Introduction
The older brother of Jusis and the heir to the Dukedom of Albarea, one of the Four Great Houses.
His House is the most important of Erebonia's aristocracy, and in high society he is equally talked about as a "certain prince". He is a very polite, friendly and not arrogant towards the people of his land, but he also follows the aristocratic ideology that "the class system is necessary for the Empire". He has a great influence on the feudal armies around the Empire, and seems to be working to suppress the reformists...[1]
The oldest son of Duke Albarea, head of one of the Four Great Houses, and the most aristocratic of the Noble Alliance. Him and Prince Olivert are currently the talk of the town in high society. To Jusis he is a trustworthy older brother and his instructor in court fencing. He is a sharp man who serves as a director for Thors Military Academy, and a man of great character who is friendly with the people of his land, but also follows the main ideology of the Noble Alliance and is viewed as a dangerous individual by the Reformist Faction. In order to restore the Empire's aristocracy to its proper and older glory, he sets out to take control of Erebonia together with Duke Cayenne as the "Chief of Staff" of the Noble Alliance's army.[2]
The eldest son of Duke Albarea and the first governor general of the newly-annexed Crossbell Province. During the civil war, he served the Noble Alliance as its Chief of Staff. However, in truth, he was the primary member of the Ironbloods and reported directly to Osborne. As he publicly supported the Noble Alliance, he used Altina--loaned to him from the Black Workshop--to covertly sabotage the nobles' forces. After the civil war, he led the once-more unified armies of Erebonia to occupy Crossbell and fight off the subsequent invasion from Calvard. After the smoke had cleared, he was named governor general and announced the official annexation of Crossbell into the Erebonian Empire.[3]
The eldest son of House Albarea--one of the Four Great Houses--and the primary member of the Ironbloods, a group of talented individuals handpicked by Chancellor Osborne. During the civil war, Rufus served as Chief of Staff for the Noble Alliance. In truth, however, he was working with Osborne to weaken the Alliance from within. After the war, he was named the first governor general of the newly-annexed Crossbell province. He was able to suppress resistance to the annexation by carefully controlling the flow of information to the people. At the Gral, he stood against Class VII, revealing his true lineage and the long-kept family secrets of the Albarea household to his younger brother, Jusis.[4]
The eldest son of House Albarea and the former primary member of the Ironbloods serving under Giliath Osborne. Leaving behind the deceitful nobility of Erebonia, he sought to gather enough power to surpass even the likes of Osborne, the man he saw as his true father. It was during the disastrous Great Twilight that he even discarded his own humanity in his pursuit of victory, and yet he met defeat at the hands of old and new Class VII. He was forced to admit the difference between his own lack of trust in his fellow man and the bonds of faith forged by his younger brother, Jusis, and his allies, accepting his loss with grace. After Osborne's death, he was arrested as an Ironblood in order to take responsibility for the many sins committed by the group. That was the hope, at least...[5]
Crossbell's ex-governor general and the eldest son of the Erebonian Empire's House Albarea. Though incarcerated for his part in the Great War, Rufus took up the mantle of the masked knight 'C' when an imposter bearing his face emerged in Crossbell two and a half years ago. In doing so, he encountered Swin, Nadia, and Lapis, granting him the opportunity to rethink his ways. Following this incident, Rufus, now a target of the Republic's CID, abandoned his past to operate in secret with his newfound friends, eyes trained on Zemuria's future.[6]
Appearance
Rufus is a young man with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail and pale blue eyes. He carries himself with poise and a gracious countenance.
As the Jade Rook, Rufus wears a basil green double-breasted overcoat with gold trim worn over breeches and laced-up leather boots. Underneath is a white long-sleeve dress shirt accompanied by a magenta cravat with a turquoise jewel pin on the front. A navy blue cape is drawn over his shoulders, kept in place by a shoulder piece attached to his coat and decorated with a gold border.
As governor-general of Crossbell, Rufus wears a similar outfit to his Jade Rook apparel, but with a white-and-blue color scheme, black undershirt, and red cravat. In Trails into Reverie, the blue parts of this outfit are replaced with red and black.
In Trails of Cold Steel II and III, Rufus wields a court fencing sword with a gold guard, green wrapping around the pommel, and a blade with a diamond-shaped tip. In Cold Steel IV, Rufus uses one of the twin swords of House Albarea, the Holy Sword of Ishnard, an ornate golden sword with a star-shaped cross guard and blue gem decorations.
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영웅전설 시작의 궤적 may be present in the following section. Hit [Show] on the right if the show must go on. Adios, amigos!
As C, he is a black-clad knight hiding his true identity through the use of a full-face black mask and accompanying black hood. He dresses in a dark black overcoat with gold cauldrons and numerous ornamental belts and straps. The lining of his coat is violet, and he also wears white gloves, leggings and boots that match his jacket. A white cravat scarf is tied around his neck and he uses a doubled-edged broadsword in combat.
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Personality
True to his noble upbringing, Rufus always presents himself with poise and eloquence. He rarely loses his composure or expresses negative emotions, a skill which has greatly benefited his public image but also makes him difficult to read. He is modest, patient, and well-mannered and is adept at interacting with other members of high society. His respectful attitude towards both nobles and commoners makes him popular in the public eye.
In private, Rufus has the capacity for cheeky behavior, which usually manifests as teasing his younger half-brother, Jusis Albarea. Despite any differences the two have, they consistently demonstrate genuine care and familial love for each other.
Please be aware spoilers for
영웅전설 시작의 궤적 may be present in the following section. Hit [Show] on the right if the show must go on. Adios, amigos!
Secretly, Rufus harbors feelings of low self-esteem and resentment towards his father due to the nature of his true parentage and his father's prejudicial treatment of Jusis. These feelings eventually drive him to achieve personal greatness, no matter the cost to himself or others. To that end, he becomes the secret protege of Giliath Osborne, whom he views as his "real" father and aims to one day surpass.
After his defeat during the Rivalries, Rufus slips into a deep depression as he struggles to process his loss and his renewed feelings of worthlessness. During his travels with Lapis Rosenberg, he develops a new perspective on his existence and learns to accept himself for who he is. This shift allows him to finally drop his goal of surpassing Osborne, accepting the man for who he truly was and keep him on a somewhat righteous path during the battle against his simulacrum clone.
There we go, the end of spoilers. Thank you for your time!
