Chapter 153: Searching for the Elf King.

How could the mother tree fail to notice the Elven King’s weakened state?

“Freyus, did you use the power of your soul?”

Could Sperien have encountered danger while exploring the underground palace?

Yet when he returned with the fire spirit and the fire dragon lizard, he had been completely unharmed. While recounting his adventure to her, he had never mentioned facing any danger.

Wait—

The mother tree suddenly remembered that the little flower crown on Sperien’s head had been in its true form.

As the Little Fairy grew older, he had begun to find the flower crown too conspicuous, so he transformed it into a different accessory every day. She remembered that before Sperien entered the underground palace, the crown had taken the form of a silver hair clip.

She had grown frantic after waiting so long. When the Little Fairy finally returned, she had been so delighted that she failed to notice the flower crown’s appearance.

Clearly, Sperien had concealed something from her.

Now that she saw the Elven King suffering a backlash from the power of his soul, the mother tree understood what had happened.

Sperien’s life had been threatened during his exploration. To protect him, the little flower crown had revealed its true form and summoned the Elven King.

However, the underground palace lay an immense distance from the Elven Kingdom. To reach Sperien as quickly as possible, the Elven King could only use the power of his soul to cross the void.

That power was useful, but its backlash brought excruciating pain. It was like a razor-sharp blade slicing through him again and again, mercilessly tearing him apart until pain consumed every part of his body. There was no way to ease it. He could only endure through sheer force of will.

In other words, from the moment Sperien left the underground palace until he finished stealing the fruit in Vanaku, the Elven King had been suffering from the backlash all along.

“Freyus...you...”

The mother tree did not know how to comfort him. Some forms of suffering could not be shared. He could only endure it by himself.

The Elven King cast a cleansing spell on himself, restoring his fresh appearance. Even the wrinkles in his clothing vanished.

Rising to his feet, he said calmly, “I encountered Miloga.”

“Miloga...the God of Darkness?” the mother tree asked in astonishment. “How could that be? We did not encounter him during our previous journey into the underground palace...”

No wonder the king had been forced to use the power of his soul.

The Elven King stood before the window and gazed up at the moon in the night sky. Bathed in its silvery radiance, his sculpted features appeared even more striking and sacred.

“His true body remains in hell. What appeared was only a fragment of his consciousness.”

The mother tree frowned slightly.

“It seems...I must accelerate the purification.”

But that would also increase the danger Sperien faced.

“There is no need.” The Elven King withdrew his gaze, turned from the window, and walked toward the door. “Let everything proceed naturally.”

The mother tree watched his retreating figure in silence.

There was nothing they could do but allow events to take their natural course.

The night was quiet.

Shu Li slept soundly and awoke at precisely eight in the morning.

Looking at the hourglass clock beside his bed, he scratched his sleep-tousled hair. He had gone to bed physically and mentally exhausted, yet he had slept surprisingly well. His internal clock had awakened him right on time.

He threw off the covers, flapped his wings, and prepared to wash up in the bathroom when he suddenly spotted a round ball at the foot of his bed.

Huh—

Falm?

What was he doing on Shu Li’s bed?

Shu Li looked down at the back of his hand, his face filled with suspicion.

The little magical beast could leave on his own without Shu Li’s permission?

Then where was the fire spirit?

Had he also left the Fire God’s mark?

When had that happened? Shu Li had slept so deeply that he had noticed nothing.

He flew over to the little magical beast. Falm was sleeping so sweetly that drool had soaked the bedsheet beneath his mouth. A vein throbbed in Shu Li’s forehead as his patience snapped.

“Falm!”

He shouted directly into the little magical beast’s ear.

Falm jolted awake and sprang into the air, beating his batlike wings as he looked around in alarm.

“Who? Who called me?”

Shu Li folded his arms and hovered in midair, silently watching the miserable performance.

When no one answered, Falm called out a few more times before even he grew bored with the act. His golden eyes darted around guiltily before he finally faced the Little Fairy.

“G-Good morning! Ha ha...” He waved one short, chubby forelimb.

