Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 348

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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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Additional Side Story: Episode 12
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The formal training began.
“We’ll start with your fists.”
For reference, during my first lesson last time, he wanted to see the limits of my stamina, so I only received intense physical conditioning training.
It was grueling, but it was worthwhile.
‘Anything is better than sitting around in that damned Black Panther Manor, receiving nothing but ridicule and contempt.’
Moreover, once Brunel learned that I would be receiving lessons from his father.
“Then I’ll have to open the club more often!”
He said this with a composed expression and a smile. It was a pleasant thing to hear.
All the bears I’ve seen lack perceptiveness, but this spectacled bear seems different.
‘Or rather, it’s more likely that Brunel has simply developed much better observational skills.’
I gave a bitter smile thinking this far, but I was in the same situation.
“There’s no need to abandon the sword since you’ve already learned it.”
However, he said to postpone the sword for later. I nodded in agreement.
Thinking about what I would tell Palaya when I returned.
The Black Panther Knights watching me didn’t even enter this Manor. At first, I wondered if they couldn’t enter, but it turned out they simply refused to go in, considering it unclean.
‘They’re just watching in case I try to escape outside the Manor.’
Kindly, after training, I washed my body and returned wearing clothes dried fluffy with the help of a Beastkin with drying abilities. It was completely criminal.
‘Bare-handed.’
Certainly, I’m not quite used to it yet, but learning it will truly be helpful.
“By the way, Edric, won’t you speak more casually?”
“No.”
His words became shorter during sparring, but I was refused otherwise.
“Once the Noble Lady’s skills grow to the extent I envision, I will speak casually then.”
Along with a playful laugh, he added an unwanted condition. I shook my head internally.
The playful nature resembled Father so much that my heart stirred strangely.
“Your stance.”
As I clumsily mimicked Edric’s stance, he gently adjusted my position with his hand.
“Um, but do Brunel and Luca really train together too?”
Beside me were not just myself but two young boys as well. Luca’s eyes were sparkling, while Brunel looked somewhat bored.
“Yes, my son and Luca occasionally receive lessons.”
“You should also mention the word ‘forced,’ Father….”
He clearly doesn’t want to do this.
More than that, is it okay for the owner of a social club to be doing this?
“For now… it would serve as a good excuse if someone happened to notice.”
Edric smiled warmly, saying there’s such a convenient term as experiential learning in this world.
“In fact, it’s not uncommon in other social clubs either.”
At those words, I recalled what happened in the first session. At the social club I visited then, they even invited some Imperial Palace Knight and taught the children wooden sword techniques.
‘That wooden sword hurt though.’
I nodded obediently.
It was better to leave them an escape route, just in case things went wrong.
“I’ll repay the debt.”
“Pay it when you grow stronger.”
I was about to blurt out the future as payment for their help, but I was cut off before I could speak.
I didn’t give up—I planned to drop hints when the opportunity arose. The Spectacled Bear family, are you ready to become wealthy?
“The center is here, and the power comes not from the shoulders but from the waist.”
I followed Edric’s instructions exactly. After he corrected me a few times and I grasped the technique, my posture gradually began to resemble his.
Edric’s hand stopped.
“Like this?”
“…Yes.”
His eyes behind his glasses seemed to widen slightly. He hesitated for a moment, then opened his palm in front of me.
“Try striking it just like that.”
“Huh!”
Luca beside me caught his breath. Brunel’s expression was equally shocked.
Why were they reacting like that?
I set aside their reactions and focused on my fist.
“Can I do this while recalling what Edric did during our sparring match?”
“…Yes, try it that way.”
I lowered my knees as instructed and recalled the fastest punch from our sparring—faster than anyone’s.
Then I extended my fist.
Whoosh!
The air split.
Thud!
A sharp sound. Even though I’d struck with all my strength, Edric showed no sign of pain—his expression remained unchanged.
Instead, his eyes shifted subtly.
“Again.”
Second attempt.
This time, I seemed to grasp the technique better than before.
“Lower your center of gravity. Again.”
Third attempt.
“Again.”
Fourth, fifth, and by the twentieth attempt.
My fist had taken on a stance similar to Edwin’s, even by my own assessment.
Edric lowered his hand.
“How many times was that?”
“…The twentieth?”
