The fox before them was tiny, being the size of about two fists. It had a beautiful coat of white fur, one that was reminiscent of a snowy landscape. An otherworldly glow covered its body as if it was a divine figure. Its eyes were pitch black like the most bottomless abyss. Three tails swayed gently as it curiously looked at Alea and Earl.
The pair of Alea and Earl froze as they allowed the fox to come closer. It first circled around Alea, its tails moving around excitedly. However, it quickly lost interest. Then, it came to Earl. Like with Alea, it circled around him, except this time, it gently nudged its head against his leg. Then, the fox let out a loud cry and ran off.
Alea quickly followed the fox. A cloud of dust lingered at her previous location as she dashed off. "Let's chase after it! You might be able to contract it!"
Earl quickly caught up to her and asked. "How do I contract it?"
"You need to pass its trials. Usually, the trial involves going up against the spirit's ability!"
"What if I don't like the ability?"
"Encounters with spirits are fated. Spirits will only choose someone who has high compatibility with them in terms of ability. We usually choose spirits by their quality, and I can tell you that this one is definitely a Noble-Class Spirit!"
"Let's hurry then." Earl jumped and held Alea by the waist. "Hold tight. I'm faster than you."
The shadows around them became alive and covered them. At night, Shadow Magic was at its strongest. They merged with the shadows around them and blitzed towards the fox.
"It's a fast one." Earl laughed, ignoring the surprised cry from Alea.
They passed buildings after buildings, weaving through crowds of people in the blink of an eye.
"I think it stopped here."
They stopped at an obscure location with few people. The light from the lanterns was dim, and there was a fountain ahead. The sound of flowing water could be heard.
Earl dispelled his Shadow Magic, and he found Alea hugging onto him tightly. When she stepped away, there was a deep blush on her pale face, and her hair was slightly messy.
'She looks cute at the most unexpected moments.' He thought.
"Where are we?" She asked quietly. The obscurity of the place made her lower her voice unconsciously.
"We should be near the edge of the city." Earl narrowed his eyes and looked at the fountain. "Let's go."
He grabbed her hand, and they approached the fountain together. As they neared, they spotted the silhouette of a girl petting a fox. Then, the mist faded, and Earl halted his step out of surprise.
Behind the mist, there was the figure of a familiar girl. She had a petite figure, donned in a red kimono. She had a pair of furry pink ears and flowing locks of pink hair. Her face was delicate, like a doll and her eyes were a deep shade of crimson.
She was crouched by the fountain, petting the white fox they had seen earlier with a silly smile on her face.
"Hehe. Who's a good girl? Are you a good girl? You're a good girl."
Ku! Ku! The fox cried back in return.
This girl was Sheryl. The person Earl briefly got to know many years ago. She was a person with many identities.
Leader of Wild Rose.
Wielder of Sakura Death.
Grand-rank Adventurer.
These were but just a few of her identities. It's been a few years since he's last seen her, but she looked just like the one in his memory.
"Sheryl." Earl lightly called out.
Sheryl's fox ears twitched as she looked up confusedly.
"Who?" She narrowed her eyes and looked at Earl with the utmost concentration.
"It's me." He grinned.
Earl's face brought back a lot of memories. Her face suddenly turned red as she remembered Earl.
"Ah!" Sheryl clumsily fell on her butt, scaring the fox spirit away. The fox jumped and rushed to a nearby corner.
By Earl's side, Alea had never felt so lost before. "Earl, the fox is getting away." She reminded.
"Ah, the fox!" Sheryl scrambled on her feet at Alea's reminder.
"It's alright. I got it." Earl calmly said.
"Eh?"
Another Earl stepped out from the place the fox ran out to with the fox in his arms. The fox looked blissfully content in Earl's arm, purring happily.
"..?" Alea looked back and forth between the two Earls repeatedly.
The other Earl walked to them and handed Earl the fox before disappearing into his shadow.
Alea watched this with sparkling eyes as she melted at the sight of the little fox being hugged by Earl.
"Is she yours?" He asked Sheryl.
"No... She just approached me, and I found her cute." Sheryl stood before Earl and toyed with the fox with her finger.
Now that they were standing face to face, the height difference was noticeable. Earl had become taller than Sheryl through the years.
"I hope you don't mind if I form a contract with her later, then."
"Ah! No problem at all! Ehe~ I don't know how to use Spirit Magic anyway." Sheryl laughed cheerfully.
"Who is she, Earl?" Alea interrupted.
But before Earl could answer, Sheryl spoke.
"You are..." Sheryl paused when she got a closer look at Alea's face. "You're the girl from earlier today! The one with the bow! Princess Alea, right?"
"Oh, I'm getting carried away. My name is Sheryl. Nice to meet you." With that said, Sheryl placed her tiny hands forward.
Alea shook her hands. "Nice to meet you."
"She is an acquaintance of my mother and me. She took care of me for a bit when I was a child."
"Is that so? I must thank you then."
"Oh... Yes, that happened. Why are you thanking me, though?"
"Earl is my soulmate. Therefore, any care given to him is care given to me."
"Ehh~ What a bold claim. Youngsters are truly something else." Sheryl nodded her head in approval. Her fox ears twitched along with the movement of her head.
"You sound old, Sheryl." Earl teased.
In response, she puffed up her chest proudly. "Umu, that is correct. I am entering my 30s. In beastkin terms, it means I get to boss around the young pups! Hehehe."