Fermentation characters

Appears from the start

The owner of Sutton Farm and a formidable mage who maintains mana-cleansing crops and a fragile safeguard against dangerous mana. John is trying to reduce a mysterious apocalypse count while avoiding the violence that once defined his public life.

Appears from the start

John's closest partner at Sutton Farm, Ellie combines witchcraft, invention, and practical food work. She experiments with an ale-based cheese spread beside John and helps explore whether their wheat can become durable noodles.

Appears from the start

A nearly thirteen-year-old member of the farm household who already has a class. Ben trains with Thomas and hidden specters, while the adults consider whether remaining under John's protection could leave him too confident in his own abilities.

Also known as the bull

Appears from the start

A mana-sensitive bull and powerful guardian of Sutton Farm. Ferdie can change his size and assume a barn-sized armored form capable of breathing fire, making him both a farm companion and a major defensive force.

Appears from the start

Ellie's familiar, a six-foot rooster charged with lightning and marked by a decorative eyepatch. Although the eyepatch suggests an injury, Sigvald can see through both eyes and remains an imposing magical presence at the farm.

First appears in chapter 2

The former ruler of Allera, now living in Fairford and devoting her attention to research into the mysterious doorway. Others hope the growing crisis in her former nation will persuade her to resume leadership.

First appears in chapter 2

A former bandit who serves as Fairford's administrator and remains an ally of John Sutton.

Also known as sentient plant adviser, tower administrator

First appears in chapter 3

A magical researcher who operates through the giant plant above Shadow Tower. The administrator joins the group working on the mysterious doorway and brings specialized knowledge to the effort to activate it safely.

First appears in chapter 3

An elder sage who joins the group researching the mysterious doorway and its newly decoded activation spell.

First appears in chapter 3

A sage involved in the effort to understand the mysterious doorway. The hermit has useful knowledge of its operation but behaves antagonistically toward the other researchers.

Appears from the start

A Sutton Farm defender and practical organizer who trains Ben alongside hidden specters. Thomas supports the young classholder's development and argues that Ben should eventually learn beyond the security of John's protection.

First appears in chapter 7

A merchant who reports worsening war and food inflation and supports relief efforts.

Also known as Rabia

First appears in chapter 10

A farm co-operator and magical-machinery collaborator at Shadow Tower. Rebea helps John turn his tested milling enchantments into the first physical factory machine, supporting his attempt to process wheat at much greater scale.

First appears in chapter 12

A controller of surrendered attackers who marks the prisoners with a burning brand, allowing her to kill any marked captive from a distance.

First appears in chapter 13

A mid-ranked disciple of Joro from Soaring Cloud Tower who was captured after taking part in the attack on Jem. Koeri explains the recently emerged tower's hierarchy and identifies its three masters.

First appears in chapter 13

The second Soaring Cloud Tower mage captured after the attack on Jem. Her personal name remains unresolved, but she is identified as another disciple of Joro and is taken to Sutton Farm before John's visit to the tower.

First appears in chapter 13

A noble sponsor behind the attack on Jem. He conscripts troops for the anticipated conflict with Allera, prompting John to order an Ecclesia investigation.

First appears in chapter 13

A Mechanicist and one of the three masters of Soaring Cloud Tower. Joro is the grandmaster claimed by the two captured tower disciples and holds a senior place in an organization that has only recently emerged from long isolation.

First appears in chapter 13

One of Soaring Cloud Tower's three masters and a specialist in curses. Orateth is introduced through Koeri's account of the isolated tower, whose mages claim they were misled about the land where the attack on Jem occurred.

Also known as the Forged Lord

First appears in chapter 13

The metal-working master among Soaring Cloud Tower's three sages. The Forgelord represents a path of magecraft focused on shaping metal, alongside Joro and Orateth.

First appears in chapter 14

A familiar bonded to Ellie. By borrowing Storm’s power, Ellie can form steel-feathered wings, channel lightning through them, and fly.

First appears in chapter 17

A huge three-armed creature encountered in an insect-infested ruined town in the Forbidden Lands. It is besieging the town's tower when John directs Ferdie to confront it.

First appears in chapter 24

A human-shaped legendary captive kept in Soaring Cloud Tower's menagerie from its earliest days. It detects a royal quality in John's scent and says the beasts' king is assembling forces to dominate humankind.

First appears in chapter 30

A giant stone worm assigned to guard a hidden portal for the approaching Beast King. It initially mistakes John for a dragon and reveals that the portal is one part of a larger invasion network intended to bring the beasts into this land.

Also known as dragon soul in John's mana pool

First appears in chapter 32

A sleeping dragon soul bound to the blue life flame within John's mana pool. It grows stronger as John does and may eventually awaken, seize his body, and turn his increasing power into a threat to the world.

First appears in chapter 33

The Flying Eagle who commands a wheat shipment from the plains and returns to Sutton Farm with the harvest.

First appears in chapter 34

Allera's ruler, who now uses the title Iron Monarch and has begun a major offensive against Lepiera. The invading army is heavily armored and equipped with lightning weapons.

First appears in chapter 35

The leader of the Holy Knights, arriving at Sutton Farm to ask the Eternal Flame for aid. High Marshal Helbright reports that Lepiera's army is collapsing before tireless armored troops and remains to await John's answer.

First appears in chapter 37

One of the robed figures Ben discovers inside a sealed guardroom above Lepiera's capital gate as the invading army approaches.

First appears in chapter 38

The officer carrying the Ecclesia banner during the defense of Lepiera's capital. Despite being wounded at the broken main gate, the commander stays with the Holy Knights during their counterattack.

Also known as Ben's specter watcher

First appears in chapter 38

One of Ben's two small specter guardians. Aurora emerges from the shadows beside Henluin when Ben joins the defense of the breached capital gate, attacking threats with exceptional speed and protecting him amid the invading soldiers.

Also known as Ben's specter watcher

First appears in chapter 38

One of the two small specters assigned to protect Ben. Henluin fights alongside Aurora at the shattered gate, intervening when Ben and the wounded defenders face the invading force and helping keep his young charge alive.

First appears in chapter 43

A curse-bound mage organization supporting the invasion of Lepiera's capital. Its representatives demand surrender and claim they intend to replace a failed world order, but they cannot disclose the identity of their master.

First appears in chapter 46

The senior leader of the plains alliance. John appoints the supreme khan to the Ecclesia council and gives the leader command of the independent Swift Wind Army.

First appears in chapter 47

A returning guardian of the Old Way and an ally from John's earlier struggles. Togine remains away from the central events of this volume until Katrine's final warning confirms his death.

First appears in chapter 47

An interstellar raiding organization that exploits less powerful worlds for resources and captives. The Cabal has learned the location of John's world and is coming, making it an immediate apocalypse-level danger.