Fourier Lugunica

Prince Fourier Lugunica is a posthumous character in the 2014 Japanese dark fantasy light novel series and the titular tritagonist of The Dream of the Lion King, the first volume of its 2015 spin-off prequel light novel series Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World Ex.
Born into the royal family of the Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica, Fourier Lugunica was the fourth son of King Randohal Lugunica, ensuring that the throne would likely never be his. Fourier was born with excellent intuition and a brilliant mind, both of which were traits that were previously exhibited by the "Last Lion King" Falseil Lugunica. These traits led the wise man Miklotov McMahon to believe he could become a wise and gifted ruler, although ultimately nothing became of this.
When Fourier was roughly nineteen years old, he met the young noble girl Crusch Karsten in the gardens of the royal castle. Fourier instantly fell deeply in love with Karsten, and, despite them becoming good friends, he could never muster the courage to voice his feelings. Eventually, a beautiful demi-human named Ferris became Crusch's attendant, and the three became inseparable.
At the age of nineteen, Fourier and the entirety of the royal family fell suddenly and inexplicably ill. Within a matter of months, many of the members of the Lugunica family were dead or on the verge of death, with Fourier being no exception. Karsten, knowing Fourier's time was coming to a close, brought him to the garden where they first met to share their final moments together. Fourier Lugunica died in the tender arms of his beloved, confessing his undying love to her in his final breath.
After the death of the royal family, a Royal Selection was held to determine who would become the next ruler of Lugunica. One of the prime candidates was Crusch, who, alongside Ferris, had decided to win the Selection and rule the country in honor of the man she had lost.
==Appearance==
As a member of the Lugunican Royal Family, Fourier was characterised by his shining golden hair and large scarlet eyes that burned like the twilight sun. Similarly to his alleged first cousin Felt, Fourier had pronounced canine teeth that poked out like small fangs and were noticeable when he smiled or laughed. His extraordinarily handsome face would've captured the hearts of many women if not for his outgoing personality.
When Fourier grew ill, his physical state greatly deteriorated. His beautiful golden hair lost its shining luster, the burning light of his eyes faded significantly, and his usually charming smiles lost their energy. His body completely lost its modest musculature, leaving the Prince with an emaciated body and protruding cheekbones.
==Personality==
From birth, Fourier Lugunica had excellent intuition. Whether it be in arithmetic, history, or board games, the prince displayed paranormal talent at a young age. In an extreme case, he had once successfully predicted as a child that a wheel would fall off of his father’s carriage, and, almost as if he were an oracle, the event came to transpire. Even as a boy, Fourier understood that there was something special about how things came to pass around him, and he began to trust in his instincts to guide his actions.
As a young boy, Fourier had little patience for his royal duties. He would often do everything he could to avoid studying, causing quite the hassle for those who tutored him. The prince had hated relying on other people to solve his own problems and would never ask them to do so. That being said, he would graciously accept the favor of a person if they showered him with it of their own accord.
Fourier had a dislike of both hot and cold weather, although he found cold weather far more unbearable. Even on a sunny day, Fourier always had a thick fur coat prepared in case the weather turned cold. He could be incredibly prideful and often spoke highly of himself, although the arrogance he exuded was considered endearing instead of condescending by those around him. Whenever he did a good thing unintentionally, he would always act as though he had meant to do so.
Another one of the prince’s charming features was his unconquerable optimism. Regardless of the situation he was in, Fourier almost always maintained a positive outlook. In an extreme case, the withering prince found joy in the peaceful state of the castle gardens, not taking heed of the fact that the reason it was practically deserted was because of the ongoing illness that had already claimed the lives of many of his relatives.
==Synopsis==
===History===
Fourier Lugunica was born to King Randohal Lugunica, the forty-first monarch of the Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica. Lugunica was one of the four great nations of the world, and was protected and nurtured by the Holy Dragon Volcanica. Volcanica was allied with the Kingdom as a result of a bond of friendship he made with Falseil Lugunica, the King of Lugunica four hundred years prior. The pact forged by King Lugunica and the Holy Dragon was maintained by the existence of the bloodline of the Lugunican Royal Family, and was hypothetically believed to cease in the event that the Lugunican royal dynasty was to end.
