Chapter 42: The Elf King praying in the temple at the island in the middle of the lake...

The road beneath the lake was broad enough for four people to walk abreast. Reliefs carved into the surfaces of the massive stones joined together to form an enormous continuous mural depicting a moving ancient legend.

Shu Li left the Elven King’s shoulder and flew down the long passage with the other Fairy cubs. Every now and then, he drifted closer to one of the walls of water and curiously reached out to touch it.

Then he got sprayed from head to toe.

“Wahahaha—this is so much fun!”

The other cubs followed his example, constantly poking the walls of water with their little hands and darting about as the water sprayed them. None of the passing Elves and Fairies escaped unscathed. Fortunately, they had magical defenses. Before the water could splash onto them, an invisible defensive shield blocked it.

Once Shu Li had played to his heart’s content, he flew back to the Elven King’s shoulder.

His clothes were waterproof, but his hair was not. It hung wetly around his head, dripping onto the Elven King. The clear droplets slid down the folds of his robes.

The Elven King took a small handkerchief from his storage ring and handed it to the cub. “Dry yourself.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Shu Li accepted the handkerchief, which was practically the size of a bathrobe to him, and vigorously wiped his face and hair dry.

The underwater passage was roughly a kilometer long. After walking for more than ten minutes, the procession successfully reached Gester Island at the center of the lake.

Viewed from the outside, Gester Island looked no different from any ordinary island.

An old embankment, dense woods, overgrown paths, waterways leading into the unknown, ancient buildings half concealed behind the trees...

There was simply no telling why such an ordinary island in the middle of a lake was considered sacred ground where offerings were made to the gods during the Midsummer Festival.

And where were the five pillars holding up the heavens that the adolescent Fairy had mentioned?

Shu Li could not see them anywhere!

He stretched his little neck and looked around in confusion.

The Elven King walked several steps forward and stepped onto a hexagonal stone. Once again, he raised the staff in his hand and recited a short incantation. Golden patterns abruptly lit up across the hexagonal stone, forming an exquisite magic array.

The magic array released a brilliant radiance that gathered at its six corners before extending outward in six golden lines.

The golden lines shot skyward. As though something had shattered, a dazzling riot of colors burst across the heavens like fireworks.

In an instant, an enormous magic array enveloped the entire island. Viewed from below, magnificent auroras appeared in the sky, their myriad colors creating a dreamlike spectacle so breathtaking that it dazzled the eyes and captivated the heart.

“Wow—”

Seeing such a vast magic array for the first time, the Fairy cubs tipped back their heads and exclaimed in wonder.

Standing at the center of the magic array and surrounded by resplendent light, Shu Li instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, the magic array in the sky gradually dimmed. It dissolved into countless specks of starlight and vanished without a trace. Gester Island shed its disguise and revealed its true appearance, transforming completely.

A circular plaza appeared on the island, with a raised square altar at its center. Five thick stone pillars stood around the plaza, soaring so high that they seemed to pierce the heavens and reach the clouds.

A hundred-step stone staircase stood before the plaza. At its summit was Miladi Palace, where the gods had once resided when they descended to the mortal world.

Since the War of the Gods ended, Miladi Palace had stood vacant for ten thousand years.

Protected by the magic array, it remained as beautiful as ever even after all that time, bearing few traces of the passing years.

Every year during the Midsummer Festival, the long-lived Elves and Fairies came to the island to make offerings. They had long since grown accustomed to everything here.

The newborn Fairy cubs, however, were visiting the island for the first time. Everything fascinated them, and they flew excitedly toward the plaza.

The adolescent Fairies guarded the cubs as they flew, their wings glowing faintly. Tiny as they were, they resembled a swarm of fireflies flitting among flowers.

Shu Li had already left the Elven King’s shoulder and was flying with his friends.

As soon as the Elves and Fairies arrived at the plaza, they busied themselves, casting all kinds of magic as if competing to display their skills.

Wind magic swept every fallen leaf from the plaza and altar, revealing the blue-gray flagstones beneath. Water magic washed the stones until they were spotless, without a speck of dust remaining.

