Kei

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Kei (克伊)
Alias(es)	Young Master Kei; Lord; Shining Baron; Earl Shining; Marquis Kei; Grand Duke; Emperor Kei
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Arnester Family; Blackstone City; Shining Territory; Starry Sky Principality/Empire
Occupation/Role	Knight; territorial lord; founder and Emperor of the Starry Sky Empire
Status	Deceased; died after a prolonged illness at around 200 years old 236
First Appearance	Chapter 1 (mentioned) 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Advanced Knight	1	Already an Advanced Knight at nineteen and regarded as Blackstone City's foremost military strength.
Peak Grand Knight	115	Reached this stage through years of cultivation supported by Sunan's resources; stood one step from Legendary rank.
One-Ring Legendary Knight	133	Broke through after consuming a High-Level Dragon Blood Fruit and spent over half a year consolidating his realm.
Two-Ring Legendary Knight	170	Reached the second Legendary ring at age thirty-one; his Dragon Blood Fruit consumption was later reduced because higher-grade fruits were scarce.
Three-Ring Legendary Knight	175	Could fly using Elemental Power and accompany Sunan and Rose to the emerging Starry Sky Tower.
Four-Circle Legendary Knight	210	Reached the pinnacle of mortal Knight cultivation.
Peak Four-Circle Legendary Knight	224	Could progress no further through ordinary Knight cultivation.
Bloodline Knight	224	Fused with a Tyrant Dragon bloodline, transcending the human Knight level.

Background

Kei and his younger brother Sunan were effectively exiled to Blackstone City after their father, Baron Arnester, died in battle. Their uncle Owen Arnester seized the title of Shining Baron and most of the family territory, leaving the brothers under a continuing threat of assassination or conquest 2. Kei responded by diligently cultivating, governing Blackstone City, and seeking every means to strengthen its undermanned forces against both Owen and the Blackscale Lizardmen 1 2 4.

Initially skeptical of Sunan's pursuit of wizardry, Kei nevertheless supplied him with Blackscale Lizardmen corpses for research. Sunan's Lesser Dragon Blood Potions changed his view: Kei recognized their military value, carefully allocated them to Apprentice Knights, and made their existence a military secret 2 6. He later attempted to become a Wizard Apprentice himself, but was forced to stop after reading only two pages of an introductory codex due to severe pain, confirming that he lacked wizard aptitude 17.

Kei and Sunan reclaimed and expanded their family influence through coordinated military and magical development. Kei led the conventional forces while Sunan provided potions, puppets, enchanted weapons, and magical support; their joint campaign in the Blackstone Mining Area uncovered a Wizard Inheritance and helped convince Kei of wizardry's strategic importance 10 11 12. His rapid rise took him from the lord of a border city to Shining Baron, Earl Shining, Marquis, and eventually Grand Duke, a progression attributed to Sunan's backing as much as his own leadership 89 97 128.

When the Starfire Cult gained the Grand Duke's support and began killing resisting nobles, Kei resolved to overturn the existing political order rather than compromise with those connected to his father's death 116. He led the Shining Army's assault on High Cliff City during the resulting war, coordinating with Sunan's puppet forces to secure strategic territory 120.

As ruler of the Starry Sky Empire, Kei helped drive the unification of the Northwest Region and expanded Knight Academies and basic education across the empire 210 211. Learning about the Gloomy Throne and the wider Multiverse gave him a new purpose beyond continental unification: preparing the empire to endure and grow despite threats he would likely never live to see 211.

Titles and Rule

Title / Position	Chapter	Notes
Lord of Blackstone City	1 4	Governed the border city while building its defenses against Lizardmen incursions.
Earl Shining	89	Appointed by the Royal Family and promised further rewards for defeating the rebels.
Marquis Kei	97	Hosted his wedding as the central political figure in Golden Rock Province.
Grand Duke	128 133	Ruled a rapidly expanded state and oversaw its recovery, military growth, and administration.
Founding Emperor of the Starry Sky Empire	210 236	Led the empire through unification before being succeeded by his son Abbott.

Personality

Kei is diligent, responsible, and deeply protective of both his family and territory. At nineteen, he was already respected and loved by his subordinates, and he remained personally involved in governance, training, and military planning even after becoming a national ruler 1 170.

