I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom - Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – The Ancient Divine Tree

Seeing the cubs’ confusion, Aisha patiently explained.

Fairies are herbivores, and the waste their bodies excrete serves as excellent “nutrients” for the plants and trees of the forest.

Each fairy home has a bathroom equipped with a toilet, a sewage bucket, and a trash bin.

Every three days, a dedicated fairy comes to collect the waste, transporting it to designated processing sites. There, the materials are sorted, and the useful components are sent to nourish the Divine Tree.

Shu Li pulled out his notebook and quill, scribbling notes as Aisha spoke. After she finished, he asked clarifying questions until he fully understood the process.

So that’s how it works!

He had almost imagined adult fairies collectively “fertilizing” the Divine Tree’s roots in the Nursery, just like the cubs did.

If his initial misunderstanding had been true, the scene would have been too “spectacular,” almost unbearable to witness.

Thank goodness that’s not the case!

I almost misunderstood!

At that moment, Shu Li desperately missed his home’s flushing toilet and felt genuine gratitude for the inventor of sewage systems.

Since transmigrating to this Otherworld, his quality of life had plummeted, with conveniences lacking at every turn.

Though this world possessed magic, which had created wondrous things like spatial storage pouches and magical array door locks, public amenities were severely lacking.

Perhaps this was because fairies, being close to nature, favored a more primitive way of life.

I wonder what the infrastructure is like in other parts of this continent. It must be better than in the Faerie Forest, right?

I hope so!

After introducing the Divine Tree, Aisha continued her role as “tour guide.” To accommodate Sperien, she deliberately slowed her pace and repeated important details multiple times to ensure he understood.

Shu Li was deeply moved. Clutching his notebook, he listened intently and took notes, gradually gaining insight into the fairies’ way of life.

The entire Divine Tree resembled a massive city.

In addition to residential areas for the fairies, there was a bustling commercial district with everything imaginable: general stores, weapon shops, armor shops, musical instrument shops, herbal medicine shops, food stalls, and more.

Shu Li quickly sketched a map in his notebook, marking landmarks for his somewhat directionally challenged self.

The Divine Tree was truly enormous. Even at the Fairy Cub’s flying speed, exploring the entire commercial district took half a day, leaving everyone ravenously hungry.

Aisha led the cubs to the school cafeteria.

Yes, the school cafeteria.

It turned out that all underage fairies were required to attend school.

Starting tomorrow, the cubs would officially become the youngest students at Fairy School, receiving three free meals a day in the cafeteria until graduation.

What wonderful benefits! What a harmonious society!

In the cafeteria, Shu Li saw teenage fairies who were over ten years older than them.

The Nursery produced a new batch of fairy cubs every ten years, making the previous batch a decade older than Shu Li’s group.

They’re still just kids!

The teenage fairies gathered around, intrigued by the thumb-sized cubs.

The cubs sat obediently at the long tables, waiting for Aisha and the adult fairies working in the cafeteria to serve their lavish dinner.

The meal was similar to what they ate in the Nursery: fragrant Flower Nectar, fresh fruit, sweet sauce, and baked cookies.

The cubs, whose stomachs had been growling for hours, couldn’t help but salivate at the aroma of the food.

Aisha gently shook her bell, signaling the start of the meal. The cubs immediately began eating.

A young Fairy sat at another long table, watching the cubs devour their food with gusto, and whispered to his companion.

“Did we used to eat like that when we were little?”

“I don’t know, maybe!”

“That chubby one is really going at it. The others have barely started, and he’s already halfway done.”

“Well, how else would he get so round?”

“The cubs are so cute~”

“Just wait until they’re wailing and inconsolable. Then see how cute they are.”

“Ah… never mind then!”

“Which one is Sperien?”

“Third from the left, the golden-haired cub wearing a flower crown. His eyes are green, just like the Elven King’s!”

“He eats so elegantly, not at all like the other cubs with food smeared all over their faces.”

“I heard his Elven isn’t very good. Did he even pass the basic conversational test?”

