I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom

After finishing that day’s dance class, Shu Li’s enthusiasm for studying reached an unprecedented high.

So learning Elven could actually be this interesting. Singing an Elven poem imbued with magic could reveal such an extraordinary illusion.

Shu Li even suspected that it was not a false illusion, but a scene that had truly happened in the past.

Because it had felt far too real.

When the blond young Elf looked at him, Shu Li had felt as though the boy were truly seeing him.

Those emerald-green eyes were clearer and more translucent than any gemstone in the world, as though countless stars were sparkling within them, dazzlingly bright.

Sitting atop the harp, Shu Li knew perfectly well that the young Elf could not see him, yet his little heart had still begun pounding uncontrollably.

Given the chance, he wanted to see that beautiful gathering of the gods again.

However, Lia had said that even when the same person listened to the same Elven poem, the illusion it produced would not necessarily be identical.

The next time Shu Li heard Lia sing the magically imbued ”Song of Creation,” he might see an entirely different scene.

Perhaps Disio’s vast grassland, or Angel’s unicorn.

To recreate the illusion of the gods, his best option was to sing the Elven poem himself. If he sang it enough times, he was bound to succeed eventually. But the prerequisite for singing an Elven poem was learning Elven.

Once a person had a goal, they gained an endless supply of motivation.

That was why Shu Li was brimming with enthusiasm when he saw the quiet top student.

Kumandi had no idea what was going through the little cub’s mind. He merely assumed that Shu Li was diligent and eager to learn. After entering the house, he took out the notebook he had used as a child and continued correcting the cub’s faulty pronunciation.

A solid foundation was essential when learning any language.

The moment Shu Li saw that yellowed notebook, he felt reassured.

”I... I’ll boil some water first.” He ran to the table, faced the fire-element magic stone in the stove, and recited the spell for borrowing a spark.

This time, he made no mistakes. The magic stone ignited at once.

Yes!

Shu Li happily pumped his little fist and gave himself a mental thumbs-up.

Kumandi sat cross-legged on the rug and opened the notebook. Once the little cub had sat down, he said, ”We’ll review first.”

”All right.” Shu Li nodded confidently.

He had studied for so long last night that he had even practiced speaking in his dreams. He had practically memorized everything in this notebook.

He accepted the notebook Kumandi handed him and started from the first page. One word after another, without the slightest pause and without relying on Chinese phonetic annotations, he read clearly from beginning to end.

Kumandi listened attentively without interrupting him once.

After Shu Li finished the final page, he closed the notebook and looked expectantly at Kumandi. His pale green eyes sparkled, and his adorable expression practically begged for praise.

Kumandi did not disappoint him and praised him without reservation.

”Not bad.”

Shu Li beamed. The corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably, and his ears wiggled in tiny arcs.

Kumandi took the notebook back from him and leisurely flipped to a page, pointing at one of the pictures.

”Read this one again.”

Shu Li’s smile instantly froze. Even the wings on his back stiffened.

He had thought he had not made a single mistake. Apparently, there were still flaws.

”Si... sickle,” Shu Li said quietly. He had been so sure of himself, but the moment his mistake was pointed out, his inflated confidence withered.

Kumandi glanced at the little cub’s drooping pointed ears and said sternly, ”Louder.”

Shu Li’s expression turned serious. Casting aside all unnecessary thoughts, he opened his mouth.

”Si—ckle—”

This time, although he spoke slowly, his voice was loud and his articulation precise.

Kumandi offered no comment. He turned to another page and pointed at the picture.

”Continue.”

Shu Li once again read aloud.

”Kuku fruit.”

After testing him on five words in a row, Kumandi ended the questioning and gave his approval.

”Very good.”

Shu Li nervously clutched his robe and asked uncertainly, ”Re... really?”

Kumandi’s expression softened, transforming him from a strict teacher into a gentle older brother.

”You’ve improved tremendously.”

Fairies were born with a gift for languages. There could be only one reason for slow progress: using the wrong method.

The unusual symbols in the cub’s own notebook might have been the greatest obstacle preventing him from learning Elven.

Shu Li blinked. Once he was certain that Kumandi genuinely approved of him, he finally relaxed and broke into a brilliant smile.

”Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle—”

The water was boiling.

Shu Li quickly rose and said with boundless enthusiasm, ”I’ll make you some tea.”

