I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom

Shu Li had boarded the pirate ship in search of treasure. Instead, he found three cubs.

Three cubs from other races, to be precise.

The air in the lowest cabin was thick with a mixture of odors. A cage and a water tank stood inside.

A snow-white baby dragon was imprisoned in the cage, while two little mermaids were confined in the tank.

The white baby dragon was about the size of a Samoyed. It lay listlessly inside the cage, breathing heavily through its nostrils. A large patch of its once-smooth scales had been damaged, and the wound had begun to rot, oozing dark red blood. Carrion flies clung around it, making the baby dragon look both pitiful and wretched.

The two little mermaids appeared to be about four years old. One had a blue tail and the other a red one. Aside from being somewhat malnourished, neither seemed injured.

When Sier approached with the orb of light raised in his hand, both the baby dragon and the little mermaids shrank back. Their pupils abruptly dilated, their faces filling with terror.

The baby dragon’s breathing grew heavier. Its wings drooped feebly, and its bloodied claws scraped across the bottom of the cage, producing a piercing noise.

The little mermaids clung tightly to each other, sank to the bottom of the murky water, and hid motionlessly in a corner.

“Gods above!” Anna clutched her chest, trembling with rage.

Those damned pirates! How could they have done something so cruel?

The young were the hope of every race. Their own people could never cherish them enough, let alone bear to see them suffer in the slightest.

Yet these rampant pirates had not only stolen little mermaids and a baby dragon, but had also set their sights on Fairies.

Anna could not bear to imagine the terrible things that might have happened if she and the cubs had been captured.

“They’re so pitiful...”

Once their surprise had passed, the Little Fairies gazed sympathetically at the baby dragon and the little mermaids. They flapped their wings and tried to approach, only for Sier to stop them.

“Stay where you are.”

The Little Fairies immediately halted. Blinking their innocent eyes, they looked at Sier in confusion.

Sier cleared his throat and explained, “You don’t understand the mermaid language or the dragon language.”

“Oh,” the Little Fairies chorused obediently. They hovered in midair and watched Sier slowly approach the baby dragon’s cage.

The baby dragon suddenly raised its head and opened its mouth, emitting a hoarse hiss. Its vertical pupils narrowed into slits as it glared fiercely at the “human” approaching the cage.

Even gravely wounded, it refused to submit. The baby dragon warned off every creature that came near its cage.

Sier raised both hands and soothed it in fluent dragon language. “Easy, little one. Don’t be afraid. I’m a Fairy, not a pirate.”

At the sudden sound of a familiar language, the white baby dragon relaxed its bluffing display of aggression slightly. It stared hard at Sier and discovered that he was handsome, with a pure aura utterly unlike those vicious, evil pirates.

“Whimper...”

The baby dragon lay back down and began pleading for help.

Sier continued in the dragon language, “Move back a little. I’ll remove the magic placed on the cage.”

Dragons were hardy creatures with thick hides. Even a baby dragon should have been able to smash its way out of a metal cage.

However, the necromancer had placed restrictive magic around the cage, limiting the baby dragon’s movements.

The baby dragon obediently shrank back, and Sier recited a long incantation.

As the incantation ended, a dazzling light flared around the cage.

Shu Li hurriedly covered his eyes with his hands. The moment the light vanished, he quickly lowered them and looked expectantly toward the cage.

The Elven King, who had descended the stairs at some point, reached out and lifted him.

Shu Li glanced back at the Elven King, then settled comfortably into his palm and returned his attention to the baby dragon.

With the magic dispelled, the cage opened smoothly. The baby dragon struggled to emerge, but Sier stepped forward.

“You’re injured. Let me heal you first.”

Mages of the light element excelled above all at healing magic.

Sier placed his hand over the baby dragon’s wound and recited a healing incantation. Before long, a gentle white light glowed from his palm and enveloped the baby dragon.

As the pain gradually faded, the baby dragon whimpered repeatedly and gently nudged Sier’s arm with its head. Its eyes grew moist, filling with large, beadlike tears.

It had spent more than half a month in terror since being abducted by the pirates. Now, at the height of its despair, it had finally been rescued. No longer able to maintain its brave facade, it began to cry from all its pent-up fear and misery.

Sier examined it thoroughly and healed every wound on its body, both large and small.

Once its injuries were gone, the baby dragon cried out excitedly and crawled from the cage. It stretched its wings and flapped them vigorously, stirring up a gust of cool air.

