Phil Salemabart

Phil Salemabart is the viewpoint protagonist: the eldest son of Count Salemabart, whose territory lies southwest of the royal capital of the Lilac Kingdom. In public he has cultivated the reputation of a shameless, womanizing wastrel — the 'Trash' of the house — precisely so that everyone will leave him alone to enjoy an idle, comfortable life.

In truth he is the [Hero of Shadows], the masked savior who appears wherever people are in danger, defeats the threat, and vanishes before anyone can thank him, erasing all evidence he was there. His shadow-and-binding powers let him reach any target and disappear at will.

Volume 1 begins the morning the whole capital suddenly 'knows' that Phil Salemabart is the Hero of Shadows. Refusing to admit it, Phil throws all his cunning into denying and covering up the rumor — only to find priestesses, noblewomen, Holy Maidens and a princess closing in on him one after another.

Phil fights as the [Hero of Shadows] through shadow and 'binding' magic. Glimpsed abilities include [Binding] and [Unbound Freedom], the [Shadow Sea], and [Free dialogue with bound targets] — together letting him strike from concealment, reach a chosen target anywhere, and withdraw leaving no trace.

His whole method is built around anonymity: he wins the fight and is gone before gratitude — or suspicion — can attach to a face.