“Good morning.” Shu Li smiled radiantly. “Did you sleep well?”

“Very well! Wonderfully well!” Falm nodded in satisfaction.

The bed was so soft, and the blankets smelled wonderful. It was incomparably more comfortable than the cold, hard floor of the underground palace.

“Is that so?” Pointing at the suspicious wet patch on the sheet, Shu Li demanded, “That’s your drool, isn’t it?”

“Uh!”

Falm blinked innocently, unsure where to put his stubby forelimbs.

“Find a way to clean it up before I finish washing,” Shu Li ordered.

He released his core power, enlarged his body, and entered the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Hearing water running inside, Falm stared at the wet patch on the blanket and flicked his tail thoughtfully. Then he opened his mouth and breathed out a small flame, intending to dry the blanket with its heat.

Unfortunately, at his level, there was little difference between a small flame and a large one. The moment the fire left his mouth, the blanket caught alight.

Startled, Falm extinguished his breath and leaped onto the blanket. He rolled across it several times, trying to smother the flames.

Halfway through brushing his teeth, Shu Li smelled something burning. He wrinkled his nose in confusion and followed the odor out of the bathroom.

The sight of the burning blanket nearly made him jump out of his skin. Still holding his toothbrush, he hurriedly recited a water-ball spell, spraying foam from his mouth as he spoke.

A huge ball of water crashed onto the bed, extinguishing the flames—and drenching Falm in the process.

Shu Li stood frozen in the bathroom doorway, staring tearfully at the smoking bed.

He was doomed!

Sayah was going to kill him!

Boohoohoo—

Sayah might be gentle and friendly, but she was extremely strict about the Little Fairies’ living habits. Once they became capable of caring for themselves, she stopped cleaning their rooms for them. She still came to inspect them every day, however. If their rooms were not clean enough or they damaged anything, she would smile sweetly while assigning them the most exhausting and strenuous chores.

Clutching his cheeks, Shu Li could already envision himself being sent to the pasture to clean up deer-cow manure.

Oh, no!

What infuriated him even more was that the culprit merely stared at him with wide, innocent eyes, seemingly unaware that he had done anything wrong.

“Well...I was only trying to dry the blanket with fire. I just lost control of the flames. Ha ha—”

Falm bared a row of sharp teeth in embarrassment.

Shu Li sighed, realizing that he was partly to blame.

He should never have expected a magical beast that had spent ten thousand years inside an underground palace to handle such a task.

Dejected, Shu Li returned to the bathroom and quickly finished washing. He tied his hair, transformed the little flower crown into a hair clip, then returned to the bed, took out his magic staff, and began casting spells of various elements to salvage the soaked and scorched bedding.

He alternated between wood, water, and wind magic, leaving Falm wide-eyed with astonishment.

The Little Fairy could use multiple elements of magic?

Amazing!

More than ten minutes later, Shu Li lowered his magic staff and temporarily declared the work finished.

Apart from several large holes burned through the blanket, which could not be repaired, everything had been restored to its original condition. Even the smoke stains at the foot of the bed were gone.

He found a fresh blanket in the room’s cabinet, replaced the damaged one, then stuffed the burned blanket into his storage ring to destroy the evidence.

Excellent. Not a single flaw remained.

Shu Li dusted off his hands and looked at the little magical beast sitting bored on the headboard, tapping his foreclaws together. His head began to ache.

How was he supposed to explain Falm’s origins to his friends and the Elves?

“Go back into the Fire God’s mark for now.” He raised his right hand.

“Why?” Falm asked.

He had finally escaped the underground palace. Of course he wanted to roam around and play. Why would he willingly sit inside the Fire God’s mark with nothing to do?

“Once I return to the Faerie Forest, I’ll let you out. Then you can go wherever you want, and I promise I won’t stop you.” Shu Li pointed at the bed and raised an eyebrow.

Knowing he was at fault, Falm dawdled for a while before turning into a streak of light and slipping into the flame-shaped sigil.

Shu Li watched the sigil disappear, straightened his freshly changed robes, and prepared to leave.

If he was lucky, he might encounter the Elven King in the dining hall.

