As they proceeded in the sky, the soot cloud inside which black-red particles wandered started to darken even more. Judging by the speed of the Blood Eagle not being cut, this situation was accustomed to, but standing upright wasn't easy at all for some of the people on its back.
"There is still a lot to the peak of the volcano, but its effects have already increased a few folds of that in the settlement!"
Count Jashua was in a place close to the tail part together with the new disciples of this year; at the front, there was the Third Elder, high-level disciples close to him as understood from their movements, and the Second Elder with his head down.
While he was returning to the sect to serve his punishment, he was in an exhausted state; this situation of his had whetted the appetite of his biggest rival.
"I told you repeatedly to control your anger, look what kind of trouble you brought upon yourself in the end!"
These words, which could be perceived as friendly advice if someone else said them, were as if dipped in evil sauce while coming out of the mouth of the man hissing like a snake.
"How many more times will I say it, I didn't put those two idiots in that state. If I wanted to do it, I would rip their heads off in a second, you know this best!"
The demoralized Second wasn't born yesterday either; when he said you know best, it was as if he was referring to an incident that passed between them.
Where the wing parts of the eagle started, the Blood Crystals the Sheikh won were piled up. Even though they were inside ordinary cloth sacks, due to their sparkle, it wasn't possible to stand a few steps next to them.
"Sir, based on what did Atractivo trust us this much and enter a hefty amount of bet?"
The one speaking was Count Jashua again; within the foursome, he was the only person who seemed to be in his right mind too. Nora, whom he called out to, had managed to gather herself compared to the other two people too, but her absent-minded looks were telling she hadn't been able to figure out some things yet.
"Unlike others, I think that man is not at all someone as he looks; it's unclear how many faces he has!"
As they approached the sect, the weather worsened even more; a while later, moments came when it was impossible to see the one right next to you.
"Hold on tight, if you fall no one can save you!"
When the sticky voice of the Third reached their ears, the foursome turned their eyes to the rivers of blood flowing below them involuntarily. Although they couldn't see clearly from the red steam mixing into the air, the current was so wide and enthusiastic that their pupils dilated twice the normal size.
After entering the region where landforms changed mercilessly, the journey didn't continue much. Within an hour, maybe an hour and a half, they saw the area with buildings whose surroundings were encircled with a blood-red barrier.
"Here we are, the Holy Blood Sect lands!"
All eyes turned inside the transparent red barrier; long towers holding four corners, possessing a square-shaped torso were the first structures striking the eye. Their round and pointed roofs seemed to tell the tower architecture of the entire sect; unlike them, structures obvious to be houses had spread single-story and flat.
The number of tall buildings was very few; only one large castle built in the place closest to the mouth of the volcano was not like it wouldn't be seen no matter from where you looked. The structure seated on a monolithic rock and the four-cornered tower rising to the sky as if it was the continuation of the rock had taken all the majesty.
There were three different towers the city walls around this main column connected to each other, but all of them remained in its shadow.
Although much detail wasn't seen from afar, that even this much was more than enough for the foursome became obvious from the breath they gave at a moment. When their breaths they forgot until this time came out with a big noise, a laugh rose from the other side of the blood crystals.
"Even from this distance they passed out, I wonder if they will be able to stand on their feet when they go next to it?"
The voice didn't belong to the Second but the sly laugh following it was definitely his; it had an unpleasant tone peculiar to him.
The eagle started to slow down, descended, descended, and finally passed comfortably through the blood-red dome encircling the sect. Nora saw the Second Elder, who sat silently all this time, stood up at those moments; it meant it wasn't possible to enter inside without him.
At that moment, the weather changed dramatically; the red fog sticking to a person's throat disappeared as if it never existed. The burning eyes of the foursome didn't hurt anymore, and the quality of the breath they drew into their lungs was much above even that in the settlement.
"You can relax rookies, enjoy the scenery until we land. Maybe you won't have the chance to see it again until you die!"
One of the assistants next to the Third spoke rolling his eyes; especially while looking at the trio originating from the Bloody Moon Fiefdom, there were traces of hatred.
Since Nora expected this, she wasn't disturbed at all; on the contrary, feeding on negative emotions was the most important merit she learned on the Orc Steppes. Count Jashua was in good spirits too; there were signs of the calmness and faint happiness of a man returning to his home after a long time on him.
The real problem was showing itself in Alis; the white-haired young boy hitting the road with shabby attire didn't give up his state of crying if touched no matter what.
The fourth and last person within the group was the former Holy Star Clan disciple Antuan; the boy who could barely throw himself inside the sect while expecting to be the star of the participation exams looked exhausted, although not as much as Alis.
Then it was felt that the claws of the Blood Eagle grasped the ground; Nora examined the surroundings and saw a hundred or so people were waiting for them at the landing place.
"Carry the Blood Crystals to the treasury!"
When the Third gave the order, all of those waiting leaped forward without hesitation; people grabbing three or five from sacks the size of a normal human started moving away quite comfortably.
"Vibora, you show the newcomers the place they will stay, let them rest today! They start their training tomorrow!"
The man called Vibora had one shoulder dropped, the sides of his hair whitened but his eyes shining like glass hadn't disappeared, he was a type looking in his fifties.
"At your command, sir!"
After bowing to the ground bending from his waist, he turned his back rapidly and made a follow me sign with his head to the foursome waiting for him. As polite and soft as his movements towards the Third Elder were, he approached the young boys that uncaringly.
While moving away calmly from the area the Blood Eagle landed, the foursome was walking following Vibora; they were lined up according to the success they showed in the exam.
Before long, they came in front of single-story houses possessing their own gardens; the eyes of the trio at the front were shining.
"Antuan, this residence is yours. From today on you will stay here!"
The owners of the neighboring residences were in front of their doors too, and judging by them greeting the young boy with their heads, they knew each other.
"Sir, if the fourth gets such a residence, I wonder how ours will be, according to what was promised a small mansion awaits us!"
Count Jashua was in good spirits, but the looks of the young girl he called out to didn't look like a good omen. Nora had caught Vibora's slightly curling lip when they started walking again.
They walked for about ten minutes more, and when they came to another residential area, the old man stopped suddenly.
"This is the place where you will live too!"