Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 267

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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 267
While Atlant was caught off guard, Ekion quietly gazed up at the structure before him.
It was a colossal temple.
The pristine white pillars were so massive that the word “magnificent” naturally spilled from one’s lips. With the entire ground a pure white, a sense of nobility emanated from every corner.
Of course, for Ekion, who had come from the far grander castle of the Dragon, the scale wasn’t particularly impressive.
Nevertheless, it was unmistakably an extraordinary building.
“I sense the Dragon’s power here.”
“Ah, this is troublesome.”
Atlant pressed his temples firmly before gripping his forehead.
“Moreover….”
“Moreover what?”
Ekion tilted his head slightly.
Except in front of Calypso, Ekion never obscured his words.
Atlant felt a faint unease.
What was this Dragon doing, dragging out his words like this?
“The Dragon’s power… feels wrong. Is it corrupted?”
“Corrupted? Could it even become corrupted?”
“I don’t know.”
Ekion shook his head. He had merely spoken exactly what he sensed.
Through the explanation that followed, Atlant came to understand Ekion’s meaning.
“So you’re saying you spoke exactly as you felt it, and the Dragon’s power doesn’t feel like what you know it to be, and the word ‘corrupted’ came to mind as a way to express it?”
“Right. Exactly.”
Atlant fell into contemplation. Originally, their mission was to explore the imperial palace while Calypso participated in the council chamber.
Besides them, Lirivel and other Knights were likely conducting the same task in different sectors.
Of course, Lirivel’s objective was “military assessment,” so their aim differed.
In any case, Ekion had identified the source of the Dragon’s power. Now they should withdraw from this place.
But Atlant felt something unsettling.
“Hey, like I said before, that thing over there… didn’t exist in my previous life.”
They had conquered the imperial palace in their previous life. The map of the palace remained vivid in Atlant’s mind, as he had fought as an executive at the frontlines.
“I’m feeling an unease so intense it feels like my head might split open.”
It was no exaggeration to say he had seen every building. Naturally, no such temple had existed then.
The Crown Prince must have built it in this life, so investigating was only proper.
Atlant made his decision.
“Let’s go inside.”
But a resolute answer came from Ekion.
“We can’t. We’ll be discovered if we enter.”
They had to complete their mission discreetly. Such was Calypso’s command.
Moreover, if their reconnaissance was discovered, it would be bad for Calypso, who was in the midst of a power struggle.
It would certainly provide the imperial family an excuse to find fault with us.
“Then what do we do?”
We had agreed that Calypso would signal me when she left the conference room, but the signal hadn’t come yet.
Atlant inserted something into his ear and communicated with someone for a moment.
“I just asked Lirivel, and as expected, the troops are currently concentrated in the building where the grand conference hall is located.”
That meant by the time the conference ended, I had no idea how many people would gather around this temple.
“If it’s difficult, we can’t help it. Let’s try in the evening.”
A banquet would be held in the evening. In that case, the troops would concentrate around the building where the banquet was being held once more.
“I need time.”
“So there’s no way right now?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Ekion turned his head. Atlant saw a strange blue light rippling in Ekion’s pupils.
It harmonized remarkably well with his golden irises, yet it felt alien.
‘Just like a dragon who’s been mingling with aquatic creatures, even the light is some shade of blue.’
Atlant waited for Ekion’s next words while entertaining these random thoughts.
“I need time from now on. That way… I can get in. Quietly.”
So there was a way? Atlant’s face brightened.
“How much time do you need?”
“Half a day.”
At Ekion’s answer, Atlant looked up at the sky.
Half a day, then.
“We’ll have to go in after the banquet starts.”
* * *
“Damn it!”
Calypso burst through the door and angrily threw her gloves to the ground.
Levai and Hauser followed her in, and as Hauser entered, the door closed.
“Phew…”
Calypso quickly composed herself. Despite his familiarity with this, Levai was slightly impressed by how swiftly she regained her composure.
“They dragged things out all the way until the banquet preparation time.”
Without even being asked, Calypso began explaining immediately.
By now, the sky had turned to evening.
The grand conference hosted by the Crown Prince was, in a word, the ultimate exercise in trivial matters.
The conversation circled around the edges all day long.
Yet the attending Lords and Representatives couldn’t simply stand up and leave, as he cleverly brought up each of their troubles one by one.
For instance, the Elephant Beastkin and the Hippopotamus Beastkin had long engaged in territorial disputes over a single river.
By deliberately mentioning such points, he offered to give the Elephant Beastkin sovereignty over the river in exchange for another territory owned by the imperial family.
These were matters that, while having nothing to do with Madrum on the surface, couldn’t be overlooked because their interests were at stake.
Everyone had to listen with uncomfortable expressions on their faces.
The same was true for Aquasiadel.
Throughout all the empire’s lands, there were territories owned by the imperial family that they had not given to any house.
One of these was the land and wasteland surrounding the river located next to Aquasiadel.