The Elves stood before the stone pillars, dropped several seeds onto the ground, and chanted wood magic. The seeds swiftly sprouted and broke through the soil. Vines wound around the pillars and spiraled upward, climbing dozens of meters in the blink of an eye. Dense leaves unfurled, followed by clusters of beautiful flowers that adorned the pillars in a riot of color.

The Fairy cubs flew happily toward the pillars, leaning close to the lovely flowers to breathe in their fresh fragrance.

Shu Li landed with Disio and several other friends on a vine twining around one of the pillars. From their lofty perch, they watched the bustling activity below.

Night fell. A silver moon like a jade disk slowly rose into a sky filled with stars, while a gentle breeze refreshed the mind and spirit.

Firewood had already been stacked high upon the altar. A fireball descended from the sky, and the bonfire ignited in an instant, illuminating the entire plaza.

Beautiful, melodious music began to play, signaling the start of the Midsummer Festival’s most important ritual.

Several Elves and Fairies sat in one corner of the plaza, holding various instruments as they performed a stirring symphony.

Jingle, jingle—

Beautiful female Elves lifted the corners of their long skirts and danced lightly across the clean flagstones in bare feet. Little bells fastened around their wrists and ankles chimed crisply with every movement.

Handsome male Elves clapped their hands and approached the women they admired with graceful steps. After bowing elegantly, they matched their partners’ movements and joined them in a duet.

The Fairies were not idle either. Some went to dance, while others prepared a lavish dinner.

Numerous stone tables surrounded the plaza. After being rinsed clean with water magic, they were spotless. The Fairies took fresh food, water, and wine from their storage pouches and arranged everything neatly on the tables.

The cubs’ stomachs had been rumbling for some time. The moment they smelled the food, they flew toward the stone tables and gazed longingly at the adult Fairies with pairs of bright, sparkling eyes.

Amused by their hungry expressions, the adult Fairies said gently, “Go wash your hands over there, then come back and eat.”

Stone basins stood beside the tables, filled with clean water for everyone to wash their hands.

The cubs immediately flew to the basins. Like a flock of butterflies skimming the water, they dipped their hands in and scrubbed vigorously. Once their hands were clean, they flew back to the tables and pounced on their favorite foods.

Budeno was the first to charge toward a table. He picked up a red fruit and began devouring it ravenously.

An adult Fairy gently stroked his head. “Slow down, little darling. There’s plenty more.”

“Mhm, mhm~” Budeno nodded as he gnawed on the fruit, without slowing in the slightest.

Shu Li picked up a fruit large enough to fill him halfway and sat in a small saucer at the corner of the table. He nibbled it daintily, his unblinking eyes fixed on the men and women dancing in the plaza.

What a lively night.

What wonderful music.

What a free-spirited people.

Surrounded by this fantastical scene, everything felt as unreal as a dream.

After finishing the fruit, his stomach was half full. He took out the handkerchief the Elven King had given him earlier and wiped the juice from his hands.

Once his hands were clean, he looked around for the Elven King.

There were too many Elves and Fairies dancing in the plaza. Every one of them was dressed in magnificent clothes, and most had golden hair. For a moment, Shu Li could not find the Elven King anywhere.

He glanced back and saw that the other cubs were still battling their food, so he flew into the plaza alone.

After circling it once without finding the Elven King, he grew puzzled.

Would the Elven King really be absent from such an important occasion?

“Sperien, are you looking for His Majesty?” A languid voice drifted into Shu Li’s ears. He turned in surprise and discovered a black-haired Elf leaning against a stone post.

“Ilio!” Shu Li fluttered over to him. “Aren’t you going to dance?”

Ilio smiled. “I’m waiting for the next song.”

Shu Li tilted his head. “Does it make a difference?”

Ilio winked at him and said teasingly, “Of course it does. This song is called ‘Phantom of the Moon.’ It’s meant for couples. I’m single, so I won’t intrude.”

So that was it!

Realization dawned on Shu Li.

No wonder everyone dancing in the plaza had paired off. It turned out they were playing a song for couples.

“Has no Elf ever confessed to you?” Shu Li asked curiously.

Ilio spread his hands. “Probably because I’m too young. They still think of me as an inexperienced boy.”

Shu Li looked him up and down before asking hesitantly, “Um... how old are you?”

