Mulan

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Mulan Jonester (穆兰) 22
Alias(es)	Vincent, his sailor identity; Mr. X, used by Moor; Gaormos, his Shadow Demon identity 70 221 242
Titles	Imperial Knight; Radiant Judge; Sage to the Quinas people; Dragon Knight 40 195 297 338
Species/Race	Human transmigrator; also operates a separate Shadow Demon body sharing his identity and will 64 297
Gender	Male
Home	Valentine, a coastal city in the Empire 5
Affiliation	Jonester family; Dierjia Empire; Black Castle / Royal Magic Department; Dawn 27 80 241
Occupation/Role	Former army second lieutenant; Imperial Knight; magic adviser; Black Castle professor; Forward Legion commander; senior military and political official 22 40 63 80 192 337
Power Path	Radiant Knight, later Victory Knight 81 235
Highest Confirmed Tier	Fourth tier 235
Status	Alive in the latest supplied passage 338
First Appearance	Earliest supplied appearance: the military tribunal proceedings 4

Power Progression

Stages and tiers are distinct measures of advancement, a distinction Mulan explicitly teaches Farolynch 130.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Physical Awakening	50	Reported to have taken a Black Castle Awakening Potion about a month and a half earlier, bringing his body to the pinnacle of ordinary human capability. He has not yet selected a supernatural path.
Reality stage; developing Radiant Knight path	79 80 81	Studies the Radiant Knight secret arts and is described as having stepped into Reality. Walton nevertheless warns that he is not yet a fully fledged supernatural practitioner.
Completed Radiant Knight advancement	135 136	Brews a high-purity Radiant Potion from Sunstone, then advances using his oath, will, and a rune array at Black Castle. Becomes a complete supernatural being and qualifies to view the Castle’s Holy Relic.
Peak third tier	192	Confirmed at the peak of the third tier, touching upon Abundance, during his prolonged charging of Holy Gun Light Spear at Lorint.
Transformation toward Abundance	195	Victory at Lorint triggers a transformation. Mulan suppresses its dangerous attraction and uses the experience to teach students about illusion and self-control.
Fourth tier — Victory Knight	234 235	Advances amid a public celebration, manifesting a towering golden knight and phantom weapons. Subsequently confirms that he has reached the fourth tier as a Victory Knight.

Background / History

Military service and return to Valentine

Mulan belongs to the Jonesters, one of the Empire’s thirteen ancient hereditary knightly families. Their distinction traditionally depends on military achievement, although the household has fallen into poverty. His perspective combines the inherited convictions of his original body with memories of a previous life 26 27 31 32 38.

He serves with the Second Corps’ Third Battalion during the war. At his tribunal, nearly seventy soldiers gather in support, and wounded survivors testify about the battalion’s “Battle of Certain Death.” Afterward, he insists that he voluntarily left military service and was neither guilty nor a deserter 4 10.

Returning home by the Princess Niseriel, Mulan reunites with his older brother Leo and the family’s elderly butler, Buck. Civilian life brings persistent insomnia, nightmares, battlefield memories, and visions that ordinary medicine cannot relieve. Approaching a Holy Temple noticeably eases his distress, drawing him toward Evan and the supernatural world 5 9 10 11.

Entry into the supernatural world

When Leo is seriously wounded during a police investigation, Mulan encounters a killer whose speed exceeds ordinary human limits. Fang first appears in his hand during this confrontation, allowing him to defend himself. His later pursuit also reveals an ability to perceive emotions through the attacker’s blood 14 16 19.

Walton explains Awakening and the Otherworld to him, then demonstrates the gulf between ordinary combat skill and supernatural power by defeating a Siren. Mulan’s ability to glimpse the carriage’s skeletal horses marks him as unusually perceptive. Walton subsequently entrusts him with seven captured cultists transformed into dolls and a series of personal errands 23 24 26.

At the Blanclin birthday ball, Mulan defeats Sir Bess in a sword duel but recognizes that a supernatural threat remains. He rides to fetch Evan, returns with him, and helps purify the estate and seal the relic sustaining the danger. Before leaving Valentine, he discovers Fang’s name and suppresses the murderous impulses produced by resonating with it 32 33 35 36 38.

