Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 92

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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 92
“…You came?”
The ambush was a complete failure.
Not a single one of the attackers returned alive.
For my Eldest Brother Rodesen, who had sent what he considered elite forces, it must have been a painful miscalculation.
The attack had been rushed—far too rushed.
Had they devised a strategy as carefully as when I moved Calypso alone into the Forest, their odds of success might have improved slightly.
But their opponent was Pierre, fully prepared.
It was unfortunate for the assassins, but even with proper preparation, their chances of victory would have been negligible—perhaps rising from 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent at most.
The field of corpses was quickly attended to by the Knights, who began their cleanup as if they had been waiting for this moment.
Fortunately, just as before, the battle had taken place not far from the Forest, so they intended to gather all the bodies and bury them there.
“They’re certainly stronger than the last group, but they lack cohesion.”
“….”
“Given how poorly they coordinated, I suspect my Uncle’s forces were mixed in as well.”
Pierre shared similar thoughts.
Rodesen and Sorte were alike in such matters, so it was entirely plausible that my two brothers had joined forces under the pretense of checking on their daughter.
But in the end, we won, so it hardly mattered.
Thus, Pierre opened the carriage door right after the battle ended and found himself face to face with Calypso, who appeared drained of energy.
There was something odd about Calypso’s face as she asked if he had come.
Pierre hesitated, then touched his own face.
Lingering anger from the recent attack meant he had shown no mercy in his movements.
Though he could have cleaned up using the power of water, he had acted directly instead.
Pierre stopped as he wiped blood from his cheek.
…Was Calypso really the sort of child to become dejected or frightened merely at the sight of blood?
‘No, she wasn’t.’
Pierre stared at his daughter, still covered in blood.
‘As I thought, something is different.’
Calypso’s face looked dark.
Moreover, for some reason, the Dragon Duke, who had his eyes open when leaving the carriage, was now leaning against Calypso in deep sleep.
During the days of travel, the Dragon Duke had not taken a single nap.
Even at night, he didn’t seem to sleep long—his presence could often be felt stirring.
“Did an assassin reach this place?”
“What? That’s impossible. My Teacher is protecting us—how could that even be possible?”
It was a thoroughly typical response from Calypso, yet the sense of incongruity remained.
However, no matter where he looked, the interior of the carriage appeared unchanged from the moment he had left.
“What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean, what’s wrong?”
“….”
Even when asked directly, no answer came.
And so an entire day passed.
As morning broke and we prepared to depart once more, Calypso and the Dragon Duke Ekion boarded the carriage.
Their faces were composed, their demeanor no different from usual.
Yet the young boy’s face was visibly disheveled.
He hadn’t been crying.
His lips were merely pressed firmly shut, though something was clearly amiss.
‘…Crying?’
Pierre faltered.
Now that he thought about it, he had never seen Calypso cry.
The three-year-old had never shed a single tear, regardless of circumstance.
Was this normal?
In that moment, what he had taken for granted was suddenly overturned.
Pierre’s expression grew grave.
With two of the four passengers in the carriage looking serious, Bellus naturally couldn’t help but notice.
Or rather, it was closer to observation.
Ekion stared at Calypso all day long with an inscrutable expression.
Occasionally he would grip her hand tightly, and instead of refusing, Calypso would smile bitterly and squeeze back.
It was the only reaction Calypso showed.
Though an unsettling atmosphere permeated the carriage, the vehicle itself rolled on smoothly regardless of the passengers’ states.
Two more days passed after that.
“Tonight, or tomorrow. We’ll arrive at the Acacia Manor.”
Calypso, who had been gazing blankly at the campfire, lifted her head.
They had decided to make quick progress in preparation for another potential attack, and for this reason, their final night was spent camping.
“…I see.”
Pierre recalled Calypso swinging her legs excitedly beside Tus during their journey to the City of Dragons.
The same night, the same campfire, yet an entirely different sight.
Pierre felt a nagging discomfort.
It was then.
“Teacher.”
Calypso glanced around before speaking quietly.
“As promised, please protect Ekion at your residence.”
“…Of course.”
“Yes. I’ll visit every day.”
The moment Calypso smiled brightly with an unbothered expression, Pierre couldn’t hold back.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Huh?”
Calypso flinched.
It was indeed strange. This wasn’t the daughter who would startle at his mere approach.
“Do you realize how abnormal you’re being right now?”
