Æthelwulf

"He takes pride over character."

- Nearó

Æthelwulf (エゼルウルフ Ezeruurufu), born as Léoup Galliard Sibiko (ループ・ガリアード・シビコ Rūpu Gariādo Shibiko), is one of the most recent additions to the guild Grand Summit. Having grown up in the country of Enca together with his mother, Æthelwulf spent the first eighteen years of his life as a respectable citizen in a not so respectable family due to his Larentia Galliard's profession as a bounty hunter. He found love at the hands of a young noblewoman, but their relationship that was cut short after the woman's father found out about it and killed her for doing it. As the father was sentenced to prison for only two days due to his status and calling the incident an accident, Æthelwulf paid him a visit which resulted in yet another accident before leaving to find his father in Fiore.

It was under the guidance of his aunt that Æthelwulf took up a new name while learning about her trade as a bounty hunter, traveling across the world as partners while consistently training to become a better marksman. Æthelwulf grew to enjoy his work so much as to the point that he grew addicted to it, taking on more and more dangerous jobs while being determined to show his talent by doing it on his own. Only to finally taking on a job that was beyond his capabilities, resulting in the death of his aunt and the loose of his left eye. Having yet again witnessed what those of higher status and power can do to those inferior, Æthelwulf set out yet again in order to both train himself to become the strongest marksman in this day and age, searching up formidable opponents just to challenge them.

Growing increasingly stronger over the course of the last fifteen years as an independent bounty hunter, Æthelwulf eventually found himself no longer feeling satisfied when facing off against new opponents as they often didn't last very long or showed much of a challenge. Having found himself back in Fiore, the bounty hunter returned to hear the news of a considerably strong mage and went on to challenge her. The fight resulted in a loss for Æthelwulf but was offered a spot in Grand Summit afterward, accepting the offer and pledging himself to it until he defeats the guild master.

While he never sought popularity or recognition over his many years as a marksman, Æthelwulf eventually did create a name for himself and came to be known as White Wolf (白いオオカミ Shiroi ōkami). Be it for it due to his appearance or his determination, the bounty hunter never cared what the people called him as long as he got a job and a target to hunt.

Appearance
A rugged man that is widely known as to be unapproachable by most, Æthelwulf is a tall man approaching his forties that makes sure to keep his body in shape to keep himself on par with the youngsters of today's day and age. On the surface, the bounty hunter doesn't stand out that much in terms of physical appearance as he sports an eye of blue-grey color while his left eye is covered by an eyepiece that stretches from the back of his head while sporting a flame pattern across it. This is then supported and connected by two silver chains that make their way passed his right eye and around a third of his head until they connect to the eyepiece, all of which is covered by his rough, unkempt and wavy dark brown hair. Æthelwulf's hairstyle hasn't changed much over his many years as it has always been seen slicked back while keeping the fringe pushed more toward the sides, ultimately settling with having it reach towards the base of his neck. Not being a fan of jewelry, there's isn't anything else to make note of besides his faded goatee, which is yet another feature that he isn't much of a fan of but makes an effort of keeping it as his past love thought it suited him.

As could be expected of a man that has spent most of his entire life on the road, Æthelwulf doesn't care much when comes to keeping up with appearances or the latest fashion designs, making sure to instead prioritize a set of attire that'd be best suitable for traveling over long periods of time. Æthelwulf's rugged lifestyle can be seen in his clothing as he adorns a white double-breasted vest with eight buttons on each side while simultaneously wearing a jacket of the same color, which is also covered in gray fur that he added himself, reaching down to his knees. This is then followed by dark, skin-tight pants that carry a silver belt buckle, to which is connected to a pair of fur-covered holsters for his two ornamental pistols, followed by gray knee-high fur leggings covering his lower legs. A similar feature can be seen on his arms as they are covered in, again, gray, elbow-length fur armbands, which end at his wrists and reveals a pair of white gloves. To top it all of there are black bandoleers emerging from his upper back and disappearing into his upper forearms. For any onlookers, this outfit might just give off the impression of being a hunter over anything else, which helped a lot to contradict Æthelwulf's true profession before joining a guild, but one that still made sure to represent the man's preference of having a life on the road as a lone-wolf.

