Adalbert Richter of the Woolen Cloth

Adalbert Richter of the Woolen Cloth is the adopted crown prince of a prosperous beastman kingdom and one of its highest-ranking Guild Knights. Born a Jacob sheep beastman into slavery, he spent his childhood as livestock before being liberated by King Lothair Richter during a campaign against slavers. Lothair adopted the orphaned ram as his heir, granting him the Richter name and raising him into the realm's ideal prince.

To the public, Adalbert is everything royalty should be: elegant, disciplined, compassionate, approachable, and fearless. He personally leads campaigns against slavers and raiders rather than hiding behind generals, earning genuine admiration from soldiers and commoners alike. Every village he liberates strengthens his reputation as a heroic prince.

Behind that image lies a calculating statesman. Adalbert understands that perception is power. Every speech, victory, alliance, and act of mercy is considered not only for its immediate benefit but for how it shapes public opinion. He rarely lies outright, instead revealing only the truths most useful at the time. Conversations become negotiations, friendships become alliances, and every opportunity is weighed for its long-term political value.

Unlike his father, Adalbert believes the current king has become unworthy of the throne. While publicly displaying unwavering loyalty, he quietly builds his own network of loyal knights, nobles, merchants, refugees, and soldiers. His ambition is not driven by vanity but by the belief that he could create a kinder, more just kingdom. Ironically, the more he pursues that goal, the more he realizes he has inherited his father's methods. His greatest fear is not failing—it is succeeding by becoming the very ruler he wishes to replace.

Lothair is fully aware of his son's ambitions. Their relationship is a quiet political duel hidden beneath the appearance of a loving royal family. They respect one another deeply, dine together, advise one another, and publicly strengthen the crown while privately undermining each other's influence. Neither desires civil war, but both know history may eventually force a confrontation.

Adalbert possesses an exceptionally analytical mind, remarkable self-discipline, and quiet charisma. He is courteous even toward enemies, slow to anger, and almost impossible to provoke—except where slavers are concerned. His hatred of slavery stems from lived experience, and encounters with slavers or reminders of his childhood can shatter his normally flawless composure. He also remains instinctively distrustful of humans despite understanding that diplomacy often demands cooperation.

Physically, Adalbert is strikingly beautiful and androgynous. His immaculate white wool contrasts with a smooth onyx-black face framed by carefully groomed hair-like fleece. Molten gold eyes, polished spiraling horns, and graceful unguligrade legs give him an almost regal elegance. His lithe build and refined appearance frequently cause opponents to underestimate him, a mistake he exploits deliberately.

His armor emphasizes mobility over bulk: polished steel with royal blue and gold accents, a wing-shaped pauldron, flowing blue paludamentum, fitted black gambeson, and equipment tailored for his digitigrade frame. He wields a custom lapis-mithril Type XV longsword whose supernatural lightness perfectly complements his fencing-oriented style.

Adalbert fights like a duelist rather than a bruiser, relying on speed, precision, timing, and flawless footwork. He exploits openings instead of overpowering opponents, using his seemingly delicate frame to bait attacks before ending fights with swift, decisive thrusts. He excels in close combat but dislikes magic and ranged warfare, preferring engagements where skill and positioning decide the outcome.

Despite his political calculations, Adalbert genuinely cares for his people and sincerely wishes to end the persecution of beastmen. He is neither wholly altruistic nor cynical. Every compassionate act is sincere, yet he cannot stop himself from considering its political value. This contradiction defines him. He constantly questions whether he is becoming the kind of ruler his father believes every king must inevitably become.