James Ratri

James Latley (ジェームス) is the 35th head of the famous Latley family and the author of all the books that are currently available in the library of the Grace Field House which he wrote under the alias William Minerva (ウィリアムミネルバ) He is also the creator of the Promised Pen and the one who built Shelter B06-32 and Goldy Pond. His current whereabouts are unknown.

History
James Latley was the 35th head of the Latley family, who were tasked with maintaining the balance of both the human and demon worlds.

Even though James had responsibilities to the demon and human worlds, he could not stand by and watch the cruel savagery inflicted on the humans used as livestock. James secretly began a revolution and sealed a "New Promise" to help the children some point in the past.undefined

At a certain point in time, Phil discovered that all the books in the library of the Grace Field House contain some kind of secret message hidden in them. Telling the children to "run from the house, because there is danger lying ahead of them." James left these clues behind in the form of secret coding which the children call Minerva's Morse Code. James also left multiple letters behind. One for the children living inside Grace Field House and one for the Glory Bell orphanages, and one hidden in a book in the library inside Shelter B06-32, telling the children to head towards Goldy Pond.

James Latley also left a pen behind for Sister Krone with the initials WM on it, implying that the initials stand for William Minerva, his alias which he used while writing his books. This pen has multiple functions: It can be used as a map to know your current location. It can be used as a simple pen to write with and it can be used as the only key to a secret shelter. It is later discovered that Minerva made multiple pens because the Shelter B06-32 Unnamed Man and Lucas used another pen to enter the secret shelter when they escaped the orphanage they were living in.

Someday in the past, James built Goldy Pond with the intentions for children to lead a happy, safe life, far away from demons. Inside Goldy Pond, hidden in a windmill lies a secret passage that leads to a door which has the same sign on it as the books in the Grace Field House and the hologram which appears out of the pen. This door is called Minerva's door. Inside it is a elevator that leads to the human world, however, the elevator was sabotaged by a turncoat ally of his, and was rendered unusable. However, several other entrances exist in the plantations of Grace Field House, Glory Bell, Grand Valley, and Goodwill Ridge. William also gave two choices in a telephone message he inserted in case of sabotage, one could call for the support of William's revolutionaries, if the individual declined, he or she could begin an uprising against the demon forces with their group and destroy the promise. And if the individuals denied either option, William gave this third option, "look for the seven walls."

Appearance
James Latley's profile was never revealed in the manga and it is not even known to the public whenever he is alive or not. But some little things are known about his appearance. He is a tall man, who is almost always seen wearing a suit with a black tie and a hat. On several occasions, he is seen holding a cane. It is later revealed that he was indeed a tall man, with white hair and blue eyes. However, this was revealed in 2031, years prior to the start of the series. His current appearance, however, remains a mystery.

Personality
James was an individual with a deep sense of shame for his and the actions of the Latley family. His revolution was birthed out of a longing to bring justice to the demons and change the world for the better. He was a complex and intelligent man, leaving hints behind for children to survive the plantations and escape and also the option of leaving the demon world.

Sister Krone
It was not known whether Krone has even met James in person before, but the only known connection between the two is that Krone is in the possession of William Minerva's pen, whom she later left behind for the orphans.

Demons
He worked for the demons and supplied them with a lot of literature to use in the orphanages.However, these were just tools to help the children escape and he only worked together with the demons to begin the revolution and change the harshness of the world.

Trivia

 * In the coloured front page of Chapter 18, James Latley is seen delivering the orphans of Plant 3 Christmas gifts, being dressed as Santa Claus.
 * It is likely that William Minerva's name originates from the Ancient Roman Goddess Minerva. Minerva is the Goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, strategic warfare, commerce, weaving, and the crafts. Like William, she is also commonly depicted and symbolised with her Owl, "The Owl of Minerva."
 * William Minerva's name may also be adapted from the 1908 Literature "Miss Minerva and William Green Hill" by Frances Boyd Calhoun.