The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family - Chapter 189

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 189
“What on earth is this?”
But no one could answer Ludian’s murmur. They had all seen such a sight for the first time.
After watching Tiel for some time, they left the room, abandoning their questions about her.
There was no way for them to resolve the strange phenomenon with their own power, and besides, they worried that Tiel might wake from her sleep.
“Watch over Tiel carefully.”
“Don’t worry, Cassius.”
Lia bowed her head in response, then brought a chair to Tiel’s bedside and sat down.
She intended to watch over Tiel’s condition for as long as she slept.
Lia’s expression darkened as she noticed that something resembling a black snake continued to attack Tiel’s fish.
Yet she said nothing, and carefully took the sleeping Tiel’s hand.
Her fingertips were cold.
Only after confirming that Lia was tending to Tiel with such care did Cassius leave the room’s entrance.
They did not return to their own rooms, but instead headed to the one that Eberard had provided to Cassius.
It was late at night, but none of them showed any sign of fatigue. In truth, they were not tired at all.
Sleep had fled them all in the wake of what had just happened. Ferdi, Ludian, and Iandros especially felt it keenly.
In Cassius’s room, two sofas faced each other across a single table.
Once Cassius sat on one sofa, Ferdi, Ludian, and Iandros naturally settled themselves across from him.
Ordinarily, the crown prince Iandros should have occupied a sofa alone, but Iandros paid little regard to such formality and simply sat as he pleased.
“I’ve confirmed what happened.”
Cassius produced a Salamander from his palm—not the one he had given to Tiel, but another Salamander of his own making.
Unlike Tiel’s Salamander, this one possessed neither consciousness nor will, merely a small flame-like puppet that acted only according to Cassius’s commands.
Through the Salamander’s eyes, Cassius and Alpheus had witnessed everything, and now both felt they could no longer overlook this matter.
If things continued as they were, the one who would suffer the greatest wound and the gravest harm would undoubtedly be Tiel Asterian, his beloved youngest daughter.
No—Tiel had already been suffering for some time. Ever since the balance of the Crasion Empire had begun to crumble.
“We’ve received a report of Je’s movements being spotted.”
Cassius spoke.
All three men reacted at once to his words.
“Je’s movements, at this timing?”
“Damn it, so it was that bastard after all!”
“But I still don’t understand. No matter how brilliant a scientist he is, he shouldn’t be capable of manipulating an Oracle or creating the Light Ability.”
Each of the three men voiced a thought. Cassius listened carefully to them all, then opened his mouth.
“We’ll have to capture him and find out for ourselves. For now, he’s been confirmed to be somewhere near Arcadia.”
“…Not outside Nestian?”
Ferdi asked.
Cassius nodded.
“That’s right—he’s apparently left Nestian. Which means if we’re going to catch him, we need to do it now.”
Cassius unfolded a map of Arcadia. Ordinarily, Cassius would have had no way to obtain such a map, but Karl, having heard Tiel’s account, had provided it despite his retainers’ objections.
Cassius pointed with his finger to a corner of Arcadia, a place where the clearest spring waters were said to flow, and spoke.
“This is where he was last spotted.”
It was near the Eberard Mansion—a location far removed from the heart of Arcadia.
“But he hasn’t been sighted since. Even Asterian’s knights lost his trail. However, I don’t believe he fled beyond Arcadia’s borders.”
“He had a purpose in coming here.”
Iandros murmured.
Everyone agreed.
Purpose.
He must have come with some grander, more ambitious objective than merely using Rowen to unsettle the hearts of the beastkin.
And he would not leave Arcadia until he had achieved it.
The problem was…
‘What could his purpose possibly be?’
To kill Tiel? That’s practically impossible. To kill Tiel, he would have to defeat four members of the Black Leopard who wield the Flame Ability, Iandros himself, and both Olivier of Wolfgang and Clemens of Arne.
