I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom

With Aisha there, Sayah could happily wash her hands of everything.

The Fairy cubs had all put on their beautiful clothes. Each one looked exquisitely adorable as they spread their wings and flew into the air like glowing fireflies.

Sayah pointed at the Little Fairy who had finished his nectar and now wore a satisfied expression. ”This little fellow received the king’s blessing. He was given the name Sperien.”

”The king’s blessing? How fortunate!” Aisha fluttered her wings and flew closer for a better look.

The Fairy cub had pure golden hair just like the Elven King, fresh green eyes the color of young grass, and a tiny, delicate face. Since he had just finished crying, the tip of his nose was still slightly red, and tears remained in his eyes. Together with the little flower crown on his head, he looked both adorable and pitiful.

”Hello, Little Sperien. I’m Aisha, the instructor who will be taking care of all of you.” Aisha touched down lightly in front of Shu Li.

Shu Li blinked his clear eyes at the adult Fairy who had suddenly landed before him.

Wonderful!

He finally did not have to face another giant!

Although the silver-haired female Fairy was much taller than he was, her size was normal. Compared with her, he was simply an infant beside an adult.

”Sorry, but I can’t understand what you’re saying,” Shu Li replied politely. ”Thank you for the clothes. They’re very comfortable, but there’s one small problem... Do you have any underwear?”

Embarrassed, he used his fingers to draw the shape of a pair of square-cut briefs, his cheeks growing warm.

Sayah bent down beside the vine table and made faces at Aisha. ”Isn’t he interesting? He only just hatched, yet he already wants to communicate with us.”

Unfortunately, the little fellow could not speak. His soft, childish chirping sounded like an insect, enough to melt anyone’s heart.

”He certainly is interesting.” Aisha nodded in agreement and stared at the cub’s plump little hands. ”What is he trying to gesture?”

Sayah answered uncertainly, ”A... square?”

”A square?” Aisha guessed. ”Does he want a toy?”

Sayah glanced at the other bewildered Fairy cubs, then back at Sperien, who was doing his utmost to communicate with them, and smiled brightly. ”He looked so blank and slow earlier that I thought he had not developed properly. But now he’s being so proactive and even asking us for a toy. He’s very clever. No wonder he received the king’s blessing!”

The case Aisha had brought contained only clothes, not toys. Seeing the cub gaze expectantly at her, she removed a gold bracelet from her wrist.

”Here. You can play with this.”

Sayah exclaimed in surprise, ”Aisha, that’s your Phanis Ring!”

The Phanis Ring was a weapon that created illusions. The stronger its user, the more powerful the illusion. Giving it to a newborn Fairy cub was a complete waste.

Aisha smiled. ”It’s all right. I have a new weapon now.”

Sayah glanced at the necklace hanging against Aisha’s chest and shrugged. ”All right!”

Shu Li stared at the gold bracelet being offered to him, his face full of confusion.

Was that for him?

Why?

He only wanted a pair of underwear, not a gold bracelet!

A bracelet was round, while underwear was square. The two looked nothing alike, so how had she misunderstood him?

Although the gold bracelet was set with a clear blue gemstone and looked exquisitely beautiful, he was a boy. Wearing a bracelet would be strange.

”No, thank you.” Shu Li tilted up his little head and waved both hands. ”I only want a pair of underwear.”

Aisha said gently, ”Take it. It’s my gift to you upon our first meeting.”

When the cub remained standing still, she had no choice but to catch his right hand and slip the gold bracelet onto his wrist. The bracelet automatically contracted until it fit perfectly.

Shu Li stared blankly at the gold bracelet around his right wrist, and a photo album surfaced in his mind.

The album contained pictures from his childhood, including a set taken when he was one hundred days old. In them, the fair, plump baby was covered in gold and silver jewelry, with four or five gold bracelets around his lotus-root-like wrists and a red bellyband over his body. He looked exactly like one of the lucky children in a traditional New Year painting.

His wrists were now pale and soft, and they too seemed well on their way to resembling little lotus roots.

Was he supposed to become a lucky New Year child even in his dreams?

”I really don’t need this...” Shu Li said to Aisha while fiddling with the bracelet. ”Miss, a gentleman doesn’t take what another person treasures. Please take it back.”

He tugged at it several times, but it would not come off. Instead, he only rubbed his pale skin red.

Aisha thought he was trying to play with the bracelet incorrectly and had hurt himself in the process, so she hurriedly stopped him.

”That isn’t how you use the Phanis Ring. You need to recite an incantation. I’ll teach you once you learn to speak.”

Shu Li sighed.

Not sharing a language was a nightmare. He had absolutely no idea what she meant.

Forget it. This was only a dream. None of it was real, and once he woke up, he would forget everything anyway.

Now that he had a new bracelet, Shu Li temporarily gave up on asking for underwear. He spread the wings on his back, intending to imitate the other Fairy cubs and explore.

With a light flap of his wings, his body floated upward. After several more beats, he abruptly shot high into the air.

Shu Li instinctively looked down.

Whoa—

So high!

He was at least three meters above the surface of the vine table.

