Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 101
After Baian’s death, for Bellus—who had been all but designated as the next successor—it must have felt like a bolt from the blue.
‘Though in truth, my Eldest Brother probably didn’t take it quite so hard.’
The emergence of a new genius was an event that truly turned the Orca Family upside down at that time.
Some might wonder how this came to pass despite her having a flaw.
In the previous chapters, Lilibell Aquasiadel thoroughly concealed her weakness.
“I thought you were born weak, yet you overcame it! You are truly a genius and worthy of becoming Matriarch!”
No one knew that she suffered from the same illness as my father, Pierre Aquasiadel.
They simply believed she had revealed hidden strength.
‘Did my paternal uncle and aunt only think that Lilibell, who had been a sickly daughter they’d cast aside, regained her health as she grew?’
I find that remarkable.
Because in truth, for Lilibell, revealing her power meant risking her very life.
“I became determined to become Matriarch before I die. That’s my final mission and goal.”
I remember the words she muttered in a low, quiet, and desperate voice.
She was as troublesome and formidable an opponent as she had resolved to be.
Because before I appeared, she had already secured most of the branch families and respectable Water Animal Clans.
I naturally had no choice but to seek out one by one those like me—the so-called “underdogs”—and make them my subordinates.
Bellus, being so exceptionally talented, only recruited a select few gems that pleased him.
In essence, he showed no interest in the special “talents” of weaker beastkin.
But Lilibell had long recognized the value of such individuals, and beside her stood her paternal aunt Heila, who possessed an unusually broad perspective for an orca.
“Lilibell Aquasiadel is formidable in individual combat, but I have no wish to face her again in group warfare.”
Even my subordinate and strategist, the Dolphin, would later reflect on the past and say this.
Well, in the end I won, so what I’m recounting now is also the history of my victory.
But I do have this thought.
‘What if Lilibell had revealed her power even slightly earlier, when she was younger?’
If she had seized the position of successor early on, minimizing conflict?
That illness guarantees at least minimal lifespan if one reduces the frequency of using power.
Of course, one inevitably uses power here and there while living.
But if one barely uses it at all, though life is limited, at least the remaining time can be spent peacefully and tranquilly.
It was also the reason my father lived in seclusion.
‘I don’t know why Lilibell didn’t reveal her power earlier, but specifically chose to do so at sixteen.’
That part remains an unsolved mystery, but regardless.
The Lilibell Aquasiadel I encountered in the third loop was in a situation where her power usage was limited by her illness.
Which means now.
‘She could be even stronger than what I knew.’
The fact that Lilibell suffered from the same illness as my father only became known after she died.
And after I became Matriarch, research into this illness was conducted actively.
The conclusion was that this is a hereditary disease, and among those with particularly strong power, an extremely low probability of inheriting such a genetic illness emerged.
‘Though it remained incurable in reality.’
But I know a way to cure this incurable disease.
It was unfortunate that a solution only appeared long after Father and Lilibell had died in my previous life.
‘But in this life, I have no intention of letting Father die.’
It’s something I’m realizing anew, but….
As I mentioned before, the illness Father suffers from limits the number of times he can use his power relative to his total reserves.
‘Yet Father wiped out an entire branch family without showing any symptoms.’
How did he not even display symptoms of the illness? I heard that from a certain point onward he suffered from its effects….
It’s fortunate that I’ve now restricted him to using it once per year.
‘Otherwise, just how strong would he be?’
I’ve even entertained another hypothesis.
‘Perhaps he uses his power without hesitation because he knows he’s going to die anyway….’
If that’s the case, Father or not, I won’t stand for it.
Fortunately, I know the symptoms well from when death was imminent due to this illness, or when the condition had worsened, so I’ve been observing him carefully.
Unfortunately, the ‘cure’ hasn’t revealed itself yet.
‘It will soon enough.’
The moment I pulled myself from those thoughts, I heard a quiet voice from beside me.
“Um, younger sister?”
“What?”
Agenor slightly furrowed his brow. His expression was puzzled.
“I’ve been calling you this whole time and you kept ignoring me, but now you can hear my voice? Neglecting me isn’t so bad, but….”
“Just state your business briefly.”
“You said you were going to see the Teacher, so why did you come here?”
