The common people can have their god, have their gods, their saints, whoever. Alain has no need for religion. If it's about finding a purpose, he has one. If it's about defining some moral code, he's already got one of those too. Both of these things have been instilled in him since birth, so deeply ingrained in his very essence that they are as much a part of him as his corporeal body is. The knight's code of conduct has practically overtaken him, formed every aspect of his being from when he was old enough to have any kind of personality. If he is anything now, it only this: a knight, through and through. Knights are good, fundamentally. If you were to ask him what that means, exactly, he couldn't say, but he's been told—over and over again— that it means balancing suffering. Justice is a vague and uncertain concept, but he is spared from that murkiness by the next teachings of the knight's code: loyalty. Just as he swore his fealty to the prince when he came of age, so too did he swear his fealty to his country. Thus, the issue of justice is resolved. The lives of Reskaeans are paramount, so justice is what keeps Reskaeans safe, and the balance of suffering is what keeps as many Reskaeans happy as possible. So, his best estimation of good is that which is good for the country and crown.

He follows what is clear to the letter—cordiality, gentility, nobility, honesty— and what is not clear, he makes his best guess of and forges onward. There is no time for second guessing; he moves with a purpose because he has one. A purposeless knight, after all, isn't worth his weight in dirt. Alain can only walk with dignity because his life has been applied to some meaning. Without the prince, he's sure, he'd be nothing at all.

Alain, as a knight is noble and good, all that he is meant to be, was ever told to be. As a man, Alain is...something. He hasn't quite figured out what that something is, but he certainly hopes it's something worthy. He's finding it increasingly difficult to separate what parts of himself are his own and what parts of him are little more than framework, personality traits engineered to perfectly suit the code as he was instructed to do, a shadow of movement rather than a genuine action. It doesn't quite sit well in the pit of his stomach, but he supposes as long as he's doing good, it's all he needs to be doing.

Alain wasn't born with a sword in his hands, but sometimes it sure feels that way. He was the son of a knight and a lady of the court, lived a comfortable, if not trying, life within the country's capital. Sometimes, he can still recall the scents and sensations of the marketplace, his favorite location to be before the training took him over. Which is not to say he was resentful. He loved the exhaustion, the bruises, the exchanging of blow for blow until his arms felt like they would detach from his sockets. There were times he wished they'd grant him a reprieve from his studies, just to a chance to see the world as a regular child once more. Ultimately, though, he knew his place, knew his duties and responsibilities. Upholding the code of honor was no stroll through the countryside, would not permit such childish desires.

He never intended to befriend the prince. In fact, from the moment he'd seen the boy—chubby and content, utterly oblivious—he'd wanted nothing more than to expose him to the harsh reality Alain suffered every day. There was a touch of disdain there, mainly because of his age, a youthful arrogance that led him to detest the boy he believed knew nothing of effort or exertion. And so, the first time they sparred, Alain knocked the princeling flat on his ass. He expected punishment, even as he extended a hand to help the boy up. Instead, what he got a was pull towards the ground, laughter, and an invitation to join the prince's training full time.

Alain was given the position of the prince's retainer the same day he was sent away from the castle. He could not reject the order from the king, but even if he could, he is not sure he would have. His years spent side by side with the boy had fostered in him a fondness and a sense of responsibility. He was far from eager to leave the capital and any chance he had of climbing up the ranks of the Royal Guard with it, but somehow, despite the fact that his ambitions were far grander, Alain felt rather at peace with his position by the prince's side as his protector. (He did, of course, plan to someday return triumphantly, having expertly fulfilled his duty as the prince's retainer during exile and, having done so, be promoted on the spot to a captain at least.)

The two peasant children who had often accompanied him and the prince during training hadn't seemed terribly consequential at the time. When they'd upped and disappeared from their lives several years ago, Alain hadn't been too sad for very long at all. But somehow, it came to be that they all found each other once more, perhaps altering the course of Alain's life forevermore.

Alain is slow but sturdy like a boulder. A veritable impenetrable wall of defense, he is often the first to charge into battle, utilized as something of a sledgehammer to blast a hole in the defensive lines of the enemy. When he splinters the first wave of attackers, Emmeryn tells him he is creating a rift that allows their small army to take advantage of the immediate confusion. He doesn't concern himself too much with any strategy, though, only does what he knows. And he knows it well. Despite being raised with swordplay, Alain discovered early on that with his bulky build, the lance, which worked well with slower movements, suited him best. When he left the castle, the King gifted him the legendary lance Siegmund, a family treasure and twin weapon to Xan's sword. He uses this most frequently, since its unique design allows him to consistently strike twice at an enemy in quick succession despite his slow speed. However, when Alain finds himself facing off against similarly armored units, he makes the switch to his steel lance due to its weight, which helps him break through an enemy's armor. Rarely will Alain make use of his sword, but it's kept with him anyway, should he ever encounter an enemy that is best felled with a blade.

In addition to his primary purpose as a tanker, Alain is also frequently used as a defender, utilizing his good constitution and stellar defense to protect any weaker units from harm should it come to that. Sometimes, his ward is Emmeryn, other times it's whoever needs shielding. Weak only to magic attacks, Alain's primary form of defense against mages is to merely avoid them when possible and rely on others to swiftly take care of them first.