Chapter 141: Confessing to a Friend.

What was going on?

Why were his three friends sleeping in a row beneath the mother tree?

They had even cleverly chosen a hollow among the roots to shelter themselves from the night wind. Wrapped in soft blankets, they had left only their three fair, tender little faces exposed.

Countless question marks seemed to pop up over Shu Li’s head.

Lights were still burning in three of the courtyard’s rooms, yet the Little Fairies were fast asleep beneath the mother tree. No matter how he looked at it, something was strange.

Shu Li fluttered his wings and gently landed before his three friends, blinking in confusion.

Could it be... that they had seen through his lie about going to study in the Elven King’s room? Had they secretly followed him and witnessed him entering the mother tree’s trunk?

Why else would they curl up in a hollow between the roots instead of sleeping in their perfectly good beds?

Clearly, they had fallen asleep while waiting for him.

Once Shu Li recovered from his surprise, he did not know whether to laugh or sigh.

That sly little Angel must have noticed something unusual about him in the early hours of the morning. Yet throughout the day, he had behaved as though nothing had happened, lulling Shu Li into lowering his guard.

Who would have thought he had been waiting here to catch him in the act?

Shu Li was not angry or embarrassed that his secret had been discovered. Instead, he felt guilty for making his friends worry.

They were his closest friends, the brothers who had accompanied and supported him ever since he arrived in this other world.

In fact, it was precisely because he had them by his side that he had never felt lonely or isolated.

They trusted him completely and always put him first. From innocent, ignorant cubs, they had grown into sensible and courteous young Fairies, offering one another the sincerest friendship along the way.

Siet and Aisha often marveled at how different this generation of Little Fairies was, but the truth was that they had been influenced by him. From his speech and behavior to his values and ideas, they had unconsciously imitated and learned from him.

Once Shu Li realized this, he began leading by example. He did his best to guide them in the right direction, remaining positive, optimistic, and cheerful while bravely confronting every challenge and difficulty so that the Little Fairies could grow up strong and healthy.

As they grew older, the Little Fairies gradually began displaying their own distinctive traits. Each developed ideas of his own, started pursuing greater ambitions, and strove to show the best version of himself. They were becoming increasingly mature.

Shu Li was delighted by their changes and hoped they would one day become companions who could fight alongside him.

That was especially true of the three Little Fairies before him. He shared a particular affinity with them.

In life, having even a few friends who trusted and supported one another and treated each other with complete sincerity was enough.

Shu Li’s gaze softened. He moved closer and planted a kiss on each Little Fairy’s cheek.

The kiss roused Angel. He opened his eyes blearily and, by the bright moonlight, recognized the blond Little Fairy before him as Sperien—the very person they had spent half the night waiting for.

He instantly became wide awake, threw his arms around Shu Li, and rubbed his face vigorously against him.

“Sperien! You’re back! Thank goodness!”

Angel cried out in delight.

His shout woke Dixio and Budno from their sleep as well. They abruptly threw off their little blankets and looked around.

“Sperien’s back? Where? Where is he?”

The moment they saw Shu Li trapped in Angel’s arms and being enthusiastically nuzzled, they immediately pounced on him and began clamoring.

“Sperien, you’re finally back! We were worried sick!”

“That’s right! The mother tree suddenly ate you! I was terrified!”

Surrounded and hugged by all three Little Fairies, Shu Li’s cheeks were rubbed red. Hearing their words, he guiltily patted their backs to reassure them.

“I’m fine, so don’t worry. The mother tree didn’t eat me. And keep your voices down, or you’ll wake the Elves.”

At his reminder, the three Little Fairies immediately fell silent and released him.

Having regained his freedom, Shu Li straightened the hooded cloak they had nearly rubbed right off him.

Angel instantly spotted the sunstone protective equipment he was wearing, and his mouth fell slightly open.

So he had not been mistaken in the early hours of the morning. The circlet Sperien had been wearing really was set with a sunstone!

After fixing his cloak, Shu Li looked at his three anxious friends and asked, “First, tell me what you’re doing. Why were you sleeping out here?”

Dixio sniffed and told him the truth. “Angel said you were acting strangely, as though you were hiding something from us.”

Budno nodded repeatedly. “I clearly saw the king and Ilio walking toward the library tonight! They weren’t in the king’s room at all!”