Knighthood, teaching, and reform

In Digo, Nisheriel invests Mulan as an Imperial Knight and grants him permission to approach her while armed. He settles at Black Castle while also handling cases through the York District Police Station. A later public investiture displays his radiant knight totem, strengthening his reputation among nobles and clergy 40 41 50 71.

Mulan becomes one of Black Castle’s most conscientious professors. He helps establish flexible lessons, progress assessments, and safeguards against mental contamination. After joining the Royal Magic Department as a full member and magic adviser, he writes a royally funded reform proposal and reorganizes its offices—then becomes their regular occupant while most practitioners avoid administrative work 63 80 81.

His concern for fallen subordinates extends beyond remembrance. He writes to their families, investigates unpaid pensions, sends financial assistance, and directly petitions Nisheriel about withheld military benefits. Moor’s conviction inspires him to take this political risk and to support the publication of Moor’s writing 46 50 63 64.

Sunstone and the Sorens conflict

Mulan seeks Sunstone to support his Radiant Knight advancement, receiving unrestricted royal funding to secure it. During this journey, he establishes a concealed partnership with the half-vampire Baron Shire, kills the werewolf Silver Mane Dobrich, and encounters Chris and her alchemist brother Matt 81 99 106 111.

In Sorens, he intervenes against destructive supernatural fighters and develops Dimensional Holy Spear. When the Twilight Brigade attacks, he strengthens the garrison, kills its purple member, and coordinates a countermeasure involving Matt, Farolynch, and Avenger. The fighting reopens his wounds and leaves his right arm broken 109 111 119 120.

After returning to Black Castle, he learns that the wolf venom in his blood cannot transform him into a werewolf. With Handel’s assistance, he prepares the Radiant Potion and completes his formal advancement 134 135 136.

Dawn and the Forward Legion

Mulan develops Dawn around a shared mission against darkness and corruption. After rescuing Redhead and three companions, he offers them a choice rather than demanding repayment; all four join him after hearing his call to “save the world.” He also considers recruiting trusted former soldiers 173 184.

As Forward Legion commander, he leads the campaign through Lorint and toward Dover. His destructive radiant attack earns him the title Radiant Judge. At Dover, he follows the Book of Dawn’s trace into the Otherworld with Balu, then uses the Raven Queen’s projected crows and psychological pressure to secure Farolynch’s release from a vampire 192 195 202 203.

He later helps prepare thousands of enchanted legion badges and supports Balu’s pursuit of Human Transmutation. After Balu becomes human and reaffirms his commitment, Mulan creates the Daybreak Salute as a symbol of Dawn’s hope and companionship 216 218 241.

Family rescue and the Quinas alliance

To recover Leo, Mulan infiltrates a pirate fleet as the sailor Vincent. He conceals his supernatural strength during the capture of the Star of Heaven and later defeats an arena sea monster through timing, improvised restraints, and swordsmanship. His performance earns the Pirate King’s admiration 242 244 251.

Mulan subsequently lowers his mental defenses to let Dolly witness the darkness he fears. Her song reveals the Great Vortex, spreading Chaos, and his opposing vision of people sustaining Dawn’s light. Dolly agrees to join Dawn, and Mulan returns Leo—conscious but weak—to Buck 271.

His relationship with the Raven Queen also changes. Supported by his two souls and Silias, he withstands her corrosion, invokes her ancient oath, and shows her the Book of Dawn. He later leads the collective ritual that allows her to manifest physically in Silias, receiving her gratitude 284 286 297.

Later political and military operations

Mulan uses his public standing to expand his access to classified information while seeking greater independence for Black Castle. He considers noble oversight a possible counterbalance to royal control and handles an invitation to its new board by requesting Nisheriel’s confirmation 272 288 297.

During the Ilkhan expedition, his official mission is to suppress rebellion, but his hidden objectives include eliminating Sylven and obtaining Ilkhan’s Holy Relic. His radiant body and Shadow Demon body stage a devastating battle near the palace while the Raven Queen intercepts Sylven in the Otherworld. Mulan leaves afterward, maintaining the appearance of an imperial rescuer 320 328 329 331.

