"Where are we going?"
Earl whispered to Alea as they followed Luna. Currently, they were walking through the palace under the guidance of Luna. The palace was huge, and they passed through many areas Earl didn't know about. Furthermore, this was the palace in Artasia, which he was mostly unfamiliar with.
"Underground." Alea simply replied. "I don't know much, but I heard it's different down there."
The passage they walked in soon became dark, only lit by a few torches on the wall.
"Mature Spirits are sentient and live very long lives." Saryll suddenly spoke as they walked down the stairs. "Naturally, not every Mature Spirit we encounter will be contracted. We take note of their locations, so we know where to find them whenever there is a Spirit Festival."
Eventually, they reached the end of the stairs, arriving at what appeared to be a cave entrance. Luna wordlessly pointed a finger to summon a ball of light before proceeding inside the cave.
The three remaining members of the group followed her pace. What greeted them was an enormous cavern brimming with spirits and life. Fluorescent vines and bushes decorated this vast space, creating a mythical view.
"There is more to why the Spirit Festival takes place in Artasia than what is seen on the surface." Luna calmly said.
Earl became curious. The location they were in was precisely under the palace, after all. "Why is that?"
"It's no fun to tell you everything. Why don't you try to piece the puzzle together?" She answered in a lively manner. "Let's continue."
After the short interaction, Earl became much more alert of his surroundings, taking in all the details that he could. He came to a few conclusions. First, the concentration of Minor Spirits here was through the roof. If he wished to cast Spirit Magic right now, his power would be amplified. And lastly, there was an enormous being up ahead. However, this did not answer any of his questions.
The cavern opened to reveal a colossal pond of glowing water up ahead. In the middle of the pond was a small patch of land with the greenest grass. A majestic deer laid on it, sleeping peacefully.
The deer had massive, thick horns that were like branches of an aged tree. Its size was easily tripled that of a horse. Its fur was light green as if it was breathing with life.
Without a doubt, this was the Mature Spirit they came for.
Alea stopped in a daze to admire this creature's majestic form. Saryll smiled gently and gave a slight push. "Go."
Earl did the same, giving Alea an encouraging smile. "If you don't get it done, I'll have the upper hand forever, you know?"
"Fine."
Alea nodded and stepped towards the water. Her first step left a ripple on the forever calm pond before standing firm on it. Then, her other foot followed. She was now standing on the water—a spell that required delicate control of one's mana. Taking a deep breath, Alea approached the Royalty-Class Spirit with steady steps.
Eventually, she stood before it. Compared to its enormous size, she was like an ant. However, her head was held high.
"Hey."
She calmly said.
The Spirit's eyes flickered open, revealing its gem-like colours.
"Make a contract with me."
The Spirit was silent. Finally, it spoke with a genderless, crisp voice. "Why should I?"
"Because I'm strong."
"I am not interested in the strong."
"What are you interested in?"
"A heart of conviction."
"That's part of being strong."
"Show me."
Then, the two were transported into a different world with just the two of them. There, the Spirit stood proudly before Alea.
"If you have a heart of conviction, this is a doable task."
A small silhouette stepped out from behind the majestic deer. Alea's trial was... herself. She must fight herself.
"For many reasons, this has become a place for Royalty-Class Spirits to rest. If you didn't get yourself a Spirit yesterday, maybe you would've succeeded with one of these guys down here." Luna spoke.
"I'm happy with what I got. One day, Kitsu will be at Royalty-Class too." Earl confidently replied. He was squatting by the pond, watching something.
In the pond, the little fox was swimming happily.
"Hehe~ I'm not sure if the ability of these guys down here can compare to that of Kitsu's. Right?" Saryll happily said while she squatted next to Earl. She was more than happy after getting piped by Earl in his Mind Room.
Luna lightly laughed and joined them in squatting next to the pond. "We should jump in."
"Agreed." Saryll smilingly said.
"Your Majesties, that would be too much for poor me."
"Playing hard to get, huh?" Luna jokingly responded.
Earl dismissively waved his hand. "Ahem! Ahem! Too far!"
To this, Luna laughed louder. "It's alright. Alea probably won't take that long. If she succeeds, that is."
"It will be quick, then."
"Hm?"
"I believe in her."
"The power of youthful love... I'm tearing up." Saryll exclaimed.
"Do you want to talk about a different kind of love?"
"What is that?"
"It's the opposite kind; I think it's called mature love," Earl said as he eyed Saryll's sweet ass.
Before Saryll could respond, Luna hurriedly interjected. "Hey! Hey! Hey! No flirting! You two, keep it low profile!"
"..."
"..."
In the end, Earl was right about his belief. It did not take long for Alea to pass her test of conviction. On the small island, the princess slowly opened her eyes.
"With this, our contract is formed." She said.
"Yes."
"I look forward to working with you... Life Guardian."