Frederick Kingstone

* Age 16
* Age 19

 —Frederick Kingstone to Nigel in Chapter 3: Awakening

**Frederick Kingstone** (フレデリック ・キングストーン *Furederikku Kingusuton***?**) is the protagonist of the manga series *Age I- Age of Darkness*. He is the second-born son of his family, the younger brother of Drake and the older brother of Nigel Kingstone and Miriam.

Frederick was born and raised in Kamar, a small rural village located in the center of the region of Tami. He lived there until the age of 16, when his house mysteriously collapsed and his older brother was possessed by an evil entity known as The Dark Lord. His younger sister, Miriam, had also disappeared that same day. Having lost his family and previous life, Frederick became determined to find and rescue his siblings, as well as defeat who or whatever ruined his life that day.

After this event, the young man wakes up in an hospital and is later sent to an orphanage alongside his younger brother, Nigel. The two try escaping shortly after, but fail in the attempt and fall from the orphanage's tower. Bruised and battered, the boys are soon found and adopted by Lord Kingstone, a wealthy man who lost his biological children.

Three years go by and both brothers have now officially become Kingstone's adoptive sons, even bearing his last name. During their daily afternoon stroll, Frederick and Nigel are met by a mysterious individual: a bounty hunter named Kay Hole. The man declares to know all about their past and that their siblings are still alive, yet held captive by the aforementioned dark entity. Kay manages to persuade the two to follow him.

## Appearance

Frederick is a tall young man with short turquoise hair and a fairly muscular build. One of his locks of hair falls right in the middle of his forehead, between his eyes and on top of it, he has a small arrow-shaped strand of hair. He has deep blue eyes and furrowed eyebrows, which often make him look serious and determined. His face is quite long and square, with a pretty marked chin.

Being the son of two farmers, Frederick used to wear an old and ragged light brown shirt with a hood, a pair of brown trousers and two simple shoes. Frederick is later seen, during his stay at the Sunwoods orphanage, wearing a formal black outfit with a tie, a white shirt, elegant trousers and shoes.

After the three year timeskip occurs, Frederick has grown and has become more muscular, as well as taller. He now wears a bright golden knight armor with two big shoulder pads, to which his long cloak is attached. The aforementioned cloak is of a darker tone when compared to the rest of the outfit. The young man also wears two gauntlets, a belt and a pair of boots. He also wears a fuchsia shirt underneath his armor.

## Personality

**Frederick** is a very kind, gentle and hard-working young man, who loves helping people in need. He deeply cares about his family, especially his siblings, and would do anything for them. As shown throughout the series so far, Frederick is always concerned for Miriam and Drake, who have both mysteriously disappeared, and expresses the will to save them. Despite being a good person at heart, the young man is often perceived by the others as serious, gloomy and, sometimes, a bit tedious. This trait of his personality, became even more prominent after the incident.

Frederick displays a range of different emotions during the series. At times, he can be very impulsive, not fully thinking things through and rushing into action. This is best seen when he confronts Travis, the leader of the Sharks, or when he shouts at the caretaker for not intervening before the fight had come to an end. In Chapter 4: An unexpected encounter, yet another part of Frederick is explored. After bumping into a creepy stranger, Frederick shows his more *aggressive* and wary side. He addresses the bounty hunter in a pretty hostile manner, but doesn't resort to violence until he himself is threatened. Despite Kay's best efforts, Frederick doesn't seem to trust him, nor to admire him. As expressed by himself, it is hard to gain his trust and respect.

Another characteristic of the young Kingstone, is his unwillingness to give up. He often refuses to surrender, even when things seem to be desperate and when there is no chance of fighting back. This is seen in Chapter 5: The Shadow Horseman, in which he starts shouting at Kay Hole for stating that there is no other option but to kill Drake. His behaviour changes, though, when he's confronted on the matter by his younger brother: Nigel. Rather than shouting at him, Frederick shows disbelief and disappointment, once Nigel reveals that he would rather kill Drake than save him, if necessary.

