The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family-Chapter 116

“Ah....”

Herod let out a soft groan. A bright light quickly filled the room. The light that stretched out from Tiel’s hand gently and carefully wrapped around Herod’s body.

It was truly an astonishing sight.

There was no reason for light to have its own consciousness, but the light blooming from the small girl’s hand gathered around Herod as if it were a living being.

Only then did the people properly see the face of the patient lying in bed. Perhaps due to the long illness, his face was deeply pale, and dark stains had spread across both of his cheeks, making him look almost like... a dead person.

If Herod had not smiled upon seeing the light, most of the people there would have thought he was already dead.

Tiel quietly illuminated Illum and Herod without rushing to speak. She did so to allow the father and son to have a peaceful conversation.

Illum, who had moved closer to Herod’s bedside, gently felt his son’s cheek with trembling hands.

This was the first time he had seen his son’s face in such a bright place.

Herod’s face was a little paler than he had expected, and his eyes were darker than darkness itself, but they didn’t seem ominous in the slightest.

Illum had often wondered where exactly Herod was looking, but today he realized why.

Herod’s eyes were darker and blacker than Illum had thought, so in the darkness, they had been unable to reflect any light.

“...Herod.”

Illum softly called his son’s name and gently stroked his sickly face. Herod blinked lightly as if answering his father’s voice.

“My son.”

Illum lowered his head and placed his cheek against Herod’s forehead. Illum’s wrinkled cheek grew damp with tears. Karl, Eren, and the other children silently watched the two.

They had once desperately wished for a miracle.

That morning would come to this land, that the sun would rise, that the darkness would be lifted and light would bloom, so that their son could live under the sunlight······.

But miracles, if they do not align with reality and appear at the proper time, are no more than a handful of sand.

The girl who had manifested the Light Ability appeared. Perhaps this girl really could take away the darkness that had fallen upon this land and bring light.

...But what good would that be for those who could no longer live under the light?

Regardless of that, Illum felt an immense gratitude toward Tiel. His son had longed to see proper light, just once in his lifetime. And that wish······ was fulfilled just before his death.

Thanks to this small girl.

“...I loved you so... so much.”

The father whispered softly into his son’s ear. The ailing son gripped his father’s hand with the last of his strength.

“...Ah, Father.”

Herod cautiously called his father’s name. It was also the first time he saw his father’s face in such a bright place. His father seemed a little older than he had imagined. Herod felt a deep sadness about that.

It was then.

“...Huh?”

The first person to notice the change in Herod’s body was not Illum, not Tiel, nor even Herod himself, but Karl, who had been standing nearby.

Karl opened his mouth in disbelief and pointed at Herod.

“The, the spots on Herod’s face...!”

At Karl’s words, Illum quickly turned his head to check his son’s face. Everyone in the room turned their heads and looked at Herod at once.

The spots that had covered more than half of Herod’s face were slowly disappearing under the light······.

“Herod!”

Illum grabbed his son’s cheek tightly. The spots began to disappear at a very slow rate before rapidly accelerating and vanishing completely. Herod’s skin quickly returned to its original color.

“...What is...?”

The man, who had sensed death, changed his face to one of shock and confusion. Illum, regardless of his son, tore off his shirt as if to remove it.

“Ah, Father!”

“My goodness....”

The black spots that had covered his entire body were slowly disappearing.

‘They all disappeared when they received the light. So maybe the darkness that has been gnawing at the beastkin’s bodies could also disappear like that. Can you show them to me just once?’

Tiel’s words were correct.

The darkness that had claimed their lives was rapidly disappearing under the little girl’s light, at an astonishing speed.

“Tiel.”

Ferdie lightly placed his hand on his sister’s shoulder. After seeing Herod’s spots disappear, Tiel nodded, then raised both arms high.

The light that had been gathered in her hands floated up into the air, brightening the room even further.

Yet, despite the light’s intensity, it was neither blinding nor painful. Clemence, Olivia, Ludian, and Ian stood a step away, watching in disbelief as Herod, unable to believe what was happening, hugged Illum.

Karl and Eren glanced once at Herod and Illum, then again at the shimmering light in Tiel’s hands.

A miracle arrived at a time they hadn’t even imagined, and in a form much smaller than they expected.

But just because it was small didn’t mean its significance was diminished or blurred.

Karl gazed at the girl’s golden eyes, which shone in the light.

It was the most beautiful, sparkling, and enchanting thing Karl had ever seen, and for a moment, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Karl swallowed the overwhelming emotion that rose in his chest, not wanting to show his tears at this joyous moment when Herod was revived.

Tiel, seeing Karl rub his reddened eyes with his sleeve, smiled gently as she looked at the boy, who was about her height.

For those who desperately wished for a miracle, it eventually arrived.

Not too late.

***

[...I can't believe it!]

A growl erupted from the darkness. The deep voice, reverberating and grumbling, spread out like waves from the deepest, darkest place, making the air around them unsettling.

The small girl was currently in Arcadia, the very heart of the darkness that had consumed his territory.

She stood right in the middle of his sphere of influence. So, it was only natural that the girl would either be consumed by the darkness as he desired, or lose her way forever within it....

[But why is that small thing interfering with my grand plan? How could something so tiny, born just seven years ago, possibly stand in my way?]

Only seven years. Far too little time for anything to mature, and she was still just a child who had awakened her abilities less than a year ago.

Yet, within his realm, Arcadia, he found that he was unable to use his power. In fact, his strength was slowly waning.

He had been absorbing the life force of the beastkin living in Arcadia to increase his strength. Lately, he had been using a little too much energy to try and stop that girl, but he wasn’t at the point where he would run out of power. He never planned to. He intended to keep them alive for a long time, slowly absorbing their energy.

The beastkin had strong life forces, so they would survive for a long time, becoming nourishment for him and giving birth to descendants who would strengthen him further.

But.

[My strength is waning....]

His strength was decreasing. Because of a small glowing stone that had fallen into his domain. A small candle, a small light, all because of something small!

[This cannot continue....]

That small thing was not yet mature enough to cleanse the deep darkness that had accumulated in that land. It was far too young; it could only clear the surrounding darkness at most.

Still, he could not rule out the possibility that the small thing could achieve more. After all, this tiny being had already exceeded his expectations more than once.

And he liked to be prepared for all possibilities. He didn’t mind taking precautions and losing out, but he never lost by being prepared.

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[There’s no choice. I’ll have to take it all back....]

The darkness murmured. The eerie voice spread low, like mist, from a deep place, its heavy tone suggesting it would sink into somewhere soon.