He had learned his lesson this time. He put on the protective gloves the weapons-shop owner had given him, easily turned off the stove, picked up the kettle, and quickly brewed two cups of tea. He poured the remaining hot water into a water bottle.

Kumandi silently watched the cub work and tried to remember whether he had known how to boil water and make tea at that age.

The answer was no.

Back then, he had known nothing beyond studying and had been completely hopeless at household chores. He had not learned how to wipe the floor until he was three.

So talent really was difficult to measure.

Once Shu Li had finished making the tea, he gave one cup to Kumandi.

Studying was suspended during tea time.

Although Shu Li still could not speak fluently, he was especially talkative today. Holding the delicate teacup in both hands, he chattered away, recounting every detail of the illusion he had seen during dance class to the black-haired young Fairy sitting opposite him.

Kumandi listened attentively, occasionally correcting the cub’s faulty pronunciation.

With Kumandi’s help, Shu Li spoke more and more smoothly. He described the illusion in detail, from the magnificent, towering palace to the gods whose beauty and presence were beyond compare. Finally, he focused on the blond young Elf playing the harp.

”...Kumandi, when you listened to Elven poems, did you ever see the same illusion of the gods that I did?” After finally finishing his story, Shu Li took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and looked at the quiet top student with curiosity.

Kumandi shook his head.

”No.”

Shu Li was surprised. ”Not even once?”

The quiet top student was ten years old. He must have heard magically imbued Elven poems countless times. How could he never have seen an illusion of the gods?

Kumandi frowned slightly.

”An illusion of the gods does not appear easily.”

He had listened to Elven poems for ten years, and none of the other Fairies around him had ever encountered a similar vision of the assembled gods.

Shu Li clicked his tongue. ”Am I... really that lucky?”

Ever since arriving in this other world, his legendary luck had erupted again and again.

It was unbelievable!

Shu Li put down his empty teacup and cupped his soft, pale cheeks, delighted with himself.

Kumandi silently watched the cub grinning foolishly, then shifted his gaze to the little flower crown atop his head.

Sperien was a Fairy cub blessed by the Elven King.

Perhaps that was why he had seen the illusion of the gods.

”...Kumandi, who do you think he was? Why was he the only... um, Elf in the palace of the gods?”

Although Shu Li was asking the black-haired young Fairy opposite him, he sounded more as though he were talking to himself.

Kumandi considered it for a moment before giving his answer.

”The Elven King.”

”Huh?”

Shu Li’s wings flapped in shock, launching him upward. He nearly crashed into the ceiling and hurriedly steadied himself before landing back on the rug, staring at Kumandi with his mouth agape.

”The... Elven King? You’re saying the blond Elf I saw... playing the harp in the illusion was... the Elven King?” The cub gesticulated incoherently, miming the act of playing a harp.

Kumandi was far calmer. He took a sip of tea before answering.

”Only the Elven King can appear in the Hall of the Gods.”

Shu Li struggled to recall the Elven King’s appearance.

He had met the Elven King on the first day after transmigrating. He clearly remembered the man’s long, straight golden hair and brilliant emerald eyes. His presence was sacred and noble, and a single glance at him was enough to inspire instinctive affection.

Comparing the young Elf’s face with the Elven King’s, Shu Li suddenly understood.

No wonder the young Elf had seemed familiar. He was the Elven King!

One belonged to the past and the other to the future, with a vast river of time flowing between them.

How incredible. He had actually seen the Elven King in his youth within the illusion of the gods.

Shu Li rubbed his cheeks to calm himself. Then, turning the matter over in his mind, he asked in confusion, ”How does Kumandi know... that only the Elven King... can appear in the Hall of the Gods?”

Kumandi set down his teacup, picked up the second notebook, and replied unhurriedly, ”There are many poems praising the gods and the Elven King. Once you learn them, you’ll understand.”

”Oh—” Shu Li scratched the back of his head. But he had not learned them yet. He still did not understand!

Seeing that the cub remained confused, Kumandi patiently explained, ”The Elven King was the first Child of Light created by the Light God.”

Therefore, as a true Child of Light, there was nothing strange about him appearing in the Hall of the Gods.

”So that’s it!” Shu Li slapped his thigh excitedly.

How had he failed to think of that?

There had to be more than overwhelming strength behind the Elven King’s position. He must also possess an extraordinary identity.

So he was the first Child of Light!

