Nathan had devoted the past few days to getting ready for the CEHA entrance exam. Despite the strong temptation to succumb to laziness because of his Sloth, he fought back with all the energy he had and managed to keep his focus away from the bed.

Sunday, Sep 8, 2086.

Only two days were left before the registration deadline to take part in the new academic year at Columbus Elite Hunter Academy (CEHA).

Early in the morning, he felt something soft and furry rubbing against his face. When he opened his eyes, he saw a small paw belonging to a little fox, who had been eagerly waiting for him to wake up. "Master, you are finally awake," the fox said in delight.

He opened one eye and looked up at a white fox who was staring down at him. The shining light coming through the window illuminated the smiling muzzle. Nathan couldn't help but smile as he took the paw, gently stroking its head.

"You're not giving up, are you, Polly?" Nathan said with half-open eyes while still looking at the ceiling.

"No, Master." She replied happily. "Why should I? I'm your pet. Why am I not allowed to sleep in the same bed with you? This makes me happy! And if that means staying here longer... So be it!"

"But you actually have a human form. If you stay here much longer, then-" He sighed, "You know, it's not good for unmarried women and men to sleep in the same bed. It can lead to some rather interesting misunderstandings."

"Oh, yes..." she laughed softly. "But everyone sleeps with their pets, you know?"

She chuckled quietly before speaking again, "I want you to understand that we don't need to get married or anything like that. You'll always be my master, no matter how many years pass by. Just let us keep living together for now until things become more settled. Let's not rush into anything."

"That does sound pretty sensible," Nathan murmured.

He closed his eyes, which felt heavier than normal after sleeping for hours. The fox's hand was resting on his chest, even though her body seemed to melt right into the blankets.

That meant that this would probably continue forever. A faint sense of panic welled up inside his heart as he thought about all the possible consequences.

Nathan got up slowly, pushing himself onto both elbows. He turned over and faced Polly. Their gazes met.

The white fox smiled gently at him, her green eyes shining brightly in the early morning light. There were several strands that had escaped from behind her ears. One such strand fell across her cheek, almost brushing against her nose.

'Why does she smile? It looks too... cute! Like an innocent child's smile...' Nathan shook his head, trying to banish those thoughts.

That was his room, in his new home, in the city of Northlake. The city where CEHA was located.

The room was quite large, cozy, and modern. He'd never lived in a place with so many windows before. When he looked out the window in the bedroom, it made it feel even larger and brighter than it already was. In fact, it gave the illusion that he was looking outside directly into a cloudless blue sky with bright sunshine.

Nathan got up from his bed and found Fang, his wolf, lying on the carpet next to the bed. The wolf yawned, then wagged his tail lazily when his master entered his sight.

Nathan walked around the bed to get closer to it. His fingers brushed against its head, causing a mild shiver to run through it. That caused the black canine's ears to raise slightly. But after that, the wolf just lay there, watching Nathan's every movement.

"Tell me Polly, why can't you enter the spirit world while Fang can easily do it?" Nathan asked suddenly. "I mean, you are both spirits."

"I'm not a spirit." She answered without hesitation. Her paw reached down and rubbed at her own side.

"What's the difference? I know what spirit beasts look like; they're animals like Fang or Geen." He replied bluntly. He watched her eyes narrow as if she was angry about his remark. However, her face remained calm and peaceful. He couldn't tell which was real, whether she was truly upset about something or not.

The white fox sighed softly and lowered herself to lie on the floor again so their bodies touched from shoulders to knees.

"Those humans call us Forest Spirit, while I'm actually Faebeast," she muttered quietly, still staring up at the ceiling.

"Fae-beast?" Nathan said in confusion. "That name sounds quite interesting..." He grinned for a moment but then frowned as he realized it might sound strange coming out of his mouth.

"It means 'fairy beast'." She explained with a slight chuckle. "'Fae' is another word for fairy, and 'beast' is just an animal, right?" She continued speaking before he could reply, "My people live inside forests deep within the mountains."