Whereas Fourier's distant ancestors had originally ruled Lugunica due to their leadership and governance skills, the modern Lugunican Royal Family retained their position primarily through their integral connection to the Holy Dragon. Falseil Lugunica was considered the last "Lion King," a term used to describe Lugunican monarchs who ruled due to their merit rather than their bloodline. Overtime, the governance of the Kingdom of Lugunica was entrusted to a group of wise men referred to as the "Council of Elders." Aside from its connection to Volcanica, the Lugunican Royal Family was reduced to a symbolic entity.
Prince Fourier Lugunica had three elder brothers, the eldest of whom was Prince Zabinel, and as such wasn't expected to inherit the throne of Lugunica. As a child, Fourier exhibited great intellect and intuition similar to the Lion Kings of old. As a member of the royal family, Fourier was carefully nurtured from birth. He was forced to attend classes relating to the history and politics of the Kingdom. Fourier hated these classes, as he found them unbearably boring. Nevertheless, he learned many things from his tutors.
===The Girl in the Garden===
One day, at the age of nine, the Prince grew tired of one of his lessons and made an escape attempt. As he ran from his tutor through the halls of the castle, he noticed something in the outside garden that drew him to a halt. A beautiful young girl around his own age whom Fourier had never seen before was standing in the garden observing a bed of beautiful flowers. What fascinated the Prince about the girl was that she was ignoring the fully-fledged flowers, instead focusing her attention on a single unbloomed bud as though she was waiting for it to bloom. The tutor soon caught up to him, snapping Fourier out of his trance.
Embarrassed that he had been staring, the Prince stopped the tutor from noticing what he had been looking at by slapping him in the face. Hearing the commotion, the girl turned to look in Fourier's direction. Before she could spot him, the panicked Prince grabbed his tutor and began pulling him back down the hallway. The tutor tried to protest Fourier's cruel treatment of him, though the Prince could only focus on the thought of the girl he had just encountered. Although he didn't understand what he was feeling, Fourier Lugunica had fallen in love with the girl in the garden without ever haven spoken to her.
===The Story of the Lion King===
Over the next few days, the young prince disguised himself in rags and snuck into the garden, hoping to catch a second glimpse of the girl, although he never saw her. Several days later, after finishing his classes, Fourier retreated into his room to seek some well-deserved rest. Unfortunately, the little prince was interrupted by an abrupt entry into his room. The old man who appeared before him was Miklotov McMahon—the representative of the wise men who ruled the kingdom. Many considered Miklotov the true brains of the kingdom, who, in the event that the royal family were to disappear, would be a suitable replacement ruler. The young prince expressed these opinions into words, asking the old man why he shouldn’t be king in place of his father and brothers. Initially shocked by such a statement, Miklotov reminded the boy of the pact with Volcanica that only the royals could maintain.
Fourier failed to be impressed by the dragon’s benevolent blessing, believing it seemed too good to be true despite the fact that it had allowed the Kingdom to prosper for centuries. The prince expressed his desperate belief, that, if the only purpose for the family was to simply continue the bloodline, then his studies should’ve been pointless. McMahon chuckled at the child’s words before explaining to him that, although the people would have to follow and respect the monarchy regardless, they would much prefer to do so if their ruler was wise and intelligent, bringing up the Last Lion King as an example of a respected ruler.
The young prince refused to believe that anyone within the royal family born in current years could prove to be as intuitive or as intelligent as the Lion Kings of old. Miklotov, who secretly believed Fourier to have the qualities of a Lion King, began reminiscing about a member of the royal family two generations ago who had displayed the traits. Realizing he had said too much, McMahon apologized to Fourier for his declining memory before being ushered out of the room by the increasingly impatient prince. With the elderly adviser gone, Fourier prepared to sneak out of his room once again in the hopes of seeing the young girl.
