Chapter 219: Another Return to the Elf Kingdom.

While it was evening in Igya City in the Central Court, morning had just arrived in the Elven Kingdom.

Shu Li emerged from the Mother Tree's trunk. Before he could even greet the fruits, he heard a young, childish voice.

"Sperien!"

Looking down, Shu Li spotted a beautifully dressed little Elf standing beneath the tree, his tiny head tilted upward. His sky-blue eyes sparkled, making him utterly adorable.

"Islar!"

Shu Li quickly flew down and landed in front of the little Elf, greeting him with a radiant smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Islar reached out a finger and gently touched the much smaller Shu Li.

Shu Li rubbed against his fingertip, then retreated half a meter and released his innate power, instantly growing to his larger form.

Being bigger made it so much easier to cuddle the little Elf!

He spread his arms and waited for Islar to throw himself into his embrace. Once he had the little Elf in his arms, Shu Li contentedly nuzzled his soft cheeks.

Islar wrapped his arms around Shu Li's neck and exclaimed happily, "You really came back!"

"Of course! I told you yesterday that I'd come back to the Elven Kingdom today, and I always keep my promises." Shu Li picked him up and spun around twice.

Islar's cheeks turned faintly pink, his eyes fixed entirely on Shu Li.

Shu Li set him down, ruffled his hair, and asked, "Why are you here all alone? Where's Helenie?"

Helenie was the little Elf's first teacher. She followed him everywhere and practically never left his side. Had the sun risen in the west today? Why wasn't she with him?

Islar answered obediently, "Helenie went to get my breakfast."

"Huh? You haven't eaten breakfast?" Shu Li stared at him in surprise.

Islar lowered his head shyly. His little pointed ears drooped, and his toes nudged a pebble on the ground.

"I... wanted to see you sooner, so I came here to wait as soon as I got up."

"And Helenie couldn't talk you out of it, so she went to bring you breakfast instead, right?" Shu Li asked.

"Mm." Islar nodded sheepishly.

Shu Li gently pinched his tender cheek and smiled. "You can't do that next time! You have to eat breakfast before coming here. I already told you I'd come back to the Elven Kingdom every day to play with you."

So there was no need to worry that he might not come back.

Shu Li's heart ached a little for him.

While Elf cubs developed inside their fruits, they gradually gained awareness as the fruits ripened.

Before Islar had been purified and moved to safety, he had spent more than forty years developing on one of the Mother Tree's branches. During that time, he had been painfully aware of the Dark Elves' cruelty toward the cubs, leaving him deeply traumatized.

Even after being returned to the Mother Tree in the Elven Kingdom and showered with affection by the Elves, his sensitive nature left him terrified of abandonment and death.

It would take tremendous patience and love from the Elves to help him feel safe again.

"I understand," Islar answered softly.

Shu Li took his hand. "Come on. Let's go to the dining hall."

Islar followed obediently, occasionally tilting his little head up to steal a glance at Shu Li's face. Seeing that Shu Li wasn't angry, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The corners of Shu Li's mouth lifted slightly. He hadn't missed a single one of those furtive little glances.

Just as the two of them, one big and one small, walked out of the Elf cub's courtyard, the Fire God's Mark on the back of Shu Li's hand suddenly lit up. A streak of red light shot out and transformed into a chubby little magical beast.

"Ahhh, what a wonderful sleep!" Falm gave an enormous yawn and stretched his short, plump limbs.

Islar blinked and stared at him.

Shu Li grabbed one of the horns on Falm's head. "So you're finally awake?"

Before entering the Central Court, Falm had flown off to Lake Niguna to hunt on his own. After devouring a sixth-rank magical beast from the lakebed, he had curled up inside the Fire God's Mark and slept for two or three days.

Shu Li had sensed that he was digesting the sixth-rank magical beast's crystal core, so he'd let him sleep as long as he wanted. He hadn't expected him to wake up today.

Falm rubbed his belly. "I'm hungry. I want food."

He looked around, and when he recognized their surroundings, his face lit up with delight.

"Hey, this is great! We're in the Elven Kingdom! I'm going hunting in the Amitai Mountains!"

Without waiting for Shu Li to respond, he flapped his batlike wings and shot upward, growing as he flew. By the time he had transformed into a gigantic fire dragon lizard, he was already soaring toward the sky.