His vision swam. His fear of heights overwhelmed his mind, terrifying him so badly that he forgot to flap his wings. He instantly lost all lift and plummeted straight down.

”Oh! Careful!”

Sayah reacted quickly and caught him.

Shu Li landed in a pair of fleshy palms, stars bursting before his eyes.

Sayah let out a breath and helplessly regarded the Little Fairy in her hands.

”What happened to him?”

Why had he fallen halfway through his flight?

Aisha said in bafflement, ”Flight is a Fairy’s natural instinct. I’ve never encountered anything like this before.”

Sayah murmured worriedly, ”So he really is underdeveloped after all?”

Otherwise, how could a Little Fairy not know how to fly?

Fortunately, Shu Li could not understand them. Otherwise, he would have started jumping in fury.

He was an ordinary human. Why should he know how to fly?

He shook his head and belatedly realized that he was lying in the female Elf’s palm. Embarrassed, Shu Li climbed upright, gathered the loose folds of his robe, and knelt properly before thanking Sayah.

”Thank you, miss!”

He had nearly lost his life. Thankfully, the Elf had caught him.

Sayah was amused by his obedient appearance and could not resist rubbing his little head with the pad of her finger.

”It’s all right if you can’t fly. Aisha will teach you.”

Shu Li blinked his watery green eyes.

The Elf was smiling so gently. Was she telling him there was no need to thank her?

”I have to thank you! You saved my life!” Shu Li said solemnly.

He did not dare imagine what would have happened if she had failed to catch him. Would he have landed with a splat and turned into a smear of flesh?

Even in a dream, he could not die such a miserable death, could he?

His cheeks puffed out like steamed buns as he chirped with a serious expression, making Sayah scream internally.

Aaaaah!

So adorable!

She wanted to—

Fairy cubs were simply too cute, seriously!

That was why she had served as a nursery caretaker three times in a row, personally nurturing adorable Little Fairies. The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.

Unfortunately, she could not knead and squeeze the Little Fairy to her heart’s content. Regretfully, she placed the little fellow into a nearby flower cradle.

”It’s time to sleep.”

Newborn Fairy cubs had limited energy. After moving around for a while and eating and drinking their fill, they needed to return to their flower cradles and rest.

Sitting inside the soft, comfortable flower cradle, Shu Li felt a little bewildered.

Was she... telling him to sleep?

Would he wake from the dream after sleeping and escape this place where no one understood his language?

Shu Li raised his head and saw the palm-sized silver-haired Fairy wave her fairy wand, scattering a stream of fine golden starlight. Before long, the Little Fairies were encircled by the starlight and carried into their flower cradles one by one.

Shu Li had not intended to sleep, but as he breathed in the faint floral fragrance, his body relaxed against his will. His eyelids began fighting to stay open, and he soon collapsed onto the soft flower’s center and fell asleep.

”Zzzzzzz~~~~~”

All twenty-five Fairy cubs entered sweet dreams. Aisha made a circuit of the nursery, then waved her fairy wand. The petals of every flower cradle automatically folded closed, creating warm, cozy little spaces within.

After completing the handover with Aisha, Sayah left the Fairy Nursery and rode the wind back to the Elven Kingdom.

The Elven Kingdom lay west of the Faerie Forest and covered a vast expanse. It was home to the beautiful Lake Shengze’an, the dense Daya Forest, the rolling Luoyi Hills, and the magnificent Crystal Castle.

The moment Sayah stepped into the dazzling hall, she attracted the attention of many Elves.

The Elves, blessed with the most beautiful appearances in the world, wore luxurious robes and glittering forehead crowns. Gathered together beneath the lights, they created a dazzling feast for the eyes.

Several Elves surrounded Sayah with smiles and asked about the Faerie Forest.

”Thanks be to the Light God, twenty-five Fairy cubs were born this year.”

Sayah told them everything she knew, describing the events in the Fairy Nursery in detail, including the unprecedented blessing the Elven King had granted to one Little Fairy.

The other Elves all revealed expressions of surprise.

The king had actually bestowed his blessing upon a newborn Fairy cub.

How incredible!

Across tens of thousands of years, there had been only a handful of living beings in the entire Elven Kingdom and Faerie Forest who had received the Elven King’s blessing.

”Was the Little Fairy given the name Sperien by the king?” A black-haired, blue-eyed male Elf asked with a slight smile.

In Elven, Sperien meant Child of Light, an exceedingly exalted name.

That Little Fairy had been fortunate enough to receive the Elven King’s protection.

”Yes.” Sayah nodded. ”Sperien is very clever. He had only just been born, yet he already knew how to communicate with us.”

Although he had seemed somewhat slow and foolish at first, after receiving the king’s blessing, he had become full of intelligence. He would certainly grow into a remarkable Fairy someday.

”Ilio, you should return to the Faerie Forest and visit the newborn cubs when you have time,” Sayah suggested to the black-haired Elf.

”I will,” the Elf called Ilio replied.

Shu Li, fast asleep in his flower cradle, had no idea that he had become the subject of animated discussion among the Elves.

