Keel Freezis

"To seize the world's information is the secret to success."

- Keel's mantra

Keel Freesis was a merchant from the Kingdom of Marlon and a friend of King Kyle Marlon. Establishing his business in Elphegort, Keel built up the Freesis Firm to span across Evillious. Through his connections, the merchant funded the Lucifenian Resistance's efforts while moving him and his family to Marlon. He later supported his friend Kyle's regime while investigating the events surrounding it.

Early Life
Born in the Kingdom of Marlon in EC 473, Keel met and became longtime friends with Mikina Sfarz. At some point, Keel became an apprentice, eventually earning a reputation for doing anything if he was paid for it. In EC 489,  Keel received the investigation files from Prince Kyle for his art tutor's poisoning and became friends with the royal, always interested in Kyle's paintings. Around this time, Keel began a business in Marlon. After Kyle burned his paintings in EC 490, Keel bought the only one the King kept, telling his friend he could buy it back when he felt better, though the price would be doubled.

At some point, Keel and Mikina became romantically involved and she became pregnant with his child. Around that same time in EC 491, the romantic engagement was revealed and word had spread that Keel owned an unfair business. Hunted, the two fled to the Kingdom of Elphegort. Living in the capital city of Aceid, Mikina married, gave birth to their daughter Yukina and Keel cried with happiness. Wishing to avoid dangerous work because of the child, the two set up a general store.

Because they were foreigners, the couple suffered severe discrimination, although they worked hard to make it as impressive as possible to the Elphe customers. Due to the aid of the wife of a foreign couple that owned a nearby inn, Mikina and Keel managed to barely survive in spite of their stuggles. Once they received their first customer, Mikina and Keel jumped for joy, though their shop began to fail. Around that time, Mikina became pregnant again.

During that year, EC 492, Mikina left for the village of Yatski and Keel stayed to take care of the shop; later that day, the shop was visited by a man in rags. Impressing the man with excellent service, Keel watched as he marveled at all their high quality stock, though he only purchased a pipe from the merchant. Later, when Mikina returned, Keel described the incident to her. Over the next month, their entire stock sold out.

At some point, the couple discovered that the man had been King Thorny Elphen. Impressed, the king distinguished them throughout the country and his sponsorship made their failing business very successful. The following year, their first son was born and the couple named him Shaw. At some point, Keel was out dealing with customers while Duke Sfarz intruded on their home and attempted to take the child.

Growing Success
"Mr. Keel has become the first big businessman in Elphegort or even in Evillious as a whole."

- An Elphegortean innkeeper and friend of Keel

Due to the popular success of their local business, Keel expanded it into the Freesis Firm, spreading the merchant guild across Evillious into Lucifenia, Levianta, and even his homeland in Marlon. Becoming extremely wealthy, Keel purchased a title of nobility in Aceid and the Freesis family moved into a mansion in the Northern District.

Afterwards, the merchant began to collect things for home decoration and set up a hideout in a well at the Millennium Tree Forest. Around this time, Keel funded the construction of a monastery along the western coast of Lucifenia, dedicated to Held. From there, Keel began holding monthly banquets, inviting nobles and other members of the Firm, to help create a vast information network for himself through these connections. Keel then convinced the businesses to join his proposed "Evillious Commerce Alliance" under the Freesis Firm's leadership to promote their individual business interests and dominate the region.

During that period, Keel managed to contact the Association and earned their cooperation to merge with the firm. As part of the merge, the Association agreed to provide one of their Bruno agents as the family's top aide; Keel also agreed to let the Bruno have complete authority of the family and its assets in the event the family head has died and there was no immediate successor until a new successor was chosen. He later received the new Bruno and made him the family's butler and chief informant.

In EC 495, Keel and Mikina had their third child, Aile, and were well known among the higher echelons of society. At some point, Keel saw Yukina's talent of writing and would send a servant to purchase Rollam bird feathers from a foreigner-owned inn for her pens. Sometime afterward, Keel acquired a sword from his wife for his collection and stored it in his warehouse. Despite his fascination with the weapon, he saw little value in it and tried selling it to potential buyers. A traveling businessman who visited told Keel it was called the "Venom Sword".

Prospective Maids
In EC 499, Keel planned to visit the inn with a servant to buy more bird feathers since several of their servants resigned and they were under-staffed. However, he was forced to help clean up a few things and Mikina had to do go there instead. When his wife returned, she brought back two more potential servants: Clarith and Michaela. After three months, the family accepted the pair as maids. Clarith in particular was assigned to take care of Yukina, due to her literacy and unique features attracting the child.

In December of EC 499, Keel attended the party of Lucifenia's princess, Riliane Lucifen d'Autriche, with his wife and Bruno. At the party, Keel learned of the Kingdom's growing financial situation, poverty, and starvation due to their poor harvest. When the princess' cake was presented before the guests, Keel was surprised by how massive it was. Returning the day after the celebration, Keel arrived to learn Earl Felix had visited the mansion and entered the living room, sending out Michaela and Clarith before discussing the current state of Lucifenia.

