Hero: Part Six
“I wonder how I look tonight,” whispered a woman as she leaned over the balcony, its artistic balustrade preventing her from falling into her reflection mirrored on the lake below.
Unlike most professors, Class S and Department Heads enjoyed the privilege of residing in a private neighborhood along the western edge of Academy Island. There, a small cove surrounded by rolling hills was crowned by magnificent terrace villas, each featuring a long staircase connecting a private pier to a wide balcony perched at the hill’s summit.
As the new Ombudsman, Miss Von Sinclair had been rewarded with the villa that once belonged to Mrs. De Toulouse—the largest in the cove, although perhaps too large for such a lone soul. “Will he really come…” For this special occasion, she had—for once—set aside the gray uniform of the Stasi, choosing instead a crimson dress that shimmered beneath the red glow of the Romantic Moon. Yet, the unfamiliar fabric felt alien against her skin, and Euphie wondered why she had to hide her true self for what was meant to be such an intimate evening.
*Kraaaaaah!*
Her doubts shattered as a piercing shriek cut through the night, raising her head just in time to witness a gigantic bird landing atop the balcony’s balustrade.
The beast was anything but a pleasant sight. Its eyes were bloodshot, scars crisscrossed its massive body, and calling its plumage unkempt would have been an euphemism—each feather crooked at a different angle. The Bearded Griffin—also known as a Darkgale—was a notoriously an ill-tempered creature, rejoicing its isolation within the darkest recesses of the Evernightmare Kingdom, and seldom were the times an Essentia managed to tame one. Yet, right now, an armorless knight stood proudly upon its back, caressing it and sharing a quiet camaraderie with the beast before extending his hand toward the princess.
“Ten o’clock sharp. As always, you’re as punctual as clockwork, Gaust—” The ‘Eclectic Dirigist’ didn’t wait for her to finish, lifting the ‘Loving Sister’ as the Griffin flew into the air.
“Good evening, Miss Von Sinclair,” he calmly greeted. “You’re more beautiful than usual tonight, aren’t you?” Her red-golden hair, normally straight and foldless, now sported elegant waves—like a sea of dunes—accentuated by flashy makeup.
“W-what are you doing?! I-it’s embarrassing!” The bear-sized man had seated the petite woman atop his leg, their size difference making them look more like a daughter traveling with her father.
“Flying with a Darkgale is never a monotonous experience,” he serenely replied. “Now relax, and admire the panorama.” Her confusion melted away as Miraval City revealed itself beneath them.
Stars and moons reflected their splendor upon Miraval Lake, encircling the city with a glittering halo that contrasted with the golden glow of millions of newly installed Magicbulbs illuminating every corner of Port Island that had survived the siege. However, that night, a new actor had joined the spectacle—the crystalline dome encasing half the city, glowing against the darkness like a petal of the Twilight Madness. Witnessing it all from the sky, Euphoria understood why Hero Alfredo had named his capital—The City of Wonders.
“Please, call me Euphie. And, by the way, could you lower the altitude a bit? Ahem…I suffer from dizziness.” Despite the breathtaking panorama, her large sapphire eyes soon lowered toward the void beneath them. As the city shrank more and more, and her shivers grew more and more.
“At your command,” Dh. Miraval sneered as he patted his pet. “Mon Chéri—CHUTE!” He ordered his Griffin, and the beast immediately plunged down, freefalling into the lake.
“AHHHHHHHHH!” Euphie’s screams were pure delight to the man, who cheerfully whistled as the ‘Loving Sister’ embraced his massive body, wrapping her arms and burying her face against his chest. “STOPPPP!!!” Her will was respected, and just seconds before impact, the Darkgale abruptly veered up, skimming the lake’s surface.
With its wings fully extended, Mon Chéri’s flight carved two towering walls of water beneath them, ejecting countless droplets straight at the couple. However, The ‘Eclectic Dirigist’ reacted instantly, gripping Miss Von Sinclair gently by the temples.
“What are you doing?!” With firm but precise movements—up, down, left, right—Gus guided her head flawlessly, dodging every single droplet to protect his lady’s magnificent hair from being spoiled by the vile water. This acrobatic and neck-bone-breaking maneuver lasted until Mon Chéri stabilized her flight at the proper altitude.
For an everlasting couple of seconds, there was only the wind, the city lights, and their breath mere centimeters apart—reality itself seemed to hide behind a bush, as if afraid to disturb the moment. Their lips twitched, drawn closer by a gravity far stronger than an Antimagic Particle’s.
*Kreeeeeeee!*
Sadly, the laws of cliché are absolute. The great bird’s shriek shattered the spell, announcing that their journey had come to an end.
