Chapter 34: Customs of Midsummer Festival in the Elf Kingdom.

The Elven Kingdom lay west of the Faerie Forest.

To reach the Crystal Castle from the divine tree, they had to pass Lake Shengze’an and the Luoyi Hills. It was quite a long journey.

With the tiny wings of Fairy cubs, they probably could not reach it even after half a month of flying. But distance posed no difficulty for adult Fairies.

One distinctively shaped flying carriage after another, each drawn by Kaja magical birds with bodies like pigeons, flew toward the cubs’ residential district with a cheerful jingling of bells.

The cubs had risen early and were waiting in the small square. When they saw the flying carriages drawn by magical birds, they all cried out in amazement.

Each carriage could hold ten cubs, so the twenty-five cubs were divided among three.

The first two were full, leaving five empty seats in the third, which were filled by adolescent Fairies.

Shu Li’s eyes lit up when he spotted the quiet little scholar. "Kumandi!"

The black-haired, purple-eyed adolescent Fairy calmly stepped into the carriage, nodded to him, and sat across from him.

The four adolescent Fairies who entered with him smiled as they greeted the famous little cub.

"Good morning, little Sperien."

"Good morning," Shu Li replied without batting an eye. As if he couldn't see the teasing in their gazes. Hmph!

After Siet had helped him overcome his embarrassment, Shu Li had cultivated skin as thick as an impenetrable fortress. As long as he did not feel awkward, the awkward ones would be everyone else.

Sure enough, when the four adolescent Fairies realized that the little cub was staring directly at them with innocent, bright eyes, they began to squirm.

Clearing their throats, they changed the subject.

"Nice weather today, huh?"

"Yes. The weather is always lovely during the Midsummer Festival."

"It probably won't rain."

"Even if it does, it won't matter. The Elven King will send the rain clouds elsewhere."

"True."

The topic exhausted, the carriage fell into an eerie silence.

The adolescent Fairies glanced at one another and rubbed their noses awkwardly. As if by prior agreement, they took books out of their storage items and pretended to read.

Shu Li pursed his lips and casually looked away.

With combat power that pathetic, they actually thought they could tease me? What pushovers!

Kumandi caught the smug expression on the little cub’s face, and amusement flickered through his eyes.

Noticing the quiet little scholar’s gaze, Shu Li looked perfectly innocent. He had not done anything, had he?

The corners of Kumandi’s lips curved upward. His eyes swept over the green flower crown on Shu Li’s head.

"Why aren't you wearing a circlet?"

Every Fairy attending the Midsummer Festival traveled in ceremonial finery. Besides their most magnificent formal clothing, they also wore all kinds of exquisite jewelry. A circlet was indispensable.

Yet Sperien’s forehead was bare. Only the emerald flower crown on his head drew the eye.

At the question, Shu Li’s smug expression instantly collapsed, and even his pointed ears drooped.

The adolescent Fairies pretending to read raised their heads and stared intently at the green flower crown atop the little cub’s head.

It was the symbol of the Elven King’s blessing.

Like its owner, it was famous throughout the Faerie Forest.

Before Shu Li could answer, the cubs beside him eagerly explained on his behalf.

"The flower crown refuses to coexist peacefully with the circlet," Disio said solemnly.

"The moment he puts on the circlet, the flower crown throws a tantrum," Angel added with perfect seriousness.

"Then the circlet falls off with a clang—" Budno’s chubby little hand mimed something dropping.

"He tried three times, and it failed every time." Lois held up three fingers.

The adolescent Fairies looked at one another.

"Really?"

Although it symbolized the Elven King’s blessing, wasn't the flower crown merely an ornament?

Shu Li nodded gloomily.

He had been overjoyed when he received the brand-new formal outfit and had put it on immediately. But when it came time to add the circlet, he encountered a problem.

He had thought that since all the cubs were wearing matching golden circlets, he should not make himself the exception.

So he had briskly removed the green flower crown and put on the circlet.

Before he could even look in the mirror, however, there was a clang as the circlet came loose and fell to the floor. The green flower crown then returned to his head by itself.

Shu Li had been stunned.

The green crown apparently had a mind of its own and refused to permit any other ornament to occupy his head.

But it had never objected when he wore the mage’s hat!

Refusing to believe it, Shu Li had tried twice more. Both times, the circlet fell off immediately, and the green crown arrogantly reclaimed its territory.

When he tried for a fourth time, the green crown refused to come off at all.

It seemed to have grown into his head. No matter how hard he tugged, he could not pry it loose.

Out of options, Shu Li could only give up.

Every other cub wore an exquisite golden circlet, while he alone was stuck with a "green hat"... The green flower crown, he meant. Naturally, he was terribly depressed.

Worse still, every Fairy who saw him curiously asked why he was not wearing a circlet.

Shu Li had explained it so many times that his mouth grew tired. Eventually, he simply stopped answering, and the four Fairy cubs traveling with him enthusiastically took over the explanations.

Kumandi looked thoughtful. He lifted a hand and tentatively touched the emerald flower crown. The instant he sensed the tremendous power within it, he swiftly withdrew his finger and frowned.

