Rade's Demon Elimination Service

Chapter 20: Rade Meets the Aldeia's Head

Rade gaped at the extraordinary being in front of her, her jaw almost slacking with wonderment and shock.

The last time that Rade saw her, it was on the battle that almost killed both Kalleid and her brother, the second of the Aldeia clan, New York Aldeia. Geneva Aldeia has such a forgettable face that Rade didn't recalled her face again.

Her last encounter with the head of the Aldeia clan and also the most powerful hunter of the generation wasn't even at the battle that took place just a week ago.

Within the hunters' society, Geneva Aldeia was some kind of legend, even among the outcasts like Rade herself. She wields the weapon called the Nightmare, a spear with both bladed ends that could annihilate dozens of demons with a strike. She was also one of the only five people who have mastered the Time Freezing Technique which would enable its caster to use a Time Freezing Boundary that could decrease the movements of her opponents or freeze the time itself.

Truly remarkable, she thought. Rade was still amazed by her despite already seeing the head of the Aldeia clan a couple of times before.

To stand before and be acknowledged by a legend, it was only in dreams Rade could afford that kind of reality. But I probably won't be able to savor this, Rade thought gloomily as memories from a week ago came back to her and haunted her mind.

"Lady Aldeia," Rade said.

She hesitated before she curtsied awkwardly. She didn't know if the lady was expecting a salute as a hunter, a bow, or a curtsy for her position. The times that they have met before were always unofficial, or Rade would only have short glimpses of the lady and forgetting her face right after. Even Rade could not really deny that the face of this one particular hunter, who was called as the most powerful, was truly forgettable.

"Miss Aldam," Geneva answered as formally, "but I understand that you go by the name Rade."

Rade nodded shakily, her heart has turned so cold and she could feel it hammering inside her ribcage. She was too anxious, Rade realized.

Behind Geneva Aldeia, someone coughed but doesn't seem enough to express their amusement over Rade's foolishness. Not holding back any longer, the person behind Lady Aldeia burst into a jubilant chortle, laughing at Rade's awkwardness. It wasn't mean, just amused.

Walking over to Rade, London held both of the younger girl's shoulders, shooting her older sister with a piercing but onky teasing glare. She led Rade towards the main hall of the manor, patting her shoulders in a comforting manner.

"My Lady Aldeia is scaring my junior too much!" London Aldeia stated in a mocking tone. "Y'all are so formal. Sooner or later, I'd be too afraid that all of those stiffness and formality would rub off me. What a fright!" he exclaimed loudly. "Imagine being as stiff as Geneva. Rade—" London turned to Rade with a very easy smile "—please don't be like that stone or I'll never forgive you."

Passing servants and hunters alike stopped walking and bowed to the pair of siblings, but hearing London uttering shameless things about his sister, they couldn't help but snicker lowly under their breath in fear of being found out of the other girl. Geneva, however, didn't take any offense of the ramblings of her younger sister.

"London, take Miss Elora Aldam to the library's mezzanine office," Geneva said indifferently while her feet stopped to pay more attention at the documents being presented to her. "I will go shortly after this. Accomodate our guest properly or you'll be punished severely."

Rade noticed London's back being straightened, and she realized that even though London might joke around his elder sister, he would still follow order like a normal hunter to a higher ranked official.

"Yes, sister," London answered properly, steering Rade to a staircase. When they were out of earshot, London's shoulders sagged a little and he smiled warmly at Rade who looked confused and anxious. "Don't worry about that old hag though, Rade."

Or not, Rade thought to herself, staring at London as if he was the bravest person or may be the stupidest person Rade has ever met.

"She doesn't seem to be an old hag to me," Rade remarked and maybe even defended the lady of the house, looking back to where Geneva Aldeia was supposed to be but the lady has already disappeared along with the bunch of hunters behind her with handful of important-looking documents.

"Geneva always thank our parents for not being as beautiful as New York and me," London suddenly told Rade with a wicked smile.

Rade knew that London might have already seen through her expression. The plain looking girl as the lady and head of the family seemed to be too unlikely, and yet there she was. Not even just a head of a prominent and established family, but also regarded as a legend of the new generations of the hunters' society and community.

"Why is that?" Rade curiousky asked.

