Capítulo 71: Ch 56 - The Grandmasters Hubbub (Part-2)
Gunther finally let go of his angry gaze and turned it to Biswaq,
"You are as nonchalant as ever Biswaq, despite that shameful defeat in the Longshore battle,"
Biswaq, unfazed, just laughed dryly.
"Come on, don't need to bring that up. Also, it was a tactful retreat. Why are you bringing it up in front of my fans? Please don't do that."
Gunther walked forward, his steps heavy on the ground.
"Whatever," he said, dismissing Biswaq's words
As the spatial doorway opened once again, three more figures emerged side by side. The sound of their footsteps echoed across the room, and we all turned to see who was coming. Out of the three, two were men, and the other was a woman.
The first man, a dark-skinned man in his 50s, had a muscular build that was apparent even through the layers of clothing he wore. He had graying hair that was visible on both his hair and beard. Scars on his arm went up to the inside of the sleeves of his shirt, and he was wearing an eyepatch on his left eye. It was clear that this man had seen his fair share of battles. This man was none other than the famous grandmaster Harnold, of the Arcane Forge.
The other man was a tall blonde man wearing a white business suit, with gloves on his hands. He had neatly combed hair, and a rapier hanging from his hip. At first glance, he looked more like a typical businessman than a grandmaster, but his confident gait and bright smile revealed something more. This was Pierre, and he was not to be underestimated.
Pierre recognized Harnold and greeted him with surprise. "Grandmaster Harnold! It's a pleasant surprise to see you here. Are you taking a break from your workshop? I hope the forge is still alive with the sound of your hammer creating new artifacts."
Harnold's piercing stare met Pierre's gaze, but he remained silent. Pierre, undeterred, chuckled and continued, "Or are you still thinking about the weapons deal we had last time? Don't worry, I offered you the best deal for your finest weapons."
Harnold turned his gaze to the side and stayed quiet, still brooding over the past deal.
Pierre, realizing he had touched a sore spot, scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, it's good to see you anyway."
As Pierre's attention shifted to Casia, he noticed her standing there in a modest white cloak, looking beautiful as always. He greeted her with a smile, "Ah, Lady Casia, it's always a pleasure to see you. You look as lovely as ever."
Even Harnold gave a silent nod of greeting to Casia, indicating his respect for her.
Casia Melvendia, the grandmaster of the Celestial's Mercy, stood confidently before the two rather peculiar grandmasters, Pierre and Harnold. Her long, flowing blonde hair and bright blue eyes, along with her silk white robes, gave her the appearance of a noblewoman. Despite the unusual situation, Casia remained composed and graceful, displaying no signs of concern or fear.
With a charming smile, Casia returned the greeting to Pierre and Harnold. "Greetings, Grandmaster Pierre and Grandmaster Harnold. I am doing well, thank you for asking. How about you and your business?"
Pierre responded with a grin, "As always, it's booming as always~" However, he was interrupted by Harnold, who was staring at him in silence.
Pierre quickly changed the subject, "Let's talk about that another time. We should greet the other grandmasters here. Looks like we are not the last ones to arrive. That's great."
Just then, Biswaq appeared and greeted them warmly, "If it isn't the two oddballs Grandmaster Pierre and Grandmaster Harnold. Certainly strange to see you two here. I guess it's alright for you to leave your affairs behind for such frugal matters. Nice to meet you as well, Lady Casia."
Travis then appeared and made a crude comment, "Tch, what's a businessman and old fart doing here? Where are all the ladies?" He quickly caught himself and redirected his attention to Casia. "Miss Casia, how are you doing? Looking lovely as always."
Casia maintained her composure despite Travis's inappropriate behavior. She responded politely, "I am doing well, Grandmaster Travis. Thank you for asking."
She stood right beside Hamanthra.
"I'm glad to see another fellow woman here. I was rather suffocated with all the testosterone-filled in this chamber here," said Hamanthra while scoffing.
"It's also great to see you doing well, lady Hamanthra." greeted Casia.