During another conversation between the two, in Chapter 6: The Path to Hope, Frederick gets mad at Nigel for his hypocrisy and incoherence, showing even further disappointment towards is little brother. Despite coming off as harsh to him or even actively belittling him (as shown in Chapter 6), he still deeply cares for his younger brother and, by his own admission, he wouldn't be able to go on without him by his side.

## History

Frederick was born in Kamar, a small, isolated rural village located near the center of the region of Tami. He was raised by his parents (whose names are currently still unknown): two farmers, and grew up alongside his siblings: Drake, Nigel and Miriam. He had a fairly simple education and didn't know how to read nor how to write. Being one of the most obedient and efficient of the bunch, Frederick would always help out his family in various chores and be praised as a result.

## Story

### Introductory Arc

At the age of 16, after the departure of his parents and Drake falling ill, Frederick was tasked with a much bigger duty: having to manage the rest of the family. During this troubled and desperate period of his life, Frederick had a nightmare, in which Drake was standing on top of his bed, surrounded by shadows. The dark figure then spoke to him causing the young man to fall on his back in the dream and subsequently wake up. That same morning, Frederick noticed that Miriam was nowhere to be seen, and decided to tell Nigel, the only person standing in the living room, about his nightmare.

After a while, the two decide to go check up on Drake, despite Nigel refusing at first. Once they reach the upper floor and enter the room, though, the two are greeted by a chilling scenario: their brother is gone as well. While Frederick is visibly in a state of shock, a wooden beam falls off, almost hitting Nigel. Frederick manages to save his little brother, but unfortunately, the house starts collapsing on its own and the two are unable to do anything.

Two months later, the brothers wake up inside a hospital bed and learn from Dr. Brooks, that they had been rescued by a local carpet seller and ended up in a coma. The man then suggests they move on with their lives, as both their house and their family are gone, but Nigel opposes him, stating that they can't ignore what happened and just leave things as they are. Unfortunately, Dr. Brooks sticks with his idea and tells the two that they're soon going to be transferred to an orphanage.

The brothers are thus sent to the Sunwoods orphanage, where they are greeted by Madame Pilkings, the director of the institution. The woman, then proceeds to introduce them to the other children. Despite everything seeming alright at first, though, the situation rapidly escalates after some time and Frederick and Nigel are thrust in a fight with The Sharks: the bullies of the orphanage. Nigel gets beaten up and made fun of, which prompts Frederick to rescue his brother. Travis, the leader of the bullies, decides to step in and confront Frederick in a fight, but fails in doing so. After managing to defeat the bully, the other "sharks" rapidly flee the area, while Pais, the leader of the Oppressed, shows his gratitude to the young man. Frederick, though, rapidly liquidates the Oppressed by asking for some time alone to comfort his little brother.

The caretaker of the orphanage then comes in and, assuming Nigel is the culprit, starts chasing after him. Frederick bravely admits his guilt to the ruthless and violent man, who decides to severely punish the boy by locking him in a prison cell located at the top of a tower. Not knowing what to do, Frederick gives up and decides to spend the rest of the night inside the cell, hoping to come up with an idea to escape. The next morning, however, Frederick is greeted by his brother Nigel, who tells him that he spoke to Pais about the situation. He states that the latter is willing to help them escape, as a sign of gratitude and that he'll come by night.

Once the night comes, the leader of the Oppressed and Nigel, successfully help Frederick break out of the prison cell. Pais, then helps the brothers escape from the orphanage by descending from the tower's window with the aid of a long rope. Unfortunately, things go for the worst, as a storm comes down on the brothers and the rope suddenly breaks due to a lightning bolt hitting the tower. Nigel plummets to the ground, while Frederick desperately hangs on to the rest of the rope, calling for Pais. The young leader doesn't give any response and is later seen lying on the ground, unconscious. Frederick manages to land on the ground and runs towards his brother, Nigel, who no longer gives any sign of life whatsoever. Luckily, the younger brother wakes up and the two attempt escaping once again, while the tower collapses.