“Don’t worry. He’s still young and his intelligence hasn’t fully developed yet. He’ll improve rapidly as he gets older.”

“Exactly! A Fairy who can’t speak at least ten languages isn’t a proper Fairy.”

As Shu Li munched on his fruit, he listened attentively to the conversations around him, catching snippets of his name, the Elven King, “cub,” and “ten or more languages.”

He raised his left hand and touched the green floral crown atop his head.

With this thing, it’s impossible not to be famous.

Since childhood, Shu Li had always been a likable child with an optimistic and outgoing personality. From elementary school through high school, he was a well-known figure in his schools, primarily because he had three older brothers who were even more accomplished than him. Whenever people compared him to his brothers, he never felt inferior; instead, he took pride in their achievements.

On his very first day in the Otherworld, he received the Blessing of the Elven King, which destined him to become the center of attention.

At first, Shu Li found it a bit overwhelming, but now he carried himself with composure.

While teaching the cubs Elven, Siet would interweave fascinating legends and stories. Gradually, Shu Li learned that receiving the Blessing of the Elven King was an extraordinary honor.

The Elven King, who had lived for over ten thousand years, had blessed only a handful of individuals throughout his long existence.

For a mere Fairy Cub like himself to receive the Blessing of the Elven King was akin to unlocking a cheat code. It would allow him to learn magic with half the effort and twice the results.

How could anyone possibly complain about such a blessing?

He should be overjoyed!

As for becoming the subject of gossip at dinner tables, let it blow away with the wind!

After finishing dinner, night had fallen.

Aisha led the cubs home, instructing them to gather early the next morning in the small square to register at Fairy School together.

The cubs were bursting with excitement.

Entering the Faerie Forest, which was far more expansive than the Nursery, they marveled at the countless novelties around them, each more fascinating than the last. They clustered in small groups, chattering animatedly.

Decio and Angele each took one of Shu Li’s hands and flew him toward home, their little mouths babbling incessantly.

“The general store has so many cool things!” Angele asked, tilting his head. “Sperien, Decio, let’s go there after school tomorrow?”

Decio replied coolly, “I’m going to the weapons shop.”

He had his eye on a silver bow at the weapons shop. Even though he didn’t know how to use it yet, he wanted to own it first.

Shu Li pondered for a moment before slowly saying, “Armor shop… music shop.”

After getting underwear, he now wanted a pair of shoes.

Aisha had provided the cubs with clothes but no shoes, leaving them barefoot. Today, however, Shu Li had noticed that both adolescent and adult fairies wore shoes.

It was understandable that the cubs, with their poor self-care skills, weren’t given shoes to prevent them from losing them. But Shu Li considered himself an adult and believed he should wear shoes.

Why was he going to the music store?

As a music student, Shu Li had been listening to Siet play the harp every day, and he was itching to learn it himself.

A small fairy harp produced a sound quality even better than the million-dollar instruments in his original world.

Shu Li loved music and had decided to pursue an artistic career. From a young age, he had used only the finest instruments. On his thirteenth birthday, Father Shu bid on a violin worth five million US dollars at an international auction.

When Shu Li received the violin, he couldn’t bear to put it down, cherishing it beyond measure. After tuning it, he gently plucked the strings, and the crystal-clear tone sent shivers down his spine.

It was like the music of the heavens!

That violin remained Shu Li’s most prized possession to this day.

Now, having heard the enchanting music of the fairy harp, he finally understood what true celestial music sounded like.

Fairies and elves were not only natural linguists but also innate musicians, particularly skilled with the harp.

From Siet’s stories, Shu Li learned that there were three legendary harps on the continent: Lachesias, Mytkalle, and Undine.

The names were incredibly difficult to pronounce.

Shu Li wrote them down in his notebook and repeated them over twenty times before finally memorizing them.

After all, this was related to his field of study, and he couldn’t afford to be careless.

All three harps had been crafted by the same person: Loki.

Loki, born over ten thousand years ago, was the progenitor of the Dwarven artisans, leaving behind countless masterpieces and blueprints. With a wide range of interests and hobbies, he could craft a top-tier weapon whenever he desired.

