Don Quixote

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Don Quixote Cervantes (堂吉诃德)
Alias(es)	Knight Don Quixote; One-Ball Knight; Lord Knight 1 13 33
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Occupation/Role	Li Wei's guardian and uncle; construction laborer and restaurant dishwasher; later accountant and inspector for Susan 1 6 29
First Appearance	Chapter 1: Welcome to America 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Lord Knight	33	Within his sleepwalking narrative, Don Quixote regards the Bay Ridge house as a castle granted after defeating the witch; the system identifies him as “Lord Knight Don Quixote.”
“Sublimation” / rank transcendence	35	After ten months of perceived cultivation in the “Wilderness Frontier,” he undergoes a 30-minute breakthrough ritual and successfully completes his “Sublimation.”

Background / History

Don Quixote became Li Wei's guardian when Li Wei arrived in America. He collected him from the airport, completed the guardianship process at the ACS office, and brought him to his basement apartment in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. At the time, he worked construction during the day and washed dishes at a restaurant at night while struggling with bills, alimony, and poor living conditions. 1 6 10

He has dreamed of being a knight since childhood, keeps chivalric romances, and owns a suit of armor. His sleepwalking manifests this fantasy: with his eyes closed, he dresses as a knight, addresses Li Wei as his squire, and mistakes ordinary New York objects and situations for monsters, magic, and quests. 1 2

Before his financial decline, Don Quixote graduated from the University of Chicago's economics department and worked for several years at JPMorgan Chase. He later started a company, went bankrupt, and retained a sharp instinct for financial irregularities. 17 34 49

His daughter Lily is his central personal motivation. Facing the risk of losing visitation rights because he could not afford her $5,000 horseback-riding summer camp, he fell into despair until Li Wei gave him $3,500. Don Quixote used the money to spend a day with Lily and promised to repay Li Wei. 16 17

After Susan hired him as an accountant and inspector, he and Li Wei moved from Sunset Park to a spacious Bay Ridge home provided through the job. The position gave him a $3,500 monthly after-tax salary and renewed confidence in rebuilding his life. 29 32

Appearance

Don Quixote is a thin, middle-aged man whose heavy labor and poor finances leave him pale, tired, and worn down. His appearance changes sharply depending on whether he is awake or sleepwalking. 3 12 40

• Wears paint-splattered work clothes and a reflective vest while working construction. 3
• Owns a suit of silver-colored knight armor, which gleams under streetlights during his nocturnal episodes. 1 14
• Drives a dilapidated Toyota. 1 32
• Can clean up impressively for formal occasions, wearing a loose custom-made suit with his initials on the cuffs. 24
• Carries visible fatigue from manual labor, dishwashing shifts, and financial stress. 6 9 21

Personality

Don Quixote is blunt, foul-mouthed, and prone to petty opportunism, but he is deeply compassionate when others are vulnerable. He is willing to confront exploitative employers, protect strangers, and quietly give money to coworkers despite his own insecurity. 6 26 30 31

His waking self is often exhausted, pessimistic, and bitter about poverty, divorce, and the cost of living. He distrusts women after his past relationship and alimony obligations, though his conduct repeatedly contradicts his cynicism: he protects Susan from attackers, worries intensely about Lily, and later agrees to date Susan despite his anxiety. 16 26 27 44 47

In his sleepwalking state, he is energetic, proud, theatrical, and completely committed to knightly ideals. He readily accepts Li Wei's suggestions when they are framed in chivalric terms, treating him first as a squire and later as a fellow knight. 2 17 22 35

Abilities & Skills

Sleepwalking Knight Persona

Don Quixote sleepwalks with his eyes closed while acting out an elaborate knightly fantasy.

• Dresses himself in armor and leaves home on “quests,” usually in the middle of the night. 1 2
• Reinterprets trash cans as goblins, flooding as an elemental creature, an excavator as an earth dragon, and a fire hydrant as a red dwarf. 2 6 18 40
• Is unusually energetic and nimble during episodes compared with his exhausted daytime state. 6
• Usually has no memory of his nighttime actions after waking. 16 19
• Is susceptible to Li Wei's verbal guidance while sleepwalking, allowing Li Wei to redirect dangerous behavior. 2 17

Accounting and Financial Investigation

Don Quixote has professional training in economics and finance, reinforced by experience at JPMorgan Chase.