"Because then she would really be envied by vain people," London responded diligently. "You know with her power and all, one would think she is the perfect person but Geneva, just because she looks rather plain compared to New York and me, does not think she is. It lessens how people view of Geneva Aldeia's perfection." London shrugged lightly. "I guess that comforted her too, you know? She does wanna to talk to you, Rade, but no need to be so worried. You looked like you're having an indigestion. You look green!" slhe exclaimed loudly with his arms waving around frantically.

Rade nodded quietly.

"What would she want to talk to be about?" Rade asked while they started to climb the steep and narrow staircase with Rade being at the rear and London leading the way. This might be the one that the servants were all using since Rade have seen a proper and grander staircase at the front of the receiving hall.

"Things," London answered vaguely, "mainly about the Shadow Fantasm. Sorry about this—" London looked back at Rade apologetically "—I always used this stairs since people would always roam around the main hall and no one could hold a decent conversation without my sister's hunters swooping in and out of the space."

"It's fine to me," Rade reassured.

"About the things she might want to talk to you about," London continued with their original topic, he paused speaking to think. "I'm sure it's still about the Shadow Fantasm. What you did was brave and stupid, apparently she might have taken a liking of that. Maybe she's gonna scold you, who knows really?"

"That's most likely to happen," Rade agreed.

"But the letter did came from my lil' bro," London confirmed. "He's around here with Kalleid, recuperating and doing whatever it is that injured people do. Maybe muscle theraphy or something. I don't know. But we'll visit 'em later after this meeting with Geneva."

Finally, London took a sharp turn to a long hallway and walking a little bit more, London opened a wooden double door. Inside were all the staffs and hunters of the Aldeia clan. No one paid them mind and noticed, all were busy and working around.

The library expanded to a few stories, being occupied both by windows and hundres of shelves. At the second floor of the library was a mezzanine and it was their final destination.

London led Rade to the staircase that reached the mezzanine. Up on the mezzanine was a set of furniture and a beautiful statue of a half-humanoid and half-demon creature with an upper body of a very alluring and beautiful human and a lower body of a scaled tail.

Rade's eyes lingered on the statue. She wasn't a great admirer of the arts, but she was certain that this kind of decoration might have caused a fortune for its fine details. Its hair was like little thin strands of human hair, the scales of its tail were shining against the light shining upon them. There was an urge to touch the statue, but Rade mentally shook her head, finding the very notion both silly and rude to the owner.

"Geneva would always invite her guests over here to have some tea," London shared with the younger girl.

He motioned to Rade to sit on the sofa and sat himself from across her. At the very middle of their seats was a center table where a teapot was still smoking from its warmth. London poured on two tea cups rather clumsily, spilling some on the table, smiling apologetically to Rade who offered to help.

"Why would Lady Aldeia ask her guest to come over here?" Rade asked, but she has already vaguely guessed what might the answer be already. Seeing that the older boy was struggling with the tea, Rade rushed over to help him. She poured the content of the pot on the little teacup carefully.

"To test their power," London said. He gave her thanks to Rade and accepted the offered tea from her gratefully. "I'm no refined lady like my sister so thanks."

"Are the bandages causing you discomfort?" Rade asked London who laughed merrily and shook his head. "Oh," Rade said, not knowing what has gotten to London again.

"The bandage around my neck and arms is actually my holy weapon, Latka." London looked around the visible parts of his bandages. "I keep it around me like just in any case of a sudden attack."

Rade nodded her head. She could vaguely remember the useful white band on that battle a week ago. It also almost ripped her apart, but with that aside, Rade agreed with London's practical way of thinking. It was, after all, how she herself keep Emma at standby— on her own body and skin. It was even worse for me, Rade thought but pushed the idea on the back of her mind.

"The creature was called a mermaid by normal mortals," Rade finally said her guess. "They use their allure to attract humans and hunters alike. Isn't that so?"

London nodded his head and sipped at the tea Rade poured for him. The two teens looked at the statue-like creature just a few feet away from both of them. Despite being encrusted by the Time Freezing Technique, it retained the beauty of it in the mid-air. Its hair was loose all over its face and its eyes were the shade of alternating hazel and green colors.

It was so beautiful that Rade found it ugly, its beauty as superficial and not real.