"This isn't an ordinary flower crown."

"I know!" Shu Li puffed out his cheeks. If it were ordinary, it would not have clung to his head and refused to come off.

"It's protecting you," Kumandi said.

That brief touch had conveyed a threat.

The flower crown had warned him that if he dared remove it from the cub’s head, it would make him regret it.

"Even if it's protecting me, it can't stay on my head forever!" Shu Li frowned in distress. How was he supposed to sleep tonight? He could normally remove it, but today it stubbornly refused to budge. It would press against his head and keep him awake.

"Don't worry, Sperien. When we reach the Crystal Castle, we can ask the king!" Angel suggested.

"Right. The king will definitely know what to do," Disio agreed.

What else could Shu Li do?

Naturally, he agreed.

As they spoke, a piercing whistle sounded outside. The cubs excitedly crowded around the carriage windows to watch.

Every underage Fairy was traveling by flying carriage. More than a hundred carriages formed orderly ranks and were drawn away from the residential district by Kaja magical birds to join the adult Fairies.

Seeing tens of thousands of Fairies gathered together once more stirred Shu Li’s fear of dense crowds, though the symptoms were milder than before.

The adult Fairies were arranged neatly into six large divisions, protecting the flying carriages from every direction.

After three blasts of the whistle, the vast procession began to move, setting out for the Elven Kingdom in a mighty formation.

The adult Fairies flew astonishingly fast. Even the high-ranking Kaja magical birds had to beat their wings with all their might just to keep pace.

In the blink of an eye, the procession left the divine tree behind and swept through the Faerie Forest, startling countless magical beasts.

Ordinarily, these ferocious high-ranking magical beasts ruled their territories with impunity. Yet when they saw the Fairy procession flying west, none dared make a sound. Some even flattened themselves against the ground in respectful submission.

The scenery beyond the windows flashed past. After watching for a while, the cubs grew bored and began bombarding the adolescent Fairies with questions.

"The origin of the Midsummer Festival?" An adolescent Fairy named Carola stroked his smooth chin and asked Angel, "Didn't Aisha tell you?"

"Aisha said the Midsummer Festival is held to thank Hedfis Lofven, the God of Earth," Angel answered obediently.

"That's right." Carola raised one finger and smiled. "Besides thanking the God of Earth for granting us abundant flowers, fruit, and trees, we also thank the Light God for driving away the darkness and bringing us peaceful, beautiful days."

Resting his chin in his hands, Disio asked, "Then what do we do to thank the God of Earth and the Light God?"

"We sing and dance in praise of them," another adolescent Fairy replied.

"That's all?" Shu Li clicked his tongue. Wasn't that a little too simple?

"Of course not." Carola arched an eyebrow. "We'll light a bonfire on the island at the center of Lake Shengze’an, wrap the five guardian pillars in beautiful garlands, offer the freshest fruit and grain to the God of Earth, and sing the ceremonial hymn together. Then the greatest Elven warrior will be chosen to shoot down the laurel crown, which will be presented to the fortunate person selected by the gods."

"The Midsummer Festival lasts seven days. During those seven days, we can enjoy ourselves as much as we like," the other adolescent Fairies added one after another.

"If there's a friend you like, give him beautiful flowers."

"Remember, don't give him cut flowers. They have to be planted in a pot."

"Mount Amitai in the Elven Kingdom has a whole cluster of hot springs. Soaking in them is wonderfully comfortable."

"The Midsummer Festival has another name too: the Festival of Lovers."

"Under the witness of Metel Lena, the Moon Goddess, an Elf and a Fairy—or two members of either people—can exchange laurel crowns and become a couple."

"If we're lucky, we might even attend a collective wedding."

Carola and the other three adolescent Fairies grew increasingly animated as they spoke. Suddenly, a cold gaze swept over them. They shuddered, instantly fell silent, and looked sheepishly at the stony-faced Kumandi.

Aha—

They seemed to have gotten a little carried away and told the five little cubs things they should not have mentioned.

Naturally, the innocent cubs began asking questions.

"Why is the Midsummer Festival also called the Festival of Lovers?" Angel asked curiously.

"Uh..." Carola covered half his face, unsure how to explain it to such an innocent little cub.

"What's a couple?" Disio asked.

"What would we do at a collective wedding?" Lois blinked her clear, guileless eyes.

"Come on, Carola! Tell us!" Budno urged.

"Well... that's..." Carola scratched his head, suffering terribly as he cursed his own loose tongue.

Shu Li, who was eighteen on the inside, glanced at his companions determined to get to the bottom of the matter, then at the troubled Carola. He shed a figurative tear of sympathy for him and kindly refrained from joining the interrogation, content to enjoy the spectacle.

Just as Carola was on the verge of tears, Kumandi finally took pity on him and changed the subject.

"We've entered the Elven Kingdom."

The cubs’ attention was immediately diverted. They crowded around the windows to look at the scenery outside.

"Wow—"

"What a huge lake!"

"I know! That's Lake Shengze’an! Look, there's the island in the middle!"

"Are those the guardian pillars? They're so tall!"