“Waaah!”

The wind sent the Little Fairies tumbling in every direction.

Avey and Ilio reacted swiftly, catching three of them.

Kumandi was already a Senior Mage. He remained hovering in midair, completely unmoved.

Shu Li was fortunate enough to be sitting in the Elven King’s palm and remained unaffected.

Delighted to have regained its freedom, the baby dragon folded its wings and bounded around like an excited puppy.

Lying on Avey’s and Ilio’s shoulders, the Little Fairies watched it curiously.

Once it had finished frolicking, the baby dragon noticed the firefly-like Little Fairies. It sat back on the floor, tilted its head, and stared at them in return.

“Hi there, little dragon,” Angel said with a broad grin.

Unfortunately, he spoke in Elven, which the baby dragon could not understand. It continued staring without moving.

Undeterred, Angel asked Avey how to greet someone in the dragon language. Avey patiently taught him one phrase at a time, and before long, Angel had established a means of communicating with the baby dragon.

Shu Li watched Angel fly over to the baby dragon, filled with admiration.

A Fairy’s gift for languages truly was innate. In only a few minutes, Angel had learned the most basic greetings in the dragon language.

His companions all flew over to greet the baby dragon, but Shu Li remained seated. His attention was focused on the little mermaids in the water tank.

Sier had already dispelled the magic around the tank and opened the cage enclosing it. He called to the two little mermaids at the bottom in their own language.

The timid little mermaids were clearly not as easy to coax as the baby dragon. No matter how Sier reassured them, they refused to respond.

Sier pinched the bridge of his nose and stepped aside to let another Fairy try.

Mermaid children were frail, timid, and prone to tears. Force could not be used against them, or they might be frightened and harmed.

Avey stood beside the water tank and said gently, “Come out, little ones. You’re safe now.”

The two little mermaids held tightly to each other and released a stream of bubbles.

Avey continued coaxing them. “The water in this tank hasn’t been changed in days. Isn’t it uncomfortable in there?”

Mermaids were exceptionally sensitive to water quality. Remaining in murky water for too long caused discomfort throughout their bodies and, in severe cases, could make them ill.

Sure enough, the little mermaids wavered.

Avey rubbed his hands together, sensing an opportunity. He turned and addressed the Elven King respectfully.

“Your Majesty, may I ask for your help?”

Of all the Elves and Fairies present, only the Elven King could use water magic. The two little ones, Sperien and Budno, hardly counted.

Before Shu Li could understand what Avey wanted the Elven King to do, the Elven King’s melodious voice began reciting an incantation beside his ear.

“Great Water God Shildani Gerti, grant me the purest water—”

When the incantation ended, an enormous sphere of water condensed from the air.

Shu Li blinked.

He stared at the sphere, which was large enough to hold two four-year-old children, then remembered the marble-sized water ball he had produced. At that moment, he profoundly understood what it meant for two things to be worlds apart.

He unconsciously clenched his little fists and gazed up at the water sphere suspended in midair, a trace of yearning appearing in his pale green eyes.

If only I could cast advanced magic with a simple incantation, just like the Elven King.

Previously, he had believed that magic should be learned one step at a time. He would first build a solid foundation, then acquire a comprehensive body of knowledge. Once he became a Mage Apprentice, studying under the Elven King would allow him to progress much more efficiently.

What he had experienced today changed his mind.

He could no longer wait to learn stronger, more advanced magic.

The Faerie Forest might appear peaceful, but danger lurked everywhere.

In only five years, he had already encountered two life-threatening crises.

Both times, he had faced death, and both times, the Elven King had appeared in time to save his life.

The debt of having one’s life saved was immeasurable.

Shu Li would remember it forever. He hoped that once he grew up and became stronger, he could properly repay the Elven King.

He knew perfectly well that the Elven King possessed everything and lacked nothing, but Shu Li could not simply take his protection for granted. He had to find his own way to repay him.

The sight of the baby dragon and little mermaids poached by the pirates only strengthened his resolve.

The moment he returned home, he would launch himself into an all-out study frenzy.

Even if his foundations were poor and he constantly stumbled over his incantations, he would shamelessly ask the Elven King to teach him.

He could only hope the Elven King would not become so exasperated that he banged his head against a wall like Shu Li’s eldest brother.

Shu Li secretly glanced at the Elven King’s flawless face. Puffing out his soft, pale cheeks, he assumed a solemn expression.

