Geysir
Karls Brandt
Four Imperial Guardians - Imperial Seven Knights
Birth Year: EY 1178 · Height: 180 cm · CV: Um SangHyun
Leader of the Four Imperial Guardians. Originally one of the Imperial Seven Knights who had sworn loyalty to the Black Prince
After the Black Prince went into seclusion, he followed Regent Beradin and became the leader of Beradin's Four Imperial Guardians. Because of this, he bears the full brunt of criticism from his former comrades, the other Imperial Seven Knights, who accuse him of betraying the Black Prince.
With his exceptional swordsmanship, he defeated the ancient dragon Hellkite in 1205 E.C. — sent by Beradin to retrieve a Destroyer Statue Hellkite had guarded since Ragnarok — earning him the title 'Dragon Slayer.' The kill left a permanent black stain on his sword, Giga Death, that has never come out.
He is always calm and quiet, rarely revealing his true feelings. Born the same year as the Black Prince, and considered the closest thing to a personal friend the Black Prince had — their relationship goes beyond master and servant to a bond of two men who communicated through their swords.
Kashutar Günter was his apprentice, but now hates him due to him joining the Imperial Four Guardians
He and Crow are the only two figures in the story identified as capable of fighting the Black Prince as genuine equals.
Running Arc
The Equal
One of only two humans who could match the Black Prince; his thread develops more fully in the side stories.
Investigating The Pyramid
Quietly Protecting Vincent
When Beradin orders Vincent Bernstein's death over his loyalty to the Black Prince (Chapter 6), Karls is the one who wants him spared — he has Hanzo fake the assassination instead of carrying it out for real. A small, unspoken sign that the 'betrayal' his former comrades accuse him of isn't the whole story.
The Hellkite's Mark
While receiving an Imperial Army report, Karls suddenly mutters to himself and shows strange symptoms — an ailment tied to Hellkite, the ancient dragon he slew years before the story begins to earn his 'Dragon Slayer' title.