Malinda

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Malinda Julius Caesar 9 438
Original Name	玛琳达
Alias(es)	Lady of the Long Night 52
Species/Race	Human; descendant of witches with an inherited bloodline 593 859
Gender	Female
Affiliation	House of South Los; her own commercial, mystical, and maritime organization 79 624 852
Occupation/Role	Businesswoman, salon host, mystical practitioner, and inheritor of Baron Kemail’s title 79 419 508
Family	Daughter of Caesar and an unnamed witch; maternal cousin of Aisi Bonaparte South Los, the Countess of South Los 593 919
Status	Alive in her latest documented appearance 971
First Appearance	Chapter 9

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Next-rank breakthrough; rank unnamed	705	Draws opposing holy and evil undead powers from her parents’ coffins, breaking the barrier to the next rank. Her subsequent Ascendant-level display is explicitly described as temporary power borrowed from her parents’ legacy, not confirmation of permanent Ascendant status 733.

Background / History

Malinda’s mother and maternal aunt were witches who fled to the East Coast. Her father, Caesar, was the Grand Knight Commander of the West Coast’s Templar Order. After losing his memory, he met her mother in South Los 593.

Her father’s remaining relatives drugged her parents and took the family to the West Coast. They intended to exploit Malinda’s bloodline by extracting her blood, bones, and soul. Caesar recovered his memories, rescued his wife and daughter, and escaped with them to the East Coast. Most of Malinda’s other relatives were burned at the stake by him 593.

Caesar later died by suicide. Malinda’s mother raised her until she was sixteen, then also took her own life. Malinda eventually revealed this history to Arthur, correcting his assumption that he already understood her family 593.

Malinda earned the title Lady of the Long Night after personally beheading thirty-seven opponents. Her later commercial rise was similarly violent: she disposed of an entire opposing gang by sending its members to “feed the fish” 52.

Her relationship with Anna briefly made her hesitate over further conflict. She hoped to preserve their peaceful life together, but pressure from commercial opponents and the press forced her to send Anna to the Inner Bay 52 585.

Appearance

• Azure eyes are her most frequently emphasized physical feature; her beauty and expressive gaze are particularly striking in candlelight 438 446.
• Usually wears hunting clothes and a deerstalker hat, rather than conventional feminine fashions. A khaki trench coat is also documented 78 438.
• Habitually carries a long-stemmed pipe, often keeping it between her teeth while speaking 9 438.
• For Mrs. Susan’s visit, she modifies her usual masculine clothing with lace, fitted khaki trousers, brown high boots, and a white shirt with a waistcoat 568.
• Later quits smoking because Arthur dislikes it 852.

Personality

Malinda is composed, ambitious, and skilled at controlling how others perceive her. When Elena ruins her salon, she responds without audible resentment and turns the incident into a political advantage. Her apparent sympathy can coexist with plans to destroy opponents; Arthur repeatedly reassesses how dangerous she is 54 55 57.

She strongly values reciprocity and negotiated terms. She refuses to accept an excessively generous mining stake without accounting for the difference, agreeing to an interest-bearing debt instead. She also condemns dishonest dealings and keeps her promises when helping Arthur 372 931.

Her public manner is often coldly courteous or intimidating. With Arthur, she becomes argumentative, playful, and openly vindictive over small provocations. Their private exchanges include insults, rude gestures, and elaborate attempts to outwit one another 418 583 673.

Malinda insists that a lasting partnership requires comparable strength. She fears becoming dependent on Arthur or receiving help merely out of consideration for their past, and his rapid growth repeatedly motivates her to improve herself 382 434 705.

She initially prefers women and has a severe physical aversion to men. Hand-holding and close contact with Arthur can trigger nausea or vomiting even when they understand one another intellectually. This response gradually eases, and she eventually acknowledges genuine romantic feelings for him 51 576 646 929 930.

Abilities & Skills

Smoke Manipulation and Phase Shift

Malinda uses smoke for combat, protection, transportation, and storage. Arthur considers its versatility particularly enviable 262.