We had just exited the Building with Lilibell’s Room.
Since it was the Building Where Paternal Uncle’s Family Lives within the Main Castle, the gazes of the branch family members passing by were decidedly unfriendly.
If I had received such contemptuous looks back when I first returned to Aquasiadel five years ago, I would have smashed them on the spot.
But I ignored them thoroughly.
After all, those fools would cling to a frayed rope and eventually be sorted out anyway.
“Younger sister, I don’t like that guy’s eyes. Want me to hit him?”
“Stop. If we cause trouble here, we’ll only draw unnecessary attention.”
“Younger sister, are you still playing that game?”
“What game?”
“The Strength Hider!”
“….”
It was four years ago.
After I advanced to fifth grade, I stopped skipping grades and lived quietly, and Third Brother questioned why I wouldn’t reveal this remarkable ability.
“Everyone needs to know you’re strong! Why! Why on earth?! Intimidation is a powerful weapon, younger sister! Let’s go pacify the class. No, let’s pacify the entire grade!”
That Third Brother made such a fuss, as if he’d spread rumors about it at any moment.
Unable to bear it any longer, I said something out of annoyance.
“From today on, I’m a Strength Hider.”
“…What’s that?”
“Someone who hides their strength and pretends to be weak.”
“…!!!”
Agenor heard the meaning and explanation, then closed his mouth.
“That’s so cool…!!!”
And that’s how things ended up like this.
Whenever I did something that didn’t make sense to him, it always concluded this way.
“So you sneak into enemy territory while hiding your strength and slip out quietly? Without fighting? Without causing a scene?”
“Why would I cause a scene?”
Agenor fell into thought for a moment, then nodded.
“…So hiding your strength while pretending to be weak is harder than I thought. You’re amazing, little sister.”
“…Yeah.”
When I responded halfheartedly, Agenor tilted his head.
For Agenor, who would have solved any obstacle in his way with his own power, this was unfamiliar… or rather.
‘You were doing the same thing, weren’t you?’
He had the face of someone who had completely forgotten his plan to volunteer as an outcast, then suddenly reveal himself as a predator and beat everyone down.
“Just do righteous strength-hiding instead, you bastard. Stop pretending to be weak and playing the outcast in front of the newcomers!”
I remembered telling Agenor to stop doing that in a previous encounter, using the same words.
Though he probably wouldn’t remember it.
While I chuckled, Agenor changed the subject.
“By the way, was it her who killed Baian?”
“Yeah.”
We were already heading outside the building toward where Father was.
Father hadn’t particularly changed his residence, and since he still disliked crowds, the path was quiet.
“She died well enough, but… I never thought she’d die to her own weak little brother.”
“You shouldn’t underestimate them.”
“Huh?”
I shrugged my shoulders and answered cheerfully.
“She’s strong.”
I said this, then corrected myself with an “ah.”
“Actually, to be precise, I’d say she has as much potential as Father…?”
“Ehhhhh?”
Agenor was startled.
He was so shocked that he even stopped walking.
“Why are you so surprised? You were right there with us during the conversation.”
“No, no. I didn’t realize that’s what you meant!”
“…Ah, you startled me. Why are you raising your voice? And why do you have that expression?”
“We never fought!”
…This guy was still an orca through and through.
“If we had fought, you’d be dead by my hand.”
“Why?”
Lirivel, now that she had revealed her strength, would certainly be formidable.
“So Lilibell Aquasiadel’s poor health was a lie too?”
“That part was true. She must have overcome it somehow.”
“Hmm, like how you overcame your age?”
I’m not sure it’s quite the same situation as mine.
But Agenor nodded as if he’d reached his own understanding.
“So how strong is she? Surely she’s not actually as strong as Teacher, right?”
“If she threw herself at someone while sacrificing her own life, there wouldn’t be many people who could beat her.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Unless it was Father.”
Agenor tilted his head in confusion.
Five years had passed and he’d grown considerably, but the image from our first meeting was so deeply etched in my mind that his face still seemed quite adorable.
“…So what about you?”
At Agenor’s question, I let out a confident laugh.
“What do you think?”
Though it wasn’t visible, my expression must have been brimming with self-assurance.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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