“Hmmnn…”

(When did I fall unconscious…?)

Still feeling a bit dizzy, Charlotte stood up, but stopped.

(Where the heck am I?)

She was sure that she was still inside the mansion and about to go to her room when…

(What the heck was that thing anyways?)

Those thoughts had just entered her mind when ‘something’ jumped onto her lap.

It was dark and from the feeling she got, she was outside on the ground. The only thing that lit this place was the moon, but that had hidden behind the clouds.

She definitely felt something jump on her lap. But what was it?

She couldn’t see or tell from the touch alone. It wasn’t cold, so it was probably not an insect or snake. It had hair or fur and was warm and fluffy. It reminded her of Iris and Lilly, but it couldn’t be those two as the size only seemed to be that of a head.

“What is this?”

“Pyu~”

“…p-pyu…?”

“Pyu~pyu~pyu~”

“What the…”

Out of nowhere, fireflies began to appear and surround her. Thanks to their light, she was finally able to see the tiny figure’s appearance.

It was small, furry, and silver and its tail and ears shaded in black. It’s big round marbled eyes stared straight back at her.

Its head came closer to her face until their nose touched one another. Then, the tiny little cat-wolf-cub like creature began to lick her cheeks.

Was she dreaming? Hallucinating?

“Pyu~?”

Then, it began to rub its cheeks against her own.

“….are you the one who brought me here?”

As crazy as it was asking an animal such a question, she had this inkling feeling that he would one way or another answer her.

“Pyu pyu~!”

The little fur ball began to nod its head.

“Why did you do that?”

“Pyu pyu….”

The little fur ball lowered its head and got off of her lap. He jumped back onto the ground and began to walk in circles.

Charlotte followed him and stared at the place he had been encircling.

For some reason, this place seemed very familiar….

“This is the back garden!”

“Pyu pyu~!”

There were still traces left of her having used magic, so she could instantly tell now.

The little fur ball then seemed to be extremely happy. It sat down and reached out its paw.

Charlotte squatted down. She didn’t feel any ill intentions from it and she was very confident in judging peopl- er, others. She reached out her hand as well and, as soon as she did, the little fur ball placed his paw onto her hand.

“Pyu~!”

A blue-purple-ish light began to shine. From where they stood, a magic circle appeared in that same glowing color. On their hands/ paw, an insignia began to appear.

She was startled, but soon after she understood what was going on. Perhaps because they had formed a contract and their feelings synced with one another.

The insignia completed and a crescent moon shaped insignia appeared on her left hand.

“This is…are you sure?”

“Pyu~ pyu~!”

Unlike before, they were now able to understand one another even if they didn’t speak.

“Pyu~ pyu~ pyu~!”

“I see. So you were the one who was watching me.”

The last few days, whenever she came here to train, she felt a pair of eyes watching her, but never sensed anyone there. It was a little unsettling.

Now it was all too clear.

“But how did you bring me all the way out here?”

“Pyu pyu pyu~”

The little fur ball then pointed with his nose in the direction of the forest. There, a black lump of smoke came forward.

(That’s the thing I saw earlier…)

“Pyu~ pyu~ pyu~!”

“Sorry. So he’s your friend?”

He began to jump around, implying that she was right.

“Um…but what is your name? I’m guessing you already know mine, huh.”

“Pyu~”

“You want me to give you a name? Let’s see…I’ll say this now but my naming sense is terrible.”

The little fur ball then conveyed it’s thought to her saying that it didn’t matter.

“Umm, alright, then…how does puff puff sound?”

“Pyu~”

It accepted without hesitation.

“Eh!? I thought you were going to say it was lame.”

“Puy~~”

“Alright then, puff puff it is.”

A little weird if she says so herself. But that was the best she could come up with at the moment.

Since it was getting later and later and this child’s body needed a lot of rest, she said her goodbye to the lump of smoke (as weird as it felt) and went back to her room with puff puff.

It was a little late to mention, but she had this strange feeling like she was somehow able to see a lot clearer in the dark. Perhaps this was because of the contract he formed with her.

As for what kind of spirit he was, she would have to look for advice tomorrow from Professor Karin.