In a later confrontation with Owen, Mulan identifies his unusual power as possible time dilation. Rather than overpowering time itself, he exploits Owen’s weaknesses through superior magic, understanding, and psychological pressure 337 338.

Appearance

• Human body: Sharply defined face and slightly curling brown hair that falls along his temples and covers the upper halves of his ears 80.
• Build: Muscular, with visible scars that fellow sailors recognize as signs of military service 243.
• Usual clothing: Frequently wears a coat and hat and carries a cane; a later outfit includes a gray mink-fur overcoat, black wide-brimmed hat, and silver-handled cane 5 27 337.
• Shadow Demon body: Gaunt face, pale skin, and a hooked nose. Under Mulan’s influence, healthier habits and a changed bearing make Gaormos look markedly different without altering his facial features 221.
• Temporary transformation: Walton’s Strange Sorcery reduces him to a small, childlike form until Walton restores him 216 217 218.

Personality

Mulan is irreverent, pragmatic, and fond of teasing. He roughhouses with Leo, jokes with Evan, and remains capable of complaining about palace refreshments during his investiture. His ambition to restore the Jonester family is practical rather than solemn, and he distrusts the polished manners that conceal aristocratic inequality 10 26 27 40.

His sense of responsibility is strongest toward people directly entrusted to him: former soldiers, their surviving families, students, and companions. He backs that concern with letters, money, instruction, and rescue efforts. He also recognizes the limits of his resources rather than claiming he can support every bereaved military household 46 50 63 130 172.

Curiosity and disciplined study drive his growth. He combines mystical research with formulas and concepts remembered from his previous life, studies unfamiliar powers instead of dismissing them, and undertakes extensive anatomical research before attempting transformation. Silias warns him that mastery can also create dangerous assimilation 67 127 296 338.

Mulan’s generosity coexists with secrecy and manipulation. He employs emotional influence, staged identities, and concealed allies while cultivating the public image of Nisheriel’s loyal knight. Although genuinely moved by her trust, he knows that his allegiance to her and Dierjia cannot be absolute 80 173 217 288 328.

Abilities & Skills

Innate Resonance

Mulan identifies powerful resonance and an exceptional capacity to learn and understand as the most important of his innate abilities 73.

• Perceives emotions through blood and, later, faintly senses Matt’s emotional state after separation 16 126.
• Resonates with Fang to glimpse its history and discover its name 38.
• Can enter an intensified state that grants extraordinary speed but makes his behavior more exaggerated and reckless 52.
• Resonance can affect identity and conduct, requiring active self-control 38 172.

Naming and Bestowing Will

Mulan can give names and will to objects with a special connection to him, granting unique powers 73.

• Confirmed successes are Fang and the Ring of Light 73.
• May turn such objects into special elements, though Mulan treats this as a possibility rather than a settled conclusion 73.
• Attempts with ordinary paper, pens, and clothing fail 73.

Master-Bond Summoning

Objects that genuinely recognize Mulan as their master can be summoned into his hand 73.

• Fang’s first appearance during the killer’s attack predates Mulan naming it 14 73.
• The ability can summon even the Demon 73.
• Its distance, mass, and volume limits remain unknown 73.

Radiant and Victory Knight Magic

Mulan’s totem manifests as an enormous radiant knight, sometimes with wings and a spear of condensed light 71 114 192.

• Radiant Inspiration: Reduces fear and fatigue and strengthens allied morale; affects 400 Sorens garrison soldiers 119.
• Exaltation: Further improves the soldiers’ fighting spirit and condition 119.
• Light Spears: Pins a supernatural attacker to a wall with two magically empowered shots 109.
• Dimensional Holy Spear: A self-developed technique recorded in the Radiant Knight Book of Esoteric Arts; Mulan believes other knights would struggle to reproduce it without his Ring of Light 111.
• Holy Gun Light Spear: Can keep increasing in strength while magic, will, totem stability, life force, and charging time permit. Prolonged preparation leaves him relatively vulnerable 192.
• Early use has severe bodily costs: existing wounds reopen, stamina is exhausted, and several Twilight Brigade members together exceed his ability to confront them directly 102 120.

