Nobleman: Halkeginia

(3) Clash of nobles

Lunch.

"... Like I said, you can't be too picky because... uhh..." "Oh shut it, I don't want to hear lecture about that fom anyone, especially you!" "Okay ma'am.—Thank you, Lord, for the meal I am about to have."

Before he pick up the bread, he could feel a gaze on him. "... Ma'am, I have my own religion, you know." "Hmph."

"...Uh, perhaps I could go for a walk myself? I actually wish to explore the academy... believe it or not, my education was homeschool." "That's unheard of." Louise placed down her spoon. "Wealthy noblilties will have their children homeschool for six years, they are required to enrolled into magic academy of their preference afterwards."

"My position is... special." As he proceed to take small bites on his bread. A "prince" of a nation, he couldn't disclose such information to anyone, not until he earn a name for himself in this place.

He quickly finished his "meal". "Then, I will be going." "Promise not to make any troubles?" "Not if they started it first, I have nothing to blame against."

—

Alexander find himself in a tavern-ish place. The food and beverage served are the same, but the atmosphere here is different: Student are able to gather around and speak freely, unlike the dining hall where students are seperated by years, and be surrounded by all the schoolmates and teachers.

A blonde-hair teenager caught his attention. Not of the slight curved hairstyle, but the rose poking out of his chest pocket. 'Attention-seeker, huh? Nobody caught my eyes, still, sadly.'

a small portion escaped from his pocket, and the glass material was hard enough for it to roll to Alex's feet, who picked it up and gently hit it with his knuckles, a faint crystal *clink* can be heard. '... Interesting.'

"SIr, I trust this belongs to you?" "Ab-absolutely not!" As Alexander was puzzled of the denial, two words was thrown from the blonde's friends caught his attention: "Montmorency" and "going out".

The table right behind them sat a brown-haired girl. She stood up and turned her attention to the boys.

"Guiche-sama...?" She becan to cry, unexpected to Alexander and Guiche's friends. "So is it true that you have been seeing Montmorency-san..." "I-It was an huge misunderstanding, Katie, I was accu-" the male flinched from a red hand mark appeared on Guiche's cheeks. 

"The bottle of perfume dropped from your pocket explains it all. Goodbye." She left the scene crying. "...Alright, I am quite sure that I was hearing "Katie", not the Miss Montmorency I heard from you gentlemens."

"That's right!" Alex jumped from a sudden young feminine voice behind him. "You have 5 seconds to explain yourself, Guiche de Gramont!"

"O-okay! You see, we merely went on together to the forest not far from here, there are absolutely nothing between us, I swear!" "A forest!?" Alexander was the one to respond in incredibly.

"LIAR!" Out of rage the girl grabbed a glass of filled wine from the table and swing the glass towards Guiche.

"Woah." "Halt, peasant." "-what now?" An irriated Alexnader turned to meet the face of a arrogane Guiche. 'I just want to punch his face if this isn't public.' "You damaged the erputation of these two ladies from your action. I believe you know how to take proper responsibility, no?"

Alexander fed up with his tone and thing of a comeback. "I wonder, good sir, who was to be blamed in two-timing, the doer, or the victim, hmm?" "Well he has a point, you know." "Right?" 

"Pardon me," GUiche finally noticed the runes on Alexander's hand "if it isn't the commoner of Louise the Zero? That explains a lot of things, apparently." He scoffed. "I shouldn't expect such things from a commoner at the beginning."

"And I wouldn't expect a attitude like that to be a noble." Thetwo narrowed their eyes. "So, take responsibility, huh?" "It appears  that I, as a noble, shall educate a commoner for a proper etiquette when facing a noble." "Was that a provocation I heard?"

"...So be it, I shall await you at the Court of Vestri." "And I shall report such issue to my master— who will understand my motivation." "Hmph." Alexander simply see him off with a glare.

"—Alexnader." "Ma'am? When did you-" "After Montmorency stormed away. Wait, that's not the point. How confident are you in your swordplay?" "I was moentored by a retired infantry captain, the judgement is yours.— So, where is this Court of Vestri?"

—

"My beloved schoolmates," Guiche swirled the rose on his hand, sending females into screams. "I am thrilled to know that our duel has attracted such amount of people— You, peasant familiar of Louise of Zero, though I shall comment on your courage on attending the fight, I am gracious enough to ask you one last time: Do you forfeit?"

Alexnader merely pull out his cutlass and positioned it in front of him with his left hand. "Hm, so be it."

"For the Grants." the young heir muttered, await Guiche for his trick on his sleeves.

"You are wise not to advance further, awaiting my action, perhaps?" Alexander briefly tilted his head in response. "I was trained in my stamina, we can do this all day."

"Hmph." Rose pedals shoot out from a flicker of Guiche with his rose, the pedals soon merged into a armored metal female knight.

"... " Alexander didn't flinched, but he watched his blade with slight concern.

"So, you choose to remain on the field despite the appearance on my bronze Valkyrie? Either you are confident on your blade, or you are just a fool."

Alexnader chuckles upon his words. "Who knows? Maybe I am just someone who is too crazed to think properly." 

The Valkyrie dashed towards Alexander, who ducked and dashed backwards to to dodged a punch and a following knee jab.

However, the Valkyrie continued her way to Alexander, who let his bravery and idiocy take heeds, closed his eyes and pointed his blade towards the bronze figure, and thrust his sword.

To everyone's shock, the blade pierced the bronze Valkyrie. Alexander, with no time for extra thoughts, flicker the blade, cutting the bronze golem in half. "Do you yield?" Not an arrogant voice of victory, but a calm voice of a knight towards his opponent.

"Not yet." 6 golem appeared from Guiche's rose— which Alexander finally recognize it as his wand in the guise of a rose.

'I don't know what happened, but I have to win this fight no less!' The familiar rune on Alexander's hand let out a faint, white glow, as if responding to his determination.

Alexander dahsed forward and made a broad vertical strike, striking 5 of them simutaneously. "This isn't the end!" He made his way towards Guiche, and strike down the last golem Guiche used as his shield.

"Now, do you yield?" "I-I yield." "Hm." Alexander sheathe his cutlass.

"I demand to know the name of the one who defeat me in combat." His voice is still audible amongst the cheers and chatter of students. "... Alexander Grant. Just a Familiar of Miss Louise." "You are not a commoner, as none can strike down a golem like that in swift." "Perhaps I was born different— I shall take my leave, my master is waiting for me."

—

"Moron! Don't you dare do that again, you heard me?" Louise keep hitting Alexander in his chest as venting.  "I'll try my best, alright? I am a one-of-a-kind familiar but I cannot control what fate has planned fr us, no?"