Hob Homer

Hob Homer was the chief of the World Police's International Works Department. Pressured by the Freesis Foundation's Bruno Marlon, he suspended any investigations related to Père Noël. After discovering his fellow officer Heidemarie Lorre was framed and imprisoned, he attempted to rescue her and her sister and began covertly undermining Bruno's authority.

Early Life
Born sometime during the 6th century EC, Hob joined the World Police, eventually becoming the chief of the International Works Department. Around the turn of the century, Freesis Foundation President Shaw Freesis had Hob recruit Heidemarie Lorre as a Justea officer, secretly informing him she was his great-granddaughter. Over the years, Hob received multiple complaints concerning Heidemarie's abusal of power, including destroying property, torturing suspects, ignoring cooperation with the local police, and abandoning work to see Rin Chan concerts. At some point, Hob became friends with the president of the Shuburke Newspaper.

Rin Chan Case
"I've decided to take you off this investigation." "But why would you?" "Of course I would! I believe you've caused far too many problems! You destroy houses here and there, torture the suspects without permission, ignore cooperation with the local police officers, abandon your job to go see concerts, and answer news interviewers without permission on top of all that!"

- Hob and Heidemarie

While reading the Shuburke Newspaper's sixtieth issue on September 30, EC 609, Hob read a vehement Rin Chan fan's insistance that N A's claims that the diva was lip-synching were false, deducing the fan was Heidemarie. Later on, he received complaints from the Elphegort government that Heidemarie had attacked innocent residents of an inn in Toragay on October 6 while investigating the murder of Ton Corpa and kidnapping of Rin Chan allegedly perpetrated by the criminal organization Père Noël's Fifth Pierrot earlier that day.

Once he received Elphegort branch's police report, Hob read that the son of the innkeeper had been transporting the perpetrator and desired person for his coachman work and had already dropped them off at the Kiel checkpoint far off from Toragay late that night when Heidemarie assaulted the inn the innkeeper and her sister Hanne was staying at. At some point, he receved orders from Bruno Marlon to take Heidemarie off the case, threatening to cut the Freesis Foundation's funding for their department otherwise.

On October 15, Hob summoned Heidemarie to his office and roared at her once she entered the room, berating the officer for attacking the innocent inn residents. Heidemarie remarked it didn't mean what she did was unrelated to the case and the department chief demanded to know how exactly they related to Rin Chan's kidnapping. Heidemarie unabashedly explained that she confirmed a coachman had transported Rin Chan and the kidnapper to Elphegort and so determined were likely staying at the coachman's mother's home. The frustrated chief pointed out what he read in the report he received and she questioned how he already knew.

Hob immediately answered that the Elphegort branch's police seemed to be better than her, though having unfortunately been unable to stop the carriage before it had reached the Kiel checkpoint. He then exlcaimed that the important matter was her off-point investigating of a crime scene, slamming his fists upon his desk. Resisting hitting Shaw's great-grandchild, Hob plainly told her he's taking her off the investigation and she questioned why he would. Hob retorted he obviously would, pointing out all the trouble she caused.

Topping off the list of problems she's caused with talking freely with reporters, he put the Shuburke newspaper from two weeks ago before her on his desk. He then noted the fan in the "Diva Rin Chan Lip-Syncing Allegations" article was her, expressing his fury at her unauthorized interview with the press. After Heidemarie expressed her belief that Rin Chan would never lip-sync, Hob exploded about her actually caring about such an issue and involving Justea in it. Once he calmed down, the department chief  told her to just rest for a while, though lamenting he actually wanted to fire her.

He then noted her sister was among the attacked and stated it was the perfect opportunity, suggesting she spend time with her lonesome sister in their homeland of Elphegort. After Heidemaire conceded and began to leave with her gun, he quickly stopped her and told the woman to put the weapon there on his desk. When the suspended officer refused, citing it was her belonging, Hob replied she was just a civilian during her suspension and would be arrested if she fired it. Heide responded that she'd keep that in mind before exiting without leaving the gun. Once she closed the door, Hob kicked his desk, hurting his toes.

Rescuing the Sisters
In October of that year, Hob learned that the Lorre sisters had been arrested by Bruno for their alleged roles in the poisonings at the Charity Institute and the Lioness Burning Incident. Contacting Ein Anchor, Hob joined forces with the Netsuma to set the girls free. The police chief then took Heidemarie's confiscated fireworks gun and went with Ein to the cells of the World Police headquarters, waiting as Ein freed the girls. When Hanne attempted to greet him, Hob replied that they would do this when they were out, and gave Heidemarie her gun.

