The chubby one, the kid, and the noble proceeded to gather the bribes as the process of awarding the sponsorships resumed normally. As the screams outside grew louder as more applicants received their verdicts, the crystal collection process was smoother than the group initially expected. And it wasn't surprising; all the magicians paying the bribe looked at the three in charge of collecting the money as the heroes who negotiated their new lives.

Once the bribe was paid, the adventure group disbanded without farewells. Apolo took the first opportunity to leave the castle and return to his carriage, where Mateo and Orrin awaited him with worried expressions.

—Glad nothing happened to you, my lord— Orrin commented worriedly, trying to ignore the cries of lament echoing across the Ministry of Magic's courtyard—Can you tell us why they condemned almost all the applicants to death?

Upon hearing the question, Apolo turned around and looked at the massive tree filled with stuck applicants screaming in agony. From the ground, the tree's immense size was even more remarkable, and despite that, the entire line of applicants hadn't been condemned yet, so it seemed the guards would need another tree.

Looking at the scene, Apolo coldly responded:

—Isn't it obvious? I told you that those who laughed at me would end up dead, and that's exactly what happened. With my ancestors on my side, nothing can go wrong today. I learned a valuable lesson today: if you act like a commoner, you're treated like one. But if you act like a noble, you receive noble treatment. And most importantly, if you act like a winner, life turns you into one. Today, I beat those wretches at the magicians' game.

Mateo's posture straightened more than ever upon hearing such a declaration. His mind couldn't process that Apolo was truly responsible for the deaths of everyone who had laughed at him. Yet, his eyes told him that there was indeed a line of nearly a hundred people marching to their death, and his ears reminded Mateo that the agonized screams of the condemned were more real than his lord's words.

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Apolo, for his part, kept staring at the tree in the distance. Up until this moment, the young man hadn't fully grasped the meaning of his ancestor's second piece of advice and why he should act like a commoner that day. Nevertheless, it was because Apolo followed that advice that all of this had happened. So, in his mind, he tried to uncover the great significance of this tragic outcome, even though he couldn't quite reach it.

—I'm glad you've become a magician. What are the next directions?—Orrin asked, looking at his lord's back with pride.

Despite the question, Apolo continued looking at the tree, trying to contemplate his ancestor's words. As he struggled to make sense of them, Apolo was on the verge of giving up. It was then that he remembered one of his servants had been offering good advice lately, so he asked:

—What do you think destiny is?

—Mmmm… the fruit of one's labor— Orrin responded, noticing the abnormal state of the young noble.

—Could be… And what about you, Mateo?—Apolo inquired.

—A good excuse, for the good and the bad—Mateo replied—I don't think it matters too much.

—You know what, though? I think each person arrives at their own answer about what destiny is as they grow up—Orrin added, looking at the tree in the distance. —The important thing is that this answer nurtures us, not condemns us: I doubt these aspirants' destiny was to die like this. And yet, they forced that destiny upon themselves by insulting you and your ancestors...

—Maybe the idea was for me to open my eyes and see from a different perspective… maybe it was just about accepting the Hades text... I don't know...—Apolo mumbled thoughtfully as he opened the chest where his new magician acquisitions were kept and retrieved the red book. With the book in hand, Apolo closed the chest again and approached Orrin to hand over the book.

—Take this, find where they sell properties in the capital—Apolo ordered as he headed toward his carriage—Take me to the best real estate agency in the empire: it's time for me to finally have my own house!

Without saying anything else, Apolo entered his carriage and closed the curtains, seeking to deeply contemplate everything that had happened that day and starting to plan his new life as a magician.