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Sheryl POV

Coming to the Elven Kingdom with Paula, I somewhat expected to see him... but not in this sort of way.

How should I say this?

It's the same feeling you'd get when meeting a distant relative for the first time in a while.

He felt familiar, but at the same time, different. A stranger, you could say.

Earl Roth and Ari Roth.

They were a pair that left a lasting impact on me for all the wrong reasons. That didn't mean they were terrible, however. On the contrary, they were a lovely pair to be around.

That was a couple years ago.

Now, Earl is much different, almost unrecognizable. He was calmer and more grounded. He was no longer a young, innocent child- not that he was before, actually.

The one part that remained the same was the vibe around him. There was this warm, cosy quality to Earl that I could not put a word to.

"How is your mother?" I found myself asking.

"Same old. The best." Earl answered happily.

"Heh~ Is that so?" I winked at Earl, and he winked back.

There were hidden innuendos behind our words that the princess next to us was not aware of.

Speaking of which, she's genuinely quite something. Since the two are engaged, maybe Earl stopped being nasty with his mom?

POV End.

"...That leads us to this." Earl stared at the little fox in his arms.

"I think you have to ask her for the contract," Alea suggested.

"Hey. Be my partner." Earl kindly said.

Ku!

The world suddenly turned black around Earl. In this space, there was only darkness- no light, no substance, nothing.

"This is... the trial?" Earl muttered.

"That's right." A clear voice answered. It was a childish voice with a feminine pitch.

"Are you the fox?"

White mist swirled in front of Earl and took the form of a white fox with three tails.

"Correct. You are smart, human! In this space, I can communicate with you more effectively. Ku!" The fox responded enthusiastically.

"I understand. What trials do I have to face?"

"The trial is simple. You just have to answer a few questions from me. I will give you a few minutes to collect your thoughts."

Outside the black space, Sheryl and Alea were left alone together.

Sheryl scratched her head and stated. "It seems like it's just the two of us now."

"Earl will return shortly after completing his trial," Alea replied blandly.

"That's cool. Shall we sit down and talk to pass the time?" The pink foxkin pointed at the seat around the fountain.

"Sure. Before that... Can I touch your ears?"

"..." Sheryl sighed helplessly and dropped her head down for Alea.

Alea smiled like a child and touched Sheryl's ears fondly. "Hehehe~"

"So you can make those kinds of faces too. I'll accept that as my payment!"

The young elf touched her face. "I just have a stiff face."

"Really?" Sheryl tilted her head and pulled on Alea's cheeks. "I thought you were one of those cold, emotionless girls. You were so ruthless during the tournament."

"Oh, I was angry."

"Scary~"

"Earl, that idiot." Alea pouted.

"A lover's quarrel! Tell me. Tell me. How did you guys become engaged anyway?"

"Well..."

In Earl's Spirit Trial Area.

Earl did as the little fox said and collected his thoughts.

"Very well. Please begin."

"Alright. First question! Why do you want a Contracted Spirit?" The fox jumped.

"To become stronger." Earl easily answered.

"Why do you want to become stronger?" The fox asked as it ran closer to Earl.

"So that I can become a better person."

"..." The fox became silent from Earl's unexpected answer. Earl took this as the signal to further elaborate his stance, so he did.

"The foundation to everything around me is myself. Only by improving myself will I have to ability to do anything."

"Will you use your power to protect?"

"Of course."

"Would you die to protect?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I cannot protect anyone with a broken sword. Rather than sacrificing myself, I would rather think about living together. There are too many people connected to me. I cannot afford to die. Given my circumstances, I will be fine if I don't do anything stupid."

Earl's answer affected the fox deeply. She deeply stared into Earl's eyes with her gem-like eyes and came to a decision.

"I understand... Let us make a contract. State your name."

"My name is Earl. Earl Roth."

"Very well, Earl. My name is..."

The area is filled with light. The next moment, Earl found himself back in the Middle World.

The faint whisper of the fox lingered in his ears. "Call me when you need me, Earl."

"I understand." He nodded and took a second to compose himself. After which, he quickly spotted Alea and Sheryl sitting together by the fountain.

"They're getting along better than expected." He muttered.

At the fountain, Sheryl swung her legs happily as she talked to Alea. On the other hand, Alea had a faint smile on her face. A side which she rarely showed to strangers.

"It took you long enough," Alea said to Earl.

"Humph. At least I got a Contracted Spirit now." He pettily answered.

"Good."

"Hey. Hey. Hey. Are you guys still fighting?" Sheryl frantically waved her arms.

"What?""Huh?" Alea and Earl looked at Sheryl confusedly.

The foxkin was caught up in the moment and similarly became confused. "Oh..?"

Earl pointed at himself and asked. "When did we fight?"

"Ahaha. Just my misunderstanding, then! Don't worry about it!"