When the setting sun shone through the transparent skylight into the Fairy Nursery, the Fairy cubs gradually awakened from their nap.

The petals of the flower cradles opened one after another. Adorable Little Fairies poked out their heads, blinking bright eyes and looking around. Some caught one another’s gaze, fluttered their wings, and flew over to visit.

Aisha sat quietly on a green vine, observing the cubs without disturbing them.

For newborn Fairy cubs, learning about the new world began with exploration and communication.

A red-haired Little Fairy peeked over the edge of Shu Li’s flower cradle. When he saw that Shu Li was still lying in the flower’s center, sleeping soundly, he crept inside and beat his cicada-like wings, landing lightly.

Deep in sleep, Shu Li noticed nothing. He rolled onto his back, sprawled out like a starfish, his little lips pursed as he blew bubbles.

Seeing that he was still asleep, the red-haired Little Fairy approached with confidence. He reached inside his robe and rummaged around until he pulled out a red seed, which he placed beside Shu Li.

The seed had a hard shell and a smooth surface, resembling a gleaming red gemstone.

The red-haired Little Fairy had found it among the flowers.

After setting it down, he babbled several sounds beside Shu Li’s ear.

Naturally, the sleeping Shu Li gave no response.

The red-haired Little Fairy tilted his head and cautiously poked Shu Li’s tender cheek with a short, plump finger.

Shu Li instinctively swung his hand in his sleep.

”Smack—”

The red-haired Little Fairy stared at his aching finger in stunned silence. Then his mouth crumpled, and he burst into tears.

The piercing crying jolted Shu Li awake.

”What’s wrong? What happened?”

He sat up nervously and turned his bleary eyes around, only to see a red-haired Fairy cub kneeling in front of him and bawling. The cub clutched one finger as he cried, his tear-filled red eyes brimming with accusation.

Shu Li was completely baffled.

Why had he woken up to find a Fairy cub crying his eyes out in front of him?

More importantly, was this not supposed to be a dream? He had gone to sleep, yet he was still inside it?

”Hey, hey... Don’t cry...” Shu Li hurriedly tried to comfort the sobbing cub.

He remembered this red-haired Fairy cub very clearly.

This was the one who had stolen his nectar earlier and made him embarrass himself by crying.

Now the cub had entered his flower cradle and started crying for no apparent reason. Why?

Shu Li’s head ached from the confusion, and he anxiously scratched the back of it.

He had lived for eighteen years, but he had never comforted a child before. He was the youngest person in his family. Usually, everyone else comforted him.

Aisha had been observing them the entire time, so she naturally knew why the red-haired Fairy cub was crying. However, she did not fly down to mediate. Instead, she took out a little bell and shook it.

The little bell rang clearly. The Fairy cubs’ ears twitched, and they all flew toward the vine table.

The sound, infused with white magic, conveyed a message to them.

It was time to eat!

The red-haired Little Fairy stopped crying. He pointed one plump finger toward Shu Li’s feet, puffed out his cheeks, then spread his wings and flew out of the flower cradle.

Food was more important than crying. He would fill his stomach first.

Shu Li lowered his head in confusion and saw a tiny red crystal near his foot.

He bent down, picked it up, and turned it over repeatedly, but he could not tell what it was.

Could it be... that the red-haired Little Fairy had brought him a gift as a gesture of goodwill? Then something had happened, and he had ended up crying?

Shu Li pinched the crystal between his fingers and felt slightly guilty.

”Jingle, jingle—”

The bell continued ringing through the air. Shu Li raised his head and looked around. When he saw the other Little Fairies flying in the same direction, he hesitated, then spread the gauzy wings on his back.

Although he was afraid of heights, he could not miss a group activity. Otherwise, he might be excluded.

He gritted his teeth, beat his wings, and floated into the air.

Forcing himself not to look down, he worked hard to flap his wings and soon flew away from the flower cradle.

After traveling a short distance, he felt as though he had grasped the trick of flight, and a smug smile appeared on his face.

Ah, dreams truly were marvelous.

The Fairy cubs landed on the vine table and stood obediently before their silver bowls, waiting eagerly. Shu Li immediately understood.

It was mealtime again.

He had arrived last, so only a bowl in the corner remained available. He adjusted his direction, preparing to make a sharp turn.

But his wings refused to obey him. No matter how he flapped them, he not only failed to turn but continued hurtling straight toward a tree trunk.

”Bang—”

”Splat—”

By the time Aisha reacted, it was already too late.

The golden-haired Fairy cub crashed headfirst into the hard tree trunk, then fell onto the table and overturned a silver bowl. The bowl flipped over and landed on his head.

”Ow~~ It hurts, it hurts, it hurts—”

Shu Li lay sprawled on the tabletop as tears streamed down his face.

Was he truly dreaming?

Could falling down in a dream hurt this much?

His entire body felt as though it had broken apart, the pain almost unbearable.

Was it possible that this was not a dream at all, but that... he had transmigrated into another world?

The Fairy cub lay on the vine table with a silver bowl over his head, tears hanging from his face and his gaze completely blank.