Weldeschtein Krom Raggs

'''SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!''' Weldeschtein Krom Raggs is a minor protagonist and a post mortem character in the 07-Ghost anime and manga series. He was the King of the fallen kingdom of Raggs, (now known as District 1), before its destruction during the Raggs War, and was Teito's father. He appears mostly in Teito's dreams, flashbacks and memories throughout the series. A marriage was arranged between him and the princess of Antwort for political reasons, creating an alliance between the two kingdoms of Raggs and Antwort. His true love was Teito's mother, Millea Klein, who became his concubine.

Krom was slain during the Raggs War by Ayanami, who was revealed to be his younger brother later in the series. Krom was the previous bearer of the Eye of Mikhail, before Teito, and was forced to give the Eye to Teito to stop his son's soul from being devoured by Verloren. Despite dying prior to the beginning of the series, Krom plays a highly important role throughout.

Etymology
The name 'Weldeschtein' may come from the mountain in south Germany (the country which many aspects of the manga are based upon) known as the Wendelstein mountain. It is the highest peak in the Wendelstein massif. Wendelstein 7-X is also the name of a nuclear fusion reactor being built in Germany.

His middle name, 'Krom', seems to be derived from German and is apparently translated as 'grey'. So the origin of his name can be the German word 'Chrom' (since there isn't any other similar and fitting word in this language). 'Chrom' is the German word for the element ‘Chromium’ which is of a silver/grey colour. The romanji form of 'Krom', 'Kuromu', can be split into the Japanese words 'kuro' and 'mu', which mean 'black' and 'non-existence/non-being/nothing' respectively.

Physical appearance
Krom appeared to be a tall man, estimated to stand at 180 cm as he was shown to be only slightly smaller than Ayanami, and his weight is unknown, but he appeared to have a slim build. He had a fairly strong jawline, with a long, thin nose and a small mouth with full lips. His eyes were narrow and brown in colour. His hair was cropped short, brown in colour and worn in a style similar to Teito's. On the whole, he looked like an older version of Teito, although Teito's eyes more closely resemble Millea's. Krom also greatly resembled his mother (who was seen in a family portrait in manga chapter 90).

Clothing
He was seen wearing ankle-length robes that resemble the robes of a Bishop: a light-coloured cassock with white trimming on the collar, as well as the insignia of the Barsburg Empire on the collar. Over this he wore a long white outer cassock that hid his arms, and two shoulder pads that extended to cover his arms. The cassock was held together with a loose belt. Krom's most distinctive item of clothing was the Raggs necklace he wore, which was large, golden and almost rectangular in shape, with many charms dangling from the bottom. The rectangular piece was decorated with metal-work that resembled the branch-like protrusions Mikhail creates and in the center is the Eye of Mikhail.

As a king, Krom had a crown, but for some reason, he was never seen wearing it, and none of the other characters seemed to find this strange.

Personality
Krom appeared to have a very kind and empathetic personality, as he held no feelings of contempt for Vanessa when she told him she had given his child to the Pope. He was very caring towards those around him, especially his son, Teito, whom he always thanked for being born, and his beloved concubine, Millea.

"I will not run away! My people must be first to take refuge!"

- Weldeschtein

Krom was also shown to put the lives of others before his own, as when he learnt of Barsburg declaring war on Raggs, he refused to leave his people and flee, instead saying that he would stay behind and it is the people of Raggs who should flee to safety. He also asked his brother, Fea Kreuz, to erase his memories (very dear to him) of Tiashe in order to protect the boy from those who wanted to find out where and to whom the Eye had been passed on.

A chapter in the manga (Kapitel 86) suggests that Krom was modest and somewhat self-deprecating. When talking about his painting hobby, he said that he 'was never any good at it', despite being talented enough to have one of his paintings published in a magazine.

Krom's Father and Krom's Mother
Krom has been shown to be close to his parents. After his mother's death, his father warned his three sons (Krom, Kruez , Krowell ) not to move around by themselves and subsequently tightened the security within Raggs castle, displaying a caring personality towards his children.

Teito Klein
Krom loved Teito, who was born by the woman he loved the most, deeply, and he valued Teito's life above all else. He always thanked Teito for being born, and became frightened when he found out that he was in the hands of the Pope.

During the Raggs War, Krom did all he could to ensure his only son's safety, sending him away with his best bodyguards, and asking his brother to erase all his memories of Teito, for fear that people would find and harm him. He was willing to surrender his possession of the Eye of Mikhail in order to stop his son's soul from being devoured by Verloren. When Teito had to flee the Raggs royal home during the Raggs War, Krom was apparently sad at not being able to leave with his son.