Meanwhile, Avey used the Elven King’s sphere of pure water to coax the little mermaids to the surface.

The water in the tank stank, and the little mermaids had long since reached the limits of their endurance. Now that clean, fresh water was right before them, how could they possibly resist?

Splash—

The blue-tailed little mermaid surfaced first and reached toward the large water sphere floating beside the tank.

The moment his fingers touched it, a sudden force pulled at his body. He cried out in fright and slapped his tail against the water with all his strength.

The next instant, he appeared inside the water sphere.

Enveloped in pure water, he made a sound of contentment. His tail swayed, sending ripples through the sphere.

“Eeya!”

Once he realized he was safe, the blue-tailed little mermaid called out to his companion.

The red-tailed little mermaid fluttered his beautiful ear fins and reached toward the water sphere. It soon drew him inside as well.

The two little mermaids embraced within the sphere and gazed timidly at the surrounding Fairies and Elves.

Sier approached, and they immediately watched him warily.

“I only want to check whether either of you is injured,” Sier patiently explained in the mermaid language. “Are you hungry? I have some boiled eggs.”

He took two peeled bird eggs from his storage pouch.

They were tiny, about the size of quail eggs.

Mermaids were carnivorous creatures and did not like fruit or vegetables, so the bird eggs would have to suffice for now.

The starving little mermaids were in no position to be picky. The moment they saw the eggs, they moved closer. When Sier showed none of the cruel amusement the pirates had displayed while tormenting them, they cautiously extended their webbed hands and lightly touched the eggs.

“Go ahead and eat,” Sier encouraged them.

The little mermaids swiftly snatched up the bird eggs and retreated deeper into the water sphere.

The eggs were so small that each mermaid swallowed one in a single bite, barely chewing before gulping it down.

They licked their lips, still unsatisfied, then swam closer to Sier and gazed longingly at him.

Sier had no bird eggs left, so he asked the other Fairies.

After searching through their storage items, Avey and Anna managed to produce six bird eggs between them.

All six were given to the little mermaids. They devoured them ravenously, then once again looked pleadingly at the Fairies.

Four-year-old mermaids had considerable appetites. They could ordinarily eat two fish as long as a person’s forearm in a single meal. During their captivity aboard the pirate ship, meals had been few and far between, leaving them so starved that their faces had grown gaunt. Now that food was finally available, a few tiny bird eggs were nowhere near enough to fill their stomachs.

“Awooo...”

The baby dragon, which had been communicating with the Little Fairies, caught the scent of food and let out a hungry cry.

Why were they only feeding the little mermaids?

It was hungry too!

Once they realized that both the little mermaids and the baby dragon were starving, the Little Fairies hurriedly searched their storage rings for bird eggs.

“I have two!” Dixio said, feeding both eggs into the baby dragon’s mouth.

The baby dragon swallowed them in a single gulp. It felt as though it had eaten nothing at all.

“Awoo!” it cried again, still hungry.

“I have three!” Angel divided them evenly, giving one egg to each little mermaid and one to the baby dragon.

Budno searched for a long time without finding a single bird egg. Embarrassed, he said, “I... I don’t have any eggs...”

He was too greedy and had eaten all of his long ago. Boo-hoo.

“I have big eggs!” Shu Li suddenly remembered the enormous eggs Bazien Bulgareth had given him. He flew down from the Elven King’s palm, landed on the floor, and pulled them out with considerable effort.

“Waaah!”

The Little Fairies exclaimed in amazement and gathered around excitedly.

There were five enormous eggs, each approximately forty centimeters in diameter, with smooth white shells. An ordinary bird could never have laid eggs this large.

The baby dragon and little mermaids began salivating at the sight and eagerly moved closer.

Shu Li generously patted one of the shells and told them, “Go ahead and eat! Don’t be shy!”

Although they could not understand each other’s languages, that posed no obstacle when food was involved.

Just as the baby dragon opened its mouth wide to bite into one of the enormous eggs, the Elven King flicked his finger, stopping it.

“Awoo?” The baby dragon cried out unhappily.

Shu Li looked up at the Elven King in confusion.

The Elven King lowered his gaze to him. “Those are the eggs of a Seken bird. Are you certain you want to let them eat them?”

“Wha?” Shu Li’s mouth fell open in astonishment.

The Seken bird was known as the Gale and belonged to the same species as that stupid bird that had abandoned him in the forest.

Bazien Bulgareth had actually given him Seken bird eggs?