The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family - Chapter 198

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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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Episode 198
They rode the water droplet down into the pond.
The pond appeared shallow at first glance, but once they entered it, it proved remarkably deep—comparable to the depths of a considerable sea. In fact, it seemed deeper still.
As they sank through the seemingly endless water, they understood why Illum had said the materials there could not be brought outside.
Even a single person struggled to navigate it. Beastkin who lived in water might manage, but Tiel, Iandros, and Ferdi would surely have drowned without Karl’s assistance.
Tiel sat motionless within the water droplet as they descended slowly. Her transparent golden eyes fixed on Karl.
Karl brought his hand toward the droplet as if to reassure her, but Iandros, watching the gesture, let out a displeased cough, and Karl withdrew his hand at once.
They sank for a long time. The pond’s depth seemed endless, with no visible bottom in sight. Tiel wondered if this place even had an end. There was no sign of Illum, who had gone in ahead.
The water was terribly dark besides; without the small fish darting about nearby, they would not have been able to see each other’s faces at all.
Tiel, troubled by the darkness, used her Ability to brighten the water. Iandros’s displeased expression, which he had been directing at Tiel and Karl, became visible first.
Yet he quickly composed himself, befitting Crausyon’s crown prince. Tiel decided to pretend she had not seen it.
How much further did they descend?
“Oh! There’s light!”
Tiel cried out as she spotted a faint glow beneath them. Everyone looked down.
Indeed, there was a faint light below them—the pond’s bottom. Karl quickened their pace, descending rapidly toward it.
And then.
Boom!
They were hurled out of the pond in a small explosion. Karl tumbled across the ground, and as the water droplet burst, Iandros and Ferdi fell ungracefully to the earth as well.
But because Karl had wrapped Tiel’s droplet in double protection, she alone remained unharmed.
Gently.
The water droplet carrying Tiel descended like a feather and touched down softly. It burst the moment it met the ground. Tiel arrived at the pond’s bottom without injury or tumble.
“Are… are you all right?”
Tiel rushed to Iandros and knelt, extending her hand.
Iandros, supporting himself with one hand while rubbing his head with the other, immediately grasped Tiel’s hand.
“I’m fine. Are you hurt? Karl, your water droplet certainly lacks comfort.”
“My apologies, Your Highness. However, you will need to ride it again on the way up.”
Karl replied calmly. Tiel nodded and helped Iandros to his feet.
Ferdi rose on his own. Once all were standing, they surveyed the pond’s bottom.
“It’s vast…….”
Tiel’s first words.
The space was so immense it seemed impossible it lay beneath a pond, as grand as Eberard’s own manor.
Symbols of Eberard were carved throughout, and gold-sculpted statues of Eberard stood in various places.
And at the very center stood an enormous, magnificent altar.
The altar held a depression in its middle, filled with the clearest, most transparent water they had ever seen. Without Illum’s explanation, they recognized at once that this was the “Altar” itself.
Here Karl had slept for centuries. And it was in Illum’s generation that he finally awakened.
Illum, having shed his Beast-human Form and returned to human appearance, bowed respectfully to them and spoke.
“This is Eberard’s Secret Chamber.”
They now understood why Illum had spoken to Karl that way.
Every moment of Eberard’s entire history was carved into the walls with meticulous precision. Nothing was omitted. This chamber was Eberard’s history itself.
“The materials are stored this way.”
Illum led Tiel onward. She followed him past the altar into another vast space filled with countless documents and records.
“However, you cannot take them outside. The materials here are imbued with a special power. Any attempt to remove them will cause them to deteriorate completely.”
Tiel nodded in understanding. Iandros and Ferdi reached out to examine the materials. Illum and Karl, having been told in advance what to search for, began pulling out documents one by one.
Since they did not know where or in what form the information might be recorded, they would have to search through all of these materials.
They gazed up at the vast accumulation of documents. Even dozens of people could not examine it all in a week. How could this small group possibly manage?
But impossible or not, it had to be done.
Now that all records of the Mad Princess had been destroyed, this was the only hope they could cling to.
***
“Aah! What is this!”
Rowen shrieked. She tore off her gloves and examined her hands, trembling.
Her hands had become grotesque, covered with Black Ice Crystals. Rowen raised her claws and scraped at the ice clinging to her skin.
Scrape.
Scrape…….
But it would not come off. Unable to bear the sight of the ugly crystals adhered to her hand, she finally slammed her hand forcefully against the table.
Crack!
The crystals shattered, and Rowen’s fair, delicate hand was revealed. She breathed heavily, heedless of the pain.
What on earth was this?
She could now use the Light Ability perfectly. Because her innate Ice-Based Ability could not be entirely eliminated, she could not use Ability the way Tiel did, but the power Rowen wielded was certainly light.
Yet what was this hideous ice crystal!
When Rowen let out an irritated cry, the maids who had accompanied her from Nestian trembled.
“No, it’s fine. Such a trifle means nothing to me.”
The goal was nearly within reach. Such ice crystals could not stop her. Rowen spun toward her maid.
“You there!”
“Yes, yes, miss… aah!”
But the maid fell backward with a shriek upon seeing Rowen’s face. Rowen, her brow deeply furrowed, demanded an answer.
“Have you lost your mind? Why are you screaming?”
The problem came next. The other maid beside her also began trembling upon glimpsing Rowen’s face.
“Miss. Your face…….”
Noticing something was wrong, Rowen immediately demanded a mirror. The maids hurried to fetch one.
Standing before the large mirror, Rowen examined her face. Yet she saw nothing amiss.
A beautiful woman still gazed back at her from the glass, and no hideous ice crystals obscured her features as they had her hands.
So why did the maids recoil in fear whenever they saw her face, as if they might lose control?
“What is wrong with my face? Tell me. Why did you scream? If your reason is not valid, I will cut out your tongue!”
Rowen’s voice turned sharp. The maids trembled and prostrated themselves on the ground. The one who had screamed first spoke hesitantly.
“Miss, your face… it doesn’t appear. It looks as if Black Smoke is obscuring it. At first, I thought it was my mistake, but seeing Bella react the same way, it seems…….”
“Black Smoke is obscuring my face?”
In that instant, a black hand emerged from behind Rowen. The maids who looked up could not even scream, their mouths falling open.
The black hand grasped Rowen’s cheek. Another hand seized her throat.
But Rowen, oblivious to anything she could not see in the mirror, continued muttering to herself.
“You must all be mad. I see nothing wrong…… Fine, get out. I’ll find new maids.”
The maids fled the room the moment her words ended.
Black haze rose in the chamber. A black form slowly pushed its body inside. Yet Rowen remained oblivious, smiling to herself.

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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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