Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 164

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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 164
I was certain that my performance had drawn the appropriate aggression.
It was exactly as I intended.
Sure enough, all the Black Panther Knights who witnessed this fight rushed toward me.
‘These beasts still have their pride, don’t they?’
Beasts possess formidable pride.
After all, they were creatures born as predators from the moment of their birth, and that pride was immense.
And here I was, restraining the Dragon Duke’s son before them and taunting them.
Moreover, their comrades were collapsing one after another.
For a beast, this was a situation where their pride—sometimes more precious than life itself—could not help but crack.
Even land-dwelling Beastkin unrelated to Black Panthers would have felt their blood boil at such a sight.
“Well, well, look at this fishy-smelling young Orca girl fighting so skillfully.”
“What did you say, you tailed dog?”
I kicked the Hyena Beastkin who had just appeared among the Black Panther Knights.
“Get your stench away from here.”
He was like a ‘concept character’—not even a true beast, yet making those pathetic yapping sounds.
Thus, while my water power remained, I moved with exhilaration.
‘Phew, feels good to work up a sweat.’
When I suddenly came to my senses, I realized I had been moving with my body directly, unable to wield my water power.
Fortunately, before reaching my limit, I felt a familiar presence nearby.
“Father.”
When I turned my head, Assel, whom I had deliberately left behind, was now free of his restraints and glaring at me from the hands of their Knights.
I paid it no mind, since I had intentionally allowed them to rescue him.
By keeping Assel here and drawing their attention, I had bought myself more time.
“What about the fight? Why did you come here?”
I asked with both joy and curiosity.
Father lifted me up and casually tilted his head to one side.
“See for yourself.”
“Huh? What is it?”
I blinked my eyes.
Remarkably, the arena where Father and the Dragon Duke had been fighting had vanished without a trace.
In its place was a massive crater the size of the arena itself, surrounded by countless smaller holes scattered about.
“Since the arena is gone, the match becomes meaningless, doesn’t it?”
It was the Dragon Duke’s doing. I couldn’t help but laugh. Father then casually admitted that while the Dragon Duke had destroyed the arena, he himself had created the other holes while preventing that man from leaving.
‘Ah, now that I think about it, I did hear an incredibly loud sound from the side during my fight.’
I had been too absorbed in my own battle to notice, but something like this must have happened.
The spectators must have been thrilled watching it all.
“You used a trick.”
“Indeed.”
I readily acknowledged the Dragon Duke’s cunning while shrugging my shoulders.
I harbored no regrets or lingering attachments whatsoever.
‘I’ve already stretched this out far longer than necessary.’
“Father, you’ve worked so hard.”
I hesitated for a moment before wrapping my arms tightly around Father’s neck.
I recalled a distant memory from Earth, when I used to embrace Father’s neck like this.
Would this man enjoy such a gesture too?
Father’s pulse thrummed steadily beneath my touch. A soft chuckle resonated near my ear—a pleasant, warm sound.
“My, what an exquisite reward this is.”
“…Don’t say anymore. I’m embarrassed.”
“You have a peculiar sense of shame, appearing in the most unexpected places.”
“Stop mentioning such things.”
Even as I grumbled, I refused to release my arms from around Father’s neck.
Another laugh escaped him, followed by an awkward pat on my back.
I wished Father’s awkward pats would last forever.
With such thoughts, I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them again.
“The Dragon Duke has left, hasn’t he?”
“Yes. By now, he’s probably…”
Father seemed to be quietly sensing the situation.
“Occupied with searching Peseum, it seems.”
I chuckled softly and whispered to Father.
If they’d left in such haste, there was nothing left for them in this Peseum.
‘Search this place for all eternity.’
Or perhaps they were also tearing apart the building where Tus had stayed?
“Let’s return as well.”
Those minutes had felt like hours. After moving about for so long, I felt somewhat fatigued.
Part of me wanted to shed this young boy’s body and become an adult again.
Yet, nestled in Father’s embrace like this, I found myself wanting to remain a child a little longer.
‘Still…’
I lifted my head to gaze toward the Castle.
I hoped everyone had returned safely without incident.
* * *
Chirp! Chirp chirp!
Whale felt momentarily perplexed. After all, he had grown up alongside the remarkably erudite Levai like family.
He had learned much from Levai, but…
‘Among everything I learned, there was no lesson on understanding squirrel language.’
The Small Squirrel chattered ceaselessly—’Chirp!’ from his right shoulder, then ‘Chirp chirp!’ from his left—and he couldn’t comprehend a single word.
Yet one thing was clear.
Just moments ago, the Baby Squirrel Lili had scurried off somewhere and returned.
She had placed chestnuts into both his and Ekion’s hands, then looked up at them with evident pride.
