Malves

Lord Umoto Arte Marves (ウモト＝アルテ＝マルヴェス, Malves in the anime) is an Elf Noble-High Lord of the Holy Empire Westelande, and is considered the head of the territory's merchant fleet. He commands the Spirit Ship Eagle.

Marves makes his first appearance in Volume 5: A Sunday in Akiba, where he attempts to sabotage Akiba's Libra Festival and disgrace Raynesia&mdash;only to be thoroughly out gambitted by Shiroe, Krusty, and Michitaka.

Appearance
Malves is a pasty-faced elf, (most likely makeup) with a skinny body and a very pale skin. He is dressed in gaudy, purple clothes and wears a kind of gold-trimmed captain's hat.

Personality
Malves is a pompous, arrogant individual with a sneaky disposition and a perverted attitude towards Princess Raynesia. Though he thinks he's a brilliant schemer, he does not compare to Shiroe's ability and is easily cowed when outmaneuvered by the likes of Shiroe. Like many nobles, he is used to having people serve him and does not realize that he is up against well-educated and formidable opponents such as the Adventurers of Akiba.

Libra Festival arc
Malves is accompanied by three Adventurers from Minami, bringing the Spirit Ship Eagle into Akiba's port during the Libra Festival. He then visits Princess Raynesia with the expectation that she had already prepared to store the 500 tons of cargo that he brought, claiming to have sent a letter in advance and denouncing her when he finds her unprepared.

In actuality, this was all a ruse to embarrass the Cowen family and weaken the authority of the Round Table Alliance. However, he did not take into account Shiroe's ability to create the supposed letter with Marves' own signature, nor Marine Organization's capability to store ten times the cargo he had supposedly brought. With the fact that he didn't really have 500 tons of cargo with him, and that he never even sent a letter, Marves had no choice but to withdraw on the pretense that he wasn't feeling well. The Spirit Ship Eagle quickly departed after the plan to discredit the Round Table Alliance had failed.

Nureha later tells Shiroe that Marves' plot was conducted on the whims of a few Westelande nobles, and was not the will of Plant Hwyaden or the Holy Empire Westelande as a whole.

Collapse of the Round Table arc
Marves reappears in Akiba with yet another large caravan; this time, as a representative for Touri Saiguu, to whom Raynesia is engaged. He confronts her publicly regarding the marriage proposal, and spins her non-rejection as acceptance, "officializing" the marriage arrangement despite her great displeasure.

He and Touri take residence in Honesty's guild hall and are present for Eins and Shiroe's meeting. While Marves still holds hostility towards Shiroe for his previous humiliation, Shiroe largely disregards him, especially once the power dynamics between him and Touri are made evident.

Trivia

 * In the web novel, his name was originally Rundostad (ルンドスタード). Chapter 108 of the web novel changed it to Marves Ain-Arde Marves (マルヴェス＝アインアルド＝マルヴェス). For volume 12's official publication, it was changed once again, to Umoto Arte Marves.
 * According to his description for volume 12's item recruitment, not even the author expected him to reappear in the story.