Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 266

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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 266
The day the Imperial Palace summoned all the great houses had arrived.
Remarkably, the Imperial Palace was not content with merely summoning all the related houses to the capital with brazen audacity—they announced they would hold a grand conference during the day.
And they notified everyone to participate in a banquet at night.
Naturally, those who had been summoned could only feel resentful.
All those summoned from afar came from houses that had victims of Madrum’s human experimentation.
‘This bastard doesn’t seem to have any intention of making amends?’
Who in their right mind would issue such a broad provocation while claiming to make reparations?
But then again, one could never be certain.
That cunning, sharp-minded bastard might be employing such tactics precisely to ensure that even the houses naturally reluctant to attend would come.
Battles with him were fierce contests of strategy even when there was no direct combat.
Night raids during rain or snow. Ambushes using terrain. At times, he didn’t hesitate to commit such vile acts as poisoning water.
As long as I possessed the power of water, poison dissolved in it couldn’t exert much effect.
“Then I shall go meet with the other houses.”
“Yes, don’t overexert yourself.”
Levai nodded lightly.
“I shall dutifully heed your command to work until my bones break.”
“You, you…!”
I lowered my head and clicked my tongue at his retreating figure.
“Stubborn fool.”
He could only express his determination to do his utmost so as not to burden me in such a roundabout way.
After letting out a small sigh, I headed toward the conference hall.
Typically, at summit conferences where all the houses gathered, only the head of each house or their representative and a retainer or two were permitted entry.
Naturally, weapons could not be brought inside.
‘In truth, such restrictions are meaningless for those who wield the power of water or earth.’
It was a security measure that only applied to other beastkin.
At the grand conference the Crown Prince had convened during the day, only the heads or representatives of houses were permitted to enter.
All retainers and guards were ordered to wait in an adjacent waiting room.
I half-expected chaos might erupt in the conference room. But even so, if I stepped in, I could destroy a door or wall or two.
In other words, I could make use of them if necessary.
Before entering the conference room, I tapped the wall beside the door.
‘Quite thick, but not as thick as the outer wall of Madrum’s laboratory.’
Since I’d pierced that outer wall, this one would pose no problem.
“Um, Matriarch Aquasiadel…?”
The retainer grew flustered watching my actions. I shrugged and stepped inside.
Since I arrived nearly last, the conference room was packed.
A massive round table came into view, and blonde hair was visible in the chairman’s seat.
Perhaps because I was accustomed to seeing Ekion’s eye color.
No matter how I looked at it, the Crown Prince’s hair appeared only as a ‘dull’ gold.
“You’re late, Matriarch of Aquasiadel.”
Just as he said, there was only one seat left vacant. And it was the lowest position at that.
This bastard was picking a fight from the very start with something that made no sense.
I let out a soft laugh and bowed respectfully.
“My, what an occasion—a day when you don’t start by complaining about a fishy smell?”
Several of the leaders and representatives in the conference room held their breath.
This was the first time Calypso Aquasiadel had officially faced Crown Prince Kael Heltiade.
Therefore, only the Crown Prince would understand what my greeting truly meant.
The Crown Prince raised his eyebrows but said nothing further.
“…Sit.”
In those words, I felt the changed standing of the aquatic animal beastkin in this life.
Several of the seated beastkin from fierce beast families either glared or averted their gaze.
Fear flickered in the eyes of those who glared.
I recognized that most of them were deeply connected to Madrum.
They were families that had suffered great losses when Madrum disappeared.
Especially the Cheetah family—didn’t they lose their Matriarch? She had been there for consultation with the Director and passed away, or so I heard.
“Now that everyone has arrived, let us begin the conference.”
The already quiet conference room fell into even deeper silence. Gazes laden with individual emotions converged upon the Crown Prince.
As if accustomed to such attention, he drew up the corners of his mouth in a straight line.
With the face of a trustworthy politician, he opened fire.
“First, as the Imperial representative, I shall speak.”
And the moment the conference began, he dropped a bomb.
“I believe the Imperial family has committed no wrongdoing whatsoever.”
* * *
At the moment when Calypso, Levai, and Hauser, who was attached as a guard, withdrew toward the conference room.
At the same time, in one corner of the Imperial Palace, Ekion and Atlant stood.
“There are too many soldiers over there.”
“What about just going through?”
“We could, but it would take time. Is there no other way?”
At those words, Ekion briefly surveyed his surroundings.
“I sense something strange in the Imperial Palace.”
