While the couple was at Chloe's place, the fox-girl told them about her adventures and what areas she had visited in the past. Sophia, or her inner tiger, was especially interested in the jungle she saw. Unfortunately, they would have to cross an icy tundra to reach it, and the tiger’s inner cat wasn’t a fan of that at all. Thanks to that, they decided to postpone the trip to when it gets warmer again. They eventually get back to the topic of the blonde wanting to get her own elven treehouse. The trio decided to head over to the bar where Fen was drinking with Alex, the fox-man in charge of the buildings in the village.

“It’s kinda dark in this place, huh?” While the three were walking to the bar together, Sophia, after having recovered from being teased, addressed Chloe as she was looking around in the dimly lit village. “Well, I have no problems with seeing in the dark thanks to my eyes, but the capital’s much brighter.” Her cat-like eyes were actually slightly shining from reflecting the little light left around them.

“You can’t really compare the capital to this, can you?” Maya just moved her hand around, gesturing at the general area.

“Fair point.” She had nothing to add.

"Most of the houses are also empty," Chloe added her own part. "So, there's even less light from lanterns and the likes around.”

“I see.” The blonde nodded a few times. “Makes sense.”

“Also, yeah, as my eyes are the same, I don't have an issue with it either." Just like the couple, the fox-girl had eyes that worked the same as those of cats. They were just as adjustable and able to reflect light to see in the dark. They were currently glowing, as well. “And if there’s not enough light, we can just turn it on ourselves, after all.” While saying so, the area around Chloe suddenly turned much brighter.

“That’s true.” The tiger gave her another nod before she stopped walking while staring at the pink-haired girl with a confused expression. "Did… Did you just use chantless light-based magic…?”

“I did, yes…?” She only tilted her head after noticing Sophia’s expression. “Why?”

“E-Eh…?” Even more confused, the blonde then stared at Maya with a questioning expression. “I, uhh… I thought I understood how magic works now…?"

“Don’t look at me!” The cat-girl crossed her arms. “I gave up on that shortly after I met you! I decided to just have fun using it.”

“Is something the matter?” Chloe couldn’t follow their conversation.

“Uhh…” Sophia scratched her head. “Well… From what I’ve learned, you need to have a certain level of aut-, power to be able to use chantless magic. From what I can feel, you should be way below that threshold…”

“Is that so?” The fox-girl tilted her head even more. “Feyfey taught me magic, and she never told me that power is a factor that determines in what way you’re allowed to use it.”

“Apparently so…” It didn’t help the blonde to understand it even a bit. “Anna has around the same power, but she can’t use chantless magic… Eh?”

“Well, what can I say...?” The fox-girl couldn't help her.

----------------

As she was getting nowhere, Sophia increased her pace to bug her wolf in the bar about it.

“Fennyfenny!” Entering the place, the tiger immediately located him at a table in the corner together with Aura and an older-looking, brown-haired fox-man. “Oh, like the ring of that! Fennyfenny~!” She immediately got sidetracked.

“Well, I don't!” Fennyfenny didn’t seem to agree with it. “I also don't like how excited you’re sounding…”

“Oho, it really is a tiger!” Alex had turned his head around because he wasn't facing the girls and promptly mustered Sophia. “If that isn’t something. Alex's the name. Nice to meet ya~.”

“Perfect!” The blonde’s eyes lit up after hearing his introduction. “I’m Sophia. I need you for a little something later on, as well!”

“Somehow, hearing that from a tiger, I’m suddenly a little concerned.”

“Ah, no, it's nothing like that!” She shook her head. “I want a house in this village! One of those amazing elven treehouses, to be exact!”

“Is that so…?” He looked at her for a little longer before eventually glancing at Chloe next to her. “Seems like you aren’t the only weirdo, huh?”

“Hey!” The two weirdos immediately complained. “A treehouse is amazing!”

"Sure, sure…" Alex didn't seem to want to deal with both simultaneously.

“Were you always so mean?” Chloe stared at him.

“H-Hey!” He jumped from his stool. “I’m not mean at all!”

"No, I'm with my new pink-haired friend here. Sounds pretty mean." Sophia immediately joined in on the idea. Although, Chloe’s reaction sounded like an earnest question while the tiger's voice was full of sass.

“That’s not fair!” He complained about his treatment. "Alright, let me get some stools for you girls as well to make up for it!" Saying so, he immediately left.

“He seems like a nice person.” The blonde started smiling. “I think I like him. He’s cute.”

“Yes, I like him a lot, as well!” So was the fox-girl.

“I don’t think I like this duo.” Fen didn’t, though.

“You have no idea…” Maya sounded a little tired.

“Anyway, Fennyfenny!” Sophia faced the wolf again. “We have a problem!”

“Do we?”

“Yes!” She nodded a couple of times. “I don’t understand magic!”

“Err…” He paused for a moment. “Welcome to the club? Thanks to you, I stopped understanding magic a long time ago and decided to just enjoy using it.”

“Same!” The wolves had the exact same reaction as the cat-girl earlier.

“Urgh…” She had little room to complain here. “What I just found out is the weirdest thing of all, though!”