No wonder he could appear in the divine hall and enjoy himself alongside the gods. Shu Li rubbed the storage ring on his finger, looking forward even more eagerly to the arrival of the Midsummer Festival and his next encounter with the Elven King.

He did not know why he felt so impatient. Perhaps all Fairies and Elves instinctively yearned for their king!

Kumandi glanced at his thigh and asked, ”Doesn’t that hurt?”

”Huh?” Shu Li froze at first, then belatedly cried out, ”It hurts!”

Wahhh. He was a Little Fairy barely over a hundred days old. His entire body was delicate and tender. After smacking himself so hard, both his hand and leg burned with pain.

It had not been so bad until Kumandi mentioned it. The reminder awakened every sensation at once.

A cub’s tear ducts were extremely active, and Shu Li’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

Ordinarily, he would certainly have been unable to stop a few tears from falling. But he had a guest at home now. No matter what, he could not embarrass himself.

Kumandi took a small medicine bottle from his belt pouch and handed it to him.

”Rub this on it.”

Shu Li sniffled, accepted the bottle, and whispered, ”Thank you.”

He turned his back to Kumandi, lifted his robe, and revealed the red handprint on his leg.

When he opened the bottle, a fresh fragrance drifted out. He poured some medicine into his palm and applied it to his leg. Before long, the pain in the treated area gradually faded.

The medicine worked amazingly well.

Once he had finished applying it, Shu Li turned around and tried to return the bottle to Kumandi.

”I have more. Keep it,” Kumandi said, shaking his head.

”But...” Shu Li hesitated.

Like a magician performing a trick, Kumandi took more than ten medicine bottles from his belt pouch and lined them up on the rug.

”We make one potion every two days.”

In addition to their gifts for languages, art, and magic, Fairies and Elves were also skilled at gathering and preparing medicines. Kumandi had many bottles of this kind of potion for reducing swelling and bruising in his belt pouch.

Shu Li stared blankly at the pile of bottles. From the quiet top student’s brief explanation, he gathered that an even heavier academic workload awaited him in the future.

Kumandi put the bottles away, opened the notebook, and said calmly, ”Continue.”

”—Oh.” Shu Li scratched his ear, adjusted his mood, and entered study mode as quickly as possible.

No matter how burdensome his future studies might be, the most important thing right now was learning Elven.

Today’s lesson was still focused on spoken language.

The previous notebook had contained nouns accompanied by pictures, which had been relatively easy. This notebook contained verbs and adjectives, making it considerably more difficult.

Shu Li admired the quiet top student’s learning abilities beyond measure.

When Shu Li took notes, they were a chaotic mess with no discernible order.

A top student was entirely different. Kumandi’s analysis was thorough, his organization clear, and his ability to summarize remarkable. His notes were neat, structured, and understandable at a glance.

Fairies truly were an extraordinarily gifted race!

Kumandi was already this impressive at such a young age. In comparison, Shu Li’s hopeless-student nature was fully exposed.

Time gradually passed as they studied. The cub’s young reading voice repeatedly sounded inside the little house, occasionally followed by a young man’s voice correcting his pronunciation.

Before they knew it, they had covered half the notebook.

Shu Li yawned and rubbed his aching eyes.

Kumandi closed the notebook.

”We’ll stop here for today.”

”Huh?” Shu Li looked confused. They had studied an entire notebook last night. Why were they stopping halfway through this one tonight?

Kumandi offered no explanation. He rose and said to the little cub, ”Good night.”

”...Good night.” Shu Li could only escort the top student to the door.

Kumandi spread his dark purple wings, noticed the sleepiness on the cub’s face, and reminded him, ”Go to bed early.”

”Okay~” Shu Li obediently agreed.

Only after Kumandi had flown away did he let out a breath.

When the quiet top student became strict, he really resembled Shu Li’s eldest brother!

Shu Li stuck out his tongue, closed the door, and returned inside. He had originally intended to study a little longer, but he was too tired to endure it and had no choice but to give up.

Studying excessively would only prove counterproductive.

He might as well listen to the quiet top student and go to bed early.

After washing up briefly, Shu Li lay comfortably in bed, rubbed against the soft blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.

He slept soundly that night.

At dawn, he awoke naturally to Sif’s clear, resounding birdsong.

Shu Li rose feeling refreshed and hummed a tune beneath his breath. It was the ”Song of Creation” Lia had played yesterday. He remembered only scattered fragments of the lyrics, but he could hum the complete melody.