He opened his door and stepped into the corridor. His friends’ doors were still tightly shut, so they were probably asleep.

They had stayed up too late waiting for him last night. It was only natural that they could not get up yet.

Shu Li lightened his steps and hurried toward the dining hall. Every Elf he encountered along the way greeted him warmly.

“Good morning!”

Shu Li answered each of them in turn, though he could not shake the feeling that the Elves were looking at him with unusual intensity today. Some even reached out to pat his head.

Naturally, he dodged them.

He had finally managed to arrange his hair properly. He could not let them mess it up.

The moment he entered the dining hall, he looked around. When he failed to find the Elven King, disappointment covered his face.

“Good morning, Sperien. Are you hungry?” Sayah placed a lavish breakfast on the table. “Hurry and eat!”

“Oh, all right. Thank you.”

Shu Li sat down, wiped his hands with a cloth, and picked up a fruit.

“Sayah, has the king already eaten breakfast?”

Sayah smiled. “He finished an hour ago.”

“Oh.”

Shu Li bit resentfully into the tender, juicy fruit. He really had woken up too late. He had missed the king’s mealtime entirely.

“By the way, where are Angel and the others?” Sayah asked.

“Uh...they studied too late last night, so they’re still asleep...” Shu Li covered for his friends.

“Is that so?” Sayah blinked.

Shu Li blinked back.

In truth, he was certain Sayah knew what had happened last night. They both understood perfectly well, but since she did not expose him, he would not admit anything either.

Sayah pursed her lips in amusement and offered him a hint.

“The king should have gone to see Danlov.”

Today was the Saint Mage’s third day of meditation. Whether he could become a Mage God would depend upon today’s result.

“Thank you!”

Shu Li grabbed another fruit and began eating with both hands, greatly accelerating his pace.

After finishing breakfast, he wiped his mouth and left the dining hall in satisfaction, hurrying toward the library.

Ilio spotted the Little Fairy rushing past him. Reaching out one long arm, he caught Shu Li by the cloak and lifted him slightly, leaving him dangling in midair.

“Hey! Ilio, let me go!” Shu Li kicked his suspended legs.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Ilio lowered him and fixed him with his bright blue eyes.

“To the library!” Shu Li straightened his cloak. “Isn’t this Danlov’s third day of meditation? I want to see how it went.”

Naturally, he did not mention his true purpose.

“Are you going to the library too?” he asked.

“That’s right.” Ilio took the opportunity to instruct the Little Fairy. “No matter how urgent the situation, a Child of Light must never lose his elegance.”

“Oh...”

Shu Li drew a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Then he made an inviting gesture.

“Let’s go together!”

Ilio smiled and walked at an unhurried pace beside the Little Fairy.

Along the way, they encountered numerous Elves who were also heading to the library to see Danlov.

The first human Mage God in ten thousand years was worthy of admiration.

Shu Li appeared calm, but inwardly he was frantic. When they finally reached the library, he discovered a row of Elves standing inside.

He rose onto his toes and peered around.

There were many blond Elves, but none of them was the Elven King.

Refusing to give up, he entered and carefully surveyed the room. Still, he found no sign of the king.

“Sperien!”

Hearing Danlov’s friendly call, Shu Li turned toward the newly ascended Mage God, who was surrounded by Elves offering their congratulations.

Three days of meditation had not left Danlov looking haggard. On the contrary, he appeared radiant, and a sacred presence suffused his entire body. Even his appearance had changed, making him look younger and more handsome.

Shu Li approached and saluted him.

“Danlov, congratulations on becoming a Mage God.”

Danlov inclined his head in return and smiled kindly.

“I must thank you for helping me break through my bottleneck and advance.”

Shu Li froze.

“Thank me?”

He had not done anything. At most, he had listened while Danlov recounted his former glory.

“Yes,” Danlov said. “Thanks to you four Little Fairies, I rediscovered the conviction I possessed at the beginning.”

When Danlov had left the Faerie Forest and entered the Human World, he had been filled with ambition. He had resolved to accomplish great things and help relieve the Elven King of his burdens.