Some time later, Frederick is seen carrying his little brother on his back, while rain keeps pouring on their faces. A coach suddenly passes by and stops once the coachman spots the two brothers, standing on the side of the road. He asks the man inside the coach what to do with the children and the latter comes out, ordering him to bring the two inside. This event marks the end of chapter 3 as well as that of the arc itself.

### Kay Hole Arc

The arc begins with Chapter 4: An unexpected encounter. Frederick has yet another nightmare. This time around, he sees his sister, Miriam, standing amidst darkness. Surprised of seeing her, he asks her what she's doing there and pleads here to go back home. Miriam then turns around and starts crying, begging Frederick to make *him* stop and save her before she loses her sanity. The young lady gets dragged into darkness by three hands and Frederick desperately tries reaching for her, in vain.

The young man is woken up by a maid, who comes in to check up on his condition. As Frederick opens his eyes, the girl greets him by calling him 'sir', which leads him to ask her a few questions. The maid, however, doesn't answer Frederick's question and, instead, says she will call the lords to inform him. Frederick rejects the idea of calling them and politely asks her to go away. The young man starts getting more and more curious and begins to wonder what could've happened the night prior. He finds his little brother, Nigel, peacefully sleeping on the bed right beside him. Frederick wakes him up and tells him that they're inside a big and elegant mansion, which surprises Nigel. As soon as the two decide to venture outside their room, though, a tall, bearded man pops up by the doorstep asking them where they want to go. The man smiles at the kids, introducing himself as Lord Kingstone.

Frederick asks the man what happened and the latter explains that he found him and his little brother standing by the side of the road at night and in the middle of a storm. Kingstone then asks them if they want to stay with him and his wife, Lady Kingstone, informing both of the passing of their biological children. Despite being heartbroken by such news, Frederick tries to politely decline the nobleman's offer, but Nigel suddenly interrupts him and accepts Kingstone's invitation, making the latter happy.

Three years go by and both brothers, who are now free from labour, receive an education and live a different life. One day, Frederick enters the Kingstone mansion, greeting his adoptive father, Lord Kingstone, by offering him a deer he had just hunted. Kingstone thanks his child and asks him where his younger brother, Nigel, went, to which Frederick replies he should be there in a couple of minutes. Nigel then makes his entrance, greeting everyone and happily asking if he missed anything.

That same day, in the afternoon, Frederick and Nigel decide to go about their daily stroll and start talking to each other, as usual. Nigel comments on how beautiful of a day , to which Frederick agrees. The latter then tells his younger brother that, despite the passing of the years, he hasn't stopped thinking about their lost siblings and how much he regrets not being able to rescue them. Nigel replies that it's not his fault and that the past can't be changed. He then states that the only right thing to do is move on and leave their past behind, as now they have everything they could've asked for: a loving family, food in quantity, education, etc. Frederick doesn't bat an eye and declares that he will only be at peace with himself once he knows what really happened.

All of a sudden, the brothers notice a strange figure standing underneath a willow tree, blocking their way. It is a tall, slim man, who asks the two if he can help them. Frederick, being wary of the mysterious individual, immediately asks him why was he hearing their conversation and who sent him, to which the man replies by making fun of such take. The strange individual, then states that he knows the truth about Miriam and Drake and says that he's come to reveal it. Frederick, once again, refuses to believe the man and gets defensive. The stranger then tells Frederick about Miriam, showing he actually has knowledge about the situation and the young man, now more confused than ever, starts pressing the mysterious man even more. The latter promises he will say everything, but on one condition: Frederick will have to beat him first.