• Creates smoke shields and conceals movement or escape 396 454.
• Forms smoke into blades, needles, fists, and fire 726 727 733.
• Travels through smoke rings and retrieves stored objects through them 195 419 446.
• Can turn her entire body into smoke, allowing attacks to pass through her during her temporary Ascendant-level display 733.
• Range limit: Smoke Phase Shift cannot take her directly beyond the West Berlin Fief from South Los, even with a marker aboard the Eastern. Longer journeys require combining it with her Ghost Carriage 856.
• Counter: A storm-wielding Step-Entry opponent disperses or overwhelms her smoke, forcing her to rely on undead, items, and traps 396 403.

Undead Mystic Arts

Malinda has studied multiple undead arts, including Gift of the Soul, the core legacy of “Black Robe” from the Tower of Mist. She compiles her knowledge and conclusions into a complete Initiation Chart covering up to Entry Rank 419.

• Summons spirits through pipe smoke and uses undead for surveillance and combat 174 396.
• Calls thousands of undead from smoke and mist after recognizing Arthur’s plan at Dordot Harbor 733.
• Summons a carriage guarded or carried by undead 381 420.
• Draws on the opposing undead powers preserved with her parents’ coffins as a shortcut and trump card 705.
• Arthur suspects her apparent smoke magic may conceal a deeper mastery of the undead; this remains his interpretation rather than a fully explained mechanism 727.

Voodoo

Malinda can redirect injuries onto an enemy, including a being claiming divine status 726 727.

• After Mihailo curses her right hand and forearm, Malinda amputates the infected limb with a smoke blade. Mihailo then suffers matching decay 726.
• Uses self-inflicted wounds and other attacks to torment Mihailo through transferred damage 727.
• Her ability to combine voodoo with holy light overturns Mihailo’s understanding of witchcraft 727.

Holy Light and Regeneration

Malinda invokes holy light that both restores her body and destroys nearby supernatural horrors 727.

• Regenerates her severed right hand and forearm at visible speed 727.
• Dissolves evil creatures lurking in Dordot Harbor’s sewers 727.
• Leaves her visibly invigorated after healing 727.

Combat and Trap Handling

• Displays unusual speed and agility from her first visit to Arthur 9.
• Uses undead distractions, concealment, and a hidden fire trap against a stronger storm-wielding opponent 396.
• Avoids a sequence of invisible poison gas, cone-shaped fire, and six arrows through smoke defenses and evasive movement 454.
• Delivers a swordsmanship-infused backhand powerful enough to send Mihailo spinning 726.
• Recognizes when to withhold a dangerous trump card rather than expose it prematurely 396 403.

Occult Knowledge and Investigation

• Knows the Cat Cave’s history, factional divisions, and surviving legacies, and identifies Arthur as the “current Black Cat” 116.
• Understands that bloodline swordsmanship is incomplete without its corresponding breathing and meditation methods 96.
• Recognizes a Death Hound and notices the danger posed by Linda’s Guardian Spirit 319.
• Uses inherited witch records to distinguish the Lady of Pain from the Lady of Suffering 859.
• Her information is not always impartial: she deliberately gives Arthur false names while bargaining over the Black Cat Faction’s lost legacy 138.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Pipe and tobacco — Her characteristic accessory and a frequent means of producing supernatural smoke; tobacco also helps revive her after little sleep 70 174.
• Ghost Carriage — Undead-assisted transportation summoned through smoke; complements the limited range of Smoke Phase Shift 381 856.
• Blessed coarse salt — Acquired through trades with Hunter families. Prevents death aura from clinging to her and damaging her luck, but proves insufficient against Arthur’s deathfire 258.
• Daniel’s Hope — Heroic-quality gloves she uses to break the hold of Arthur’s death-aura backlash. Their abilities include Mystic Art protection, purification, healing, illumination, and sunlight-based recharging. They reduce death aura’s harmful effects without eliminating them completely 259.
• Lead box — Used to contain a surviving tentacle fragment of Mihailo after their fight 727.

