Deville
Lord of the Mysteries: From Amon's Avatar to the Pillar of Fate
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Deville (德维尔) |
| Alias(es) | Sir Deville |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Believer of the Evernight Goddess; belongs to neither the Conservative Party nor the New Party 31 36 |
| Occupation/Role | Wealthy capitalist, factory owner, philanthropist, and knight 31 |
| Status | Alive following Wilt’s nightmare intervention 37 |
| First Appearance | Named through his wallet in Chapter 28; appears in person at the charity event in Chapter 31 28 31 |
Background
Deville is a wealthy industrialist in Tingen City who received a knighthood through donations to the Loen Kingdom. He is publicly known as a philanthropist and owns the lead factory where Hailiye Walker worked before dying from lead poisoning 28 31.
His charitable reputation contrasts with the suffering associated with his businesses. When Wilt examines him through Spirit Vision, he sees black resentment surrounding Deville alongside a faint golden glow of merit. Wilt interprets this as evidence that Deville’s charity has genuine value, but does not erase his wrongdoing; he also judges that Deville’s crimes do not warrant death 31.
Charitable Spending
At a charity auction, Deville purchases approximately one-fifth of the lots, spending roughly £50,000 overall 34.
| Purchase | Amount | Beneficiary or Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary relic | £900 | Cultural Relics Protection Association 34 |
| Child’s graduation drawing | £10,000 | The Church of Evernight’s Sunday school and educational opportunities for poor children 34 |
| Total auction purchases | Approximately £50,000 | Various charity lots 34 |
Personality
Deville takes pride in his wealth, knighthood, and reputation for philanthropy. Within Wilt’s constructed nightmare, he initially finds manual labor and corporal punishment incompatible with his identity, wondering who in Loen would dare strike a prominent knight like him 35.
His faith is closely tied to his understanding of his charitable contributions. During the nightmare’s judgment, he insists that his donations and service to the Church of Evernight should entitle him to peaceful rest in the Goddess’s kingdom. He also challenges the judge’s refusal to credit much of his charity as good deeds 36.
After waking, Deville firmly rejects the suggestion that exhaustion or confusion caused his experience. He insists that the ghost he saw in his bedroom was real 37.
Story Role / Major Arcs
Hailiye’s Revenge
- Wilt identifies Deville through an expensive wallet containing a card with “Sir Deville” written in gold lettering. This allows him to recognize the location associated with Hailiye’s death 28.
- Wilt promises Hailiye revenge against Deville, compensation for her parents, and eventual reincarnation in exchange for her cooperation. Hailiye accepts; the supplied chapters do not confirm that compensation is paid 28.
- Deville’s substantial donations at the auction make Wilt reconsider the severity of his planned punishment. Wilt decides to supervise the nightmare personally rather than frighten him as harshly as originally intended 34.
The Constructed Nightmare
Deville’s laboring life, old-age death, and afterlife sentence occur within Wilt’s manipulated dream, not as real events 34 35 36.
| Dream Phase | Experience |
|---|---|
| Cotton-estate laborer | Lives as an impoverished farmhand on Earl Corodo’s estate, working fourteen-hour days for one penny a week and suffering beatings from overseers 35. |
| Lead-factory worker | Is sold to a philanthropist’s factory, earns ten soli weekly, and continues working despite poisoning because his family depends on his income 35. |
| Encounter with himself | Collapses and sees that the prosperous factory owner is another Sir Deville, identical to him in appearance 35. |
| False awakening and death | Awakens in a dream carriage, ignores a poisoned woman, and subsequently experiences a prosperous life ending in old age 35. |
| Judgment | Is condemned to one hundred years in the Hell of the Sinful Mirror, followed by reincarnation into an ordinary, well-off family 36. |
| Repeated suffering | Experiences poisoning, lung disease, industrial burns, and repeated deaths reflecting the suffering of workers in his businesses 36. |
- The dream judge specifically condemns Deville’s failure to help Hailiye and rejects his use of comparatively higher wages and relief funds as excuses for knowingly exposing workers to lead 36.
- On truly waking, Deville finds Wilt—whom he recognizes as “Vincent” from the dream—and Hailiye’s spirit beside him. He screams for his guards and servants 36.
Nighthawk Investigation
- Dunn visits Deville with Leonard and Klein. He advises Deville to compensate Hailiye’s family and seek help from the Church of Evernight 37.
- After examining Deville’s dream, Dunn discovers evidence of tampering but cannot identify the perpetrator. He suspects a Beyonder capable of manipulating vengeful spirits 37.
- Klein recognizes the dream’s judge, hells, and Ox-Head and Horse-Face as concepts from his previous world. His divination reveals Wilt entering Deville’s bedroom and dream with Hailiye 39.
- The incident prompts Klein to question Wilt about the origin of these concepts. Wilt attributes his knowledge to the Holy Monk 40.
Relationships
- Hailiye Walker — Former employee of Deville’s lead factory. Her death and resentment make him the target of Wilt’s intervention 28 36.
- Wilt Mirage — Architect of Deville’s nightmare, acting with Hailiye’s cooperation. His punishment forces Deville to experience workers’ suffering firsthand 34 35 36.
- Dunn — Investigates Deville’s complaint, examines his dream, and recommends compensation for Hailiye’s family 37.
- Klein — Investigates the unfamiliar concepts embedded in Deville’s nightmare and identifies Wilt as responsible through divination 37 39.