The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family - Chapter 71

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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 71
Ferdi Asterian and Ludian Asterian were the envy of every child their age.
With their fierce Flame Ability and beauty so striking that “handsome” hardly did them justice.
For this reason, not only the daughters of noble houses but also ordinary citizens of the empire looked forward to catching a glimpse of the Asterian Family twins at the festival.
And naturally, what they expected to see was the blazing presence that could melt anyone who gazed upon it, and that intense Flame Ability!
……And yet.
“Tiel, hand it over.”
Ferdi took a large Marshmallow from Tiel’s hands. Then—
Whoosh!
A small flame danced in his palm as he carefully roasted every corner of Tiel’s Marshmallow until it melted perfectly.
“There you go. You can eat it now. It might be hot, so blow on it a little before you eat, all right?”
The boy smiled brightly as he held out the perfectly roasted Marshmallow to his younger sister. Tiel nodded with a radiant smile.
Soon her mouth was filled with the fluffy sweetness, and her already round eyes grew so wide they seemed ready to pop clean off her face.
The citizens watching this scene began to realize something was off.
What they had expected from the Asterians was naturally……, powerful flames! Incredible Abilities! Something like that, surely,
Whoosh.
Beside Ferdi, Ludian was carefully roasting another Marshmallow.
The timid little flame in his hand was far, far removed from what they had imagined.
And then.
“Tiel, aren’t you warm?”
Olivie swept her hand through the air, conjuring a breeze. The citizens passing nearby had to grip their hats tightly to keep them from flying away.
‘Isn’t she the heir to Wolfgang?’
So why was she standing beside them acting as a high-performance fan?
It was beyond their comprehension, so they simply gave up trying to understand.
Instead.
“Miss, please try this.”
Citizens who had taken a liking to Tiel carefully offered gifts to the small girl.
The owner of a candy shop pressed a handful of the finest sweets from his stock into Tiel’s hands,
And a vendor selling caramel apples plucked the two most perfectly round and tempting ones to offer her.
Ferdi and Ludian accepted these gifts without hesitation and held them in Tiel’s stead.
As they walked on, the knights of the Asterian Family, along with Ferdi and Ludian, and even the knights of Wolfgang, found themselves standing about carrying gifts from countless people.
Tiel was astounded by this bewildering and heartwarming sight and asked carefully.
“Um, is it normal in Luminarie to give gifts to other people?”
“Of course not. Everyone’s giving because you’re so cute.”
Though truthfully, that wasn’t the only reason.
Tiel was a child who had manifested the legendary Light Ability. And that fact mattered greatly to all who walked this land of Crasion.
In this empire, light held such meaning. So the citizens offered the most precious things they possessed, expressing their gratitude to the child of light.
Ferdi and Ludian understood this sentiment, which is why they accepted what was given to them rather than refusing.
“So enjoy it. Olivie wasn’t wrong when she said so. Today is your day!”
No one disputed Ludian’s words. Tiel nodded shyly, though she did nod.
To deny this would feel like denying all the gifts and affection these people had shown her.
But then.
“……?”
Tiel’s head snapped around. Her large golden eyes flashed in the darkness.
‘What was that just now……?’
She had felt something strange a moment ago, hadn’t she?
A deeply unsettling presence. Like pulling her foot from a swamp—sticky, viscous……. As if the slimy sensation of the bog still clung to her ankles.
“Tiel, what’s wrong?”
Ferdi asked carefully. Tiel looked up at her brother.
‘Did my brother not feel it?’
Tiel tilted her head and looked back toward where she had sensed that presence.
But there was no one there.
‘……Did I see wrong?’
There were so many people here, so maybe her nerves had made her imagine it.
Unwilling to dwell on that uneasy feeling, Tiel convinced herself of this explanation and took hold of Ferdi’s hand.
“It’s nothing.”
“If you’re tired, let’s head back. You’ve played enough.”
“Yes, I’ve played plenty.”
