Leona Info Compilation part 5: Ruggie (pt3)
We see Leona employ Ruggie in a variety of roles such as protecting him during Beanfest (for a “daily special” from the cafeteria every day for a week), taking on his assignments during Vargas Camp (for a shopping trip that Ruggie took with Leona’s money) and recruit new students for the spell drive club (for doughnuts).
The task Ruggie dislikes the most might be having to pick up Leona’s room and do laundry, which we hear him complain about fairly often, but Leona pays for washing Ruggie’s clothes along with his own.
Ruggie seems to be uncomfortable with receiving charity—when Silver offers to lend him money, Ruggie refuses—which is possibly why Leona is always having to find roundabout ways to support Ruggie financially.
Since Ruggie will not accept money unless he feels like he is getting away with something Leona does things like give Ruggie both his wallet and his permission to buy whatever it is he wants in exchange for standing in line at the school store.
If it weren’t for the appearance of a monster that they needed magic in order to fight off, it is likely that Leona had been intending to let Ruggie smuggle a magestone out of the mines to sell, as well.
In a vignette we see Ruggie talking to himself about wishing he could afford to eat more when Leona suddenly appears behind him.
We do not know how much Leona overheard, but when Ruggie says he needs money to buy detergent for washing Leona’s clothes, Leona tosses him his wallet and tell him to take what he needs and keep the change.
Ruggie points that out he has nothing but large bills and Leona responds, “Why’re you getting all hung up on the details?"
Ruggie reflects that Leona probably wouldn’t even notice if he kept more in change than what the detergent costs, saying, “far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth, though. Cha-ching!”, seemingly unaware that that is likely Leona’s exact intent.
Ruggie charges Leona “at least ten thaumarks an hour” in exchange for his help during Fairy Gala (we never see Leona haggle with Ruggie to try and underpay him; Leona always goes along with whatever price Ruggie dictates), and Ruggie seems free to refuse tasks he does not like, such as passing on messages to Malleus.
When Jamil comments that serving Leona seems “far more painful” than serving Kalim, Ruggie says that serving Kalim would just make him uncomfortable, and there is “a lid for every pot.”
Ruggie himself explains that while Leona is used to ordering people around and is a demanding boss, he is always giving things to Ruggie for him to sell.
Leona also helps with Ruggie’s education, as Night Raven College is Ruggie’s first time attending a school.
Ruggie says that Leona tutors him on lessons he does not understand and provides him with reference books and old exams, as well as “tons of useful advice”, directly resulting in a significant increase in Ruggie’s grades from “bottom of the ladder” to “somewhere just below the middle”.
In addition to never arguing with Ruggie about money Leona seems to follow his demands in other areas as well, such as not skipping classes that Ruggie insists he must attend and reluctantly eating vegetables that Ruggie puts on his plate for lunch.
Leona does not seem to like the food at the school cafeteria (calling the steaks “cheap” in Book 6) which makes sense, as he is a prince, and he is one of the strictest judges in Culinary Crucible (on par with Vil), grading meals with a 4 that Ruggie grades as 8.
However, Ruggie has a voice lines saying, “When it comes to cooking, all I can do it throw together whatever’s on hand, but it seems like Leona doesn’t care as long as it’s edible.”
This seems to insinuate that Leona either just prefers Ruggie’s cooking in particular, or at the very least he refuses to complain about it.