As the two began to leave the room, Keel finished his report from the celebration and the earl thanked him for his advice. Yukina suddenly ran into her father, glad to see he was home. Smiling, he apologized for not coming to see her first when he got back and offered to read a book to her as compensation. The earl laughed, musing how Keel uncharacteristically acted towards his daughter. Keel replied that he would rather have her than The Daughter of Evil, Riliane.

That night, Keel heard a beautiful singing voice from his room and went out to the garden to see Michaela singing for Clarith. Amazed by the performance, he clapped as she finished. The impressed merchant congratulated Michaela for her unknown talent and brushed off Michaela's apology for singing so loud. Keel asked if Michaela liked to sing and decided to hire a tutor to help improve her talent. When the servant asked why, Keel said she would see and said it was getting cold, sending them all back to their rooms.

Two weeks later, during the next banquet, Michaela was set up as the main event and the merchant clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. Confident, Keel presented his maid upon the stage and her performance wowed his attendees. After the show, Keel and Michaela socialized with the various guests. King Kyle walked up and noted how successful Keel was and the merchant asked if Kyle was satisfied by the performance. Seeing Kyle's bright smile towards Michaela, Keel introduced his friend to the girl, jokingly calling him a playboy. Keel laughed as Kyle became increasingly embarrassed once Michaela played along with the joke.

Lucifenia's Troubles
"Hmm, if you answer him seriously, he'll stop for good. But Kyle does have a fiancée." "Fiancée?" "Yeah. Moreover, your opponent would be the Princess of Lucifenia! It may become a diplomatic problem if it gets too bad."

- Keel and Michaela

In the weeks following the party, Keel was pleased by Michaela's popularity, even glad that several nobles and businessmen asked to marry her, all while receiving subsidies from the Elphegort government for Michaela's singing. Later on, a messenger from King Thorny regularly came after dinner asking for Keel's assistance with the poor harvest in Elphegort and the merchant would help with the procedures. One day, after Michaela performed at his monthly banquet and the feast was over, he noticed that Kyle left for home somewhat stiffly.

The next day, he came upon Michaela silently examining his collection before coming in himself, asking if anything was wrong. When Michaela turned around, startled by his entrance, he noticed the pendant and asked if it was from Kyle. The merchant mused aloud on how Kyle had given the necklace to her unexpectedly early, despite how he acted last evening.

When Michaela asked him what to do, Keel went to his desk to check his documents, assuring the maid that Kyle would stop if she told him to and added that he had a fiancee. At Michaela's surprise, Keel continued that the competition was the princess of Lucifenia and that if things got too bad, it could become a diplomatic issue. At Michaela's silence, Keel told her while reading that she could play with fire if she wanted, joking that it was probably difficult due to the nature of two people together.

Over the next few weeks, Keel was repeatedly visited by a messenger from King Thorny and King Kyle to discuss plans for financial aid as well as the current issues plaguing Lucifenia. The day before Kyle had to leave for Marlon, the merchant held a meeting between himself, Kyle, and King Thorny to discuss the affair. Desiring to avoid war because of the country's starvation, Keel agreed to help Kyle relieve the starvation and financial constraints in Lucifenia.

Once Kyle convinced Thorny to assist in the matter, Keel cut into their meeting and suggested they stop talking about work; citing that Kyle would be leaving tomorrow, he suggested they slow down and enjoy liquor for the rest of the meeting. Tasking Michaela to bring a bottle of liquor, Keel waited with Kyle and Thorny as some time passed and the request was not fulfilled.

As the merchant began to call for Michaela, Clarith suddenly burst in with the liquor bottle. After Clarith had grabbed Kyle by the front of his clothes, and began ranting in his face, Keel attempted to stop her, asking her if she was drunk, only for the maid to snap at him and grab the front of his clothes instead. When Clarith began insulting Keel and saying he wasn't present from the beginning, Keel denied it and continued to argue with the maid. Eventually, as Clarith was calmed down, the merchant harshly scolded her and Michaela for the outburst.

The next day, as Kyle prepared to say his farewells, Keel decided to tidy up the warehouse and show the king his collection. He then took out the Venom Sword, describing to Kyle how it was supposed to be a magic sword. After handing it to Kyle so he could examine it, the merchant asked if he would like to buy it. Kyle refused and said goodbye to his friend. While marveling at the sword in his private room, he saw Michaela enter frantically and asked if something was wrong.

Brushing it off, she said the messenger had left and the businessman explained how it ended early. Seeing her stare at the sword, he asked if she was interested and she said she was just curious by its odd shape. Keel elaborated how it was his favorite and that even his wife had noted its odd shape to him but that it wasn't worth much, recalling the name the businessman gave the weapon.

Foreign Visitors
"As for the impending marriage with King Kyle, the Princess seems to feel very good." "The marriage... I hope it doesn't get messed up."

