TV-Series
Description
Eckhard is the eldest son of Karstedt and Elvira, making him an older brother to Lamprecht, Cornelius, and Rozemyne. He serves as an archknight of Ehrenfest and is most notably the name-sworn guard knight and most trusted attendant to Ferdinand. He has dark green hair and blue eyes.
In his youth, Eckhard met Ferdinand while both were students at the Royal Academy, where he developed a deep admiration for him and dedicated himself to becoming his guard knight. He swore his name to Ferdinand to prove his loyalty, a binding magical oath that places his lord's safety and will above all else. This act is particularly significant as it was done during a time when Ferdinand was in political disfavor under the influence of Veronica, the archduke's mother.
Eckhard was previously married to a woman named Heidemarie, who was also a loyal retainer of Ferdinand. She was poisoned along with their unborn child. While Eckhard survived due to his natural resistance to poisons, the loss devastated him to the point of suicidal despair. However, because his life was bound to Ferdinand through the name-swearing, he was not free to end it. Ferdinand ordered him to live for his wife's sake, and Eckhard subsequently dedicated his entire existence to serving Ferdinand in her stead.
Eckhard's personality is defined by his unwavering loyalty to Ferdinand, which supersedes all other considerations. He is typically described as quiet, calm, composed, and not easily perturbed, though he keeps a cool distance from outsiders. He is exceptionally diligent and possesses formidable martial prowess as a senior knight. Following the death of his wife, he became more withdrawn and has shown little interest in remarrying, later agreeing to an engagement to Angelica largely because her disinterest in romance made her a convenient partner to avoid social obligations.
His devotion to Ferdinand is so absolute that his actions can appear extreme to outside observers, as he is known to disregard anything that is not his lord's will. He once advocated for assassinating Veronica for causing Ferdinand's suffering, though Ferdinand refused to allow such a politically destructive course of action. When Ferdinand was forced to join the temple to escape Veronica's abuse, Eckhard was unable to officially serve a priest and refused to serve any other master, continuing to assist Ferdinand unofficially whenever possible.
Eckhard holds Veronica and her loyalists in extreme contempt, holding her responsible for his wife's death. This hostility runs so deep that he once planned to accept a position as a guard knight to Veronica's grandson Wilfried specifically to get close enough to assassinate her.
Within the story of Part 3, Eckhard serves as one of Ferdinand's primary retainers, working alongside the scholar Justus. He and Justus were tasked with investigating the background of Myne in the lower city before she became a shrine maiden, though Eckhard became ill from the foul smells of the commoner district and struggled with the mission. During the trombe extermination mission, he witnessed Myne's remarkable mana capacity as she performed the healing ritual. After Myne is adopted as Rozemyne, Eckhard is formally introduced to her as her older brother and serves as one of her guards, accompanying her during the Harvest Festival to gather ruelle fruit and battling feybeasts to protect her.
Eckhard knows the truth about Rozemyne's origins. He has occasionally felt envy that she gained Ferdinand's trust so completely without having sworn her name to him, especially as she often causes Ferdinand trouble. However, he has repeatedly been surprised by the relationship between Rozemyne and Ferdinand, and his jealousy has dissipated as he has witnessed her reducing Ferdinand's burdens and expressing genuine concern for his well-being.
Eckhard is also noted for his physical resilience, possessing a natural resistance to poisons that allowed him to survive the attack that killed his wife. As an archknight, he is highly skilled in combat and serves as a trainer for new recruits to Ehrenfest's Knight's Order alongside his grandfather Bonifatius.
In his youth, Eckhard met Ferdinand while both were students at the Royal Academy, where he developed a deep admiration for him and dedicated himself to becoming his guard knight. He swore his name to Ferdinand to prove his loyalty, a binding magical oath that places his lord's safety and will above all else. This act is particularly significant as it was done during a time when Ferdinand was in political disfavor under the influence of Veronica, the archduke's mother.
Eckhard was previously married to a woman named Heidemarie, who was also a loyal retainer of Ferdinand. She was poisoned along with their unborn child. While Eckhard survived due to his natural resistance to poisons, the loss devastated him to the point of suicidal despair. However, because his life was bound to Ferdinand through the name-swearing, he was not free to end it. Ferdinand ordered him to live for his wife's sake, and Eckhard subsequently dedicated his entire existence to serving Ferdinand in her stead.
Eckhard's personality is defined by his unwavering loyalty to Ferdinand, which supersedes all other considerations. He is typically described as quiet, calm, composed, and not easily perturbed, though he keeps a cool distance from outsiders. He is exceptionally diligent and possesses formidable martial prowess as a senior knight. Following the death of his wife, he became more withdrawn and has shown little interest in remarrying, later agreeing to an engagement to Angelica largely because her disinterest in romance made her a convenient partner to avoid social obligations.
His devotion to Ferdinand is so absolute that his actions can appear extreme to outside observers, as he is known to disregard anything that is not his lord's will. He once advocated for assassinating Veronica for causing Ferdinand's suffering, though Ferdinand refused to allow such a politically destructive course of action. When Ferdinand was forced to join the temple to escape Veronica's abuse, Eckhard was unable to officially serve a priest and refused to serve any other master, continuing to assist Ferdinand unofficially whenever possible.
Eckhard holds Veronica and her loyalists in extreme contempt, holding her responsible for his wife's death. This hostility runs so deep that he once planned to accept a position as a guard knight to Veronica's grandson Wilfried specifically to get close enough to assassinate her.
Within the story of Part 3, Eckhard serves as one of Ferdinand's primary retainers, working alongside the scholar Justus. He and Justus were tasked with investigating the background of Myne in the lower city before she became a shrine maiden, though Eckhard became ill from the foul smells of the commoner district and struggled with the mission. During the trombe extermination mission, he witnessed Myne's remarkable mana capacity as she performed the healing ritual. After Myne is adopted as Rozemyne, Eckhard is formally introduced to her as her older brother and serves as one of her guards, accompanying her during the Harvest Festival to gather ruelle fruit and battling feybeasts to protect her.
Eckhard knows the truth about Rozemyne's origins. He has occasionally felt envy that she gained Ferdinand's trust so completely without having sworn her name to him, especially as she often causes Ferdinand trouble. However, he has repeatedly been surprised by the relationship between Rozemyne and Ferdinand, and his jealousy has dissipated as he has witnessed her reducing Ferdinand's burdens and expressing genuine concern for his well-being.
Eckhard is also noted for his physical resilience, possessing a natural resistance to poisons that allowed him to survive the attack that killed his wife. As an archknight, he is highly skilled in combat and serves as a trainer for new recruits to Ehrenfest's Knight's Order alongside his grandfather Bonifatius.