The Shurapatri civilization had a rough beginning and a grim end, both bound by a single common denominator—the Caligula’s Arks. They were colossal ships capable of carrying thousands of people, built to escape the slavery imposed by the Chaotic Gods during The Exodus. Thirty-seven arks in total fled the Gulf of the Roots and reached Sardinia, but, today, only three survived the fury of the slaves’ former masters at the end of Shurapatri’s glorious legend.
The first is the Lost Ark, renowned for having saved Heroine Korinna’s expedition from being devoured by the desert, and which can now be found in a museum in Korinth.
The second is the Majorian’s Ark, celebrated as the Shurapatri flagship, now displayed in the trophy hall of the Twilight Madness, surrounded by other spoils of war.
Lastly, the smallest of the three is the White Ark, famous for having been built entirely of birch and miraculously surviving the Judgment Day because it had been stolen by an usurper just one year before the tragedy. Nowdays, it could be found floating in the Miraval Lake, and, unlike its larger sisters, souls still crowded its deck.
The Miraval Family discovered the ark buried beneath the mud of a small island in the Pacific Archipelago and restored it to its former glory. After the long restoration process, they decided to house all the Shurapatri relics owned by the family within it, turning the White Ark into one of the most visited tourist attractions in Miraval City. However, every night, the ark ceases to be a floating museum and transforms into the most exclusive restaurant in the Holy Rolandish Empire—Le Miraval.
Mon Chéri landed on the Wingport at the top of the White Ark, perching on a small stable where the Griffins would enjoy every comfort until their masters’ return. As Gus’s [Email] had requested, the staff laid out a blue carpet for the couple, bordered by waiters playing a soothing melody with their fiddlers as Gauston took Euphie’s hand, helping her dismount. Immediately afterward, well-mannered attendants freed them of their overcoats, and after a moment of hesitant embarrassment, the ’Loving Sister’ slipped her arm through his, allowing herself to be guided into the most exclusive section of the restaurant—the Bath of Bacchus.
Although archaeologists had carried out drastic restorations, the thousand-year-old frescoes wallpapering the room were entirely original, as were the statues depicting divine beings whose physiques could warm even the coldest night—the silver vines climbing across their marble produced golden grapes that were, in fact, edible. At the center of the room was a circular thermal bath, where semi-naked dancers entertained the guests with traditional Shurapatri choreographies, without, however, crossing the moral boundary separating old and new culture that of Cisarpine Chaotia. That being said, once entered in that room, it was as if travelling in time to their ancestors’ golden age.
In short, both thousands of years ago and today, this place hosted celebrations that only the most important people could afford, feauring just thirty-seven tables that encircled the pool, each spaced far enough apart to guarantee complete privacy. Being a gentleman, Gus moved Euphie’s chair, and once they were seated at the chrysanthemum-shaped table, a waiter welcomed them, briefly resuming the restaurant’s ancient and illustrious history before posing the most important question of the evening—“Red, white, or blue?”
The wine would dictate the dishes to follow, making the choice a matter of life and death. “White, for both of us,” Gus replied without hesitation. “My fiefdom stretches across thousands of kilometers of sea, and there’s no chance I’ll let you leave, Euphie, without tasting its treasures.” The waiter nodded and soon returned with the wine and frog tartines as appetizers.
“I’ve never eaten frogs before,” the ’Loving Sister’ admitted after tasting one. “I’m surprised they taste like chicken.” The ’Eclectic Dirigist’ did not answer. Instead, he studied her with the intensity of an art critic, reddening her face. “May I tell you a secret?” Miss Von Sinclair asked, and Hd. Miraval nodded, watching her absent-mindedly circling her fork over the plate. “This is my first date since I arrived in Miraval City,” she confessed, shame exuding from every pore. “I’ve been too busy with work…and it seems people are afraid of dating a Stasi officer.”
“Complete retards,” he flatly remarked, pointing his knife toward her fawn-like eyes. “I fail to fathom how anyone could refuse to take the most beautiful of roses out of fear of a few thorns.” He shrugged. “Fortunately, their stupidity turned out to be my fortune.” Euphie rewarded him with a warm and genuine smile.
“Gauston, what are you doing her—A GIRL?!” The moment was ruined by a couple who had just entered the room.
“Mom…Dad…” Gus’s annoyed expression collided with the stunned faces of his parents. Although both were scientists who had uncovered wonders beyond human imagination, not even their wildest theories had prepared them for this—their son, together with a woman. “Apologies for the inconvenience, Euphie. Let’s have some privacy.” After three consecutive claps, the table’s petals began to unfold, expanding outward until they enclosed the couple within the chrysanthemum.
“Isn’t this a little…much? What will people think?” Although it was a great way to obtain the privacy a young couple would never enjoy in public, more lascivious patrons had long since ruined the reputation of such mechanisms, leaving no doubt in neighboring minds about what usually happened behind those petal-curtains. “I’m not saying anything…ahah…but it’s our first date…isn’t this too soon?” Perhaps it was the lack of air inside the enclosed space, but her skin had turned as red as the peppers beside the frog tartines.
