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

"I'm still the leader of Justea. I can't afford to allow justice to be disregarded."

―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 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, eventually becoming the chief of the International Works Department at their headquarters in Marlon. Around the turn of the century, Freesis Foundation President Shaw Freesis 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; as the complaints continued, the department chief became increasingly frustrated with her behavior. Hob later heard about investigator Willus Zorach shooting and killing the Père Noël assassin Fifth Pierrot in EC 607. 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!"

―Hob and Heidemarie

While reading the Shuburke Newspaper's sixtieth issue on September 30, EC 609, Hob read a vehement Rin Chan fan's insistence that N A's claims that the diva was lip-syncing 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 received 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 exclaimed 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 was taking her off the investigation and and was questioned why he would. Hob retorted he obviously would, pointing out all the trouble she caused.

Topping off the list of problems she had 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

"Your friend would be our leader in Justea, Chief Homer, right?—  Unfortunately, he abandoned you a while before then."

―Willus Zorach to Bruno Marlon

He later implored the Shuburke Newspaper president to lend him the Toragay relevant portions of the sixty-second issue for the following week. Once he received the articles around October 19, he read about Heidemarie's suspected involvement in the 24 deaths at Toragay's Charity Institute along with the growing epidemic spreading throughout Toragay and sudden quarantine by the World Police there.

Around that time, Hob learned Hanne and Heidemarie Lorre were arrested by Bruno for their alleged roles in the Lioness Burning and Toragay Charity Institute incidents respectively. Meeting with Constable Ein Anchor, the officer confirmed for Hob that he was with Heidemarie during the time of the incident and therefore it was impossible she was behind the deaths; he also shared his discoveries while investigating Toragay's recent incidents for Hanne, revealing the apparent involvement of Père Noël.

Once they deduced Bruno was connected to Père Noël and trying to cover up the incidents the criminal organization was behind, the two decided to free the sisters and work with them to stop the worsening situation in Toragay. The police chief then retrieved Heidemarie's confiscated fireworks gun and went with Ein to the Marlon headquarters' prison. Noting that Heidemarie and her sister should be there, Hob listened to Ein remark about what a thing he had for that girl as they approached their cells. The constable then noted both of them seemed to be safe and unlocked the prison while Hob sullenly waited.

When Hanne attempted to greet Hob, thanking him for taking care of her sister, he flatly replied that they'd exchange pleasentries once they got them out. He then gave Heidemarie her gun while relating that he managed to recover it. After she noted her belief he had been on Bruno's side, Hob admitted he acted under his instructions before clarifying he didn't know it would turn out like it had. He then declared that imprisoning an innocent wasn an abuse of power and that he couldn't allow justice to be disregarded as Justea's leader.

After Ein described why they couldn't be behind their purported crimes and told the sisters about Toragay being in trouble, Hob handed Hanne the newspaper portion he acquired, explaining how he managed to get it and that it should be fine if he shared them with one of Shuburke's reporters. Once Ein explained to the shocked Hanne about what was happening, they prepared to leave when Heidemarie knocked Hob unconscious. After Hob and Ein awoke, they discovered the sisters had vanished.

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 Ein Anchor

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; sometime before they left, Hob told Ein about Willus' killing of Fifth Pierrot three years prior. 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 righteous individual. Determined to uphold Justea's reputation, the man took his job seriously and expected his subordinates to do the same. As the police deparment'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. He was also quick to anger, resorting to shouting or hitting people or objects whenever driven to his limit.

Balancing his work ethic, Chief Homer was devoted to the proper respect for the law, believing in proper justice. In reverse, he saw injustice and the perversion of justice as completely reprehensible. Despite this, he balanced his belief against a certain practicality, buckling under Bruno's pressure when threatened to suffer a demotion or pay cut. Regardless, Hob was willing to defy these fears when learning of an unlawful injustice against innocents and became embittered by Bruno's seedy behavior, actively working against him behind the scenes.

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 Freesis 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 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. 

Trivia

Conceptualization and Origin

• Hob's name is a medieval English derivative of Robert, meaning "bright fame".
• His surname is derived from 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)