As the room filled with murmurs, Pierre spoke up and asked, "Where are the other grandmasters of the Mind's Eye and Ivory Tower?". Grandmaster Gunther grunted in response, clearly agitated. "Being late to such crucial matters, Ivory Tower is one thing but even Mind's Eye acting like this-" he grumbled.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared beside Grandmaster Gunther, seemingly materializing out of thin air. "What's that you were talking about the Mind's Eye, Grandmaster Gunther?" the figure asked in a deep voice.
Gunther scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Tch," he grunted in response.
"Lady Messindra, you always love to make an appearance, don't you?" Biswaq said, acknowledging the figure's arrival.
The mysterious figure was revealed to be Grandmaster Messindra of the Mind's Eye academy, shrouded in a hooded cloak. Her eyes, when visible, glowed with a faint blue light, and her tight jumpsuit showcased her lithe, graceful build.
Pierre directed his attention to Messindra and asked, "Did you just arrive now, Lady Messindra?"
Messindra replied in a calm, collected manner, "Well, I have been here for a while, I just didn't want to get involved in petty talks. That's all."
Pierre seemed disappointed for some reason, replying with a simple, "I see."
As Biswaq was about to continue the conversation, a commotion at the entrance caught everyone's attention. The gate creaked open and a massive figure emerged, drawing gasps from the assembled heroes. The man was twice the size of Sigurd in his celestial possession state and had a rugged beard with a bald head. His muscles were bulging out of proportion and he wore a pair of rugged pants. The ground shook with every step he took, crushing pebbles like they were nothing.
"Haha! It seems that everyone's here. Great!" he boomed, his voice echoing across the room.
Travis muttered under his breath, "So the Ivory Tower sent their Walking Giant, Ajax. No wonder they are running late."
Hamanthra rolled her eyes and muttered, "Damn. He's an even bigger loudmouth than Travis. This ascension is going to be a pain for sure."
"You're late," Pierre said sternly, though he himself was not exactly punctual.
Ajax just laughed in response, "Haha! Heroes always tend to arrive at the last moment. Anyway, I got late because I was busy eating this fine-roasted 4-armed Bull Bear. Here, have some," he said as he reached behind him and pulled out a chunk of meat.
The meat looked soggy and was dripping some sort of oily fluid. Just one glance was enough to make it clear that it was not exactly hygienic.
Pierre took two steps back, repulsed. "Geez, keep that thing away from me. I can't believe you were late because of lunch. Don't you know you're here representing the Ivory Tower?"
Ajax shook his head and took another bite, smacking his lips. "Well nom I'm sure the academy noms won't mind."
Everyone else looked on in disgust and disbelief.
"For fuck sake, don't talk while eating." scoffed Hamanthra.
"Disgusting pig," muttered Travis.
Hamanthra looked at Travis,
"You are no better either,"
"I am a lot better than that pig," argued Travis angrily.
"Lady Hamantra, please cut some slack for Grandmaster Travis," said Casia pleadingly.
"Tch, you are too kind Casia. Men are such boorish creatures," added Hamanthra.
"Hey! Don't group all men together," said Biswaq.
"Stop this childish nonsense and get on with the ascension ceremony." remind Gunther.
"This is exactly why I hate the ascension trials. What a drag" added Messindra.
Only Harnold stood quietly waiting for them to settle this on their own.
The tension in the air was palpable as the grandmasters continued their squabbling, with no regard for the impending ceremony that was supposed to take place. Just when it seemed like the situation was spiraling out of control, Head Mage Sigurd intervened. He stretched his arms wide and brought them together with a loud clap that echoed throughout the chamber, effectively ending the bickering and capturing everyone's attention.
"Grandmasters," he began, his voice firm and commanding. "I shall start preparing for your appropriate seating in a moment and begin the ascension ceremony at once. Until then, please enjoy your conversations."
The grandmasters nodded in agreement, realizing that it was time to focus on the task at hand. Biswaq stepped forward and thanked Sigurd for his efforts, showing his appreciation for the Head Mage's important role in the ceremony.
"Thank you, Head Mage Sigurd. I shall leave the arrangements to your kind hands," he said, showing respect and gratitude towards Sigurd.
Sigurd nodded in response and made his way toward the candidates, who had been waiting patiently for the ceremony to commence. As he reached us, he spoke in a commanding tone that took us all by surprise. Finally, we were getting the attention that we deserve.
"Get off the platform, now," he ordered, his voice leaving us stunned and confused.
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