Rade has seen a lot of ugly things, but she has long since learned that not all beautiful things were as equally beautiful as they were inside.

"Not everyone can avoid their allure, you know," London commented, there was a rather smug hint on his tone that Rade thought London sounded proud of both of them. "Only those who have gotten used to them then people like you."

"Like me," Rade echoed the last two words.

"Talented and skilled hunters," London redefined and smiled, sipping his tea leisurely.

Similar to what Lovenya Kov did when Rade found her in the Attic, London sipped the fluid contents of the newly poured teacup and spat it out carefully on it again. He let out his tongue from his mouth as though he was burned by it and held a sour expression on his face, his nose was wrinkling slightly.

"Not really a tea person," he shared to Rade, and sniffed at the teacup. "Smells good though."

"I have killed those more than what I could count," Rade said indifferently, looking intently at the demon that has been reduced to a mere display. "I have gotten used to them."

And it wasn't hard to predict how the demon could be so still while retaining its beauty considering the speciality of the head of the house. Really, London was giving her too much credit just for the simple act of being not affected by the creature.

London made idle conversations to make use of the silence in between them two. He was rather entertaining, enough lax and enough talkative just so Rade wouldn't be suspicious whether she was being interrogated or held captive.

But Rade could hear it from London, the pattern in which he proceeds and how he asked his questions to Rade. He was suspicious still, after all. Rade couldn't fault for that, it was his brother whom she has hurt.

Basically, Rade thought but dismissed the idea.

She has grown of being suspicious of every single thing, nice or not. It was better to enter into a situation wherein she hasn't got any positive expectations t avoid any disappointments.

After a few more minutes, the head of the house, Geneva Aldeia, finally made an appearance. London immediately excused himself and went down with his head bent, saying that he would assist those from below of the mezzanine. That was the time that Rade realized this was probably a real business between her and the head of the most powerful clan in this area.

"Lady Aldeia," Rade said formally. She knew when powerful people were only toying with her or meant ill will. Despite that honed ability, Rade could not read which of those things the head of the Aldeia clan was thinking.

Most often they would only want to use her, using the buried history of the past that was as ancient as the last generation. And because Rade was still rather guilty and sad over Lauri and CarysbHaeven's deaths, she would say yes to those people who used their deaths to threatened Rade.

But Rade couldn't tell what Geneva Aldeia was thinking. She was too closed off, her eye were indifferent and cold as ice.

"Miss Elora Aldam," Geneva also greeted. There was a thin folder on her hand and she placed it on the center table in between their seats. "I must be the bearer of the bad news."

Rade's heart went down to her stomach, it sank and she doesn't know how to retrieve it to its proper place. She knew and expected that it would exactly like that, but she was hoping still.

"As there has been a memorandum for all hunters to avoid the Shadow Fantasm and not engage it in combat, you have broken that rule." The lady continued, her eyes fell on the thin white folder on top of the table. "As you might have known, I am certain."

Rade nodded. She didn't offer any explanation nor any reason why she engaged the Shadow Fantasm in battle. She didn't know about the memorandum that Geneva Aldeia mentioned but even a very sensible hunter who has got a mind would absolutely not get close to the Shadow Fantasm.

"I would accept any punishment for my actions, my lady," Rade said instead of pleading for light punishment.

Someone as prominent and big as Geneva Aldeia, the one who shines among all and strongest above all, she would not care about Rade's very personal feelings. Rade thought that she would only dismiss her with a flick of her hand and a nonchalant breeze.

But she was wrong.

For however cold and indifferent that lady in front of her seemed, Rade thought that she saw a glimmer of sympathy on the older lady's eyes.

"I know how it is to be regretful over one little life," she said, she bent down to the tea set and poured herself a cup. "And I know the fury of vengeance. What it could do to a person and how it would turn any sensible person into a wrathful maniac. The Shadow Fantasm is not dead, as you have guessed already. It would take a hero stronger than a nobody from a cursed bloodline to defeat it, but you have the honor to humiliate it until it turned into nothing but a manifestation. However, it will seek another vessel again."

Rade looked at Geneva. The lady was leisurely drinking her tea, there was still that indifference on her air and, of course, coldness but Rade thought she wasn't as cold any longer.

"I will not ban you from the hunters' society, but you will pay a considerable amount to us." Geneva Aldeia finally gave her final verdict.