“Me, abnormal?”
“I wish you would tell me if something hurts.”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
Calypso blinked seriously as she spoke.
Pierre pressed his hand to Calypso’s forehead and determined it was the truth. At least there was no fever.
But if nothing was wrong, then what was the matter?
The more he thought about it, the more Pierre was astonished to realize how little he actually knew about Calypso.
On the other hand, he felt displeased.
“Teacher, I think this city is wonderful. Perhaps… when we leave, shouldn’t I return alone?”
His daughter had entered the fence of her own accord, and when necessary, she tried to leave.
Now she was trying to deceive him with words of indifference.
He knew that if he grew angry and turned away, that would be the end of it.
But he could no longer do that.
Once she had entered the fence, the small orca before his eyes was his daughter, whom he would have to cherish until his dying breath.
“What do you mean, Teacher? I’m the same as always? Nothing special…”
“If you want to lie properly, go look in a mirror first.”
“…”
“If you truly wish to deceive me, then behave as you did when we first met.”
Only then did the smile gradually fade from Calypso’s face.
The pallid child’s face finally allowed Pierre to discern Calypso’s true age.
It was the face of an ordinary three-year-old.
“I’m just… in a bad mood.”
Calypso let her head drop.
Ekion, who had been sitting quietly beside her, suddenly grasped her hand.
Calypso did not smile for him as she had in the carriage, nor did she grasp his hand in return.
Instead, she carefully released his hand and merely patted it gently.
Then she rose from her seat.
“Teacher, may I… go for a walk for a moment? I won’t go far.”
They were currently in a small forest.
If they continued through this forest for half a day to a full day more, they would reach the territory of Aquasiadel.
“No. There may be assassins.”
“That’s a lie, isn’t it? You would sense assassins better than anyone.”
“…”
“So if there were any, you would say there are, rather than saying there might be.”
“…”
She was not in her usual state, yet her mind worked as sharply as always.
Pierre furrowed his brow.
“I’m just frustrated. Yes? I’ll be back soon.”
Yet in the end, Calypso received permission from Pierre.
Calypso’s figure disappeared into the small grass beyond.
Pierre’s senses detected her presence fade and then stop.
At some distance away, Calypso’s handmaidens and her nursemaid Misa were shifting their feet anxiously.
They too had realized something was amiss with Calypso, but their expressions suggested they didn’t understand why.
‘I should follow her.’
He had said he would allow a walk, but he never said there would be no pursuit.
Clever words and stubbornness weren’t exclusive to Calypso.
It was the moment Pierre was about to furrow his brow and move forward.
Ekion blocked his path.
At the same time, Ekion’s hand extended to another person for the first time.
“Calypso. Here.”
Remarkably, Ekion, who was said to be unable to speak a single word, had progressed to the point of uttering words during their brief journey.
However, smooth communication was impossible except with Calypso.
Even Calypso often tilted her head in confusion.
Pierre’s eyes narrowed.
“Calypso here, dark.”
“….”
“Hurts?”
Ekion brought one hand to his own chest and spoke softly.
Pierre, who had been silently listening to the boy’s words, suddenly blurted out.
“So it hurts.”
Ekion neither confirmed nor denied it.
He simply gazed at Pierre with hazy, innocent eyes.
Pierre understood.
“…I see. You feel Calypso’s emotions?”
“Calypso. Learn.”
Calypso had said the Dragon Duke Ekion needed ‘learning’.
So she had hoped that once they returned to Aquasiadelo, a teacher would be assigned.
But looking at it this way, it seemed that teacher had already been chosen by the Dragon Duke himself.
“I understand.”
Pierre bowed and tapped the Dragon Duke’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Dragon Duke.”
Pierre headed toward the tall grass where Calypso had disappeared.
* * *
“Oh….”
Dear me, I had been standing here dazed and wandered far too far.
I blinked and gazed at my surroundings.
Everything around me was dark.
When I turned back, I could see a red light in the distance. It was likely the glow of the campfire.
Well, this distance isn’t really that far.
‘After all, I should be within Teacher’s broad sensing range.’
As if Teacher’s detection range would be as ordinary as a killer whale’s.
I chuckled softly and leaned against a nearby tree.
Laughter kept slipping out of me.
I found it amusing how I was consciously avoiding even the thought of the word “Father.”
…Would it be alright now? It should be fine, right?
The moment I thought this, rain began to fall with a sudden patter.

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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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