• Graduated from the University of Chicago's economics department. 17
• Can tutor Li Wei in AP subjects such as calculus and macroeconomics. 17
• Rapidly reviewed Susan's accountant's ledgers and helped uncover embezzlement. 29
• Maintains detailed records of property expenses, identifying suspicious recurring charges across five years of accounts. 49
• Was hired as Susan's accountant and inspector after demonstrating his competence. 29

Chivalric Courage

Despite his delusions and poor health, Don Quixote consistently acts when he sees perceived injustice.

• Charged armed muggers while using a trash-can lid as a shield, helping Li Wei rescue Susan. 26 27
• Confronted foreman Leto over delayed wages for vulnerable construction workers. 30
• Secretly gave Jose $1,200 to support Jose's pregnant wife. 31 32

Equipment / Items

• Knight armor — worn during sleepwalking expeditions; his defining personal possession. 1 2
• Dilapidated Toyota — his primary car, though Li Wei prevents him from driving it while asleep. 1 17
• Chivalric romances — books he has kept since childhood and draws inspiration from. 1
• Iron rod — carried as a “family heirloom sword” during a later expedition. 40
• Trash-can lid — improvised as a shield while confronting a knife-wielding mugger. 26 27

Relationships

• Li Wei — nephew, ward, sleepwalking “squire,” and later fellow knight. Don Quixote provides guardianship, practical advice, tutoring, and support for Li Wei's Yale ambitions; Li Wei in turn helps him financially and manages his dangerous nighttime episodes. 1 17 22 25 35
• Lily — daughter. Maintaining visitation rights and eventually seeking custody are Don Quixote's strongest motivations. 16 17 49
• Susan — employer and woman Don Quixote helps rescue. She hires him as an accountant and inspector, provides housing for him and Li Wei, and later goes on a date with him. 27 29 32 44 47
• Julian Wagner — former classmate and JPMorgan Chase colleague who owes Don Quixote a favor. Don Quixote asks him for a Yale recommendation letter for Li Wei. 25
• Jose — former construction coworker. Don Quixote gives him money to help support his pregnant wife. 31 32
• Leto — construction foreman who delays workers' wages; Don Quixote openly confronts him. 30
• Unnamed ex-wife — Don Quixote is divorced and pays $2,000 in monthly alimony, an experience that fuels his resentment toward relationships. 26 29

Story Role / Major Arcs

Guardian in Sunset Park

Don Quixote introduces Li Wei to the harsh realities of surviving in New York while housing him in his dilapidated basement apartment. His sleepwalking knight persona becomes the catalyst for Li Wei's Medieval Adventurer System quests. 1 2

The Witch and Dragon Expeditions

Li Wei accompanies Don Quixote on a series of nighttime “quests,” including pursuing a witch, slaying an “earth dragon” excavator, and moving a boundary stone. Although Don Quixote experiences these events as fantasy, Li Wei uses them to advance through the Path of the Knight. 14 18 21 22

Fatherhood and Financial Crisis

When Don Quixote cannot afford Lily's summer camp, he nearly breaks down under the threat of losing visitation rights. Li Wei's financial help lets him reunite with Lily and restores his hope. 16 17

Accountant of Bay Ridge

Susan hires Don Quixote after he exposes financial misconduct in her business. The job and free accommodation allow him and Li Wei to leave Sunset Park for Bay Ridge, ending his dependence on construction and dishwashing work. 28 29 32

Defender of Workers

On his final day at the construction site, Don Quixote risks his new stability to protest delayed wages for workers facing eviction and homelessness. After the wages are recovered, he secretly helps Jose and celebrates his new job with his former coworkers. 30 31 32

Lord Knight and New Expedition

In Bay Ridge, Don Quixote reimagines the new home as his castle, undertakes an ascetic practice, achieves “Sublimation,” and begins preparing for a larger expedition against enemies beyond the defeated witch. 33 34 35 40

Plan to Rebuild His Life

Using his accounting investigation, Don Quixote develops a risky plan to remove the Italian mafia from a building connected to Susan's properties. He sees the plan as his chance to regain financial security, obtain health insurance, pursue custody of Lily, and support Li Wei's education. 47 49

Notable Quotes

“Squire Li Wei, help me put on my boots!” 1

“We're living, breathing people! In this damned, people-eating New York, in this damned Queens, whose refrigerator has enough food for a whole week? Who can afford next week's rent?” 30

“Kid, I told you I would look after you.” 29