Fea Kreuz
Krom appeared close to his younger brother, Kreuz, and was saddened when he realized that they may not see each other again after the Raggs War. Kreuz was one of Krom's attendants, and accompanied him to the International Peace Summit in Kapitel 86.

Krom apparently greatly trusted Kreuz, entrusting his younger brother with Teito during the Raggs War. Krom and Kreuz have also been seen together on more than one occasion in flashbacks of Teito's past, while taking care of Teito.

In Kapitel 86, Krom asked Emperor Wolfram to keep his (Krom's) submission of a painting he (Krom) had done to a magazine a secret, but Kreuz mentioned that he knew of it, showing that Krom was confident Kreuz would not betray his private matters.

Krom knew Kreuz was Vertrag.

Krowell Raggs
According to Millea Klein, Krowell was deeply loved by his siblings, but died during childhood. It is as yet unknown why Krowell/Ayanami betrayed his family and killed his brothers.

Despite his ruthlessness towards Krom, Ayanami seems to respect his brother, as he constantly refers to him as the King of Raggs , and never once called him by his name until his final battle with Teito. However, Ayanami also resents his brother's immediate fondness for strangers, as shown in Kapitel 97, where Ayanami calls him a hypocrite for such a trait.

Millea Klein
Krom and Millea loved each other deeply, and had a close personal relationship. They first met when Krom was out one day while disguised as a painter. Although Millea's hat was stained with paint, she declined Wolfram's offer to get a new hat for her, and kept the hat as a reminder of her first encounter with Krom. When Krom proposed to Millea, it was snowing, and snow is seen as a symbol of love in Japan.

Krom wanted to marry Millea, but was unable to, due to her status as a commoner. However, Millea didn't care and became a concubine just so she could stay by his side. Krom was very upset when Millea fell ill, with Teito saying Krom always looked sad, and took care of her throughout her illness, also often visiting her with their son, Teito. Queen Vanessa said that the reason Krom loved Teito so much was because he was reminded of Millea whenever he looked at Teito.

Ten years later, Millea keeps Krom in her thoughts, saying that Teito is the spitting image of him. In Kapitel 87, she saw him in a long dream she had while still comatose. Strangely, despite their close personal relationship, Millea is apparently still mindful of the difference between their social statuses, constantly referring to him as 'Krom-sama'.

Vanessa Antwort
Vanessa and Krom's marriage was arranged for political reasons, to ally Raggs with Antwort. Despite the fact that their marriage was arranged, Vanessa truly loved Krom and called him 'dear'. However, although he was kind and respectful towards her, he did not truly love her as he did with his concubine, Millea.

Vanessa knew this and was almost driven to insanity as a result. Despite their somewhat strained relationship, Krom easily forgave Vanessa when he discovered her crimes, and was clearly shocked when she had a hysterical outburst over his love of Millea and Teito, indicating that he did not think badly of her.

Mikhail
Unlike with Teito, Mikhail's relationship with Krom, who was the bearer of the Eye of Mikhail before Teito, has not been shown in much detail.

Krom has been shown teaching Teito how to use the Eye of Mikhail, when Teito was a child. Krom handed the Eye to Teito to prevent Teito's soul from being devoured by Verloren. Having been a bearer of the Eye of Mikhail, Krom presumably knew Mikhail's personality and abilities. Mikhail has not commented on Krom's death.

In Kapitel 92, it was shown in a flashback that when Mikhail saw Krom being executed, he briefly possessed Teito and tried to save Krom, but was unable to, implying that Mikhail may have some respect for Krom.

Agas, Mark and Karan
Krom's bodyguards were loyal to him, protecting Krom's brother, Kreuz, and son, Tiashe, at the cost of their own lives.

Agas apparently cared for Weldeschtein, as he and Kreuz were once shown sharing concerns about Weldeschtein's relationship with Millea Klein. Agas was once shown talking to Kreuz about Krom's relationship with Millea.

Krom's bodyguards seems to accompanied Krom whenever he goes. They worried about Krom implanting the Eye of Mikhail into Teito and seemed to be surprised at his decision. Krom put a lot of faith not only in Agas but the other members as well on leaving Teito in their hands with Fea Kreuz.

In Kapitel 87, the Black Beast Squadron and Weldeschtein is seen in a dream flashback by Millea Klein when she awakens.

