I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Finally, Underwear!

Shu Li, his face flushed crimson, led Siet back to his Flower Bed.

He was truly exasperated with his own mouth and tongue! His mind had clearly been thinking “Siet,” but the word that came out was “floor mop.”

What crucial element was missing between “thinking” and “speaking”? Otherwise, how could the discrepancy be so vast?

Shu Li sighed inwardly, flew into the Flower Bed, picked up an insect cocoon, and handed it to Siet.

The immediate priority was to make underwear!

Siet chuckled as he accepted the cocoon, finally understanding what Sperien wanted him to help with. He had promised to help him peel the cocoons and extract the silk, but he hadn’t expected the little one to be so persistent, still remembering it after a whole morning.

Holding the cocoon, he lowered his head and asked, “I can help you process all these cocoons, but could you tell me what you’re planning to make with the silk?”

Shu Li listened to the long string of words, his green eyes filled with confusion.

What does he mean?

Does he think there are too many cocoons and doesn’t want to help?

But judging by Siet’s expression, he didn’t seem impatient.

Could he be asking about the purpose of the silk threads?

Shu Li suddenly understood.

Yes.

That must be it.

For a cub who had only recently been born to be extracting silk from so many insect cocoons was inherently strange.

But Shu Li had no choice. He desperately wanted a pair of underwear.

Being completely naked under his robe was no different from running around naked!

His eyes involuntarily drifted downward to Siet’s waist and below.

Did adult Fairies wear underwear?

The hem of Siet’s robe was long and heavily pleated, making it impossible to tell if he was wearing underwear unless he moved vigorously.

Siet noticed the cub staring at his lower body and tilted his head in confusion.

Is something wrong?

He had deliberately changed into new clothes for his teaching session at the Nursery today. The robe he wore was crafted by Julia, the renowned Fairy textile master, using top-tier materials and a novel design. Highly stretchable, it could adjust to fit various sizes and was imbued with advanced Magic, capable of withstanding attacks from a Grand Mage.

This was a high-grade magical robe.

He was confident there was nothing inappropriate about his appearance.

Yet why was the cub giving him such a peculiar look?

Siet smiled. “Little Sperien, you haven’t answered my question yet!”

Shu Li averted his gaze, his mind racing as he pondered how to clearly communicate his needs to the adult Fairy.

He glanced around and spotted a nearby flower in full bloom. Its large, thin petals were a delicate pinkish-white, arranged in multiple layers. Removing one petal wouldn’t detract from its beauty.

Spreading his wings, Shu Li darted over and swiftly plucked a petal. Under Siet’s astonished gaze, he flew back to the Flower Bed and calmly poked two holes in the petal. He then slipped his legs through the openings, carefully pinched the edges, and pulled upward.

Perfect! A makeshift pair of underwear was now in place.

Lifting the hem of his robe and holding up the petal’s edges, Shu Li boldly displayed his creation to Siet.

Why hadn’t he used the same method to explain to Aisha earlier?

Because Aisha was a girl!

As a boy himself, how could he possibly do something so embarrassing in front of a girl? That would be no different from acting like a pervert!

Siet, on the other hand, was a male Fairy—the same gender as him. With no such reservations, Shu Li felt much more comfortable.

After Shu Li finished demonstrating his underwear, he gazed at Siet with a hopeful expression.

Do you understand now? Do you know what I need?

The cub blinked his large, sparkling eyes, making Siet chuckle helplessly.

So, the little fellow wants a pair of underwear?

Newly born Fairy Cubs were naive and lacked self-care skills, so they were initially given only the simplest clothing. Underwear was considered an unnecessary luxury.

Before today, no cub had ever requested underwear, and the adult Fairies caring for them hadn’t paid special attention to it. Therefore, when Siet learned that Sperien was so determined to get a pair of underwear, he was both shocked and amused.

He truly is a unique Little Fairy.

Siet smiled warmly and nodded to Shu Li. “I’ll convey your request to Aisha.”

Seeing Siet’s nod, Shu Li let out a long sigh of relief.

Finally, I’ve communicated successfully! That was so difficult!

