The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

Episode 71

Perdi Asterian and Lucian Asterian were the envy of all the children their age.

With their strikingly handsome appearances and powerful flame abilities, even the words “good-looking” and “talented” fell short.

Thus, not only the daughters of noble families but also the general populace of the empire eagerly awaited the chance to see the Asterian twins at the festival.

They expected to see a fiery presence that could melt anyone in their gaze and powerful flame abilities!

…But.

“Thiel, give it to me.”

Perdi took the large marshmallow from Thiel’s hand. Then,

Whoosh!

He created a small flame in his hand and meticulously toasted the marshmallow for Thiel.

“Here, you can eat it now. Be careful, it might be hot.”

The boy smiled brightly as he handed the perfectly toasted marshmallow to his sister. Thiel nodded with a big smile.

Soon, the fluffy sweetness filled her mouth, and her round eyes widened as much as possible.

Watching this, the citizens realized something was a bit off.

What they expected from Asterian was, of course… strong flames! Incredible abilities! Something along those lines.

Whoosh.

Next to Perdi, Lucian was carefully toasting another marshmallow.

No matter how they looked at it, the small flame in his hand was far from what they had imagined.

Moreover,

“Thiel, is it hot?”

Olivia waved her hand, creating a breeze. The citizens passing by had to hold onto their hats tightly to prevent them from flying off.

‘Isn’t she the heir of Wolfgang?’

So why was she acting like a high-quality fan beside them?

Unable to understand the situation, the citizens gave up trying to figure it out.

Instead,

“Miss, please try this.”

Citizens who had taken a liking to Thiel cautiously offered her gifts.

The candy shop owner handed Thiel the most delicious candies from his shop,

And the seller of caramel-coated apples picked the roundest, most appetizing apples for her.

Perdi and Lucian accepted the gifts without hesitation, holding them for her.

After walking a bit more, both the knights of Asterian and Wolfgang were laden with the numerous gifts given by the citizens.

Surprised and grateful, Thiel asked cautiously,

“Is it customary to give gifts to others during Luminari?”

“Of course not. They’re giving them to you because you’re adorable.”

In fact, that wasn’t the only reason.

Thiel was a child who had manifested the legendary light ability. And that fact was of immense significance to everyone living in Krasion.

In this empire, light held such meaning. So the citizens were offering the most precious things they had to express their gratitude to the child of light.

Perdi and Lucian understood this sentiment, so they did not refuse the gifts.

“Enjoy it, Olivia was right. Today is your day!”

No one disagreed with Lucian’s words. Thiel, feeling shy, nodded.

Denying this fact would seem like rejecting the affection and gifts given to her.

But at that moment.

“…?”

Thiel quickly turned her head. Her large golden eyes gleamed in the darkness.

‘What was that just now?’

She had felt a strange presence.

It was an unsettling presence, like stepping into and out of a sticky swamp. The sensation of the muddy swamp still clung to her ankles.

“Thiel, what’s wrong?”

Perdi asked cautiously. Thiel looked up at her brother.

‘Didn’t my brother sense it?’

Thiel tilted her head and looked again at the place where she had felt the sensation.

But there was no one there.

‘…Did I imagine it?’

There were too many people here, and she might have been mistaken due to nervousness.

Not wanting to recall the unsettling feeling, Thiel reassured herself and held Perdi’s hand.

“It’s nothing.”

“If you’re tired, we can go back now. We’ve had enough fun.”

“Yes, I’ve had enough fun.”

Thiel nodded. Perdi, Lucian, and Olivia escorted their small, beloved sister off the street and toward the waiting carriage.

To be precise, they were about to board the carriage.

“Wait a minute.”

Perdi firmly blocked Olivia’s way.

“Why?”

“You’re not riding with us. You need to go to your own home.”

“What? There’s no such rule! I’m spending the day with Thiel!”

Olivia ignored Perdi’s words and promptly climbed into the carriage, holding Thiel’s hand tightly.

“Thiel, you want to stay with your sister, right? You missed me so much while we were apart, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I missed you a lot!”

“There, see!” Olivia shouted, her voice loud. Perdi shook his head, clearly not wanting to argue further.

At that moment, Lucian intervened.

“Hey, does that even make sense? At least wait until the competition is over tomorrow.”

“Oh, come on! What’s the big deal about that!”

Olivia huffed and turned her head.

The competition.

Every three years during Luminari, the five noble families of the Krasion Empire held a competition among themselves to establish their ranks and hierarchy.

Losing this competition would not only lower the family’s rank but could also result in expulsion from the five great families.

The family with the stronger abilities would redefine the hierarchy. The imperial family did not interfere in these ranking battles.

This was possible in the world of the beastfolk, where the law of survival of the fittest prevailed.

Of course, the competition had long since become a formality.

The ranking of the families had remained unchanged for over two hundred years.

The family ranks were determined by the inherent power of their abilities, and there was always an element of compatibility in abilities.

Unless a genius with unparalleled talent emerged, the ranking of the five great families would not change.

Yet, the competition continued to be held during Luminari.

Of course, they didn’t really fight.

Challenging the established order was a dangerous task that required risking everything one had.

Thus, the heads of each family would hold their ground without challenging or being challenged, thereby ending the competition.

The same applied to the heirs of each family.

The heirs, or the children bearing the family name, would compete as their family heads did.

However, the children’s rankings were also determined by the adults’ rankings, so the children had never truly ‘competed.’

Nevertheless, the competition remained an important ceremony in the Krasion Empire.

“That’s why you need to go. You’re participating in the competition tomorrow, remember?”

“Why can’t I just stay here and go tomorrow?”

“Is that even possible?”

Lucian pushed Olivia out of the carriage. She cursed at Lucian but then looked at Thiel with a pitiful expression.

“Thiel… I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, sister, see you tomorrow!”

“Yes… even if you miss me, try to bear it, okay? I’ll be back soon!”

Perdi, not wanting to see any more of this, climbed into the carriage and ordered the door to be closed.

The carriage door soon shut.

Thiel quietly looked out the carriage window. She saw trees swiftly passing by.

‘What was that earlier?’

And she recalled what she had sensed just before parting with Olivia.

It was a feeling she had never experienced before. The sensation of being slowly engulfed by a vast darkness. Thiel had never felt anything like it before…

Thiel considered telling Perdi and Lucian but decided against it.

She had overheard that the ‘competition’ tomorrow was important for them, and she didn’t want to worry them with something uncertain.

Instead, she decided to stay close to Perdi and Lucian.

‘It might be something dangerous.’

So,

At that moment, Perdi held Thiel’s hand tightly. Watching this, Lucian also took hold of Thiel’s hand, not wanting to be outdone by Perdi.

“What’s wrong, Thiel?”

Perdi asked gently, brushing Thiel’s bangs aside.

Feeling the comforting touch of her brother, Thiel squeezed their hands even tighter.

“It’s nothing.”

And she decided to push the unpleasant feeling she had just experienced to the back of her mind.