After cleaning himself up, he slung his bag across his body and opened the door in high spirits.

”Huh?”

Still holding the door open, Shu Li and the adult Fairy standing outside stared at each other in mutual astonishment.

After an odd silence, the adult Fairy spoke first.

”Good morning, adorable Sperien.”

”...Good morning.” Shu Li did not know who the man was or why he had come looking for him. He could only tilt up his little face and stare at him with wide eyes.

The adult Fairy moved back several steps, revealing a vehicle floating in midair... a cart?

It was probably a cart.

It had a front, wheels, shafts, and a cargo bed, which held three large wooden barrels.

Seeing the cub’s confusion, the adult Fairy explained with a smile, ”My name is Vit. I’m responsible for collecting nutrients for the Divine Tree.”

Shu Li turned the word ”nutrients” over in his mind and abruptly understood.

Aisha had said that the Fairies and the Divine Tree shared a mutually dependent symbiotic relationship. The Divine Tree provided the Fairies with a place to live, while the Fairies supplied the Divine Tree with the nutrients it needed to grow.

Therefore, the nature of these ”nutrients” went without saying.

So a Fairy really did come door to door every three days to provide this service.

Embarrassed, Shu Li moved aside to make Vit’s work easier.

Then he witnessed an incredibly impressive display of magic.

Vit did not enter the house. Instead, he recited a spell.

”Great Wind God Windis Inor, I am Vit of the Faerie Forest. Please help me complete my work. I shall thank and praise you every day.”

Immediately afterward, Shu Li watched in shock as the toilet, rubbish bin, and wooden wastewater bucket in his washroom rose into the air one after another, as though bound by an invisible force.

Vit clapped his hands, and the toilet, rubbish bin, and wastewater bucket each tipped their ”contents” into one of the three barrels in the cart.

Once everything had been emptied, Vit recited another spell.

”Great Water God Hildani Gerti, please help me...”

As the spell ended, clear streams of water condensed from the air and repeatedly rinsed the three containers. The dirty water produced by the cleaning automatically flowed into the large barrel on the cart.

After all three wooden containers had been scrubbed clean, Vit snapped his fingers, and they floated back into Shu Li’s washroom.

The entire process was fast and convenient, as well as clean and sanitary.

Once the work was complete, Vit finished up beneath Shu Li’s stunned gaze.

”Thank you for your cooperation.”

He then controlled the floating cart and headed to the next house.

It took Shu Li a long while to recover. He quickly flew into his washroom.

Not only had the three containers been thoroughly cleaned, but all the dust inside the house had vanished as well. Even the wooden barrel of clean water, which had been half empty, was somehow full again.

Magic was really... so cool and powerful!

Shu Li clenched his fists, his heart overflowing with anticipation for the future.

Throughout the entire morning, Shu Li remained fired up. He concentrated intensely in class, as though all his mental pathways had suddenly opened. Even the tadpole-like Elven script seemed unusually adorable, and studying it felt effortless. His performance genuinely impressed Siet.

After lunch, Shu Li sacrificed his rest period and remained seated in the classroom, continuing to copy his previous notes.

He had to catch up with the class as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, all the other cubs would have learned magic while he was still practicing spoken language. That would be far, far, far too embarrassing!

When Disio and Angel saw their leader studying so seriously, they also gave up their afternoon naps, took out their notebooks, and reviewed the Elven script Siet had taught them.

Budno loved eating and sleeping. He initially refused to admit defeat and tried to push himself, but he could not withstand his drowsiness. He collapsed onto his desk and slept with drool running from his mouth.

The other cubs followed Shu Li’s example. One after another, they began turning into fiercely competitive students just like him.

Before they knew it, the afternoon class was beginning. When an adult female Fairy flew briskly into the classroom carrying a basket, she was greeted by the sight of the cubs studying diligently.

How strange. Was this batch of cubs really so hardworking and eager to learn?

She placed the basket on the teacher’s desk and clapped her hands to attract the cubs’ attention.

”Good afternoon, little darlings. My name is Dorsia, and I will be your gathering instructor.”

Hearing her voice, the cubs all looked up at once.

Dorsia swept aside the fiery red hair hanging over her chest and said with a radiant smile, ”This afternoon, I’ll take you into the forest to identify plants and gather fresh, delicious fruit for dinner. Are you excited? Are you happy?”