- Allen Avadonia and Keel

Weeks later, Keel learned that Kyle rejected Riliane's engagement and suspected Michaela was the "lover" described by the blue-haired king. Four days later, a servant from Lucifenia was sent in response to Keel's aid after he rejected any minister or Mariam Futapie from coming. While awaiting the messenger, Keel was visited by the mercenary Gast Venom, interested in buying the Venom Sword because it was a family heirloom. Purposefully, Keel offered an exorbitant price for the sword and the mercenary gave up and left.

After Gast left the room, Keel saw him speak with the messenger, Allen Avadonia, and later greeted the boy as he admired his collection. The servant immediately expressed Princess Riliane's appreciation and bestowed rare gifts: fine parchment paper and a quill pen. Keel noted that the pen was made from Rollam bird feathers and thanked Allen for the gifts. Allen was glad he liked them, saying they heard Keel was fond of such things.

The merchant then explained how his children were more fond of them than he was, explaining Yukina's fascination for reading and writing. Changing the topic, Keel queried if he had spoken with Gast and Allen asked if he knew the mercenary. Keel responded that it was their first meeting and showed him the Venom Sword, explaining why Gast desired it and had not purchased it. He then elaborated that underestimating what a client could pay upfront was the common knowledge of a merchant.

Keel explained to Allen his economical and personal reasons for helping the Kingdom of Lucifenia, saying it was logical to help his friend Kyle help Riliane since the two would be married soon. Brushing the topic aside, Keel noted how important it was to know and manipulate information to be successful and said that he wanted to hear the truth from a non-politically involved servant. After Allen explained the full severity of Princess Riliane's tyranny, Keel expressed his disbelief at how bad it had become.

When the servant added how the food aid and impending marriage with Kyle lessened the severity of the situation, Keel muttered that he hoped the wedding wouldn't be messed up. A knock then came at the door and Keel permitted Michaela to enter with tea. Seeing that tea accompanied by brioche, he said he would have a try and tasted the snack. Pleased, he asked if she made it and Michaela told him it was Clarith. Noting her exceptional cooking, the merchant offered Allen the treat and watched as he and Michaela conversed.

Staring, he noted how the two met on Allen's way here and inquired if he had a crush on her. Before Allen could form a response, Keel joked at the boy's young love and apologized that she had so many suitors. After explaining her popularity and expressing both his pity and respect for her denial to marry any of them, he realized how long their meeting had dragged on and thanked Allen for his visit. When the servant asked if he was any help to the merchant, Keel responded that he had done him a big favor.

The next day, Keel was visited by two messengers, one being Ney Futapie, and learned that Riliane learned of Kyle's actions and was desperately searching for his sweetheart in Elphegort. After Keel discussed Michaela with her before they left, Keel summoned Michaela, Clarith, Gerda, Bruno, and the family together for a meeting. Declaring things were not well, Keel had Bruno explain the situation. Once Bruno finished the briefing, the annoyed merchant called his friend a fool.

After ranting how childish his actions were, not considering the consequences, he slammed his fists on the table. Once he calmed down, Keel explained that the messenger was a spy trained by Mariam Futapie of the Three Heroes and gave them intelligence to plan their countermeasures. Saying he feared the worst if Riliane learned of Michaela, he decided to give her refuge and described his hideout in the Millennium Tree Forest.

When Clarith requested to speak, the Freesis couple encouraged her to protect Michaela and be with her at all times. Along with everyone else, Keel agreed to Mikina's desire to uphold the Freesis motto to show equal love to their servants and their families. At some point, the merchant sent a letter to Kyle detailing where he planned to hide Michaela. Later on, the blue-haired king wrote back, saying he could arrive in about a week from when the letter got there and smuggle Michaela safely out of the country.

Green Hunting
"Allen, I trust you, so I'll tell you Michaela’s hiding place. It's your decision on what to do about it. Whatever the outcome is, I'll accept it... I'm sorry for letting someone a young as you have such a heavy burden on your back."

- Keel while imprisoned

At the start of the Green Hunting, Keel, his family, and the servants all gathered in preparation to flee and decided to leave in fewer numbers to avoid discovery. Recommending Michaela also flee from Aceid, Keel urged the reluctant girl to escape or else the others might get hurt. Seeing Clarith didn't understand the plan, Keel indifferently asked if she wanted to give up Michaela and said he didn't care if she joined her or not. When thanked for taking care of the two, Keel boastfully asked who they thought he was, confident he would survive. The merchant showed the servants their escape routes and later joined his wife's side as she tearfully said goodbye to Clarith and Michaela.

Later, the Lucifenian army found Keel and his family, arresting and imprisoning them at the Lucifenian Royal Palace for allowing a green-haired servant to flee. Once Allen arrived at his cell, Keel confidently cited how he should have known Riliane would burn the forest sooner. When the servant asked if Michaela was Kyle's lover, the merchant's attitude changed and he whispered to the boy, asking if anyone else knew. Confirming Allen was the only one, he explained how it was only a one-sided love and not a great defeat for the love-struck chamberlain.

