I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom

A journey that normally required half an hour of flying took barely more than ten minutes today.

The four round, plump birds landed in the commercial district’s central square and chirped to remind the Little Fairies that they had arrived.

Shu Li had nearly fallen asleep sprawled across his bird’s back.

With a full stomach, nestled among warm and comfortable feathers, he had been in absolute bliss. The bird’s gentle rises and dips had rocked him like a cradle, making him irresistibly drowsy.

Unfortunately, the journey had been too short. Before he could properly enjoy himself, it was already time to get off.

Yawning, Shu Li stretched, spread his wings, and flew off the bird’s back.

”Thank you!” he said sincerely.

”Chirp, chirp~~” The plump birds shook their snow-white feathers, indicating that there was no need to thank them.

His three companions were also bleary-eyed. If the birds had waited a little longer to wake them, they probably would have ended up sleeping soundly on their backs.

After reluctantly bidding the plump birds farewell, Shu Li headed straight for the messenger post.

”Blake, I’m going to trouble you again today.”

The golden-haired cub led his three companions through the entrance with practiced ease. Blinking his large, bright eyes, he greeted the messenger.

The messenger named Blake smiled broadly and welcomed his ”regular customer” with great enthusiasm. ”Sperien, you’re here! What gift are you sending the magical serpent today?”

It was truly incredible that Bazien Bulgareth had befriended a Fairy cub. They had exchanged gifts and maintained their friendship for five years. It was almost impossible to believe.

The magical serpent had abandoned his usual stinginess and was extraordinarily generous toward the cub, willingly sending him valuable treasures. Some of those gifts were worth a fortune and impossible for an ordinary person to acquire.

Take the crystal ore he had sent recently, for example. It came from Woba Grand Canyon and was among the finest materials for crafting magic staffs.

Located in the center of the continent, Woba Grand Canyon had treacherous terrain and produced many precious ores, raw materials, and magic stones. It was controlled by the Central Court, and anyone wishing to explore it had to apply for a permit from the appropriate department of the White Magic Tower.

To magical beasts, however, the White Magic Tower’s checkpoints might as well not exist. They could always find some way to slip into the canyon and gather whatever they wanted.

That transparent crystal ore was called Sunlight Stone. It was buried deep inside mines more than five thousand meters below the canyon’s surface.

Those mines were filled with terrifying high-rank magical beasts and danger lurked everywhere. Exploration teams that ventured inside had little chance of returning alive. Yet the enormous potential profits still drew countless people there. Anyone fortunate enough to obtain even a single piece of unrefined Sunlight Stone could live in wealth for the rest of their life.

Even for Bazien Bulgareth, who had reached the seventh rank, entering mines more than five thousand meters deep was no easy feat. He would have had to battle the canyon’s native high-rank magical beasts and seize territory before he could gather any Sunlight Stone.

The magical serpent had truly gone all out for Sperien!

Blake’s opinion of him had improved somewhat.

He might be stingy, but he was exceedingly generous to a true friend. He was a rather good magical serpent after all.

Under Blake’s smiling gaze, Shu Li withdrew a three-meter-long metal rod from his storage ring.

”Clang—”

The metal rod struck the floor with a clear, ringing sound.

Startled, Blake retreated two steps and lowered his head to examine the ”javelin” with sharpened ends lying on the floor.

With his discerning eye, he immediately determined that the metal rod was an exceptionally rare and valuable material for forging swords.

”This... is for the magical serpent?” Blake asked uncertainly.

Shu Li nodded. ”It’s the toothpick I’m giving Mr. Serpent.”

”A tooth... pick?” Blake wondered whether he had heard correctly.

What in the world?

Did a magical serpent even need a toothpick?

If the warriors and paladins of the continent learned that such a premium sword-forging material was being used as a magical serpent’s toothpick, who knew whether they would cough up blood and die on the spot?

What a criminal waste of treasure!

”Wow, this toothpick is so long~” Angel crouched in front of the metal rod and poked it with one finger. It did not budge.

Disio pushed off lightly with his toes and landed on top of it, then ran back and forth along its surface as though walking on level ground.

Budno continually made faces at the rod’s polished surface. Seeing his distorted reflection, he burst into laughter.

Lifting his little face, Shu Li explained earnestly to Blake, ”This toothpick was a gift from Hamon, King of Dragons. I can’t use it myself, so I wanted to give it to Mr. Serpent.”

