--- Gremory Point of View ---
I had never seen anyone as depressed as Luther was at the time, even Mary was trying to console him while trying to explain how to cast, but the day was about to end without him even being able to cast a single fireball.
Not even Vendryt hid his disgusted face when he looked at Luther.
'Would it be a good time to ask for permission to speak to the Grand Master?'
The day was almost over when Gremory decided to approach Vendryt to ask.
"Hey, I have an important matter to discuss with the Grand Master, could I go and talk to him?" Gremory asked a little reluctantly.
Vendryt, who had a tired face and showed clear signs of stress, replied. "Who do you think you are to request an audience with the Grand Master like that? He's a very busy man and doesn't have time to deal with children like you."
'Yeah, just the answer I expected.'
Gremory returned to his place on the side of Xander until an hour later a guard came to escort him to the Grand Master.
"Sir, The Grand Master gave me direct orders to take Gremory." The guard wearing heavy armor spoke.
Vendryt gave a small sigh of anger, but he quickly agreed and Gremory left with the guard until he reached the Grand Master who was on the same floor.
"Everyone is already waiting for you, follow me." The Grand Master Kluster Bhuor spoke while he turned into the hall.
Gremory started to follow him while the guard went in the opposite direction.
"I suppose you know that I requested a hearing, but you don't even know why." Gremory spoke while they walked down the corridors that were getting less and less illuminated.
"Of course I know, I know everything that happens in that castle! As to why there can only be one reason."
After a few minutes of walking, they came across a corridor without any light, except for the light seen under one of the doors. Upon entering again, several people were wearing black robes, but now the symbol of a black phoenix was seen stamped on the back of each robe.
The Grand Master also wore one and passed one of those robes to me.
"What is this, does this robe have any magical properties?" Gremory asked while he took the robe and put it on.
"No, just a symbol. You may not understand it yet, but symbols can be powerful tools."
Gremory didn't understand, but he nodded after remembering saying something very similar to Xander and Xander didn't understand either.
'I would be quite contradictory if I disagree with something like that after telling that to Xander...'
The place they were in was much wider compared to the last place, again 3 humans were chained to an altar while several other animals were also present. But they were not the only ones there, because the group of people wearing black robes was there, but this time in a much larger number. Last time there were no more than 15 people but now there were at least 50 people there.
"Why there are so many people here?" I ask the Grand Master while we approach the animals with Layren at our side.
The Grand Master pulled his hood down and spoke. "As I said before, it is about symbolism. You may not understand it yet, but a symbol can be as strong as any existing magic or rune."
'Enigmatic as always, but it doesn't matter. If it weren't for him, I would probably be spending a lot of time getting food.'
Just as the first time the ritual proceeded in the same way with the animals dying quickly and painlessly.
But behind the human sacrifices, there were 3 people behind the altar, with the hood on it which made it almost impossible to see any facial detail from them. Yet it was clear that the oracle was not present among them.
Just as the Grand Master and Layren did, one by one they killed and passed the dagger between them.
It was clear that the dagger was the same used by the oracle, black and adorned as a work of art, very similar to my shield.
As soon as the bodies of human sacrifices turned into dust, the people around them start to kneel while the people still standing on the altar fall to the ground having convulsions that are simply ignored by everyone until again they stand up as if nothing has happened and one of them comes to me, extending his hand.
As soon as he gets close I can see some small details, like a tattoo on his neck and his blond hair despite being a man. Unlike most people around, his height and muscular build were large compared to most people around, which made me look like a dwarf in front of him.
"Great show that you gave today in that arena, I bet that boy must be shaking until now hahahahaha." He spoke in a relaxed way, he still held the dagger full of blood but his animation gave the feeling that he was at a party.
"Were you watching?" Gremory replied.
"Of course, I am not part of the Viridian house, but Kluster personally invited me to come."
'He calls the Grand Master by his first name as if it were something simple, it must be dangerous to underestimate this one.'
"I see, things got a little out of control because I was trying to adapt the fireball spell to work that way."
"Did you create that in the middle of a battle? Hahahahahaha you are exactly as Kluster had said, when you pass Dankor look for me, we have to fight one day."
'More training never hurts...'
"And how am I going to find you?"
"You will know how as soon as you arrive in Dankor."
"Okay, now if you excuse me, I need to go back to my studies." Gremory spoke as he walked towards the exit, the blonde man didn't stop him and with his hood up it was easy to mix in the crowd until he reached the door.
'This keeps getting weirder and weirder.'