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The King of Midland is a pivotal supporting character in the narrative, though his personal name is never revealed. He is the ruler of the kingdom of Midland during its century-long war with the neighboring empire of Tudor. His role in the story begins when he observes the mercenary Band of the Falcon, led by Griffith, achieving a decisive victory against a Tudor cavalry unit. Taking a strong liking to their commander, the King officially incorporates the Band into Midland's army and rewards them generously, elevating them to the ranks of the nobility by naming Griffith a viscount.
Initially, the King appears as a fair, wise, and generous leader. He recognizes talent and usefulness in Griffith, a perspective that sets him apart from many of his nobles, such as his brother Julius, who resent Griffith's rise due to his lowborn background. The King is motivated by the burdens and immense pressures of ruling a kingdom ravaged by a hundred years of war. He has grown to resent the stresses of his position and sees his daughter, Princess Charlotte, as the only source of warmth and comfort in his life. This deep love for his daughter harbors a dark secret, a repressed and incestuous lust that ultimately becomes his undoing.
His relationship with Griffith transforms from one of respect and patronage to pure hatred. After learning that Griffith has seduced and slept with Princess Charlotte, the King's admiration turns to fury. He personally takes charge of punishing the fallen mercenary, lashing him in the dungeon of the Tower of Rebirth. Griffith's subsequent taunts, in which he accurately deduces the King's incestuous feelings for Charlotte, push the ruler into a frenzied and unforgiving madness. He orders Griffith to be subjected to brutal daily torture and becomes obsessed with his captive, his sanity beginning to erode. His descent into madness is compounded when he later gives in to his weakness and attempts to sexually assault his own daughter. Charlotte fights him off, and her resulting hatred for him drives the King further into insanity, his physical health rapidly deteriorating as his hair whitens and his body becomes emaciated.
Following Griffith's rescue a year later, the King's obsession continues. He dispatches a significant portion of the military, including a team of Bakiraka assassins and the ruthless Black Dog Knights led by Wyald, to recapture or kill his former star commander. His quest for revenge consumes him and the kingdom's resources, even as plague and calamity befall Midland. In his final days, the King is bedridden and dying. Princess Charlotte refuses to see him, and in his delirious last moments, he has a vision of Griffith reunited with Charlotte. This vision leads him to a final realization that his support for Griffith may not have been purely for the kingdom, but born from a desperate wish for someone to take the burdens of his rule and free him from the cold loneliness of the throne.
The King of Midland does not possess any supernatural or notable combat abilities. His power is derived entirely from his political authority as the sovereign. His most significant actions are his initial, crucial patronage of the Band of the Falcon, which allows Griffith to rise in power, and his subsequent vengeful crackdown, which leads to Griffith's year-long torture and the destruction of the Band, setting the stage for the story's tragic climax. His physical description depicts him as a tall man, typically dressed in the blue colors of Midland, with long brown hair and defined facial features before his illness transforms him into a frail, white-haired figure.
Initially, the King appears as a fair, wise, and generous leader. He recognizes talent and usefulness in Griffith, a perspective that sets him apart from many of his nobles, such as his brother Julius, who resent Griffith's rise due to his lowborn background. The King is motivated by the burdens and immense pressures of ruling a kingdom ravaged by a hundred years of war. He has grown to resent the stresses of his position and sees his daughter, Princess Charlotte, as the only source of warmth and comfort in his life. This deep love for his daughter harbors a dark secret, a repressed and incestuous lust that ultimately becomes his undoing.
His relationship with Griffith transforms from one of respect and patronage to pure hatred. After learning that Griffith has seduced and slept with Princess Charlotte, the King's admiration turns to fury. He personally takes charge of punishing the fallen mercenary, lashing him in the dungeon of the Tower of Rebirth. Griffith's subsequent taunts, in which he accurately deduces the King's incestuous feelings for Charlotte, push the ruler into a frenzied and unforgiving madness. He orders Griffith to be subjected to brutal daily torture and becomes obsessed with his captive, his sanity beginning to erode. His descent into madness is compounded when he later gives in to his weakness and attempts to sexually assault his own daughter. Charlotte fights him off, and her resulting hatred for him drives the King further into insanity, his physical health rapidly deteriorating as his hair whitens and his body becomes emaciated.
Following Griffith's rescue a year later, the King's obsession continues. He dispatches a significant portion of the military, including a team of Bakiraka assassins and the ruthless Black Dog Knights led by Wyald, to recapture or kill his former star commander. His quest for revenge consumes him and the kingdom's resources, even as plague and calamity befall Midland. In his final days, the King is bedridden and dying. Princess Charlotte refuses to see him, and in his delirious last moments, he has a vision of Griffith reunited with Charlotte. This vision leads him to a final realization that his support for Griffith may not have been purely for the kingdom, but born from a desperate wish for someone to take the burdens of his rule and free him from the cold loneliness of the throne.
The King of Midland does not possess any supernatural or notable combat abilities. His power is derived entirely from his political authority as the sovereign. His most significant actions are his initial, crucial patronage of the Band of the Falcon, which allows Griffith to rise in power, and his subsequent vengeful crackdown, which leads to Griffith's year-long torture and the destruction of the Band, setting the stage for the story's tragic climax. His physical description depicts him as a tall man, typically dressed in the blue colors of Midland, with long brown hair and defined facial features before his illness transforms him into a frail, white-haired figure.