Leonid

> *"Our next contestant is a man who's as altruistic as he is intelligent. Leonid, the Giftbringer!"*
> *—* *Kamin's introduction for Leonid.*
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Leonid is an Elven chef in Battle Chef Brigade, rumored to be the front runner for the competition this year, he's a kind chef that tries to get each other competitor to open up. Known as the giftbringer, he often tries to match each of his gifts to a specific person, and puts thought and consideration into everything he does.

## Appearance

Leonid is a light skinned elven man in his mid-20s, with neatly styled black hair and sharp eyes. He dresses a lot like a formal chef, with a black shirt and purple pants, and a similarly black apron tied around his waist that reaches past his knees. He also wears a short purple cape that's held together with a silver broach in the shape of a diamond. Overall, his outfit's very simplistic in both design, and colour.

## Personality

A strong competitor in the coliseum, Leonid does not let the rumors and compliments get to his head, nor detract from his kindness. He's a local competitor that has fans showing up to cheer him on from day one. As such, most of his cuisine can be seen as strongly artistic, and often uses dishes that are complex in both taste and appearance. Showcasing his love to be challenged and strive for perfection.

> *"Artifice aside, I'm excited to test your skill." — Leonid, to Mina before their match.*
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He's extremely formal, to the point of using formal speech even when he talks casaully with other characters. Going so far as to call Mina 'Ms Han'. While he's not a big part of the main story, he's often cheering on the main cast, and helping others work their issues out in the background. He went so far as to help Cezar out with love advice in dealing with his affections for Pontida. A surprising thing, considering Cezar very rarely ever approaches any of the characters in game, or reveals personal feelings and information. (Conversation below)

> *"I'm honored we had this match, Ms Han. You will make a great Battle Chef some day. Please take this as a sign of my faith in you." — Leonid, after losing his match to Mina.*
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## Powers and Abilities

Throughout the contest, Leonid is shown to be a very popular and capable chef. Of course, like any other of the tournament participants, he is a skilled combatant and chef, able to bring down a dragon (as in his match), and armarocks (as in his dishes). Magic is his primary means of attack and defense, utilising a staff (though, it's called a wand) to channel his magic and send out projectiles. He likely uses the wind element, as seen in the epilogue outro.

Not much else is known about his combat capabilities, but he has shown that he regularly likes to ask other contestants to share their knowledge and skills with him, as seen from the conversation he has with Mina during their match. Perhaps implying that he has a wide range of skills under his belt.

> ***"Mina, what was that move?"***
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> ***"Oh, nothing special."***
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> ***"On the contrary, I'd like to learn it when you have the time."***
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> ***"It'd be my pleasure!"***
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Out of all the contestants seen, Leonid is one of the first to finish all his matches and enter the Brigade. Even faster than Mina and Thrash, and pointing towards his sheer skill. Resulting in him becoming one of the few to graduate that year.

## Cuisine

Leonid is fond of fanciful, 'eat-with-your-eyes-first', style cooking. Often with incredibly complex methods such as smoking, crusting, or outright making a sorbet. His cooking also uses a touch of gastronomy, as can be seen by the shape of the dish compenents. He's also got a preference for complicated knife work or edible decorations for garnish.

Like Kirin, the other elven chef shown, he uses more French and generally European cooking styles or dishes:

Crusted Armarock ChopsNochi Fruit SorbetSmoked Armarock Heart Pâté
## Trivia

* Leonid is available to challenge from the very first day with Mina. Between him and Wart, he is usually the superior choice. This is because his rainbow droplets can be used to subsitute any Tier 2 gem to complete a trio to make a Tier 3, a great item for those in the early game that might struggle without Mina's items for aiding in collecting supplies. It is also the preferred option for hard mode.
* He's apparently on very good terms with his former classmates, as at least one of them came to watch him. This also implies that he might be a graduate of Auris Academia.