Wilhelm van Astrea (ヴィルヘルム・ヴァン・アストレア), né Trias (トリアス), is a member of the Crusch Camp and is Theresia van Astrea's husband.
Appearance
Wilhelm has white hair and blue eyes. He wears a white shirt, white vest, black bowtie, black dress pants, and a black and blue coat. Due to his daily training, he is still muscular at his old age, and his back perfectly straight. When he was young, Wilhelm had brown hair, and wore the Royal Guard uniform.
Personality
Wilhelm is refined man with a highly gentle and humble demeanor. However unearth that even temperament belied a fierce warrior who often be the first to help when something happens. However as a young man, Wilhelm was very opposite of who he was in his later years. Brash, afoot, short tempered, lonely and often cold with others. He devoted himself wholly to the sword and cared for little else. Even so, he knew how to analyze a situation, always finding a way out. Nonetheless, Theresia van Astrea greatly influenced his personality, becoming increasingly sociable and protective, achieving more results during the Demi-human War. It was through her he come to find love and purpose to his life beyond the sword.
History
Wilhelm was born the third son of the Trias family, whom lived in the countryside of the Kingdom of Lugnica. They were an old house of nobility situated in one of the kingdom’s most remote northern province which bordered Holy Kingdom of Gusteko, and had the responsibly for managing the some of the territories there. Once a proud warrior family, their days of military glory were a thing of the past, and by the time Wilhelm was born they were little more than a small barony running meager lands with small population of serfs. Unlike his much older siblings, Wilhelm had neither the claim to inherent leadership in the family or knack for civil governance leaving him little hope in his own future prospects until the day he picked up his family's treasured sword, Enchanted by the blade, he would spend 6 years of his youth there in the mountains swinging it day and night as it gave him a sense of peace and purposed that his life had lacked up til now and each time he swung it he felt himself growing stronger. By the time he has 14, he had become the most skilled swordsman in the domain. However one night due to a severe quarrel with his eldest brother over his future, would leave his family and travel to the royal capital to become a knight.
At the time country had been going through a civil war with Demi-human Alliance, a group of demi-human tribes for some years that began in its eastern region when Wilhelm enlisted. From the time of his first battle on Wilhelm would stand out make a named for himself due his near unparalleled skill despite his age. On field he was a ferociousness and tenacious soldier who leaped into enemy formations leaving nothing but scores of corpses, as he cut through with reckless abandon and wicked smile on his face. His daredevil like behavior and action would earn him moniker "Sword Demon" from the royal miliary forces and foe alike who look on him in awe, fear and hatred. However despite his military achievements and national renown skill Wilhelm would receive no promotion. This was partly because he refused, but also since Wilhelm was very anti-social, barely having anyone he called friends, rarely conversing with anyone and fighting heedless of the danger it brought his allies. Knighthood which rested on things beyond battle like bonds between people seemed ill-fitting for him as someone who only fought to take lives. Despite this however he could not shake the growing emptiness inside his heart no matter how devoted himimself to the sword.
For 3 years Wilhelm continued to live his life battlefield like this until one day due to the changing conditions of he civil war he found himself on forced leave in the royal capital for a time. It was during this period that a dissatisfied Wilhelm with too much time on his hands and little to do with it met Theresia in the abandoned construction site within the royal capital where he had come to train regularly. This meeting although begining innocuously at first would eventually change Wilhelm's life in a profound way. Despite his best efforts to remain detached from her company in over 3 month he find himself increasingly drawn to Theresia who often whom rebuffed his crude manners and afoot persona. Unaware of subtle changes in his heart at first, subconsciously he started looking forward to their ritualistic meetings which eventually led him to question the real reason why he had continued to walk path of the sword which he had been avoiding his life up until now. Coming to epiphany, Wilhelm realized that he had been using it as an excuse to run away from his problems at home. Wanting to do something his older brothers couldn't and support his family in his own way as they did. Accepting this fact Wilhelm found himself caring about things he hadn't in a long time, becoming less and less concerned with taking the heads of his enemies over prioritizing the safety of his comrades. For such as infamous figure in the royal military his changes did not go unnoticed and mostly welcomed among his peers. Wilhelm would receive calls and support for knighthood once again but this time he come take up, because he found a new meaning to wield his sword, no longer just for his self-satisfaction, but moreover protect the things he cared about and happiness of one person who become irreplaceable in his life.
Disaster would strike shortly after Wilhelm attained his wish when news of the intensifying civil war had spread all the way to far reaches of the northermost regions of the country where the Trias territory lay. Wilhelm defying conduct would race home only to find his hometown already sacked and faced with more demi-humans forces than he ever fought before. Wilhelm who seemed finally hitting the limits of his ability would have nearly perished as a result had he not been saved by the newest incarnation of the Sword Saint who turned out to be none other than Theresia. Feeling humiliated, but captivated by her display swordsmanship he could never reach, and most of all indignation at war, society and his weak himself that had forced her resign to herself inescapable fate to take up mantle of "Sword Saint" would confront Theresia about leding them to partways with their resolve to protect the other. 2 years would pass before their saw each other again at the ceremony to celebrate the end of decade long war. There a much stronger Wilhelm would enter an impassioned duel with Theresia in which after a close match former would defeat later. Making good on his promise Wilhelm would free her from the duties and burden of Sword Saint and take them up in instead her stead so that she could live the life she wants.
14 years ago before the start of the story having now since then taken Theresia as his wife, he lose her to the Hakugei when he had still been part of the Royal Guard at the time having been on another mission. Completely distraught Wilhelm swore vengeance towards the Demon Beast, but due to how the situation came about and consumed by grief he would partly hold his grandson responsible for the matter. Harboring immerse guilt and shame for being unable to keep Theresia from ever picking up the sword again, and being inadequate in noticing the problems in his family, he decided to leave the Royal Knights and Astrea family behind. Fully committed to tracking down the White Whale which he would spend a decade doing, Wilhelm would eventually find him joining the Crusch Camp for their assistance in hunting the White Whale in exchange for his help in the Royal Selection. Thanks to Subaru he would succeed and giving the later his enteral gratitude. Wilhelm would continue to stay with Crusch until his agreement was forfullied but would plan to make amends with Reinhard when given the opportunity until unfortunate events at Priestella waylaid that deteriorated their relationship further.
Abilities
Master Swordsman: Through years of training and effort, Wilhelm is highly skilled with the sword and honed his swordsmanship skills to the point where he was able to defeat the previous Sword Saint in a duel. He was also considered to be a threat to the Demi Humans during the Demi Human War, and his menacing appearance earned him the alias of Sword Demon (剣鬼 Kenki).
Trivia
- According to the author, Wilhelm's birthday is May 7.
- Wilhelm looks similar to Valkenhayn R. Hellsing from BlazBlue.
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