While carrying a set of clothing such as this may be convenient while on the road, especially during the winter, it obscures some of Æthelwulf's more prominent features such as his muscles and often causes those around him to misjudge his physical appearance. As a man that is almost constantly on the hunt for new opponents that exceedingly outshines the one before them, it becomes a necessity to keep himself in peak condition as to make sure that he doesn't make any mistakes due to mistreatment of his body and to lower the risk of being unable to do something against any physically oriented opponents he might encounter. Underneath his garments was a well-toned body with strong arms, bold thighs and calves, a firm chest and abdomen that was all the result of rigorous physical training on almost a daily basis, the bounty hunter couldn't risk falling behind and thus put a lot of pressure on himself to stay in shape. This became even more evident after joining up with Grand Summit, whose dark-purple mark he carries over his left scapula, as the guild emphasis their members to truly strive to reach the top which not only centers around their magical abilities but their physical attributes as well. Despite the man's age reaching ever closer to his forties, Æthelwulf remains as a force to reckoned with as he continues to break through his limits and reach out for new boundaries in order to reach the summit that is only fit for the strongest individuals.

Personality
With a facial expression that suits his personal thoughts and submits his opinions with just one glance, if one were to describe Æthelwulf then approachable would certainly never appear in his general description. Once someone musters up the courage to speak to him they'd soon find that he rarely showcases any sort of emotion besides giving off a cold impression on the people around him, adding this together with his blunt manner of speaking that often results in handing out insults left and right while also being presented as coarse or even inappropriate at times. But while his words are harsh, they always speak the truth and doesn't sugar coat actual facts or about the situation at hand, a habit which tends to get him in more trouble than it does good. Having been forced to adapt and remain tough for the major parts of his life where diplomatic and complicated words only showcased traits of a lier and words of kindness only brought followers, it'd almost come as natural for someone like this to develop such a harsh language and approach towards his surrounding as a means to avoid unnecessary conflict. Despite his hostile approach towards citizens, opponents and guildmates alike, Æthelwulf's heart is still in the right place as he, although rarely shown, has a strong sense of morality and empathy that prompts him to act when witnessing an act of great injustice and still wishes the best for those around him even if he'll never mention it. Having been a lone-wolf for most of his life, Æthelwulf remains far from ever being considered or viewed as a charismatic leader but nevertheless carries the necessary qualities to be one: He's confident, being able to keep a level head during fast-paced and dangerous situations while simultaneously planning ahead. But as he views the role to be problematic he'd rather put his trust in his comrades, which is a rare as the chances of seeing him work with anyone is practically at zero percent.

Despite his reluctance to cooperate with others, Æthelwulf is more than capable of following someone's orders or instructions as is evident by the guild mark on his back. But it's a rare feat as his obedience is strictly limited to individuals he respects as he has no problem declaring his disdain for any authority figure that hasn't earned it, even doing so publicly and in their presence with no regard or care for who is listening to him. Even in a case where he's being asked to tell someone his opinion of them, be a citizen or a comrade, Æthelwulf won't hold back when stating his true feelings and opinions about their abilities as a mage and human being, even when describing himself the bounty hunter doesn't ignore his own flaws and instead acknowledges them completely. His respect is most often earned by showcasing a strong sense of will and willingness to make an effort to make a change using their own abilities, no matter how frail or useless it might be, as the world is built by people making their own endeavors and those strong enough to bend it. Thus he can come to greatly respect those who showcase these traits and battles with him using their abilities without holding back on him, as to why Æthelwulf came to respect a woman such as Elena Montague for having defeated him fair and square.

Æthelwulf is a man of ambition, one that strives to become the most talented marksman there is while also wishing to be regarded as one of the strongest mages around. These goals have served as a major inspiration for the bounty hunter as he followed through the footsteps left behind by his teacher, having once used her as the end goal of his journey before surpassing it and reaching forward towards new heights. It's perhaps due to this ambition that Æthelwulf is always determined to stay on top while simultaneously trying to out-do himself at every turn, not only in terms of training but also on the opponents that he encounters or challenges. His determination for development and obtaining victory makes him somewhat of a poor loser as carrying such a strong winning mentality always makes him believe that defeat is never an option or reality, this being strictly limited towards battle and self-improvement. Receiving a loss has become somewhat of a rare occurrence for him over the years, but whenever it does happen it'll cause him to grow furious at himself and will go to great lengths in order to make up for that loss or to hone his skills even further. The reason why he doesn't give up or blame others for their mistakes is that of his many incidents in the past that caused him the loss of someone or something dear to him, all because of his inability to do something about it. In matters outside of combat or training, Æthelwulf has shown to be quite undetermined and unmotived in almost any category or activity as he views them as trivial or even a nuisance. Whenever he does something, Æthelwulf wants it to have meaning or some sort of an effect that'll help him in the future as otherwise, he'd regard it to be pointless and a waste of time. Which is yet another reason why he's better off working alone and won't be seen having a party with strangers, or anyone else for that matter.

