Master

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Master
Gender	Male
Origin	Commoner
Affiliation	Aurelian's Winter City knights
Occupation/Role	Head Knight; Knight Commander
First Appearance	7

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Source Gathering	7	Had only barely reached the second magic rank despite serving as Aurelian's head knight; his low commoner aptitude and lack of cultivation resources left him stalled at this stage.
Lower Rank (Pseudo)	24 27	Following a combat realization, his physical strength reached Lower Rank standards while his magic power remained at Source Gathering. This let him contend with the Lower Rank barbarian Kuro and overwhelm Body Integration-level fighters.

Background / History

Master was born a commoner and became Aurelian's head knight despite having poor sensitivity and adaptability to magic. By his thirties, he remained at Source Gathering, unable to afford the magic potions needed to overcome the commoner class's cultivation barrier. He nevertheless commanded Winter City's knights and served directly beneath Aurelian. 7 12

While investigating the cursed farmland, Master obeyed Aurelian's order to excavate the ground, though he privately regarded the task as foolish and resented his precarious position beneath a noble lord. 7

Before the expedition to the Spruce Forest, Master challenged Jeanne over her place in the party. He agreed to duel her for the Knight Captain position and the promised possibility of a baronial title, but Jeanne defeated him without using magic. Rather than contest her appointment as Grand Knight Commander, Master recognized the limits of his own understanding and accepted her authority. 12 13 15

In the Spruce Forest, Master directed the knights against the Dark Moon Wolves while Aurelian and Jeanne entered the magic barrier. The battle and his earlier defeat by Jeanne gave him a new realization: combat experience and tempering mattered beyond magical talent alone. During the ensuing barbarian conflict, this realization led to a pseudo-Lower Rank breakthrough; he shielded Russell from Kuro and faced the Lower Rank warrior directly. 16 21 24 27

After returning from the campaign, Master continued serving as the surviving knights' commander. He later began training new recruits, including Charles, through deliberately severe trials meant to forge resolve under life-threatening pressure. 31 48 51

During a later attack, Master led elite knights in resisting a magic storm until he was near collapse. Renn and Noe arrived in time to save him. 122

Appearance

Master is a tall knight who is usually seen in white armor and carries himself with a stern, controlled presence. 7 13

• Wears white armor, often accompanied by a longsword. 7 13
• Wields the longsword Moonlight. 21 24
• Maintains an outwardly cold, expressionless demeanor even in battle. 12 24

Personality

Master is disciplined, proud, and intensely aware of the social divide between commoners and nobles. A baronial title initially tempts him because it represents the wealth, land, and status that commoner knights are ordinarily denied. 12 13

His defeat by Jeanne changes his outlook. Rather than blaming talent alone, he becomes convinced that life-or-death tempering can create stronger warriors. This conviction informs his harsh training methods, particularly his willingness to expose Charles to a man-eating Shadow Cat as a test of resolve. 15 48

Though emotionally restrained, Master is protective of those under his command. He steps in to defend Russell against Kuro, grieves the knights lost during the barbarian campaign, and shows concern for Falan's survival—while remaining prepared to execute Falan if his rare fire magic proves him to be an enemy spy. 24 31 110 111

Abilities & Skills

Source-Gathering Wind Magic

Master possesses wind-attribute magic at the Source Gathering stage.

• Uses magic to reinforce his strength, speed, defense, and sword strikes. 14 48 110
• Can employ the combat technique Great Strength Strike to deliver a temporarily amplified blow. 14
• His magic power remained Source Gathering even after his physical strength reached pseudo-Lower Rank. 24
• As a Source Gathering knight, he cannot normally project magic externally. 2 14

Pseudo-Lower Rank Physical Strength

Master's combat realization allowed him to reach Lower Rank physical capability without a corresponding rise in magic rank.

• Blocked repeated attacks from Kuro, a Lower Rank barbarian warrior. 24
• Became powerful enough to cut through Body Integration-level barbarian fighters with little resistance. 27
• His unusual state drew Kuro's attention because his physical strength and internal magic rank did not match. 24

Swordsmanship

Master is an experienced swordsman whose style emphasizes direct, forceful engagements.

• Fought Jeanne with fast, mana-enhanced strikes during their duel. 13 14
• Held Moonlight with both hands to withstand Kuro's great-blade attacks. 24
• Continued fighting through the Dark Moon Wolf ambush despite sustaining wounds alongside his knights. 21

Command and Training

Master is Winter City's principal knight commander and battlefield organizer.

• Assembled Winter City's twenty Body Integration-level knights for the Spruce Forest expedition. 11
• Ordered defensive formations when the party was ambushed by magical beasts. 16
• Led the knights assigned to contain the Dark Moon Wolves while Aurelian and Jeanne investigated the magic barrier. 17
• Trains prospective knights such as Charles and the younger recruits gathered for Aurelian's planned new knight order. 48 51 58

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Moonlight — Master's personal longsword, used against Dark Moon Wolves and Kuro. 21 24
• White armor — His standard knightly armor. 7

Relationships

• Aurelian — Lord and commander. Master initially questions Aurelian's decisions, particularly regarding Jeanne, but comes to respect his leadership and follows his orders in the Spruce Forest and beyond. 12 16 51
• Jeanne d'Arc — Duel opponent and superior within the knightly hierarchy. Jeanne defeats Master without using magic; he accepts her as Grand Knight Commander and credits the loss with changing his view of strength. 13 15
• Charles — Squire and trainee. Master subjects Charles to a lethal trial involving a Shadow Cat, then oversees his development as part of Aurelian's new knight order. 48 51
• Russell — Subordinate knight. Master protects him from Kuro and later receives Charles from Russell for assessment. 24 48
• Darwin — Fellow officer and subordinate. Darwin witnesses Master's pseudo-Lower Rank breakthrough and consults him regarding Falan's fire-attribute magic. 24 110
• Falan — Young trainee under Master's care. Master tries to save him after a poisoned-arrow injury, but remains suspicious that his forbidden fire attribute could indicate Flame Kingdom ties. 110 111
• Renn and Noe — Unexpected rescuers who save Master during the magic-storm defense. 122

Notable Quotes

“Only the most brutal environments can give birth to the Flower of Slaughter, and only the most brutal environments can evolve the strongest of warriors.” 48