I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom

Seriu stared at the Elven maiden in a daze. Memories of her flooded his mind—memories that didn’t belong to him, yet unfolded with startling clarity, intertwining with the beautiful lyrics and stirring something deep within his heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

It was the pounding of blood surging through his veins.

”...The young swordsman

Was a prince from the Kingdom of Cecilia.

He and the beautiful Elven maiden

Set out together

On a wondrous journey of adventure.

...”

Seriu pressed a hand to his burning forehead. His body trembled, and a low moan of pain escaped his lips. It felt as though all the blood in his body was flowing backward, his bones undergoing strange changes. Deep within him, the sword heart he had cultivated as a swordsman was stirred by a power both foreign and familiar, which spread through every limb and bone.

Shu Li continued playing his harp and singing the ballad. When he reached the part where the Elven maiden was betrayed by her companions and surrounded by villains, the music abruptly quickened, and his voice rose.

”...The humans who coveted the Elf

Revealed their hideous true faces

And hunted the wounded Elven maiden.

The valiant prince of Cecilia

Burned his soul and spent his life

To break free of darkness’s shackles.

He stood before the maiden he loved,

Defending her against the swords of his own kind.

Ah,

Beautiful Elven maiden,

The Sword of Carlos shall fight for you.

...”

As Shu Li sang the final line, Seriu clutched his head with both hands and let out a low, agonized growl.

Startled, Shu Li lowered his harp and started forward to check on him.

”What’s happening to him...?”

Ace shook his head. ”Let’s watch for now.”

Shu Li said anxiously, ”All I did was sing an Elven ballad.”

Wasn’t Seriu’s reaction a little extreme?

Ace moved to his side and gently rested a hand on his shoulder, urging him to remain calm.

”Elven ballads contain magic. They can draw listeners into wondrous illusions.”

Shu Li sat back down and looked up at him in confusion.

”Then why aren’t you affected?”

Ace met his gaze with a faint smile.

”Perhaps because I’m not from Cecilia.”

In other words, Seriu, being a Cecilian, was more likely to resonate with this particular Elven ballad.

Shu Li blinked.

”Should I play it again?”

Ace removed his hand from Shu Li’s shoulder and looked toward Seriu, who was still making pained noises.

”Play it once more. It might ease his suffering.”

Shu Li picked up his silver harp and deftly plucked the strings, beginning The Maiden and the Swordsman again.

This time, he wove a blessing of light magic into the music to soothe Seriu’s troubled soul.

The moment the magic took effect, Seriu’s pain subsided. He lowered his hands from his head, and a golden light appeared between his eyebrows, spreading until it enveloped his entire body.

Gradually, he rose from the sofa and floated into the air.

Shu Li suppressed his astonishment and continued concentrating on his song.

But the magic wasn’t only affecting Seriu.

It had also undone Shu Li’s own magical disguise.

His black hair instantly returned to gold. His skin became fair and delicate, his eyes regained their fresh, grass-green color, and his ears grew longer and pointed.

The wings on his back could no longer remain concealed.

Riiip!

His wings burst through his magical robe, tearing the fabric apart.

Sensing the sudden changes to his body, Shu Li nearly screamed.

But remembering that he still needed to sing to soothe Seriu, he forcibly swallowed the cry.

He closed his eyes, not daring to look at Ace’s expression.

The corners of Ace’s lips curved upward as he gazed tenderly at the Little Fairy, now revealed in his true form.

The beautiful singing echoed in Seriu’s ears, gradually calming his restless soul.

It was as though he had entered a mysterious world.

”Come... Come...”

A deep voice called to him again and again.

Following the voice, he slowly walked forward through a pitch-black passage.

Suddenly, the darkness opened onto a vast expanse.

A broad river stretched before him. Suspended above its surface was a magnificent golden longsword, gleaming brilliantly.

As the sword radiated light, the deep voice sounded once more, its words coming slowly, one after another.

”Come... Take hold of me... Prince of Cecilia...”

Seriu stared at the sword in astonishment.

Was this... the Sword of Carlos?

It looked exactly like the sword held by his ancestor in the relief sculpture!

Without a second thought, Seriu stepped onto the river’s surface and walked toward the golden longsword, one step at a time.

