Ensuring he hadn't accidentally forgotten his silver mask, Apolo arrived at the door of the grand tower in the middle of the ministry and gazed in astonishment as four guards stood guard at the massive doors.

—Why do I feel like I've been here before?—Murmured Apolo, dazedly observing the tower's entrance from a distance for a few minutes. Apolo slowly approached the entrance, climbing its steps as he emerged from the trance induced by the strange sensation of familiarity with this place. Finally, he saw one of the guards approaching and extending his hand.

Understanding the protocol, Apolo handed the token to the guard, who proceeded to check it and then said to him:

—Welcome to the grand magical tower, Apolo of the Black Forest: I've been asked to remind you that the rules inside the tower are absolute for all wizards—said the guard, handing the token back to Apolo.

—What does that mean?—Apolo asked, understanding that it was a warning not to cause trouble inside, but he wanted to know why only in this part of the Ministry of Magic was he given this warning.

—Actually, this is the great tomb of the archmage Bastian of the Dark Islands. Therefore, the tower itself never belonged to the imperial family, and as a result, inside the tower, the rules of Bastian's servants who still live to this day are followed—explained the guard carefully and enunciated each word, as if he delivered this message relatively frequently—Consequently, the rules are absolute, as Bastian's servants do not obey anyone but the last words left by their master, who died more than 6000 years ago. Despite that, the rules have never changed.

—Have the servants of this wizard been living for 6000 years?—Apolo asked, gazing at the grand tower in astonishment.

—If by chance you encounter one of Bastian's servants, you'll understand why no one jokes too much in this tower—answered the guard somewhat enigmatically—Just remember not to do anything strange: the Minister obliges us to deliver this message to all members of the main families of the empire who visit this tower. I hope you understand that if the servants get angry at your carelessness, we won't be able to save you.

—And what things anger the servants?—Apolo asked, the question of vital importance.

—Not following the rules: they will be indicated to you before entering any room. Don't be afraid; the tower has been operating since before the empire, so we already know almost all the rules—replied the guard with a smile.

—Well, thank you for the warning—Apolo strangely thanked, looking carefully at the entrance of the tower, fearing that to fulfill his ancestor's fifth piece of advice, he would have to break some of the rules.

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Planning his move, the young man entered the interior of the tower and was even more astonished. For some reason, Apolo felt that he had already seen this gigantic warehouse, and he would even swear that he now had to open one of the doors on the sides of the warehouse entrance to go to the basement. Following his hunch, Apolo approached one of the doors and opened it, only to be amazed as a long spiral staircase descended into the depths, its walls illuminated by particularly striking crystals. Just as the young man's intuition indicated, behind this door was a spiral staircase leading to a hidden underground level.

—How strange...—Murmured Apolo, passing through the door and closing it carefully. He then descended the stairs to a hallway with a large door in the middle and another one at the end.

—This should be the library...—Apolo approached the large door and opened it carefully, to his surprise, he found no library. Instead, there was only a large reception room, with only an old wizard reading a book in an armchair, making the large room feel too empty for its impressive size.

The wizard in question had white hair and a traditional black toga. What set this wizard apart from his apparent old age was that his hands had been completely replaced by wooden prostheses; however, they seemed to function like regular hands and were holding the book he was reading carefully. Upon hearing the intruder's noise, the wizard raised his gaze from his book to observe Apolo with curiosity, and after a few long seconds of silence, he asked with a smile hidden by his long white beard:

—Before entering the library, would you like me to remind you of the rules, young man?

—Yes, it's my first time in this room—Apolo replied, looking at the wizard with astonishment. He swore he had heard this voice before, but it was the first time in his life that he had seen this person.

—Don't be afraid: the rules aren't very complicated, but they are strict—said the wizard calmly, sensing that Apolo was somewhat nervous.

—I'm listening attentively—Apolo replied, understanding that this person held his life in their hands.

—I'm glad to hear that—replied the wizard, placing the book on the desk beside him carefully, then slowly raising his hand, taking all the time in the world to show the young nobleman that three wooden fingers were raised in his hand.

—First rule: never speak inside the library, except with the book merchant—said the old man calmly, lowering one of the wooden fingers on his hand.

—Second rule: you can only take the books you've purchased, and you can only read the books inside the library that the bookseller has authorized you to read—continued the wizard, slowly lowering the second raised wooden finger.

—Third and final rule: Never negotiate with the bookseller—said the wizard, lowering the last raised finger.

—Does the courtesy book still exist?—Apolo asked with doubts. His ancestor hadn't mentioned any rules, but he had explained that the bookseller would give him a single book as a gift.

—Yes, the first book you buy is free, young man. Choose carefully: these books aren't bought with crystals or influence; you must earn them—replied the wizard, playing with his long beard.

—I'll keep that in mind...—Apolo replied, entering the only door in the reception room other than the entrance, leaving the old wizard alone in the vast room.