Valente

Biodata

Power Progression

Valente’s combat growth comes from the Balmung Holy Sword, its Dragon Slayer Panel, and the performance’s secondary conditions—not a documented progression through personal Thaumaturgist ranks 168 181 182.

Background / History

Valente was born to a Sicilian doctor and a woman from Fog City’s aristocratic circles. As a child, he was mischievous rather than rigid, sometimes climbing a courtyard tree in protest when his father would not play with him. His father preferred guidance over coercion and did not insist that his children follow his own path 194.

When Valente was twelve, an epidemic struck Sicily. His father continued treating patients despite the low survival rate. Asked why he persisted in an apparently hopeless struggle, he taught Valente that an undertaking could remain worth pursuing even when defeat seemed certain. The memory later became one of Valente’s strongest anchors against the dragon souls consuming him 194.

Valente subsequently moved to Fog City to study medicine. He had few friends, read specialized books that others found tedious, and disliked aristocratic gatherings. His engagement to Sawyer Demi was arranged for their families’ interests; neither loved the other 167.

Appearance

Valente is tall, with thick flaxen hair, brown eyes, and angular, sharply defined features. His habitual lack of expression makes him appear unapproachable 167 174 183.

• Formal clothing: Wears a tailcoat and bow tie to the ball where he meets Xia Xiu; later attends court in somber black formal attire 167 183.
• Medical clothing: Uses wax-soaked linen clothing and a beaked plague-doctor mask while treating patients 174.
• Siegfried manifestation: His eyes turn mercury silver when he summons the holy sword for battle 180.
• Dragon Slayer Panel: Luminous runes spread across his skin as Siegfried merges with him 181.
• Dragon-soul state: Develops black scale armor and reddened eyes while overwhelmed by inherited memories 194.

Personality

Valente is reserved, disciplined, and intellectually exacting. Although others regard him as dull or aloof, his indifference to aristocratic entertainment stems partly from disgust at nobles celebrating while plague victims die outside Fog City. He explicitly rejects the idea that education should serve to place others beneath him 167.

His compassion is practical rather than indiscriminate. He treats infectious patients despite scarce resources and personal risk, but firmly stops a ward’s escalating demands for preferential vaccination. He agrees with Xia Xiu’s assessment that kindness needs an edge and generosity needs limits 174.

He is also calculating about reputation and power. Before leaving for the epidemic front, he contacts newspapers and prepares emotionally persuasive articles to protect his standing against the consequences of Demi’s infidelity. His moral convictions do not prevent him from understanding how public sympathy can be managed 167.

Choice becomes central to his conduct. He rejects submission to his assigned fate, chooses to save Youyang despite exposing himself to enemies, and ultimately respects Snow Child’s decision even though it means losing her. His trust in Xia Xiu is similarly deliberate: he commits to their partnership despite knowing that his ally could defect 167 168 177.

Abilities & Skills

Medicine and Vaccine Research

• Epidemiological reasoning: Questions whether the plague is man-made because its spread does not fit explanations based on sanitation, water, or geography 167.
• Vaccine development: Produces a successful vaccine; patients in ward 303 begin improving after receiving it 174 175.
• Clinical leadership: Treats patients directly, calms a disorderly ward, and arranges reassignment of its medical staff 174.
• Performance restriction: Only vaccines made by the Dragon Slayer initially work. Vaccines manufactured by others require a public connection to Valente as their developer before becoming effective 168 175.

Balmung’s Swordsmanship Blessing

• Wielding the Balmung Holy Sword grants Valente extraordinary aptitude and skill in swordsmanship 168.
• The blessing does not represent equivalent unaided training: Xia Xiu easily defeats him in an early wooden-sword sparring match 168.
• The sword can release powerful sword-energy slashes, including attacks capable of splitting high-rise buildings 180.

Dominion Avatar: Siegfried

• Source: Obtained through Command: Siegfried’s Soul, a historical record drawn from the Pan-Historical Long River and inscribed into Balmung 168.
• Specialty: Explosive close-range attacks 180.
• Initial limitation: The basic avatar lacks the Entries and Modules supplied by the full Dragon Slayer Panel 180 181.
• Vulnerability: Possessing the avatar does not provide routine defensive Thaumaturgy. Valente initially lacks even a Purification Spell and suffers acute heavy-metal poisoning against Night 180.

True Touch

• Effect: Siegfried’s key authority allows contact with a reachable target regardless of physical laws, elemental transformation, rule-based protection, or trait defenses 180.
• Range: Limited to five meters 180.
• Transmission: Can operate through external objects, allowing Valente’s sword to strike Night in Mist Form 180.
• Defensive use: Blocks further poisonous particles from entering his lungs; it does not remove particles already inhaled 180.

Dragon Slayer Panel

• Activation: Siegfried merges with Valente’s body through Dragon Slayer Siegfried 181.
• Duration: Lasts up to one hour 181.
• Benefits: Supplies Entries, Modules, exceptional combat techniques, and control of key authorities 181.
• Progression requirement: Completion of secondary conditions determines access to the more demanding Six Forms 182.
• Later development: After six conditions are complete, Valente can use the Six Forms without loading the panel 187.

Six Forms

• Each form has corresponding Entries and Modules designed to complement Siegfried’s authority 181.
• The final two techniques place an immense burden on Valente’s bodily functions 192.
• His attacks possess inherent dragon-slaying properties, increasing their effectiveness against Fafnir 192.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Balmung Holy Sword — Chooses Valente and shrinks from a two-meter greatsword to fit his grip. Grants swordsmanship, Siegfried, the Dragon Slayer Panel, and access to Dawnbreak 167 168 181 191.
• White Card — Enters his body when he becomes the Dragon Slayer and identifies his role in the performance 167 175.
• Black notebook and fountain pen — Used to record observations and questions about the plague’s origin 167.
• Plague-doctor protective clothing — Wax-soaked linen garments and a beaked mask worn during hospital work 174.
• Troodon and Biological Capsule — Supplied by Xia Xiu; Valente learns its controls and uses it as a mount during the pursuit of Fafnir 190 191 192.

