The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

"…Damn! The speed at which the spots are spreading is too fast. At this rate…"

Illum muttered, checking the girl he held in his arms. The spots had already spread up to her neck.

Soon, the spots would cover the entire body of this girl. Illum’s hand, holding her tightly, trembled.

There was nothing he could do.

All he could do was hold the hand of the one writhing in pain. An overwhelming sense of helplessness washed over him.

‘Is this it… for this land?’

Illum had spots on his own body. Fortunately, they weren’t spreading as quickly as the girl’s, but soon his own spots would spread rapidly, covering his entire body.

From all around, there were sounds of groaning.

Occasionally, cries of agony pierced the air. The cries of those who had lost their loved ones.

It was truly a scene of hell. A despair heavier than the darkness descended upon their heads.

This despair, this darkness.

Just when it seemed like they would never lift…

"Illum-nim!"

Someone called out to him. Illum struggled to tear his gaze away from the girl’s face and looked up.

And his eyes widened.

"How… how is this possible?"

Fresh morning sunlight cast itself over Illum’s shocked face.

The sunlight that began beyond the hills stretched long, illuminating the beastkin.

They were all creatures who had lived in darkness, but none could even think of avoiding the light, gazing at the rising sun in a daze.

It almost felt like their eyes would burn. Yet, they couldn’t tear their eyes away.

Then.

"Look, look over there!"

Illum turned his head toward the direction the people pointed. They were pointing to a long-dried waterway.

A waterway that had been used during the time when Everard ruled this territory, long ago.

Now, it was completely dry. But water was flowing through it. It was shallow, but it was unmistakable water.

The sunlight reflected off the water, making the surface sparkle like jewels. Countless ripples sparkled erratically.

Illum stared at the scene, mesmerized, before instinctively pulling the girl closer to his chest.

He covered her as best as he could, shielding her from the light.

The beastkin of this land suffer from a disease that causes them to die if exposed to light.

The arrival of the morning was a miracle, but they had to move them to a place where the light couldn’t reach as quickly.

"Eren! We need to move the patients!"

"I'll help!"

Eren lifted one of the unconscious beastkin. Illum removed his shirt to cover the girl’s face, shielding her from the sunlight.

The reactions of the other beastkin were divided into two groups. Some, like Illum, crouched down and ran indoors, while others sat idly, staring at the rising morning sun in a daze.

"It’s okay if I go blind…"

Someone muttered.

Illum deeply empathized with that sentiment. The beastkin here had waited for this moment for so long…

But then.

"Look! The spots are disappearing!"

A shout rang out.

"It really is! The spots are disappearing!"

"Child, can you hear me? Child!"

"My goodness, this is impossible. This is really impossible…!"

Cheers erupted from all around. Some muttered, still unable to believe it.

Illum hesitated for a moment, then carefully lifted the shirt from the girl’s face.

"…!"

The spots were indeed slowly fading away. At that moment, Illum thought of a face that flashed through his mind.

The young lady, who seemed so small for a carnivorous beastkin.

Her white, soft hair, damp with sweat, as she used her ability, genuinely trying to help them.

A small girl who seemed as though God had gathered the warmest light in the world and lovingly shaped it into her being.

The beastkin of this land suffer from a disease that causes them to die if exposed to light.

But Tiel’s light did not take their lives.

Instead, it removed the dark veil that hung over them, erasing the spots that had spread across their bodies.

Illum looked up, gazing at the sunlight that had revealed itself after hundreds of years. The light was so bright, it almost blinded him.

But it didn’t hurt his eyes. He could stare at it for minutes without pain. Just like… the light that Tiel had created.

‘Ah, you did it.’

The child with the power of light would bring morning to a land where the morning would never come.

A legend that had allowed the beastkin to live on this land for so long settled deeply in his heart.

The sunlight shone down on Arcadia, evenly.

***

‘I did it.’

