As the blinding light that encompassed the beast's body disappeared, my eyes widened as if time stopped at that moment.
In front of me, the beast had disappeared along with the blinding light. But what came out in exchange for it was a petite girl around the age of 7.
There was something different in this girl from an ordinary girl. She has a pair of wolf ears and a furry white tail. However, anything aside from that was all human-like.
While blinking my eyes, "Eh?" It was the only word that came out of my mouth.
The girl, when heard my utter, looked at me with her pair of round crystal-like eyes. I noticed her lips slowly opening.
"M-master?" A soothing voice that could melt down the hardest ice in the north and south pole entered my ears.
Hoh! Who's this lost kid!? She's so adorable! I screamed inwardly, half-joking.
Ahem!
I cleared my throat.
"M-master? Me?" I pointed to myself while asking her.
"Mhm!" She nodded.
The girl had long silky silver hair. She has a cute face and ethereal beauty even at such a young age. Just that, aside from the blue stole on her neck, she was naked.
R-regardless, it looks like she was that beast, but how did it happen? I only used the skill one time before, but I'm certain the result did not change my target to a humanoid creature, especially to this level of cuteness.
"Okay, is that your Spirit Form?" I asked her.
"Nhnn!" She shook her head. "This is my true form."
Thankfully it has intelligence and can be talked with. But wait… true form? She said true form?!
"H-how did it happen? Aren't you a Dire Wolf?" I asked in haste.
She neither nodded nor said yes, instead she said, "It seems my Spiritual Root is from the race known as Lycanthrope, master."
"Oh~"
I pondered. Lycanthrope, huh. Hm, wait, I need to search about them in all my combined memories. After about a few seconds of pondering, I didn't know who's memories it was but I remembered now.
They were…
"The humanoid wolves?"
I muttered.
"Yes, master."
"I see. Just to be sure, do you feel angry with me?" I wanted to make sure what she truly felt towards me so that I would know if she was a potential enemy.
There must be a seal somewhere in her body. If she lied to her answer, she would be groveling in pain.
"Nhnn…" she shook her head. "No master, I don't feel any grudges from master."
I stared at her for a second before I secretly sighed in relief. She seemed to be telling the truth. I frowned at her following lines.
"In fact, I feel grateful that 'master' freed me from my shackles and even gave me a chance to live."
"What do you mean shackles?" I asked, a little curious.
"It seems I was under a curse this whole time."
Ohh~ wait, curse? What kind of plot twist is this? This is Very unexpected! I thought.
"Is that the reason why you took so long to accept my contract?"
"Yes, just as you said, master. If the master used his spirit energy as one of the mediums, the contract would have been a failure. The master's mana freed me from the curse."
Ehhh!?
That was even more shocking! This was on another level of twist and unexpectedness.
"Let's talk about that later…"
"Mhm!" She nodded.
I needed to recede from that topic for now because it seemed to be a very long story.
"Do you have a name?" I asked her.
"Name…" she muttered and fell silent with a visible frown on her delicate face.
"Is there a problem? You can speak up," I said and even offered my ears.
"I can't remember. I think I don't have one. I want the master to grant me one."
"Hoh~"
"Please…" she looked at me with pleading eyes. How can I decline such an adorable creature's request!
"O-okay… ahem… although I'm not good at giving names, I will try to give you a decent one."
"Mhm! Mhm!"
She nodded with sparkling eyes. I secretly stared at those eyes. It was a pair of beautiful eyes, as though a pair of clear blue skies.
"Hmm…."
While thinking of a good name I could think of, I unconsciously knit my brows while touching my chin. I sighed and looked at her straight in her eyes.
"Okay… your name will be… Ao."
"Ao?"
"Yes. Sorry, I'm not good at naming. You're free to decline it, haha," I said in haste while cupping my hands and laughing wryly.
"I-it's pretty. Master, I like it! Ao, Ao, my name is Ao!" She said repeatedly.
I blinked my eyes. Eh? At least she's happy with it.
I straightened myself and smiled. "Okay, Ao. Listen up."
"Yes, master." She looked at me earnestly with her tail wagging.
"Ahem! Anyone deserves to live. Perhaps it's your destiny to be given another chance. Use this chance and enjoy your life. But before that…"
I took off my worn-out leather armor, and next, took off my shirt.
"Wear this…" I handed her my shirt. "It is smelly, but bear with it for now."
She took it and wore it without hesitation.
After that, I explained to her my current situation. I also asked her if she could help me.
"Of course, master. Please let me be of your service."
"By the way, can you fight?" I asked.
"I can use my spirit form."
"Oh~ I see. That's not your spirit form. Can you show me your spirit form, Ao?"
"Yes, master."
After nodding she walked a few steps away from me and started transforming. Her body glowed. Then, after one or two seconds, a white wolf with white silky furs and long blue stole and blue eyes materialized in front of me where Ao was standing just a second ago.
"Although my space, time, and gravity magic are still weaker, my physical strength is higher."
Telepathic communication? I asked myself when I heard Ao's voice as if she was whispering in my ears.
Gravity, Space, and Time are the three elements that a spirit has the most affinity with.
"Mhm! That's good."
"I can also carry you, master, in this form," Ao added.
"….."