Angel pointed at his circlet. “I saw your sunstone circlet last night.”

Shu Li touched the circlet and stared at them in astonishment.

He had thought his excuse was flawless and would allow him to deceive everyone. Who could have imagined it was riddled with holes?

Sure enough, one could never count on sheer luck.

“...So you secretly followed me?” Shu Li lowered his hand and asked helplessly.

His sensory range was limited. As long as his friends concealed their presence and maintained a safe distance, he would never notice them.

“Mm-hmm!”

The three Little Fairies nodded in perfect unison, then began speaking over one another.

“The mother tree suddenly ate you! You gave us such a fright!”

“Did the mother tree force you into an unfair contract?”

“You’re wearing advanced protective equipment. Did you go somewhere dangerous?”

“We were so worried that we stayed here waiting for you.”

“But you didn’t come back for ages.”

“And while we were waiting... we fell asleep...”

Shu Li looked at their drooping pointed ears and could not suppress a smile.

Only the attentive Angel would have remembered to cover them with little blankets after they fell asleep.

He embraced all three friends and said sincerely, “Thank you!”

“You don’t have to thank us! Just hurry up and tell us what’s going on!” Dixio asked anxiously.

Budno and Angel also gazed at him with expectant faces.

Under the stare of three pairs of pure, sparkling eyes, Shu Li sighed inwardly and decided to confess.

However—

“Do we have to stand out here while we talk?”

As he spoke, he pulled his cloak more tightly around himself.

Nights in the Elven Kingdom were still a little chilly.

Angel immediately picked up a small blanket and draped it over him. “Let’s go back to our room and talk.”

Shu Li hugged the soft, warm blanket around himself. “Let’s go to my room instead!”

“Yay!”

The four Little Fairies quickly flapped their softly glowing wings and flew toward Shu Li’s room, slipping inside through the narrow gap in the window.

Angel stared at the partly open window in realization.

No wonder Sperien always returned without making a sound. So this was how he got back inside.

Shu Li switched on the magic stone lamp, filling the room with light.

Impatient as ever, Dixio circled around him. “Sperien, can you tell us now?”

“First, go back to your rooms, wash up, and turn off the lights,” Shu Li said. “Then come back here, and we can lie in bed while we talk.”

“All right...”

The three Little Fairies hurriedly left Shu Li’s room.

Shu Li used the opportunity to wash up in the bathroom and change into a comfortable, loose-fitting night robe. By the time he finished getting ready, his friends had returned.

Each of them was freshly scrubbed, fair and tender, with a faint floral fragrance clinging to him. Budno held his beloved little pillow in his arms and threw himself onto Shu Li’s bed, rolling around in the soft covers.

“Sperien, hurry up and tell us! I can’t wait any longer!”

Shu Li shut the door and dimmed the magic stone lamp, bathing the room in a warm, cozy glow.

The four Little Fairies lay together beneath the covers and began their late-night conversation.

“Hmm, where should I begin?” Shu Li gathered his thoughts. “It’s a rather long story.”

“The longer, the better! I love long stories!” Budno exclaimed excitedly.

“All right! It began fifteen years ago...” Shu Li had barely started when Dixio cried out in surprise.

“Fifteen years ago? We had only just been born!”

Shu Li stared at him.

Angel covered Dixio’s mouth. “Don’t interrupt!”

“Mmph! Mmph!” Dixio struggled. Angel had covered his nose as well, leaving him unable to breathe.

Seeing this, Angel hurriedly released him.

Dixio stuck out his tongue and panted like a puppy.

Budno furtively took some snacks from his storage ring, intending to eat while he listened. Shu Li noticed and pressed his hand down, saying sternly, “How many times have I told you? No snacks before bed.”

A Fairy’s teeth might grow back after being pulled out, but cavities still hurt.

“Fine!” Budno reluctantly put his snacks away.

Once his friends had all settled down, Shu Li officially began his story. He told them how, when he first came to the Elven Kingdom, the delirious mother tree had lured him into letting her drink his blood and forming a contract with her. Then he explained how she later transported him to Dark Elf territory, where he learned silent purification magic and began purifying the mother tree’s branch in Vanaku.

His friends listened in stunned disbelief, their mouths hanging open and entirely forgotten.