When he reached it, he had barely extended his hand before the sword descended into his grasp of its own accord.

He tightened his grip.

An immense power surged through his arm and flooded his body.

”Aaaaaah!”

In an instant, blinding golden light engulfed him.

Back in the real world, Shu Li had already stopped playing.

His face was frozen in shock as he watched a living, breathing human being transform into a golden longsword right before his eyes.

Wh-what was going on?

Where had Seriu gone?

How could he just disappear?

In his place, a dazzling golden longsword now hovered in midair, shimmering with magnificent light.

Clang!

The golden sword rang out with a clear, resonant note.

Shu Li’s mouth fell slightly open.

Then a deep singing voice reached his ears.

”Noble Son of Light,

I have broken the ancient seal

And returned to the world.

Let me become a ray of light

And fight beside you once more.

...”

The sword was singing!

Shu Li rose involuntarily and approached it.

The luminous wings on his back fluttered gently, scattering specks of starlight that mingled beautifully with the golden radiance of the sword.

After staring at it for several seconds, he tentatively touched the hilt with one finger.

The sword didn’t reject him.

Growing bolder, Shu Li wrapped his hand around it.

Clang!

The golden sword rang again, this time with unmistakable delight.

The golden light along its blade gradually faded.

There was no mistaking it.

This was a magic sword.

It felt exactly the same as when he’d held the Sword of Viona.

But why had Seriu, a perfectly ordinary living person, turned into the Sword of Carlos just from listening to an Elven ballad?

Wasn’t that utterly absurd?

No matter how hard Shu Li thought about it, he couldn’t make sense of what had happened. His delicate eyebrows drew together in a tight frown, and he instinctively looked toward Ace.

”Is this what you look like in your Fairy form?”

Ace gazed at Shu Li with tender affection and offered a heartfelt compliment.

”You’re beautiful.”

Shu Li’s face instantly turned scarlet.

He hadn’t forgotten that his roommate apparently had feelings for him.

”Um... Never mind me for now. Could you take a look at this sword? What’s going on with it?”

Ace stepped closer.

His slender fingers brushed across the blade.

The golden light that had previously faded suddenly flared to life again, even more blinding than before.

Shu Li nearly had his eyes dazzled out of his head and hurriedly turned away.

Ace withdrew his fingers, and the sword’s radiance dimmed somewhat.

Rubbing his eyes with his free hand, Shu Li asked anxiously, ”What are we supposed to do? Seriu’s turned into a sword!”

”Don’t worry. Let me check.”

Ace took an ancient, yellowed book from his storage pouch and began rapidly turning its pages.

Shu Li glanced at the cover.

The Legendary Kingdom of Cecilia.

The magic academy’s library really did have an impressive collection. There seemed to be books on absolutely everything.

Even more remarkable was Ace himself.

Somehow, every time he borrowed a book, it turned out to be something useful.

And look—it had come in handy again!

After flipping through more than a dozen pages, Ace stopped and raised his eyes toward the sword in Shu Li’s hand.

”According to this book, after the War of the Gods ten thousand years ago, the Kingdom of Cecilia effectively ceased to exist.”

”Huh? What do you mean?” Shu Li asked, bewildered.

”It means that nearly all the Cecilians died on the battlefield. The royal family, in particular, was completely wiped out,” Ace explained gravely.

Shu Li stared blankly at the golden sword in his hand.

”But... Seriu is a prince of Cecilia!”

”After the War of the Gods ended, countless people were displaced, and every nation faced the enormous task of rebuilding. Refugees from other countries who had fled to Cecilia remained there and became the new Cecilians. As for the royal family...”

Ace turned another page before continuing.

”The person who inherited the throne was a prince from a different family, with no blood relationship to the original royal line. Seriu is a descendant of that prince.”

”So that’s what happened?”

Shu Li leaned closer to read the passage himself.

After finishing, he raised another question.

”But if Seriu isn’t a prince of the original Cecilian royal bloodline, how could he turn into the Sword of Carlos?”

”Inheritance.”

Ace closed the book and held out his hand.

Understanding what he wanted, Shu Li passed him the sword.

