Roman Knight

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Roman
Alias(es)	Roman Knight; Knight Roman; Knight Lehman
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Temple of the Spring Goddess
Occupation/Role	Noble Temple Knight; protector and escort of Priest Donald
Status	Confined to the Spring Goddess Temple's lowest level for ascetic discipline after making false accusations against Gret Nordmark; his right thumb remains permanently impaired by improperly healed tendon damage 22 34
First Appearance	Chapter 11 11

Background / History

Roman accompanied Priest Donald during the group’s stay at Edmond’s farm. Though initially hostile toward Gret’s emergency tracheotomy, he assisted the procedure when Donald asked him to smooth a cut chicken bone into a usable airway tube. He accomplished this by grinding the bone’s sharp edges away with his right thumb. 11

At dinner, Roman objected to Gret and the young War God priest being seated above him, arguing that Priest Donald should not dine with commoners. He challenged Gret’s claim to be a healer, demanded to know which god he served, and drew his greatsword to force Gret to prove his divine grace by healing Captain Karen. 15 16

Roman used the Temple’s authority to conscript Gret’s City Guard squad for a dangerous search operation. He offered Gret a nominal exemption as a healer while leaving his comrades exposed to the mission, prompting Gret to take Captain Karen’s place instead. 18

During the exploration of an ancient castle, Roman fought a Gargoyle alongside Priest Donald. After Donald struck the creature with an offensive divine technique, Roman severed its wings and helped finish it. Soon afterward, Mister Troca—the Necromancer’s black cat—attacked Roman at high speed, slashing his joints until he collapsed with severe wounds to his wrists, ankles, shoulders, elbows, and knees. 19

Roman later attempted to attack the Necromancer Andrew Lynn despite his injuries. Lynn’s Golden Skeleton sent him into a wall, leaving him unconscious and further injured. When Roman awakened, he ignored Gret’s warning that his wrist needed internal repair before external healing. He applied a healing potion directly to the wound; the skin healed, but his right thumb remained bent and unable to function normally. 20 22

Fearing the loss of his sword grip and blaming Gret for his condition, Roman used his influence to have Gret arrested and accused him of colluding with the Necromancer. His accusation failed when the City Guard and Temple of the God of War supported Gret’s account. The High Priest sentenced Roman to ascetic confinement in the Temple’s lowest level, where a Level 5 Knight would normally require at least a year or more to achieve a breakthrough. 31 33 34

Appearance

Roman is a heavily armed noble knight with a harsh, intimidating presence.

• Rugged face and short dark-brown hair standing upright when angered. 16
• Taller than Gret by roughly half a head. 16
• Wears gleaming plate armor bearing a rose entwined with thorns. 15
• Carries a gem-studded scabbard and greatsword. 15
• After his injuries, he becomes gaunt and disheveled, with an ashen complexion, sunken cheeks, stubble, and limp hair. 33
• His right thumb remains visibly bent and cannot straighten, bend normally, or exert force. 22 32 33

Personality

Roman is proud of his noble status and deeply contemptuous of commoners. He reacts angrily when Priest Donald treats Gret and John as equals, and he regards Gret’s unexplained healing ability as grounds for suspicion and punishment rather than curiosity. 15 16

He is aggressive and quick to use intimidation, repeatedly drawing or gripping his sword when confronting Gret. His conduct toward Gret becomes openly malicious during the search-party conscription, where he attempts to place Gret’s companions at risk while preserving a pretext of granting Gret special privilege. 15 18

After losing the use of his thumb, Roman becomes frightened and increasingly desperate. Rather than accept Gret’s medical warning or responsibility for his own decision, he fixates on Gret as the cause of his disability and pursues revenge through false accusations. 22 32 34

Abilities & Skills

Knightly Strength

Roman possesses extraordinary physical strength.

• Smoothed a jagged chicken bone with only the pad of his thumb, reducing it to a safe improvised tracheal tube. 11
• Supported Priest Donald when the priest nearly collapsed from the sight and smell of animal organs. 14
• Was regarded as the strongest Roman Knight in the search party before his injuries. 19 20

Greatsword Combat

Roman is an experienced melee combatant who fights with a greatsword.

• Charged the Gargoyle at high speed and exchanged repeated blows with its claws. 19
• Exploited Priest Donald’s divine attack to leap at the Gargoyle and sever both of its wings. 19
• Could not effectively strike Mister Troca, whose speed and joint-targeting attacks overwhelmed him. 19
• His disabled right thumb prevents him from gripping his sword properly. 32

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Plate armor marked with a rose-and-thorns crest. 15
• Greatsword. 15 19
• Gem-studded scabbard, with several round blue gems set in a line. 15
• Healing potion supplied by Priest Donald; Roman misused it to close the external wrist wound without repairing the internal injury. 22

Relationships

• Priest Donald — His priest and the person Roman is assigned to protect. Donald repeatedly restrains or rebukes Roman’s conduct, yet pleads for Roman’s life after his injuries. 14 16 22
• Gret Nordmark — Antagonistic. Roman challenges Gret’s healer status, coerces him into demonstrating divine grace, exposes his squad to danger, and later falsely accuses him of colluding with a Necromancer. Gret nevertheless warns Roman about the improper treatment of his wrist and refuses Lynn’s offer to harm him. 15 18 22 24 33 34
• Young Priest John — A priest of the Temple of the God of War who openly defends Gret against Roman’s accusations. 15 16
• Andrew Lynn — The Necromancer whose Golden Skeleton sends Roman flying after Roman attacks him. 20
• Mister Troca — Andrew Lynn’s black cat familiar, which inflicts the joint wounds that ultimately disable Roman’s right thumb. 19 24

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Farmhouse emergency — Assists Gret’s tracheotomy by polishing the chicken bone, despite initially doubting that cutting a neck could save a life. 11
• Challenge to Gret’s identity — Publicly questions Gret’s supposed divine revelation and threatens him with blasphemy unless he can heal Captain Karen. 15 16
• Temple search operation — Forces Gret’s squad into the search party, then participates in the battle against the Gargoyle. 18 19
• Necromancer’s Mage Tower incident — Is incapacitated by Mister Troca, then defeated by Lynn’s Golden Skeleton after attempting another attack. 19 20
• Permanent hand injury — Rejects Gret’s advice, externally heals his wrist, and loses normal use of his right thumb. 22 32
• Trial and punishment — Accuses Gret of collusion and assault; after the accusation collapses, he is sentenced to prolonged ascetic confinement. 31 33 34

Trivia

• Roman’s chest crest differs from the Temple’s insignia, and his expensive armor and jeweled scabbard identify him as belonging to a noble family. 15
• Captain Karen states that Roman is the lord’s nephew. 18
• Although Roman is identified as a Level 5 Knight, the extent of his impairment makes a future battlefield return uncertain. 34