Keel, hearing Allen's concern for where Michaela was, hesitantly described his moral conflict over the issue and asked if the servant felt the same about someone. Trusting in Allen's judgement, the merchant told the child about Michaela's hiding place and that he would accept what the servant would do, regardless of the outcome. After apologizing for giving him the onus decision, he elaborated upon Kyle's projected arrival and plan to rescue the Freesis maid. Some days later, Keel was approached again in his prison cell; the merchant listened as Allen, with tears in his eyes, explained someone had already killed Michaela.

The business magnate used the Firm's connections through Corpa and managed to pay off the heavy fines charged against him and his family months later. Following their release, the family were placed under house arrest at Corpa's mansion in Lucifenia. Soon after, Keel came in contact with Chartette Langley who set up a meeting between him and the Lucifenian Resistance days later. Learning that Clarith had been captured and interrogated by the Lucifenian military, Keel persuaded Corpa to pay for her bail so that the merchant could speak with her again.

Supporting the Rebellion
"Keel Freesis has given us a lot of things. All of the members of the revolutionary army have been given a weapon."

- Sekka of the Resistance

Keel met with the Resistance's leader, Germaine Avadonia, who offered to secure his confiscated property from the Palace in exchange for his support for their revolution. During the meeting, Keel heard Clarith at the door and permitted her to enter. Glad to see the white-haired girl, he expressed his worry for her. When Clarith apologized for failing to follow his orders, he said he should apologize, avoiding eye contact with her before brushing it off. Germaine interrupted and Keel allowed her to continue.

As Germaine stopped Clarith from leaving, Keel strongly disagreed with her hope to drag Clarith into the Resistance. Seeing Germaine threaten Clarith as she hesitated to decide, Keel assured her that she would not betray them. Pried by Germaine again, Keel evaded the topic, saying he wasn't good at it but that he would consider her offer.

After Germaine and York left, Clarith noted how frightening they were and the merchant said it was just bravado. After urging Clarith to get some rest, Keel struggled with his guilt over telling Allen Michaela's location and her ensuing death. Advised by his wife to support the Resistance, he thoroughly investigated the rebellion's situation, without sleep, and saw the advantage they had. Keel decided to support the Resistance and use the chance to return to Marlon, learning that a mansion in Marlon had become vacant.

A few days since the meeting, he entered Clarith's room and explained his decision, asking if she planned to join them. Once she expressed her disinterest, he agreed with her decision and said he would be glad to have her as his maid again in Marlon. As she tearfully said she couldn't, he noted it was because of Michaela's death and moved towards the window. While looking at a Levin cathedral, the merchant asked if she believed in God and said she could work at the monastery he helped create. Clarith questioned if he wanted her to be a nun and he rejected the notion, saying they were understaffed and very suitable for the Netsuma girl to clear her head.

Conflicted, Keel bluntly told her that she needed to accept Michaela's death and she needed to move on. Clarith finally accepted his offer and the merchant said she was still part of their family and would keep in touch with the white-haired girl, shaking hands. The following day, Keel had Clarith relay his decision to Germaine and began providing supplies to the Resistance. On the day of Clarith's deparature, Keel and Yukina said their goodbyes before she left.

Lucifenian Revolution
"It’s terrible! A Rollam merchant also participated in the revolutionary army." "What did you say... This cannot be… Keel Freesis is the leader! Immediately locate and arrest Keel Freesis! This will never be forgiven! Once he is arrested, he will be put to death immediately!"

- A Lucifenian minister and Prime Minister Minis

Shortly after Clarith's departure, Keel traveled to Marlon with his family and moved into the Freesis Mansion there. While there, Keel was visited by Elluka Clockworker and her apprentice, Gumillia. The two women revealed they managed to recover Keel's property from his burned-down mansion and, after some negotiation, returned them to him.

As part of their deal, the merchant abided Elluka's request to hide them from Lucifenia and give her the Venom Sword he held. During that period, Gumillia revealed that Michaela was once a Forest Spirit and her "partner" and used a ritual to show that her spirit incarnated as a tree sapling. Amazed, Keel advised they give Michaela to Clarith, saying she would want to see her friend first when she became a tree.

Months later, during the Lucifenian Revolution, Keel used the Freesis Firm to help support the revolutionary army at Rollam, supplying them with weapons to help combat the military might of the Lucifenian army. After Lucifenian was captured by the Resistance and The Daughter of Evil was imprisoned, Keel attended the peace meeting. Seeing Germaine, he congratulated her and praised her determination, brushing off his contributions in comparison.

Like the others, Keel was surprised when the masked Karchess revealed himself to be King Kyle. When the matter regarding the Three Heroes came up, Keel expressed disbelief that she would cause any trouble, curbing the council's attention to Mariam Futapie instead. Soon after, Kyle announced Marlon's temporary occupation of Lucifenia and control over its government. He, along with the rest present at the meeting, agreed to the proposal and did not object as Kyle announced The Daughter of Evil's execution.