"Make sure you're back in two hours!"

Shu Li glared in the direction Falm had disappeared and shouted after him, though he had no idea whether the creature had heard.

What an impatient little glutton!

Helenie arrived at the Elf cub's courtyard carrying a tray of food. When she saw Shu Li standing at the entrance with Islar in tow, she asked in surprise, "Sperien, you're back?"

Shu Li looked away from the sky and smiled at her.

"That's right. And I've caught a little frog who's been skipping breakfast."

"I-I'm an Elf, not a little frog," Islar protested weakly.

Shu Li bent down and pointed at his little belly.

"Listen. Isn't your tummy going rumble, rumble?"

Islar's face turned bright red. He covered his stomach with one hand.

"Little frogs go ribbit, ribbit."

Rumbling and ribbiting were completely different!

"Then you must be a little pigeon," Shu Li declared.

Islar shook his head vigorously. "I'm not a little pigeon either!"

Shu Li sighed softly. "All right, all right. You're not a little frog or a little pigeon. You're a little Elf."

Islar puffed out his cheeks.

Shu Li poked one with his finger. "And little Elves have to be good and eat their meals in the dining hall!"

Islar lowered his head, his ears turning pink.

"I-I understand."

"You should apologize to Helenie," Shu Li said gently.

Islar was good at admitting his mistakes. He obediently turned to Helenie and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I was being stubborn."

Helenie smiled warmly. "It's all right. Just remember not to do it again."

As expected, the little cub only listened to Sperien.

Shu Li glanced at the tray in Helenie's hands and stepped forward.

"Here, let me carry that!"

Helenie hesitated briefly before handing it over.

Taking the tray, Shu Li looked down at Islar.

"Shall we go back to the dining hall and eat?"

Islar nodded eagerly. "Okay!"

They soon reached the dining hall and found an empty table.

Several other Elves were still having breakfast. When they spotted Shu Li, they put down their utensils and greeted him enthusiastically.

Shu Li returned their greetings one by one before sitting across from Islar. He watched as the little Elf cleaned his hands, grabbed a fruit, and eagerly sank his teeth into it.

"Slow down," Shu Li reminded him.

"Mmph, mmph!"

Famished, Islar took an enormous bite, puffing out both cheeks.

So adorable.

Shu Li barely resisted the urge to reach over and squish those cheeks.

Once Islar finished breakfast, Shu Li spent more than half an hour playing with him.

Though calling it playtime wasn't entirely accurate. They were playing a board game.

Yesterday, while completing a street-cleaning assignment with Ace, Shu Li had spotted a toy shop and bought a chess set as a present for Islar.

Islar had been delighted to receive it, his eyes curving into happy crescents.

Shu Li arranged the pieces on the board, carefully explained the rules, and taught him how to play.

The little Elf was exceptionally clever and understood everything almost immediately.

Once Islar had learned the rules, Shu Li began playing against him.

At first, Islar struggled and lost three games in a row. He neither cried nor complained. Instead, he kept his little face solemn and earnestly asked to continue.

Shu Li was secretly alarmed.

This little Elf was far too clever! They'd only played a handful of games, and he was already showing signs of being able to win.

That ridiculous talent for learning was enough to make anyone jealous.

In their final game, Shu Li lost.

He stared at the chessboard in disbelief, unable to figure out how he'd managed to lose.

"I won!"

Islar's solemn expression finally relaxed, and he cheered with delight.

Seeing him so happy, Shu Li stopped worrying about why he'd lost.

Time flew by, and before long, it was time for the little cub to begin his lessons.

Islar followed Helenie into the study, looking back at Shu Li every few steps.

"I'll come again tomorrow," Shu Li promised.

Reassured by his words, Islar waved reluctantly.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Shu Li watched him disappear through the doorway before quietly breathing a sigh of relief.

Looking after little kids really wasn't easy!

Still, when a cub was that cuddly, how could anyone possibly resist?

A little while later, Shu Li headed toward the Elven King's courtyard.

He'd gained some new insights into magic today and wanted to show the King.

With a spring in his step, he arrived at the courtyard. But the moment he passed through the entrance, he heard a familiar voice.

Ilio?

Am I hearing things?

Shouldn't he be at St. Velia Magic Academy in the Central Court?

Unable to contain his curiosity, Shu Li spread his wings and rushed into the courtyard.

