Roa

Biodata

Geography & Districts

• Roa lies on the border between the Holy Sound Kingdom and the Loken Kingdom; its border walls are the safest practical crossing route, while the surrounding wilderness is infested with monsters. 1
• The city is divided into southern and northern districts, each with a grand cathedral and numerous smaller churches. The Central Clock Tower stands between the districts, near the noble quarter. 34
• South River Road is a commoner-area street near both the slums and noble district. Its hidden, complicated entrances and exits make it useful for covert gatherings. 27
• The city contains a noble district, commoner districts, slums, forest outskirts, and the Central Clock Tower. 27 31 34
• Roa normally enforces a nighttime curfew. Patrols, priests, and certain nobles are among the few permitted to travel after dark. 3 30

Governance & Security

Roa is a city of a church state, where the Holy Sound Church exercises extensive authority. The local garrison is managed by the Church, and many officers are priests. 1 11

• The Church maintains specialized forces for hunting nonhumans; captured nonhumans may be burned, hanged, or imprisoned until death. 1
• Public executions can temporarily lift the curfew and draw commoners into the streets. 3
• Roa's border defenses are tightly controlled due to hostilities with Loken, making unsanctioned departure extremely difficult. 1 24
• The South District Church serves as a major religious and administrative center. It oversees mural restoration, clerical activities, and registered spellcasters. 5 36
• Chief Priest Xia Ya is associated with the South District Church and approves Adam's registration to study spellcasting. 31 36

Economy & Smuggling

• Border restrictions make noble-controlled smuggling networks essential for anyone seeking to cross into Loken. 1
• Baron Mansla operates a smuggling business connected to bandits outside the city and covert routes through the forest. 1 4 20
• Smuggled goods are mixed with ordinary carts and supplies moving through the slums and forest-side routes. 20
• Mansla's business depends on resources and stability, particularly because his family's achievement ritual framework shows signs of weakening. 26 27
• Sir Rube seeks to compete with Mansla and is considered a potential alternative contact for clandestine cooperation. 30

Nonhuman Population

Roa is dangerous for aberrants, werewolves, blood thralls, and other nonhumans, but it also shelters those unable or unwilling to flee. 1 3 19

• Some nonhumans conceal their abnormalities with potions or rituals and live among ordinary residents. 3 8
• The slums and nearby forest provide cover for impoverished or fugitive aberrants. 9 15
• After the witch doctor Hoda's death, the loss of anomaly-suppressing potions leaves many hidden nonhumans vulnerable to discovery. 3 4
• Adam identifies roughly twenty-three aberrants active in Roa's southern district, excluding several who attended an earlier gathering but not the later one. 50
• Roa's aberrants broadly include those seeking escape to Loken and those who have settled into life within the city. 50

History

• Forty years before the present events, Count Ronnie of Loken disappeared at the border between the two kingdoms. The incident became the pretext for the First Northern Inquiry War and hardened hostility between Loken and Holy Sound. 40 45
• During the Third Northern Inquiry War ten years earlier, Jin's teacher reportedly stormed into Roya City and fought for three days and nights before the Loken forces withdrew. Jin was left behind after being badly injured. 45
• The Third Northern Inquiry War began after the discovery of the Crown of the Saint, but ended quickly when the Church of the Saint withdrew its forces. 50

Story Role / Major Arcs

Adam's Refuge and Cover

Adam enters Roa under the identity of the deceased Adam Boku and stays with the Boku family while seeking a way across the border. He uses the city’s social structure, church, and noble networks to gather intelligence and preserve his disguise. 1 5 7

Infiltration of the South District Church

Using Priest Fula's support and his apparent talent for painting, Adam becomes Alva Ratu's apprentice during church mural restoration. This gives him regular access to church personnel, procurement information, and security-related intelligence. 5 6 11

Aberrant Organization

After Hoda's execution, Adam exploits the growing desperation of Roa's hidden aberrants. Through the persona of the renegade priest “Nesser Riges” and the Tears of God Ritual, he subdues Adel and organizes nonhumans around House No. 17 on South River Road. 3 13 16 27 29

Escape Preparations

Roa remains the central obstacle to Adam's goal of reaching Loken. He investigates Mansla's smuggling network, cooperates with Jin, cultivates knightly and sorcerous abilities, and leverages Viscount Doug Rom Alfred's resources to create an eventual route out. 24 27 38 44 45

Notable Locations

• Boku Family Home — Adam's residence and the location of his attic room, where he transforms and conducts private planning. 1 2
• South District Church — A major church complex where Adam studies painting, interacts with priests, and later receives approval to study as a spellcaster. 5 6 36
• Thousand Paintings House — Alva Ratu's manor and gallery in the noble district; its painted corridor contains unusual portraits that affect visitors. 31 32
• Central Clock Tower — A structure between Roa's districts that contains Anthony's hidden inner space and the Reflection Tower. 34 35
• House No. 17, South River Road — A vacant house acquired by Will and used as a secret aberrant gathering site. 27 29
• Poison Fog District / Slums — Areas where impoverished nonhumans, including Adel, conceal themselves and obtain victims or supplies. 8 9
• Baron Mansla's Estate — A noble residence tied to werewolves, bandits, and smuggling operations. 1 4