Chapter 44: Starting to learn magic, the Time Magic - Little Shushu...

The Fairy cubs’ awakening of elemental magic in the temple caused a sensation among all the Elves and Fairies.

After all, the cubs were not even six months old, yet every one of them had awakened without the guidance of an adult Fairy.

It was unprecedented!

When the Fairy cubs followed the Elven King and Aisha back to the plaza, they were immediately surrounded and showered with attention.

Upon learning that Sperien had ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) awakened Seven-Element Magic, all the Elves and Fairies were stunned.

“Oh, Light God above! This is incredible!”

“After His Majesty, we finally have our first Little Fairy with Seven-Element Magic.”

“Sperien, you truly are a fortunate little fellow.”

“As expected of a cub blessed by His Majesty. His future is limitless!”

“All the cubs did wonderfully!”

Unable to restrain themselves, the Fairy teachers scooped up the little cubs one by one and affectionately rubbed cheeks with them. The cubs were passed from hand to hand, kept busier than they had ever been.

“Aaaah~~~~”

There were far too many adult Fairies, and even the Elves seized the opportunity to give them a squeeze. Nearly rubbed raw, the panicked cubs fled for their lives, provoking a great wave of kindly laughter.

Sayah gazed at Sperien, who had taken refuge on the Elven King’s shoulder, and sighed inwardly with emotion.

Back when she had fed energy into the flower buds in the Fairy Nursery, Sperien had absorbed more than any of the others.

At the time, she had thought he was certain to become an exceptional Fairy cub.

But when the flower bud opened, all the other cubs had flown out energetically to play, while Sperien alone remained sprawled across the flower’s center, fast asleep, with no sign of waking.

Afraid that something was wrong with him, she had been unable to resist poking him with one finger. At that exact moment, the Elven King had passed by while patrolling the forest and witnessed her discourteous behavior.

Fortunately, he had not reprimanded her. Instead, he had patiently waited with her for the cub to awaken.

The newly awakened cub had seemed dazed and bewildered. He had even burst into frightened tears at the sight of her.

Sayah had been thoroughly confused and deeply worried that the little cub had not developed properly.

Soon afterward, however, the Elven King’s actions had astonished her.

He had blessed the cub and given him a name.

At the time, Sayah had not understood his intentions. She had merely thought the little fellow remarkably fortunate. Now, seeing that Sperien had awakened Seven-Element Magic, she could not help admiring the Elven King’s foresight.

Since ancient times, no Elf or Fairy other than the Elven King had ever possessed Seven-Element Magic.

Sperien’s emergence thrilled both peoples.

An affinity for every element represented limitless versatility.

Those who possessed it had an affinity for all natural elements, an inexhaustible supply of magical power, and could cast magic as effortlessly as breathing.

If a human awakened Seven-Element Magic, they might have to worry about their lifespan and resources.

Fairies faced no such problem.

As long-lived beings, they could live forever so long as no accident befell them. They had more than enough time to study all seven branches of magic, and those with sufficient talent could even learn derivative branches.

Lightning, ice, and mental magic, for example.

Nor did they need to worry about resources.

The libraries of the Elves and Fairies housed the most complete collection of magic books on the entire continent, spanning every era and available for them to choose from freely.

Magic stones and all manner of precious materials were likewise available in abundance.

Whenever they encountered a problem they could not solve, they could seek guidance from the elders of their peoples.

The Elves and Fairies might lack Paladins, but they certainly did not lack Saint Mages.

Therefore, Sperien’s awakening of Seven-Element Magic was nothing short of a blessing for both peoples.

According to Aisha, the Elven King would personally teach Sperien magic in the future. Nothing could have delighted everyone more.

Learning magic, however, required mastery of Elven. Judging by the cub’s current progress, they would probably have to wait several more years.

Sayah gazed lovingly at the golden-haired cub on the Elven King’s shoulder, suddenly missing the sensation of poking his tiny bottom.

Ahem. Little cubs truly were too adorable!

When would the Elven mother tree recover its former vitality, blossom, bear fruit, and give birth to Elf cubs once more?

That question had troubled the Elves for centuries.

Despite their tireless efforts to heal the Elven mother tree, it continued to weaken with every passing year.

All they could do at present was slow its death.

Worry suddenly filled Sayah’s heart.

Where did the future of the Elves lie?

Would the prophecy truly come to pass? Would darkness once again engulf the earth and devour all the children of the Light God?

Sayah refused to believe it.

Although the Elves faced a bleak future, the Fairies, who were also children of the Light God, continued to flourish.

