The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

“If you want, I can make it brighter, or I can make it dimmer.”

Tiel spoke carefully. The boy, Karl, mumbled with a dazed expression, looking at Tiel, the knights around her, and the other children.

“Uhh... how?”

Karl knew about the legend of the light. It was impossible not to know. The thing that everyone in this land longed for the most was the ‘Light Ability’ from the legend.

The story of the Light Ability bringing morning to the land where the morning never came was the last hope for those living here.

Karl held that hope deep in his heart. Someday... someday, someone might awaken the Light Ability. Then, morning would come to this land, and the beastkin living here could live in the light.

Of course, the beastkin living here might think a bit differently from Karl, but Karl himself thought this way.

But then...

“Hmmm, is it because you’re still shocked by the light? Should I make it a little dimmer?”

Tiel looked up at Ludian and asked. Ludian placed his hand gently on Tiel’s head and stroked it.

“Wouldn’t it be fine? If it gets any weaker, wouldn’t it be hard to see?”

“But...”

“Then just make it a little dimmer.”

“Like this?”

“That’s right, good, good.”

What in the world is going on here?

A small light flickered in Tiel’s palm. Karl kept looking at the light over and over again. No matter how many times he looked, it was definitely light.

‘It’s definitely... the Light Ability from the legend.’

Could it be that she really awakened the Light Ability from the legend? This... little girl? And what Karl couldn’t really understand was not the fact that this little girl had the Light Ability.

“Our Tiel is a genius! If we walk on a dark road, we won’t have any problems as long as we’re with Tiel!”

‘She’s using the Light Ability like some glowstone or lantern!’

Karl felt like screaming. After staring blankly at the boy and girl for a long time, Karl finally snapped out of it and looked at Tiel.

And then...

“...!”

He grabbed Tiel’s wrist.

“Are you crazy?”

“...If you want to die.”

“Knock him out again and leave him behind.”

The other children, seeing Tiel’s wrist being grabbed, added cold remarks. But Karl wasn’t in the mood to respond to them. Something else was more urgent now.

“Li... Light Ability...”

“Hmm...?”

“Please help me, please! Please help!”

Karl cried out desperately. The children, who had been about to pull Karl away from Tiel, hesitated. They looked directly at Karl and asked.

“What do you mean? Speak properly.”

“...All the beastkin here might die soon!”

The boy cried out. His eyes, the deep blue that resembled the sea, shook unsteadily. Tiel listened carefully to Karl’s words. It was strange. The boy wasn’t crying, but he looked as though he might.

Karl explained to the children about what had been happening here. A land where morning never came, a place without light. How the beastkin had survived here, and then...

He also explained how the skin of those exposed to the light became stained with black marks, and how beastkin who had these marks spread over their bodies eventually died.

***

“What...?”

Tiel, who had heard everything Karl said, was confused. So, this meant the beastkin here were dying from some unknown illness.

‘Wait, can we even call this an illness...?’

An illness caused by exposure to light? Even glowstone and lantern light caused stains on the skin? If they were exposed to sunlight, it was easy to imagine what would happen to them.

‘They’ll die...’

This land was no longer a place where morning could come. It had become a place where morning could never come again. If morning arrived, they would all die... 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

This land didn’t even have moonlight.

It was a place where all light had been stolen. Forcing morning into such a land could be poisonous.

“...Huh?”

As Tiel pondered seriously, she suddenly grabbed Karl’s wrist.

“Tiel!”

“You shouldn’t grab a strange boy’s wrist so recklessly!”

“I told you to drop him quickly!”

“Tiel...”

“Everyone’s overreacting...”

One by one, Ferdie, Olivier, Ludian, Ian, and Clemence spoke.

Tiel ignored her older siblings’ protests for a moment and, still holding Karl’s wrist, examined his body carefully.

“...Something’s strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“Earlier, you said that exposure to light causes stains on the skin. But this boy doesn’t have any...”

Tiel said as she examined Karl’s skin. Only after hearing Tiel’s words did Karl glance down at his skin in surprise. Despite being exposed to Tiel’s light for a long time, there were no stains. His skin was perfectly fine.

“Then does that mean it was all a lie?”

“What’s the point of lying? What does he gain from lying to us?”

“It’s suspicious.”

The children each added their thoughts. Karl, flustered, scratched his arm and rubbed it, trying to explain.

“I... I don’t know why it isn’t changing. It definitely appeared before....”

Karl spoke as though he were pleading. As he was speaking, Ian Dross raised an eyebrow.

“Speak properly, he’s not your friend.”

“...I don’t know why it’s not changing...”

Karl said, sounding frustrated. The boy truly seemed frustrated. He clearly remembered that before, his body had developed the same spots as the other beastkin.

‘But why isn’t it showing now? Could the Light Ability be different somehow?’

Karl looked at the small girl in front of him. This tiny, fragile-looking girl was creating light from her palm that was warmer and firmer than anyone else’s light.

Warmer than a campfire, stronger than glowstone... Karl thought to himself that this little girl might be able to solve the problem of this land.

“Then, were you trying to ask for help?”

At that moment, Tiel asked the boy. It was a casual, comfortable tone, as if speaking to a friend. Karl nodded without hesitation at Tiel’s question.

“Yes, if I could cross the river and ask for help somewhere, maybe... maybe there would be a solution...”

At this point, Ian Dross, who had been quietly listening, interrupted.

“You said that if you’re exposed to the light, stains form, and if they cover your entire body, it leads to death.”

“Death doesn’t matter. If I can just ask for help, then...”

A hint of determination could be seen in the boy’s eyes. The children exchanged brief glances. This wasn’t something they could solve on their own. They needed to bring in an adult who could handle the situation.

“Since we have a military doctor here, how about passing this information along and having him check the other’s condition?”

Ferdie suggested. Ian Dross thought for a moment, then shrugged.

“He’s just a military doctor who can treat external wounds and simple illnesses, so we shouldn’t expect the same skill as the palace doctors. But it won’t hurt to show him. If people are dying right now...”

Ian Dross’s words were as if giving his approval. Karl’s expression brightened. But then Ian, with a cold and calm expression, added:

“This is the land touched by the power of the Dark God Orpheo. It’s clear that we can’t solve it on our own. Since you asked for help, we’ll have him check, but don’t get your hopes up too much.”

Ian Dross’s tone was firm. But Karl didn’t shrink back. He nodded his small head.

“Yes.”

“Alright. Guide them to where they are. Knights! Let’s move out. Pack up and check the horses.”

At Ian Dross’s command, the knights who had been standing guard moved quickly and efficiently. While the knights were preparing, the children exchanged a few more words with the boy.

And then, in that moment, they realized they hadn’t asked the most important question.

“What... what’s your name?”

“Karl.”

“Karl?”

“...It’s Karl.”

The boy answered honestly. Tiel slowly pronounced Karl’s name in her mind. It felt like calling his name filled her mouth completely, and it felt good to say it...