One peaceful week passed in the imperial capital, and today our protagonist had just woken up in his room surrounded by exotic beds and furniture. It was probably one of the ugliest rooms in the whole house, yet in this room, each piece of furniture held a great story under Apolo's not-so-reliable judgment. So, it was the room where the young man felt the safest, countering the dangerous instincts of the creatures he planned to acquire.

Lazily, Apolo yawned and looked out of the room's window at the morning sun illuminating the capital's lands.

—Another night, another good dream. Clearly, all this effort is blessing my ancestors— Apolo murmured with a smile on his face. Since becoming a wizard, he had been sleeping abnormally well: like any normal person would. This was giving him more energy and much more happiness. For someone like him who had been used to functioning on a quarter-charge, now that his battery was fully charged, Apolo felt as if the sun was smiling at him from the sky every day, and the birds in the courtyard trees were singing their songs just for him.

After stretching, Apolo proceeded to dress in his usual attire, as he hadn't yet bought the clothing that magicians in the empire wore. With automated movements, as if repeating the same routine every morning, Apolo left his room to head for the mansion's entrance, where he walked to the guest reception room. There, Apolo found Orrin sitting in an armchair, watching the fireplace burn while enjoying a snack and some nibbles.

The guest reception room, like the mansion's entrance, was one of the first rooms to be furnished, so it was very well decorated. Both the carpets and the wooden furniture in the guest reception room harmoniously complemented each other and gave an impression far removed from the actual state of the mansion. Consequently, it became one of the favorite rooms of Mateo, Orrin, and the rest of the servants.

—Feeling cold?— Apolo asked, seeing a lit fireplace in the mansion for the first time.

—We're almost in winter, I'm glad you don't feel cold. That means you're getting healthier each day— Orrin commented with a smile, inviting Apolo to have breakfast with him—Aren't you pleased with how much better you look?

—Well… yeah… It's not like I enjoyed being a skeletal rat— Apolo complained as he sat beside his butler and prepared the same drink as him—But it was really hard for me to train with so little motivation. Coming to the capital really seems to have been a great decision in my life.

—As you say every morning, your ancestors are blessing you!— Orrin responded with a joyful smile, as if all these achievements were due to his work, which was quite true. Without his help, Apolo would have starved long ago—That's why I was so worried about disturbing the departed. The warnings of the wise are not few: one must not meddle with the dead, especially those from other families!

—I'm afraid they're not just rumors or the ramblings of the elderly…— Apolo murmured, looking at the stove with concern—But we had no choice. The scrap has to keep flowing to my mansion, and not fulfilling a request from the Minister of Urban Affairs would mean trouble.

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—Do you believe so? I don't think people will dare to mess with your family so easily— Orrin remarked, looking at Apolo's imposing size with pride. He finally felt like he was working for a true colossus of the Black Forest.

Apolo didn't reply and took his time to sip his drink from his cup while he watched the flames of the fireplace move hypnotically. Hypnotized by their dance, Apolo muttered something he had never dared to say to anyone before, yet he had carried it in his heart all along:

—My dear butler, isn't it evident that we're in decline...

—What?!— Orrin exclaimed, unable to believe what he had just heard.

Apolo looked at his two large hands holding the tiny tea cup. Whenever he saw his hands, he couldn't recognize them. The truth was, since he was young, he had never been able to fully accept that this body belonged to him. Yet, there was his lifelong companion: the gold ring, reminding him that these hands were indeed his. However, something was missing: his usual bronze ring had long since stopped fitting him and was now hanging on a pendant around his neck. Feeling the touch of the bronze ring on his chest, Apolo reflexively murmured:

—There are only two soldiers left in the great castle, one dying and the other inexperienced. A merchant who long ago lost the family's spirit, and a future leader more wrapped up in his own pleasures than the impending reality on the horizon. Meanwhile, away from the great castle, there's a young man gazing into a fireplace while enjoying his breakfast. This young man is probably the only one sane enough to understand that he's the only member of his family who can witness the indomitable power of time...

As he stared into the fire, the young nobleman became more and more entranced by its flames. However, his own thoughts snapped him out of the trance, and he looked at the worried expression on his butler's face. Apolo smiled ruefully and commented with an ironic tone:

—My dear butler, isn't it evident that the time of the colossi of the Black Forest is coming to an end? God has already marked our expiration date, and I fear that it will be when the entire world realizes, just like I do, how foolish the future king of the Black Forest truly is. Our downfall is just a matter of time...

—Just like you were able to change thanks to the blessing of your ancestors, your brother will change when he's crowned king: I'm sure of it, my lord!— Orrin exclaimed confidently. He had already witnessed the miracle with Apolo, so the old man had complete faith that things would resolve themselves in the best possible way.

—That's what I believed too, until the ancestors blessed me. Then I realized that I was the fortunate one born into this. I don't believe in coincidences: everything has to have a reason, and such fortune must come with a cost— Apolo replied, sounding somewhat concerned—If my ancestors helped me, it has to be for a reason. There has to be some purpose that I can't grasp right now. However, the only certain thing for now is that my older brother will likely end up causing some trouble that might end up killing us all. I doubt it's a coincidence that Homero became a merchant as soon as he had the chance. He probably knew it already and sought a good way to escape the imminent problem on the horizon.

—And if there were really a problem that would lead to the death of your family, what would you do, my lord?— Orrin asked with doubts.

—Nothing, I wouldn't do anything…— Apolo responded, changing his worried expression to a joyful smile in a second, unsettling his butler—I'm the only disinherited heir to the throne. That's no longer my problem. I can only pray that the ancestors protect me when that time comes.

As Apolo answered that question, the two men turned around, noticing that Mateo had woken up and that the servant had arrived to report something that had just happened in the mansion:

—There's a long line of carriages waiting at the door, my lord.

—Oh, what joyful news I've just heard: perfect for starting a pleasant winter!— Apolo responded, downing the drink in his cup in one gulp, then immediately getting up and rushing to the mansion's entrance.