The three harps were creations from his leisure time. Lachesias gifted one to the Elven King, Undine gave another to the Sea People, and Mytkalle was lost during the War of the Gods. It remained missing until Loki’s death, with no trace of its whereabouts ever discovered.

Shu Li listened intently to the story, feeling a pang of regret upon learning of Mytkalle’s disappearance. He couldn’t resist asking Siet in his clumsy Elven, “Has its location been found yet?”

Siet shook his head, indicating that no news had surfaced to this day.

Many speculated that Mytkalle had either been destroyed in battle or become a prized possession in some noble’s collection.

Shu Li felt a deep sense of pity for Mytkalle.

He hoped that during his future travels across the continent, he might be fortunate enough to encounter it.

But before that, he wanted to see Lachesias.

Siet explained that Lachesias resided in the Crystal City of the Elven Kingdom, where anyone could play it—provided they had the skill.

Shu Li was utterly bewildered.

What did “skill” mean in this context?

Siet gently plucked the five-stringed harp in his arms and murmured in a melodious voice, “The harps are imbued with advanced magic. Those with weak wills cannot withstand the bewitching melodies and will cough up blood and die.”

Shu Li struggled to comprehend for a long moment before finally understanding. His tender green eyes widened in shock.

Playing… playing the harp could cost you your life?

The Otherworld is so dangerous!

Shu Li hesitated, torn between fear and an irresistible urge to witness Lachesias’s power firsthand.

However, he overlooked a crucial detail.

A harp designed for an Elf to play would inevitably be enormous. As a Fairy Cub the size of a thumb, he doubted he could even pluck a string, let alone attempt to play it!

After bidding his two companions goodnight, Shu Li returned to his home.

The cottage was pitch-black, but Shu Li wasn’t worried about the darkness. Little Fairies possessed a remarkable trait: their wings glowed.

The darker the surroundings, the brighter their wings shone. With each gentle flutter, they scattered starlight like glittering dust.

As Shu Li entered, the cottage was bathed in a soft green light, revealing its simple furnishings.

Still, Shu Li preferred the electric lamp.

While packing his luggage that afternoon, Shu Li noticed an object on the table resembling a kerosene lamp, suspended by a cord. With a gentle tug, the bulbous, transparent material at its center instantly lit up.

Curious, Shu Li leaned over the table to examine this magical lamp. He discovered that the transparent material wasn’t filled with kerosene, but rather contained a beautiful, glowing crystal.

It must be some kind of consumable magic stone, he thought.

No wonder this Otherworld is so full of fantastical wonders.

Unable to sleep, Shu Li pulled out his notebooks from the small pouch at his waist.

One, two, three, four—a total of four notebooks.

The first three were completely filled with writing, while the fourth still had half its pages blank.

As for his quill pen, he had already replaced its magic core twice.

These cores were slender tubes imbued with magic. Once the magic was depleted, the core became useless.

Initially, Shu Li had believed this pen would never run out of ink. He was shocked when it stopped writing after just a month of continuous use.

He panicked.

If it doesn’t write, how am I supposed to take notes?

He stammered his way through explaining the problem to Siet, struggling to make himself understood.

After understanding his meaning, Siet chuckled and handed him a dozen magic cores.

With the major problem resolved, Shu Li breathed a sigh of relief.

He pulled up a small chair, sat at the table, opened his fourth notebook, and, under the lamplight, began writing today’s diary entry.

Yes, ever since receiving the notebooks, he had been writing in them daily, recording the day’s events in short, simple sentences.

The purpose of the diary was to remind himself where he came from, where he was going, what he had experienced, and whether he would ever make it home.

Though generally optimistic, he occasionally felt down.

He worried that the longer he lived in this otherworld and grew accustomed to its ways, the memories of his original world would gradually fade with time.

The diary was crucial—absolutely, utterly crucial!

That’s why every entry began with: “To my beloved Dad, Mom, eldest brother, second brother, and third brother, today marks my Nth day in this otherworld…”

In the quiet little cabin, the only sound was the soft scratching of his pen against the paper.