Dagda

**Dagda** (ダグダ, *Daguda*) is an unknowing minstrel traveling with the company of Custas, his adopted son.

## Appearance

Dagda is a man with black curly hair tied thrice in a long ponytail, with thick stubble on his face. He is tall, being approximately half a head above Qifrey. He wears a long hooded cape, a blue tunic with patterned hems and golden bracelets, and is often seen carrying a sword and a small harplike instrument.

In all of his appearances, Dagda has worn a worried and somewhat tired expression because he worries for Custas. He sometimes shows a gaunt face with dark circles under his eyes.

## Personality

A caring and gentle man, but shown constantly worried. He has a rather calm demeanor but is quick to react in tense situations, in several of which he vigorously grabs his interlocutors for attention. He cares a lot for Custas, going as far as to leave his life as a minstrel and become a mercenary in order to help the boy. His deep care for Custas is also shown where he went as far as to confronts the Knights Moralis, pleading for them to heal Custas right then and there using magic.

While aware of his son's feelings about the hardships they face, Dagda himself shows no strong feelings about their situation asides of protecting the boy, likely used to this life, or jaded about the world. It is revealed later he grew up like Custas did, alone in a mud slum. He used to make a living robbing people until he was captured trying to rob a musical troupe, who spared his life and taught him how to play music. He later passed on the favor by taking Custas under his wing.

He is an accomplished fighter, able to take on several men by himself and used to attacking people.

## Plot

### Watchful Eye Arc

Dagda was traveling with a small caravan, one of who's wagons fell in the Stairway River after the bridge they were crossing collapsed due to torrential rains. He rides to Qifrey's atelier to call for help to rescue his son. He leads Orugio (and the rest of the atelier, following) to the site of the disaster, where Orugio and Qifrey proceed to rescue the three people stuck in the carriage. He runs to Custas, relieved to see him safe. But the witches did not retrieve the carriage, which contained his and Custas' belongings. The boy attempts to climb down the unstable banks to retrieve their things, despite Dagda yelling at him to come back, and gets crushed by a falling boulder as the bank collapses. He begs Agathe for help. After Custas is brought back up to safety by Coco and the Knights Moralis arrive at the scene, he asks Lulucy if she can use her magic to heal him, which she harshly refuses.

Later on, he visits Custas in the hospital in Kalhn, where we learn he became a mercenary. After Custas gets gifted his Winged Cloak, the two leave for the road again, intending to go perform at the Silver Night festival. They get ambushed by bandits trying to get revenge on him for killing their men. Dagda throws Custas to safety and stays to fight the bandits alone, killing all of them, but getting grievously wounded in the process. Custas finds him unconscious after, and the two are themselves found by Ininia, who offers to help them by fixing their injuries. She heals Dagda by placing a large glyph on his chest to reverse his injuries, that stays as a tattoo.

Dagda is seen again in a worried state alone at the Silver Night festival, looking for his son who he lost. He runs into Coco and Tartah as they were roaming around the city and prevent them from entering a mud slum, concerned about their safety. Glad to see the witches he recognizes as Custas' friends, he tells them about his situation and offers to sing for them, hoping it'll help Custas find him, and unknowingly reveals his tattoo to the two children.

## Relationships

### Custas

Dagda met Custas when the boy was living in a slum, and adopted him, saving him from the same fate he had. He considers him his son and his only family. He tries his best to protect Custas and considers the time he spent with the boy teaching him music to be his life's achievement. During the story, he is constantly worried for his sake. Curiously, Custas does not refer to him as a father.

## Trivia

* According to the birthday comic Shirahama Kamome drew for Custas, Dagda sings him a lullaby every night.
* Has a namesake in the ancient Celtic chief god the Dagda.

## References

1. ↑ *Witch Hat Atelier* Manga: Chapter 10