Kay dashes towards Frederick and pushes him back. The young man almost trips and falls, but luckily manages to stand still. In that moment, Nigel warns Frederick that there's something behind his back and, as the turquoise-haired boy turns around, he sees a bunch of brambles suddenly emerging from the ground and directed towards him. Frederick dodges every single attack by doing a somersault three times in a row but, while standing still, he gets attacked behind his back by Kay. The bounty hunter crushes Frederick's back with his elbow, causing him to throw up blood and fall to the ground. Now devoid of any strength, the young Kingstone lays on the ground, while being taunted by Kay. Frederick, being a stubborn and determined young man, refuses to give up and gets up. Angrier than ever, Frederick runs towards Kay with all his might and jumps in the hair, showing his fist to the opponent.

Kay smiles at the young man, confident he won't be able to defeat him but his cockiness is crushed as soon as Frederick changes his move. The young man gives the bounty hunter a powerful kick to the head and sends him flying against the wall. Frederick promptly grabs him by the shirt and demands him to confess the truth. As Kay seems to ignore Frederick's orders, the young man tries to punch him, but ends up hitting a wall of air, created by Kay himself, instead. Kay manages to escape Frederick's grip and asks him to stop, as he declares their fight to be officially over. After wiping his shirt from the dust, the bounty hunter starts explaining the two brothers how he didn't actually mean to harm them and that he was just testing their prowess and their intelligence. He later introduces himself and explains what a bounty hunter is actually meant to do, all the while grabbing a rotten apple from the ground, crushing it, transforming the pulp into dust and sprinkling it all over the ground. As soon as the dust touches the ground, a flower starts growing, leaving Kingstone brothers speechless. Wondering how the mysterious man was able to do such thing, Frederick asks him what he just did, but Kay simply shrugs it off, stating that he'll tell them once the right time comes.

After asking Frederick how he was able to outsmart him, Kay says he'll tell them the truth as promised and and asks the two to follow him. In order to clear away Frederick's suspicion towards him, Kay shows the young man a heart-shaped pendant, which Nigel immediately recognizes as Miriam's. Frederick falls to the ground, crying out of joy and hopefulness and Kay tells the young boy to stand up, as their journey has just begun.

## Abilities

Frederick's abilities have yet to be showcased in the manga. He's often portrayed as a fire user in many official artworks and, in chapter 3, he had a dream in which his body was entirely enveloped in flames.