Perhaps Sperien’s awakening of Seven-Element Magic marked a turning point.

Terrified of being rubbed again, Shu Li hid on the Elven King’s shoulder, finally finding safety. Even so, several Elves continued eyeing him eagerly.

Sayah, for example.

Her gaze was so intense that Shu Li feared she might disregard the Elven King’s authority and reach over to rub her face against his.

Clutching a strand of the Elven King’s hair in one hand, Shu Li touched his tender cheek with the other and decided to follow the other cubs’ example by hiding among the flowers atop one of the stone pillars.

“Your Majesty, I’m... going to play over there.”

Without waiting for an answer, he flapped his wings and fled toward the pillar, fluttering desperately upward to distance himself from the enthusiastic Elves.

Sayah: ...

Why did she feel as though she had just been rejected?

The Elven King glanced at Sayah, then turned and walked toward Ilio.

Sayah was utterly bewildered.

The way His Majesty had looked at her just now had seemed a tiny, tiny bit displeased.

Aha—

Surely that had been her imagination?

Ilio stood in a corner, holding a fist-sized fruit and nibbling it unhurriedly.

He was the only Elf who had not joined the others in cuddling the cubs.

It was not that he did not want to squeeze them. He simply... did not dare.

After all, he was the culprit who had “encouraged” the cubs to go to the temple.

Although the cubs had successfully awakened their magic, that had been entirely beyond his expectations.

He never could have imagined that every one of them would defy all reason and awaken during their first visit to the temple!

The conditions for awakening were not difficult, but how had four-month-old cubs known to pray to the Light God?

It was utterly baffling.

Ilio finished the fruit and took out a handkerchief to wipe the juice from his fingers. Just as he was about to find somewhere quiet to lie down, he saw the Elven King walking toward him.

He froze briefly, put away the handkerchief, and bowed respectfully to the Elven King, taking the initiative to admit his mistake.

“Your Majesty, please forgive my recklessness.”

The Elven King studied the black-haired Elf with his deep green eyes, showing no sign of reproach.

“Ilio,” he called softly.

“Yes.” Ilio bowed again, his expression solemn.

“You did well,” the Elven King said mildly before continuing toward the altar at an unhurried pace.

Ilio stared blankly at the tall, retreating figure, astonished by the Elven King’s praise.

After a while, he frowned slightly.

Had the Elven King anticipated that the cubs would visit the temple?

Could their early awakening even have something to do with him?

Ilio fell into deep thought.

Shu Li flew high up the stone pillar and found Redhead, Whitehead, and the chubby cub sitting on the vines.

“Sperien, over here, over here—” Disio waved excitedly at him.

Shu Li flew over and sat on an empty vine. “Why are all of you up here?”

Budeno cupped his round little face in both hands and complained with a pout, “They nearly squashed me flat!”

They had treated him like a ball, squeezing and kneading him simply because he was chubby. It was outrageous!

Shu Li examined his figure and said sympathetically, “You’ve suffered.”

The chubby cub had plenty of soft flesh and felt as pliable as dough. No wonder the Elves adored him most.

Budeno extended one plump finger, poked Redhead, and complained to Shu Li, “Disio has no loyalty at all! He ran away by himself and left me behind. What kind of brother does that?”

He pronounced the word “brother” in flawless Chinese, every syllable crisp and precise.

Shu Li froze for a moment, then put a hand to his forehead.

Sometimes, he truly envied the other Fairy cubs’ gift for languages.

He had said “brother” only once, yet Redhead and Whitehead had remembered it. Then Budeno had learned it from them and could now use it with perfect ease.

“What do you mean I’m not a good brother?” Disio protested indignantly. “I called out to you when I ran.”

Budeno puffed out his cheeks. “But... they had me surrounded. I couldn’t get away.”

“Angel and I came back to rescue you in the end,” Disio said with a stern little face. He had sacrificed himself in the process and been thoroughly cuddled twice by the Elves.

Angel covered his mouth with a smile, then turned and described the entire incident to Shu Li in detail.

Angel had grabbed Budeno and escaped quickly, but Disio had reacted a moment too slowly and become the unfortunate “substitute.”

Fortunately, the Elves and adult Fairies had not gone too far. After giving him two vigorous squeezes, they had let him go.

After hearing what the three cubs had endured, Shu Li patted their shoulders and praised them. “Good brothers share both blessings and hardships. All of you did wonderfully!”

Receiving their “leader’s” praise, the three little cubs broke into happy smiles and soon forgot their earlier grievances.