Dalia Barsburg
Krom and Dalia seemed to get along well and were fairly friendly with each other. In Kapitel 86, Dalia complimented Krom on a speech he had made, to which Krom replied that it was an honour to hear that.

Wolfram Eifeler Barsburg
It is hinted that at first, Wolfram and Weldeschtein were on fairly good terms, as in Kapitel 86, they were shown speaking to each other in a rather friendly and informal manner. Weldeschtein also commented that he was glad that he could speak to Wolfram about something other than politics.

However, Wolfram was bitterly jealous of Weldeschtein for having Millea's love, to the extent that he eventually made a contract with the Shadow Man and waged war on the Raggs kingdom, bringing Millea to Barsburg.

Although capable of making polite conversation with Krom, Wolfram found Krom annoying and was, at times, reluctant to talk to him. He once briefly expressed interest in Krom's painting hobby, but quickly became annoyed with himself for doing so.

King Antwort
Little is known about King Antwort's relationship with his son-in-law, but considering that Antwort eventually seceded from its alliance with Raggs and stole Pandora's Box from Raggs, it is possible that King Antwort, unlike his daughter, did not like or respect Krom and Antwort's alliance with Raggs.

Abilities and Attributes
Krom was the former host of the Eye of Mikhail, before he gave it to Teito. It is unknown if he had a Zaiphon, or if he possessed any fighting ability, as he was not shown defending himself when soldiers attacked him. However, it is very likely that he did have a Zaiphon.

Childhood
Krom's history has been shown in short flashbacks throughout the series, and has only been shown in great detail in manga chapters 63 and 64. He was born the eldest son of Teito's unnamed paternal grandparents. As a member of royalty, it is likely that Krom had a very privileged upbringing. At some point he inherited the Eye of Mikhail, and ascended the Raggs throne.

Marriage
In order to bring the two countries of Raggs and Antwort together, he married Princess Vanessa Antwort, although his true love was a woman named Millea Klein, whom he was unable to marry because she was not of royal blood. Millea became a concubine and gave birth to a son called Tiashe (later known as Teito Klein).

Pre-Raggs War
Because Krom could never love Vanessa in the way he loved Millea, Queen Vanessa was very bitter and jealous of her and Tiashe. She wanted to kill Tiashe, but guilt overcame her and she eventually could not do it. Upon being cheated by the Pope, she gave the child to him.

Krom didn't know that the Pope wanted to revive Verloren, and he was tricked into making his son into Pandora's Box. The Pope asked him to use his powers to move Verloren's body into another coffin, and Krom did so, unaware that the Pope had put his son inside the coffin, meaning Teito was made into a human container of Pandora's Box.

When the truth came out later, and Kreuz rescued Teito, Krom released his hold on the Eye of Mikhail and put it into his son's body so that Archangel Mikhail would stop Tiashe's soul from being destroyed by Verloren's body.

Raggs War
When it was revealed that Barsburg had received the message of the Pope's actions, they began to attack, and Krom refused to escape to a safe place, saying that the people of Raggs should evacuate first. He opted to stay behind, and sent his brother, Kreuz, to take Teito to the God Houses, hoping that they will make it to Seele. He gives Teito one last goodbye message, thanking him for being born, and then asks his brother to erase his memories of Teito before he departs, saying that if he was captured, Barsburg could read his memories and discover that Raggs' national treasure, the Eye of Mikhail, was now inside Tiashe. The circumstances surrounding his death have not been made entirely clear; so far it has only been revealed that he was stabbed to death by Barsburg's Chief of Staff and his younger brother, Ayanami.

Post-Raggs War
The imperial army performed an autopsy on his corpse to search for the Eye of Mikhail. Since he had a truly benevolent nature, it is likely that he could enter Heaven.

Synopsis
Krom is mostly shown through Teito's flashbacks, and also appeared in a dream Millea had. In Kapitel 86, Krom was seen in a flashback of Emperor Wolfram's. During the Hausen House arc, Xingfa Hausen briefly mentioned Krom.

Trivia

 * Krom was involved in a "love square": his concubine was loved by another man, Emperor Wolfram, and Krom himself was loved by another woman, his official wife.
 * Krom likes red flowers.
 * So far, it seems that no one called him by his first name.

Quotes

 * 'Seems like we get along well. To tell you the truth, me too, since I was young...' (to Emperor Wolfram, after seeing him holding a magazine about paintings)
 * 'Tiashe...not being able to be by your side...makes being King a bitter thing...' (some of his last words to Teito)
 * 'It's an honour to hear that.' (to Empress Dalia after she complimented him on a speech he had made)