"Well, well, well. If it isn't Patience Pylet. Our special little prodigy from Croitos out here doing our people proud huh?" The woman with the gold and pink-haired girl taunted as she stood next to Frans and leered over the kneeling Patience Pylet who somehow became even paler.

"L-l-l-lady Morrigan." Patience stammered out eyes glued to the floor as they turned as wide as saucers.

"Assaulting the son of a Marquess? What a disgrace. You must give satisfaction." Morrigan Hayes, daughter of Duke Hayes said with a wicked grin on her face.

"Satisfaction?" Anna whispered looking confused.

"A formal way to say duel." Bryson whispered back, "This is a farce."

"It is… but why?" Reynard said as he stepped up, "Alright, what is happening here?"

"Prince?" Frans said surprised as he saw him.

"Hello there, what seems to be the commotion?" Reynard greeted them in a respectful tone.

"Prince Reynard." Morrigan said her eyes widening slightly, "What brings you here?"

"The same thing that brought everyone else here. The stir being caused by you lot." Reynard said as he took in his surroundings, "Why have you caused all this ruckus?"

"That pathetic pile purposefully ruined my uniform." Frans seethed out staring a hole through Patience who refused to look up at anyone.

"It's not on purpose." She quietly said.

"No matter the case, this scene seems a bit excessive, don't you think?" Reynard said eyeing the crowd gathered around.

As Reynard did so, Bryson also noticed both Sable and Mallory watching at a distance. Sable had a look of amusement seeing Bryson there, while Mallory looked on genuinely curious. Well at least someone's getting joy out of this. Bryson said as he and Frans momentarily made eye contact.

The presence of Bryson seemed to trigger a response from Frans as he puffed out his chest and addressed the prince, "You say excessive, yet she assaulted another student like she did and is now playing coy."

"Play coy?"

"She poured her meal on me which just happened to be a bowl of hot scallop chowder over my head. Mind you, I am taller than her." Frans explained pointedly. He stood about as tall as Reynard, for a mage, he defiantly went against the stereotype of small and frail. Others around him corroborated his story.

Reynard had to admit it was a good point. Bryson couldn't help but crack a smile at Fran's current state. Frans did not let it go unnoticed and shot Bryson a hard glare.

"Something about all this entertains you Bryson?" Frans spat.

"Just the fact that you let something like this happen to you Snowfield." Bryson said with a mean grin, "So much that you require the backing of another family above your own to defend your honor. Rather sad to see how the Snowfields fall."

"Have you come here to act like a jester?" Frans said getting angrier by the second.

"I'm not the one covered in slop. Careful, you're dripping." Bryson said coolly.

"Bryson. As in Bryson Coldwater?" Morrigan said looking at Bryson with great interest. It was as if she just saw a new toy to play with.

"Morrigan Hayes." Bryson said, "I don't believe we have ever had the pleasure of meeting before."

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"Yes, it is wonderful to finally see you. Tell me Lord Bryson, why are you joined with one of the lesser favoured princes? Are you perhaps trying to make your way up the rankings?" Mallory said sweetly, goading a response that Bryson was more than happy to give.

"Simply here out of curiosity." Bryson responded before adding, "Though I must add. While I understand that here at The Academy we view one another as equals, I very much don't appreciate being looked down upon by someone of a lower status."

"Lord Bryson." Morrigan said with a smirk, "I understand your infamous personality but is it not very clever to insult another dukedom as such? Are you trying to say that the Hayes are inferior to the Coldwaters?"

All eyes turned to Bryson as that was a very bold statement to make. Sabel, at this point made a flabbergasted face at the mess Bryson seemed to be walking straight into a linguistic trap.

"Look at you." Bryson said, voice dropping into a slow echoing tone filled with malice, "Using your family to protect yourself, even though here at the Academy we are meant to be self-sufficient."

"Hmm?" Morrigan said frowning for a moment looking confused.