Resources Supplied to Arthur

Resource	Purpose or contents	Chapter
Mystical Side books	Payment for helping her stage their public relationship at her salon	51
Oruncat’s Potion	Cat Faction protection against supernatural scrutiny while studying Ei a	70
Cat’s Grace · Orange	Mystic Art previously traded to Arthur; she later learns he has mastered it	174
First-visit gift case	Perfect Glory Potion, Cat’s Claw, epic Black Cat Boots, and an ordinary cookbook	314
Undead Initiation Chart	Her compiled notes, including the complete Gift of the Soul chart	419
Engraved pipe and tobacco	Pipe bearing her name; tobacco scented with mint, apple, and honey	705
Madam Abel’s coin purse	Contains the Fierce Tiger Claw, Dire Wolf Ear, and Herke’s pendant Don Quixote’s Conviction	930

Commercial and Political Influence

Asset or organization	Documented control or arrangement
Lady of the Long Night’s Salon	One of South Los’s two major secret gatherings described in Gram’s diary; competes with Mouse Tail Alley 79 116.
Trading companies	Wipes out two major merchant associations and absorbs more than a dozen smaller ones. Later grants Arthur a 1% annual dividend from the profits of her restructuring 79 195.
South Los Bounty Tavern	Negotiates a proposed division of 20% for Arthur, 30% for herself, and the remaining half for the Count. Later uses the acquired tavern to issue bounties into the Inner Bay 353 527.
South Town	Initially negotiates a 20% mining stake in exchange for Cat-related resources; Arthur subsequently gives her control of the entire estate, requesting ships and mystical knowledge in return 372 418.
Fleets, islands, and pirate forces	Her maritime assets form part of her partnership with Arthur. Her pirate subordinates have performed Sea’s Gift, though she also keeps them divided to prevent a unified challenge to her authority 445 624.

• Maintains an intelligence network capable of compromising Harris’s trusted subordinates 221.
• Commands Hunters, trackers, private soldiers, and personnel prepared to use explosives 174 441 733.
• Offers 100,000 gold coins, plus any three treasures from her auction—including an Initiation Chart—for Joel Coleman’s head 527.
• Under the threat of Old Lion’s takeover, prepares suicide attacks through hidden agents in the Inner Bay. She suspends the plan before visiting Arthur 853.

Relationships

• Arthur Credos — Business partner, initially a staged lover, and eventually an acknowledged romantic partner. Their connection develops through bargaining, shared schemes, mutual suspicion, and increasing emotional dependence. They confess their feelings in Chapter 930 and later prepare to speak with Anna together 51 195 929 930 962 971.
• Anna — Former lover and later admirer. Political pressure forces Anna to leave for the Inner Bay; she subsequently tries to amass enough wealth to win Malinda back. Malinda takes responsibility for Anna’s unauthorized approach to Cassandra 52 315 891.
• Caesar — Father and former Grand Knight Commander of the Templar Order. Rescues Malinda and her mother from relatives seeking to exploit her bloodline; his preserved undead power later becomes part of her trump card 593 705.
• Unnamed mother — A witch who raises Malinda until she is sixteen. Her teachings appear to influence Malinda’s enjoyment of being relied upon by loved ones 593 962.
• Aisi Bonaparte South Los — Older maternal cousin and Countess of South Los. Supports Malinda’s succession to Kemail’s title, but family loyalty coexists with competition and self-interest 116 593 857 919.
• Edwin — Loyal coachman and trusted courier. Delivers Oruncat’s Potion to Arthur and accompanies Malinda during dangerous operations 51 70 174.
• Mary — Trusted household cook, also called Aunt Mary; helps manage correspondence and preparations and is deeply affected by Malinda’s distress 70 505 853.
• Uls — Chief Hunter who commands personnel for her expeditions and covert plans 441 583 853.
• Jacqueline — Sworn younger sister. Their alliance places Jacqueline under Malinda’s protection and provides grounds for intervention in West Berlin 733.
• Catherine — Receives protection alongside Jacqueline through the sworn-sister alliance 733.
• Julie — The Countess’s Chief Swordswoman and representative at Malinda’s inheritance ceremony; also a source of information and help with their public relationship 445 463 505.
• Old Lion — Political threat to her independence and assets. She destroys his communication stone rather than risk temptation, and later fears his return will lead to confinement and dispossession 727 852.

