[Hey, I am very famous and powerful to boot!], Voxea commented in exaggerated aghast.
[You're also technically dead and in a drajule around my neck], I retorted.
[...Okay, that's fair].
"So...no background...why did the Headmistress send you here then?", Kiero asked in a tone that sounded just a tad less friendlier than before.
It appears Mother and Father were right about this place being a societal fight pit.
[Mind if I...]
[Oh please do. I've been wanting to kick some teeth in all day].
"Well...maybe it's because of my wit, my bravery or that fact that I have a gold grade majimonster on holster, but honestly it could be-".
"Hold up", Brisbane said, interrupting me, "you have a gold grade majimonster"?
"Did I stutter?", I asked with a cheeky smile, "Yes, I have a gold grade majimonster".
"No way", Kiero retorted, "How can you have a gold majimonster without some kind of backer"?
"Well I could go on a long story about how it happened, but I am a firm believer of putting my money where my mouth is", I said with as much confidence as I could muster, "anybody up for a duel"?
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Kiero Delvan was a firm believer of "noblesse oblige", that those of privileged or of noble standing must be morally outstanding as well.
While some see this phrase as meaning "it is the duty of the privileged to be generous, kind and wise", i.e., they are privileged so they should act nobly, other saw it as a very convenient excuse for their privilege to exist. In essence, they see them as noble because they are privileged.
Kiero was an embodiment of both.
Due to being born into a "noble" binder clan for the Empire, he saw himself as being a shield for the Empire and it's people. It was his duty to protect the mortals from the danger of the Wildlands and the dark secrets and cults that hide within it's ruins.
On the other hand, he saw also the general populace and lowborn binders mildly distasteful. Not in a bad way per say, but in the same way a shepard sees his flock. Important to him, but mildly expendable.
So to have one of these lower class binders challenge him to a duel, mildly rubbed him the wrong way.
"It's not too late to back down, Miss Rosewood", he told the frontier girl standing on the other side of the dueling arena.
While he knew it was his duty to remind others the power of nobles, he still had some reservations about crushing the spirits of a fellow binder.
"While I do thank you for being such a chivalrous knight, this is a dueling arena. Please put the pleasantries aside and let our monsters do the talking", she replied, "you first".
Any reservations he had now, was now gone.
Kiero readied a green steel shield studded with three drajules in a clover-like design. The uppermost drajule began to glow with power, causing a green and brown summoning circle formed in front of him.
"Come on out, Gawain"!
A moment later, a pair of sturdy chitin covered arms reached out of the circle and grabbed to the edges of the circle. What followed was a hulking humanoid majimonster with a trident-like horn and covered in dense green chitin.
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Name: Gawain
Species name: Kabuton
Affinity: Earth/Verdant
Grade: Gold
Traits: Explosive Strength, Grand Horn
Description: A hulking insectoid majimonster that resembles a rhinoceros beetle. Tapping into the strength of the Earth and the wisdom of the Forest, Kabutons are tough brawlers that make them formidable clubbing implements in any binder's lineup. Unusually, the males have massive horns while the females have powerful claws. This has led to a debate about which type of Kabuton is better for battling.
Voxea's Notes: Once upon a time, a group of maji had an argument over what type of insect was "the strongest". It was by no means an academically smart argument, but boredom and magical power does that to a maji. The Kabuton was the direct result of a druid known as "The Logthrower" deciding to see if he could boost the strength of normal rhinoceros beetles.
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[Another Good grade...how many moves is it gonna take you to beat him]?
[Since I had just finished digesting all of that lovely and become just a tad stronger? About three].
[Cool], I replied as I readied her drajule.