The Last Primal

Chapter 187 - 187 - Cooperation

Although she could feel the immense weight of the boy's anger, the Lady withstood it without as much as a visible flinch in her eyes. Instead, her eyes became crescent-shaped as a smile began to settle on her face behind the safety of his silver demon-shaped mask.

"Now, now, Aiden. Calm down, nobody is threatening you with the girl. I just wanted to know what's your connection with her, as she is the only other newly joined adventurer without a last name." The lady's speech was calm and gentle, despite the pressure of the boy's aura.

Hearing her words, Aiden's anger began to gradually subside, his aura began to recede, slowly easing it up on the Lady and on the room as well. The golden glow that originated from his exotic eyes began to fade, returning to their original state. Whilst his subconsciously activated innate was turned off, he was still on alert against this masked woman who seemed to know way too much for an average person.

"I have to say…" She continued, adding a bit of cheekiness to her tone. "I just wanted to test it out, as she kept mentioning her brother who was sick or bedridden at the time. I wasn't sure if that was you… Well, it seems my hunch was right."

"She will not get involved with you or anybody for that matter. If you know about her, you know what happened to her as well, and then you should know what happened to those that kept threatening her happiness…" Aiden scowled, adding a clear, and obvious warning. Even if he were to fail, he would go all out against those that would threaten her dear sister's safety.

"You have nothing to fear Aiden, I give you my word. I will never do anything against the girl." The lady responded, ignoring the threatening tone of the boy as she kept her gentle attitude. "However, you should know that this is a very obvious weak point to your invincible facade. Others, with not as just intentions as myself, could easily find out about her and use her against you. They could even control you through her. You should work on fixing this fault in the future."

Aiden did not respond, but there was a flinch in his expression, as anger began to slowly rise again.

Seeing how her words would not hit the mark she would be aiming for, the lady decided to change the subject.

"Anyway, let's continue." She reached for Lilly's registration form, and pulled it back to the stack, before pulling out yet another one. This one was visibly aged, possibly a few years older than Aiden's. She pushed it in front of the boy, closely observing his reactions.

"Do you know this person?" She asked with great curiosity.

Giving one last angered look at the masked woman, Aiden turned to look at the paper presented in front of him.

The form was older, it seemed to come from a time where there were different requirements to sign up. There were several questions that were no longer available on today's forms. The first question, the top on the paper, however, remained the same. 

"Name: Michael Sonovan" He read out the name on the paper, before looking up facing the woman. "No, I have no clue who this person is. Should I?" He answered honestly.

"Are you sure? You have met him already, and he even came into contact with your sister. In fact, he showed great liking towards her when they first met." The woman added, keeping a close eye on his reactions along the way.

Just as she expected, as soon as her sister was mentioned, Aiden reacted, his anger once again rising, and a faint hue starting to shine through his eyes. His voice however did not change, but there was a coldness to it.

"Sir Michael?" He asked curtly, upon which the lady responded with a nod.

"The famed golden knight, the only Rank 3 Adventurer in our small city to this day. The hero of Highrove and so on, and so on… He is also my current candidate, you see. I plan to put him in charge of the city so he could carry out my orders." She answered truthfully, not minding to hold back any information at all. She stated the fact in a nonchalant manner as if she didn't just reveal an incredibly huge and important secret.

"Your knight?" Aiden asked, surprised by the reveal, his expression returning to a mad scoff shortly after. "If he is such a big hero of this city, where was he when my sister got in trouble? Where was he when she needed help? Huh?!" 

"Indeed, he was preoccupied by his family matter at the time, without any idea that his muse was currently in great danger. But that did not matter, right? You met someone else… someone more… capable, who happened to also search for something or somebody." She continued, revealing even more information, shocking Aiden in the process. 

"How do you know so much about me? How did you spy on me? I haven't noticed anything…" Aiden blurted out in surprise. Was this woman keeping an eye on her since the very first time when he first came here with Granny and Lilly years ago? How?!

"No need to be surprised Aiden. I have eyes everywhere in the city, there's nothing that can stay hidden before me, especially in the Slums." She stood up and walked to the window as she looked out, glancing at the distance. "I have noticed our escaped prince since the moment he stepped foot in the city."

She turned silent for a while as if taking in some old, forgotten memories. She gently touched the surface of her mask, as if caressing her own face, before she continued with a much lighter and honest-sounding tone than before. Her thoughts seemed to trail off, not present in the room anymore.

"I know a bit about his history and the tragedy of his family. Even more than the young crown prince himself…." She sighed, returning to reality. She turned around, looking at the boy once again. "But this doesn't matter right now. What matters is the deal we want to come to terms with."

She walked back to her desk and pulled out a new set of papers from the top drawer and presented it to the boy.

"I know that Sarah did not give you any info on the place you are searching for even though I gave her the permission to do so." Her crescent-shaped eyes revealed that she was possibly smiling under the mask, her tone was apologetic. "Please excuse me but I just can't talk about that place. Not that I don't want to, I just… can't. All the info you need will be given to you by Sebas, my main butler. He knows everything about the place as I do, maybe even more…"

At the mention of the name, there was a set of knocks on the door, and an elderly, respectful voice came from the other side.

"Madame, did you call for me?" 

The woman did not answer the butler's question but instead kept her attention on the boy in front of him.

"And in return for the information, you would like me to work with you and do your bidding. Be your little soldier, warrior, or whatever you wish me to be?" Aiden added in a sarcastic tone as he glanced at the paper in front of him. Indeed, it was a written agreement between the two parties about a cooperation for an unset time.

"You could phrase it that way, although it would be very off-the-mark, and rude as well. I am not looking for a slave in you, but a willing participant. I want you to join me in my crusade against the filth that festers our world together. Your sister has suffered already at the hands of those that seek only evil. I want nothing more than to root these rats out and remove them. They are a disease, and we are the cure, Aiden. You and me."

Aiden did not answer her motivational speech but took a closer look at the papers in front of him. It seemed to be the written form of what was said in between them, a sort of written commemoration of the deal between their two parties.

"How long, would I be required to stay at your side? How much freedom do I retain? If you say that we are equals in this… cooperation or partnership as you say, then I shouldn't be restrained by you. Am I right?"

"That's right. All I wish to request from you is that you work closely with my daughter. Listen to her, be with her, and…" She took a deep exhale before continuing. "...and protect her when the time comes. Can you do that for me?"

Silence settled in between the two for a while before Aiden eventually looked up, returning from his thoughts, arriving at an answer.

He did not answer directly, but his friendly smile revealed his intentions.

"You can call in your butler, I am ready to listen to what he has to say."