Blake raised an eyebrow, finally understanding.

No wonder the metal rod was of such extraordinary quality. It had once belonged to Hamon, King of Dragons.

Anything given by the King of Dragons was bound to be exceptional.

The toothpick the cub was sending was probably worth about as much as the raw Sunlight Stone the magical serpent had given him!

Blake praised, ”It truly is an excellent toothpick. The magical serpent is sure to like it.”

Shu Li’s eyes curved into crescents as he beamed. ”Then I’ll leave it to you!”

As he spoke, he withdrew five gold coins from his storage ring and stacked them on the floor as payment for the delivery.

The coins were among the gifts Hamon had given him. They were accepted as currency throughout the continent and could also be used within Fairy society.

”You’re welcome. It’s my job.” Blake placed the coins and toothpick into his storage pouch.

Once the parcel had been sent, Shu Li left the messenger post with his three companions.

”Sperien, where are we going next?” Budno spotted a fruit shop beside the road and began salivating.

”We just ate dinner,” Disio reminded him.

Budno guiltily turned away. ”I... I’m only looking.”

The fruits displayed outside the shop were large and round. They were a variety he had never seen before and looked delicious.

Angel asked curiously, ”Didn’t you say the day before yesterday that you were going to save money?”

Of the four Little Fairies, Budno had brought the fewest possessions out of the Fairy Nursery. Yet whenever they visited the commercial district, he could never resist buying one thing after another, only to regret it afterward.

Two days ago, he had told Angel that he needed to spend less. Otherwise, he would have nothing left when he became an adult and would have to work to support himself.

Angel’s reminder made Budno think of his meager purse, instantly extinguishing his desire to buy fruit.

Shu Li had the least need to worry about money among them. The number of items in his storage ring increased every year, and all of them were valuable. Some were even rare materials.

In his early years, he had not understood their value and had spent them carelessly. Fortunately, the adult Fairies were kind and never took advantage of cubs. They patiently explained what each item was worth so that he could consider carefully before using it.

Over time, Shu Li finally came to understand just how many treasures he possessed.

”We’re going to the appraisal office,” he answered Budno. ”Mr. Serpent gave me a piece of raw crystal, and I want to find out what it can be used for.”

”Is the raw crystal pretty?” Angel asked.

”Very pretty.” Beating his wings, Shu Li flew in a wide circle through the air to demonstrate its size. ”It’s this big.”

”Wow—” Budno and Disio exclaimed in unison. ”It’s as big as a Guagua fruit!”

The Guagua fruit resembled a watermelon. It was juicy and refreshingly sweet, able to quench thirst and fill the stomach. The school cafeteria would cut an entire Guagua fruit into small pieces, arrange them on plates, and distribute them among the Little Fairies.

”Let’s fly faster!” Angel urged. He could hardly wait to see how beautiful the raw crystal was.

The four Little Fairies beat their wings faster and soon arrived at the appraisal office.

”Hello, little ones. Is there anything I can help you with?”

The adult Fairy attending the reception desk in the appraisal hall greeted them warmly.

Shu Li was a regular visitor. When he saw the adult Fairy, he greeted her politely. ”Hello, Kathy. I have a stone I’d like you to appraise.”

”Of course, little Sperien. Please follow me.” Kathy pushed off lightly with her toes, beat her wings, and led them toward a private room.

The four Little Fairies hurried after her.

They soon entered a spacious, empty room, where Shu Li expertly withdrew the raw crystal from his storage ring.

”Thud—”

The crystal appeared out of thin air and landed on the floor.

When Kathy saw the Sunlight Stone, which was as large as a Guagua fruit, her eyes widened in astonishment and she let out a soft cry.

”Oh, Light God above! This is the largest Sunlight Stone I’ve ever seen!”

It was not only enormous but also perfect in both shape and color. Before even beginning the appraisal, she could already make a preliminary judgment that it was of exceptional quality.

Everyone knew that Sperien had a magical serpent friend named Bazien Bulgareth, a notorious miser in the Faerie Forest.

Ever since he had formed an unlikely friendship with Sperien despite their difference in age, he had suddenly become generous and frequently sent the cub expensive gifts, including more than a few priceless treasures.

Whenever Sperien received something valuable, he brought it to the appraisal office.

The Sunlight Stone he had brought today was truly an eye-opening sight.