He is pragmatic about power. Once Sunan demonstrated the value of wizardry, Kei prioritized its military application, distributed enhancement potions according to the city's needs rather than personal favoritism, and imposed strict secrecy to keep enemies from exploiting the information 6. He also readily adopts unconventional strategies, including Blackrock Panther cavalry, golem forces, and magical logistics, when they improve his military position 17 67 75.

Kei's ambition is tied to legacy rather than conquest alone. He sought to restore the Arnester Family, pursued the unification of the continent, and later became intensely invested in ensuring that the Imperial Family produced Wizard Apprentices capable of sustaining its connection to the Star Alliance 4 210 233.

Abilities & Skills

Knight Combat

Kei is an elite Knight who rose from Advanced Knight to the pinnacle of mortal Knight cultivation before becoming a Bloodline Knight.

• Leads from the front during dangerous operations, including the clearing of the Blackstone Mining Area and the campaign against the Iron-Eating Beasts 10 11.
• Uses swordsmanship to finish enemies weakened or controlled by Sunan's spells 10 12.
• Could use Elemental Power for flight after reaching Three-Ring Legendary Knight 175.
• Reached Four-Circle Legendary Knight, the highest level of ordinary human Knight cultivation 210 211.

Tyrant Dragon Bloodline

After reaching the limit of the Four-Circle Legendary realm, Kei fused with a Tyrant Dragon bloodline and advanced to Bloodline Knight 224.

• Greatly improved his energy resistance 224.
• Enhanced his control over ice energy particles, though it remains inferior to that of an Elemental Knight 224.
• Extended his lifespan beyond that of an ordinary human, though not indefinitely 224 236.
• The acquired bloodline abilities cannot be directly inherited by his descendants; they may only receive improved innate Constitution 224.

Command and Statecraft

Kei is an experienced military commander and ruler.

• Mobilized Blackstone City's limited manpower against recurrent Blackscale Lizardmen raids 4 10.
• Expanded the Blackrock Cavalry Regiment to more than 1,300 riders before challenging the Starry Sky Principality's political order 116.
• Directed the Shining Army's offensive against High Cliff City while using Sunan's successful operations to secure strategic depth 120.
• Maintained confidence during the Azure Gold Empire's military pressure because of his understanding of the Star Alliance's capabilities 159.

Military Assets

• Legendary Blackrock Panthers — Sunan synthesized two Legendary-class panthers to remain at Kei's side as permanent protection 116.
• Lord's Manor defenses — Three Steel Golems, twenty Dual-Blade Spiders, and more than one hundred Stone Golems were stationed at his residence alongside the existing guard force 116.
• Blackrock Cavalry Regiment — A mounted force strengthened through Blackrock Panthers and Dragon Blood Fruits; its expansion was one of Kei's major military priorities 75 116.
• Golem Legion support — Relied on Sunan's golem and puppet forces during territorial campaigns and wider wars 89 120.

Relationships

• Sunan Arnester — Younger brother, closest ally, and the source of much of Kei's military and political strength. Their relationship is built on mutual trust: Kei supplies resources and authority for Sunan's research, while Sunan supports Kei's rule, campaigns, and personal advancement 6 116 224.
• Abbott Arnester — Eldest son and designated heir. Abbott ultimately succeeded Kei as the second Emperor after Kei's death 147 236.
• Wesley Arnester — Second son; later failed the Wizard aptitude test alongside his sister A Dai La 147 191.
• A Dai La Arnester — First daughter; failed the Wizard aptitude test with Wesley 159 191.
• Haylen — Grandson and a Wizard Apprentice. Kei supports his cultivation and offered to help arrange a future mentor 232 233.
• Brad — Trusted Knight and commander. Kei entrusted him with investigating the disappearance of an entire village near Shining City 97.
• Jordan — Knight subordinate and longtime associate. Kei manages his indiscipline firmly, including threatening to prohibit alcohol to maintain morale during the mining expedition 10.
• Geller — The Arnester brothers' old butler, who remained loyal after their exile to Blackstone City 1.

Trivia

• Kei's failure to become a Wizard Apprentice remained a personal disappointment, but it strengthened his resolve to rely on and support Sunan's path instead 17.
• He hoped repeatedly that one of his descendants would possess Wizard aptitude, viewing a Wizard Apprentice in the Imperial Family as both a matter of legacy and a way to reinforce imperial prestige 210 233.
• Despite becoming a Bloodline Knight and extending his life with rare resources, Kei eventually succumbed to age-related decline and illness 236.