“Sperien, you’re amazing! You have Seven-Element Magic!” Angel said admiringly.

“That’s right, that’s right!” Disio and Budeno nodded in perfect agreement. “We only have one each!”

“One is good,” Shu Li said. “You won’t have to learn too many magical incantations.”

At the mention of this, Shu Li’s face, which should have been glowing with happiness, immediately collapsed.

Back in the temple, the Elven King had told him that a Fairy who possessed Seven-Element Magic was a genius among geniuses. Shu Li’s sorrow had instantly turned to joy, leaving him ecstatic.

Once he calmed down, however, his scalp began to prickle.

Seven-Element Magic meant that he would eventually have to learn the incantations for all seven branches of magic.

Seven entire branches!

That would not be easy for him.

Magic was vast and profound, with a history spanning tens of thousands of years. Countless incantations had been passed down through the ages. A single branch was enough for a human to study for an entire lifetime, let alone seven.

Fairies might live much longer than humans, but surely no one could learn all seven branches?

How much of his time would that consume?

Before he could learn magical incantations, he first had to master Elven—and his Elven was still at the most basic of basic beginner levels.

Shu Li tilted his head back to gaze at the bright moon, tears glimmering in his eyes.

His path to becoming a hero was going to be exceptionally arduous.

The other three cubs envied his Seven-Element Magic, while he envied their single affinities!

“Aren’t you coming down? The archery contest is about to begin.” A black-haired adolescent Fairy flew up from below and hovered in midair as he addressed the four little cubs.

“Kumandi!” Shu Li’s eyes sparkled when he saw the quiet genius.

Kumandi said gently, “Congratulations on awakening Seven-Element Magic.”

Shu Li smiled shyly, then sighed. “Seven-Element Magic may be wonderful, but... you know how bad my Elven is.”

The mere thought that every incantation required him to praise one of the gods by name made his head ache and his vision swim.

The gods’ true names were too long and difficult to remember. He frequently mixed them up. At present, the only ones he could recite fluently were the names of the Fire God, the Light God, and the Moon God.

He had memorized the Fire God’s true name so he could light the stove and boil water.

The Light God was their principal god, so naturally he had to remember his name.

As for the Moon God, Shu Li had been forced to memorize that name so he could transform the shape of his flower crown.

The quiet genius had once told Shu Li stories about the gods. More than twenty had both names and titles, while over a hundred other gods of varying importance each governed their own domain. People remembered most of them only when they needed to recite an incantation.

There was, for example, a goddess who governed poetry and music.

Praising her before playing the harp could grant the musician sudden inspiration and help them perform a more beautiful, melodious piece.

Shu Li had once asked the quiet genius why he had to praise the Fire God every time he lit the stove. Could he not simply omit that step?

The quiet genius had explained that in the era when the gods coexisted with mortals, adding a preface praising the appropriate god had been an important part of every incantation. Although the gods had since severed the passage between them, the incantations passed down through the ages had long since taken their final form and were difficult to alter.

Besides, whenever Mages recited an incantation, they still hoped the gods would hear their prayers and grant them greater power.

Simply put, when asking someone for a favor, speaking pleasantly improved the chances of success.

Magical incantations worked on the same principle. If one hoped to receive a god’s blessing, one had to respect, praise, and worship them sincerely.

Neither the quiet genius nor the other cubs could understand Shu Li’s troubles.

Their memories were astonishing. After hearing something once, they could recite it perfectly without missing a single word.

Shu Li finally understood how infuriating comparisons could be.

Seeing the dejected cub, Kumandi comforted him. “Magic isn’t complicated. Once you understand its patterns, it becomes very simple.”

Shu Li stared blankly at the quiet genius’s matter-of-fact expression.

Not complicated? Very simple?

Was Kumandi humblebragging right to his face?

Boohoohoo.

“Sperien, you’re definitely going to become the greatest all-round Mage!” Disio declared, offering his leader unwavering support.

“Disio is right!” Angel nodded vigorously.

“If studying makes you tired, eat something,” Budeno advised with complete seriousness. “Once you’re full, you’ll have the strength to keep studying!”

Warmth filled Shu Li’s heart, and he was deeply moved. “All right. Let’s work hard together!”

Seeing that the cub had recovered his spirits, Kumandi’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“Great Fire God Afama Chipes, I am Disio of the Faerie Forest. I ask that you command the element of fire to gather around me and bring me a fireball that will burn all things...”

The red-haired boy raised his Mage Apprentice’s magic staff and solemnly recited an elementary fire-magic incantation—the Fireball Summoning Spell.

