Guess who I ran into? The young Lord Schwartz! I couldn't believe my eyes. He looked completely different from what he looks like now, except for that golden crown and his piercing rebellious gaze! Well... he's quite handsome! And no, I'm not smitten. His extraordinary presence just fills me with genuine admiration. Even though I'm not from Lumopolis, I believe Lord Schwartz will bring a better future for the city. Don't you agree, %s? Huh? We already know how the future unfolds, right? Ah, true. I still can't fathom how the valiant warrior Schwartz turned into the scheming lord of Lumopolis. But it must be because he went to great lengths that Lumopolis enjoys its current peace!
—Vice

I was born into the Schwartz family, and as the eldest son, I was destined to become the ruler of Lumopolis. However, I wasn't always the most popular child among the nobility, wearing my stubborn personality and aversion to authority like badges of honor. That was until... I met Joshua outside the walls of the library. The first time I saw her, I knew she would always hold a special place in my life. We talked at length in the academy, discussing philosophy and history, and sharing in each other's interests. She understood me and my troubles, and thus the time we spent together was sheer harmonious bliss. Joshua was from a common family, so Schwartz tradition dictated that I could never marry her, but I had made up my mind to be with her, and was willing to do whatever it took to achieve this. I began to take my studies seriously, demonstrating courage and perseverance hitherto absent from my life. My father agreed to the marriage as long as I met the standards required to become the next monarch.

With Joshua by my side, I completed all of my courses on governance in just three years and graduated with distinction. My father finally recognized my talent, allowing me to marry Joshua. After we were wed, my eldest daughter Veronica was born. Becoming a father was an even greater shock to my perception of the world than when I later ascended the throne from the position of governor. This marked the beginning of my profound understanding of the meaning of responsibility. I still remember that day so vividly—the way Veronica looked at the world around her with such curiosity in those bright, round eyes. She didn't cry. She just lay quietly in Joshua's arms, and time seemed to stand still... The way blood binds two independent beings together... it's so magical and intimate.

Sometime after this, my father died unexpectedly from assassination, and I became the City Lord of Lumopolis. Step by step, I had risen to the highest of positions, accepting the adulation of the people, and finally sat on the throne of ultimate power without having really experienced any major calamities in my life. I knew that instead of looking back to the conventions of the past, I would have to build a path toward the future. When I became City Lord, I strengthened the governance of the Lumo Knights, abolished redundant institutions, and reorganized the structure of society within the city. I gathered intelligence from the temple and the nobility through the Lumo Knights, and discovered that certain nobles were eyeing the position of City Lord. I eliminated these potential threats accordingly, bringing other concerned parties under my command. After my position gradually stabilized, I realized that a new crisis was emerging. The creatures that once brought devastation to the continent—the Eclipsites—had returned once again, and on an unprecedented scale.

At that time, many people believed that Eclipsites, with their inferior intelligence, were not to be feared, but I still gave orders for Eclipsite activity to be investigated thoroughly. These creatures were born of darkness, and their sudden appearance was not to be taken lightly. Shortly after, I received word that Eraveil had been entirely obliterated by Eclipsites. This was enough to make people finally realize that the destructive power of the Eclipsites far exceeded what they may have imagined in the past... It is a great shame... Eraveil was your home, %s. Losing everything so suddenly like that, it must be very painful. The annihilation of Eraveil served as a glaring warning—that the threat of the Eclipsites would permanently shatter the peace we once knew. For the sake of Lumopolis, for the powerless people, for my family... I had to lead the charge. I strengthened my relations with the city-states of Astra, for in order to eliminate the Eclipsites once and for all, cooperation will be our greatest weapon. Of course, many nobles questioned my actions, but when it came down to it, I chose to ignore the opinions of all others and personally headed to the battlefield. Only by slaughtering the Eclipsites completely will we one day be free from the pain of the past...