With a flap of his wings, Siet swiftly flew to the vine table and spoke a few words to Aisha. Aisha’s expression turned surprised as she glanced toward Shu Li’s Flower Bed.

Shu Li fought off drowsiness, anxiously peering over the edge of the Flower Bed.

He hoped Siet could persuade Aisha.

He waited and waited, his eyelids growing heavy, until Aisha finally left, leaving Siet in the Nursery to watch over the cubs.

Siet returned to Shu Li’s Flower Bed and, seeing him half-asleep, gently ruffled his golden hair.

“Good boy, go to sleep. Aisha will take care of your problem.”

Shu Li nodded groggily, his small head bobbing, unsure if he’d understood. His little body slid down, and he curled up on the flower’s pistil, instantly falling asleep.

Siet’s gaze softened. He snapped his fingers, and the Flower Petals automatically closed over the sleeping cub.

He glanced at the bulky insect cocoon taking up space in the Flower Bed and raised an eyebrow.

Shu Li slept soundly through the afternoon. As his consciousness gradually returned, he yawned and sat up, feeling refreshed.

Huh?

Why was the Flower Bed so spacious now? Where had the bulky insect cocoon gone?

He immediately searched and discovered the cocoon had vanished, replaced by four pristine white silk balls.

Curious, Shu Li picked up one of the silk balls, found the loose end, and tugged. The silk was smooth, resilient, and incredibly elastic—perfect for weaving.

Siet had taken care of the cocoon while Shu Li was napping.

What a truly wonderful person!

Shu Li mentally awarded Siet a “Good Person” card.

The Flower Bed bloomed fully, and the Fairy Cubs began to awaken one by one. At the same moment, the familiar bell rang, signaling mealtime once again.

Shu Li set down the ball of silk thread, flapped his wings, and flew to the vine table.

On the vine table, Siet held a harp. With nimble fingers, he plucked a magical melody that made the cubs pause in unison before splitting into two groups: female cubs to Aisha, male cubs to Siet. The groups stood far apart, separated by dense foliage that blocked their view of each other.

Shu Li landed in front of Siet, his heart racing as he spotted the box at his feet.

Underwear? Is it underwear? Please let it be underwear!

He gazed expectantly at Siet, cursing his inability to speak Elven. Otherwise, he would have asked immediately.

Siet chuckled at Shu Li’s eagerness. Seeing all the male cubs assembled, he stopped playing, set down the harp, and opened the box.

“Little darlings, look what we have here!” He pulled out a pristine white pair of boxer briefs.

Shu Li’s eyes lit up, and he screamed inwardly:

Aaaahhh! Underwear! It’s really underwear! Yes! I don’t have to go around naked anymore!

The other Fairy Cubs shook their heads in confusion, clueless about the purpose of this small piece of cloth.

“These are underwear,” Siet announced, singling out Shu Li. “Sperien, come here and show everyone how to wear them.”

“Yes!” Shu Li eagerly stepped forward, snatched the boxer briefs from Siet’s hand, and, before the assembled cubs, swiftly and neatly put them on.

The underwear fit perfectly—soft, comfortable, and snug against the skin—it was simply perfect.

At that moment, Shu Li felt at peace.

Red-Haired Decio and White-Haired Angele followed Shu Li’s lead without question. Whatever their “boss” had, they had to have too.

The two fairy cubs surrounded Siet, chirping and gesturing wildly for underwear.

Siet smiled warmly. “Everyone will get some, everyone will get some. Don’t rush.”

He opened the chest, where the underwear had been enchanted. One by one, the garments flew to each fairy cub.

Before long, every fairy cub was wearing underwear. They lifted their robes to show off their newly clad bottoms, proudly displaying their novelty to each other.

Shu Li’s lips twitched at the sight.

While the male cubs chattered and showed off their underwear, the female cubs, under Aisha’s guidance, had also put on their own pairs.

From that day forward, they became the first fairy cubs to wear underwear so soon after birth.

With underwear, Shu Li could finally play freely.

He could sprint across tree branches without worrying about his robe flying up, or hang upside down without fear of exposing himself.