‘Praise me! Praise Lili!’
It was precisely those eyes that made Whale offer his praise in a somewhat awkward manner, his expression remaining stoic.
The Baby Squirrel’s tail swayed gently back and forth.
‘When will Calypso arrive?’
As the eldest of the three people here, Whale had taken responsibility for the safety of Lili and Ekion.
The weight of that responsibility was immense.
I hoped nothing would happen, but if something did occur, it would fall on my shoulders.
Fortunately, nothing had happened so far.
There had been a moment when it grew noisy outside the window, but it seemed unrelated to where we were.
‘If only Calypso would return without incident.’
Ever since his mother passed away in his childhood, Whale had lived a life without a single peaceful day.
That was why he desperately hoped this time would pass without any trouble.
Whale glanced around the room once more—a space he must have examined hundreds of times already—and suddenly spoke.
“What exactly is your ability?”
Though he hadn’t called his name, Ekion, who had been standing blankly, turned his head.
Despite being a child, his expression was cold.
“Don’t talk to me.”
“You think I want to? But I need to know if you and I are going to stay safe until Calypso returns.”
“….”
“We already concluded that there’s no need for you and me to fight, didn’t we?”
That was true. The two had secretly made a peace agreement. It had happened in the carriage.
The slightly disheveled clothing Calypso had noticed was evidence of the two revealing their respective powers to each other.
“Time.”
“Time?”
Though it was a sparse word, Whale fell silent for a moment before nodding.
In truth, he had never spoken of it to others because he couldn’t explain it to anyone.
Whale’s power wasn’t merely the specialty of healing people through ‘equivalent exchange.’
To be precise.
There was a force spread throughout this world. His mother had called it the ‘source’ of the world.
The ability of Whales was to approach this source, search through the vast information contained within this force, and then heal people by offering the desired price.
His mother had said that in a way, it was similar to paying a price to a god in exchange for healing someone.
“Isn’t the Dragon the existence closest to the ‘source’?”
I remembered what my mother had said with a peaceful smile.
“So that means you can’t use it in immediate combat. I understand.”
At Whale’s resolute words, Ekion’s brows furrowed slightly, but instead of saying anything, he remained silent.
Lili, regardless of whether the two were stoic or cold, played merrily on Ekion’s body like it was a playground, running about with excitement.
“By the way, you’re so wary of me, but why doesn’t he say anything?”
“This is fine.”
“What?”
“Necessary for Calypso. And harmless.”
At those words, Whale quietly focused on Lili before nodding.
“Yes, certainly virtuous.”
Just as whales could recognize saints, perhaps dragons possessed their own senses as well.
It was the moment Whale glanced at his watch to gauge the time.
“…!”
Whale sprang to his feet. That wasn’t all.
Lili, who had been sliding down Ekion’s arm like a slide, straightened her body and let out a sharp chirp.
More than that, she fidgeted anxiously before hiding herself inside Ekion’s sleeve.
‘I wasn’t mistaken!’
Footsteps echoed from outside!
Moreover, they were drawing steadily closer. The number of them was unusual.
These were unmistakably the sounds of military boots.
Only Knights wore military boots here.
‘I need to hide. But where?’
It wasn’t just one or two people approaching—it was a group.
As a last resort, I could jump out the window, but Calypso had recommended staying in this room as much as possible.
‘She even taught me how to jump from the window as safely as possible in case of emergency….’
The moment I stepped outside, I would be completely exposed. Neither Lili nor Ekion could afford to be discovered.
“Let’s hide for now. Something feels wrong about their numbers.”
Even as I spoke, the footsteps drew ever closer.
Whale searched the area, found something, and rushed to open the door.
“Get in here, quickly!”
Ekion, holding Lili, headed toward the opening Whale had created. Just before entering, Ekion spoke.
“I’ll take care of this.”
Immediately after, the door to the room where the Orcas stayed burst open.
Just as Whale had anticipated, they were Knights—Black Panther Knights, all wearing urgent expressions.
“He might be here! Search quickly!”
“But, will this be alright?”
“Damn it, orders have come down—what are we supposed to do? I’ll take responsibility! Search thoroughly! We must find the Dragon Duke!”
The Knights were in a state of bewilderment and panic upon hearing that the Dragon Duke was in Peseum.
Yet clinging to a slender hope that he might still be in the Castle, they began searching this room as well.
“Search anywhere that could possibly hide a child!”
“Yes, sir!!”
The Captain Knight who gave the order began searching directly himself.
Then, he suddenly discovered a basket used for storing clothes.
That would be… a space large enough for a young boy to fit inside.
And the Captain Knight strode forward and swiftly lifted the basket’s lid.

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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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