Clayde

Biodata

Background / History

Lina’s Abduction

Before becoming king, Clayde searched for people with pure souls on behalf of the Radiant Church to gain its support and improve his strength. After discovering Lina’s exceptionally pure soul, he ordered his younger brother, Paterson, to abduct her. Clayde personally presented her to the Church, which sacrificed her soul 33.

Haoyue later revealed Clayde’s involvement to Hogg and then Linley. Both wanted immediate revenge, but Haoyue persuaded them that attacking a king protected by royal guards and the Radiant Church would be suicidal without greater strength 18 33.

Patronage of Haoyue

Clayde sent the court attendant Fernando to recruit Haoyue after his graduation from the Ernst Institute, offering lavish gifts and a position at court. In Yulan Calendar year 9993, he formally appointed Haoyue the kingdom’s first court mage and hereditary Marquis of Three Elements 16 17 20.

The appointment included a former royal residence on Green Leaf Road, an annual stipend of ten thousand gold coins, and a scepter representing the court mage’s authority. Clayde also supplied precious magical materials and commissioned copies of spell incantations of the seventh level and above 17 18.

During a private audience, Clayde questioned Haoyue about his three elements and the Inquisition’s recruitment attempt. He approved of Haoyue’s decision to enter royal service, emphasizing the kingdom’s close relationship with the Church. He subsequently issued decrees increasing his support for the Church as the Inquisition expanded its search for heretics 17 19.

Clayde approved Haoyue’s request for leave to seek medicinal herbs in the Magical Beasts Mountain Range and provided restorative potions and protective items. When Haoyue returned as an Eighth-level Magus, Clayde celebrated the addition of another powerful expert while mentioning the Church’s dissatisfaction with Fenlai’s ability to safeguard the faith 21 24.

Paterson’s Death and Linley’s Commission

Clayde granted Linley the title Marquis of Wushan Town after the young mage declined recruitment by the Radiant Church. He later attended Kalan Debs and Alice’s engagement banquet, where he spoke with Linley and Haoyue before leaving 32 34.

At that banquet, Linley forced Paterson to confess that Clayde had ordered Lina’s abduction, then killed him. Clayde’s furious investigation exposed Paterson’s corruption and smuggling operations, leading to the arrests of Bernard Debs and Kalan 34 35.

Clayde questioned Linley about the murder but accepted his denial after Linley cited his apparent limitations as a mage and his visit to a crystal shop. Clayde then commissioned a stone sculpture from him, inadvertently providing the opportunity for an assassination plot 35.

Assassination

Linley and Haoyue planned to poison Clayde when he visited to collect the sculpture. Clayde unwittingly assisted them by sending Linley cloud poria to nourish his body—an ingredient they needed for Hemolytic Poison 35 36.

Feigning a cultivation injury, Linley drew Clayde to his residence. Clayde chose to visit personally both to cultivate Linley’s gratitude and to check the sculpture’s progress. Confident that a Level Seven Mage could not threaten him in his own capital, he drank the poisoned wine 37.

Once the poison disrupted his battle-qi, Clayde called for protection. Bebe killed his guard commander Lansim, while Linley transformed into a Dragonblood Warrior and attacked. Clayde survived initially through his Destiny Guard Scroll, attempted to escape, and taunted Linley about Lina’s death in an unsuccessful effort to make him lose control 37.

Neither the Icecold Snow Lion nor the arriving Radiant Church experts could save him. Linley struck the same point on the barrier seven times with the Purple Blood Soft Sword, shattered it, and cut Clayde’s throat. Haoyue delayed Heidens long enough for Linley and Bebe to escape 38 39.

Aftermath

Heidens found Clayde’s body and ordered a full pursuit of Linley and Haoyue. News of the assassination spread alongside reports that a Dragonblood Warrior and a Tiger-Striped Warrior had appeared together 38 39.

Kale Fenlai subsequently became king. His brief reign ended amid the magical beast invasion, when Linley intercepted and killed him during his flight toward Hess City 43.

Appearance

• Face and bearing: Dignified, with a faint, nearly imperceptible smile during Haoyue’s ennoblement 17.
• Clothing: Wore ordinary clothes rather than ceremonial attire when visiting Linley’s residence 37.

Personality

Clayde cultivated talented subjects through titles, wealth, resources, and personal attention. His patronage was politically calculated: he explicitly explained that visiting Linley himself would demonstrate his regard and encourage gratitude, while also allowing him to inspect the commissioned sculpture 17 18 37.

A devout believer in the Radiant Church, he sought its support even before taking the throne and procured pure-souled victims for it. His treatment of Lina made him a direct target of the Baruch family’s revenge 17 33.

Clayde underestimated Linley because of the younger man’s publicly known rank and his own security within Fenlai City. Once cornered, he appealed to the Church’s responsibility, tried emotional provocation, and invoked his royal status in an effort to survive 37.

Abilities & Skills

Ninth-Rank Warrior

Clayde was an established Level Nine Warrior known as the Golden Lion 33 34.

• Experience: Haoyue warned that Clayde’s long experience at the ninth rank could give him an advantage over the newly advanced Linley in a direct fight 36.
• Battle-qi vulnerability: Hemolytic Poison disrupted his energy circulation so severely that he could draw upon less than one percent of his usual ninth-level battle-qi 37.

Royal Authority

Clayde could appoint court officials, confer hereditary noble titles, grant estates and stipends, and distribute valuable cultivation resources 17 18.

• Ordered the investigation into Paterson’s death that exposed the Debs Clan’s smuggling connections 35.
• Called upon Radiant Church experts stationed in Fenlai for protection during Linley’s attack 38.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Destiny Guard Scroll — Produced a brilliant white hemispherical barrier that withstood repeated ninth-rank attacks. Linley eventually broke it with seven consecutive thrusts at the same point using the Purple Blood Soft Sword 37 38.

Relationships

• Duke Paterson — Younger brother and accomplice in Lina’s abduction; confessed Clayde’s role before Linley killed him 33 34.
• Radiant Church — Religious and political patron. Clayde supplied it with pure-souled victims and relied on its backing as king 17 33.
• Haoyue Bolei — First court mage and recipient of extensive royal patronage; secretly helped plan Clayde’s assassination and prevented Heidens from intervening in time 17 35 39.
• Linley Baruch — Ennobled mage and commissioned sculptor who became Clayde’s killer after learning his responsibility for Lina’s death 32 33 38.
• Lina — Victim whom Clayde had abducted and delivered to the Radiant Church 33.
• Hogg Baruch — Lina’s husband; swore to kill Clayde after learning the truth 18.
• Lansim — Guard commander who accompanied Clayde to Linley’s residence and died trying to protect him 37.
• Icecold Snow Lion — Eighth-rank magical beast that intervened against Linley to protect Clayde, but was knocked aside 37 38.