Duncan

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Duncan (邓肯)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Imperial Army; Imperial Court Mages; Imperial diplomatic delegation
Occupation/Role	Court Mage; former military officer; commander; diplomat
Status	Alive
First Appearance	1

Background / History

Duncan originated in the Imperial Army and earned his place among the Court Mages through military merit. Unlike the noble-born and academy-trained mages around him, he built his reputation through battlefield service; colleagues consider him exceptionally dangerous in close combat as well as magic. He survived a demon attack that killed his mother. 7 94 144

He married Lektyre, daughter of Lord Gluck of the Weiser region. Their relationship began in childhood and endured through Duncan's magical studies and military career; Lektyre supported him through his injuries and later became the central concern behind his request for a cure-all spell. 1 7 95 152

When Court Mage Lairn faced dismissal and the loss of his noble title, Duncan stayed by him, drank with him, pressured officials to petition the Emperor, and helped secure the removal of the proposed confiscation of Lairn's property. He accepted Lairn's later decision to pursue Serie's mage examination. 7

Duncan was assigned to command an Annihilation Campaign on the Kastai border, a politically motivated operation that threatened both his bid to become dean of the Imperial Magic Academy and the lives of soldiers and civilians. He designed an ambush strategy, relocated villagers before the battle, and personally joined the village defense. The campaign ended with the Demon General's defeat, though Duncan was injured and subsequently faced Sayidat's suspicion over the battle's circumstances. 94 95

As the Empire's envoy to the Continental Magic Association, Duncan admitted that the Empire had aided construction of the Oysaster Branch to gather intelligence. He negotiated a temporary cooperation arrangement with Guter and presented Serie with Frieren's notebook, which she destroyed. 139 141 144

Serie invited Duncan to become her disciple twice. Though he possessed the mentality to contemplate fighting her despite her mana and requested magic capable of curing all diseases, he declined because his ambitions required remaining at the Empire's center of power. 144

After Guter's Good Dream Pillow allowed him to communicate with his future self in a lucid dream, Duncan diverted his ship to Weizeri and reached Lektyre before her death. Guter then temporarily anchored Lektyre's soul in a gemstone; Duncan carries the gemstone afterward. 154 155 158 159

Duncan covertly disclosed Guter's soul-preservation magic to the Empire in exchange for leniency, but he and Guter mutually understood the disclosure as a calculated test and performed a public falling-out to mislead Imperial observers. Duncan was demoted and reassigned to the Bia Region amid political intrigue. 164 165

Appearance

Duncan presents himself as a composed Court Mage and official, but retains the physicality of a former soldier.

• Wears a monocle over his left eye. 94
• Uses glasses or lenses, which he adjusts when concealing emotion. 144
• Possesses unusually formidable physical strength for a mage; he can pull wine corks out by hand and was known to overpower multiple Court Mages in hand-to-hand combat. 7 140
• Carries Lektyre's soul gemstone on his person after her death. 159 164

Personality

Duncan is controlled, calculating, and politically perceptive. He understands that political success can be dangerous when it makes one appear too accomplished, and deliberately chooses to seem “mediocre” after gaining major military merit. He is candid about the ugliness of politics, yet frequently refuses to explain himself when explanations cannot undo harm or erase suspicion. 94 95 141

His ambition is genuine: he sought the deanship of the Imperial Magic Academy for its resources, influence, and access to magic archives. However, he does not pursue advancement blindly; he recognizes traps, accepts assignments he cannot refuse, and adapts to unfavorable circumstances. 94 139 141

Beneath his reserved demeanor, Duncan is deeply loyal. He supported Lairn through disgrace, cared for the Weiser region out of gratitude to Lord Gluck, and acted immediately to return to Lektyre after learning of her impending death. 7 95 154 159

Abilities & Skills

Magic Power Detection

Duncan can release an overwhelming magical detection field across an entire office floor to locate someone concealing themselves. 7

• Detects hidden individuals within a broad area.
• Uses the ability openly and forcefully when necessary.

