#Juna Waitz

[sterkeyra]

Lantarna Family

I'm pleased that Roman has so much story relevance! Usually, male characters in Atelier are rare and often do not have this many interactions (aside from protagonists). Roman (or Richard) however, appears quite frequently and also gets relevant from Chapter 2 onwards.

Him being the secret prince of Lantarna gets quite important a bunch of times, even though like other royals in Atelier he tends to be elusive and seeks to be an adventurer instead.

Roman seems like an airhead, with a love for magic tricks and based on Iksels description he is reliable and likes to help (especially undercover). He also seems to have a bad orientation, though he's probably not aware of it himself. Initially he is quite suspicious as he watches Resna and Co. from afar to gauge what kind of alchemist Resna is.

Even worse, he gets overly friendly after they meet. It seems that he is not aware that his actions can make him appear creepy and plotting - maybe that's also because he is a prince and people usually don't make him aware of it. Especially Marion gives him the stink eye and openly mistrusts him, deciding to watch him closely before leaving him alone with Resna.

The latter in comparison is quick to warm up to him, because Resna firmly believes that everyone that loves alchemy cannot possibly be bad. Since Roman also shares her dream of wanting to see world's end they become kindred spirits and Roman becomes a frequent companion for the party.

Once Juna - his knight of the Knights of the Midnight Sun - starts searching for him it is revealed that Roman is actually Richard Lantarna, a prince of the kingdom of Lantarna. Though from then on Roman is more tied to the kingdom he still finds way to support Resna on her journey. He has an open ear on what is going on and keeps up with what might have happened to Resna and even sends Juna to watch over the group promising he would stay in the kingdom as a deal (though under a lot of lamentations that he would like to join himself😂).

Though we do not know much about the Lantarna family overall they keep on getting mentioned and seem to gain relevance as the story progresses.

Roman helps the kingdom with a snow monster, helps with reparations, he comes up with a fortress strategy against the Apexi with his knights and the Lantarna family seems to be affilliated with a man that is not as nice as he appears according to Lara's point of view.

So with a family that keeps on getting mentioned in the plot, while not outwardly showing too much about them either and the enemies joining Resnas party over time it makes you wonder. When Crow gets imprisoned in the Lantarna dungeon the place rightfully feels a bit eerie and possibly it could be revisited in the future.

Is there possibly more to the Lantarnas? Are the true enemies possibly not the Apexi? Is the Lantarna family maybe somehow involved in the creation of the Apexi or perhaps even why Alchemy has been frowned upon?

if so, it's ironic that Roman is so much of a fan of alchemy and does a lot to bring it back to it's former glory.

We do not know a lot about the rest of the family. I might have forgotten about it, but currently I'm unsure if Roman even has parents. The recent chapter however gave us a bit more information on his siblings. At first i thought Roman just had an older brother, but apparently he even has three siblings!

Orpheus, older brother that excels in politics

???, older sister that excels in warfare

Roman, an alchemy enthusiast that excels in ??? (Maybe charisma and negotiations?)

???, younger brother that excels in arts and designs costumes

Given that they even give us more insights on them, it's possible that they really get relevant later on. And since it's Atelier especially his older sister might be interesting.

Sadly last time Roman talked to Orpheus he didn't have a model in the game, but i'm very curious how they all look like!

However if I am correct about the Lantarnas, where would that leave Roman if he finds out about it? Or would he already have been aware of what has been going on in his family? Would he side with Resna or with his family?

Roman himself can be shady too when he infiltrates the Moonlight Society, is good at coming up with strategies and has a (playfully) cunning side as well. Even though sometimes appearing oblivious he seems to have a good read on other people.

Even in his profile they throw shade at him 😂 Usually you would think it's just because he hid being a prince but maybe there's more.

But would that really give him the potential to be a villain or is it more likely that he will be stuck in the middle?

Roman more often than not has been concerned about Resna and her party, and lent a hand whenever he could, or even used Juna to keep them safe (like in the snow region, the jungle of Yuggel or also on the beach from lecherous guys). Of course supporting Resnas party is also beneficial for the kingdom and helps with dealing with the Polar Night Alchemists, but I believe Roman genuinely wants to be friends and to join them.

One way or another Roman would suffer from having to choose if it came to a conflict and it would work quite well because he has been given depth over the chapters as well. Maybe the endgame could be Roman owning up for the flaws of the kingdom and with the help of Resna bridging the gap to the alchemists that have been wronged over time, which would be the best outcome :D I wonder what role his best friend Brad will play in the story as well!

Usually Atelier has more of a lighthearted story but the recent entries are a tad bit darker and go beyond just slice of life, and all these hints and nudges just make me very curious how it will play out. I'm very curious how Red Alchemist and White Guardian will tie into the lore as well!!

[sterkeyra]

About Roman Kalman

Say what you will about Roman, he is a dork and all, but he's also a good prince.

He comes up with strategies, listens to vollagers and likes to lend a hand undercover.

Also he gives credit to others, when someone helps him and he also acknowledges his knights work. He may cause her trouble sometimes, by wanting to go on adventures, but I'm happy for Juna. 🎉 You can also tell how much she appreciates him even though she needs to scold him somehow

You know which other knight deserves more attention of his king?

Sterk 😂

Roman adopt him, he's the most loyal guy you could hire as a knight - and you would fulfill a dream of his.