Yet that conviction had gradually faded over the long years. He spoke grandly, but in truth, he had grown content with his circumstances and ceased moving forward. His fighting spirit had disappeared long ago.

While teaching the Little Fairies, he had recalled the details of his past and remembered the ideals he once possessed. That had led him to reflect upon himself.

That lesson had clearly been intended for him as much as for them.

Once he understood himself and saw the truth clearly, his bottleneck collapsed on its own. His state of mind changed, and his rank advanced naturally.

At that moment, Danlov finally understood the Elven King’s intentions.

By leaving behind the clamor of the mortal world, enjoying the tranquility of nature, relaxing his body, and listening to his heart, he had rediscovered his true self.

Fairies and Elves truly were Children of Light—innocent, perceptive, and the most beautiful beings in the world.

Danlov placed his right hand over his chest and once again thanked the Little Fairy.

Being thanked by the world’s only human Mage God left Shu Li overwhelmed by the honor. He waved his hands repeatedly.

“There’s no need to thank me! Really, there isn’t! I didn’t do anything—”

The surrounding Elves smiled kindly. Ilio placed a hand on the thoroughly uncomfortable Little Fairy.

“There is no need to be nervous. Gracefully accepting another person’s gratitude is also a form of courtesy.”

Shu Li steadied himself and stopped refusing.

After Danlov finished thanking him, Shu Li hesitantly said, “If you insist on thanking me, then...could you write a letter recommending someone to a magic academy?”

Danlov agreed readily. “Of course.”

Unless he remembered incorrectly, the little fellow already possessed one recommendation letter.

Shu Li beamed.

“Wonderful! The person’s name is Kumandi. He’s a Senior wind magic instructor.”

This was a rare opportunity. If Shu Li obtained a recommendation from a Mage God for his quiet genius of a friend, Kumandi would face far fewer obstacles when he left to gain experience.

Danlov looked surprised.

The recommendation was not for Shu Li himself?

“Would it be all right if I wrote it later?” Danlov asked.

“No problem!” Shu Li nodded. “By the way...is the king not here?”

Sayah had said the king was in the library. Shu Li had searched everywhere, yet a whole crowd of Elves had come while the king alone was nowhere to be seen.

Should the king not have come to congratulate his eldest disciple upon becoming a Mage God?

“Teacher was here a moment ago,” Danlov said. “But something came up, and he left before you arrived.”

Shu Li’s cheeks puffed out involuntarily.

He was one step too late again!

“Did he say where he was going?” Shu Li asked.

Danlov shook his head. “No.”

Shu Li turned to the other Elves.

“Do any of you know?”

They all said they did not.

Shu Li’s face immediately crumpled with worry. If he could not find the king, how was he supposed to ask his questions?

Ilio flicked the Little Fairy’s forehead.

“What is it? Do you have urgent business with the king?”

Covering his forehead, Shu Li glared faintly at him.

“Yes. It’s extremely important.”

Ilio’s lips curved into a smile.

“Perhaps he’s in the Elven cubs’ courtyard. I heard the mother tree grew an enormous fruit today, and everyone went to see it.”

“What?”

Shu Li stared at him in shock.

There had been no one in the courtyard when he woke up!

Unable to wait any longer, Shu Li said a quick farewell to Danlov and the Elves, then hurried out of the library. Finding walking too slow, he unfurled his wings and flew toward the Elven cubs’ courtyard.

Galot glanced at Ilio.

“No wonder the Little Fairies try to hide whenever they see you.”

If Ilio kept teasing children, every Little Fairy would eventually come to despise him.

Ilio spread his hands.

“I didn’t lie to him. The king really did go to see the mother tree’s new fruit.”

It had merely happened two hours ago.

Galot shook his head helplessly.

Shu Li flew to the mother tree’s courtyard as quickly as possible. Sure enough, numerous Elves stood before the tree, pointing at Fruit No. 3 and discussing it animatedly.

Angel, Disio, and Budno had probably been awakened by the commotion. They were circling Fruit No. 3 without pause.

Shu Li folded his wings and landed lightly on the ground. He looked around, searching for the Elven King.

