The room I entered was more of a lengthy corridor, draped with a red carpet across the entire floor. Banners bearing the isignia of a hopping antelier covered most of the walls. A chandelier hanging on the ceiling lightened the entire room along with the sunlight skitting in through the four windows, two on each side of the wall.
I stopped before a long table where six people were seated.
Three people sat on the right side of the table. Their nameplates identified them as-- Alice, Gideon and Aidan.
On the other side, were four chairs. Two of them were empty and the other two had the "Financial Manager" and the "Royal Representative" seated on them.
At the head of the table sat a man, his seat facing the door. He had his head down, his hands methodically writing something on a paper as he referred to the other pile of papers strewn beside him.
His nameplate read-- Principal.
"Long time no see, Vice Principal Henry Mordant." The person named Alice rose up slightly from her seat as a sign of greeting.
I smiled in response but didn't speak anything.
It would be criminally absurd to answer her when I had no idea of who she was, except for her name.
My system screen suddenly appeared.
[Name: Henry Mordant (Karl Max)]
The screen now looked completely filled.
Suddenly the a bald man in a nice suit beside her sneered. The man named Gideon pointed his index finger at me and said in a haughty voice, "Do you see it now, Council? My reports weren't wrong. He indeed has lost his memories and is only pretending to remember things."
The room suddenly turned grim at those accusations.
Gideon pointing at Alice, continued. "Our vice principal here has met Alice many times before today and both of them passionately hate each other. But...I didn't see that here."
Alice's soft smile turned into a smirk as she looked at me, looking like she had won the battle.
But I wasn't nervous.
In fact the case Gideon just provided with only made me feel at ease.
I started. "So you mean to say that basic greetings shouldn't exist within people. Even if they are enemies, the world doesn't need to know that."
Gideon's cheerful smile faltered as I ended saying, "I see problems in the way you were raised, Sir Gideon. Not in my memories."
The room went still at my words.
...Except for the rough scribbling against paper. The principal,it seems, hadn't stopped once and continued at his work, unpeturbed to the drama around him.
The silence was soon broken by the third man named "Aidan". He asked me in a calm manner, "Then pray tell us who are you?"
Is this guy insane? Alice just used my full name....why won't I know that.
But then something clicked in me as I said. "I am Lord Mordant of course."
And as Aidan's eyes widened a bit, I was confirmed.
In this world, it must be a custom ro introduce yourself with your title and your surname rather than your actual name.
I must read through whatever books I can or observe the interactions of the people. Or else I am doomed.
Gideon opened his mouth to say something but was cut off when a voice resounded in the entire room.
"You are no Lord, Vice Principal. That's your father. Not you." The scribbling had already stopped as the principal looked up at me.
A monocle adorned his right eye as his sharp gaze fixed on me.
For some reason, I felt my body tremble. An instinctive reaction like that of a defenseless hunter facing off a lion in the middle of the wildnerness.
"A title is earned. Not bought, and certainly not reserved for the privileged." His eyes glanced between me and the financial manager who involuntarily moved his eyes away.
Then in an almost indifferent voice, he said. "Sir Gideon, I appreciate your concerns for the possible memory loss you suggested. However even for an investor...you were certainly rude. A boundary had been crossed by you. Please do keep in mind while speaking anything like that."
Gideon in response clutched his hands tightly and through gritted teeth asked. "That's quite a warning you give me. I am an investor here...do you know how much that benefits you?"
The principal shook his head slightly as he went to his work. His pen ran across pages as he answered, "You are welcome to leave this academy whenever you see fit. The Sparkhaven Academy is one of the top four academies in the kingdom. There are hundreds of others waiting in line for one of you to exit. It's your loss at the end, not mine."
Then waving his left hand, he greeted me.
"Whatever might be the case, I welcome you to the council. I am Cormac Nightshade and as you can see, the principal of this Academy."
Pointing at the three at his left, "These three have major shares at this school and thus, a part of the council. Those two are Malakai and Riven Stonefist." He said as he pointed to the other two.
"Malakai has been the financial manager of our academy for the last two decades. Never made mistakes that is until..." His voice trailed off as he glanced at me for a moment, causing Gideon to sneer again.
"And Riven Stonefist is representating the academy on behalf of His Majesty."
Again he stopped scribbling. Then turning to look at me, he asked in a low, slow voice. "Now about you. As you see you are being accused of memory loss that might have come from your injury.
Are you ready to answer them the questions they ask you?"