Story Role / Major Arcs

First Visit and Commercial Rivals

• Arrives at Arthur’s Medium’s Hall and asks him to identify the murderer of her girlfriend. Arthur suspects she may be dangerous, but cannot establish her intentions 9.
• Recruits Arthur to appear as her lover while competing against the Coste and Emond Chambers of Commerce for Kemail’s title 51.
• Turns Brody’s death at her salon against those rivals by publicly accusing them of recruiting Elena and supplying poison 54.
• Kills Coste and Emond as part of a broader effort to draw out and eliminate opponents; her subsequent absorption of merchant organizations greatly expands her influence 57 79.

Kemail’s Title and South Town

• Secures the Countess’s promise that she will inherit Kemail’s title before Wintertide 116.
• Her choice of Kemail over another potential target is tied to his household’s treasured document concerning Master Herke’s diary 320.
• Works with Arthur on acquiring South Town’s coal and iron interests, eventually receiving control of the estate 354 372 418.
• Prepares for the inheritance ceremony while struggling with the opening dance required of her and her supposed lover. Their pregnancy cover story later becomes a widely circulating rumor 445 446 508.
• Investigates the underground ruins with Arthur’s expedition team, discovering Life-and-Death Gate 3000, then explores Kemail’s secret records with Arthur 441 444 454.

Retaliation and Maritime Cooperation

• Uses the Bounty Tavern to retaliate against Inner Bay opposition after two trusted business managers are killed 527.
• Helps Arthur replace gangs in the Old District, agreeing to split the gains equally 583.
• Defends her control over her pirates when Arthur proposes removing potentially disloyal members, while leaving open the possibility of asking for help later 624.
• Stages an emotionally convincing farewell as the Eastern sails; she notices that physical contact with Arthur is becoming easier 646.

Dordot Harbor and the Lady of Pain

• Responds to Arthur’s accelerating growth by drawing on her parents’ undead powers 705.
• Defeats Mihailo through smoke attacks, voodoo, and holy light, then refuses Old Lion’s attempt to bargain over Arthur 726 727.
• Establishes the sworn-sister alliance with Jacqueline, defeats Mile without killing him, and summons an undead army while supporting Arthur’s plan 733.
• Returns to South Los with Jacqueline and Catherine to protect their shared interests 742.

Old Lion’s Return and Acknowledged Romance

• Old Lion’s arrival threatens the Countess’s authority and Malinda’s independence. Malinda considers flight and fears Arthur may be killed as a scapegoat 852.
• Visits Arthur aboard the Eastern, receives his reassurance, and becomes involved in his preparations to address the crisis 856 859.
• Realizes that their partnership has entered every part of her life and that simply seeing Arthur puts her at ease. Rather than allow her cousin’s involvement to scatter their supposed romance, she chooses to face her feelings 929.
• Confesses her feelings with Arthur and supplies the remaining ritual materials he needs 930.
• Continues supporting his plans, agrees to help without payment, and invites him to accompany her when she speaks with Anna 931 962 971.

Notable Quotes

“Don't worry. I'm not someone who enjoys killing.”
— After knocking Mile unconscious rather than killing him 733

“Please trust Arthur.
Since I met him, he hasn't failed once.
He hasn't made a single mistake, either.
This time will be no exception!”
— Reassuring the Countess of South Los 919

Trivia

• Arthur identifies a false Malinda because the impostor welcomes his approach without showing her characteristic aversion to men 171.
• Amuel also impersonates her; Arthur later warns Amuel never to use Malinda’s face with him again 183.
• The pregnancy rumor is initially a deliberate smokescreen, not evidence of an actual pregnancy 445 508 929.
• While frustrated by their supposed relationship, Malinda considers whether a potion could turn Arthur into a woman 441.