Anvil/Relationships

Anvil's emotions toward Mordret are characterized by smoldering wrath, reflecting his disdain and anger at the havoc Mordret has caused. His words about the situation being a "minor inconvenience" mask the deep-seated tension and threat Mordret poses to his plans and kingdom. Despite his disdain, Anvil acknowledges Mordret's cunning and the danger he represents. His reluctance to commit more resources against Mordret might reflect either confidence in his daughter or a calculated risk to prioritize other goals.^[1]

Anvil treats Morgan with a commanding demeanor, expecting absolute competence from her. His trust in her abilities is evident when he sends her to confront Mordret, believing she alone should be sufficient to handle the dangerous situation. He dismisses her concerns about the scale of the threat, indicating a high level of confidence in her. Despite Morgan’s visible unease and protests about fairness, Anvil remains detached and unsympathetic, suggesting she find her own reinforcements if needed. His cold statement, "...Don’t lose to that creature again, Morgan", reveals both his high expectations and an underlying disappointment in her previous failure against Mordret. There is no display of affection or reassurance from Anvil toward Morgan, emphasizing a strictly hierarchical and utilitarian relationship.^[1]

Anvil maintains an aloof and stoic exterior, treating Jest's humor with cold indifference while occasionally indulging in faint smiles or subtle acknowledgments. His reference to Jest as the one who "taught him how to be heartless" hints at a deeper, perhaps darker, mentorship dynamic between them, suggesting that Jest once played a formative role in shaping Anvil's hardened outlook.^[2]

Jest adopts a tone of sarcastic banter with Anvil, referring to his own advanced age while humorously demanding respect from the King. Despite his lighthearted demeanor, Jest demonstrates a sharp perceptiveness, evident in his insights about others and his observations of the unfolding dynamics within their surroundings.^[2]

“	She is just like her father, in that regard. Ah… but I think that she resembles her mother much more, instead.	”
― Anvil to Sunny about Nephis, Chapter 2256 Abominable Curse

His obsession with creating a "flawless" weapon, centered around Nephis, whom he saw as the "flawless sword" he had been trying to create. He had claimed to have shaped Nephis into what she had become, having guided her from a lost girl to a "radiant star." His ultimate goal had been to forge Nephis into the perfect weapon by making her kill him in a final act, thus completing her transformation into the flawless "sword" he had envisioned.^[3] In Chapter 2256, he deemed her "complete".

According to Anvil, Nephis shared the same relentless drive, ambition, or unwillingness to surrender—a trait that defines Nephis's character in Sunny's eyes. Her refusal to accept limits, her striving toward divinity, and her desire to fully overcome the Nightmare Spell mirror what Anvil likely saw in her father. While he didn't elaborate directly, Anvil's emphasis on her greater resemblance to her mother suggests deeper, possibly more emotional or ideological traits—such as compassion, inner strength, or moral conviction.^[4]

To Anvil, Sunny is not an opponent with agency or worth — he is an obstacle, a stain to be cleansed from a vision that Anvil has become obsessively devoted to — the creation of a flawless sword, embodied in the person of Nephis. Sunny, for his part, is revolted and infuriated by Anvil's delusions. He recognizes the Sovereign's mind has been warped, likely by the very Flaw he tried to overcome. Worse, Sunny realizes that Anvil's goal is not even victory — it is death at the hands of his "perfect creation", Nephis. In this twisted narrative, Sunny is disposable, a contaminant that needs to be removed so the final act can unfold as Anvil envisions. ^[5]