Marius

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Tomond Marius (马略斯)
Alias(es)	Legacy Watcher; Watchman; “Terror Blade”; “Thor” (used by Tales) 505 651 671
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Starry Sky Royal Guard; captain of the Star Lake Guard and Prince Tales's personal retinue 505 513 519
Occupation/Role	Royal Knight; Royal Guard Watchman; martial-arts instructor and personal guard captain to Prince Tales 505 523
Status	Active 785
First Appearance	Chapter 505: I Come for Peace

Background

The Marius family, also known as the “Razor” Marius family, once stood among the Radiant Star Seven Attendants and held major influence in the Central Territory. Its legacy was destroyed during the Year of Blood; Marius later tells Tales that every identifiable blood relative in his family lies in East Mountain Cemetery. 546 551 707

The family's distinctive martial tradition treats close-quarters dagger combat as its primary discipline rather than a secondary weapon skill. Luosang the Second identifies the Marius lineage as hereditary royal torturers of the Imperial Era and recognizes Marius's paired-dagger style on sight. 707

Before becoming Watchman, Marius served as a trainee officer and recorder, observing high-level bouts and studying combat under the Royal Guard's Standard Bearer. He recalls a twelve-second exchange between a Star Lake Fortress master and a senior Guard officer as a formative lesson in elite combat. 648

By the time Prince Tales returns to the kingdom, Marius has been appointed the Royal Guard's Legacy Watcher—a position vacant since before the Year of Blood—and is dispatched to escort and command Tales's personal guard. 505 506 515

Appearance

Marius is a chestnut-haired knight whose refined, elegant bearing initially makes him seem more like a dandy than an elite guard. His formal presentation is meticulous even during armed confrontations. 505 506

• Wears a specially made silver helm, bright armor, and a cloak over his Royal Guard equipment. 505
• Maintains an elegant voice, polished etiquette, and a composed smile even when issuing threats or refusing demands. 505 511
• His calm appearance can become notably grim when Tales attempts to give him the Watcher or when his family's history is raised. 512 544

Personality

Marius is controlled, observant, and professionally courteous, often using politeness and dry sarcasm together. He prioritizes practical security over comfort or appearances; during Tales's return to Everstar City, he refuses to permit a public appearance despite Gilbert's objections. 511 518

He dislikes unnecessary complexity and tends toward the most direct solution to a problem, an approach Captain Adrian describes as a form of arrogance. This practicality can make Marius seem cold, particularly when he pushes Tales through punishing training or assesses potential casualties in battle. 518 525 706

Despite this detachment, Marius rejects blind sacrifice. When disciplining Doyle and Gollor, he insists that a person must understand what they value and what they stand to gain before choosing to sacrifice anything—including their life. 565

Abilities & Skills

Emotional Perception

Marius's Ending Power heightens his perception of the emotions and atmosphere around him. When it activates, he experiences the world as silent, cold, and desolate, allowing him to sense the emotional state of people nearby. 554 574

• Reads Vogel Talun's anger, shame, restraint, and deeper fixation during interrogation. 574 577
• Uses emotional perception to recognize unease and concealed tension around him. 554
• Its documented function is perceptive rather than openly destructive. 574

Combat Analysis and Command

As Watchman, Marius combines broad martial knowledge with formation planning and battlefield command. He identifies fighting styles, predicts tactical strengths, and assigns personnel to exploit openings. 527 528 706

• Explains and evaluates the defensive, New Wave, Northern, Sanctuary, and Imperial Wind schools for Tales. 527 528 565 566
• Organizes guards with different specialties into coordinated formations capable of pressuring Apex Realm opponents. 706 708
• Directs rotations and timely interventions during the fight against Luosang the Second, including Miranda's interception of a counterattack. 706
• Calculates that defeating Luosang through attrition could cost roughly twelve guards, then chooses the less sacrificial Plan Z because Tales would not accept such losses. 706

Swordsmanship and Martial Instruction

Marius teaches Tales the Seventeen Swords of the Knight, emphasizing disciplined posture, defensive recovery, vigilance after every strike, and survival over spectacle. 524

• Uses target practice and repetition to build focus, decisiveness, calmness, and instinctive form. 538
• Tests Tales through consecutive duels against guards with different styles to identify the nature of his Ending Power. 525 527 528
• Possesses extensive knowledge of historical techniques and can recognize fragments of numerous schools in an opponent's movements. 566 706
• Often downplays his own swordsmanship, describing his odds against stronger fighters as “fifty-fifty.” 529 648 706

Paired-Dagger Combat

Marius's true specialty is close-quarters combat with two unusual daggers: one hooked blade and one serrated blade. He conceals this proficiency behind deliberately unimpressive swordplay. 707

