Theo followed the fox while carefully observing his surroundings. Although he had a guarantee from the queen, he didn't know what the fox would do.
To his surprise, the fox jumped off the cliff.
He hesitated for a second and chose to do the same thing. He softened the landing with his Telekinesis and looked around, finding a few monsters walking around the area.
However, the fox released black-colored smoke from his body, wrapping them.
Even though the smoke was sparsely dispersed and Theo could still see the outside without a problem, they managed to pass the area without getting spotted.
The fox continued running for a few minutes before stopping in front of a hill with a gentle slope.
He raised his head, staring at a big hole in the middle of the hill.
"That's the place," said the fox while running toward the hole.
Theo followed him and entered the black cave.
When he was about to use his normal night vision to see in this darkness, he noticed light coming from the inside.
The light was strong enough to brighten the surroundings, allowing him to see straws and dried branches.
"…" Theo fell silent, wondering if this was alright. He followed a monster he never knew, making him vulnerable.
Still, the fox was strong enough to approach him without getting noticed. If the fox decided to kill him, he could only realize after getting his neck bitten.
'Well, I would have died if the opposite party wasn't someone the queen sent. I guess I will be fine for tonight.' Theo thought while assessing his situation.
It turned out the cave inside the cliff was bigger than he thought.
Its shape looked like a block, but the size was twice his bedroom. There was a gap on top of them, allowing the moonlight to brighten the cave. He thought this should be enough, considering the fox was small.
To his surprise, three smaller black foxes suddenly ran out of the room to greet the one beside him. But they soon halted their steps when they saw Theo coming with him.
"!!!" The trio opened their mouths in surprise as their bodies shook, wondering what they needed to do.
"Kr…" The foxes glared at Theo while raising their bodies, preparing to pounce him.
The black fox obviously understood their concerns and replied, "Krr…"
The three foxes stopped and looked at him before turning around and running away.
"…" Theo was stunned, looking at the three smaller foxes. "Your children?"
"My joy." The fox made a smug smile and continued walking, "Come in."
Theo realized the fox was genuine. He dared to bring him into his own house to meet his children, who were weaker than Theo.
This meant Theo could do anything to his children, making his children hostages. At the same time, this also gained Theo's trust because he knew the fox trusted him enough to show all this.
"Thank you…" Theo smiled.
"No need to thank me. You're the human the queen trusted; I know you won't do anything." He shook his head while glancing over his right hand as if noticing the symbol on his palm.
Theo remained silent and followed him until they reached the room.
He soon noticed another black fox coming out. Unlike the smaller ones, this black fox raised her head high while looking at the two.
"Krrr!" The fox beside Theo quickly explained their situation, and she soon lowered her head as if understanding the situation.
She returned inside to call the small foxes while the black fox next to him pointed at the wall on their right. "Follow me."
Theo nodded and looked around, finding the place filled with straws as the floor. It seemed to be insulated by dirt and leaves, trapping the heat inside.
The fox suddenly stopped and sat while asking Theo to do the same.
"The queen gave me a name in the past. You can call me Asran… I am a Shadow Fox. They are my wife and kids. I am here to protect this region where the queen resides."
"I am Theodore Griffith. You can call me Theo." Theo introduced himself with a solemn face.
"I don't think I need it, but I guess that's fine." Asran nodded. "You will sleep here, or if it's not comfortable for you, you can go a bit outside to avoid all these sharp objects."
"It's fine. I have a thin mattress with me, so I don't think I will have a problem here."
"Okay." Asran then turned around, seeing the three small foxes coming to Theo with great curiosity.
They approached Theo with bodies leaning to the back, prepared to run away if something went wrong.
Theo didn't know why but he extended his hand to them without a thought.
The foxes jumped back and looked at Theo in fear. Their bodies were shaking, but they soon realized Theo didn't do anything.
Seeing their father staying next to him, the three gradually approached Theo's hand and began sniffing around.
"They are my son and daughters. They don't have names though, and I appreciate it if you don't name them." Asran introduced them and warned Theo.
"I understand." Theo nodded. Although he didn't understand the naming rule, he didn't pry about this information since it would be inappropriate, considering the other party was sheltering him inside his house.
Surprisingly, after a while, the foxes started licking his hands, getting a bit more familiar with Theo.
Seeing their reactions, Asran decided to turn around and leave. "I am going to my wife."
"!!!" The three hesitated again when their father left them alone with Theo.
They didn't know their father was trying to explain everything to his wife, including Theo's relationship with Avarice.
When he returned to check Theo, he saw Theo sitting in a lotus pose, recovering his Magic Power. Meanwhile, his son was sleeping on top of Theo's head while his daughters almost fell asleep on his laps.
"…" Asran was dumbfounded when he found this scene and couldn't help but say, "What's happening here?"
His children, who were suspicious of Theo, suddenly became this comfortable in the span of minutes.