| Gladstone Company | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Japanese Name |
グラックス卜ソ商会 |
|
Romanized Name |
Guraddosutōn Shōkai |
|
Nickname(s)/Alias(es) |
- |
|
Debut |
|
|
Voice actor |
Red-haired man: |
|
Status |
Deceased |
The Gladstone Company is a collapsed organization involved in criminal activities. Two of its members searched for The Queen of the Night. They are present in the Queen of the Night story.
Background[]
The company can be considered either a merchant association or a trade organization. It has a shop in the capital that negotiates illegal goods. They give robbers and thieves information about rich people and charge commissions. The stolen items are sold at a high price. They even know about the rare Queen of the Night purchased by Wesley Disward. The information network of the Gladstone Company is not always reliable. The Disward estate was supposed to be deserted, although Hugh and Dalian were inhabiting it. Additionally, The Queen of the Night isn't a book like they thought. The company collapsed when its chairman was killed during conflicts with another organization.
The information about The Queen of the Night fell into the hands of two former bodyguards. According to the red-haired man, they killed many people while working for the Gladstone Company. Their names were never revealed in the series. Afraid of suffering the same fate of their boss, they decided to leave the capital and hide. They would need to raise money, explaining why they were after the valuable Queen of the Night. They couldn’t look for gems and artifacts, since their enemies were controlling the selling channels.[1]
Personality[]
Both criminals are ready to kill people to achieve their objectives. The red-haired man is aggressive, acting as the leader of the duo. Apparently, he's intimidated by Dalian. He becomes satisfied after seeing her struggling or kicking her books to blow off steam. The man holds a huge automatic pistol. The gun, a new model from overseas, seems like it's frequently used.
During a fight, the plump man's power and endurance make up for his clumsiness. He uses a metal baton with a handle, similar to those carried by guards. He's submissive, accepting his accomplice's orders.[1]
Appearance[]
The plump man, as seen in the light novel.
Both wear nice clothes that don’t suit them. According to Hugh, their weird attire makes one think that they are Dalian's acquaintances. The tall, red-haired man has a fierce expression. He's around 35 years old. His hair is unruly and his beard is carelessly grown. The plump man is between 25 and 30 years old. Although he’s slightly plump, his muscles are well developed.[1]
They wear the same attire in the anime. A simple black suit covered by a grey overcoat. They also sport a black necktie and a fedora hat. In this version, the tall man has brown eyes and hair. He has no beard, although he shows an unshaven mustache and sideburns like his partner. The plump man has violet eyes and unruly black beard. His hair is also black, combed backwards.[2]
Plot[]
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The criminals are looking for The Queen of the Night.
The sun was setting when the duo rang the doorbell of the Disward estate. When Hugh and Dalian answered the door, they introduced themselves as Gladstone Company men delivering an item ordered by Wesley Disward. They learn that Wesley has passed away. When Hugh is distracted, the plump man swings a metal baton over his head. Hugh kneels to avoid the merciless blow. The plump man drops the baton when Hugh kicks his wrist. The latter is in trouble during the fight. Hugh surrenders when the red-haired man presses his gun against Dalian’s head. Hugh turns his head, unable to tolerate the body odor of the plump man. The criminal uses a hemp rope to tie Hugh and Dalian up. The red-haired man is surprised by Dalian’s foul mouth. He wonders if Hugh and Dalian are robbers. The red-haired man points the gun at Hugh, asking about the valuable books inside the house. The Gladstone Company men are looking for a book called “The Queen of the Night”.
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Hugh and Dalian are tied up by the Gladstone Company men.
They tie Hugh and Dalian to a pillar in the living room. They check the Disward estate for The Queen of the Night. The red-haired man appears frustrated, covered in dust. He complains about the old and molded books scattered across the mansion. He kicks a stack of books, making Dalian angry. The plump man also returns, sweaty and empty-handed. Dalian suddenly screams when he eats one of the chocolates Hugh previously received from Kamilla.
Hugh knows the bad repute of the Gladstone Company. The robbers confirm that they have received information about The Queen of the Night bought by Wesley. Now, they are raising money to hide from a rival company. When Hugh teases them about their information network, the red-haired man hits him with the butt of his gun. Hugh and Dalian are threatened again. The plump man stops eating the chocolate to search the house again. A victorious smile appears in the red-haired man's face when Dalian blurts out about the backyard. With a nod, he orders the plump man to check the garden. The red-haired man enjoys Dalian's panic, until a scream is heard. Frustrated, the red-haired man kicks the wall a few times and leaves the room to check his partner.
As seen in the introduction of the chapter, the red-haired man pushes some weeds aside while looking for the plump man inside the glasshouse. He notices a soft glow in the darkness. Attracted by a mysterious book, he drops his pistol. His scream is heard by Hugh and Dalian. Later, the dropped gun is discovered by Hugh. The duo is found inside The Queen of the Night, a carnivorous plant that devours those attracted by its flower in the form of a book. Vines are strangling the men covered by digestive fluids. Dalian affirms that they deserve it for damaging something she likes.[1]
In the anime, the red-haired man is shown shooting twice before being eaten. The next day, Hugh tells Kamilla that the robbers disappeared empty-handed after running into the backyard. Kamilla pities them.[2]
Trivia[]
- Notable voice performances by Kenta Miyake are as All Might from My Hero Academia and as Zangief in the Street Fighter videogame series.[3] Daiki Nakamura voices Haohmaru from Samurai Shodown and Littner from Gurren Lagann, another work from GAINAX.[4]
- Both voice actors worked in Gundam, Detective Conan, Arslan Senki, Gurren Lagann, Naruto and Saint Seiya.[3][4]
- The light novel describes the red-haired man's gun as a new model from overseas.[1] The anime indeed shows a semi-automatic pistol similar to models from German weapon designers such as Mauser and Bergmann.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The Mystic Archives of Dantalian light novel, Chapter 2, volume 2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Mystic Archives of Dantalian anime, Episode 3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kenta Miyake. (2017, January 28). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:24, February 19, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenta_Miyake&oldid=762311713
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Daiki Nakamura. (2017, February 5). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:26, February 19, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daiki_Nakamura&oldid=763815113