Ilio did not conceal it and answered readily, “Five hundred and thirty.”

Shu Li: ⊙_⊙

He was five hundred and thirty years old, yet people still considered him too young!

Just how old were the other Elves?

Wait. If Shu Li remembered correctly, Aisha had told him that the Elven mother tree had not given birth to an Elf cub in more than five hundred years.

So Ilio might be... the youngest Elf in the entire Elven race!

If the older Elves rejected him because he was too young, Shu Li supposed that was understandable.

“What about Fairies?” Shu Li asked.

While circling the plaza earlier, he had seen Elves and Fairies dancing together.

Ilio sighed. “There are Fairies close to my age, but... our personalities clash and our habits are too different. It’s difficult for us to connect.”

“Oh...” Shu Li nodded understandingly. Matters of the heart could not be forced. Only two people who truly loved each other could remain together forever. “Then... what about His Majesty?” he asked hesitantly.

The Elven King had lived for so long. He had to be incredibly popular!

Ilio raised one finger and gently wagged it. “His Majesty has always been single.”

Shu Li was astonished. “Why?”

He had always been single? Did that not make him a several-ten-thousand-year-old vir— Ahem. Sorry. Shu Li should not think such things. It was disrespectful to the Elven King!

Watching the cub’s expression change dramatically, Ilio asked with interest, “Do you like His Majesty?”

Shu Li answered without hesitation, “I do!”

Who would not like the Elven King?

He was so beautiful, noble, elegant, and powerful that everyone could not help admiring him.

Ilio asked another question. “Then would you like to become His Majesty’s partner?”

Shu Li’s eyes widened in shock. He stared at the black-haired Elf as though he were an idiot and stammered, “Of course... I wouldn’t dare!”

The Elven King was a sacred being. How could Shu Li dare profane him like that?

Besides, he was only a tiny cub right now. How could Ilio ask him such a question?

Ilio allowed the little cub to glare at him and said with a smile, “No one dares to imagine it.”

Shu Li puffed out his cheeks and prepared to leave.

“Wait—” Ilio called after him, offering a helpful hint. “If you want to find His Majesty, try the temple.”

“The temple?” Shu Li was confused.

Ilio pointed toward Miladi Palace at the top of the stone staircase. “Every year during the Midsummer Festival, His Majesty goes to the temple to pray to the gods.”

Although they could no longer communicate with the gods, the custom had been handed down since ancient times and could not be changed.

Shu Li followed his finger and looked toward the majestic palace at the top of the stairs.

The temple that had once enjoyed the gods’ favor now stood silently beneath the night sky, looking exceptionally lonely.

Was the Elven King praying alone inside?

Shu Li could not help recalling the scene he had witnessed in the illusion.

The young Elven King had been a favored child of the Light God, free to enter the gods’ palace and share in their revelries.

Now that he could no longer see the gods, did he feel lonely?

Shu Li flew half a meter forward, then stopped abruptly.

“What’s wrong?” Ilio asked.

Shu Li pursed his lips and stared at the dim staircase and pitch-black palace, resolutely refusing to admit that he was even a little afraid of the dark.

How could Ilio fail to see the cub’s misgivings? Smiling, he asked, “Would you like me to take you there?”

“No!” Shu Li refused decisively. Who knew whether this disreputable Elf might take him somewhere strange?

He turned and flew back to the dining table in search of his friends.

“Disio, Angel, Budeno... are you full?”

Disio and Angel both burped. “We’re full, we’re full.”

They had eaten so much that their little bellies were bulging.

Budeno held a small cookie in each hand, his cheeks stuffed full. “Wait... wait a little longer,” he said indistinctly.

Although he was already full, he wanted to eat just a tiny bit more.

Shu Li pointed toward the distant palace. “Do you want to go play over there?”

Disio’s eyes lit up. “Sure!”

Wherever their leader went to play, he would follow.

Besides, that palace looked perfect for an adventure!

“Let’s go play, let’s go play~” Angel agreed enthusiastically. For a Fairy cub, eating and drinking one’s fill naturally had to be followed by playtime.

Budeno struggled to choose between food and fun. In the end, fun won. Reluctantly, he put down the cookies in his hands.

