Ignoring his grandfather's farewell, Apolo left the hall to make his way to his room, where he had left all the trunks with his belongings. From the look of disgust on his face as he walked, it seemed things hadn't gone as planned for the young man.
According to the young man's expectations, his grandfather, who always tended to spoil him as his favorite grandson, would do it again this time and thus manage to extend his stay at the family castle for a few more years.
Deep down, Apolo knew he would have to leave sooner or later; after all, his grandfather was already old, and his older brother was first in line to the throne of this castle. Once his grandfather passed away, his older brother would seek to assert himself as the new head of the family and force Apolo to leave.
The young man wasn't upset about this, as he had grown up knowing that his older brother would inherit everything. The only thing bothering him was the timing. He desperately needed more time in this castle, but unfortunately, fate had played a cruel trick, and his grandfather had finally obtained the necessary documents for him to go to the capital to become a magician.
After leaving the hall, Apolo didn't take long to encounter a servant who had been looking for him. Without demanding too many explanations, the servant informed Apolo that the trunks had already been loaded onto the carriages.
The servant, not wanting to waste time, hurriedly directed Apolo to the castle's entrance, where two carriages were waiting for him to embark on the journey.
—Finally, you've arrived, young sir!— Alfonso exclaimed with a broad smile on his face as he saw the slender young man pass through the castle gates. His worn-out appearance suggested that the matter of not finding Apolo had been bothering him more than it should have—In the first carriage, your belongings are already packed. Meanwhile, the second carriage is ready for you to embark on your journey comfortably.
Without pausing at the butler's words and completely ignoring his presence, the young man left the castle. He stopped to gaze at the black-barked trees and red leaves of the forests with a certain ache in his heart. After a brief but intense look at his family's woods and with more doubts than he'd like to admit, Apolo proceeded to enter the second carriage. But before opening the carriage door, he halted and peered through the glass: it seemed someone was waiting for him inside!
The person inside the carriage was unusually tall, much like Apolo's grandfather, causing him to hunch to avoid hitting his head on the roof. Unlike his grandfather, this person had blonde hair and was young, though not as young as Apolo.
The person in the carriage wore a rather tattered gray robe, whose fabric did little to hide the lack of cleanliness and sweat stains that spread across its surface. Everything would suggest that the person inside the carriage was a vagabond. However, this "vagabond" had a very fine gold ring on one of his fingers, identical to the one Apolo wore. Therefore, this "vagabond" must have some degree of kinship with Apolo, and indeed, he was none other than Apolo's second brother.
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—Aren't you going to get in?— Apolo's brother asked, uncomfortably gazing at the carriage's roof that felt too low for him.
—Are you heading to the capital too, Hermes?— Apolo asked as he opened the carriage door. Upon entering, Apolo's look of disgust only grew. It was unavoidable to ignore the unpleasant odor emanating from his brother's dirty clothes. Nonetheless, Apolo's curiosity about the reason for his brother's visit kept him from complaining and instead, he tried to find a spot to fit into the carriage. This proved to be quite a challenge given his brother's size. Once Apolo got in, the two carriages began to move without awaiting an order: time was evidently of the essence!
—Of course not! It's over six months' carriage ride...— Hermes replied while observing with a hint of fear his younger brother's skeletal frame— I came to bid you farewell and to have a conversation that I've been putting off for far too long.
—If I recall correctly, we said our goodbyes last night at the party Mom arranged. Don't you think it's unnecessary to bid farewell again? It's only been a few hours. You know, the party ended really late, and I could use some sleep, don't you think?!— Apolo responded with some annoyance, not bothering to hide how uncomfortable he felt with his brother's presence so close— Besides, since you're not heading to the capital, shouldn't you get off? The carriage is moving quite fast, and at this rate, you'll have to walk quite a few kilometers if this conversation drags on.
—Do you think I'm concerned about a few kilometers?— Hermes commented with pride— The one starving here is you, little brother. I train like a good soldier: every morning and every night.
—Yeah, yeah, it shows... At this rate, you'll outgrow carriages like this— Apolo remarked, eyeing his brother's body with a certain envy. He knew the abnormal size of some members of his family was due to a special effect caused by their soldier training. Far from being a negative, it was something to envy.
—That's what I hope for...— Hermes murmured with a touch of nostalgia, looking out the carriage window as the castle grew smaller on the horizon— You should worry a bit more about your body. Honestly, I believe you're wasting away, little brother. And let me tell you, I'm not the only one in the family who thinks that...
—Maybe I am, maybe I'm not...— Apolo responded, inspecting his hands. They had become so skeletal he could hardly recognize them as his own. However, seeing the tarnished bronze ring on his finger dissipated his worries, and a crooked smile appeared on his face—But for now, I'm alright. I can always eat a bit more when I feel like it. It's not like the nobles lack food!
—Of course not, little brother...— Hermes commented, still gazing out of the carriage window, watching the trees in the forest surrounding the road pass by—Nobles have an abundance of money, an abundance of food, an abundance of women. But that doesn't mean we have it all.
—Do you really think we're lacking anything to live better? Personally, I think with money, food, and women, you can live quite well. If you doubt that, just ask our brother Fausto if he's suffering from any deficiencies—Apolo said with a smile, more concerned with observing the ring on his finger than the castle that was getting smaller on the horizon.
—Many nobles lack the sanity to see they're heading for their own death— Hermes responded uncomfortably, looking through the reflection on the carriage window, noticing the abnormal smile on his brother's face—That ring you value more than your own family is only killing you, little brother. Worse yet, you just told me with your own mouth that you know as a noble, you have everything to live well, and yet you look at that ring with such despair as if you were a beggar pleading for stale bread. And the harsh truth is, you don't need to be privileged to realize that rusty ring won't grant you anything, but misfortune... and despite that, there you are... gazing at it like a fool... once again...