Shu Li went on to tell them about stealing the fruits and working with the Dark Elf Efit.

The story really was long. His mouth became so dry from talking that he had to get out of bed halfway through and boil a pot of water. After quenching his thirst, he continued his vivid account.

By the time he finished, it was already two or three in the morning.

His friends were not the least bit sleepy. On the contrary, they were so excited they were practically ready to start dancing on the bed.

“Sperien, you’re so, so, so, so amazing!”

“I knew Sperien was the bravest!”

“That’s incredible! You purified the mother tree and restored her vitality, and you even stole the fruits back from the Dark Elves!”

“But... I think the mother tree is a tiny bit bad. She tricked you into forming a contract with her!”

“Exactly! And you have to keep going to Dark Elf territory to purify her branch. Isn’t that basically another form of enslavement?”

The three Little Fairies looked at Shu Li worriedly.

“It isn’t enslavement.” Shu Li waved his hand, then tilted his head and thought for a moment. “I want to become a hero. Helping the mother tree is the same as helping myself.”

“A hero?” Question marks appeared in his friends’ eyes.

“That’s right!” Shu Li sat cross-legged and spoke solemnly. “Although the War of the Gods sealed away the God of Darkness ten thousand years ago, my conversations with the mother tree have convinced me that he will return.

“When that happens, the continent will once again be plunged into war. As children of the Light God, the Elves and Fairies have a responsibility and duty to fight for the Light God. We must seal the God of Darkness away again and restore peace to the land.

“We have to become stronger as quickly as possible so we can support the king!

“The mother tree was corrupted by the power of darkness and nearly lost her true nature. Since I have the power to purify her and the fruits, I have to do everything I can to help her.

“Besides, the mother tree helped me learn silent magic!”

Shu Li raised an arm and flexed his biceps.

He told them only about purifying the mother tree. For the moment, he kept his journey into the desert a secret.

His words stirred the three Little Fairies’ blood. They excitedly clasped his hands.

“Sperien, we want to be heroes too!”

A steadfast light shone in their clear eyes, as though a blazing, radiant flame had ignited within them.

Heroes! Heroes! Heroes!

They would grow stronger alongside Sperien, become mighty heroes, defeat the God of Darkness, and save the world!

Having successfully ignited his friends’ inner fantasy heroes, Shu Li felt his own blood begin to boil.

“Brave Sperien—”

Dixio sprang to his feet, raised his right hand with one finger held aloft like a sword, and opened his mouth to sing. Shu Li reacted instantly, pouncing on him and clapping a hand over his mouth.

What kind of lunatic started singing in the middle of the night?

Unfortunately, silencing one did nothing about the other two.

“Brave Sperien fears no danger...”

Helpless, Shu Li raised a hand in a gesture for silence.

“Shh, shh, shh! If you sing in the middle of the night, the Elves will come over and spank you!”

At the threat of being spanked, all three Little Fairies immediately fell silent.

Shu Li let out a long breath, crawled beneath the covers, and urged them, “It’s very late. Let’s hurry up and sleep.”

“I can’t sleep.” Dixio puffed out his cheeks.

They had already napped beneath the tree. After hearing Sperien’s story about the mother tree, their minds were now filled with thoughts of being heroes, leaving them with no desire to sleep whatsoever.

“I can’t sleep either,” Angel said.

“Sperien, tell us more! I still want to listen!” Budno rubbed against Shu Li.

Shu Li had been busy all night and had just talked himself hoarse telling them the story. He was already exhausted. He tugged up the covers and closed his eyes.

“If you want to become heroes, you must first learn to go to bed early, get up early, and develop good habits.”

There were only a few hours left before dawn, but they still needed to sleep.

He only hoped Sayah would not come to wake them in the morning.

Seeing that he was genuinely tired, the three Little Fairies obediently quieted down, switched off the magic stone lamp, and nestled beside him to sleep.

They tossed and turned for a while before drowsiness finally swept over them and they gradually drifted into dreamland.

Moonlight spilled into the room, carpeting the floor in silver frost.

The four Little Fairies lay sprawled across the enormous bed in complete disarray. The Elven King suddenly appeared beside them, gazed down at them for a moment, then extended a finger and carefully tucked the blankets around them.