On December 27th, EC 500, Keel attended the execution in Milanais Square and witnessed The Daughter of Evil come on the stage; during the event, he recognized the princess was actually Allen in disguise. Some time after the revolution, Keel met with Kyle and related the testimony Allen gave him while imprisoned. At some point, Elluka and Gumillia left Keel's protection, telling him they planned to meet Clarith before heading to the Eastern region.

Return Home
"Perhaps, you were entrusted by my father to find me and observe the situation... is it not?" "Ho ho ho. This proves you really are Miss Yukina. Still filled with interesting ideas." "So what? Am I right or wrong?" "You can think of it as both."

- Yukina and Bruno

Some time later, Keel enjoyed his morning sipping tea and reading the newspaper when he noticed Yukina writing something on paper and asked what it was. She told him it was a story about snakes and frogs. The businessman then read over four letters he recieved. The first concerned Kyle handing control over to his mother, Prim, and settled in Lucifenia; the letter also mentioned his Witch Hunt order for Germaine. Thinking how alike both businessmen and Royal Families were in involving entire countries in their personal desires, he laughed.

After reading his letters from Elluka and Clarith, Keel read the letter from Germaine, thanking him for his assistance and reporting the situations of her friends. Knowing the risks the intelligence he had brought, Keel threw the letters in his fireplace and decided to keep the information memorized. Yukina then asked him to read her recently finished story and was impressed by its quality for her age. After she told him she planned to write about The Daughter of Evil, Keel thought it was too soon for her to write about such events.

As Kyle's policies in Lucifenia became more aggressive, Keel was convinced by Mikina to support their friend and not oppose his actions. Despite this, he began investigating the cause of Kyle's new policies and discovered the existence of Prim's court mage, Abyss I.R. Continuing his friendship with Kyle, Keel often complained that the king never visited him at his estate. In EC 502, Bruno retired from Keel's employ and left to live in Beelzenia with his family.

At some point, Keel suggested that Kyle block Marlon's trade within Elphegort to promote its domestic market and the King complied. When Yukina expressed her renewed desire to study The Daughter of Evil, Keel opposed her going abroad for research. After she snuck away from her family, Keel grew depressed over the event and used all his resources available to track her. Eventually, he contacted Bruno and asked the retired butler to help find Yukina and monitor the situation for him in the country.

Sometime after, Keel received word of her activity at Retasan Fortress from him. Around the same time, Keel began investigating the events that had transpired and learned of Prim and Abyss I.R.'s seeming involvement. By chance, he discovered the son of Prim's midwife from twenty-three years ago and learned that Prim's allegedly stillborn child had actually survived.

Afterwards, Keel connected the child to the girl Kyle portrayed in his painting and concluded the King's long lost sister was Ney Futapie; he also suspected that the machinations by Queen Dowager Prim and Abyss I.R. were to expand Marlon's territory and advance its status in Evillious. Around this time, Keel received word that Prim was staying at Castle Hedgehog to nurse a physical condition, and learned that undead soldiers were spotted in the area.

He then asked Admiral Dylan to sail Yukina and Kyle back to Marlon and the navyman agreed to help. Afterward, Keel wrote an invitation to Kyle, Germaine, and Gumillia, asking them to join him for a future dinner party he'd host in Marlon and return via the ship he sent to them. While writing his invitation to Kyle, he noted how busy they'd been and never got the chance to see each other again. Remembering that Yukina was supposedly with him, he added that he would be extremely grateful if he brought her back with him. Keel then sent Shaw as a messenger on the Royal Victoricia and awaited their return.

Yukina Returns
After Yukina arrived back in Marlon with Germaine, Gumillia, and Kyle, the Freesis family welcomed her return, the merchant joyfully crying. Keel, happy to see her safe, was disappointed that Kyle had gone off without them and invited Gumillia and Germaine to have dinner with them at the mansion.

During their dinner, Keel told his eldest daughter nothing was wrong and she didn't need to worry for running away from home. Like everyone else, Keel was displeased by Germaine's drunken rant about the danger Yukina faced while abroad. As Yukina described her adventures, her father revealed his own findings about Prim and her court mage.

Meeting with an Old Friend
"It's been a while, Kyle."

- Keel to the Marlon King

The merchant later prepared to meet Kyle at Marlon Castle, instructing Gerda to bring the king's last surviving painting with her. Bringing along both her and Shaw as his attendants, the merchant entered Right Palace and awaited his friend's arrival. After some time, Kyle entered the audience chamber and, while Shaw and Gerda kneeled, Keel remained standing, noting how long he had to wait for him. While his friend headed to his throne, he asked if he was simply too busy with all his work and Kyle chided the merchant for teasing him, considering his position.