To his renewed disappointment, the Elven King still was not there!

“How did the mother tree suddenly grow such a large fruit?” an Elf beside him asked, seemingly speaking for Shu Li’s benefit.

“That’s right. Why would a newly grown fruit be as large as one that has developed for forty years?”

“Could something have gone wrong?”

“The other seven fruits are developing normally.”

“Even this one’s color looks wrong.”

“Exactly. A normal fruit should be pale green, but this one...isn’t it grayish blue?”

Shu Li’s eyes widened in alarm, and he looked up at Fruit No. 3.

Oh, no!

He had forgotten to remove the pigment from its surface!

“Maybe...maybe it was stained by something?” Shu Li suggested guiltily.

He squeezed his way closer to Fruit No. 3 and called to his friends clinging to its surface.

“Angel! Move aside for a moment.”

The three Little Fairies were delighted to hear the familiar voice and immediately flew down.

“Sperien, you’re back?”

They had been sleeping soundly when the noise in the courtyard awakened them. Upon reaching the window, their drowsiness had vanished completely. More than a hundred Elves were standing in the courtyard!

Remembering how hard Sperien had worked to steal Fruit No. 3 last night, they had skipped breakfast and flown straight outside to see it.

Fruit No. 3 was enormous. No wonder Sperien had returned so late. He must have encountered a difficult problem while transferring it.

“Mm-hmm. I ate breakfast and also congratulated Danlov on becoming a Mage God.” Shu Li took out his magic staff. “You should go congratulate him later too!”

“All right!”

The three friends were delighted that Danlov had become a Mage God.

Shu Li raised his magic staff, aimed it at Fruit No. 3, and recited several water spells. A few seconds later, a stream of water spiraled around the fruit several times. In an instant, the grayish-blue color washed away, revealing the fresh green skin beneath.

The water dispersed. Shu Li put away his magic staff and addressed the assembled Elves with remarkable composure.

“See? It really was accidentally stained with some strange pigment.”

The Elves who knew the truth fell silent.

More than a hundred pairs of eyes fixed upon Shu Li. With shameless confidence, he flashed them a toothy grin.

“Hehehe—”

Anyway...anyway, they all knew that he went out every night to steal fruits. As long as no one tore away that final veil, they could all continue pretending!

His three friends, unaware of the truth, followed his lead and giggled along.

The Elves could no longer suppress their laughter. The one standing beside Shu Li suddenly wrapped an arm around his neck and vigorously ruffled his hair.

“Beautifully done!”

After being thoroughly tousled, Shu Li tried to run. Before he could escape, the other Elves surged forward and began passing him from one pair of hands to another. One ruffled him, then another, creating a scene of joyous chaos.

The Elves who could not get their hands on him turned their attention to the three smaller Little Fairies.

Angel, Disio, and Budno fell victim to their “clutches” and were nearly petted bald.

By the time Shu Li escaped the courtyard, more than ten minutes had passed. His three friends were still trapped in the Elves’ hands. Shu Li wanted to save them, but there was nothing he could do.

Well...his good brothers could hold the line for him!

Hunched over, he crept away from the scene. Only after putting some distance between himself and the courtyard did he straighten up and release a long breath. As he fixed his clothing and hair, he pondered where the Elven King could possibly be.

Suddenly, he spotted a red-haired Elf approaching and waved.

“Sayah! Are you here to see the new fruit too?”

Sayah’s eyes brightened, and a smile spread across her face.

“Yes. I heard the mother tree grew an exceptionally large fruit.”

“Oh, yes. I just saw it.” Shu Li spoke as if the thought had only just occurred to him. “The mother tree must have spent a very long time nurturing it for it to grow so large. I suppose the Elves will have a cub before long!”

Sayah regarded him tenderly and reached out to straighten his crooked circlet.

“Perhaps the mother tree sensed you Little Fairies living in the cubs’ courtyard and became pregnant. Maybe she wants to give birth to a group of Elf cubs to keep you company.”

“M-Maybe?”

Shu Li stared at Sayah in admiration. He had never imagined she would invent such an extraordinary explanation for him.