Combat Ability

Duncan combines a Court Mage's magical training with military combat experience and exceptional physical strength. 7 94

• Earned military merit through service in the Imperial Army.
• Could reportedly defeat ten ordinary Court Mages with his fists in a palace where magic use was restricted. 7
• Participated personally in the defense against a Demon General's forces despite serving as overall commander. 95
• His immediate instinct upon meeting Serie was to consider how he might defeat her, though he abandoned the thought after recognizing the disparity. 144

Command and Strategy

Duncan is an experienced field commander capable of planning operations, organizing civilian evacuations, and coordinating ambushes. 94 95

• Commanded the Imperial force during the Kastai border Annihilation Campaign.
• Ordered villagers relocated before the demon assault.
• Used elite advance troops and prepared fortifications to lure the enemy into an encirclement.
• Planned for specialized units to divide the Demon General's subordinates while he and Sayidat led the main pincer assault. 95

Diplomacy and Political Maneuvering

Duncan excels at reading people, managing appearances, and negotiating between the Empire and the Continental Magic Association. 7 139 141

• Successfully pressed officials to resubmit Lairn's case to the Emperor. 7
• Recognized and employed psychological positioning during negotiations with Serie's disciples. 140
• Confirmed the Empire's covert support for the Oysaster Branch rather than offering an implausible denial. 141
• Used alcohol to keep Lairn away from difficult negotiations while framing the act as concern for his friend. 140
• Passed intelligence to the Empire while arranging a convincing public conflict with Guter. 164 165

Relationships

• Lektyre — Wife and childhood companion. Duncan's request for cure-all magic was motivated by her illness; after her death, he carries the gemstone containing her temporarily preserved soul. 1 144 152 158 159
• Lairn — Closest friend and fellow Court Mage. Duncan fought Lairn's dismissal, encouraged him to pursue Serie's examination, and later shielded him from diplomatic pressure. 7 139 140
• Guter — Diplomatic counterpart and eventual trusted ally. Duncan negotiated with him on the Empire's behalf, traveled with him toward Weizeri, and maintained their friendship despite a staged betrayal. 140 141 152 155 165
• Serie — Legendary archmage who invited him to become her disciple. Duncan refused twice, choosing his political ambitions and asking instead for magic that could cure all diseases. 144
• Sayidat — Former acquaintance and fellow Hero of Battle. Their relationship shifted from confrontation over the Kastai campaign to battlefield cooperation and uneasy mutual understanding. 94 95
• Lord Gluck — Father-in-law. Duncan supports the Weiser region in repayment for Gluck having raised him. 95
• Mahat — Demon opponent Duncan failed to defeat in the future, resulting in Duncan being turned to gold and Weiser's destruction; the future Duncan warned his past self about Mahat through a dream. 154 155

Story Role / Major Arcs

Lairn's Dismissal

Duncan intervenes when Lairn is stripped of his Court Mage position and title. Though he cannot overturn the verdict, he helps prevent the confiscation of Lairn's property and supports Lairn's new path toward Serie. 7

Northern Border Campaign

Ordered into command of a campaign designed to politically corner him, Duncan leads the Imperial army against a Demon General. He evacuates civilians, establishes an ambush, enters the fighting himself, and emerges as the nominal hero of the victory. 94 95

Oysaster Diplomatic Mission

Duncan arrives with an Imperial delegation to pressure the Continental Magic Association into cooperating with the Empire. He builds rapport with Guter, acknowledges Imperial involvement in the Branch's construction, and attempts—unsuccessfully—to use Frieren's notebook to win Serie's favor. 139 140 141 144

Return to Weizeri

A dream facilitated by Guter's Good Dream Pillow warns Duncan that Lektyre is dying and that Mahat will threaten Weiser. He takes responsibility for changing the ship's course, returns home, and reunites with Lektyre before her death. 154 155

Imperial Reassignment

Following the exposure of Guter's soul magic, Duncan covertly cooperates with Imperial special agents while preserving his understanding with Guter. Political rivals demote and reassign him to the Bia Region, though he remains trusted enough by the Emperor to potentially return to prominence. 164 165

Trivia

• Duncan's wife’s hat was returned to him by Guter during their first meeting. 1 140
• He can tolerate Heavenly Gifted Wine without the adverse reaction Serie experienced. 152
• Despite being a mage and diplomat, he opens wine bottles by pulling their corks out with bare hands. 140
• His stated desired spell is “magic that can cure all diseases.” 144