Black Killer Whale Baby - Chapter 97

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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 97
An abundance of appetizing dishes was piled high on the table.
“Wow, did Dede make all of this? Her skills keep improving.”
At that, Misa exchanged glances with Eiya, who was nearby.
Soon Misa laughed awkwardly and spoke hesitantly.
“Well, perhaps it’s the Noble Lady’s… um, plan… no, no. Consideration, perhaps?”
“I heard that. A plan? What do you mean? Is my cooking really that strange?”
“…”
“Huh?”
What, no answer?
“No, of course not, Noble Lady!”
Misa hastily denied it, but it was too late.
“…It’s already too late.”
What’s wrong with my cooking? I’m not bad at it, am I?
Father ate so deliciously. He opened his mouth for every piece I cut for him, didn’t he?
I casually asked while taking a perfectly sliced salmon steak into my mouth.
“So how many died last night?”
Misa counted on her fingers for a moment before answering meekly.
“Five, Noble Lady.”
“Two more than three days ago? They must be getting anxious.”
I chewed thoughtfully.
“Well, it’s strange that they don’t move even after seeing the collateral branch crushed by Father’s hand.”
I am Calypso Aquasiadel, eight years old.
Currently a gifted student at the Intermediate Institution, entering fifth grade—the middle year—as of today.
Unlike the Elementary Institution, the Intermediate Institution spans grades one through nine.
It was an institution that combined what would be middle school and high school.
Upon completing this institution, one is recognized as an adult regardless of age.
However, on average, most graduated at seventeen or eighteen, the typical age of adulthood.
This was all because advancing to the next grade became increasingly difficult as one progressed, and graduation was brutally hard.
‘How many families are left now?’
I set down my fork.
“What is Ekion up to? Any news?”
“No, there haven’t been any particular reports. Should I look into it?”
“No.”
I rose from my seat and walked toward the window.
The sky was brilliantly clear.
“Ugh, I don’t want to go to school.”
Five years ago. When Father arrived at the Aquasiadel territory, he declared to me.
‘Did he say he’d find every single one of those bastards who participated in the assassination and crush them?’
Ah, of course he didn’t say it in those exact words, but his fierce eyes seemed to speak volumes.
‘The meaning is similar enough, so whatever.’
If I had to describe it, it felt like watching my own expression from the third loop when my eyes had gone completely mad.
‘So that’s why Suha and the others all said I seemed like a lunatic.’
They say parents are mirrors of their children—I suddenly felt the mirror effect acutely.
‘Mirror therapy it is. I shouldn’t act like such a madman myself.’
And exactly three days after I returned and greeted the Orca Family Matriarch.
One of the Orca Family’s branch house estates exploded.
It was a literal explosion. Simultaneously, countless people died throughout that single day.
What was remarkable was that the dead were all adults of that family.
To be precise, only those who had agreed to kill me.
Three days later, another family vanished from their territory.
After that, rumors spread through the estate.
‘Pierre Aquasiadel has gone mad over his own daughter!’—a desirable yet slightly embarrassing rumor.
‘He made me feel like the protagonist of a parenting story, how absolutely brilliant.’
Well, feeling good is good and all.
But I immediately summoned Father that very day, sat him down, and scolded him.
Yes, I really did scold him!
Why, you ask?
“Father, is your goal to become Matriarch by pushing me aside?”
“…That’s not it.”
Matriarch or whatever. Rather than me becoming Matriarch, it looked like Father would end up becoming the successor by pushing me aside.
What was I supposed to do about that?
“Why do you keep saying it’s not? If you erase just one more family here, the Matriarch’s mouth will split wide open and she’ll immediately make you the successor.”
“I’m ill. You know this, don’t you? Mother knows this fact all too well.”
“That’s the problem—you don’t act like someone who’s ill. Sickly people don’t erase entire families.”
“….”
After narrowly avoiding a crisis that would have derailed my goals, I reached a dramatic compromise with Father.
Separate from my revenge and objectives, Father couldn’t stop his retribution.
‘He says he won’t feel satisfied as a father unless he crushes those bastards. What can I do?’
So came my proposal.
Once a year, handle only one family.
However, the handling must be done discreetly, not ostentatiously.
And the results were dramatic.
