Benoit

Benoit is the Saharan Empire's third prince and a gifted but obsessive expert on demons. His decade-long effort to expose the truth of his mother's death drives repeated great-demon summonings, imprisonment in the Abyss, and a final contract with Drasion that costs him his life. (Chapters 565, 1014, 1016, 1022, and 1343–1345)

Biography

Recurring role and later consequences

Benoit wanders the continent conducting suspicious rituals connected to great-demon summonings, including Belial's descent. The danger alarms Emperor Juander, but Benoit's purpose is personal: he believes Empress Marie murdered his mother, Aria, and seeks demonic proof that will expose the crime. Berith eventually gives him the evidence he wanted, leaving him with the bitter confirmation that the truth he pursued was real. (Chapters 565, 1014, 1016, and 1022)

After Marie's crimes are already exposed and the empire begins moving forward, Benoit releases another demon and permits his own arrest. He is sent to the Abyss, where his curses awaken Drasion and establish a contract that consumes prisoners, Marie, and Benoit himself. Grid tries to honor Juander's request to protect the princes, but reaches Benoit only long enough to hear his warning about Drasion's curse before Benoit dies. (Chapters 1343–1345)

Appearance and personality

More than ten years of obsession visibly age Benoit. Though his oldest brother is seven years older, Benoit's face is deeply wrinkled and his hair has turned white, making him look middle-aged. He is talented, secretive, and capable of patient planning, but grief becomes fixation. His hatred extends from Marie to the empire and himself, while Juander's final concern briefly breaks through that rage too late to change the outcome. (Chapters 1014, 1016, and 1343–1344)

Abilities, classes, and skills

Benoit inherits the exceptional red energy of the Saharan imperial line and possesses enough innate talent that ordinary Red Knights should not be able to subdue him. His defining expertise is ritual demonology: he helps create conditions for great-demon descents and understands contracts well enough to exploit imprisonment in the Abyss. These rites exact severe prices; an earlier opening of hell's gate decays his left hand, and Drasion's contract ultimately consumes his body and soul. (Chapters 1016, 1022, and 1343–1344)

Relationships

• Juander: Benoit resents his father for failing to protect Aria. Learning at the end that Juander asked Grid to care for him stirs regret, but cannot undo his contract. (Chapter 1344)
• Basara: Basara initially intends to preserve Benoit's knowledge of demons rather than execute him, but his planned fall into the Abyss defeats that attempt. (Chapter 1343)
• Grid: Grid sympathizes with Benoit's wasted years and attempts a rescue in accordance with Juander's last wish. Benoit dies after warning him where Drasion's curse will spread. (Chapters 1343–1344)
• Berith: Berith supplies the evidence that confirms Benoit's suspicions about his mother's death and completes the prince's original objective. (Chapter 1022)

Items

No notable items are documented for Benoit in the supplied corpus.