Siet visited the Nursery daily to teach them Elven, starting with the basics of identifying objects.

Unlike human infants, fairy cubs grew at an astonishing rate. They changed visibly every day, their intelligence rapidly developing. Within a month, they had mastered everyday spoken Elven, allowing for seamless communication.

Except for Shu Li.

As the only Little Fairy blessed by the Elven King, he possessed exceptional learning abilities. He mastered self-sufficiency early on and even knew how to ask adult Fairies for things.

However, his linguistic aptitude was deeply concerning. He struggled to memorize even simple pronunciations, often needing seven or eight repetitions. He frequently mixed up the names of other cubs, spoke incoherently, and used words incorrectly, leaving his sentences utterly incomprehensible to the other Fairies.

This drove Siet to utter frustration.

Sperien was intelligent and diligent, yet his learning efficiency was bafflingly low.

Having lived for five centuries, Siet had never encountered such a contradictory young cub.

Perched on a small stool, Shu Li puffed out his cheeks, his mood gloomy.

Ever since Siet began teaching the Fairy Cubs Elven, Shu Li had poured every ounce of effort into mastering the language.

But ideals were lofty, while reality was stark.

He was, after all, a linguistic failure.

While the other Fairy Cubs were already communicating with ease, he still struggled with basic pronunciation.

His mind felt like a bucket of thick paste, his memory of vocabulary a chaotic mess. He practiced silently, convinced his pronunciation was perfect, only to stumble and mispronounce words the moment he spoke aloud.

This earned him no shortage of mockery from the other Fairy Cubs.

Every time Shu Li spoke, a mischievous Little Fairy parrot would mimic him, then burst into uproarious laughter.

Shu Li pressed his lips together, his small face tense, and repeatedly reassured himself.

I’m an adult. I shouldn’t stoop to the level of children who haven’t even grown all their teeth.

Decio and Angele, however, fiercely defended him. Anyone who dared mock their “boss” would be pounced on and beaten. Aisha and Siet quickly intervened, separating the brawling cubs, delivering stern lectures, and making them stand as punishment on tree branches.

Decio and Angele showed no remorse. If anyone dared mock Shu Li again, they’d beat them just as fiercely.

Shu Li was deeply moved.

They’re truly my best brothers!

How could I ever let them down? I must prove myself and astonish everyone!

As the old saying goes, “With enough effort, even an iron rod can be ground into a needle.”

I refuse to believe I can’t master Elven with diligent study!

Back when his family had his back, he’d been lazy, studying English sporadically and ending up with abysmal results.

But now things were different. Transmigrated to this unfamiliar Otherworld, he was utterly alone, forced to rely on himself for everything. No matter how difficult, he had to overcome every obstacle.

Despite Shu Li’s daily self-encouragement and mental preparation, his learning progress remained slow.

Just when he was about to give up, he’d catch Decio and Angele’s trusting gazes, and his fighting spirit would reignite.

To improve his learning, he asked Siet for a pen and paper.

As the saying goes, “A poor memory is better than a good pen.”

Of course, with his limited vocabulary and clumsy language skills, it took him a Herculean effort to obtain a blank notebook and a self-inking quill.

After living in the Otherworld for two months and experiencing more of its culture, he realized it was both backward and advanced. Magic served as their high technology.

Examples included the self-inking quill and the dirt-resistant, waterproof clothing with self-cleaning functions he wore.

Shu Li meticulously transcribed all the words Siet had taught him, marking each with its Chinese phonetic transcription and adding a brief explanatory note. This shortcut finally helped him avoid getting stuck so often.

However, compared to the other Fairy Cubs, the results of his efforts were negligible.

At the vine-covered table, the Fairy Cubs sat on small stools, their hands clasped behind their backs, chests puffed out, singing catchy nursery rhymes in their tender voices. Only the golden-haired cub in the front row, seated in the center, gripped a quill in his right hand, head bowed as he scribbled furiously in a small notebook.

Shu Li was writing down kong’er—using phonetically similar Chinese characters to replace the original lyrics.

Who cares what it means? First, learn how to sing it!