“By the way, the king wasn’t in the library. I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find him.”

Seeing the Little Fairy’s troubled frown, Sayah patted his shoulder reassuringly.

“On my way here, I encountered Daigmon returning from patrol. He said he saw the king riding a unicorn toward the Amitai Mountains.”

“The Amitai Mountains!” Shu Li exclaimed.

The Amitai Mountains lay in the southern part of the Elven Kingdom near the Sea of Saint Bash. The vast mountain range stretched endlessly into the distance, making it extremely difficult to find anyone there.

However, the Amitai Mountains contained a group of hot springs imbued with mysterious power. Their waters could nourish the skin, relieve fatigue, soothe injuries, and replenish one’s energy and vitality. The Elves often visited them to bathe.

Had the king gone alone to the Amitai Mountains early in the morning just to soak in the hot springs?

Shu Li scratched his head anxiously.

Could the king be deliberately avoiding him? Why else would Shu Li arrive one step too late at every place he searched?

No. How could he suspect the king of such a thing?

Shu Li shook his head vigorously, throwing the thought from his mind.

“I...I’ll be going now.”

After bidding Sayah farewell, he beat his wings and soared into the sky, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

Sayah remained where she was, watching the direction in which he had vanished with an amused smile.

Finding his natural flight speed too slow, Shu Li added both wind and light magic, streaking toward the Amitai Mountains like a bolt of lightning.

The moment he left the Elven city, Falm’s voice sounded in his mind.

“Sperien, Sperien! Let me out so I can carry you!”

Falm felt stifled inside the Fire God’s mark.

There was nothing to eat and nowhere to play. It was unbearably boring.

Sharo had been taken away by the wood spirit yesterday and still had not returned. Staying there all by himself was no fun at all!

When he heard that the Little Fairy was heading for the Amitai Mountains, he immediately became excited.

The Amitai Mountains were perfect! Once there, he could run through the wilderness, hunt, and amuse himself to his heart’s content.

Shu Li hesitated briefly before agreeing.

A streak of red light instantly emerged from the back of his right hand. First, a round little beast appeared. In the next moment, Falm’s body expanded into that of a gigantic creature.

Shu Li was nearly blown away by the fire dragon lizard’s enormous wings.

Falm descended, wheeled around, and successfully scooped Shu Li onto his back before flying enthusiastically toward the Amitai Mountains.

Standing atop the fire dragon lizard’s broad back, Shu Li gazed into the distance.

Eager to play, Falm flew extremely fast. It took him only two or three minutes to reach their destination.

Shu Li directed him toward the hot springs.

The passage of a high-ranking magical beast brought with it a tremendous presence and terrifying pressure. The native magical beasts of the Amitai Mountains panicked and fled in every direction.

Black lines seemed to cover Shu Li’s forehead. He stamped his foot and told the fire dragon lizard to restrain himself.

Falm howled reluctantly and suppressed his pressure. Upon reaching the vicinity of the hot springs, he suddenly plunged downward and struck the ground with a boom, nearly throwing the Little Fairy from his back.

Shu Li steadied himself and jumped down. After warning the fire dragon lizard not to get too carried away, he turned toward the hot springs.

Falm nodded repeatedly. The instant Shu Li’s back was turned, he eagerly slipped away.

The hot springs of the Amitai Mountains were a gift from nature. In addition to the beautiful scenery, an ancient and elegant palace stood among them. Hot spring water had been channeled into the palace to create a vast bathing pool, and the reserved Elves preferred to bathe there.

Shu Li followed a secluded path until he reached the small plaza before the palace. He climbed more than twenty steps and finally entered the building.

Warm vapor from the springs filled the palace with mist, making it resemble an ethereal paradise and obscuring the furnishings within.

Following his memory, Shu Li walked toward the hot spring pool.

Suddenly, he heard the splash of water.

He froze, then instinctively darted aside and hid behind a stone pillar.

A figure was moving in the pool.

Shu Li’s heart leaped with joy.

There could be no mistake. It had to be the Elven King!

Wonderful! He had finally found him!