After Heidemarie stated her belief that he was on Bruno's side, Hob explained how, although he'd followed Bruno's orders, he couldn't abide by his abuse of power to put an innocent in prison. After Ein explained to the girls that Toragay was in trouble, Hob handed Hanne an early copy of the Shuburke newspaper detailing the spread of disease and quarantine in Toragay, explaining that he was a friend of the president of the paper. As Hanne stopped their flight, stating she needed to say something to Ein, Hob demanded to know what it was and was knocked out mid-sentence by Heidemarie's fireworks gun.

Dog Bites Back
After Hob and Ein awoke, the two discovered that Hanne and Heidemarie had vanished. Once the "Toragay Mysterious Epidemic Disturbance" case was declared closed, the police chief promoted Ein to a Justea investigator. In January of EC 610, Homer assigned officers Willus Zorach and Ein to handle the recent string of prostitute murders in Rolled. In early May, Bruno pressured Hob again to recall the investigation in Rolled and send the officers back to headquarters before May 23. Furious, the chief assigned officer Qyoichi to covertly investigate the new Freesis Foundation vice president and his apparent connection with Père Noël.

Once Qyoichi reported his discovery that Bruno and the other foundation lead executives were meeting with the Lucifenian government during the same period as the recall, Hob had the officer forward his initial findings to Willus; at the same time, he wrote up a letter ordering the recall and sent it to them in Rolled. Willus returned to headquarters as ordered days later and collaborated with Hob and Qyoichi to discover Bruno's involvement in Père Noël's black market. Willus then left headquarters to meet up with Ein; soon after, Kaidor Blankenheim was arrested for impersonating Bruno Marlon and collaborating with the criminal organization.

Personality and Traits
"The chief may be afraid of relegations and pay cuts but what he hates more than that is... distorted "justice"."

- Willus regarding Hob

Hob was a stringent and uncompromising individual. Determined to uphold Justea's reputation, Hob took his job seriously and expected his subordinates to do the same. As the organization's leader, Hob was strict towards the investigators falling under his responsibility, expecting them to act professionally and give Justea a good name. Because of this, Hob was easily frustrated whenever his officers would breach protocol or fall out of line. Hob also expressed his anger very visibly, often shouting and striking objects when mad. Although Hob followed orders from his superiors without question, he had a strong sense of justice and was willing to break the law in order to right a perceived wrong.

Skills and Abilities
The head of Justea, Hob was a competent leader, able to run the organization for several years and manage its members. Aside from this, the man was a skilled investigator, enough to attain the position of leader of the International Works Department. Hob also possessed knowledge of the World Police's headquarters layout, able to successfully locate the cells of Heidemarie and Hanne and get to them without being noticed.

Character Connections
Heidemarie Lorre: Hob's subordinate. Hob had an appreciation for Heidemarie's ability to get results quickly in investigations, but was nonetheless frustrated with her stoic and careless attitude. Similarly, he was angered over her recklessness and insubordination, which threatened to ruin Justea's professional reputation. Despite this, he did care for the other officer and refused to see her treated unjustly for a crime that she didn't commit.

Bruno Marlon: An associate of Hob's. Bruno and Hob shared a confidential relationship, as Hob originally gave Bruno information related to the Justea Department and would direct his officers under pressure from the Freesis Foundation representative. Realizing the injustice being perpetrated by Shaw Freesis' chief aide, Hob decided to resist Bruno and worked to get the man arrested following his detainment of the Lorre sisters.

Ein Anchor: An associate and later subordinate of Hob's. Hob knew Ein as a member of the World Police and, after the two worked together to free the Lorre sisters, promoted him to become his subordinate in the International Works Department. Since then Hob collaborated with the officer to the best of his ability, although still hampered by his position.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Hob's name is a medieval English derivative of Robert, meaning "bright fame".
 * His surname is derived from the Ancient Greek, meaning, "security", "hostage", or "pledge".

Appearances

 * Deadly Sins of Evil: Gift from the Princess who Brought Sleep (first appearance)
 * Deadly Sins of Evil: Fifth Pierrot (mentioned only)