Tiel nodded. Ferdi, Ludian, and Olivie led their small, beloved sister away from the street and climbed into the Carriage that awaited them.
Or rather, they tried to.
“Wait.”
Ferdi firmly blocked Olivie’s path.
“Why?”
“Why are you getting on? You need to go to your own house.”
“What? There’s no such rule! I’m staying with Tiel today!”
Olivie paid no mind to Ferdi’s words and swiftly climbed into the Carriage, taking a seat.
And she grasped Tiel’s hand tightly.
“Tiel, you want to stay with your sister, don’t you? You were so sad while we were apart?”
“Yes, I missed you so much!”
“See? I told you!”
Olivie let out a triumphant cry. Ferdi shook his head in disapproval, clearly unwilling to argue further.
Then Ludian stepped in.
“Listen, does that even make sense? At least wait until the Competition tomorrow is over before you say something like that.”
“Please! As if that’s some big deal!”
Olivie huffed and turned her head away.
The Competition.
Every three years, the Five Great Families of the Crasion Empire gathered in Luminarie to hold a Competition between their houses.
Through this, they affirmed the hierarchy and order of each family.
Defeat in this Competition meant a family’s ranking would fall, and in severe cases, they could even be stripped of their standing among the Five Great Families.
Whichever family possessed the stronger Ability would reestablish the hierarchy. And the imperial court did not intervene in the Five Families’ ranking disputes.
This was possible because this was a world of beastkin. The Law of the Strong governed this place, where only the powerful survived.
Of course, this Competition had long since become nothing more than a formality.
The ranking of the families had not changed for two centuries.
A family’s ranking was determined by the power of the Ability they were born with. And Abilities always had what was called Affinity.
Unless a mad genius emerged to break through the Affinity, the ranking of the Five Great Families would never change.
Nevertheless, Luminarie always held the Competition.
Of course, they didn’t actually fight.
Challenging an already-determined ranking was so dangerous that one would have to stake everything they possessed.
So the Heads of Household from each family neither challenged nor were challenged, and they solidified their positions by simply completing the Competition.
And the heirs of each family had to go through the Competition as well.
The heirs of each family, or the children who bore their family’s name, underwent the Competition just as their Heads of Household did.
But since the ranking of the children was also determined by their elders’ ranking, the children had never truly ‘competed’ either.
Nevertheless, the Competition remained quite an important ceremony in the Crasion Empire.
“So go on. You have to participate in the Competition tomorrow anyway.”
“I can just sleep here and go tomorrow.”
“As if.”
Ludian shoved Olivie out of the Carriage. Olivie cursed at Ludian with frustration, then looked at Tiel with a pitiful expression.
“Tiel……, your sister will come tomorrow.”
“Yes, sister, I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“Okay……, well, even if you miss your sister, hold it in, all right? Your sister will be back really soon!”
Ferdi, looking as though he found the scene distasteful, climbed into the Carriage and ordered the door shut.
Soon the Carriage door closed.
Tiel gazed quietly out the Carriage window. She could see the trees rushing past behind them.
‘What was that earlier……? What could it have been?’
And she recalled what she had seen just before parting with Olivie.
That was truly……. A sensation she had never experienced before. The feeling of being slowly swallowed by a vast darkness. And Tiel……, had never felt such a sensation even once…….
Tiel wondered whether she should tell Ferdi and Ludian now, but held her tongue.
It seemed the ‘Competition’ tomorrow was important to them both, and she didn’t want to worry them with something she wasn’t even sure about.
Instead, Tiel decided to stay close to Ferdi and Ludian’s side.
‘It might be dangerous, after all.’
And so.
Then Ferdi grasped Tiel’s hand very firmly. Ludian, watching quietly, seized Tiel’s other hand, not to be outdone.
“What’s wrong, Tiel?”
Ferdi asked gently, brushing back the hair from her forehead.
Tiel felt her brother’s kind touch and squeezed the hand holding hers even tighter.
“It’s nothing.”
And she tucked that unpleasant sensation she had felt moments before into a corner of her heart.

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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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