The cubs let out excited squeals every few moments.

Shu Li was thrilled as well.

The terrain of the Elven Kingdom was utterly different from the Faerie Forest.

The Faerie Forest contained nothing but trees, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The Elven Kingdom, by contrast, had plains, hills, lakes, woods, mountains, and rivers. Each landscape was distinct, and all of them were breathtakingly beautiful.

The Fairy procession traveled at tremendous speed, passing the lake and hills before reaching the plains.

Shu Li saw golden wheat fields, orchards laden with fruit, herds of animals resembling a cross between deer and cattle, and elegant buildings scattered across the plains.

Those buildings formed villages dotted throughout the landscape.

Farther ahead, an immense and imposing city wall came into view.

The city gate was magnificent. On either side stood a statue of a god as tall as the wall itself. One held the moon in both hands, while the other held the sun. They were Metel Lena, the Moon Goddess, and Asad Migat, the Sun God.

The Fairy procession descended, gradually approaching the city gate.

Shu Li’s keen eyes spotted a crowd standing before it—no, not humans, but Elves.

They were tall and slender, dressed in splendid clothing and possessed of noble bearing. Their gem-studded ornaments sparkled beneath the sunlight.

A single Elf was already a feast for the eyes. When an entire group of them stood together, their combined beauty was doubled, becoming almost mesmerizing.

Before Shu Li could make out whether the Elf at their head was the Elven King, something unexpected happened within the Fairy procession.

All ten thousand adult Fairies began chanting in unison, and brilliant light erupted across the sky.

The cubs recognized the light and immediately covered their eyes.

After a long moment, the radiance faded. When they looked again, they saw thousands upon thousands of—

Giants!

Every adult Fairy had grown larger!

They were now as tall as the Elves!

Even more astonishingly, the wings on their backs faded and disappeared one after another. They now looked indistinguishable from the Elves, and only their swallowtail cloaks marked them as Fairies.

More than ten thousand Fairies descended to the ground. It was a spectacular sight. Countless handsome men and beautiful women gathered together, dazzling the eye.

Compared with the giant-sized Fairies, the flying carriages drawn by the Kaja magical birds looked like toys.

The adolescent Fairies had attended the Midsummer Festival many times and were accustomed to the sight. But the twenty-five Fairy cubs, all only a few months old, were profoundly shocked. They crowded around the windows, peering outside and crying, "Wow! Wow!"

"Let's go outside!" The adolescent Fairies could no longer remain seated and eagerly prepared to leave.

Coming back to his senses, Shu Li asked, "C-can we go outside?"

Carola smiled. "We've reached the capital of the Elven Kingdom. Of course we can."

He opened the carriage door, beat his wings, and flew out first.

Before long, adolescent Fairies were emerging from the carriages one after another. They beat their wings and flew around the adult Fairies, circling them playfully. Some mischievously landed on the adults’ shoulders.

The adult Fairies allowed them to settle on their bodies. Some indulgently took out a piece of fruit and handed it to the adolescent Fairy perched on them.

The Fairy cubs followed their example, flying out of the carriages and flapping their little wings as they looked around curiously.

Shu Li and his companions followed Kumandi, flying over the adult Fairies’ heads toward the front of the procession.

When they reached the city wall, Shu Li nearly bent his neck backward trying to take in the towering gate.

It's so tall and enormous—

Before the city gate, the Fairy cubs looked as tiny as mosquitoes.

"Great King, thank you for your invitation."

The adult Fairy leading the procession bowed respectfully to the Elven King at the head of the welcoming party.

"Fedro, welcome. We are delighted by your arrival." The Elven King gazed warmly at the elder of the Fairy Clan.

Although the Fairy Clan was governed by the Elves, its ordinary affairs were managed by its elders. The Elven King did not concern himself with them unless a serious problem arose that required his intervention.

Each year, the elder led the Fairies to the capital of the Elven Kingdom for the Midsummer Festival.

The Elven King and the Elves waited at the city gate to welcome them, showing them the utmost courtesy.

After a brief exchange of greetings, the Fairies finally entered the city.

Shu Li gazed longingly at the Elven King, hesitating over whether he should fly over and greet him.

Dressed in formal attire today, the Elven King’s beauty had risen by several levels. His gleaming golden hair fell straight over his shoulders, and a silver crown symbolizing his sovereignty rested upon his head. A cloak smoother than silk trailed along the ground, while his pale-purple robe outlined his flawless figure. His every movement was incomparably elegant. Even surrounded by countless Elves and Fairies, he stood apart from them all, radiant and peerless.

"Sperien, come here."

At the sound of the gentle voice, Shu Li abruptly returned to his senses.

At some point, the Elven King had stopped walking. He turned and looked back, his green eyes shining brightly.

Almost every Elf and Fairy present turned toward the Fairy cub wearing the green flower crown.

With so many pairs of eyes fixed upon him, Shu Li’s mind went blank. He became so nervous that his words tumbled out in complete disarray.

"R-respected King... good morning... Baz-Bazien Bulga... Bulgareth of the Faerie Forest asked me to convey his greetings to you!"