Lutheran Barnett/Chronology

Background
Lutheran was once a master of both literacy and military arts which earned him a Bushin Festival tournament championship and propelled him to the top of the sword-fighting world. Even the Cult of Diablos took notice of him and recruited him, to which Lutheran accepted their invitation in order to reach further heights. Afterward, he rose through the Cult's ranks to become the 12th seat of the Knights of Rounds. However, just as he had reached the "peak of the sword-fighting world", Lutheran suddenly contracted a terminal illness that crippled him as a fighter. As a result, he was forced to vacate his 12th Seat position and be demoted to a "Second Child" all the while the Cult tried to find a replacement for the vacant title.

Yearning for his position to be reinstated, Lutheran sought for cure to his illness, even trying dangerous and illegal methods. Seven years ago during his search, Lutheran discovered potential in a brilliant artifact researcher named Lukreia, who specialized in deciphering ancient languages and possess knowledge that is unmatched in the academic world. Seeking to use her as she wasn’t interested in fame or wealth, Lutheran decide to meet Lukreia and began working with her under the guise of friendship, even funded her research to resolve her financial trouble.

Since then, Lutheran built a good relationship with Lukreia as he supported her work and gathered many artifacts for her, which Lukreia focused on her research then Lutheran would use her results, until one day he eventually stumbled upon the artifact that he had been searching for entire time, known as the "Eye of Avarice", that was capable of absorbing and accumulating magic from its surroundings, which he was sure could cure his illness.

However, Lukreia deemed it to be too dangerous after studying the artifact's unsafe potential and decided to hand it over to Midgar Kingdom for safekeeping. Upon learning her plans on the artifact, Lutheran brutally murdered Lukreia by stabbing her in the back, joints and finally twisting his blade through her heart. When he saw Lukreia's 9 year old daughter, Sherry, coming out of the wardrobe crying after witnessing her mother's death through the gap between the wardrobe doors he fled the scene with the artifact. Although he managed to keep in Eye of Avarice, but the research was not yet complete.

Later, Lutheran attended Lukreia's funeral where he meets Sherry. Seeing that the girl had inherited her mother's intellect, Lutheran took her in and supported her education with the intent of using her to complete the research on the artifact. At that time, Lutheran infiltrated the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy, where he made his way up to become Assistant Principal while tutoring Sherry to finish her mother's previous work. Despite obtaining the artifact he was looking for, Lutheran only got the main unit, not knowing that the control unit of the Eye of Avarice was stored in one of the Fenrir's Sect Faction hidden facilities somewhere in the royal capital.

While at the Academy, Lutheran attended the graduation of First Princess Iris Midgar, who had been the Student Council President two years earlier.

Midgar Academy Terrorist Attack
Lutheran and Sherry Barnett were visited by Princess Iris Midgar and Alexia Midgar. Iris gave Sherry an artifact belonging to the Cult of Diablos that being confiscated after the place was discovered following Alexia's kidnapping case and asks Sherry to decipher the text on it. Lutheran encouraged her to do so stating its a rare opportunity which she accepted. It was then Iris decided to assign the Crimson Order to keep watch on them. Lutheran heard that was the new Knight Order that Iris formed and she confirmed that it is a small order. She stated that it was formed by the people she trusts and he went to question her about her distrust towards the Knight Order to which she gave a silent answer. Lutheran allowed it under the condition that he takes only two guards to secure Sherry in her lab, so Princess Iris chose her most trusted men: Glen and Marco Granger.

For his ambitions to reinstated as 12th seat of the Round Knights knowing he's running out of time from his deteriorating health, Lutheran disguised himself under the identity of a "Sir Gaunt" and ordered his Cult's henchmen to commit murders throughout the Midgar royal capital while posing as Shadow Garden. This was done in an effort to have the organization they're posing earn the contempt and enmity of the world. When he heard the lost contact report of his men, he stated that it was fine because he located the item he need which was his priority retrieving it.

Next day, Lutheran comes inside the research room when saw Sherry having a chocolate and she explained that a boy gave it to her. Lutheran recognizes its chocolate and explains its been popular lately which he told her that its hard to obtain such good chocolate which meant that he boy must've really like her and she must consider well what she will reply. Lutheran also tells her that study and research is important, but she also needs to learn on how to interact with others. He starts to caught, but states he has been feeling better lately and is lucky to have such a good daughter. Sherry states she is the lucky one as he adopted her. On the next day, Lutheran noticed the boy named Cid Kagenō after Sherry told him that they were going to be friends and he chimed into their conversation. He advises Cid to take care of his injuries before he decided to leave.

The Cult forces under Lutheran's orders took over Midgar Academy by creating a magic blocking field from the artifact to round up all the students and killed anyone that opposed them in order to frame and discredit Shadow Garden as public enemy number 1. He then ordered Rex to go find the catalyst for the Eye of Avarice, but failed to retrieve it. After hearing this, he threatened Rex with death to go and find the artifact until he heard Rex's reports that some of their men had been taken out by someone skilled and guesses that they manage to get Shadow Garden's attention. Rex and his men immediately went out to search for the artifact but never came back. Unaware that Rex was already killed, Lutheran called him useless when the magic field that surrounded the Academy was disabled and the students started fighting back. Amidst the chaos, Shadow Garden arrived and engaged the Cult forces in combat.

Lutheran then fled the auditorium leaving his minions to their deaths and caused an explosion by lighting fire to the gas pipes he uninstalled within the Academy. He then snuck into his room to burn evidence to cover his tracks before leaving. It was then Cid was already at the his and told him that he already knows who he is. This surprised Lutheran as he praised the student for his perception as he took off his disguise. Cid asked why he decided to abide by the academy and him answering that he did everything to reach the top he once was, confessing to Cid by describing in detail on all his misdeeds, as well as the murder of Sherry's mother and the manipulation of Sherry. Cid told him that despite all this, he didn't know how to answer him after hearing everything. He told him that even if it's a little bit, it disgusted him which caused Lutheran to strike him down with his sword in response.

Believing he killed Cid off to cover his tracks, Lutheran decided to leave when Shadow appeared before him. He knew that he was at disadvantage against him because his experience with strong fighters and discarded what little honor that he had left with the sword and used the Eye of Avarice to its fullest potential. This allowed him to acquire an immense magical power and his illness was cured. Lutheran attacked Shadow with all his might but was unable to land a decisive blow. Lutheran acknowledged Shadow's strength and explained to him that he will fail, because he already devised the plan so that the world will despises him and his organization. However, Shadow retorted that none of it matters to him because they will continue on the same path they choose and that they'll shoulder all the world's sins.

Lutheran believed that his unfazed statement was arrogant and was prepared to kill him. However, Shadow disarmed and performed retribution on him while recalling how he murdered Sherry's mother before finishing it by twisting his heart. In his final moments before dying, Lutheran realized that both Cid and Shadow are the same person before being killed by the Leader of Shadow Garden.

Legacy
After his death, Lutheran succeeded in framing Shadow Garden for his crimes of terrorizing the Academy and all over the kingdom. This resulted in the organization being viewed as the "enemy of the world" with Midgar Kingdom are actively hunting them down. Even worse, Lutheran died a martyr to his stepdaughter, Sherry now holds a grudge against Shadow for killing him, unaware that her supposed "adoptive father" was her mother's murderer.