Tiel muttered softly. Her palm, touching the altar, tingled. Her sparkling golden eyes reflected the morning sunlight.

Karl stared at the morning sun with a dazed expression.

He had lived all his life in darkness, so it would have hurt his eyes, but instead of blinking, he just stared at the morning sun.

"How…"

Karl had imagined this scene for a long time.

He had imagined the morning sun rising over the hill… and the beastkin, including himself, rushing out to gaze at it.

Although he hadn’t seen it with the people he thought he would see it with, some inexplicable, overwhelming emotion surged within him.

Morning had returned to Arcadia. Now, they could find the name this land had lost. The beastkin would no longer have to live in darkness, and the spots…

"What happened to the spots?"

Karl quickly rolled up his sleeve. Light would cause spots to appear. But there were no spots on Karl’s body.

"The spots… they’re gone."

Karl muttered. Olivia’s voice followed suit.

"This is impossible… I knew Tiel was amazing, but I didn’t expect this much…"

The girl pushed her curly gray hair behind her ear and looked at her younger cousin.

Clemence did the same. She instinctively grabbed Olivia’s hand tightly.

The youngest daughter of the Asterian family, Tiel Asterian, with the power of light, had abilities far greater than they had thought.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

If it became known that this little seven-year-old girl had brought light to this land…

How would the other families react?

‘Mother’s judgment was right.’

Clemence slowly closed and opened her eyes. Her fresh green eyes held the morning sunlight and the sparkling little girl beneath it.

Ferdie and Ludian, as well as the Asterians, remained calm. They had already witnessed how amazing their sister’s abilities were.

Even so, Ludian couldn’t contain his excitement and ran toward the altar, while Ferdie couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

Tiel looked as though she were bursting with pride. Ludian couldn’t bring himself to step onto the altar, but he placed his hand on it.

"Tiel!"

The sparkling waves of water tickled the back of Ludian’s hand as they flowed down. Tiel turned her head and looked at Ludian.

"Brother…"

And then she smiled warmly. A faint flush appeared on her pale cheeks.

Ian Dross stepped forward. Standing beside Ludian, he looked at Tiel and smiled briefly.

"I knew you were amazing, but Tiel… you always surprise me."

At Ian’s praise, Tiel smiled brightly and added.

"Now that I can see Karl is safe, the other beastkin below may be safe under this light too. Let’s go down and check on them!"

Tiel quickly jumped to her feet. As Tiel and Karl’s palms lifted from the altar, it moved once again.

Kugung-!

The altar began to descend slowly. Tiel lost her balance and staggered in place.

"Ai!"

Tiel stumbled and fell. Water splashed lightly around her. Ferdie, Ludian, and Ian Dross swiftly jumped onto the altar.

"You should have been more careful!"

The first to hold Tiel in his arms was Ian Dross. He gently scolded her as he cradled her in his arms.

The damp little girl squirmed in his embrace. Tiel gave a shy smile.

"I didn’t mean to…"

"You’re soaked, huh? Now my clothes are all wet, too…"

"My clothes were already wet from earlier. Your clothes too, Ian-nim, when you were standing near the altar…"

"When did you become so cheeky… Tiel Asterian?"

Ian glanced at Tiel, not looking too harshly, then lightly pinched her soft cheek before letting go. Tiel, smiling happily, tightened her embrace around Ian’s neck.

The morning sunlight poured down over their heads. Reflected by the water droplets, the entire world sparkled like the stars in the night sky.

Kugung-.

Finally, the altar had descended completely. It stopped moving.

When they had first arrived, there had been a gap between the altar and the ground, but now the altar seemed completely buried in the earth, as if it had become one with the land.

Karl stood and looked at the altar. The altar seemed to have completed its task and was now at rest.

The three boys, who had maintained their balance even while the altar moved, carried Tiel and began walking. Karl stood still for a moment, then hurriedly followed them.

As they walked, water splashed around them. The sound of splashing was chaotic.

However, none of them complained about their pants getting wet.