He soon spotted the Elven King and a black-haired Elf inside the pavilion.

"Ilio!" Shu Li exclaimed in astonishment. "Why are you back?"

Ilio turned around and smiled broadly.

"You're back, aren't you? Why can't I come back too?"

Shu Li stared at him.

He'd returned using the Mother Tree's roots, but what had Ilio used?

"Did you... teleport all the way back?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Was a Mage Sovereign's magic really that terrifying? To think he could teleport across half the continent, straight from the Central Court to the Elven Kingdom!

Something flickered in Ilio's eyes, but he didn't deny it.

"More or less!"

He certainly couldn't reveal the King's secret. To cover it up, he could only give this conveniently vague answer.

Thanks to everything the King had taught him, he'd mastered an improved teleportation array.

It was an excellent method of transportation. Its only drawback was the cost.

The high-grade magic stones consumed in a single use would have powered an ordinary teleportation array for half a month.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Shu Li exclaimed enviously. "Does that mean once I become a Mage Sovereign, I'll be able to teleport anywhere on the continent whenever I want?"

Ilio studied the Little Fairy's innocent face for a moment before speaking gravely.

"Not all Mage Sovereigns are alike. Just because I can do something doesn't mean every other Mage Sovereign can."

"Oh, I see!" Shu Li nodded. "Then when I become a Mage Sovereign, you'll have to teach me."

"Sure," Ilio agreed readily.

He curled a finger and flicked Shu Li on the forehead.

"Go back and get some rest soon."

Shu Li covered his forehead and glared at him.

"I know."

Ilio gave him an inscrutable smile, bowed gracefully to the Elven King, and departed.

The moment he was gone, Shu Li turned his sparkling eyes toward the Elven King.

"Good morning, Your Majesty."

"Good morning."

A faint smile graced the Elven King's handsome face.

"It should be evening in the Central Court."

"Oh, right," Shu Li replied. "I'm not sleepy yet, so I came back to play with Islar."

Of course, his real reason for returning was to see the Elven King.

"Islar is the only cub in the Elven Kingdom. He must indeed feel lonely."

The Elven King gently stroked Shu Li's hair.

"Thank you for taking the time."

"It's no trouble at all." Shu Li shook his head. "Islar is very sweet and well-behaved."

The Elven King lowered his hand and regarded Shu Li with emerald-green eyes.

"Are you settling in at the magic academy? Has anyone been giving you trouble?"

The moment Shu Li heard that question, he knew Ilio must have reported something to the King.

"One human tried to bully us, so I fought back and put him in his place."

He proceeded to give the Elven King a complete and candid account of the conflict between the Light Squad and Lu Weixi.

"...Your Majesty, did you send Ilio to follow us?" Shu Li asked.

When Friton had been making things difficult for them, Ilio's arrival had been almost too perfectly timed. He'd descended like a hero from the heavens and managed to infuriate Friton with just a few words.

If Ilio hadn't appeared, Shu Li genuinely didn't know how they could have resolved the situation gracefully.

At worst, they would have had to ask Danlov to intervene.

Surely Friton wouldn't dare blindly defend his own people in front of a Mage Sovereign!

But that would have been rather like using someone else's power to throw their weight around.

Ilio's solution of settling the matter through a competition had been the best possible approach.

A dispute between youngsters should be settled by the youngsters themselves. Whether they won or lost would depend entirely on their abilities.

Shu Li had kept his power suppressed at the level of an Intermediate Mage Apprentice throughout the match, relying solely on the combat experience he'd accumulated through regular training.

Even with several valuable treasures at his disposal, Lu Weixi had still lost. He had no one else to blame.

As for whether Seriu's kick had finally knocked some sense into him afterward, only his future behavior would tell.

The Elven King noticed a leaf drifting down onto Shu Li's hair. He naturally reached out, pinched it between his fingers, and removed it.

"Yes," he answered the Little Fairy's question. "In the end, I couldn't help worrying about all of you."

Receiving confirmation, Shu Li wasn't bothered in the slightest. Instead, he heard the concern behind the King's words.

The only thing he was curious about was whether Ilio had followed them throughout their journey or simply appeared at the magic academy.

After all, he could teleport over enormous distances.

Shu Li voiced his question, and the Elven King answered without concealing anything.