## Relationships

### Family

* **Nigel Kingstone** - Despite his mocking and, sometimes, bitter attitude towards him, Frederick seems to be very fond of his younger brother Nigel and is willing to protect him at any cost whatsoever. Frederick often ends up criticizing him and putting him down because of his laziness and his cowardice, but he does so in the hopes of making him change for the better. Despite not openly showing it, Frederick has a very high esteem of Nigel, to the point where he will entrust him his own life, as shown over the course of chapter 3, where the young man tells his brother he's confident that he will return with Pais and help him escape. Later, in the same chapter, we witness a panicked Frederick trying to revive his little brother by shaking him, screaming in denial that he cannot afford to lose him, being the only person left in his life. When Nigel finally opens his eyes again, Frederick embraces him and tells him that "No one else can help us, except for ourselves, for now we're all alone before this unjust world". In the beginning of chapter 1, during their initial dialogue, Frederick treats Nigel a bit harshly, pressing him about Miriam's disappearance. When the two brothers find themselves in Drake's room and a beam almost falls on Nigel, Frederick risks his life by stepping in and rescuing his little brother. When the turquoise-haired boy wakes up from his coma, after the collapsing of his home, the first thing he thinks about, is his little brother Nigel, showing that he deeply cares for him and his safety. In the following chapter, Frederick is shown once again stepping in to protect his little brother from Travis and the rest of the Sharks, although after defeating the bullies, he belittles Nigel yet again for being a coward. Frederick and Nigel don't always think alike, as shown in chapter 4,5 and 6. Nigel wants to move on from his past, unlike Frederick, and is very content with his new family and life. Because of this he's very hesitant to leave. Frederick, on the other hand, often thinks about the past and deeply regrets not being able to help his siblings, which is why he finds it difficult to move on. In chapter 5, Nigel disagrees with Frederick over Drake's situation and whether or not killing him is the right thing to do.
* **Miriam** - Frederick's relationship with his younger sister Miriam is not entirely known, as she only briefly appears in chapter 1 and 4. From what we've seen, we can assume that Frederick is very attached to his little sister and will do anything to save her. Miriam's perception of Frederick is not known, but she probably admires him and sees him as a role model.
* **Drake** - Just like for the previous case, Frederick and Drake's relationship is not entirely known. Based on what is seen in the manga, it can be assumed that Frederick looks up to Drake as an example to follow and truly cares for him, as he cares for the rest of his siblings. After learning that he's still alive and that he's been possessed by the Dark Lord, Frederick immediately asks Kay if there's any way they could save him, defeating the evil entity at the same time. He also disagrees with Nigel's point of view on the matter, showing that he cares so much about Drake, he's not willing to give up on him. As for Drake's perception of Frederick, not much is currently known.
* **Lord Kingstone** - Frederick has a very good relationship with Lord Kingstone, whom he perceives as a second father. At the beginning of chapter 4, Frederick was wary of Kingstone, not fully knowing his intentions. After learning what had happened the night prior, he becomes more at ease with Kingstone, but still declines the man's offer. Three years later, Frederick is shown to be very attached and grateful to his new found father, gifting him a deer he had just hunted. Lord Kingstone is really fond of his newly acquired son as well, greeting him and showing concern for both him and his brother Nigel for disappearing. He's a very loving father, who has a very hard time allowing his children to embark on a dangerous journey, but ultimately decides to let them go, as it would be the most selfish decision.
* **Lady Kingstone** - The relationship between Frederick and Lady Kingstone has not been expanded upon too much, as she only appears briefly throughout the chapters. Based on her few appearances, we can see she cares very much about her new children and she has a hard time letting them go because of her trauma. She sees her biological sons Ian and Jeremy in Frederick and Nigel and can't accept the fact that they might soon be gone as well.

### Allies

* **Kay Hole** - The relationship between Kay and Frederick is a very complicated one. The first time they meet each other, Frederick shows immediate signs of hostility and asks the man what his intentions are. The two settle things down a bit after a short fight and Frederick starts trusting in Kay a little more, after the bounty hunter reveals that he knows where Miriam and Drake are and is willing to help them. Frederick still keeps an eye on Kay throughout the entirety of chapter 5, doubting every single word of his and constantly looking for contradictions. Even after receiving two horses as a gift, the young man still refuses to openly trust Kay, stating that a mere present, as good as it can be, cannot buy his trust. So far in the story, Frederick only seems to be using Kay as a means to find out more about his past and where his siblings might be, but would be willing to stop the man, if he were to attempt doing something against him and Nigel.
* **Pais** - Pais and Frederick's relationship consists of mutual respect and admiration. Frederick is shown to be very thankful towards Pais for helping him and his brother Nigel escape from the orphanage and he holds him in very high regards. The same thing goes for Pais, who sees Frederick as someone who is able to stand up for himself and for the good innocent people. He's grateful to Frederick for freeing him of his fears and showing him and the rest of the oppressed children that things can be changed for the better by fighting back instead of succumbing. Because of this, Pais tries to clear his debt by helping Frederick and Nigel out, showing once again that he respects and admires Frederick.

### Enemies

* **Travis** - Frederick does not like nor tolerate bullies and he has a general dislike for people who try to oppress others for no reason. Travis is the perfect embodiment of this, which is why Frederick goes up against him in the first place. He decides to fight back against the "tyrant", as he can't stand injustices and mistreatment. Frederick perceives Travis as a very arrogant individual, who feeds off of other children's fears and insecurities to thrive. Frederick firmly believes that the best way to deal with the situation is facing it in the first place, instead of hiding and running away from the threat like Pais and the others do, which only empowers the bullies even more.

## Gallery

Site faviconFrederick's appearanceFrederick in Chapter 1: Birth of a legendFrederick age 19