Trouble...
It didn't sound as if those knights were working for the Academy, and honestly, they didn't look like they did in the first place.
They appear more along the lines of paladins of the church than anything else. Normally units like that shouldn't come anywhere near educational facilities without a demonic threat that should not become a thing until a bit further in the story...
Well, maybe things were different in Emeraldios Empire.
A few choices appeared in Melinda's head - and just like with a timed reaction, she couldn't take too long to pick them without breaking character.
"If the headmaster wants to see me, I see no obstacles preventing me from visiting his office. I expected this to happen in the first place."
"Of course you did."
"...?!"
"...!"
Melinda picked the option that wouldn't pry into the inner workings of the situation, but for some reason, it seemed to bring up a disdain in the voice of a knight who definitely answered too fast to call it polite... to the point of making both Zane and Adrianna straighten their backs and tense up at the continuous rudeness.
"Come with us."
The knight declared, and while he remained in the same spot, his colleague moved to Melinda's side.
"..."
There was definitely something fishy going on, but Melinda decided to play along to at least see where this was going.
She had an odd feeling about the knights but also recognized the type of armor they wore - it was a heavy paladin set, one of the better defensive equipment for sure, but not the best one in the game by far. It had a level restriction, with only characters of level 60 and above able to equip it. Still, considering that the heavy holy paladin set was available for those of level 70 and, although rare, it was a legitimate, although unpopular commodity out there to buy by the players. In game it was favored by the guards of the church officials.
Even if they turned hostile for some reason and tried a surprise attack while Zane and Adrianna's guard was down, neither the monstrous servant nor the maid should be instantly defeated.
The moment Melinda properly stepped out, the knights stood by her sides, but once again, there was something wrong…
It didn't feel like they were escorting someone important.
Instead, it was more like they were taking a prisoner to a trial.
"Only she is being summoned."
As they began to walk and both Adrianna and Zane followed, one of the knights turned his head and declared with the voice of someone used to be in the position of higher authority.
"...that is not for you to decide…!"
"!!!"
Adrianna gritted her teeth while glaring up at the knight, moving her body as if she was readying a kick and making Zane's eyes widen in panic.
"There might be something we should learn too! Our presence might prevent potential miscommunication!"
The monstrous servant spoke up hurriedly, trying to give Adrianna at least a bit more time to reconsider the actions she was about to take…
"Let it be as you say. Please, do come with us."
"!?!?"
…and just as surprisingly as it was the first time, the knight immediately backed off and complied with Zane's words - this time baffling him and the brown-haired maid even more than before.
"..."
Melinda glanced at the knights and then back at her servants but said nothing.
For her, it felt as if she skipped some context-providing cutscene in a game and wasn't aware of something - but it at least appeared that Adrianna and Zane were in the same spot, so it couldn't be her own negligence…
The knights took Melinda out of the girls' dormitory, into the main academy building, and to the headmaster's office on the top floor.
The knights knocked on the door, announcing their return, and the whole group entered.
The office was almost obnoxiously large, with furniture that looked purposefully selected to impress the visitor and put them in their place during their time inside.
That especially appeared to be the case with the truly massive, crescent-moon-shaped desk in front of the large window, which had stained-glass decorative panels connected to the normal glass.
"Melinda Fenrioette. It's a pleasure to meet the Jade Academy's headmaster."
Melinda curtsied and greeted people inside, politely waiting for the response and maybe for the introduction, too, as she wasn't certain who out of the two men sitting behind the desk was supposed to be the head of the Jade Academy.
Yes - there were two people seated. In the first place, them being in that position while Melinda - a member of the foreign aristocracy - was standing up was extremely rude unless they were members of the royal family.
"I'm the headmaster of the Jade Academy, Castor Vendro'in, and this is his excellency cardinal Kelas Hi'via."
The black-haired man with gray eyes, wearing violet robes that suited a mage, spoke up, introducing himself and the man to his right, a blond-haired brown-eyed man in white and gold robes fitting for a priest.
Melinda could make a bet and win, judging them by their looks alone, but that assumption wouldn't be very ladylike of her, would it?
"A pleasure."
The girl curtsied again and kept her head high, doing her part in the manners department. She held her head high and looked down at the two whose behavior wouldn't pass in a public space.
"..."
"..."
The headmaster and the cardinal were looking back at Melinda as if expecting something, but the girl was silent while waiting for them to lead the conversation - as they should, their side being the hosts of the exchange program.
"Well?"
"...?"
The blond-haired cardinal frowned and asked, to which Melinda, having no context, could only raise her brow and glare down at him specifically without saying a word.
"What do you have to say in your defense?"
"..."
For a high-ranked member of the church of the goddess Perseverance, cardinal Kelas didn't seem to have much patience, and he raised his voice as his face turned red from being ignored like that.
But that still didn't earn him a response.
"Young lady Fenrioette, why aren't you answering Cardinal's question?"
Headmaster Castor straightened his back and asked with a strict case.