Despite its name, Sunlight Stone lay buried more than five thousand meters beneath the deepest reaches of the grand canyon. Countless adventuring parties entered the mines each year to gather it, only to suffer devastating losses or return empty-handed.

The largest piece of Sunlight Stone ever to appear at a continental auction had been no bigger than an adult human man’s fist.

A piece like the one before her, as large as a Guagua fruit, was utterly unprecedented.

”Is this raw crystal called Sunlight Stone?” Shu Li asked. ”What can it be used for?”

Judging by the adult Fairy’s expression, Mr. Serpent seemed to have given him another extraordinary treasure.

That made Shu Li a little worried that the toothpick he had sent in return might have been too cheap.

Kathy withdrew an object resembling a magnifying glass from her storage bracelet. She flew over to the raw crystal and examined it closely, circling it from top to bottom and left to right.

The four Little Fairies remained quiet and waited expectantly nearby.

More than ten minutes later, Kathy put away her appraisal tool. Unable to suppress her rising smile, she said to Shu Li with visible excitement, ”This Sunlight Stone is at least seventh-rank in quality. Its purity increases toward the center, where it has almost reached the eighth rank.”

”Wow—” The Little Fairies’ mouths fell open. ”That’s amazing!”

Their frequent visits to the appraisal office had taught them that treasures were graded by quality from the first rank through the ninth. The higher the rank, the more valuable the treasure.

This Sunlight Stone had been appraised as seventh-rank and was close to reaching the eighth. That made it one of the finest treasures among treasures.

”Kathy, Kathy, hurry and tell us what Sunlight Stone is used for!” Angel asked excitedly.

”It’s an essential material for making magic staffs!” Kathy took out her own magic staff and pointed to the small crystal at its tip. ”This is Sunlight Stone. It can store every kind of natural element.”

A magic staff was an important weapon for any mage, used to absorb and guide energy.

The magic stone embedded at its tip served to store natural elements.

Different magic stones could store different elements.

For example, the magic staff of a fire mage would have a red fire magic stone embedded at its tip. When the mage cast a spell, it could absorb only fire elements.

Sunlight Stone, however, was different. It had no elemental affinity of its own, which meant that it could absorb any element. It was a blessing for mages who possessed affinities for two or more elements.

Since Sperien had awakened all seven elements, Sunlight Stone was perfect for him.

After hearing Kathy’s explanation, the Little Fairies exclaimed in amazement again and again. Shu Li was so moved that he could barely contain himself.

Mr. Serpent was really, truly wonderful!

”A piece of Sunlight Stone this large is enough to make four magic staffs.” Kathy patted the raw crystal and continued with a kindly smile, ”However, Sunlight Stone alone isn’t enough to make a high-grade magic staff. You also need an equally fine shaft.”

Shu Li asked, ”What kind of shaft would be considered good?”

”Naturally, one made from the branch of an amethyst tree,” Kathy replied.

”An amethyst tree?” Shu Li looked bewildered. ”Where can I find one? How do I get a branch?”

”An enormous amethyst tree has stood in the southern Faerie Forest for ten thousand years,” Kathy patiently explained. ”If you want one of its branches, you must personally go to the tree and pray for it. If the amethyst tree acknowledges you, it will grant you one of its finest branches.”

Shu Li scratched the back of his head, looking troubled. ”I have to go there in person and pray? But... I’m only five.”

Five-year-old Fairies were not allowed to venture into the Faerie Forest alone.

Kathy raised an eyebrow, then curved her lips and pointed him in a certain direction. ”Perhaps you could ask at the Mission Hall whether any groups will be traveling to the amethyst tree soon.”

Shu Li’s eyes lit up. He hesitantly asked, ”Can I... join one of them?”

The other three Little Fairies were also eager to try. They blinked their sparkling eyes and gazed expectantly at Kathy.

Faced with the hopeful stares of four adorable Little Fairies at once, Kathy’s heart nearly melted. Restraining the urge to pinch their cheeks, she smiled and said, ”The road to the amethyst tree isn’t dangerous. Adult Fairies have a duty and responsibility to protect cubs. As long as a group is willing to take you, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

Having received an affirmative answer, the four Little Fairies raced toward the Mission Hall without a moment’s delay.

The instant they flew through the entrance, they nearly collided with a Fairy coming out.

”Ah!”

Startled, Shu Li flew backward.

”Careful... Are you all right?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Shu Li looked up and peered closely at the other Fairy. Then he called out in delight, ”Kumandi!”