But despite his goals of becoming the best amongst marksman and mages alike, Æthelwulf holds no love or interest in how people or the public media views him. This being the result of his many years as a lone bounty hunter, the results of public media in the past and the teachings of his aunt that told him that he never had to worry about it or even acknowledge it as his actions should always speak for themselves. Which they always did, given that taking someone out with a bounty on their head would inevitably cause both criminals and the bounty collectors to spread the word of who did it on their own. So while his reputation grew in the underworld as a renowned marksman and bounty hunter, in the eyes of the public media he went about as completely unknown until he suddenly joined up with a guild and even went on to participate in a public tournament. Even as he was revealed to be a member of the Sibiko Family and became a big topic in Enca for a while, Æthelwulf continues to ignore any attempts of finding out what they or his family thinks about him as they're still of little concern to him. But even as his appearance finally made it out to the public, Æthelwulf's interest in public media, or the fame that could potentially come along with it, did not change as he still knows that his actions would speak louder than any word or criticism of some noble. With that being said, the once unknown bounty hunter knows full well how the words of the public can affect one's reputation, especially that of a guild's reputation, should he come off as ill-mannered and thus tries to somewhat restrain himself when in public but often forgets himself as the public is still new to him. But while he doesn't care about himself, the same can't be said when he hears someone speak disrespectfully about his guild: As the treatment towards those in power should be acknowledged, envied and feared, not spoken to as if their words could change anything.

He is a man of little interest outside of battle, revered as a calculative individual with a passion for fighting and improving but a bore on any matters that don't involve any of these subjects or marksmanship. Æthelwulf is occasionally known to lose his calm demeanor and to use threats or even violence in order to get others to listen to him, this being something that comes into play when trying to cause citizens or even team members to act when they're too caught up in the situation to think straight. It's something he does with reluctance as taking command has always been somewhat frightening to him but also out of worry as, despite his composure and desire to evolve, Æthelwulf hates the idea of losing someone and even more so if he could've prevented it. Something which even the very thought of it can cause him to grow visibly distressed, making him not only go to great lengths in order to prevent it but also carries to burden for years to come. Thus he's more than capable of turning aggressive towards both citizens and team members alike, shouting at them at first and following up by either threatening them with a gun or lift them up and start choking them before releasing his grip shortly after should they remain unconvinced. His willingness to save others is perhaps his only redeeming quality as a human being. Besides this, Æthelwulf is really nothing more than a self-centered marksman doesn't care much for anyone besides himself and his road to becoming the very best at his trade.

Despite being a member of Grand Summit, Æthelwulf continues to operate independently from his guild and rarely takes them in on his plans or ideas as he believes their interference would most likely cause problems rather than providing any help. Rather going off to a job on his own instead of doing it alongside a teammate, finding the peace and quiet that comes with being on the road alone to work much better for him rather than having to worry about the mistakes that occur by having a fellow guild member alongside him. The bounty hunter doesn't really mind the presence of his guild members as long as they don't start standing in his way, even more than willing to spar against them in order for them to test their mettle. But with that being said, while doing a battle against them or even when seeing them training in a public area, Æthelwulf can grow very critical of them as the guild is supposed to represent the some of the very best mages that Fiore has to offer or at least people showcasing the will and attitude to become one. This behavior only makes an appearance should his opponent start making mistakes, such as having an obvious pattern, making a move that the man has clearly shown that he'd be able to avoid and still repeated it, and many other. Anyone that comes to know Æthelwulf soon starts to see a pattern when he's about to give critique to someone, starting off by showcasing a visibly irritated facial expression before going off to verbally abuse them and even point out whenever they're doing something wrong. He hates giving someone a handicap as that in of itself would be an insult for having to force him to do it in order to avoid fatally wounding them, and can thus furious should his opponent not learn their mistakes during their fight. Once the fight is over, Æthelwulf would find himself further insulting the individual and even tell them to quit being a mage unless if they showed progress during the fight. As such, the man can sometimes be viewed as a harsh, yet reliable, teacher that uses his own experience to train his opponents to become better. Besides the magical and physical abilities taught to him by his former teacher, this way of teaching was the only type that he ever received and thus became the only way he knew how to tell train or tell someone their mistakes in order to then improve.