“I heavily, HEAVILY doubt that.”

“Definitely.” The wolves only looked at her with a dubious expression and tone in their voices. Both knew what Sophia had done so far, after all.

“Urgh…” The tiger turned her head away. “N-No, well, yeah… b-but NO! Our dear Chloe here, you can feel her power, right?”

“Yes?” Fen nodded. “Around the same as the big tiger princess. A pretty decent amount.”

“Yeah, but she can use chantless magic!”

“Eh…?” He slightly tilted his head.

“Chloe!”

“Hmm…? Ah, sure…” She needed a moment to understand the blonde’s intention. A second later, she lifted her hand and created a small ball of light on top of it. “Is that enough?”

“Thank you very much!” Sophia seemed satisfied.

“How…?” He was still staring at the fox-girl’s hand.

“Even if you ask me that… Feyfey showed me how to do it… and I just did it.”

“Hmm…” Fen then glanced at the tiger.

“What?” Sophia didn’t like his motion. “I did nothing for a change! Absolutely nothing! I didn’t even touch her!” She crossed her arms in defense. “Okay, I played a bit with her tail, but that has no relation to anything!”

"You did what…?" Aura looked at her before turning towards the cat-girl.

“It was innocent!” The tiger understood her implication. “Also, Maya touched it, too!”

“Really…?”

“Anyway!” The blonde wanted to stay on topic for a rare change. “Fennyfenny, I want an explanation of why Chloe can use chantless magic!"

“How am I supposed to know?!” He glared at her for a moment before emptying the drink in front of him. "Before we started traveling together, I thought I knew magic, but you steadily destroyed every bit of knowledge I had about it while teaching you already! Even more so afterward!”

“You learned magic from Fenfen?” The fox-girl got a little interested.

“Yep.” Sophia nodded. “For as long as I can remember.”

"Oh, that's the same for Feyfey and me! She's been teaching me ever since I was little.”

"Those overpowered companions sure are helpful, huh?"

“Yes!”

“Well, until the pupil became the teacher…” Fen let out a small sigh. “I think you have to ask the other guy for that issue…” Glancing at Chloe while saying so, he decided not to mention Canir’s name in a public space.

“Urgh…” Sophia hung her head. “I thought as much… You’ve been a lot more useful in the past, my friend.”

“Hey!” He got loud.

“I’m sorry. It was just a joke.” The tiger smiled at him. “I know that it’s my fault that everything got so messy…”

“Good.”

“What is this about…?” The pink fox-girl faced Maya while listening to the duo’s conversation.

“You don’t want to know. Trust me, you really don’t…”

“O-Okay?” She looked a little concerned. “It seems like something happened? Well, as long as everything’s okay now.”

“Yeah, it’s best to leave it at that.”

“I see.” Even though she said that, Chloe still looked somewhat confused.

"Still!" Sophia suddenly got loud. "Whenever I understand things a little more, something else happens, and I'm two steps back again!"

“Tell me about it!” Fen, too, raised his voice.

"See, the two get along perfectly." The cat-girl looked at the fox next to her.

----------------

“Alright, let’s give this another try!” Alex, who always seemed to be in an excellent mood, was back with the group. Not only had he organized some stools for the girls, but he also had brought a new round of drinks for everyone. "I hope that makes up for earlier!”

“Don’t worry about it!” Chloe smiled at him. “I still love you!”

“Aww.” He was happy to hear that.

“Yep.” Sophia nodded. “In the first place, I was just teasing you a little. I don’t know you yet, but I already like you, too!”

“How mean! Also, thank you!” His mood got even better. “Man, getting so much attention from two such beautiful and cute girls sure is something~.”

“…” Maya’s expression had gotten a lot more complicated.

“And the beautiful cat’s glaring at me. My, what a day!” He naturally noticed her, too. “Today, the drinks will taste even better with such company!”

“That flirting will get you nowhere, though. Well, at least with us~.” Saying so, Sophia got closer to her pouting girl and hugged her side. “The two of us are for each other only.”

“What a power couple!” He mustered the two for a moment. “I like it! You fit well!”

“Ehehe.” Maya’s mood relaxed in an instant.

“Also, don’t worry. I’m just really sociable! More so," Alex waved around his left hand, revealing a silvery ring on his ring finger. “I’m also taken. Happily married to the guy running this bar.” He pointed at the counter where a fox-man with black hair, roughly the same age as him waved towards the group with a gentle smile. “Mark’s also the one who said I should bring all of you a round for free. You better thank him later!”

“…” Sophia paused for a moment while alternatingly looking at the two guys. “I love this place.” It sounded a little like she was talking about more than just the village right now.

Afterward, everyone finally sat down around the table again, with the two wolves in the corner, Alex right next to Fen and then followed by Chloe, Sophia, and then Maya at the other end next to Aura. The tiger was also sitting suspiciously close to the pink-haired girl’s tail for some reason. It definitely didn’t have to do anything with her having remembered that Chloe said that she often forgets to control it and then hits the people sitting next to her in the face from time to time.

 

 

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