===The Dream of the Lion King===
One day, while Crusch was visiting him, Fourier decided that he would like to go for a walk in the castle gardens due to the niceness of the weather. Karsten was happy to oblige, and carried the Prince to the courtyard where she set him down on her lap. As he enjoyed the tranquillity of the gardens, Fourier began to reminisce with Crusch about the time they had spent playing in the courtyard in their youth. Knowing he didn't have long, Fourier confessed to Karsten that he had always wanted to make her his wife and asked Karsten if he had become a "Lion King" worthy of her devotion.
Before receiving an answer, Prince Fourier Lugunica passed away peacefully in the embrace of the woman he loved, asserting his love for Crusch in his dying breath. Crusch knelt down and confessed to Fourier that she too would've liked the dream he held in his heart to have come true. Fourier's death was a little more than a footnote in the political landscape of Lugunica, as soon afterwards the remaining members of his family succumbed to the illness, including the King. A prophecy, foretold by the Divine Dragon Volcanica, instructed Lugunica to gather five maidens to serve as the candidates to replace the fallen royal dynasty.
==Powers & Abilities==
===Abilities===
*Gifted Mind: Fourier was born with naturally excellent intuition in the form of a gut feeling that led Miklotov McMahon to believe he could become a wise ruler like the Lion Kings of old. The wisdom and intelligence demonstrated by the young prince were both well beyond his years. As noted by those close to him, the statements he made, no matter how outlandish they seemed, usually came true. In this regard, Fourier was excellent at predicting future events, almost as if he were an oracle. Under his direction, the incident involving the House of Argyle became a complete military success. Furthermore, as a member of the royal family, Fourier received the very best education the Kingdom had to offer, affording him with impressive academic capabilities.
*Swordsmanship: As a child, Fourier made a promise with Crusch Karsten that she would never wear feminine clothing until he could defeat her in a duel. The young prince regretted the promise greatly, as he could never defeat his beloved, leading him to believe he was the reason she could never express her femininity. As such, Fourier trained diligently to surpass Karsten in terms of swordsmanship. His efforts provided him with skills that far surpassed a majority of nobles. While his skill never surpassed Crusch's, he was able to fight on par with her several times, a fact he felt pride over.
==List of Appearances==
Light Novel
===Ex Volume 1===
*Chapter 1: A Dream's Beginning (First appearance)
*Chapter 2: Felix Argyle Is a Pretty Boy
*Chapter 3: The Valkyrie of Duke Karsten's Lands
*Chapter 4: Felix Argyle's Curse
*Chapter 5: The Dream of the Lion King
===Ex Volume 4===
*Record of the Days Before the Royal Selection − Diplomacy by Bloodshed (Mentioned only)
==Gallery==
ReZero Ex Light Novel Volume 1 Cover.jpg|The sleeping Fourier on the cover of the first volume of the Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World Ex spin-off series.
ReZero Ex Light Novel Volume 1 Cover Art.jpg|The sleeping Fourier on the textless cover of the first volume of the Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World Ex spin-off series.
ReZero Ex Volume 1 Crusch meets Fourier Illustration.jpg|Fourier approaching Crusch Karsten, only to have a blade drawn on him.
ReZero Ex Volume 1 marriage meeting Illustration.jpg|Fourier and Ferris attending a marriage meeting with a noblewoman from Gusteko.
ReZero Ex Volume 1 Fourier vs. Crusch Illustration.jpg|Fourier and Crusch as adults having an intense duel.
ReZero Ex Volume 1 Fourier & Ferris dancing Illustration.jpg|Fourier and Ferris dancing at Crusch's birthday party.
ReZero Ex Volume 1 Fourier and Felix say goodbye Illustration.jpg|Fourier says goodbye to his great friend Ferris, thanking him for the time they shared together.
ReZero Ex Volume 1 Dream of the Lion King Illustration.jpg|Fourier dying in the lap of his beloved, recounting his dream of the life they should've had together.
==External Links==
*Fourier Lugunica at the Re:Zero wiki.
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