This search had begun from Ekion’s single remark.
Originally, while Calypso bought time, Ekion had taken on the role of searching for the Dragon’s power.
It was regrettable not to be with Calypso, but since this was something only Ekion could do, he acquiesced willingly.
He had decided not to be stubborn anymore.
“What about that path?”
Judging that many personnel would only hinder the Imperial Palace search, Ekion and Atlant, prepared for any unexpected combat or intrusion, took on the task.
“It’s fine? There are definitely fewer people than before. Good. Hold still for a moment.”
Atlant lifted his own body with a stream of water. Soon after, Ekion’s body rose as well.
“Don’t move roughly, alright? I’m not good at delicate control, so I can’t use this ability for long.”
He concealed his and Ekion’s forms and presence with the power of water. It was an ability Atlant could use, though not to the extent Calypso could.
‘Agenor should have been the one to come here.’
I found myself wishing for Third Brother, who was currently guarding Aquasiadel. He was a master of infiltration and assassination, after all.
“We’re allowed to talk, right?”
“Yeah. But keep it quiet. I can’t block out loud noises.”
As the two of us flew through the sky, the patrolling beastkin noticed nothing.
“Do you think that important thing is underground again? Like with those monkey bastards?”
“…No, it doesn’t feel like underground.”
Ekion shook his head slightly. Doubt crept in.
Wasn’t it normal to hide important things underground? Especially for those with something to hide.
Hadn’t the monkeys hidden their most crucial energy source underground for that very reason?
Calypso had said that the dragon’s power to the imperial family was like Madrum’s energy source—something they valued most and obsessed over.
As my doubts grew, the number of guards gradually decreased.
‘Instead, they filled the positions with skilled ones.’
They’d reduced the numbers but filled them with quality personnel.
Looking at the sparse ferocious beasts, Atlant recalled what he’d heard from Calypso.
When we went to the dragon’s castle, she’d said the building holding the Dragon Duke was guarded by a small number of powerful combat personnel. It was the same setup.
“Let’s stop here for a moment and figure out their patrol rotation.”
The two of us landed on a large tree branch under Atlant’s lead.
Atlant kept his eyes on the approaching beast knights.
Two per unit, sometimes three? How were they rotating?
Drawing on his familiar experience, Atlant kept his gaze downward as he opened his mouth to ask.
“Hey, I just want to ask you one thing.”
“Yeah.”
“Bellus said that if Calypso had to choose between a lover or husband, that white-bearded whale bastard would be better. Have you heard this nonsense too?”
“….”
Ekion didn’t answer.
From his silence, Atlant gathered that Ekion had either heard it or already knew about it.
“Whale said he’d make an effort. That no matter what method he uses, he wants to be by Calypso’s side.”
“How in the world do you turn someone who only knew their sister into your ally? That bastard’s crazy too, seriously.”
Atlant spoke quietly to avoid triggering the sound barrier, his brow slightly furrowed.
“Hey, never mind. I know why Bellus—I mean, why my brother is like that.”
Ekion’s gaze turned toward Atlant.
“I’ve never brought it up, but the news that Calypso died must have been a real shock to him too, right?”
The three brothers had come to respect Calypso, their younger sister and Matriarch, without question, and they had devoted themselves to her.
The most inflexible of the three was Eldest Brother.
He probably couldn’t show it in this life and suffered alone, holding it in….
“He must have cried a damn lot.”
He simply couldn’t let those tears show to the world. That was the kind of brother he was.
“So he wants to keep someone by Calypso’s side who can save her no matter what—someone he can rely on.”
“….”
It was a statement that even Ekion, who had learned emotions, could now fully understand.
“And in this life too, we want to protect him even if it means dying. Of course… he’d probably hate hearing something like that the most.”
Atlant still wasn’t looking at Ekion. His gaze remained fixed downward, rigid and unwavering.
“And more than that, I want us all to live long together. I’d be happy if you were part of that too.”
Ekion fell silent for a moment.
“…Thank you.”
Even in those days when no one but Calypso welcomed him or accepted him.
It was Atlant who had persistently thrown words at him and picked fights with him.
Ekion now understood that this was what humans called ‘affection’ and ‘goodwill’.
“Alright, I’ve got it now. Let’s go.”
Soon, lifted by Atlant’s power, they took flight again. Before long, the two arrived before the place where Ekion had felt the ‘Dragon’s power’.
“…Damn. What is this?”
And Atlant was bewildered.
“This didn’t exist in my past life?”

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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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