"Rorschach Mage is here!" With no other staff or servants present, the director acted as announcer himself, his voice cracking from the strain.
The mages in attendance applauded, but the owls merely tilted their heads—not that they could have made a sound even if they had flapped their wings.
All told, there were over a hundred attendees in the hall, counting both humans and birds.
Kano had already explained the procedure to Rorschach beforehand. The hall floor featured a giant mosaic pattern, and all Rorschach had to do was walk to the tile marked with a hexagram—the center of the room. From there, he was to bow to his surroundings, turn, and repeat the gesture three more times to complete the salutation.
Every human present nodded in return, but the owls only tilted their heads again. The tiered seats rose high above him, and standing beneath their collective gaze made Rorschach uncomfortable.
