Heisshitze

Heisshitze is a knight from Dunkelfelger who's Royal Academy education overlapped with Ferdinand's.

At some point of their shared time at the royal academy, Heisshitze wagered his cape in a competition against Ferdinand and lost. During the remainder of their time at the academy he challenged Ferdinand at every opportunity to regain his cape, but was never able to beat his rival.

While Ferdinand does not appear to reciprocate the feelings, many Dunkelfelgerians consider Heisshitze and Ferdinand to be "frenemies". With Heisshitze himself being convinced that playing ditter against each other can bring even the worst enemies together in friendship over time it seems clear he shares this view. As such he holds Ferdinand in high regards in more ways than just as a rival to strive against.

At some point after his graduation Heisshitze married the younger sister of his uncle's wife, who have a considerable age-gap between them. Due to how close he is with the Commanders second son, their in-law relationship of uncle and nephew seems to take precedence over their biological connection as cousins.

At the Interduchy Tournament in Rozemyne and Hannelore's second year at the royal academy, Aub Dunkelfelger challenges Ehrenfest to a Ditter match over the publishing rights for a manuscript that Lady Rozemyne - Aub Ehrenfest's adopted daughter - had made by translating a borrowed Dunkelfelger book into modern language. When Aub Ehrenfest and Rozemyne are unable to dissuade Aub Dunkelfelger from this and find other ways to handle the publishing rights, Aub Ehrenfest reluctantly agrees, but suggests to make it a very small scale affair between only one champion of each duchy.

Aub Dunkelfelger accepts those turns and requests for Ehrenfest to declare Ferdinand as their champion. Ferdinand is very opposed to participating, but Heisshitze manages to convince him to join by wagering several valuable materials. Being able to convince Ferdinand also earns him the approval of Aub Dunkelfelger and thus the right to fight as Dunkelfelger's champion against Ferdinand and thus the chance to win back his old cape.

At Heisshitze's suggestion Hannelore and Rozemyne are chosen as the treasures in their ditter match, much to the two girls' surpise, confusion and dismay.

]