Nathaniel Hawthorne (ナサニエル・ホーソーン, Nasanieru Hōsōn?) was a member in the organization known as The Guild and is currently affiliated with the Rats in the House of the Dead. His ability is known as The Scarlet Letter.
Appearance
Hawthorne is a tall man with a neatly combed hazel hair and purple eyes. In the anime, his hair is shown to be pale, dusty blue. His glasses have golden rims. Because he's a pastor, he dresses in a slightly modified black religious habit with a black cape on top of it; together with a white cravat; and black shoes. He also wears a hidden cross necklace which can be used to cut himself in order to activate his ability in an instant.
He's often seen carrying a Bible, as well.
Personality
Hawthorne is a man of God, and appears to take his religion very seriously. He believes he was given a mission by God to pass judgement on heavy sinners. That's why he keeps himself in high esteem, even acting a bit arrogant towards his fellow allies and enemies, much like Mitchell. Nevertheless, he is smart, good at planning, and very composed.
He might appear as a cold, rude, and even ruthless individual, but he has shown a patient and caring side towards Mitchell, despite both of them getting into little quarrels. Later on he becomes an assassin for Fyodor.
Ability
Hawthorne's ability,The Scarlet Letter (緋文字, Himoji?), allows him to convert his own blood into holy words and control them. They can be fired like bullets, or built up as a shield to deflect the enemy's attack.
Background
While little is known about Hawthorne's past, it can be deduced that he joined the Guild to bring punishment to sinners, as sent by God.
Plot
Hawthorne first appears in Chapter 18 of the manga as "the package" from the Guild. He debuts along with many other members of the Guild, including Margaret Mitchell, Herman Melville, and Mark Twain. After defeating the Armed Detective Company and the Port Mafia, Hawthorne asks where Poe and Alcott are. Mitchell answers that they stayed behind due to their shared fear of heights. Hawthorne and the other Guild members walk off, leaving Twain behind.
Hawthorne's next appearance is in Chapter 20, with Mitchell. He is seen sitting on a chair and reading his Bible. He notices Mitchell staring at him and tells her to stop bothering him, as she is disrupting his conversation with God. Mitchell uses her Gone with the Wind ability to destroy his Bible. Hawthorne stands, telling Mitchell that God has made it his mission to pass judgement onto sinners. The two quarrel a bit, before a worker on the ship brings the pair a letter found among the cargo. They read the letter, a threat from the Port Mafia, and Hawthorne demands that the crew complete the two hour task in thirty minutes. When Mitchell downplays the letter as nothing but harassment, Hawthorne scolds her, reminding her that the ship was the Guild's only base on the frontline.
They are interrupted when a crew member informs them that they have found a suspicious man onboard the ship.
In Chapter 21, Akutagawa stabs Hawthorne and thus, resulting in a battle between him and Hawthorne. But during the final blow, Mitchell hugs Hawthorne to prevent him from getting stabbed by Akutagawa.
In Chapter 27, Hawthorne wakes up and is greeted by Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald explains that Mitchell will probably not gain consciousness. Hawthorne laughs and calls her a 'foolish woman.' Fitzgerald asks why and Hawthorne says it is because she protected him at the last minute. Hawthorne wonders why she would do that if she wanted to restore her family's honour. Fitzgerald explains that she wanted to pay back a massive debt her family owned. He then goes on to say that her dream will never happen now. Hawthorne suddenly gets up and blames Fitzgerald by saying that her dream would never happen because of him. He says that he will restore her honour for her and leaves.
Hawthorne returns in Chapter 37 with Fyodor. It turns out that he joined the Rats in the House of the Dead on the condition that Mitchell would get the treatment she deserves.
In Chapter 46, it is revealed that Hawthorne is actually the 'Masked Assasin'. But it turns out that he has no memory of Akutagawa or anyone else.
Trivia
- His ability and name is a reference to "The Scarlet Letter: A Romance", an 1850 work of fiction in a historical setting, written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.