No matter how formidable he is, it’s nearly impossible to defeat so many and kill Tiel.
Moreover, because of the Rowen incident, the security around Tiel has been tightened considerably.
Then… what could his purpose possibly be?
“We’ll have to find that out starting now.”
Ferdi murmured. They nodded simultaneously. Then Cassius looked toward something and spoke.
“Bring her.”
At Cassius’s words, the Asterian knights waiting outside the door stirred into action.
Ludian tilted his head in confusion.
“Who are you talking about? Tiel? But Tiel is sleeping.”
“You fool—Father would never refer to Tiel as ‘her.'”
“I was already aware of that.”
Ludian and Ferdi bickered briefly. Iandros, for his part, remained lost in his own thoughts, while Cassius continued to gaze toward the door as if waiting for someone.
And not long after.
An Asterian knight entered, bringing the “someone” Cassius had summoned.
“…You!”
Ferdi’s eyes widened.
***
Tiel was dreaming.
It was a terrible dream.
Black snakes kept coiling around her, wrapping around pale legs and forearms, their mouths gaping wide as if they meant to swallow her whole in a single bite.
Tiel had dreamed this dream long ago.
She couldn’t quite remember it clearly, but it was definitely very similar to this.
A dream of black snakes coiling around her. A dream of something falling endlessly like rain, like snow, from above them. A dream where, buried beneath the black snakes and unable to breathe properly, she could only weep in helplessness.
Tiel was dreaming that dream again.
But this time, it was different from before.
The black snakes of that time had not spoken. They had simply coiled around her, their only purpose to swallow her whole.
But the black snakes that coiled around her this time opened their massive maws, baring sharp fangs, and spoke.
[Failing to kill you when I had the chance was my greatest mistake.]
[I should have killed you on the first attempt.]
[But it is not too late even now.]
[I will kill you.]
[I will devour you.]
[I will tear you to shreds.]
[I will put you inside this belly and slowly dissolve you, digest you away…]
The snake whispered in a chillingly sharp voice near Tiel’s ear.
Tiel shook her head to try to shake off the voice, but the snake clung to her ear and continued whispering cruel words.
I’lltakeyouI’lldevouryouI’llkillyouI’llkillyouanddigestyouI’llkillyouearlierImustkillynow.
Tiel’s eyes snapped open. Her golden eyes, which always shone so brightly, were now stained with black terror. Remembering that snakes hate light, Tiel tried to use her Ability to shake them off, but failed.
Her Ability wouldn’t activate at all.
Tiel realized it then.
‘That’s right… I’ve lost my Ability…’
She had lost her Ability now. Tiel’s Ability had transferred to Rowen. She could no longer use light.
Then did that mean she had to be eaten and killed by the snake like this? The light drained from Tiel’s eyes. Her pristine white hair, fine as snow, began to darken from its ends, turning black.
The enormous snake gazed down at her with what appeared to be satisfaction.
It seemed to be waiting for the moment when all strength would drain completely from Tiel’s body.
Once she lost even the will to struggle, it would swallow her whole in one gulp.
Tiel knew this all too well, but she also knew that she was steadily losing even the strength to struggle.
Endless despair crawled up from her fingertips. Despair coiled around Tiel’s body like a snake.
But then.
[Wake up, Tiel!]
A strange voice called out from somewhere.
[Wake up, little one…]
A strange voice.
[Little one, little one…]
Yet not strange at all.
Tiel didn’t know who the voice belonged to, but she could tell that its owner was weeping for her sake.
So Tiel reached out her hand.
‘Please don’t cry.’
Whoever you are, please don’t cry because of me.
But the snake coiled so tightly around Tiel’s body that even reaching out her hand was difficult.
Then it happened.
Flash!
Light blazed from somewhere.
[Kyieeeeek!]
The snake shrieked in agony, its massive maw gaping wide.
And in that moment.
The snake’s body that had been coiled around Tiel went slack.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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