"So... you really are just an ordinary person, who happens to be a forest creature, living far away from civilization." Nathan stared at her muzzle as he spoke slowly, trying to understand the situation.

"You'll have to ask me how my people come to exist, if we keep talking this way." The fox chuckled softly again, pressing her cheek against her furred forearm.

"So, what is the difference between spirit beast and fae-beast? Are all spirit beasts fairies too?" He asked questions one after another, looking down at Polly's face and finally catching sight of her eyes.

Her green eyes looked back into his gaze with some surprise. "Spirit, or more precisely called nature spirit, are spirits associated with natural phenomena, including plants, animals, weather, etc. Spirits have their own world, it's called the spirit world."

Polly closed her eyes and carefully thought about her answer before continuing, "While Fae or Faeries are magical creatures, we are the same as humans. We are intelligent creatures and self-aware beings. But the common perception has been that we are only found in the wild and uncivilized areas, not cities like Northlake."

"I see," Nathan said with raised eyebrows. "And then?"

"For as long as history itself, Fae can only unlock their greatest potential by contracting with humans. And, do you know that elves are also from the Fae race, Master?" Her voice was quiet and calm.

"Elves are part of your race?" He was surprised but kept it off his face as she nodded.

"Yes, but let's simply say they are not pure Fae anymore. It would be much simpler for us if everyone just thought we were born from other races."

Nathan stared at her for a while before saying anything else. His mind raced over everything he'd learned so far. The questions he had weren't getting any easier to answer, though. In fact, he could feel the growing frustration rising inside him again.

"So, about the queen of Fae..." Nathan said slowly, "What happened to her? I heard she hasn't appeared in a long time? She is the apostle of the Lust, right?" He didn't expect such a straightforward question, which raised Polly's ears slightly.

It was a fact that Nathan got after asking Luna about another god's apostle of sins.

After thinking for a moment, her muzzle lowered, and she looked up at Nathan once more with bright green eyes.

"You are asking me a troublesome question, Master." She muttered quietly.

"Sorry," Nathan replied, lowering his gaze for a few seconds before continuing, "I guess that makes me sound like a kid, huh?"

He chuckled to himself, which caused the white fox to laugh as well.

"Don't worry," she whispered, stroking her chest. "I'm not mad or anything."

The two remained silent until Polly spoke again.

"I don't think there is any reason why we should hide it from you. But, actually I don't know the answer either, yet."

"Huh?" Nathan furrowed his brow in confusion. He wanted answers.historical

"To be honest, I don't really care about that," she added quickly.

He blinked. "But why?"

"Because it doesn't matter, Master." She smiled again and leaned over. "Ever since the disappearance of the Queen of Fae hundreds of years ago, we have received many sufferings. Our people were taken into slavery and our numbers have also slowly decreased. We have no leader anymore."

"That's terrible..." Nathan murmured. "Sorry to bring this topic up to you, Polly."

Making a contract with a Fae would be a huge risk, as it would change Nathan's life.

He could gain a lot in terms of elemental affinity and magic. However, there was one thing he was worried about: the whereabouts of the Queen of Fae. He was worried that she would find out about his existence by doing that.

Nathan still didn't want to open up about the blessings he had. At least not for now. Even so, his greed tempted him to really make a contract with Polly.

Polly moved to sit next to him again, looking into his eyes once again. "My people live deep within forests and mountains. But we have a very beautiful and magical place to live, Master. I hope next time you are willing to go with me, to visit my homeland." She smiled happily at her master's expression. Her voice sounded rather childlike, making Nathan feel awkward about staring into her smiling face.

"Sure, why not? I'll accompany you to meet your friends." Nathan answered while grinning back at her. "We can't talk much right now because Linda is going crazy downstairs." He patted Polly gently on the shoulder as he said that last sentence.

Nathan stood up and walked to the bathroom.

Luna appeared, hovering near him. "Ta-da... Hi Master, good morning."

Nathan turned to her and smiled.

"You've delayed too long to check for upgrades on your system."

He nodded, "Don't worry, I have prepared myself to explore all of that today." he smirked. "Let's do it while soaking in the tub."