Carlov

Carlov, known as the Mercenary King, is a veteran Human World warrior and one of Locke's strongest companions. He enters the Demon World with Locke and Beatrice, then serves as an experienced fighter and Beatrice's steadfast protector throughout the northern coalition's campaigns.

Biography

Mercenary of the Human Coalition

Carlov arrives in the Demon World beside Locke and Beatrice as one of the Human World's leading experts. Although uneasy about operating alone in unfamiliar territory, he accepts the Guardian's mission to stop the northern conflict from spreading into the Human World and helps the trio rescue dark elves while disguised as a lycanthrope. He follows the Black Flame Dragon north, applies a lifetime of campaign experience to the coalition's movements, and repeatedly places Beatrice's safety above his own desire for combat. He catches her when a miracle leaves her exhausted, carries her afterward, and supports her as she warns Locke about the red vortex. Carlov ties back his hair and prepares for the last battle, but the supplied chapters do not record his later fate. (Chapters 173, 191–192, 198, 203, 208, 213–215, 222, and 226)

Appearance and personality

Carlov is a middle-aged man with a magnificent, sturdy build that lets him pass physically as a lycanthrope when disguised. He normally wears armor, and by the final battle his hair is long enough to tie back. The blackish-brown hair, sky-blue eyes, dragon-scale armor, and divine sword described at his introduction belong to Locke, not Carlov. (Chapters 173, 192, and 226)

He is practical, seasoned, and protective. Years of mercenary campaigning make him quick to recognize when an army's movement violates ordinary logistics, while his response to danger is governed by duty rather than vanity. Even when he wants to test himself against Caitlin, he remains beside Beatrice because protecting her is his assigned responsibility. (Chapters 192, 203, and 213–214)

Powers and abilities

Carlov is called the greatest warrior on his continent and is counted among Locke's most powerful companions. His demonstrated strengths are martial experience, stamina, and dependable battlefield protection: he fights for hours during the dark-elf rescue, reads military movement through long campaigning experience, and can carry an exhausted Beatrice while the force continues. The supplied chapters do not name a personal technique, spell, aura style, or signature weapon for him, so none can be specified. (Chapters 191–192, 203, 208, and 213–214)

Relationships

• Locke: Carlov is one of Locke's principal companions and accompanies him from the Human World into the northern campaign. Locke later observes that his synchronization with In-gong and Zephyr differs from his familiar coordination with Carlov and Beatrice, without presenting that difference as a failure on Carlov's part. (Chapters 173, 208, and 215)
• Beatrice: Protecting Beatrice is Carlov's explicit battlefield duty. He catches and carries her after her miracle, stays beside her during the coalition's movements, and supports her while she confronts Locke with the danger posed by the red vortex. (Chapters 173, 213–214, and 222)

Items

• No notable personal item is included in Carlov's finalized inventory. He ordinarily wears armor, but the corpus does not identify it as a named or separately catalogued artifact. (Chapters 192 and 226)