The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family - Chapter 97

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

Chapter 97
Before the grand gates of the Asterian Mansion, Imperial Palace knights in armor emblazoned with the Imperial Family Crest stood in perfect formation.
At their head, as if by natural law, stood Iandros astride a black horse, towering and composed.
“Iandros!”
Upon spotting him, Tiel laughed brightly and rushed forward. Seeing her approach, Iandros leapt from his horse in a single fluid motion.
“Tiel.”
He opened his arms to embrace her, but just as she was about to step into them, another hand caught her first.
“…Huh?”
“Don’t you dare touch my sister.”
It was Ludian who scooped her up.
As a result, Iandros found himself unable to embrace Tiel, and could only stand there with arms crossed, his expression decidedly odd.
Ludian held Tiel triumphantly in his arms and stuck his tongue out at Iandros.
“Absolutely not! Why is she suffering like this? It’s all your fault—”
“Oh, brother!”
Tiel clapped her small hand over Ludian’s mouth, silencing him. He did not resist, merely watching her with his eyes.
She kept her hand firmly pressed over his lips.
“Please, stop! We agreed not to say such things!”
Ferdi, Ludian, and Olivier had been growling about drowning Iandros the moment they saw him, which meant Tiel had spent four days coaxing promises from her brothers that they wouldn’t do any such thing.
And yet Ludian had broken that promise in all of three seconds flat.
Meeting Tiel’s reproachful gaze, Ludian scratched the back of his head and nodded.
“Yeah, yeah, sorry, sorry.”
Only then did Tiel release her hand from his mouth.
“You won’t do it again, will you?”
“I won’t, don’t worry.”
“I’ll trust you, brother!”
Tiel smiled and answered. Ludian nodded, still somewhat reluctant, and set her gently on the ground.
Iandros, who had been watching in silence, stepped closer to Tiel and carefully stroked her hair.
“Are you all set?”
“Yes, of course! We’re ready to leave whenever!”
That was when it happened.
Pop!
“Huh?”
Two small ears suddenly sprouted from the top of Tiel’s head.
Iandros startled and withdrew his hand. Between the neat white strands of her hair, a pair of plump leopard ears had sprouted prominently.
“…Oh no!”
Alarmed, Tiel reached up and touched her own head. Her fingers felt the soft fur of the two ears.
“Why did they come out suddenly?”
Iandros gazed intently at the small white ears protruding from her head. “Do you know why they appeared?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose…”
Tiel protested, struggling to push the ears back in. At least her tail hadn’t emerged.
‘These past few days the room has been cool, so I’ve been in Demihuman Transformation constantly…’
Had her body simply grown accustomed to the form? Against her will, her ears had popped out. Tiel’s expression turned troubled, and she covered both ears with her hands.
“It’s all right.”
Iandros, still observing her quietly, turned her a half-rotation so that her small back faced him.
It was exactly the position Lia had used when tying her hair.
And then, with both his hands, he gently covered her protruding ears.
“Mm…”
“There’s no need to be startled. It happens. Calm yourself.”
Iandros spoke in a low, steady voice, and Tiel’s panic subsided. She nodded, then tilted her head back to look at him.
His quiet tone soothed her racing heart instantly. The panicked thudding in her chest stilled at once.
In that moment, her eyes met his as he looked down at her. He smiled faintly.
“Feeling better?”
“Yes…”
In that instant, the white ears protruding from her head vanished without a trace. Only after confirming that Tiel had retracted them did Iandros lower his hands.
Ludian watched the entire scene with obvious displeasure, but Iandros paid him no mind whatsoever.
It was then that Ferdi and Olivier appeared, right on cue.
“Come on, let’s go. We don’t have time to waste.”
“Tiel, come here. Get in the carriage.”
Ferdi gestured to her. Tiel looked at Iandros. He nodded, as if to say she should go.
Tiel ran to Ferdi and nestled into his arms. Ferdi lifted her into the carriage that had been waiting nearby.
“Will you ride on horseback?”
He turned to ask Iandros. Iandros blinked.
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“If I grow tired, I’ll take the carriage.”
Ferdi pressed him no further. The children all boarded the carriage instead of riding horses as Iandros did.
Riding was exhausting work. The journey to Arne was a long one; they would need to travel by carriage.
If Wolfgang were to imbue the carriage with his Ability, they might arrive in Arne far more quickly, but…
‘He can’t place Abilities on all these knights’ horses.’
When traveling separately from the Asterian Mansion, Cassius and Alpheus accompanied the party, so only a handful of knights needed to follow. But this time they had to keep pace with a considerable force.
As a result, Wolfgang’s extraordinary Ability—the one that made carriages and horses move with shocking speed—would have to remain unused.
Once all the children had boarded the carriage, they looked back at Alpheus and Cassius before the door closed.
Alpheus and Cassius had come to the mansion’s front entrance to watch them depart.
“Go safely, and take care of yourselves.”
“Be careful. And then be careful again.”
The first was Alpheus, the second Cassius. The farewells were brief, and the send-off was not long. The worry that had naturally risen to their eyes every moment they’d looked at the children these past four days had vanished.
They had already decided to let them go. Now they had simply chosen to trust.
“Don’t worry! We’ll be back soon!”
Tiel declared cheerfully. Alpheus and Cassius’s expressions softened at once, becoming warm and gentle.
“Yes, Tiel. Your grandfather is waiting for you.”
At that, Cassius strode forward and leaned halfway into the carriage. One by one, he stroked each child’s head.
Ferdi, Ludian, Olivier, and… Tiel.
“Tiel, may the Blessing of Lucet go with you.”
Cassius pressed a gentle kiss to Tiel’s forehead. It tickled slightly. Tiel did her best to wear her brightest smile so he would have no cause for worry.
“Yes, Father! I’ll be back home soon…”
“Yes, your father will wait without worry at home.”
Cassius closed the carriage door himself. As it shut, Iandros could be heard giving orders to his knights.
Soon the carriage began to move.
“Wow! This is my first time going to Arne!”
Olivier leaned out the carriage window, his voice bright with excitement.
“That’s not just you—anyone would feel the same.”
Ludian replied in a tone far from gentle.
***
The carriage rolled on without stopping until it reached Arne.
A knight escort from the Imperial Palace, personally assembled by the Emperor himself, guarded the carriage—a company composed entirely of herbivorous demihuman knights, the only ones capable of entering the Land of No Dawn.
‘It’s still bearable so far.’
Iandros narrowed his eyes against the wind brushing his palm. The air was not yet bitterly cold.
But there was still a long way to Arne. As they traveled north, it would grow colder. Iandros pulled on the reins.
“We rest here for a while.”
The journey ahead would be arduous, so they would need to stop regularly. Watching over the stamina of his knights and their mounts fell to him as commander.
Halfway up a low hill, the knights brought the carriage to a halt and tied their horses to trees. Iandros leapt from his black horse.
“Your Highness, please feel free to use the carriage whenever you need.”
The captain of the guard approached and bowed. Iandros looked up. In his line of sight sat the carriage, marked with the Imperial Family Crest.
It had been prepared for Iandros to use later if needed. He nodded slowly.
“Very well. You’re dismissed.”
The captain bowed once more and withdrew. Iandros tilted his water flask and drank from it.
At that moment, the children tumbled out of their carriage. The forest, which had been quiet save for the murmur of knights’ voices and the snort of horses, suddenly grew loud with their chatter.

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