"He followed you after you left the Faerie Forest."

"Ohhh!" Shu Li cupped his cheeks. "No wonder I kept feeling like someone was following us! So Ilio's been right on our heels this whole time!"

The corners of the Elven King's mouth curved upward.

Shu Li blinked.

"And now he's going to be teaching at the magic academy."

The Elven King nodded. "Yes."

Shu Li asked cautiously, "He... isn't going to teach our class, is he?"

If Ilio ended up teaching their class, their lives would be absolute misery.

Having a magic instructor who spent every day mercilessly mocking his students was enough to make someone cough up blood and die of sheer frustration!

Just thinking about the past three years made Shu Li shudder.

To earn the right to leave the Faerie Forest, the five Little Fairies had challenged Ilio day and night, suffering one crushing defeat after another.

They'd finally managed to beat him and had happily set off for a human magic academy.

Yet after all that, they were somehow going to end up as Ilio's "students" again?

How unlucky could they get?!

The Elven King met the Little Fairy's hopeful gaze.

"I'll ask him to show some restraint."

Shu Li's pointed ears immediately drooped.

He knew it!

Ilio would never pass up an opportunity to teach the Little Fairies!

The Elven King stroked his head reassuringly.

Feeling the warmth of the hand resting on his hair, Shu Li couldn't resist nuzzling against it.

"...Your Majesty, your teleportation magic is stronger than Ilio's, right?" he asked curiously.

The Elven King's hand paused in his hair. Lowering his gaze, he replied, "Naturally."

Shu Li's ears perked up.

"Then... have you ever teleported to other parts of the continent?"

He refused to believe that the Elven King, whose power rivaled that of a god, was some kind of legendary shut-in who never left home.

"Occasionally."

The Elven King lowered his hand and stepped out of the pavilion.

Warm sunlight bathed his tall, elegant figure, setting his golden hair aglow.

Shu Li gazed at the King's back, confusion slowly creeping across his face.

Why does Ace look so much like the Elven King from behind?

The same broad shoulders, the same narrow waist, the same long legs... and that dazzling golden hair.

Shu Li rubbed his eyes.

When he looked again, the Elven King had turned slightly to the side. Sunlight illuminated his handsome face, lending him an almost boundless air of holiness.

"What's wrong?" the Elven King asked quietly.

"N-nothing."

Shu Li guiltily avoided his gaze.

With a quick leap, he landed in an open space in the courtyard and deftly retrieved his high-ranking magic staff from his storage ring.

Brimming with enthusiasm, he announced, "Your Majesty, I've gained some new insights into magic, and I'd like to demonstrate them for you."

The Elven King smiled.

"Of course."

Shu Li gazed at that smile and nearly lost himself in it.

He secretly bit his tongue, reminding himself not to get distracted.

"Then please watch closely, Your Majesty!"

Steadying his mind, he raised his magic staff.

The incantation for Hellfire flashed through his thoughts, and the fire elements in the surrounding air surged toward him like a raging tide.

They converged at the tip of his staff and, in the blink of an eye, formed an enormous Eastern dragon wreathed in roaring flames.

More than a hundred meters long, the blazing dragon spiraled upward with magnificent force, drawing the attention of nearby Elves.

The Elven King immediately spread his five fingers and erected a high-ranking defensive magical formation around the courtyard, protecting its flowers and plants from the scorching flames.

Shu Li waved his magic staff, skillfully directing the fiery dragon through a series of attack stances.

A tiny, chibi-like Wood Spirit quietly appeared on the Elven King's shoulder.

Its eyes reflected the colossal creature that should not have existed on the Austin Continent.

"Freyus..." the Wood Spirit murmured. "This time, the dragon has appeared thirty years too early."

The Elven King did not respond.

His green eyes remained fixed on the Little Fairy wielding his magic staff.

His gaze was utterly different from usual, deep and still as a bottomless pool, concealing countless emotions that no one else could fathom.

Having finished demonstrating his creative new spell, Shu Li withdrew his magical power.

The fiery dragon instantly dissolved into fire elements and dispersed into the air.

"Your Majesty!"

He ran excitedly toward the Elven King, his entire expression practically begging for praise.

The Elven King concealed the emotions in his eyes and offered his approval without reservation.

"You did exceptionally well."

"Hehehe!"

Shu Li broke into a delighted grin.