A brief silence fell. Confused, I glanced to the side and saw Brunel blinking rapidly while Luca stood with his mouth agape.
“Normally, it takes a week to master this. Just to get the posture right.”
Though my knowledge was shallow, I recalled the martial arts novels I’d read in my past life. So I was a genius after all—learning at several times the speed of others?
I wasn’t particularly surprised, having experienced something similar when learning from Palaya.
Instead, a thrill surged through me that was greater than when I first learned swordplay.
“Well, that’s right! It took me a whole week!”
“I managed it in four days, but that was because of Father’s extreme training. Impressive, Calypso.”
The two boys’ ears fluttered adorably. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
I suppressed my smile and threw out a light punch.
Even by my own assessment, the form was flawless.
Edric let out a quiet sigh.
“Now I understand. Why the Noble Lady instinctively made the judgment to abandon the sword.”
I tilted my head. Edric explained softly.
“Choosing to abandon the sword was the right call. You seem to have a natural talent for this instead.”
He tapped his own fist gently. Then he smiled with a hint of playfulness.
“You might be a genius who appears once every hundred years or so.”
“Wow! A genius, Brunel, did you hear? A genius! Wow!”
“Um, Luca? You don’t need to shake me—I heard it too!”
Edric’s subtle nod that followed also carried affection and mischief.
“It’s an honor.”
Time passed.
Training continued. Movements repeated. Block, evade, advance.
After completing the fundamentals in a week, what followed was endless sparring.
According to Edric, since I wasn’t a bear beastkin and had different talents, the training method tailored to his son wouldn’t suit me.
And since he couldn’t wield the power of water either.
“There’s no choice but to learn through real combat.”
Despite appearances, his teaching was remarkably tough. I thought to myself that he really was a bear beastkin after all.
After that, it truly was endless sparring. To be honest, while it was called sparring, I spent most days rolling around.
Luca and Brunel were my most frequent training partners.
But the cat beastkin Serin, whom I’d met on the first day, the wombat Doren, and the sloth Rian also trained with me.
Of course, Rian seemed terribly unsuited for this class. What was remarkable was that Edric matched Rian’s speed perfectly.
‘Does this person have exceptional talent for teaching?’
In any case, rolling around became routine during training. Certainly, even I could tell I was slow at first.
But then.
“Again.”
“Yes.”
Three times.
Five times.
“Your side is open.”
“…Huff, yes. Haah.”
Ten times.
Two or three times a week.
By the time more than a month had passed.
Boom!
Finally, I managed to throw a proper punch.
Thud!
And I could block it.
Though it was only one strike that carried his true intent.
“Phew, I blocked it, didn’t I? Teacher.”
“I’d prefer you didn’t use that title.”
The eyes beneath his glasses curved softly.
Edric’s gaze shifted.
“Very well.”
He lowered his fist. I was bewildered. Wait, we’re ending already even though I haven’t been knocked back yet?
“Now let’s change our approach a bit.”
He turned his head slightly. On one side of the training grounds, Serin was reading a book, and beside her, Rian was dozing leisurely.
“That power.”
Edric lowered his voice.
“The water, that is.”
“…Yes.”
“That’s something I cannot teach you. It’s the domain of the Noble Lady and her race.”
I already knew that. I hadn’t even hoped for it. And I wasn’t disappointed either.
“However, from what I observed in our sparring, I did see a pattern.”
“…A pattern?”
The use of water was forbidden during sparring until I mastered martial combat. In other words, he was referring to what I saw in our first match.
“Yes. It’s likely because the Noble Lady is still inexperienced.”
He raised his hand.
“I observed it during our sparring. Your water streams don’t move randomly.”
His index finger traced a curve through the air. It was a spiral shape.
“There’s direction and pattern to it. Did you know?”
“…No.”
How could I have? Every time I unleashed it, I couldn’t control that torrential cascade, and I’d end up drenched.
“Control would be difficult, but if you could only grasp and predict this pattern.”
“….”
“Even if you can’t use it, you could utilize it.”
In that moment, I didn’t need to look in a mirror to know. My eyes must have been sparkling excessively.
…My goodness, how did I ever encounter such a noble person in my life?
‘Should I change my family name to Hardin at this point?’
I was thinking it half-jokingly when I heard Hardin’s next words.
“Now then, try unleashing it.”
At those words, I grinned widely and took my stance.

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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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