Hob Homer

Hob Homer
Technical Information
Japanese	ホブ＝ホーマー
Romaji	Hobu Hoomaa
Biographical Information
Classification	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation(s)	Kingdom of Marlon World Police

"Despite appearances I am the proud leader of ‘Justea’. I can’t allow something that infringes on justice."

―Hob Homer

Hob Homer was the chief of the World Police's International Works Department. Pressured by the Freezis Foundation's Bruno Marlon, he suspended Heidemarie Lorre from her investigation into Père Noël. After discovering the officer was framed and wrongly imprisoned, he attempted to rescue her and her sister and later worked to covertly undermine Bruno's authority.

History

Early Life

Born sometime during the 6th century EC, Hob joined the World Police and became the chief of the International Works Department at their headquarters in Marlon. Around the turn of the century, Freezis Foundation President Shaw Freezis had Hob recruit Heidemarie Lorre as a Justea officer, secretly informing the Justea chief that she was his great-granddaughter.

Over the years, Hob received multiple complaints concerning Heidemarie's abuse of power, including destroying property, torturing suspects, ignoring cooperation with the local police and abandoning work to see Rin Chan concerts, to Hob's frustration. He later heard about investigator Willus Zorach shooting and killing the Père Noël assassin Fifth Pierrot in EC 607. He also during this time became friends with the president of the Schuburg Newspaper.

Toragay Epidemic

"…I’ve decided to take you off this investigation."
"Why?"
"Isn't it obvious!? You’ve been causing nothing but trouble!"

―Hob and Heidemarie

On September 30, EC 609, Hob realized Heidemarie had spoken to the papers arguing that N A's's claims Rin Chan was lip-syncing were false; he also received complaints from the Elphegort government that Heidemarie had attacked innocent residents of an inn in Toragay while investigating Rin Chan's alleged abduction and Ton Corpa's murder. While looking into the police report of the abduction case for himself, he received orders from Bruno Marlon to take Heidemarie off the case, threatening to cut the Freezis Foundation's funding for their department otherwise.

On October 15, Hob summoned Heidemarie to his office and berated her harshly over her misconduct in the case, before telling her he would be taking her off the investigation. Asked for his reasons, Hob listed all of the complaints he had received about her, including her unauthorized interview with the press. As he lamented that he would be unable to actually fire her, Hob suggested she visit her sister Hanne Lorre, who had been residing in the Toragay inn when she attacked. He then tried to confiscate Heidemarie's gun before she left, only for her to refuse to hand it over, frustrating him again.

Later on, Hob implored the Schuburg Newspaper president to lend him the Toragay relevant portions of the next issue for the following week; in them, he read about Heidemarie's suspected involvement in the 24 deaths at Toragay's Charity Institute along with the growing epidemic that had gotten Toragay put under quarantine. Around that time, he learned Hanne and Heidemarie Lorre had been arrested by Bruno for their alleged roles in the Lioness Burning and Toragay Charity Institute incidents respectively.

Meeting with Constable Ayn Anchor, Hob learned that Heidemarie had been with him at the time of the deaths and so could not be the culprit, while also learning Père Noël was apparently involved in Toragay's epidemic. Once they deduced Bruno was connected to Père Noël and thus trying to cover up the incidents, Hob retrieved Heidemarie's fireworks gun, which had been confiscated on her arrest, and went with Ayn to the Marlon headquarters' prison. They then went to the cells and Ayn unlocked them while Hob waited sullenly, refusing to exchange pleasantries.

As he gave Heidemarie back her gun, Hob explained how he had acted under Bruno's instructions but refused to abide by his abuses of power as Justea's leader. He later handed Hanne, as one of Schuburg's reporters, the newspaper portion he had acquired about Toragay. Once Ayn explained to the shocked Hanne about what was happening, they prepared to leave when Heidemarie knocked Hob unconscious. After Hob and Ayn awoke, they discovered the sisters had vanished. Once the "Toragay Epidemic" case was declared closed, Hob promoted Ayn to a Justea investigator.

The Dog Bites Back

"So this is the chief's encouragement we have here. "The enemy's finally sent a challenge, here's a game for you!"... right?"

―Willus to Ayn Anchor

On January 2, EC 610, Homer assigned officers Willus Zorach and Ayn to handle the recent string of prostitute murders in Rolled, saying that Willus would act as the new recruit's overseer for the case. In early May, Bruno pressured Hob again to recall the investigation in Rolled and send the officers back to headquarters. Furious, the chief assigned officer Qyoichi to covertly investigate Bruno and his apparent connection with Père Noël, later receiving a report that Bruno and the other foundation lead executives were meeting with the Lucifenian government during the same period as the recall.

Afterward, Hob had the officer forward his initial findings to Willus while writing the formal 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 Ayn; soon after, Kaidor Blankenheim was arrested for impersonating Bruno Marlon and collaborating with Père Noël.

Personality and Traits

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

―Willus regarding Hob

Hob was a stringent and righteous individual. Determined to uphold Justea's reputation, the man took his job seriously and expected his subordinates to do the same. As such, he was strict towards the investigators falling under his responsibility, expecting them to act professionally and give Justea a good name while being enraged by breaches of protocol and misconduct.

Homer also maintained a certain practicality towards Justea, buckling under Bruno's pressure when threatened to suffer a demotion or pay cut. Despite this, he was devoted to the proper respect for the law, finding perversions of justice as completely reprehensible and willing to defy Bruno when he believed injustice against innocents was involved. He was also quick to anger, resorting to shouting or hitting people or objects whenever driven to his limit.

Skills and Abilities

As the leader of Justea, Hob was a competent investigator and manager of the department. Due to his position within the International Works Department, he had the authority to add or remove Justea investigators from cases and organize units, as well as assign them to independent investigations when needed. Due to Justea's authority, Hob could override an Evillious government in a case during an emergency. Despite all this, he was still subject to pressure from the Freezis Foundation due to their heavy funding of the World Police.

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 Freezis Foundation representative. Realizing the injustice being perpetrated by him, Hob decided to resist Bruno and worked to get the man arrested following his detainment of the Lorre sisters.

Ayn Anchor: An associate and later subordinate of Hob's. Hob knew Ayn 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.

Appearances

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