Rade heaved a breath of relief with those words. She indeed couldn't imagine herself being removed completely from the hunters' society. Although already an outcast within the hunters' society, Rade has nothing else to do and knows how to do besides of being a demon hunter. She knew how to hunt and how to kill, she was one of the best at it on her age range actually.

If someone take away her rights as a hunter, she wouldn't know what to do if she was being honest with herself.

"You are such a brilliant prodigy," Geneva continued, her poise was still impeccable and her eyes were both indifferently looking at her. "To rashly stripped you off the hunters' society was simply too cruel. I know that you have a potential unlike any other, you were just led astray. Everything will change now that you are under the Aldeia family but I would like to tell you that you did no such thing. You are not the one who fought with the Shadow Fantasm, you are not the one who went and reduce it to its weakest form. You are not the one who return Young Lady Laurinette Haeven's body to ashes."

Rade's hope froze in that moment. She didn't know what to think of what Geneva Aldeia said, but there was a chill that ran down her spine with her words. But it when seemed that Geneva was done, she was not apparently.

"I hope that you won't waste this opportunity that we are giving you," she added, a small smile on the edge of her lips. "Like the opportunity I have given you when you came in this place." Geneva Aldeia paused. "As you might have still remember. People from the Huntsman Order, they do not like to be bested by a female hunter, much less someone they think are lesser than their birth lineage. You will do well to remember everything I said, Miss Aldam."

It was evident to Rade what the lady was trying to relay to her. She just narrowly missed her death and if she got in the way of the Aldeia clan all over again, she won't be so lucky any longer. Besides that, Rade has already experienced that cruelty that people from the Huntsman Order and those so-called noble clans could inflict to her, with this she would be safe under the protection of the Aldeia clan but the underlying meaning of those words frightened her.

The coldness of the small smile on the other lady's lips was frightening Rade to the core.

She has never been this scared her whole life. Not when she was facing demons, not when she was facing the Shadow Fantasm and a possible death on the worst way possible. Not even when she was about to kill Kalleid Hiro. She only felt anger then, anger and sadness, but now that she saw Geneva, with the intention to actually kill her, she became certain what fear was.

Fear was a crawling sensation from the foot, to her stomach, and to her cheeks. It gripped at her and entangled on her mind, not leaving a space untouched. Her ears perked up, sensing a presence standing not too far away from them.

When Rade looked back, London was already standing at the edge of the staircase leading down to the main library. It was unclear if he has heard of the words of his own sister, but either he ignored the ominous atmosphere or he didn't feel it at all, London smiled brightly at the two ladies.

"I understand, my Lady Aldeia," Rade said and stood up. She executed a very stiff and perfect bow in front of the head of the Aldeia clan. "I still remember the favor I owe to you," she added reassuringly. "I will not waste this chance to prove that I could still be better. I will not disappoint you, my lady."

Geneva nodded, the ugly smile on her rather plain face has now faded away. She also stood up and bowed slightly to Rade which wuiye surprised her.

"I know you won't," Geneva commented. "You'd pay for some damages that you caused as a punishment, pay it in installment if you have insufficient funds. I want you to know that despite what happened, you did such an impossible feat and I am proud of you."

That statement further shocked Rade and she only nodded, too confused to comment anything of the matter.

"Can I take her away now?" London asked Geneva brightly, walking towards the seats of both of the ladies. "I think you've talked enough, yeah?"

Geneva seated herself back down. She picked up her tea cup and sipped on it peacefully, reclining on the back of her chair. She nodded at London, not taking any offense of his bluntness.

"Hmm, yes," Geneva only replied, closing her eyes and not bothering to add any further.

London gripped Rade's arm immediately, dragging down the stairs and out of the mezzanine.

"Let's get you to Kalleid and New York now, shall we?" he told Rade with a bright smile. If he ever noticed that there was an evident gloom around Rade's face, there wasn't any indication. "Also, Lyu is here so it's high time to get you two a proper reunion, yeah?"

"Thank you, London," Rade said, snapping out of the daze and gloom that Geneva inflicted her with. "I'm not certain if I'll have anything to come back to once I fight with the Shadow Fantasm, but New York and the others reassured me."

Rade sighed, taking more steps ahead along with London.