TV-Series
Description
High Bishop Bezewanst ruled Ehrenfest's temple before his downfall. The younger brother of Veronica, the previous archduke's influential wife, he shared blood ties to the archducal family. Despite this noble lineage, his relatively low mana saw him sent to the temple as an infant and raised there permanently. Denied a noble education at the Royal Academy, he lacked a schtappe and proper mana control training. Veronica provided continuous protection throughout his life, shielding him from consequences for his numerous crimes and enabling his temple embezzlement.
Physically, Bezewanst was a bulky elderly figure with long white hair and a beard, typically clad in the white robes of his office. Unlike most blue priests, he possessed a noble's ring—a gift from Veronica—though his lack of training hampered its effective use.
Bezewanst harbored deep-seated resentment from his lack of recognition as a true noble. Aware that genuine nobles disdained him and offered only superficial respect due to Veronica, he developed a pronounced inferiority complex. This frustration manifested as cruelty, particularly toward lower-status individuals he could victimize without repercussion. Inherently lazy, he delegated temple management to Ferdinand while indulging in his position's privileges. Despite his vindictive and arrogant nature, Bezewanst could craft a facade of benevolence when it served him. He held intense grudges, prioritizing revenge over the temple's or duchy's welfare.
His relationship with Veronica defined his existence. As her last living blood relative, she protected him unconditionally, covering his misconduct and securing his appointment as High Bishop. He relied entirely on her influence to evade accountability. Bezewanst nurtured bitter resentment towards his nephew, Archduke Sylvester, and developed fierce hatred for Myne (later Rozemyne), a commoner girl with exceptional mana who joined the temple. This hatred intensified after she publicly humiliated him.
Bezewanst first encountered Myne at her baptism, initially treating her kindly, mistaking her for a wealthy merchant's daughter. Discovering her poverty shifted his demeanor to open contempt. He attempted to forcibly conscript her, leading to a confrontation where Myne's uncontrolled mana—"the Crushing"—nearly killed him, leaving him unconscious.
After Myne joined the temple as a blue shrine maiden, Bezewanst actively sought to undermine her. He tasked his attendant Delia to spy and deliberately assigned Myne to manage Gil, the temple's most troublesome orphan. He also spread derogatory rumors about her among noble households.
His antagonism culminated in a plot with Count Bindewald to abduct and sell Myne. The scheme failed when Sylvester revealed Myne's contract as the archduke's adopted daughter. Arrested for treason, Bezewanst begged for mercy and blamed Count Bindewald, but Sylvester sentenced him to death. He was executed without ever apologizing to Myne.
Posthumously, Bezewanst's actions continued to impact Ehrenfest. Rozemyne discovered his cache of personal letters, including correspondence with Georgine (Veronica's daughter). These letters contained a hidden cipher enabling them to exchange secret complaints about Veronica and disguised insults. Unaware of the cipher, Sylvester forwarded the letters to Georgine as a memento. Among them was a separately encrypted document detailing the location and access method to Ehrenfest's foundational magic—information Bezewanst never intended to share but inadvertently provided to Georgine, facilitating her later attempts to seize the duchy.
Additionally, chalices Bezewanst introduced for the temple's dedication ritual were revealed to originate from Georgine's former duchy, Werkestock, as part of her political maneuvers to gain their support.
Physically, Bezewanst was a bulky elderly figure with long white hair and a beard, typically clad in the white robes of his office. Unlike most blue priests, he possessed a noble's ring—a gift from Veronica—though his lack of training hampered its effective use.
Bezewanst harbored deep-seated resentment from his lack of recognition as a true noble. Aware that genuine nobles disdained him and offered only superficial respect due to Veronica, he developed a pronounced inferiority complex. This frustration manifested as cruelty, particularly toward lower-status individuals he could victimize without repercussion. Inherently lazy, he delegated temple management to Ferdinand while indulging in his position's privileges. Despite his vindictive and arrogant nature, Bezewanst could craft a facade of benevolence when it served him. He held intense grudges, prioritizing revenge over the temple's or duchy's welfare.
His relationship with Veronica defined his existence. As her last living blood relative, she protected him unconditionally, covering his misconduct and securing his appointment as High Bishop. He relied entirely on her influence to evade accountability. Bezewanst nurtured bitter resentment towards his nephew, Archduke Sylvester, and developed fierce hatred for Myne (later Rozemyne), a commoner girl with exceptional mana who joined the temple. This hatred intensified after she publicly humiliated him.
Bezewanst first encountered Myne at her baptism, initially treating her kindly, mistaking her for a wealthy merchant's daughter. Discovering her poverty shifted his demeanor to open contempt. He attempted to forcibly conscript her, leading to a confrontation where Myne's uncontrolled mana—"the Crushing"—nearly killed him, leaving him unconscious.
After Myne joined the temple as a blue shrine maiden, Bezewanst actively sought to undermine her. He tasked his attendant Delia to spy and deliberately assigned Myne to manage Gil, the temple's most troublesome orphan. He also spread derogatory rumors about her among noble households.
His antagonism culminated in a plot with Count Bindewald to abduct and sell Myne. The scheme failed when Sylvester revealed Myne's contract as the archduke's adopted daughter. Arrested for treason, Bezewanst begged for mercy and blamed Count Bindewald, but Sylvester sentenced him to death. He was executed without ever apologizing to Myne.
Posthumously, Bezewanst's actions continued to impact Ehrenfest. Rozemyne discovered his cache of personal letters, including correspondence with Georgine (Veronica's daughter). These letters contained a hidden cipher enabling them to exchange secret complaints about Veronica and disguised insults. Unaware of the cipher, Sylvester forwarded the letters to Georgine as a memento. Among them was a separately encrypted document detailing the location and access method to Ehrenfest's foundational magic—information Bezewanst never intended to share but inadvertently provided to Georgine, facilitating her later attempts to seize the duchy.
Additionally, chalices Bezewanst introduced for the temple's dedication ritual were revealed to originate from Georgine's former duchy, Werkestock, as part of her political maneuvers to gain their support.