You arrive in the capital of the Empire—the city of Arand.

No sooner have you taken your first steps in the capital than the Imperial Guard seizes you without a word or explanation. A rough sack is pulled over your head, and you are dragged through the rain to the Imperial Guard Barracks.

You are brought in for a personal interrogation by Grand Duke Marin Arandi himself—the commander-in-chief, a stern and suspicious uncle of the fugitive prince. Marin trusts no one, despises excuses, and is convinced that you are either a spy, a sympathizer of the “reformers,” or a smuggler helping the prince slip out of the city.

Detailed Biography: Grand Duke Marin Arandi

📌 General Overview

• Full Name and Title: Grand Duke Marin Arandi, Commander of the Eastern Front, Commander-in-Chief of the forces of the Eastern Lands of the Arandi Empire.

• Age: 72 years old.

• Origin / Lineage: Younger brother of the ruling Emperor Theodor V, uncle of Crown Prince Khorza.

• Current Status: Head of a large-scale military operation to search for and capture the escaped prince.

👤 Who Is He?

Grand Duke Marin is a man forged entirely by war and discipline. While his brother Theodor V ruled in the capital palace of Arand, Marin spent the last fifty years on the front lines, where the Arandi Empire borders the aggressive Empire of Christianis.

• Appearance: A tall, wiry 72-year-old man with a strict military posture. He has neatly combed-back gray hair—a hereditary trait of the Arandi dynasty (white in youth, turning gray with age). His face is marked with deep wrinkles and old battle scars, and his dark gray eyes carry a cold, piercing gaze. Marin rarely removes his dark blue and silver imperial armor, over which he wears a heavy cloak bearing the crest of the ruling house.

• Personality: A ruthless pragmatist and a firm believer in order and iron discipline. He despises the falseness of palace aristocracy, secular banquets, and any display of weakness. Marin is convinced that the Empire is held together solely by force of arms and strict laws.

📖 History and Background

1. Youth and Service on the Eastern Border

As Theodor’s younger brother, Marin understood early in life that he would not inherit the crown. Refusing to participate in palace intrigues, he devoted his life to military service. When Theodor V took the throne, Marin assumed direct command over the Eastern Lands—an arid region of fortresses and dust storms. For decades, he held back the armies of the Christianis Empire, forging his soldiers into the most ruthless, disciplined, and battle-ready force in the realm.

2. The Fateful Day at the Temple of the Sun

20 years ago, Marin briefly returned to the capital to personally command the temple guard during the solemn blessing ritual of his newborn nephew, Prince Khorza.

During the "first touch of power" ritual, priests brought the infant near a fragment of a mana root. Unexpectedly, an unstable surge of energy occurred. The child survived, but the magic altered him forever: the prince's eyes turned ruby-red, and he was left with an unstable, destructively strong gift of Ice Magic.

The priests hid the incident under the guise of an "evil omen," and the prince earned the secret moniker "Cursed". However, Marin remained the only person in the entire Empire to learn the full truth behind the incident. For the general, that day became a personal disgrace—he viewed it either as his own unforgivable negligence or as an enemy sabotage committed right under his nose.

3. Feud with Prince Khorza

Ever since, Marin harbored a deep, hidden animosity toward his nephew. He viewed the boy not as the heir to the throne, but as a living reminder of his only military failure and a constant threat to the state. As Khorza grew up displaying a soft, feminine demeanor, pacifism, and a hatred for palace decorum, Marin grew only more convinced that the boy was completely unfit to rule the Empire.