King Carpio IV was not born a tyrant, but a shadow. Son of a great and noble ruler, he doesn’t rebel against this legacy, but collapses under its weight. His entire life becomes an attempt to repeat his father’s greatness – without the wisdom, patience, and depth that made it possible.

What begins as a boyish desire to prove himself turns into a need for control. He builds an underwater kingdom – dazzling, complex, and hollow. He craves admiration, but fears ineffectiveness. He replaces charisma with spectacle. Promises with captivity. His court is an amusement park. The crown – a mask.

Carpio is not cruel for pleasure. He is cruel out of fear. Fear that if he is not loved, he will be forgotten. Fear that if he is not a hero, he will disappear. His fall is not the snare of fate, but the slow sinking of a soul unable to distinguish its legacy from its ego.

In the end, he is defeated not by a rebellion or a sword. He is defeated by an unkept promise – in a moment when someone watches him, and he fails to become better. Goliath the Unbeaten – for whom reason is sacred – turns against him. And the illusion crumbles.

– Glass crown = transparency without truth

– Aquarium = artificial wonder, self-contained

– Spotlights = thirst for admiration

– Shiny scales = inherited, but not earned glory

– Broken promise = betrayal of principles

I don’t remember ever being a “small fish.” By the way, my full name is “Carpio the Fourth, Autocrat of the Underwater World.” Just for the record.

Compared to us, HeinoLand is a trinket, a children’s toy! The real park is down here, but until now, no one has seen it. But of course, that won’t last long. Soon everything will be ready – and then Heino can just retire.

For my park to truly overshadow HeinoLand, what I need first and foremost is... stars! Stars like you two, for example. Real ones, flesh and blood, not some made-up characters from children’s stories. If I manage to gather enough characters from your story, my success is guaranteed. The fool Heino did all the work to make this story so famous, now I just have to pick the fruits of his labor, hee-hee-hee!

Oh, really? Well then, let’s see how you like the cage. After you’ve been hungry for a while, you’ll sing a different tune, you ingrates!

📘 Book I

– Introduced as a small fish, saved by Anne and Pouchy

– Son of Carpio III, a wise and enlightened ruler

– A subtle hint of insecurity beneath his politeness

📗 Book II

– Becomes the ruler of a hidden underwater amusement park

– Obsessed with image, legacy, and public spectacle

– Captures Anne and challenges her to a chess duel

– Breaks his promise after a draw

– Overthrown by Goliath in a bloodless coup

– Ends up as a prisoner – undone by his own lie

📙 Book III

– Does not appear

– Did he love his father – or only envy him?

– Is his father’s statue a symbol of respect – or a monument to himself?

– Would he have kept his promise if he knew what awaited him?

– Is he a villain… or a cautionary echo of good intentions?