Keel then brushed the topic aside and remarked that they finally got to meet at least, giving his friend a warm smile. When Kyle responded in kind, Keel looked around to see Shaw and Gerda still kneeling. Telling his two attendants to leave the audience room, Keel then pointed at Arkatoir and asked for him to leave as well. Telling Kyle that he wished for only the two of them to talk in a private discussion, Keel suggested Shaw receive a tour of the palace. Taking the hint, the king then commanded Arkatoir to give Shaw a tour and Keel told Gerda to leave the package there. Saying she hadn't been to the castle in a while, the merchant suggested she join Arkatoir in the tour, much to the maid's embarrassment.

After they saw the two red-faced adults quickly leave with Shaw, Kyle asked Keel what their relationship was and Keel responded it was what they just saw. Asking if they were parent and child, Keel denied it but agreed that there was a large age gap between them. Keel then cleaned his glasses while suggesting they move onto the main topic, discussing everything that happened in the years they hadn't seen each other.

Keel then mentioned that Prim and Ney were at Castle Hedgehog, speaking of the Demons of Sin among other things he'd learned of through his investigations. As Kyle wondered why Prim would stay at the royal villa, Keel said it was supposedly to nurse her physical condition, adding, though, that they had stayed for a very long time. He then clarified that he suspected Ney's presence due to the dead soldiers in the area, which only Ney could manipulate. When the king expressed concern, Keel reassured him that they hadn't spread outside the Blood Pool Region and so was nothing to worry about.

The merchant then claimed his belief that Prim was the mastermind; when asked of what, Keel clarified that he believed Prim used demonic possession to make the countries of Lucifenia and Elphegort collide to advance Marlon's power, although there was no conclusive evidence for it. Becoming furious, Keel explained when asked that he was enraged a demon was responsible for Marlon's prosperity, the country he loved.

When Kyle, after thinking it over, asked to speak to Prim himself, the merchant raised his concern over the undead in the area. Kyle then reminded him that he could make use of Marlon's troops as well as take advice from Yukina, Gumillia, and Germaine on combatting them. Once Kyle reminded Keel that there was no conclusive evidence for why Prim and Ney were at the castle and what their objective were, Keel remembered Gerda's package. He asked the king if he remembered his last surviving painting.

When Kyle confirmed his memory of it and asked why Keel brought it, the merchant explained he had a story to share about the painting. As he began his story of twenty-three years ago, he heard Kyle muse how he was four years old at the time and Keel corrected him, reminding him that he was eight, and questioned why he kept lying about his age. After Kyle said it was always a habit, Keel chided that he only did it when he wanted to pick up girls.

Keel then continued his tale about Prim's leave of public service due to the pregnancy and apparent stillbirth, revealing what he had learned from the midwife's son. When Kyle exclaimed in shock that the child had survived, Keel clarified that the child was hidden from the public, although he didn't know why. As Kyle began to realize the truth, Keel confirmed that the girl in the portrait was Kyle's sister. After Kyle wondered aloud why his mother did this, Keel admitted he didn't know, and confirmed the child was still alive.

Kyle then approached Keel, wrapping his left arm around him, and demanded to know how she was currently. The merchant removed his hand and reiterated that she was at Castle Hedgehog like he had said before. Once Kyle realized who he was referring to and collapsed to the ground in shock, Keel asked if he finally understood. While Kyle thought over Keel's implications, the merchant left the room.

Tides of Battle
Later on, Keel returned home and walked in on a meeting between Kyle, Elluka, Gumillia, and Yukina; as he walked in, he saw Kyle and Yukina in a seemingly tender embrace, his daughter making the King promise he'd return from Castle Hedgehog safely. Believing Kyle was making a play for Yukina, the furious merchant stated it'd be difficult for Kyle to fulfill that promise, since he was going to die. He then demanded to know what Kyle was doing to Yukina, cursing at him, and the merchant promptly beat him up and threw him out of the house.

Soon after, Keel contacted a lord and another contact to help supply weapons for the Marlon soldiers. With the lord's backing, Keel convinced the black suit to help provide weapons for the troops should he be able to mingle with Yukina as part of the payment. Around this time, the merchant, heard from Germaine that the blue-haired king had promised to work toward removing Marlon's presence from Lucifenia in exchange for her help in the coming battle.

A few days later, Keel departed with Yukina for Lioness to watch over his daughter while she mingled with the shady contact. While there, he nonchalantly remarked to Kyle how rich the area was with nature and fresh air, taking a deep breath and stretching his arms. After saying he'd take it easy in the town since they'd be there for a while, the merchant wished the Marlon King luck and offered to celebrate with him afterward.

He then whispered about what he heard from Germaine and promised to help as much as possible. When Kyle questioned if that was okay, Keel pointed out they were friends before rushing after Yukina; the child ignored him and then ran off to help distribute the weapons. By sunset, the deal for the weapons was finished. During the ensuing battle, Keel waited with Yukina at Lioness Castle.