"As children of Dukes we are automatically given the title of baron. You are a baroness, are you not?" Bryson said slowly approaching Morrigan.

"Obviously as you just explained."

"I am currently a viscount."

"Come again." Morrigan said taken aback.

"Due to my exploits I was given the rank of viscount." Bryson said pulling out his Communicator to show a picture with an official document of his rank, "While you've been lazing about. I actually am doing my family proud."

"Oh. I like you. You are clever." Morrigan said quietly to herself while she tried to keep a smile though Bryson could see a neck vein pulsing.

"Why are you butting in Bryson?" Frans asked.

"Because I didn't think you were so gullible. But if you so badly want a duel, why do you need Morrigan?"

"I don't need-" Frans began before being interrupted.

"It's not right for a warrior and a wizard to fight." Morrigan declared loudly, "Especially for a knight as capable of Patience here. Oh no, don't let her pathetic demeanour fool you. She is a devil with the blade."

Bryson noticed Patience tense a bit and realized that all of this ridiculousness was due to Morrigan wanting a fight with a lesser noble. Suppressing a loud groan Bryson asked, "So you are to fight in his stead?"

"Of course."

"What if she says no?"

"I'll make sure that this insult kicks her out of the school." Morrigan threatened and this caused Patience to look up in fear.

"That would be an overreaction."

"It would be, unless she quits on her own. And I would have the perfect reason to make her life hell here if she doesn't." Morrigan said grinning ear to ear at Patience.

"Fine." Patience said trying to keep her voice from shaking, "If that's what it takes. I'll fight you to shut you up."

Bryson watched this realizing there was a lot of unknown history between these two. He had to admit that it definitely made him curious, but wasn't sure how involved he wanted to get.

"There's no rules set for this duel right?" Anna asked.

"You are?" Morrigan asked looking confused.

"I'm Anna, and the type of duel isn't set yet."

"No it hasn't. Why? What are you proposing?" Morrigan said with a smile.

"We make it a supporter duel." Anna said.

"How do you know what a supporter duel is? It's part of noble culture not one for commoners." Morrigan asked. The supporter duel meant a duel between two teams consisting of warriors and wizards. With the only two people directly fighting one another being the fighters and the spellcasters slinging spells in the background in whatever way to help their champion beat the opponents. What Anna was offering was to work with the downtrodden noble girl.

"I keep myself well-read."

"Sure." Morrigan said with a scoff, "You really want to back up a stranger you never met?"

"Yeah, because I don't like you." Anna stated.

"That's a bold statement." Morrigan said narrowing her eyes at her.

"So? What are you going to do about it?" Anna challenged.

"Frans." Morrigan said eyes not leaving Anna's, "You want to join me in this duel?"

Frans looked at Patience looking miserable and still kneeling, "If that means I can blast her into oblivion fine. You already accepted to duel right?" He said leering at Patience.

Patience now looked unsure, she really didn't want to rope anyone else into this. But Anna looked to her and gave a nod of reassurance. Patience then looked to Reynard and he gave a nod of approval.

"What about you then Bryson Coldwater?" Morrigan said.

"What about me? Two warriors, two spellcasters. Adding me to this would only make it unfair." Bryson said with a shrug.

"But I can't just let you mouthing off. I'm sure I can find a wizard willing to help us." Morrigan said, "Unless you're scared?"

Bryson rolled his eyes, "What about two?"

"Pardon?"

"I think I'm good enough to be worth two other mages. So, how about I join in and you add those two into your team?" Bryson said pointing at the two that were laughing earlier. They were no longer laughing now.

"Why would they want to be involved in this?"

"Are you going to insult my intelligence and say they aren't involved?"

Morrigan gave a small laugh and turned her head towards the two, "You're fighting, deal with it." She said adding a glare that caused them to only nod their heads hesitantly. Satisfied she turned back to Bryson, "Well, it looks like we have a duel then."

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