Sheryl POV
Coming to the Elven Kingdom with Paula, I sowhat expected to see him... but not in this sort of way.
How should I say this?
It's the sa feeling you'd get when eting a distant relative for the first ti in a while.
He felt familiar, but at the sa ti, different. A stranger, you could say.
Earl Roth and Ari Roth.
They were a pair that left a lasting impact on for all the wrong reasons. That didn't an 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 calr and more grounded. He was no longer a young, innocent child- not that he was before, actually.
The one part that remained the sa 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.
"Sa 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 sothing. 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 . 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 ti?" 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 paynt!"
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 tournant."
"Oh, I was angry."
"Scary~"
"Earl, that idiot." Alea pouted.
"A lover's quarrel! Tell . Tell . How did you guys beco 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 beco stronger." Earl easily answered.
"Why do you want to beco stronger?" The fox asked as it ran closer to Earl.
"So that I can beco a better person."
"..." The fox beca 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 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 . 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 ca to a decision.
"I understand... Let us make a contract. State your na."
"My na is Earl. Earl Roth."
"Very well, Earl. My na is..."
The area is filled with light. The next mont, Earl found himself back in the Middle World.
The faint whisper of the fox lingered in his ears. "Call when you need , 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 mont and similarly beca confused. "Oh..?"
Earl pointed at himself and asked. "When did we fight?"
"Ahaha. Just my misunderstanding, then! Don't worry about it!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)