This trait is although, much like many of his previous traits, strictly limited to guild members and friends as Æthelwulf doesn't frankly care much for other people's abilities. The only exception to this would be when facing off can against an opponent that carries a great reputation for being a strong fighter, only to reveal that they were nothing but some second-rate legal mage trying to intimidate those around him. Æthelwulf is aware that his skills as a marksman and for battles are more often than not in a different league from almost anyone else, but he doesn't use that as an excuse to why his opponent wasn't able to meet up with his expectations. Even when facing off against an opponent without a high bounty on their head or of noticeable reputation, the bounty hunter would view their fight as an insult even if he'll still go all out: This being even worse should he be forced into fighting for someone and to further insult him by fighting some-no-name-mage, something which can even result in him completely leaving the event or even turn against his own team should his opponent not suffice. With that being said, even if he doesn't necessarily point out the mistakes of his regular opponent compared to that of when fighting those closer to him, Æthelwulf has always been a subject for spectating and learning from seeing someone in action. When he's facing off against someone of equal strength or even great, he'll always be sure re-visit the event after the battle and adapt himself accordingly- even going so far as to copy or imitate his opponent's abilities and moves should they showcase a certain usage that might be beneficial to him or just outright good. Making him somewhat of a copycat but one that evolves after each battle.

Æthelwulf's hazardous profession and the personal values that he has grown to adapt into throughout his many years have all resulted in creating a very arrogant man out of him. The bounty hunter isn't necessarily a cocky individual but more so one that knows and believes himself to be superior to almost everyone around him. Should he face off or challenge someone strong then he'll reveal a more cocky side of him but one that stops promptly once the battle begins. This wasn't always the case as he was indeed a very cocky man during his younger years but it was because of it that he ended losing an eye and his teacher, causing him these days to almost pity those showcasing an overly confident attitude. As he has seen it many times before and experienced it himself, Æthelwulf will make sure to show no mercy upon anyone with an attitude such as this and will go out of his way to put them in their place. This being more of a personal thing as to help that individual to get passed their cocky attitude in order to see straight, should that have hindered them in any way that is. With that being said, this attitude is never shown when going after a bounty or while being on a job as he knows that one slip up might just cost him a finger or even his head for that matter. Even worse in the case of facing off against a dark mage, then all of that empathy of his disappears as he views as some of the worst types of people there are. Having fought, caught and even killed several of them during his many years as a bounty hunter, Æthelwulf speaks and approaches them with such an obvious indifference compared to normal mages that one might think he might just be a dark mage himself when going up against them. Should he encounter one then he'd act without mercy or regret as the man would hunt them vindictively until finally getting his hands on them, a similar approach would be given when speaking to them as he'd be doing so as if basic human rights didn't apply to them. The same goes towards anyone that's being revealed to have once been a dark mage, an attitude which makes him impossible to handle or receive in any diplomatic negotiations or encounter. It is one of the many reasons why he continues to work alone as he knows that this behavior is most often not fit for the public eye, even more so after joining a guild.

Hand-to-hand
Master in Hand-to-Hand Combat:

Swordsmanship
Expert Swordsmanship Specialist:

Guns Magic
Guns Magic (銃弾魔法 Ganzu Majikku):

Acceleration
Acceleration (加速します Kasoku shimasu):

Dispel Magic
Dispel Magic (解除魔法 Kaijo Mahō):

Barrier Magic
Barrier Magic (障壁の魔法 Shōheki no Mahō):

Trivia

 * Æthelwulf's appearance is based off Coyote Starrk from the Bleach series.
 * The name is taken from Old English, meaning "Noble Wolf".
 * The character's birthday, February 16, is a nod to The Year of the Dog 2018 in Chinese astrology that starts on the same date.