• Uses grappling-range movement to prevent opponents from creating distance. 707
• Cuts Luosang the Second repeatedly across the arm and nearly reaches his chest during their engagement. 707
• Employs one dagger for hooking and the other for slashing, crossing the blades in rapid sequences. 707

Watchman Archives

As Legacy Watcher, Marius has access to the Royal Guard's eternal archives and uses their records to identify and classify rare Ending Powers. 577

• Classifies Tales's power as an unknown variant of the Raging Sea's Great Waves. 529
• Draws on archived accounts of Prince Kayla “Wolf Enemy” when discussing Tales's unusual constitution and abilities. 577

Equipment

• Royal Guard armor — Silver helm and bright armor worn beneath his cloak during his first appearance. 505
• Longsword — Used in formal combat and as a secondary weapon during the confrontation with Luosang the Second. 707 708
• Paired daggers — A hooked dagger and a serrated dagger used for the Marius family's close-range fighting style. 707
• Whip — Used to punish Doyle and Gollor after their impulsive actions endangered themselves and the mission. 565

Relationships

• Tales — Personal guard captain, instructor, adviser, and frequent adversarial conversational partner. Marius protects Tales while challenging his decisions, training, and political judgment; their relationship gradually develops into wary trust. 511 524 648 775
• Doyle — Subordinate Royal Guard officer. Marius frequently disciplines Doyle for carelessness but entrusts him with the Prince's protection. 506 508 565
• Gollor — Subordinate and member of Tales's guard. Marius punishes him alongside Doyle for acting without understanding the consequences. 512 565
• Vogel Talun — Deputy Guard Captain and hostile rival. Vogel repeatedly interrogates Marius over Tales, the Star Lake Guard, and Marius's motives. 550 574 577 578
• Adrian — Royal Guard captain who welcomes Marius back to the Guard and considers his abilities unquestionable despite his preference for simple solutions. 515 518
• Miranda Arendt — Fellow combatant and member of Tales's retinue. She rescues Marius after his battle with Luosang and later seeks a sparring match with the “Terror Blade.” 707 708 775
• Luosang the Second — Apex-level assassin and opponent. Marius attempts to capture him through Plan Z, wounds him with daggers, and is badly injured in their subsequent duel. 706 707 708
• Hugo Fuby — Standard Bearer who assists Marius in commanding the guard during the operation against Luosang. 706

Story Role / Major Arcs

Escorting the Prince

Marius arrives in the Western Desolation with the Royal Guard to reclaim Prince Tales and escort him to the capital. He confronts Deler and Paul, threatens military action if necessary, and assumes command of Tales's personal protection. 506

During the journey, he restricts Tales's public movements in favor of security, rejects Tales's attempt to gift him the ancient sword Watcher, and maintains a disguised Royal Guard formation around the Prince. 511 512

Mindis Hall Training

At Mindis Hall, Marius becomes Tales's martial instructor. He discovers Tales's hidden power, conducts a series of sparring assessments, and records it as a variant of the Raging Sea's Great Waves. 524 525 529

He later teaches Tales the history and political significance of the Sanctuary and Imperial Wind traditions, framing martial arts as products of historical power, social conditions, and competing political forces. 565 566 567

Conflict Within the Royal Guard

Marius's authority and choices draw Vogel Talun's suspicion. He is questioned over Tales's Ending Power, his selection of Star Lake Guard personnel, and his loyalty; Marius responds evasively while defending the Watchman's role as the heart of the Guard. 574 577 578

Emerald City and Luosang the Second

Marius accompanies Tales to Emerald City, helps prepare the Duke's retinue, and faces the Emerald Legion's Captain Seychelles without flinching when a sword is held before his eyes. 648 655

When Luosang the Second threatens Tales's forces, Marius commands the Guard's containment operation, devises Plan Z, and personally fights the assassin. He wounds Luosang with paired daggers, later uses a rope trap and a cart of cluster-shot fireworks to escape, and is rescued by Miranda while severely injured. 706 707 708

Political Adviser

Marius continues to advise Tales on Emerald City's factional balance, warning him against oversimplified political theories and against using Jann and Federico Cavendish to destroy one another. 775

He remains responsible for security, intelligence, and crisis response as assassination attempts and unrest threaten the Empty Palace. 785

Notable Quotes

“Though I uphold my duty... My sword is not yet broken.” 515

“Only when you know what you believe in, what you cherish more, and what you wish to trade, do you have the right to choose, the right to legitimately sacrifice something, like your life.” 565

“Perhaps you should ask the opposite question—can you afford not to trust me?” 648

Trivia

• Marius dislikes the nickname “Terror Blade” and would rather not acknowledge it. 651
• Tales frequently calls him “Thor,” much to Marius's irritation. 648 671
• He claims to be only “fifty-fifty” against formidable opponents, a line his associates recognize as a recurring habit. 529 648 706