“The more they gossip about us, the better, ain’t it?” Hd. Miraval replied with a sneer before retrieving a dossier from his [Inventory] and placing it on the table. “Now we’re free to speak openly, since these petals block sight, sound, and even scent. I know that, as a Stasi agent, you’re trained to doubt everything, but I personally tested them. Trust me—no one will ever know what we are going to discuss.” Miss Von Sinclair blinked twice before lowering her gaze toward the dossier. Stamped across its cover were two capitalized words—ULTRA SECRET. “First of all, I want to congratulate you on today’s performance. We looked exactly like a real couple.” Gus clapped out of respect. “My declaration of love gave us the perfect excuse to meet outside the Academy’s heavily surveilled environment. The Griffin flight over the city added just the right romantic seasoning to our story, especially since I made sure we passed by every place our dear colleagues and the city elite enjoy wasting their evenings. And dining here at the same time and place as my parents, allowed us to deploy the petal curtain without suspicion—all according with the prévu.” Prévu means plan in Auxerine. “I couldn’t have done it without your flawless cooperation, Euphemia.”
The ’Loving Sister’ swallowed hard, then she drained an entire goblet of wine in one motion before managing to utter a single word—“W-what?”
“Oh, don’t worry, you don’t need to keep the act.” The ’Eclectic Dirigist’ waved a hand dismissively. “I’m fully aware that my physical features are hardly appealing to a woman of your status. Therefore, if you agreed to go out with me, it means you understood the hidden meaning behind my words, didn’t you?” He gestured for her to open the dossier.
After a few awkward laughs and a deep breath to calm her racing mind, reluctantly, she did so, and what she saw shocked her even more than the grim surprise before—Status Report: The Spread of the Von Sternenstaub Cancer throughout the Miraval Commonwealth. Euphie’s hands twitched as shock rippled throughout her already unstable body. ”Are you mad?!”
Gus’s open palms countered her yells. “Before you judge me, answer one question. What became of the legacies of the Holy Heroes who accompanied Hero Roland during his quest?”
He signaled her to turn the page, and with every paragraph she read, the ’Loving Sister’s’ expression grew darker. “This is…HERESY!”
“Yeah, I like how it sounds.” Gus folded his arms, tone honing with excitement. “The so-called Rebel Heroes founded the Free City of Maria, the Evernightmare Kingdom, and the Eleutheria Republic—powerful, prosperous states that rival our Empire. Now, let’s compare them to the Loyal Heroes, those who had never questioned Roland’s authority, celebrated by our Church for conquering their pride and submitting to His Holiness’s grace.
“Hero Erasmus? Exiled himself to hell on earth. Hero Éadbhard? Rejected civilization entirely. Heroine Xoána? Her fiefdom, once the wealthiest region of the Empire, is now a radioactive wasteland. Heroine Anna? Her bloodline was exterminated, and the Emerald Lands are now imperial property. Hero Lionárd? Rumor has it his legacy won’t end in tragedy, but as a joke. Heroine Maëlys? The Marquise kidnapped and an invasion within the same week. Hero Legitim? If the Aries Bank survived the Great Scramble, it was thanks only to the Marians and the Nixies, yet its assets are now tightly regulated and constantly monitored by the government. And finally, my own ancestor—Hero Alfredo. Just days ago, the MIMT, his greatest legacy, was almost annihilated by the Korinthians.” His gaze locked onto hers. “All these grim destinies and all these coincidences—almost grotesque, don’t you think?”
“You’re missing someone,” Euphoria quietly added.
“Indeed.” Gus nodded. “Heroine Stella Von Sternenstaub—Roland’s wife, and the first Queen of the Queendom of Constellation. Let us forget, for a moment, her saintly reputation as the kindest woman who ever lived. Instead, consider her family.
”When the Chaotic Gods ruled Chaotia, the Von Sternenstaubs were Kapos—privileged slaves who supervised and punished the others in exchange for proximity to their masters and a share of their wealth.
”When the Twilight Queen ruled Chaotia, the Von Sternenstaubs governed the realm in her stead, becoming the de facto rulers of the nation instead of its absent sovereign, and most crimes attributed to the Queen were conceived, planned, and executed by them.
“And lastly, when Roland finally liberated us from millennia of servitude, guess who stood at his side, managing the newborn Empire?” His expression and tone straightened. “Ages pass, heroes die, and nations fall, but the Von Sternenstaub family remains, always at the helm of the ship called Chaotia.”