All the branch families—or more precisely, those following Baian and Sorte—challenged me by attempting assassination.
They apparently believed that if I, the successor Father was pushing, died, they would survive.
‘Father is ill so he’ll die young eventually, and if they just kill me, the game ends—that’s what they thought.’
Foolish bastards.
And another rumor was circulating through this estate.
‘Calypso Aquasiadel actually doesn’t have as much talent as people thought!’
The small three-year-old prodigy who made a flashy debut at the family council, the promising successor candidate with a bright future.
“Yes, so you crushed the noses of those land-dwellers at the Dragon’s Castle? Ahahaha. Excellent. Is there anything you desire, little one?”
One who had earned the Matriarch’s recognition.
Five years had passed, and that remarkable three-year-old child was nowhere to be found.
When I turned four the following year, I advanced to the intermediate level.
Moreover, living up to expectations, I skipped an entire five grades that same year.
‘It was truly a dazzling pace.’
But that was where it ended.
That once-brilliant child.
Had now become a dullard unable to advance beyond fifth grade for over four years.
People were bewildered by how thoroughly their expectations had been betrayed, but soon enough, they began to relish the gossip.
‘She only sparkled for a moment! Her true nature has been revealed, hasn’t it?’
‘Poor Pierre. Even now he believes in his daughter….’
‘Well, if she dies losing in competition, then we might acknowledge her.’
In the whispers passed from mouth to mouth, there was only Calypso Aquasiadel—now ordinary, perhaps even less than that.
It was perfect.
‘Curse me more. Go ahead.’
I hoped the rumors would drag my reputation down further.
What was I doing while these rumors spread?
‘But it was such an easy game for me.’
A total of sixty years of time.
Especially the weaknesses, flaws, and incidents I had discovered in previous iterations. All masterpieces.
It was no fun when the administrator intervened and wielded the game.
My rivals kept climbing higher and higher.
When the Matriarch—my rivals—looked down on me as beneath even trampling to death.
What if they felt what it was like to be crushed by an ant?
‘This is exactly the kind of thought Agenor would have. I hate to admit it, but we really are siblings….’
As an ordinary genius, I could never surpass the Matriarch.
So to become someone unexpected—no. Beyond expectations, I needed to be that person.
First, I had to kill their expectations.
“Misa, don’t call the carriage to the academy today.”
“Yes? Yes. Understood.”
Instead of the usual carriage to the academy, I summoned a different one and climbed aboard.
When I finally arrived at my destination, a pristine white building greeted me.
It was large and elegant, though not quite as grand as the Orca Family Estate.
A woman with snow-white hair rushed out from before it, as if she had just received word of my arrival.
Her expression was flustered and bewildered.
“…Good day, Noble Lady.”
It was Illia, the head of the White Dolphin family.
“My, the person who refused to meet with us for the past five years—what brings you here so suddenly?”
“Ah, if I’ve offended you, I apologize. But I simply didn’t wish to stand out.”
“…Rumors truly cannot be trusted, it seems.”
Illia remained unchanged from how I had seen her five years ago.
This itself was evidence that she possessed her own talents and strength.
Illia grew slightly tense and lowered her voice to ask.
“Is it possible that you’ve gained the ability to wield the power of water?”
I shook my head. I spoke clearly.
“No, but there’s hardly anyone who could challenge me and win.”
“….”
“Ilia Beluga. I’ve come to give you an answer.”
I smiled brightly, then slowly let the smile fade.
“When the Matriarch selects her successor, she will pass the position to the heir chosen by the majority among the eight primary houses.”
“More precisely, she will value the support of the eight chosen houses more than the support of perhaps ten branch houses.”
The words Illia had spoken five years ago echoed in my mind, reverberating softly.
“Does what you said five years ago still hold?”
“In any case, we intend to do our utmost to support Calypso going forward.”
“Of course.”
“The other seven houses that were supposedly chosen. You said you knew them all, right? Give me a hint.”
“….”
I grinned at the bewildered Matriarch of the Beluga house.
“Go ahead and be Matriarch.”
The time for holding my breath and waiting had passed.
Now was the time to act.
Wasn’t it?
I recalled the face of someone who would become my most formidable rival at this moment.
It was neither Agenor nor Bellus.
‘Lirivel.’
An entirely different name.

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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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