Ace gripped the hilt in his right hand and held the blade horizontally before him. Bringing the index and middle fingers of his left hand together, he gently traced them along the blade.

Magical inscriptions appeared on its surface.

”Seriu must have received an inheritance without realizing it. The Elven ballad awakened that long-dormant inheritance, causing the Sword of Carlos to awaken as well.”

Shu Li gave him a long, meaningful look.

”You really do know a lot.”

Ace laid the golden sword flat on the sofa.

”I enjoy reading. The more books you read, the more you learn. Of course, my explanation isn’t necessarily correct. We can ask Seriu what actually happened once he changes back.”

Shu Li crouched in front of the sofa, propped his chin on his hand, and stared at the golden sword.

”He can change back?”

”He should be able to.”

”No, wait... I don’t understand...”

Shu Li stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and began pacing.

”The Sword of Viona is an actual sword. So why is the Sword of Carlos a person who turns into a sword? Or do all Five Swords exist in different forms?”

Ace considered the question.

”Magic swords are magical by nature, so it’s only reasonable that they possess extraordinary properties. As far as I know, the Sword of Carlos is the only one whose inheritance depends on bloodline. The other four are passed down through conventional means.”

”Well, that’s a relief.”

Shu Li let out a breath.

He certainly didn’t want to see another living person turn into a sword!

Glancing sideways at the Sword of Carlos resting on the sofa, he asked, ”Are we just going to leave him there? Can’t we do anything to help?”

”Leave him be. He’ll return to normal on his own when the time comes. There’s nothing we can do to assist him.”

Shu Li thought it over.

”All right, then.”

Even if they wanted to help, they simply didn’t have the means.

Ace smiled and urged him, ”It’s very late. You should go to bed.”

Shu Li scratched his head.

His fingers brushed against the little flower crown that had returned to its original form.

Only then did he suddenly remember that he’d revealed his true appearance right in front of his roommate!

Panic surged through him.

”I-I’ll go to bed now! Good night!”

Without waiting for Ace to respond, he swiftly retrieved the silver harp he’d left on the sofa, beat his wings, and darted toward his bedroom door.

He pushed it open and flew inside.

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

A moment later came the distinct clicking of the lock.

A glimmer of amusement flashed through Ace’s green eyes.

After a moment, he stood before the sofa and looked down at the Sword of Carlos.

His long, well-defined fingers traced a series of magical incantation symbols through the air.

As he completed the final symbol, a small, exquisitely intricate magical formation appeared above the sword’s hilt.

The formation descended, merged into the hilt, and vanished without a trace.

With that done, Ace switched off the magic-stone lamp in the living room and returned to his bedroom.

Silvery moonlight streamed through the window and fell upon the golden sword.

The sword’s radiance shimmered in harmony with the moonlight.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Then the golden sword transformed into a handsome black-haired young man.

He lay flat on the sofa, eyes closed, breathing evenly, fast asleep.

The first thing Shu Li did upon returning to his bedroom was rush into the bathroom.

When he saw his undisguised appearance reflected in the mirror, he rubbed his cheeks in frustration.

Seriously!

Who would have thought the magic in a single song could undo his disguise?

Fortunately, he’d brought the potions and hair dye he needed to maintain his disguise.

He’d better restore it quickly, or he wouldn’t be able to go out tomorrow.

But what troubled him most was his academy uniform—the magical robe now sporting two enormous holes in the back.

He yawned, resigned himself to his fate, and took out a needle and thread to begin repairing it in the middle of the night.

Thankfully, the Little Fairies had taken sewing lessons.

His skills were more than adequate, and he could guarantee that once he finished, there wouldn’t be the slightest trace of the tears.

In the neighboring bedroom, the Elven King stood before the window, allowing the moonlight to wash over him.

A branch of the Mother Tree silently crept onto his windowsill, raising one of its smaller twigs.

’Freyus, this time the Sword of Carlos awakened twenty years ahead of schedule.’

”Mm.”

The Elven King lifted his head slightly, the brilliant full moon reflected in his green eyes.

His awareness quietly extended into Shu Li’s bedroom.

There, he ”saw” the Little Fairy sitting cross-legged on his bed, painstakingly sewing his magical robe back together.

A faint smile appeared on the Elven King’s handsome face.