After the battle, Keel met with Kyle, Yukina, Germaine, Gumillia, and Elluka in one of the castle's bedrooms while the Marlon King explained what had transpired with Queen Dowager Prim and Ney. Seeing the vessels of sin laid out, the curious merchant noted that the demon-possessed vessels were frightening objects but still movable with just a finger. As he attempted to ask Elluka if she would return the Venom Sword to him, the mage staunchly refused.

Disappointed, Keel questioned keeping such dangerous items. As he wondered what would happen if the demons just jumped out of them, the mage answered that she already put a simple sealing spell on them. Germaine then interrupted and told them to have their conversation later, noting they still had to decide what to do with Ney. After staring at the comatose Ney across from them in silence, Keel mentioned that capital punishment was normally unavoidable if  they went public with her crimes.

Seeing Kyle's thoughtful expression, the merchant sarcastically remarked that their king seemed to be planning to try preventing her arrest or revealing the truth. Kyle then chastised his friend, saying there were various circumstances to consider. When Gumillia expressed her desire for the captured Ney to be healed so she could apologize, the merchant inquired if the apology was meant for her and the mage shook her head while denying the notion.

The group then heard a rattling sound outside the room. Keel offered to check it out, claiming to be the only one uninjured in some form. Once he left the room, he saw Mikina there in a peculiar mask and, surprised, asked why she was there. He then laughed, saying it was a difficult problem. When he began to ask about her mask, the woman hit his head with a blunt instrument, knocking him out. Shortly after, Keel was moved to another room and examined by a doctor, determining his injuries weren't life threatening.

Later Life
Keel was moved back to the Freesis Mansion in Marlon soon after and remained in a coma for several weeks while attended to by a doctor. He eventually regained consciousness and was cared for by Mikina after she was freed from Abyss I.R.'s control. As a result of his injury, his condition became worse and he retired soon after. Although he ceded control of the Freesis Firm over to Shaw, he assisted in the majority of his work and helped procure the young boy's business acumen until he became a mature and business savvy adult. Later in life, he witnessed his son reorganize the business as the Freesis Foundation and died sometime after.

Legacy
Keel's accomplishments as a merchant carried on his son Shaw and the Freesis Foundation stemming from his corporate conglomerate had a major impact in politics and business in the century following his death. By the seventh century EC, the Foundation was entrusted to investigate the Toragay Serial Killings and their connection to Père Noël. In the wake of his and Mikina's death, Shaw resolved to eradicate the vessels of sin that ruined his family and gave his full support to Elluka Clockworker's mission in finding them.

Personality and Traits
"It's embarrassing, really... Someone who has been, til now, driven by the interests of merchants, will hesitate for even a mere servant... But isn't it the right thing to do? Regardless of common sense and ethics, everyone... has something to protect. And for me... that's family."

- Keel reflecting on his values

Keel was a shrewd and responsible businessman, who nevertheless always put the well-being of his family and those he considered family above himself. Experiencing hardships and obstacles from a young age, Keel learned to be resolute in his goals and persist even when the odds were against him, pursuing Mikina's love despite her father's disapproval and not giving up in getting his business to flourish in Elphegort. After he was successful, Keel faced his problems head-on and remained active in the managing of his trading guild.

As such, he became largely concerned with the accumulation of wealth and growth of his firm, and many of his actions were calculated for making him money or gaining more power for his business. In this regard, Keel was honest and hardworking in his trade, though not above making shady deals when necessary; additionally, during his youth he had a reputation for doing anything if he was paid for it. In addition, he loved gathering information and believed possessing as much as possible was the key to success, making strides to know everything of worth in politics and business.

Although becoming known through Evillious as a powerful merchant Keel was nonetheless well-mannered and polite; similarly, he was not quick to anger and would only yell when given sufficient cause. He also became known for wearing delicate pince-nez glasses due to his poor eyesight. In addition, Keel entertained the common Marlon hobby of collecting rare and valuable artifacts, storing them in his personal study or warehouse and showing his collection to others.

Outside his firm, Keel showed a softer side when dealing with his own family and valued them above all else. Loving Mikina deeply and relying on her advice, the intelligent and businesslike merchant was seen by outsiders as being under his wife's thumb, while Keel himself trusted her as his support over the hardships they faced together. Due to this, he was willing to listen to her counsel even when it went against his own beliefs, as in supporting Kyle's increasingly tyrannical reign.

He also was attentive to his children, and said to be a different man around them as opposed to in the company of his associates. While occasionally not able to spend as much time with them due to his work, the merchant would become despondent and lonely without his children, so much so that his friends believed it possible for him to die of loneliness. Fiercely overprotective of Yukina in particular, Keel was willing to visit violence on anyone he perceived as doing her wrong, even if they were a friend. He also was very doting on his son Shaw, particularly in the boy's youth, grooming him to become his successor.