As the incantation ended, the fire elements drifting through the air rapidly converged around him. A tiny fireball formed visibly at the tip of his magic staff.

The red-haired boy swung the staff downward. The fireball shot toward the pool ahead and went out upon striking the water, releasing a cloud of steam.

Clap, clap, clap—

Siet, who also served as their magic instructor, applauded. “Wonderful, Disio! You succeeded on your very first attempt to summon a fireball!”

Disio grinned, lifted his little chin, and looked smugly at the slightly chubby Budeno beside him.

Budeno huffed twice, took two steps forward with his magic staff in hand, and recited in a strong, resonant voice, “Great Water Goddess Hildani Gerti, I am Budeno of the Faerie Forest. I ask that you command the element of water to gather around me and bring me a water ball that will engulf all things—”

A water ball the size of an adult Fairy’s fist quickly gathered at the tip of his magic staff. It shot forward and landed in the pool, sending up a beautiful splash.

Siet applauded. “Budeno did wonderfully too!”

Budeno put away his magic staff and swaggered over to Disio, raising his eyebrows triumphantly.

Disio snorted and turned toward Angel.

The silver-haired Angel raised his magic staff without waiting for Siet’s signal and began to chant. “Great Light God Lainte Freis, I am Angel of the Faerie Forest. I ask that you command the element of light to gather around me and bring me an orb of light that will dispel all darkness!”

The instant he swung his magic staff, a small orb of light appeared above his head.

Siet praised him generously.

Angel flew toward Shu Li, who was sitting beneath a tree reading his notes, with the little orb of light following him. “Sperien, aren’t you going to try?”

“Uh... I have more kinds of magic than everyone else, so I’ll go last!”

Shu Li spoke without raising his head, his eyes fixed intently on the tadpole-like Elven script in his notebook.

Five years had passed since his transmigration to this other world. He had grown from a tiny cub no larger than a thumb into a little boy as tall as a middle finger.

In his original world, a five-year-old child would only just be starting their final year of kindergarten. Here in the Faerie Forest, they were already beginning to learn magic.

Whenever Shu Li thought about the hardships of the past five years, he could not help shedding a handful of bitter tears.

If anyone had told him in the past that he could learn a foreign language in five years, master an enormous vocabulary and its grammar, and use it fluently, he would never have believed them.

Now, he could proudly declare that after five years of studying himself half to death, he had finally mastered the ancient and profound Elven language.

Shu Li looked up at the young Fairies effortlessly casting elementary magic nearby and heaved a long sigh toward the heavens.

Proud, my ass!

Compared with these extraordinarily gifted Little Fairies, he was still a hopeless student.

They had mastered Elven in two years, becoming proficient in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Shu Li, meanwhile, was still struggling with writing. Only by seeking extra lessons from the quiet genius every day had he barely managed to keep pace with them.

No talent for languages meant no talent for languages.

Although his body belonged to a Fairy, the foreign soul inhabiting it had forcibly dragged down his natural aptitude until it became thoroughly mediocre.

Perhaps “mediocre” was not entirely accurate. He was still slightly better than an ordinary human.

After all, with his former human brain, he had been incapable of mastering even an ordinary foreign language, let alone Elven, which might as well have been a heavenly cipher.

The notebook in his hands, filled with Elven script, was the fifth magic notebook he had bought in the commercial district.

Magic notebooks contained many pages. Other people could use a single one for three years without filling it, while Shu Li went through one every year.

He could not help it. He had far too many notes to take, and writing in his diary every day used up the pages especially quickly.

Sitting cross-legged on the grass, Shu Li enjoyed the afternoon breeze as he carefully leafed through his notebook and reviewed the magical incantations he had copied that morning.

As the only Mage Apprentice with Seven-Element Magic, he had to memorize incantations from all seven branches.

Although he had long since memorized the gods’ true names perfectly, he still lacked confidence that he could succeed on his first attempt.

Ever since he began learning Elven, he had suffered from one small problem: whenever a sentence grew too long, his tongue became tangled. Once that happened, he mispronounced words and caused all manner of ridiculous mishaps.

He could not understand it. The pronunciation was perfectly correct in his mind, so why did everything go wrong when his mouth and tongue tried to express it?

Simply put, he was prone to verbal slips.

One young Fairy after another successfully completed their elementary magic. At last, it was Shu Li’s turn.

Siet flew gracefully toward the tree and asked with a smile, “Sperien, are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

Shu Li closed his notebook, spread his wings, and took his elementary magic staff from his storage ring. Brimming with heroic determination, he flew toward the magic practice field.