Eishun Konoe

Eishun Konoe (近衛 詠春, Konoe Eishun) is Konoka Konoe'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, with his birth family suggested as being the Aoyama Family.

Appearance
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.

Plot
Before the Kyoto Arc, both the Kansai and the Kanto 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. Eishun also at some point met Albireo Imma and Filius Zect, who along with Nagi formed the group, or the party that would become, Ala Rubra twenty-one years or so before the start of the story. The quartet would eventually expand to include: Jack Rakan, who was originally a hired mercenary to kill them, Gateau Kagura Vandenburg, along with young war orphans Takamichi T. Takahata and Kurt Godel, the latter of which became Eishun's apprentice. Together they fought in a magic war on the side of the confederacy, but after being framed by Cosmo Entelecheia, a secret opposing group, Ala Rubra became wanted by both sides of the war. Still, the group through much effort eventually were able end the war, with Nagi defeating the leader of Cosmo Entelecheia, the Mage of the Beginning, and clear their names, becoming known far and wide as heroes.

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 Sakurazaki to guard his daughter. After the events in Kyoto, he asked Evangeline A.K. McDowell to tutor Konoka in using her power.

Abilities
Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Rather than being a mage, Eishun is a Shinmei-ryū swordmaster, being quite possibly the strongest one in the series.

Trivia

 * Eishun's name is a direct Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese Kung Fu style Wing Chun.
 * The sword he used during his days with Nagi is the same nodachi that Setsuna Sakurazaki currently uses, Yuunagi.
 * He is one of two members of Ala Rubra, who are known to have a family and even a child. The other being Nagi Springfield.