Relationships

• Xia Xiu / Xiu Abraham — Yellow Card ally, sword instructor, and closest acknowledged friend. Their partnership begins with an “Arthur and Merlin” comparison and develops through shared risks, philosophical discussions, and teasing. Valente dies in his arms 167 168 175 177 195.
• His father — Sicilian doctor whose persistence during an epidemic shaped Valente’s understanding of courage. Memories of him help Valente resist the dragon souls 194.
• His mother — A woman from Fog City’s aristocratic circles. Sharon informs her of Valente’s death; Xia Xiu subsequently asks Sharon to care for his family 194 196.
• Sawyer Demi — Fiancée through an arranged alliance. Neither loves the other, and Valente recognizes her attachment to Charlie Bathermelo 167.
• Sharon Euliphis — Fellow white-side participant whose family supports publicity for his vaccine and protects his credit for its creation 168 175.
• Snow Child — Fading Earthbound Spirit cat whose wish he helps fulfill. Respecting her final choice unlocks Compassion 176 177.
• Jam — Xia Xiu’s canine companion and a frequent partner during their travels. Mourns at Valente’s grave alongside Xia Xiu 175 179 196.
• Fafnir — Evil Dragon whom Valente kills with Balmung. His blood passes the Evil Dragon’s fate and accumulated dragon memories to Valente 193.
• Amos — Dragon whose memories flood Valente after Fafnir’s death and whose soul eventually takes control of his body 193 194.

Story Role / Major Arcs

The Plague and the Holy Sword

While preparing to leave aristocratic society for the epidemic front, Valente meets Xia Xiu at a ball. Xia Xiu reveals knowledge of the hidden world and leads him to Balmung. Drawing the sword makes Valente the destined Dragon Slayer, but he immediately declares his refusal to submit to fate 167.

The performance forces him to choose between remaining concealed and curing Youyang’s plague. He chooses to save its victims, develops the vaccine, and accepts publicity that will expose his White Card identity to the red side. Xia Xiu arranges Euliphis family support so that others cannot appropriate his achievement 168 174 175.

Snow Child’s Choice

At the Louvre, Valente and Xia Xiu discover Snow Child, an Earthbound Spirit cat who dreams of seeing The Eternal Smile. They retrieve the painting after midnight, with Valente handling the alarms. Although he urges her to consider life beyond the gallery, he accepts her choice to remain and fade away. This completes Compassion and deepens his discussions with Xia Xiu about choice, regret, and fate 175 176 177.

Defeating Mr. Night

The pair lure Night to Parc Saint-Nicolas, where Xia Xiu plans to activate the suppression device Eternity. Valente holds Night’s attention while the device warms up, enduring poisonous smog before receiving Xia Xiu’s healing. Once Eternity activates, he loads the Dragon Slayer Panel and joins the coordinated assault that destroys Night’s avatar 179 180 181.

They finish Night’s revived body and burn his remains. The victory unlocks Courage, while Honor and Honesty are confirmed complete the next morning, expanding Valente’s available Dragon-Slaying Skills 182.

Paul Colin’s Trial

Using a jury notice addressed to Haywood Lawrence, Valente enters Flower City Court as Juror Number Eight. He challenges an apparently straightforward murder case by questioning the stabbing angle, the alleged uniqueness of the knife, and the reliability of witness accounts. Xia Xiu secretly supplies assistance and exposes witness Jim’s reward-driven perjury 183 184 185.

The jury unanimously acquits Paul Colin. Afterward, Valente questions whether Heaven should intervene in worldly affairs. Humility and Justice subsequently unlock, giving him access to all Six Forms 185 186.

Dragon Calamity and Fafnir

During the Dragon Calamity, Valente fights rampaging dragonkin and helps identify red-side Yellow Cards as their targets. He captures Bob before the man can defect and erase useful faction information. At the Lüer base, he and Xia Xiu receive the dying Bernard Aiven’s instructions, bury him, and divide responsibility for activating the anti-dragon meme toxins 187 188 189.

After learning Fafnir’s location, they attack Saint Laurent Fortress. Xia Xiu bombards its defenses while Valente charges Dawnbreak, then blasts Fafnir toward the river. Valente continues the pursuit with Comet, Sword Dance, and Sky Rend before finally driving Balmung through the dragon’s heart 190 191 192 193.

Transformation and Death

Fafnir reveals that the Dragon Slayer inherits the Evil Dragon’s fate. His blood transforms Valente, flooding him with Amos’s memories and the dragon race’s accumulated hatred. Memories of his father and friendship with Abraham briefly anchor him, but the dragon souls consume him and Amos takes control 193 194.

Xia Xiu defeats Amos using the Seven Deadly Sins and Balmung’s Dragon Slaying. Valente regains himself long enough to affirm that they have saved Youyang, then dies in Xia Xiu’s arms. Having burned away the last of his spirituality, he cannot be resurrected 195 196.

Xia Xiu and Jam later mourn at his grave in Hagert Cemetery. Before leaving Fog City, Xia Xiu secures Sharon’s promise to look after Valente’s family 196.

Notable Quotes

“I will not submit to fate!” 167

“He gave me a choice: save them, or don't.”
“And my answer is: save them!” 168

“Abraham, can anyone make a choice without regrets?” 196