Keel also held a close bond with his friends, particularly Kyle, and used his vast resources to come to his aid on multiple occasions. Becoming friends with the prince in his youth, Keel supported his hobbies and wishes even when Kyle's own mother did not, and was fond of having him over as often as possible. Despite this, he often berated him when disapproving of his actions and acknowledged the king's faults, as well as being angered by his endangerment of Yukina. After realizing Kyle had been possessed by a demon, however, he put all his efforts into unraveling the conspiracy behind his rule and unveiling the truth for him.

The merchant was also philanthropic despite his hard business sense and financial objectives. His own difficulty in getting a foothold in Elphegort made him sympathetic to the plight of other minorities, and he and his wife hired  them on staff as a higher priority than most working Elphes. In addition, he often came to care for the staff he took on as though they were his own family, willing to protect them at any cost. Similarly, he was concerned by the harsh situation of the Lucifenian citizens under Riliane's autocratic rule.

Skills and Abilities
As a businessman, Keel had a sharp business acumen and head for dealing with financial affairs. Originally as the proprietor of his shop, he had a keen eye for merchandise and stocked his store with high-quality products, although initially hampered by the prejudice Elphes held against foreigners. Later, he demonstrated the skills necessary to manage and maintain his growing merchant's guild, the Freesis Firm, as it encompassed trade all through Evillious. With these skills, Keel was able to organize the Evillious Commerce Alliance as a powerful financial empire and become its head.

Due to this, he carried a heavy influence in Evillious and he was able to have a large hand in politics and trade across the region. Similarly, his name alone was enough to sway political officials and other powerful individuals in favor of him or his associates. Aside from influence, Keel's guild gave him considerable wealth that allowed him to afford luxurious living conditions.

As part of this influence, Keel had developed social skills and was able to make friends with multiple important figures. In order to maintain these social connections he would throw a banquet every month, becoming skilled as a host as well. Similarly, he was very observant about others and skilled at having the advantage in conversations. He could also recognize talent, as in the case of helping Michaela to become the diva of Elphegort. Despite his keen observation skills, Keel had weak eyesight and required glasses to see.

His good sense also carried over to his skills as an investigator, and he was able to use his vast connections through Evillious to gather facts and corroborate stories for the purpose of discovering the truth. During his youth in Marlon, Keel maintained connections that allowed him to discover truths even concerning sensitive political cases; this only enhanced as he built up the Freesis Firm.

Character Connections
Mikina Freesis: Keel's wife. Keel loved Mikina deeply, with the two running away together and supporting each other in their mutual hardships. He treated her as a partner in running the household, the latter having a strong influence over him to the point of it looking like he was under her thumb, and he would often follow her advice in difficult decisions.

Yukina Freesis: Keel's eldest daughter. Keel was proud of Yukina's skill in writing stories and had a close relationship with her, often spending time with her and giving her gifts. Fiercely protective of her, Keel initially wanted to stop her from discovering the truth to keep her from harm. He eventually grew to appreciate her quest and gave her aid, although missing her dearly when she left.

Kyle Marlon: A good friend of Keel's. Keel was vexed with Kyle's foolishness in regards to Michaela, which sparked the Green Hunting, but had been and remained a close friend of the Marlon king. He would often aid him using his connections as a merchant and enjoyed having him over as a guest; despite this, he violently disapproved of any interest Kyle may have had in his daughter Yukina.

Michaela: One of Keel's maids. Keel was impressed by Michaela's singing voice, and her hard work as one of his servants; over the course of her employment he began to consider her a member of the family. In the Green Hunting Keel had been protective of her even at the cost of countless innocent lives, and great grief at her death, holding himself responsible.

Clarith: One of Keel's maids. Keel grew to care about Clarith as a member of the family after she worked for him, appreciating her excellent cooking and the care she showed for Yukina. After the Green Hunting he became concerned for her future plans and hoped to help her move on from Michaela's death.

Allen Avadonia: Keel was interested in Allen's viewpoints as one of the common people of Lucifenia, finding him to be of an honest character. During the Green Hunting, Keel trusted Allen enough to tell him Michaela's location, recognizing that he also prioritized protecting his loved ones. He felt regret, however, for placing such a burden on him.

Shaw Freesis: Keel's only son. Keel loved Shaw and often doted on him; he grew to trust the boy with heavy responsibilities, such as being his messenger to bring Yukina back to Marlon and later running the Freesis Firm in after Keel's early retirement. During this time he became a mentor figure to his son and worked hard to develop his business acumen.

Aile Freesis: Keel's youngest daughter. Keel loved Aile as his daughter and prioritized her safety as he did for all his family.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Keel's name may be derived from the central beam in the hull of a boat, supporting the ship as well as helping to keep it afloat.
 * Keel's name is partially inspired by the name of his representative Vocaloid, Kiyoteru, with Keel's romanization containing the "ki" and "ru" in it.

Curiosities

 * Among the items in Keel's collection are clockwork dolls, likely referencing Kiril Clockworker.
 * In Epic of Evil: The Daughter of Evil Fanbook, Keel was voted as the fifteenth most popular character in The Daughter of Evil series by Japanese fans, along with Ein.

Gallery
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