The other cubs had sharp ears. The moment they heard about something fun, there was no chance they would let themselves be left behind.

“Sperien, I want to go with you!”

“Me, me, me! Me too—”

“The temple is so dark. I’m a little scared...”

“If we all go together, there’s nothing to be afraid of!”

“Hurry, hurry! Once Aisha gets here, she definitely won’t let us run around.”

Soon, Shu Li was leading a whole group of Fairy cubs toward the temple. As they passed Ilio, Shu Li turned and stuck out his tongue at him.

The other cubs copied him in perfect unison and all stuck out their tongues at Ilio.

Ilio: ...

Looking at the group of soft, fair little cubs, his hands itched to grab one and give it a good squeeze—especially that chubby one. He was so soft and squishy that he felt wonderful to hold.

By the time the cubs had flown away, “Phantom of the Moon” had ended. Ilio was about to dance to the next song when he took a single step and suddenly felt a chill beside him. He instinctively turned his head and met Siet’s piercing gaze.

“Hm? Is something wrong?” he asked with a smile.

Siet said sternly, “What did you say to the little cub just now?”

Ilio spread his hands innocently. “Nothing. I didn’t say anything.”

Siet sneered. “Is that so? Then why are all the cubs flying toward the palace?”

Ilio cleared his throat. “Sperien seemed to be looking for His Majesty, so I helped him out and told him His Majesty was praying in the temple.”

Siet narrowed his eyes. “Apart from that, did you say anything strange?”

Ilio shook his head and denied it firmly. “No.”

Siet lifted his chin and repeated expressionlessly, “Then would you like to become His Majesty’s partner?”

Ilio froze for a moment. Meeting Siet’s dangerous gaze, he replied calmly, “I was only... posing a hypothetical question.”

“To a little cub who is only four months old—” Siet clenched his fist and punched Ilio without mercy. “How could you even pose such a question?”

Ilio took the punch squarely and stepped backward before protesting, “If you heard everything, why didn’t you stop me?”

Siet shook out his slightly reddened fingers and shot the black-haired Elf a sidelong look.

As expected of an Elven warrior, Ilio’s entire body was as hard as stone. Siet had punched him, yet his own hand was the one that hurt.

“I wanted to see just how outrageous you could be,” Siet said through gritted teeth.

Ilio rubbed his bruised jaw and obediently admitted his mistake. “I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Siet gave a cold snort and turned away.

Ilio watched his retreating back and breathed a sigh of relief.

Adult Fairies were notoriously protective of their cubs. He had fully deserved that punch.

Besides, Sperien truly was interesting.

Unaware that Ilio found him interesting, Shu Li led the cubs toward the palace above the stone staircase.

At first, he had worried that the way would be too dark. But the moment he entered the staircase, the short pillars lining either side lit up one after another like motion-activated lamps, forming a glowing path all the way to the palace.

Magic truly was marvelous.

Shu Li marveled inwardly as he flapped his wings rapidly and flew up along the staircase.

The other cubs followed close behind, chattering noisily and bringing a touch of liveliness to the stairs. Once the timid cubs saw the glowing pillars, they were no longer afraid and bravely flew onward.

After a while, the cubs successfully reached the temple.

Six enormous stone pillars towered before its entrance, magnificent and imposing. The cubs instinctively fell silent. Their chubby little faces solemn, they passed quietly through the doors.

Shu Li had assumed there would be no lights inside the palace. From the outside, after all, the entire building appeared dark and silent. Yet once he entered, he found the interior brilliantly illuminated and resplendent with gold.

The farther they flew inside, the more solemn the atmosphere became. The cubs instinctively huddled closer, pressed one against another and behaving as meekly as quails.

Lifelike statues of the gods stood throughout the hall, as though the gods themselves had reappeared.

As Shu Li gazed at the statues, he thought the sculptor’s skill was nothing short of miraculous. Each statue captured the essence of its god with perfect accuracy, looking exactly as they had when he saw them in the illusion.

When he reached the statue of the Light God, he found the Elven King, just as expected.

The golden-haired Elf, purer than moonlight, wore magnificent ceremonial robes. His hands were clasped before him, his eyes gently closed as he stood before the statue in devout prayer.