The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family-Chapter 100

"We see it too," Ferdie responded to Ludian’s remark.

Olivia had been about to stroke the sleeping Tiel when she suddenly froze, hesitating.

"Has she always been like this? If Ria were here, we could ask if Tiel usually glows when she sleeps..."

"No. Tiel doesn’t glow when she sleeps," Ferdie stated firmly.

He had held Tiel in his arms plenty of times when she dozed off.

So he was certain—just because Tiel possessed the ability of light didn’t mean she naturally emitted it at all times.

Yet now, she was undeniably glowing. The tiny snow leopard’s front paws shimmered with a soft, radiant light. Even without a lamp or torch inside the tent, the space was as bright as daytime.

"She’s not sick, is she?"

Olivia gently ran her hand over Tiel’s fur in concern. The little girl, exhausted from the long carriage ride, remained peacefully asleep, completely undisturbed.

Ferdie shook his head.

"I don’t think she’s sick... Maybe she’s having trouble controlling her ability?"

But if that were the case, the light should have flickered or wavered in instability.

Instead, the glow was steady, calm—composed, like the ocean after a storm.

Just like when she consciously used her power while awake, her front paws emitted a serene, unwavering light.

After some deliberation, the three siblings came to a conclusion: There was no point in worrying about something they couldn’t control.

"Let’s just sleep. We’ll check on her again in the morning," Ludian suggested.

"You stay here. Ludian and I will sleep outside," Ferdie added.

"Huh? That’s unusual. You’re actually telling me to stay with Tiel?" Olivia teased.

"It makes more sense for the girls to stay in the same tent... We don’t have enough tents to give both of you separate ones."

Olivia nodded at his logic. It was true—there weren’t that many tents. It wouldn’t make sense to allocate one to her and another to Tiel.

Yawning, Olivia was the first to lie down beside Tiel, exhausted. Ferdie and Ludian stood watch until both girls were sleeping soundly.

Once they were certain, the two left the tent.

Silence settled over the campsite.

[.......]

Something slithered through the darkness.

Like a creeping shadow, it inched toward the tent, winding its way up the girls’ arms. It moved like an insect, or perhaps like a snake.

It was similar in nature to the ominous presence that had once lingered near Ian’s throat—but this was even thicker, heavier, and more sinister.

It crawled over Olivia first, curling and writhing along her body. Then, realizing she wasn’t its target, it withdrew.

Instead, it shifted toward Tiel.

The darkness gathered, thickening as if to devour the tiny snow leopard whole.

And then—

[!!!]

Before it could react, the moment it touched Tiel’s glowing paws, it disintegrated instantly.

At the same time, two small, luminous fish emerged from Tiel’s front paws. The little girl was still fast asleep, completely unaware.

It was an instinctual response.

A defense mechanism, protecting its master.

The two fish, their translucent tails trailing behind them, swam in slow, deliberate circles around Tiel.

As if issuing a warning.

The darkness, which had been closing in, recoiled.

Then, it began to dissolve, steadily and completely.

The fish continued their circular path, scattering fragments of light in their wake.

Glittering shards of light, like tiny stars, rained down over the two sleeping girls.

Like snow piling up layer by layer, the luminous dust coated them protectively.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, the surrounding darkness dissipated.

Tiel’s light had always been capable of repelling shadows, even when weak.

Now, shining as brilliantly as the stars, there was no way the darkness could remain.

[!!!]

The creatures lurking in the darkness writhed in agony.

But there was no escape from the light. Light did not choose its targets—it illuminated everything equally.

Fwaaash!

The fish made of Tiel’s energy pulsed with a brilliant glow.

As if proving that darkness could never triumph over light.

As if proving that even the faintest glimmer of light remained light.

The two luminescent fish circled the sleeping children throughout the night, chasing away the creeping shadows.

Perhaps it was thanks to that glow, standing guard at their bedside?

The children slept soundly through the night, undisturbed.

***

They had to camp several more times after that.

Originally, they were supposed to stay in villages along the way. However, strangely enough, every path leading to a village was either collapsed or missing, forcing them to spend three more nights camping in the pitch-dark mountains.

Visit freewёbnoνel.com for the best novel reading experience.

And after three nights of camping, the children discovered something.

"Tiel glows when she sleeps in the mountains!"

Olivia exclaimed as if she had uncovered some grand revelation. Ludian and Ferdie both nodded in agreement.

"She didn’t glow when we stayed in a village."

"Is she reacting to the mountains? What do you think, Tiel?"

Ferdie turned to her.

Tiel, who had been nibbling on a piece of corn bread with both hands, quickly swallowed the bite before answering.

"I don’t know... You all say I use my ability every time I fall asleep."

"True," Ferdie agreed.

He reached out and wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth as Tiel took another big bite of her bread.

There was no issue with Tiel using her ability in her sleep. Her light was warm and comforting—if anything, Olivia had been able to sleep better because of it.

Ludian adjusted the blanket draped over Tiel, making sure it covered her properly. For the past few nights, they had each needed their own blankets to keep warm against the biting cold.

The sharper the northern winds became, the closer they were to Arne.

"Aren’t you cold?" Ferdie asked.

"I’m fine!" Tiel shook her head.

Ludian and Ferdie had been taking turns using their abilities to heat the air inside the carriage, keeping it toasty and comfortable.

Alpheus and Karsus had worried that children raised in warmth would struggle with the northern cold. But—

"Fire abilities are amazing~! Don’t you think so, hand warmer?" Olivia teased.

"You’d better be careful, or that ‘hand warmer’ might burn your hair," Ferdie warned with a smirk.

Not only did Ferdie and Ludian use their ability to keep the carriage warm, but they also toasted Tiel’s corn bread, keeping it crispy and warm.

Fire abilities were incredibly versatile.

Even during their camping nights, thanks to the brothers, the knights never had to struggle to light the fires—Ferdie and Ludian could ignite the kindling in seconds.

"This hand warmer sure is picky!"

"Would you like to ride in a different carriage and freeze by yourself?"

"Yeah, let’s throw her into another carriage. Maybe she needs to shiver a little to come to her senses!"

The first voice belonged to Ferdie, the second to Ludian.

Tiel, meanwhile, continued munching happily, unfazed by their bickering.

She had long since learned that getting involved in her siblings’ arguments was futile—Ferdie, Ludian, and Olivia fought far too often.

As they bantered, the scenery outside the carriage changed.

Just moments ago, they had been passing through a snow-covered landscape. But suddenly, lush green vegetation appeared.

They had crossed into Arne’s domain.

The distant cries of predators vanished, replaced by the chirping of birds. A warm breeze swept gently through the open carriage window.

"Are we there?" Ludian leaned out, peering at the view.

A fresh, warm wind greeted him—not the sharp, biting air of the north.

"We’re here!" Tiel beamed.

At her voice, Ferdie and Ludian finally let go of their abilities, allowing the fire-warmed air to fade. But the carriage remained comfortable. The natural warmth of Arne had taken over.

Gone were the snowy plains. A vast flower field stretched before them, bathed in golden sunlight.

Tiel lifted a small hand to shield her eyes, gazing outside in quiet wonder.

Her golden eyes shimmered like a sunlit lake.

She couldn’t help but whisper in awe.

"So this is..."

The land blessed by the gods.

Arne.