Shadow Magic and Multiple Bodies

Through repeated resonance, Mulan gradually changes Gaormos’s habits, magic, thoughts, and identity. He later confirms that his separate bodies share one will and identity 172 297.

• Uses demonic beguilement beneath radiant magic to reinforce soldiers’ morale 119.
• Divides attention between activities undertaken by his human and Shadow Demon bodies 221.
• Regards Gaormos as a potential means of survival if his original body dies, not as a demonstrated guarantee of immortality 172.
• Can stage confrontations between the two bodies while their attacks retain genuine destructive force 328 329.

Mental Perception and Dream Interference

Mulan can distinguish emotional states and mental wavelengths and draw others into shared dream experiences 126 127 150.

• Detects Chris’s transformed disguise by observing that her soul’s shadow has not shrunk with her body 106.
• Uses emotional perception and fear to manipulate a vampire into releasing Farolynch 203.
• Long-distance Dream Bridging depends on exceptional connections; Evan’s obsession enables a bridge beyond Mulan’s normal abilities 291.
• Dreams are not freely usable at arbitrary distances, and mental contact can expose him to hostile influence 190 291.

Nature Magic and Secret-Realm Weaving

With Silias’s help, Mulan senses natural forces and channels magic through living systems 235 284 296.

• Creates a vast secret realm anchored in the Ancient Oak’s roots and vitality 235.
• Develops a swift form for his human body and a crow form for his Shadow Demon body after extensive observation and dissection 296.
• His first swift transformation takes approximately sixteen seconds 296.
• Transformation risks deep assimilation; Silias also cautions him against dependence on the Elf 296.

Alchemy and Magical Research

Mulan studies potion-making, ritual design, human anatomy, and the principles behind supernatural advancement 67 127 135 296.

• Brews a high-purity Radiant Potion using Sunstone and exact stabilizing ingredients 135.
• Explains that substitutions require expert adjustments and make results less predictable 135.
• Plans Human Transmutation using gathered materials, the Blood Heart, and Farolynch’s True Blood 216.
• His blood resists and shows signs of assimilating wolf venom; it also functions as an alchemical catalyst 134.
• Dispels Alopha’s True Illusion rather than allowing himself to be detained for further experimentation 134.

Combat, Command, and Teaching

Before becoming fully supernatural, Walton already regards Mulan as one of the finest ordinary warriors 23.

• Marksmanship: Reloads while pursuing an enemy and can imbue bullets with will and spirit 19 57.
• Swordsmanship: Disarms Sir Bess with a powerful strike and defeats him immediately afterward 32.
• Horsemanship: Rides bareback at speed and carries Evan through Valentine by the shortest route 33.
• Tactics: Coordinates firearms, supernatural support, deception, and rapid marches rather than relying solely on individual power 35 119 202.
• Instruction: Designs advancement lessons and gives students access to rare resources while emphasizing self-knowledge and the dangers of contamination 63 195 231.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Ring of Light — His revolver-like Mystic Treasure. Possesses independent magic and will, resists use against its master, and manifests in the Raven Queen’s dream-domain when Mulan’s own magic is suppressed 23 190.
• Fang — A silver sword concealed in his cane. Absorbs the killer’s soul, communicates its name through resonance, and independently blocks an ambush. Its bloodthirsty influence must be restrained 35 38 109.
• Sea Soul Blade — An altered blade supplied by Walton for the pirate infiltration. Its magic is sealed, but certain Sirens may recognize Mulan through its presence 242 244.
• Book of Dawn — A Holy Relic closely tied to Mulan’s mission. He entrusts it to Farolynch, follows its radiance into the Otherworld, and uses its visions when confronting the Raven Queen. Later, its loss becomes a source of guilt 130 202 286 294.
• Radiant Knight Book of Esoteric Arts — Records his path’s techniques; Mulan receives permission to carry it outside Black Castle and adds Dimensional Holy Spear to its pages 79 111.
• Military and research notebooks — Preserve soldiers’ family addresses, magical calculations, and the Resurrector guidance he gives Farolynch 46 67 130.
• Chris’s Love — A potion that produces a violent surge of magic during an execution-ground rescue, placing immense strain on his body 311.
• Queen’s Medal of Honor — Awarded by Nisheriel 234.

