The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

Thiel clung to her father’s legs as if she wanted to go down.

Ludian gently lowered the child to the ground. Thiel looked up at the fountain with her big eyes.

Her golden hair shimmered, all fluffy and soft.

“That can’t be true.”

The child’s voice was so firm and clear that it seemed unlikely to be a child’s. Ludian trembled slightly.

“A-Are you daring to question the will of the gods? You’re still young and ignorant.”

“Please refrain from speaking, Andreas. She is the only daughter of Duke Ewald and the heiress of the Asterian House.”

Cassius’s stern gaze turned towards Andreas.

Andreas’s pupils trembled uncontrollably.

No, that can’t be true. Andreas barely restrained himself from arguing.

It was after Cassius and Alpheus had confirmed that Thiel was indeed of the Asterian bloodline, locked in a secret chamber within the Asterian House.

So, no matter how many times Thiel denied being the true child in the temple, they couldn’t believe her.

The Asterians had acknowledged it. Thiel  was Cassius’s own daughter.

However, the high priest was unaware of this fact. He knew nothing about the hidden legends, the shrine, and the secret chambers kept by the Asterians and Nestians.

From Andreas’s perspective, he couldn’t understand why they were so stubborn and reckless, trusting in something he couldn’t comprehend.

“Cassius, do you doubt the gods? This is a clear act of blasphemy! The high priest of the temple has never been wrong in determining true children.”

“Then, he’s wrong now.”

The child spoke confidently.

Thiel turned her gaze towards the bewildered Andreas, leaving him speechless.

The fountain remained unchanged, calmly flowing.

The transparent water gushed endlessly and bubbled up. Thiel took a step towards the fountain.

“You must not get any closer!”

“But, Your Excellency…”

Thiel turned her head abruptly, casting a determined gaze at the fountain.

Her distinct golden eyes, a clear mix of black and red, looked at Andreas.

Andreas was taken aback.

A very unique appearance, a blend of black and red. Such a appearance could only come about from the mixture of black and red. It was understandable why the members of the Asterian House opposed the temple’s verdict.

Cold sweat trickled down Andreas’ back. I knew this would happen. I shouldn’t have resorted to such cheap tricks… Andreas held back the urge to scream.

Usually, a child inherits the appearance of only one parent.

In society, a child who inherits the appearance of both parents is scornfully called a “mixed breed.”

But of all things, of all things, the youngest daughter of the Asterians, who manifested the power of light, turned out to be that “mixed breed.”

“Damn it!”

Andreas was the one who opposed this plan from the beginning.

There was no way they could deceive the Asterians with such a cheap trick.

I heard that the child possesses a perfect mix of the traits of black and red. If that’s true, then the examination of true parentage is merely a formality.

That child indeed had the bloodline of both the Nestians and the Asterians.

However, everyone except Andreas pushed forward with this cheap trick.

Whether they got caught or not, they believed that once the temple had the child in their hands, everything would be resolved.

Andreas was naturally the one entrusted with this absurd plan.

Because Andreas possessed the “eyes capable of discerning abilities.”

And the child who appeared in Cassius’s embrace truly… possessed the “power of light.”

Though faint, he could also sense the power of the Lusete deity.

So Andreas, following the plan, had already swapped the hair beforehand and tried to secure the child as planned.

‘But I never expected the child to be so bold!’

Usually, a seven-year-old child would be scared and either cry or tremble in such a situation, wouldn’t they?

Thiel blinked her eyes and looked at Andreas.

Inside her transparent pupils, there was a flickering flame of belief in the Asterians and a slight trust in herself.

Thiel plucked her own hair. Two or three strands of white hair were held tightly in her small hand.

“Daddy!”

Thiel called out to Cassius.

Cassius, who had been watching Thiel with narrowed eyes, smiled slightly and reached out his hand for the hair.

Sharp animal-like claws protruded from Cassius’s fingers.

Snip, the hair was neatly cut.

Cassius handed his black hair to Thiel.

“Here you go, Thiel.”

“Thank you, Daddy.”

Thiel nodded her head.

Andres could only watch silently without even considering stopping Thiel.

“It’s not against the will of the temple. I just can’t believe it, Your Excellency.”

“But that goes against the will of the temple!”

“I’m sorry, but…”

Thiel looked straight at Andres.

Andres was taken aback by the fierce determination in the child’s eyes.

“I have Celeste’s fur and Noir’s eyes. But I can’t believe that I’m not an Asterian child.”

As Thiel finished speaking, a faint light flickered in the hand she was holding. It was Thiel’s ability.

Thiel tightly closed her lips.

‘I am my father’s daughter.’

No matter what anyone says, my father is Cassius Celeste Asterian, and my mother is Lena Nestein. And…

Asterian acknowledged that.

Thiel murmured, thinking of the hidden room in Asterian’s chambers that responded to her touch.

Asterian acknowledged me.

Faith and courage guided Thiel.

Just like when she had calmed Perdi’s madness before, she heard a whisper in her ear again.

[Let it fall… child.]

[Let the hair fall…]

Thiel nodded her head.

Soon after, Thiel dropped her white hair and Cassius’ black hair into the fountain at the same time.

“No!”

Andres shouted sharply. He was startled by the sound that came from his own mouth.

Normally, the fountain would not react to the hair falling.

Only the Pope and his representative could conduct a kinship test.

And with the Pope currently absent, the only one who could legally conduct the kinship test was Deputy Head Andres. So no matter how many times the hair was dropped, the fountain would not change. Andres hadn’t used his sacred power. That’s how it had to be.

But why was he so uneasy? Andres stared through the fountain, which had swallowed up the hair.

And then.

“…!”

The water in the place where the hair had fallen began to bubble, and ripples spread around it.

A faint light shimmered in Thiel’s hand. Everyone, including the temple officials, Perdi, Ludian, and Cassius, looked at Thiel.

“….”

Not long after, the faint light that had been swirling in Thiel’s palm transformed into the shape of a fish.

It wasn’t Thiel’s ability.

“It resonated with the power of the temple.”

Cassius looked down at the fish gently swimming in Thiel’s hand.

The ability of light fundamentally comes from the power of Luset, the god worshiped in this temple.

Thiel’s power had responded to Luset’s call.

The two fish that had been swimming round and round in her hands smoothly glided into the fountain, where golden water flowed.

And they swirled around the fountain, scattering fragments of light.

Before long, the color of the water in the fountain began to change.

“I knew it.”

As Perdi’s words ended, the color of the water in the fountain transformed into a golden hue, and beams of light burst forth.

Including Head, the temple officials stared at the fountain in awe.

“….The color?”

One of the officials stammered.

When the relationship between the two matches, the color of the water in the fountain changes.

“Into a blue color.”

But now the color of the fountain was a vibrant golden.

Even if it was made of gold, it was a vivid gold that could be believed.

The bewildered officials panicked and shouted.

“The fountain shouldn’t react! Since the Deputy Head has not officially verified it!”

“Thiel’s ability is the ability of light. It’s the power of Luset, the god of light. It shares sacred power

 and connection. The power of the temple responded to Thiel’s power.”

Cassius said firmly. Andres shook his head. He still had an attitude of not being able to accept it.

Of course, he couldn’t accept it!

If they were to acknowledge it here, the temple would be exposed for cheating against the youngest daughter of Asterian… It was absolutely unacceptable.

And then.

“You, you must not enter!”

“It’s not something that can’t be done.”

Indros Krasion. The Crown Prince of the Krasion Empire and the one who saved Thiel, a close friend of Ferdie and Ludian, revealed himself.