The imperial family had embedded the power of the land into their territory, making it difficult to cultivate without their permission.
‘I used my head well.’
As Calypso, dragging out time wasn’t a bad thing. It gave those investigating outside some breathing room.
And it provided enough time for Pierre and his forces, who were secretly pursuing us, to arrive in sufficient numbers.
Yet the reason I was angry was a petty grievance—I’d had to look at that detestable face for half a day straight.
“Ugh, I think my eyes are rotting. Will you take a look?”
“Matriarch, do not allow the Dolphin to approach closer than three steps. He’ll cause trouble.”
“Why don’t you let go?”
Hauser gripped Levai’s shoulder and wouldn’t release him.
Levai looked up at him with displeasure.
Calypso shook her head and separated the two with a mere gesture.
“That’s enough. Levai, contact those over there and find out how things stand. Hauser, prepare yourself to join them.”
“Yes, understood.”
“…Yes.”
Since the Crown Prince had ended the meeting when preparations were already tight, I had no choice but to begin banquet preparations immediately, let alone visit Ekion.
He was truly cunning.
“My, time has gotten away from us, so the matter regarding Madrum will have to be postponed.”
The Crown Prince spoke in a way that subtly made it seem like his fault, then added one more thing.
Words that meant everyone had no choice but to attend the banquet.
“The Imperial Palace’s final stance on Madrum will be announced at the banquet.”
“If I may ask, is this matter you speak of difficult to address now?”
“Oh, have I caused concern? Then I shall make a special oath by the land. At the banquet, I will certainly clarify the Imperial stance on the Madrum incident, and I shall also make a major announcement.”
The Crown Prince laughed.
“You may look forward to it. I will satisfy all of your expectations.”
It was a statement that even suppressed the impatience of the temperamental Matriarch.
Once an oath by the land was sworn, it had to be kept. The Matriarch and the representatives had no choice but to rise from their seats, swallowing their complaints.
“Well, isn’t this splendid?”
Banquet preparations proceeded as quickly as possible. Calypso changed into clothes she had prepared in advance.
Because she had refused to compromise until the end, an overly ornate design was avoided.
The water-blue dress had a thin, translucent fabric layered over it, creating an elegant undulation like waves with every movement.
The hem was shorter in front and longer in back—an asymmetrical design.
I thought this would make it easier to move my legs.
The shoes were sandal-style with laces that tied up to the calf, and they fit my feet comfortably.
The shoulders were completely bare in an off-shoulder style, and I draped a thin shawl over them.
‘This would be perfect for strangling someone.’
Of course, that was the thought Calypso had while looking at the shawl.
“Goodness, you look absolutely beautiful!”
The rabbit Beastkin designer brought her disciples along and finished helping Calypso into the outfit.
Misa stood beside her, gazing at Calypso with a pleased expression.
“Thank you.”
Calypso let out a soft laugh.
Meanwhile, her mind kept circling back to Levai’s words from an hour ago.
‘He said he discovered the epicenter radiating the Dragon’s power, but needs time to infiltrate it.’
The epicenter was a massive temple that hadn’t existed in the third cycle, he’d said.
From above, there were things resembling lightning rods and Dragon sculptures.
And Ekion had spent the entire half-day preparing for a covert entry, which continued even while Calypso arranged the banquet.
I wished I could see the temple’s appearance once, but that wasn’t possible—a regrettable situation.
‘Could the Crown Prince have deliberately dragged out time like this to keep me from seeing that building?’
Even rational suspicion crept in.
After finishing his report, Levai joined up with Ekion.
For an unknown location, there was no one more helpful than Levai.
His specialty was the ability to warn in advance if they encountered new dangers there.
“Are you prepared?”
After careful consideration, Calypso sent all her core personnel to Ekion’s side, excluding Hauser.
It was intuition, but it felt like the right call.
“Whale finished all preparations twenty minutes ago.”
He must have been waiting. With that thought, Calypso soon faced Whale.
“You look splendid.”
Whale smiled.
“Thank you.”
Whale, dressed in white formal attire tailored to match Calypso’s, was indeed striking.
The white garment wrapped around the chest and fell away from the waist, cinched tightly with a belt—a uniform that reinterpreted Aquasiadel’s traditional clothing in a modern style.
The blue accents complemented Whale’s neat yet somewhat rugged appearance perfectly.
“My subordinates never wanted to wear this uniform even when told to. This is actually the first time I’ve seen anyone wear it in this life.”
With his large frame and long limbs, he cut an impressively commanding figure.
The cloth wrapping the chest was apparently the main culprit in making it uncomfortable to wear, so my subordinates in the third cycle had refused it with distaste.
Besides, they rarely had occasions to wear it since combat happened so frequently.
Now that I thought about it, that was somewhat unfortunate.
“It’s an honor.”
And that thought dissolved away with Whale’s smile. Now was the time for important work.
“Then shall we go make an excellent bait?”

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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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