Gustav

Gustav is the king of Askr. He is a character first mentioned in The Road to Nifl, and is the father of Alfonse and Sharena.

Role
Gustav helps his son Alfonse learn how to become a king before his time is up, putting aside any animosity he has for his son for joining the Order of Heroes against his word.

Before the Game
When Alfonse joined the Order of Heroes, Gustav protested, saying that he never wanted to speak to him again.

Book II
Gustav does not directly appear in this book, but his name is mentioned by Anna in The Road to Nifl, commanding his troops to defend Askr from the forces of Múspell.

Book III
The king of Askr makes his first on-screen appearance in Book III, Chapter 2, where his wife Henriette brings Alfonse and Sharena to the Askr castle throne room to speak with him. He is still mad at Alfonse for joining the Order of Heroes, however, and their first conversation since last time starts on an awkward note. Gustav informs Alfonse that their kingdom has been invaded once again, this time by the forces of Hel, the realm of the dead. He had sealed a barrier around the tomb to the west of the castle twenty years ago, but due to his Askran blood, he could not complete close the gate. After the Order of Heroes head to the tomb and fights off an army of the undead to save a nearby town, Gustav and his knights arrive to fight off the Hel soldiers near the tomb. Upon hearing Alfonse's risk to save the town, he scolds him for it, saying even a slight miscalculation against an army would cost him his life. While he does praise Alfonse and the Order of Heroes for their victory against Surtr of Múspell, he says Alfonse is not a hero by fighting his enemies head-on. Gustav tells his son that he is next in line to become a king, and to do that, he must not save what is in front of him, but must do what it takes to protect all of his people in Askr. Gustav also notes that his time is limited, and will die very soon, meaning if Alfonse were to die, Askr would have no heir. Alfonse apologizes to Gustav for his recklessness and the two return to the castle.

In Chapter 3, Gustav tells Alfonse his plan to stop the invasion of Hel: To force the undead soldiers of the realm of the dead to retreat, then erect another barrier to seal them off again. Alfonse wishes to take part, and Gustav allows it, provided Alfonse does not try to fight Hel, the ruler of the realm. Twenty years ago, Gustav fought Hel and came out of the battle with a scar running across his face, stating his lucky escape against death was only pure luck. Before his son and the Order departs, he makes Alfonse promise not to approach Hel if they see her.

Unfortunately, his son ends up being cursed by Hel with 9 days left to live, as is shown in Chapter 4, when he arrives to see his son, chastising him for setting foot on the battlefield in the first place. He then reveals that Hel killed his father as well, and states there is no escaping the death curse, and the Askran family has suffered a loss. Sharena and Alfonse try to convince Gustav that they can find a way to dispel the curse, and allows them to. Sometime during the countdown, Gustav and his son meet up with each other again while the king was on his way to a conference with his knights. He shows Alfonse a branch from his youth which has since withered, but his son does not remember it, leaving him to think about what the branch was. After 9 days pass, Gustav and Alfonse talk to each other once again to reconnect one last time before Alfonse's death comes. He doesn't take too kindly to the idea of involving other words in their conflict with Hel, especially Kiran, who came from another world. Then, Alfonse remembers something that Henriette told him about his father, how he used to be just like Alfonse in his youth. Gustav admitted it, saying he always had his weapon ready in hand to battle while traveling across other worlds. Finally, the king tells Alfonse to stay close to him so that they might catch a glimpse of Hel's weakness once she arrives to kill Alfonse. After their battle against the army of the dead, Hel appears to take Alfonse's live, but before she hits him with his scythe, Gustav dives in and takes the hit for his son. Gustav explains that he knows exactly how the curse works, thanks to his father. Rather than the person themselves being set for death, someone in the victim's bloodline has to die. He willingly sacrifices himself to extend his son's life, saying that he is doing what is the rightful duty of a king, and that of a father as well. In his last breath, Gustav tells Alfonse to become a king, and is then slain by Hel.

In Chapter 5, Henriette explains to Alfonse that Gustav was secretly ill and did not have very long to live, but he hid it from everyone except his wife to maintain morale, and waited until his son was ready to succeed the throne. She also explains that the dead branch that Gustav showed his son was the "sword of bravery", a branch he presented to his father when he was about three years old. Remembering his youth, Alfonse and the Order of Heroes set out to avenge Gustav's death, by entering the gate to Hel, the realm of the dead. But when they arrive at the gate to Hel, Alfonse and Sharena are shocked to see Gustav guarding the gate, having been turned into a zombie, another general of Hel, as a result of the death curse from Hel's ruler. Gustav tells his son that his body ignores his will, but his mind is still intact, and orders him and the Order to strike him down. Alfonse obliges, engaging in battle with the undead king of Askr. Once defeated, before he and his mind fade away, he tells Alfonse and Sharena that he loves them both.