Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 38

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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 38
Had Father fallen back into his affliction of loving silence once more?
He spoke as little as he had when we first met.
‘And where is Agenor?’
If I weren’t here, he should be training diligently on his own, practicing his forms.
Besides, I hadn’t even properly thanked him yet, and now it was difficult to find him.
Since that day, I hadn’t properly encountered Agenor again.
According to Rayla, Agenor was apparently giving his testimony diligently as well.
However, like me, Agenor also seemed to be exempt from attending the Intermediate Institution, so he was in his own building.
‘Hmm, my mind is working a bit slowly.’
After thinking for a while, I lifted my head.
“….”
Even then, Father remained silent.
At this point, it seemed his silence affliction had truly returned.
‘…Or is something bothering him, making him look so displeased again?’
That expression was certainly similar to one I’d seen before when I brought Agenor as my second disciple.
Though one of my eyes was still blurry, I could tell clearly.
“Victory is.”
Finally, Father’s lips opened.
Bearing the heavy burden of parental accountability, I had no choice but to listen intently.
“…only called victory when achieved without wounds.”
“Huh?”
What was he talking about? I was utterly bewildered.
“What do you mean, Teacher? How can one always achieve victory without wounds? That’s….”
“From the moment you called me your teacher, didn’t you agree to follow my words as law?”
“…Well, that’s true, but.”
I had never actually agreed to follow anything like law.
I had mountains of things I wanted to say.
But in any situation, the person with something to hide was always the weaker one.
I bit my lip hard, then stopped in surprise at the pain.
“I have achieved victory without wounds.”
“That’s because you’re the teacher.”
…Listen, I’m still an unawakened nobody.
I wanted to say this, but for some reason, the words wouldn’t come out.
Why did I have to feel so sad right now?
‘I won a street fight. Does he think winning is easy at my age? …He could at least praise me once before criticizing.’
At times like this, I realize how weak and young this body truly is.
No matter how much I endure, there are moments when my threshold inevitably lowers.
Afraid my eyes would shamefully redden, I hung my head low.
Damn it, I came here even with muscle soreness. Could he at least welcome me?
When has that father of mine ever welcomed me with open arms?
‘I can never tell what he’s thinking.’
I started to bite my lip, then clenched my teeth instead.
“Where are you going?”
“…I’m leaving.”
I’d come here to train, but looking at myself now, I was in no condition for it today.
Come to think of it, I had no idea why I’d come here with this limp.
I just felt like I needed to come.
Now that I thought back on it, I must have been bewitched.
But I couldn’t take more than a few steps before I was lifted off the ground.
It wasn’t my will. A stream of water was coiling around me.
Feeling my clothes grow damp, I almost wished the water would splash across my face instead.
‘If it were my father from Earth, he would never say something like that.’
The more I thought of my father from that world, the weaker the muscles holding back my tears became.
I didn’t want to let my strength falter, afraid of looking weak.
It was pride.
Did he know what I was feeling? Or did he simply not care enough to know?
I had no choice but to face Father with my face in ruins.
Seeing his serene expression, unchanged from usual, only kindled my anger.
What is this? Are you really lifting your face at a moment like this just to show off how disgustingly handsome you are?
“Your body is a weapon.”
When those familiar quiet words spilled out, my defiant heart rose first.
I glared at him with an expression I wouldn’t normally show.
“What are you trying to say?”
“A weapon left unmanaged will rust or shatter.”
“What does that have to do with—!”
“Your body is no different.”
“…”
I was left speechless.
“As your teacher, I have the right to reproach you for neglecting your weapon.”
“…”
…What. He’s treating me like a human weapon.
I should have been angry, but I wasn’t.
My gaze wandered aimlessly.
I didn’t want him to think my discomfort was because of him.
“A weapon properly refined and tempered can be used for a lifetime.”
“…”
“That is the only advice I can offer, being someone who failed to forge that weapon.”
