Following the scattered directions within the castle, Apolo managed to find room 1A. Truth be told, the first thing the young man felt upon entering this room was that everything was too minimalist for his taste. There were few pieces of furniture, and for some strange reason, it was irritating him more than it should have. The room had only a couple of rather comfortable chairs and a desk, where a person was working. There were no paintings, statues, potted plants, or used mattresses, and these small absences were making Apolo's hands tremble nervously, as if begging to let him "spruce up" this "lifeless" room.

—Pleasure to meet you, I'm Tobias of Dark Sea—greeted the person working behind the desk.

—...—Apolo remained silent as he tried to sit in one of the chairs, only to realize that the chair was tiny.

—Oh, what an inconvenience, it seems you're too big...—Tobias said with a cheerful smile.

—I suppose we could make this chair a little bigger...—Apolo commented, not with a very cheerful smile, already quite irritated by the disruption of his monotonous routine.

The young man proceeded to grab the two armrests of the chair, and with little effort, Apolo managed to tear them off and then toss them to the side of the room. Having "enlarged" the chair by magic, Apolo sat down and stared at the bewildered look on the person working behind the desk, waiting for them to continue their procedure.

—...—Tobias looked at the two armrests on the floor in bewilderment and then at the ridiculously seated giant in the chair, barely holding back laughter that could easily end his life. The worker commented:

—Let's just ignore what just happened, shall we? Are you seeking asylum for one night or an extended stay?

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

—One night...—Apolo answered gruffly, more interested in looking at the oddities on the worker's desk than at his face. It seemed this desk did have a story, as it was filled with crystal balls containing amusing figurines.

—By the way, what do these crystal balls mean?—Apolo asked, unable to contain his curiosity about the topic.

—Oh, so you like them?—Tobias commented with a smile as he searched through the logbook—Actually, like all the workers in this castle, I'm a wizard, and these little balls are one of my big projects. Their purpose is to be able to store items that require certain conditions.

—It seems you're almost done with the project...—Apolo commented, noticing that the balls contained various figurines inside. However, he was more surprised by the fact that there were mages interested in other jobs.

—No, the most complicated part isn't storing things; it's making them come out the way they were stored—Tobias said with some annoyance—In addition to the crystals, very few objects can withstand being compressed and then returned to their original dimensions without significant damage.

—I see. Why did you seek this job? Wouldn't it be better to focus on your research?—Apolo asked the question that had been on his mind.

—Partly for the crystals and partly for the contacts—Tobias replied with a smile—The job doesn't take much time and generally allows you to meet all the new mages in the empire; it's quite good.

—Oh, I see. Yes, I suppose almost all mages pass through here at some point—Apolo said, somewhat intrigued by the idea of this mage.

—Well, here are your keys. What's your name?—Tobias asked as he prepared to record in the register.

—Apolo of the Black Forest—answered the young man.

—Take the keys, remember to return them before you leave in the morning. If you wish to extend your stay, just let me know, and I'll arrange it—Tobias commented as he proceeded to take a set of keys from one of the drawers in his desk and handed them to Apolo—The room is 4D, follow the directions, and you'll find it.

As usual, Apolo took the keys and left the room without saying goodbye, leaving Tobias bewildered as he looked at the two broken chairs in his room, wondering how he should resolve this matter.