Rhode Royes is a young commander of the army of Eslinn and the descendant of a hero. He fights alongside Alicia Glenfall against Drel and later infiltrates the Solsein Seminary as a teacher.
Background
Rhode descends from the hero Randall Royes, who became a hero by saving a town from a herd of devil beasts. Randall’s treasure, the spear Snow Flower, rejects the unworthy: the family’s second head was frozen to the shoulder and lost his arm. The spear hung in the family parlor until its chain broke when Rhode was eight. He caught it, his left arm freezing, and forced it to accept him through sheer determination, becoming its legitimate wielder and the hope of his family’s domain.
History
War with Boelate
Rhode held the Hiden border fort of Higate with six thousand men against Drel’s fifty thousand and then tried to stop him at the Murrell River, freezing the river with Snow Flower. Drel defeated him but spared him out of respect, telling him to witness the world changing. Gart, who was investigating Drel, offered to carry him to the battle on condition that Rhode would not ask about him or his master. Rhode arrived at Hiderat in time to shatter the Dead Dragon and fight beside Alicia, then destroyed the nine crystals in Drel’s body and spread the news of the general’s death.
Solsein
Under the alias Matthew Burns, history teacher, Rhode infiltrated Solsein with Miquel Mendes on King Yuriel’s orders, researching the school’s past and the disappearances of students. He recognized “Cren” as the boy who had rescued the royal infant at the furnace. During the night of the black tower he confronted Andrew Whip to save Alicia, fighting with a broken fragment of the Black Dragon, and was rescued by Gart.
Abilities
- Snow Flower techniques: Eisbahn (ice spikes), Ice Javelin, Ice Jail. He can also launch Alicia with his spear for her “Distant Rising Dragon”.
- Magic resistance: He resists the sleep spell that knocks out ordinary people at Solsein.