Suddenly, I thought of Pierre, who had been alone in that space.
A killer whale born with immense power yet cursed with a frail body, as if bearing some penalty.
In nature, animals that deviate from the norm are almost always culled.
But my Father, who possessed such solitary and lofty power, wouldn’t have been able to choose culling itself if he had failed.
He expressed it as a failure in refining a weapon. Are you saying you also tried desperately to improve in some way and failed?
“Pierre was truly an object of everyone’s admiration. There probably wasn’t a single day until his eyes closed when he didn’t receive attention.”
If he failed and spent his life until death receiving unwanted attention.
No, that’s too much of a leap. I know nothing about my Father’s life.
I can’t judge based solely on what I’ve heard indirectly.
A sting.
Before I knew it, a stream of water was washing away the wound.
The dirt that had caked on during my rush here was being washed away.
“So, was it wrong that I got hurt?”
I asked while enduring the stinging pain.
“Is this kind of victory wrong?”
In my long life, victory has only been like this.
There was no other kind of victory.
How am I supposed to achieve victory with such lofty grace like you?
If I don’t struggle and claw my way forward, I can’t even obtain the power of water that you grasped so easily?
“If you were going to follow every direction I set for you, you wouldn’t have asked me to take you on as my disciple in the first place.”
“What are you saying? Just a moment ago you said to follow every word like law.”
“Preparing a process for you and presenting a goal are different things. Do you think I want to live your life for you?”
“No, absolutely not.”
My life is mine. This time, I will reclaim it.
I stared at my Father stubbornly.
“A teacher and disciple are a relationship that inevitably parts ways someday.”
I wonder why. Perhaps because of the wind, the words sounded slightly bitter.
“Isn’t it because you wanted this that you asked me to become your teacher?”
It seemed like he was asking why I call him Teacher instead of Father.
If I hadn’t known through Rayla that my Father was aware of this act, I wouldn’t have caught the double meaning in his words.
He’s cunning.
“Teacher, were you worried about me?”
I grabbed my Father’s collar roughly and asked this.
My Father stared at me intently without answering, then slowly tilted his head.
“Your father cherished and loved you very much, they say.”
“That’s right.”
“In a moment like this, what does that father who cherished you so dearly say?”
Well, that would be….
“He would worry so very much, scold you, and embrace you. Or rather, he will embrace you.”
….
“In the end, he will tell you that he loves his daughter.”
I recalled a memory from long ago and lowered my head.
Then I loosened my grip on his collar, though I still held it firmly.
“Teacher, couldn’t you just repeat one thing after me?”
“What is it?”
“Say it. I was worried about you, Calypso.”
“….”
There was nothing reflected in the eyes looking at me.
But I was fine with that.
So I spoke carefully, word by word.
“Even if it’s a lie, I’d like you to say that to me.”
Because now I understood why I had limped all the way here.
I stared at Father, and just as I was about to give up, his lips slowly parted.
“I was worried about you, Calypso.”
That alone was enough to satisfy me.
I closed my eyes tightly.
* * *
‘Good. I’ve made my decision.’
Three days later, I had resolved myself.
My throbbing leg and body had almost completely healed.
With such remarkable recovery, I realized that despite not awakening, I was indeed benefiting greatly from the power of water, and my mood lifted slightly.
‘I’ll boldly abandon the idea of bringing a parent.’
I had thought about it while lying down, but no matter how much I considered it, I couldn’t find a way to call Father without problems.
The only option was to be honest, but the problem was I didn’t know what would happen after that.
I preferred not to gamble on anything uncertain.
“Huh? So you’re just going to attend alone as is?”
Two days ago, I saw Agenor for the first time in a while, and he came to where I lived.
At first, he seemed surprised by the condition of this building.
“So this aesthetic is your taste!”
He seemed to have accepted it somehow. Though whatever he was thinking was probably one hundred percent wrong.
“But are you sure? I heard the highest tier requires parents to participate.”

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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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