Chapter 8: The Hero of Curia
No one spoke for about a minute.
A cold silence gripped the hall, suffocating the air like a fog. The flickering torchlight cast long, wavering shadows across the faces of kings, nobles, and generals now frozen in disbelief.
Masamune's hand gripped the edge of the table, knuckles pale, as murmurs began to rise—hushed at first, then panicked.
Giovanni Mari remained still, unmoving. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest betrayed life, yet his eyes were lifeless— was it regret? Resignation? Or calculation?
Queen Emiko Amano was the first to speak, her voice sharp as a blade. "How could Warden's Maw fall? That fortress was said to be impenetrable. Who could have orchestrated such a breach?"
Her gaze didn't shift, but the weight of her words was aimed directly at Giovanni.
Emperor Yasu remained still, arms folded, his expression blank. "That is the question, Duchess. One the World Council will no doubt investigate thoroughly."
Emiko's eyes narrowed. "Convenient, isn't it? For the World Council's Vice President to be absent from this meeting when such a disaster unfolds."
Giovanni's head turned slowly, his eyes finally meeting Emiko's. No anger. No fear. Just silence—as if her accusation was beneath him, or worse, expected.
A ripple of tension surged through the room. Eyes turned toward Giovanni, some questioning, some accusatory.
Giovanni still hadn't moved. He hadn't even spoken.
Ramone remained silent, but inside, the name echoed in his mind.
He didn't speak it.
No one dared.
The Walking Calamity.
Tulburo Lume. Even saying the name aloud was believed to draw misfortune—some considered it more than myth. His power wasn't fully known—but everyone remembered the event ten years ago.
Curia.
An entire province lost, its cities in ruin, and tens of thousands dead. The Curia Incident was still whispered about like a ghost story.
Ramone's hands clenched in his lap, his shoulders stiffening. He knew more than the others...
Ten Years Ago
The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the modest courtyard of the Mari residence, deep within the Alspring Climate Zone.
The scent of fresh soil lingered in the air, mingling with the faint hum of mana that always seemed to follow his parents. The ever-blooming trees in the garden had fruits on them that were at their ripest this time of year.
Ramone sat on the stone steps, clutching a lacquered satchel embossed with his family's forgotten crest—a gift from his mother, Romana Mari."
She had always been a calming presence, with a voice like warm silk and a smile that could cut through even Ramone's and Giovanni's worst moods.
His legs swung idly, but his gaze was locked on the two figures before him—his parents, armored and ready, standing side by side like twin titans preparing for war.
He didn't want them to go. But they always went.
"There are so many mages being born with powerful abilities each day," Romana said, kneeling before him, adjusting the collar of his tunic with a soft smile. "And a lot of them are skilled. But not all use their gifts for good."
Giovanni chuckled softly, standing behind her, fastening the last strap of his combat gear. "That's where we come in. As members of the Continental Border Assault Regiment, the World Council sends us… to neutralize those who stray."
Romana's eyes glinted with both pride and something darker. "We often get lucky," she murmured. "Running into rogues whose skills we're perfectly matched for. That's the secret, Ramone. Luck itself is just another kind of skill."
"So we pray to our God, Lalume, and hope luck is on our side."
Ramone stood, face alight with awe. "You're both under nuclear-grade classification. You're the strongest there is—if you fight together, there's no mage on Kepler who could ever beat you. I just know it!"
Giovanni laughed, ruffling his hair. "You're right, kid. We're unstoppable, right?"
Romana gave a fond, but solemn smile. "We've been lucky, Ramone. But our job is dangerous. We've ridden that luck a long time… and every resource eventually runs dry."
Giovanni's expression shifted, a flicker of unease crossing his face. "Honey, that's a little grim for the kid."
He exhaled, then nodded. "But… she's right. We have contingencies, insurance—if anything happens to us, you won't be alone."
He crouched beside Ramone, his voice soft, serious. "The King of Atteria—Masamune Amano—is a friend. If one of us falls, move to the capital. He'll look after you."
Romana leaned in, placing a hand over Ramone's heart. "But if we both… if we can't come back, you must leave. Go north, to Holy Metzia. Seek out a man named Sand."
Ramone blinked. "Sand?"
Giovanni nodded slowly. "He'll know what to do. And he'll keep you safe."
Romana cupped Ramone's face gently, her thumb brushing his cheek.
Giovanni wrapped them both in a tight embrace. "When we get back, I'll take you to the coast—let you map out the entire shoreline like a real explorer."
Ramone smiled. "Promise?"
Romana and Giovanni shared a glance. Then together: "Promise."
They stood, stepping away. Romana paused, turning back one last time. She waved.
"Stay lucky, my son."
A heavy silence fell between them. In that moment, Ramone didn't understand the weight of those words. The finality behind them. The quiet fear in her voice.
He only knew his parents were leaving again. And he had to believe they would come back.
But his mom never did...
A sudden shout jolted Ramone from the memory—
His fingers were clenched so tightly, his knuckles ached. The anger in his eyes, visible. Sounds of the palace returned like a distant echo—panic, commands, chaos.
Ramone stood among rulers and generals in the hall of the palace, the world around him spiraling into chaos, but in his heart, he was still that boy on the steps, watching them walk away.
Watching them disappear into the unknown.
The air felt thinner, heavy with panic, and the weight of the name that none dared speak aloud.
Curia. His mother. His father, a survivor.
The Walking Calamity was free again.
His father had subdued him.
Giovanni was one of only three survivors—the hero of Curia, though he never spoke of it.
Gasps erupted around him. Nobles sprang to their feet, chairs scraping against marble. Some cursed under their breath, while others looked to Giovanni for answers that would not come.
Ramone tensed, his voice tight. "My father had no part in this. He's the reason The Walking Calamity was subdued and brought to Warden's Maw to begin with."
Emiko's voice turned colder. "You speak for him, now? That sounds awfully princely of you, Lord Mari."
Before Ramone could respond, Kiara rose, her posture shifting—regal poise replaced by disciplined command. Her gaze swept across the assembled leaders.
"Enough." Her voice cut through the murmurs like a whip. "This is no time for political infighting. The Walking Calamity is not just a threat to Eiria or Atteria. He is a threat to every nation on this planet."
Giovanni finally rose, his voice low. "Do as you must. But tread carefully—chaos has many faces."
As the meeting fractured into emergency planning, Giovanni quietly slipped from the spotlight, speaking briefly with a messenger. His face gave nothing away.
Emiko watched him go, lips pressed tight.
To her attendant, she whispered, "Summon Julius. Now."
King Masamune and Emperor Yasu had also left, citing the summons of the World Council. Emiko followed shortly, her steps sharp against the marble as she vanished into the corridors beyond.
As they left the grand hall, nobles continued arguing, panicking, or plotting.
Ramone lingered, unsettled. Akira stood beside him, glancing toward the door.
"Something feels quite off.... I should get my katana," Kiara muttered.
Her fingers twitched as if remembering something. "Futsu doesn't hum unless it senses danger."
Outside, teleportation gates opened and airships soared toward Salvation Island, the heart of the World Council.
For the first time in a decade, a global emergency session had been called.