Relationships

• Leo Jonester — Older brother and detective. Their affectionate rivalry survives war, injury, separation, and Leo’s rescue from the pirate-related crisis 9 10 14 271.
• Old Buck / Grandpa Buck — Elderly family butler and caregiver whom Mulan treats as family. Mulan protects him from mystical dangers and refuses his offer to join the search for Leo 11 49 242.
• Evan — Cleric, close friend, and trusted research partner. They fight together at the Blanclin estate; Evan’s disappearance deeply affects Mulan. Their later reunion sees Evan introduced as Dawn’s Bell-Ringer 35 36 49 71 299.
• Sir Walton — Supernatural sponsor and powerful mentor. Supports Mulan’s appointments and reforms but also manipulates, tests, and humiliates him, most notably through Puppification and the resulting photograph 23 80 81 216 218.
• Empress Nisheriel — Sovereign, patron, and increasingly affectionate confidante. Mulan respects her and values her trust but preserves divided loyalties; he eventually recognizes her romantic interest and deliberately avoids responding 40 80 294 334.
• Dolly — Siren companion whose friendship initially carries the possibility of future enmity. Mulan earns her commitment to Dawn by allowing her to enter his undefended mind 54 271.
• Moor — Friend and idealist whose convictions strengthen Mulan’s commitment to reform. Mulan protects him, supports his writing, and entrusts Handel with settling him safely outside Digo 52 63 64 81.
• Handel / Brooke — Student and trusted assistant. Helps protect Moor, prepares the Radiant Potion, and becomes the first candidate in Mulan’s public advancement class 52 81 134 231.
• Baron Shire — Half-vampire ally and partner. Their bond rests on mutual loyalty and secrecy rather than conventional noble friendship 99.
• Farolynch — Trusted companion and Resurrector student. Receives Mulan’s complete guidance notebook and the Book of Dawn; Mulan later intervenes to free him from a vampire 130 203.
• Matt — Alchemist and research collaborator. Helps with battlefield countermeasures, legion badges, and Human Transmutation preparations 120 126 216.
• Chris / Miss Misfortune — Playful supernatural acquaintance and Matt’s sister. Becomes a combat ally and provides the potion Mulan uses during the execution-ground rescue 106 119 120 311.
• Balu — Companion who accompanies Mulan into the Otherworld and seeks humanity. After Human Transmutation, recalls his time as an Avenger and chooses to follow Mulan permanently 202 216 241.
• Barton / Avenger — Imposing guard whose unstable body requires a Stabilizing Potion and eventual Human Transmutation 186 320.
• Gaormos — Shadow Demon whose willing imitation and resonance with Mulan gradually develop into Mulan’s second identity 172 221 297.
• Silias — Elf ally who lends power, teaches nature magic, and cautions Mulan about transformation and dependence. Their cooperation enables the Ancient Oak secret realm 235 284 296.
• Raven Queen / Silindia — Initially a predatory threat seeking Mulan as a vessel, later an ally after he invokes her forgotten oath and helps her enter the physical world 190 284 286 297.
• Lady Glando — Nisheriel’s intermediary and a supportive witness to Mulan’s advancement. Shows continuing concern for his health 135 136 231.
• Sebastina — Scholar and advancement observer who later secretly becomes his subordinate 136 195 221.
• Owen — Early guide to Digo and Black Castle, later an object of suspicion and ultimately an opponent whose unusual ability Mulan analyzes in combat 40 41 99 338.

Notable Quotes

“Wherever Your Majesty's will leads, my blade shall follow! I take my leave!” 64

“Save the world.” 173

“But we do not fear despair, because what we represent is hope-Dawn endures forever-” 271

Trivia

• The Daybreak Salute resembles an “OK” hand sign held against the heart: joined fingers represent a burning heart, while the other three represent hope’s light 241.
• During his bird-transformation research, Mulan makes and sells feathered hats as cover. Custom orders more than repay his expenses, but he has no interest in pursuing the business 296.
• Walton sells Nisheriel a photograph of Mulan’s childlike form for 50,000 Gold Di, surrendering the film as part of the bargain 218.
• Mulan cheerfully eats fried cicadas during a visit to Kingsbia, astonishing Shire 235.