Eishun Konoe

Konoka's father and the chief of the Kansai Magic Association. Despite his last name, he is not from the Konoe family as he actually married into his wife's family. Before the Kyoto Arc, both the Kansai and the Kantō Magic Associations had a feud. This was because Kansai mages did not approve of Kantō mages using Western-style magic instead of Eastern-style magic. In order to ease the schism between two sides, Konoemon Konoe, who was the head of the Kantō Magic Association, made an arranged marriage between Eishun and his daughter. With this, the overt hostility ended. However, a few in Kansai (e.g. Chigusa Amagasaki) continue in their aversion to Kantō and/or Western mages. Despite the attitude of Kansai mages towards the west, Eishun became best friends with a powerful Western mage, Nagi Springfield, the Thousand master. Nagi, Eishun, Takahata, Albireo (Sanders), Gatō and one other, who were Nagi's comrade-in-arms, fought in a magic war that involved both mages from the East and West twenty years ago. Rather than being a mage, Eishun is actually a Shinmei-ryū swordsmaster. He has battle scars on his body from that war. Even after Nagi's apparent death in 1993, Eishun has still kept Nagi's holiday house clean. Eishun's name is a direct Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese Kung Fu style Wing Chun. He also smokes, a habit of which Konoka disapproves. Eishun never told his daughter Konoka of her magical background because he wanted his daughter to have a normal life. However, seeing that many in the Kansai Magic Association knew about the great (and dangerous) magic potential in Konoka, Eishun sent his daughter away to Mahora Academy under the care of his father-in-law. Several years after sending his daughter away, he sent Setsuna to guard his daughter. After the events in Kyoto, he asked Evangeline to tutor Konoka in using her power.