The unexpected welcoming committee

"Hmm? Oh! Look, Adi, it's the girl I told you about! Hey~! Cath~!"

Melinda squinted her eyes, and despite the conditions, she recognized the shortest person in the other party, gasping to her maid before rasing her hand and waving excitedly towards the other girl.

"...!"

Melinda's wave was noticed, and the short girl trotted away from her group, approaching the trio with reservation.

"M-M-Melinda… g-good mor-morning…"

Catherine bowed her head and greeted the hooded girl while stuttering.

"Hi, Cath~! Oh, this is Adi, and this is Zane~!"

Melinda cheered out, happily grabbing Catherine's hands and introducing her company.

"I-I…!"

"Good morning, Miss Catherine. My name is Adrianna. I am young lady Melinda Fenrioette's personal maid."

The timid girl's face turned bright red, and she froze when faced with unfamiliar people, but thankfully, Adrianna came out with a helping hand and introduced herself properly and politely.

"I'm Zane. A bodyguard of sorts."

Zane was well aware of the discomfort he was causing people on a good day, so he didn't try to close the distance but waved his hand and tried to keep his mouth closed so his teeth wouldn't show.

"H-h-hello…"

The timid girl gave them both a fearful nod while sticking close to Melinda - the only person she knew beforehand.

"Cath, could it be that you also want to use the Teleporter Array to get to the Jade City?"

"Y-y-yes…"

Melinda kept her cheerful tone and asked, to which Catherine nodded with an apologetic look on her face.

"A-a-actual…ly M-my father wanted to a-ask you about ex-exactly th-that."

"...?"

The timid girl added, taking a meaningful glance over her shoulder at the rest of the group she left behind, making Catherine send them an intrigued glance.

There were some people she could remember seeing as she recognized their silhouettes in the rain, but there was one rather short and stubby person in the company of two others, from whom all the rest seemed to be keeping a polite distance…

"A-a-and h-he and some o-other people wanted to t-talk with y-you… I think…"

Catherine added while cowering as if expecting to be told off or scolded.

"My lady, let me handle that. I'll see what they want."

Adrianna came forward and declared, taking her duties as the personal maid very seriously.

"Miss Catherine, thank you for the heads up."

"N-no… i-it's n-n-nothing…!"

The maid added with a smile as she curtsied in front of the timid girl, making her blush and slide slightly behind Melinda for the tiniest bit of cover.

"Well… it's pretty awkward just to stay so far away anyway. Let's wait by the formation."

"A-alright… Eh!?"

As Adrianna left, Melinda leaned to the side and pointed out, grabbing Catherine's arm when the unsuspecting girl nodded timidly and made her let out a shocked voice upon contact.

"~!"

Unbothered Melinda took her close to the formation of the Array with Zane carrying the suitcases following while Adrianna was curtying by the other group no doubt introducing herself.

"Ah… umm… M-Meldina… I… I-I'll go take my th-things too, o-okay…?"

The timid girl turned around and spoke up after staring at the suitcases in the hands of the servant with a creepy aura.

"Hmm? Oh! Yeah, of course!"

Melinda raised her brow before gasping in realization and letting go of Catherine with an apologetic smile.

While the timid girl trotted back to her group, picking up one rather small suitcase, the conversation between Adrianna and the other people seemed to be getting heated, and things took a turn for the worse…

"They made Adi angry…"

Melinda furrowed her brows and leaned back, raising her head to the side to speak to Zane without taking her eyes off the scene.

"They sure did. But she's a good maid. There are only a few things they could do to make her lose her temper - and all things considered, no one except the idiot crown prince of Diamondium should be stupid enough to say those out loud."

The monstrous servant leaned down and murmured back with a grim expression, not very keen on anyone speaking the words he had in mind out loud.

"Welcome back, Cath~"

Even so, Melinda smiled and called out to the timid girl trotting back with her suitcase.

"M-Melinda…! Th-there might be a p-problem…! Th-the high priest de-demanded to see M-mister Z-Zane, but st-started to call M-Miss A-A-Adrianna bad names when sh-she told him th-that h-he is y-your se-servant and she will ask you wh-whether yo-you will let h-him…"

Surprisingly, the greatly distressed Catherine approached Melinda and relayed while sending worried looks towards her group, where two people stood on the sides of the stumpy person that the angry Adrianna was talking to... clearly trying to threaten her with their presence.

"Sh-she might g-get in t-tr-trouble…!"

The timid girl gasped, already tearing up.

"Hoooo… he's that entitled, hmm? Yeah, high priest or not, I won't entertain someone like that."

The gaze in Melinda's sharp eyes darkened as she scoffed, glaring daggers at the stubby person.

"I wonder what he wants from you, Zane. Did you get in trouble with the church?"

The noble girl added, tilting her head up like before and asking her monstrous servant.

"There… is a high chance of my presence being a blasphemy… it's not like my ability is a natural one, after all… and I did put it on full display yesterday so…"

Zane furrowed his brows and sighed, making Melinda frown furiously at the high priest clearly talking back to Adrianna, doing her best...

"Yeah. screw that butthole."

...the gold-haired girl declared while crossing her arms.

"...!"

"Ah…!"

Melinda suddenly flinched and looked at the trembling Catherine.

"Cath, please don't tell Adi that I swore…!"

"?!?!"

The noble girl gasped, putting her hands together pleadingly, making the other girl jump in shock.

"N-no, o-of course I w-w-won't…! B-but…! I-isn't Miss A-Adrianna in trouble…? I-if she tries to do something to the high p-priest, she might get h-hurt by h-his g-guards o-or worse… t-taken to p-prison…!"

Catherine cried out, unable to stop herself from glancing back at the group where the exchange of words was getting so loud it was beginning to be audible even through the storm.

"Don't worry, Adi can handle that much pressure, no pro…"

"...SLUT…!"

Melinda put her hand on Catherine's shoulder and spoke reassuringly, but then a single word shouted by the stubby high priest pierced through the rain and wind, causing all the attention to be focused on him.

"...did that filthy trash just call our Adi a…?!"

"!!!"

Melidna's face twisted in fury as she hissed through her teeth, but she wasn't the first one to act...!