“Shut up with your conspiracy theories!” She abruptly rose, eyes blazing with hatred. “That is simply the result of their homeland’s strategic resources and geographical position—you need their fleet, bureaucracy, and commerce to govern effectively. You’re starting to sound like King Cornelius…I don’t think we should continue this conversation.”
As she turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist. “Before you go, do me one favor—turn just one page.”
She wanted to arrest him on the spot, but there was something in his eyes—absolute certainty. Against her better judgment, Euphie complied, freezing at what she saw. “No…hearts…”
“The Starfolk’s interference in my family’s affairs has always been a thorn in our side,” Gus stated calmly. “So, my family had planned to retaliate by genetically modifying Constellation’s sealife to infiltrate their archipelago. However, as you may guess from these photographs, something went terribly wrong.” He tapped the incriminating image in the dossier. “One morning, one of our scientists opened the doors of his research facility, expecting another dull day of work. Instead, he found this—three dead penguins, each with a deep wound in the chest.”
He poured wine into both glasses as the ’Loving Sister’ sank back into her chair. “Now answer me this, who do you think commissioned these murders?”
“Taking the victims alive, ripping out their hearts, and eating them before their eyes…” Her tone cracked. “That is the signature of the von Sternenstaub family. But if you’re telling the truth, how did the hitman breach the Miraval Institute of Magic and Technology?”
“The sewers,” Gus simply answered. “Those penguins were from our zoo—perfect cover. The same sewer system connects their cages to the ones beneath the MIMT, a fast way to ship them up and down. However, our laziness turned out to be a catastrophic flaw—our man covered himself in rat piss and crawled throughout the tunnels, reaching them without being spotted.” He chuckled. “Just imagine the smell.”
“How did he know about the penguins in the first place? How did he know about the tunnel? The route? The layout of the sewers?” She bit her fingernail. “Anyway, one incident alone doesn’t prove a coordinated threat,” Gus answered by gesturing for her to turn to the next page. There was another photograph—three men in Carbon-Woven Armor, standing beside a fourth wearing sunglasses, an Euralian shirt, and a charming smile.
“If Kaliph Gauda was correct in believing Prince Chad murdered his brother, then the identities of three men in this picture are obvious. So tell me—who is the fourth?” He inquired.
“The Stasi agent the Emperor mentioned in his speech,” she whispered.
“You work for the Stasi, you ought to know exactly how many agents are currently operating in the Pacific Archipelago.” Euphie grimaced. “And lastly, listen to this,” he concluded by placing a recorder on the table.
…*Nope, your culture is sheer degeneration *bzzt* *No, yours is degenerate* *bzzt* *No, yours* *bzzt* *No, you* *No, u* *bzzt*…
“Valentino Di Mario was aboard Mother Korinna during the siege, despite every newspaper reporting his diplomatic visit to Sternenhavn, capital of the Queendom of Constellation.” Gus shrugged. “Perhaps his cousin Rinaldo faked his death to stage this little trick? Nah, I don’t think so. I believe Valentino killed him for opposing something.”
“How do you know about his death?”
“I have [PER = 413].”
The ’Loving Sister’ let out a bitter sigh before lifting her large sapphire eyes to meet his narrow gaze. “Why me? My family has historical ties with the von Sternenstaub.”
“For several reasons. First, as a member of the Stasi, you have sworn loyalty solely to the Emperor. Second, you are not a member of the Miraval family, which makes you free to operate outside the system. Lastly, and most importantly, because of your greatest quality—integrity. I have observed you for a long time, and no matter how small or insignificant a rule violation was, you never accepted compromise—to accomplish my goal, I need your heart of iron.”
“That’s funny.” A bittersweet smile spread across her face. “Everyone has always found that trait irritating. You’re the first person who has ever used it as a compliment.”
“As I said before—people are retarded.” He extended his hand, and she shook it, sealing the pact. “Now that you’re responsible for the students, we can use our meetings to organize the plan without the dating excuse.”
His words made her frown. “ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Euphoria slammed her hand on the table, startling the ’Eclectic Dirigist. “The Miraval Academy has far too many ears—most of them mine, so I know! We must continue pretending to be in a romantic relationship if we want sufficient privacy for our future meeting.”
“I understand your point, but…” Gus scratched his head. “I don’t want to stain your honor…”
“Do you remember the victory party? You told me I was the most beautiful woman you had ever seen. Was that part of the act as well?”
Gus tried to avoid her piercing stare, but she cornered him like a Marian detective interrogating a Suzerain suspect. “Well…it’s a little awkward to say this to your face…but no—that was true. I genuinely find you very attractive.”
“More than Aoife?”
“She is undoubtedly beautiful, but that’s only a first impression. The more I look at her, the more flaws I notice. The more I look at you, the more qualities I discover.” Euphie beamed, delight shining her face.
“Then, it would be an honor to be stained by you.”
