Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 50

50. The Mastermind Orca Baby

Calypso took it in stride.

Bellus had been like that in previous iterations too.

She could certainly tell.

It seemed her dear brothers were devoid of any familial affection.

‘I need to fix that guy’s personality before I leave this mansion.’

That vicious mouth was the same as in previous iterations.

Moreover, Bellus was the one who wouldn’t yield until the very end among the three brothers.

He was the brother who knelt and pledged allegiance only after a fierce battle.

‘Ugh, he was the most troublesome opponent.’

Calypso shook her head, recalling the previous iterations.

Judging from the occasional laughter of the grandmother, it seemed that guy had already made a good impression on the head of the family.

‘Ugh, look at him suppressing his temper and wagging his fins.’

Actually, there was a reason I headed towards Bellus.

During the break, Father’s gaze began to fixate strongly on me, and I wasn’t ready to face him yet.

No, rather than not being ready, I needed time to digest the situation a little.

Besides, I was also bothered by the retainers and the gray-haired orca branch families who were loitering around.

‘They look like they want to talk to me.’

It was a familiar sight to me.

I had seen it enough during my time as the head of the family in the previous iterations.

What was strange was that Illia didn’t return to her seat even during the break.

She had a deeply thoughtful expression, so I didn’t speak to her separately.

Her husband, Lova, simply smiled when he made eye contact with me.

“Agenor.”

“Huh? Huh? Wow, look at them, little sister. They’re from the ‘Koir’ family, and they’re staring at us intently. I think they want to talk to us. Ah, they are among the higher-ranking branch families….”

“I know, they’re a pretty high-ranking family among the branches, right?”

“You know? You know this too?”

Agenor’s eyes became even more sparkling and intense at the same time.

Ugh, why is this third brother of mine getting more obsessed with eyes as time goes on?

“More than that, there’s something I’m curious about.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Where’s Atlan?”

I looked for him during the break, but.

Atlan, the second brother, was still nowhere to be seen in the first row.

It was strange.

Absence would be as good as getting on Grandma’s bad side, wouldn’t it?

“Huh? Where else would he be, he’s right there.”

But he wasn’t visible in any of the seats he might sit in.

Soon, Agenor innocently pointed to one place.

It was the third tier.

There, a boy was just waking up.

Black hair, the color of the orca direct line, and white spots stood out.

The filthy, fierce eyes held sleepiness.

Below that, blinking red eyes.

It was definitely Atlan.

‘What, why is he sitting there?’

If it was as I knew, there was no way that guy would be sitting in that seat.

“No way……. Why is he there?”

Atlan was the most competitive and ambitious of the three brothers.

In particular, he was more enthusiastic than anyone else in the competition to win, the competition to become the head of the family.

And that guy is in that seat right now?

He would never sit there with his pride?

“Ah. The seat? Well, it wasn’t there from the beginning. What good is ability? He fell asleep during the meeting and got on Grandma’s bad side.”

……What? Is this some kind of orca vegetarian story? [Referring to a situation where an orca, a predator, is behaving passively or unexpectedly.]

I was full of questions, but there was no time to ask more, and the meeting resumed.

And I couldn’t concentrate on the meeting right away.

“Respected Head of the Family. Before starting the agenda, may this humble vassal cautiously say a word?”

At the same time as the meeting restarted, Illia, who had been lost in thought until now, raised her hand from her seat.

It was the moment Grandma shouted to start the meeting.

“What is it?”

Grandma responded, showing a displeased expression.

……That’s strange.

Grandma is subtly lenient towards the white dolphin head of the family.

‘I wasn’t mistaken.’

Illia had already greeted and left long before the break was over.

I don’t know what she was thinking so much, but she left a greeting to me, saying, ‘Let’s meet again.’

‘Actually, I thought she was angry because she didn’t like the punishment.’

Honestly, if a child gets beaten up, would any parent be satisfied with whatever punishment the perpetrator receives?

Besides, Lugaluga’s parents seemed like parents who loved their children very much.

“Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity, and I also offer my apologies for causing trouble to the sacred meeting.”

“Enough with the fuss, just say what you have to say.”

“Yes, Head of the Family.”

Illia bowed with precision and then slightly turned her head.

Why is she looking at me?

“The Head of the Family bestowed grace upon me and my partner, and the White Dolphin family a long time ago, and said this.”

“…….”

“Just once, I will respect your choice, she said.”

Choice? I blinked.

I glanced at Agenor, but he shook his head.

I looked at Father again, but he was the same as always.

Rather, he gave me a fleeting glance and briefly rebuked me.

“Concentrate.”

“……Does Father know what’s going to come out now?”

Then, a blue gaze stared at me.

“A ‘choice’ that the head of the family gives to a vassal. Does nothing come to mind?”

“Ah, could it be?”

Could it be…….

Almost simultaneously with my surprised expression, Illia’s words were heard.

“We are going to choose. The Beluga family, led by me, will follow… the Calypso Aquasiadel Princess over there.”

In fact, being formally recognized as a direct line in this family meeting naturally means that you are also named in the succession competition.

Of course, not everyone can become the head of the family, so in the end, only the top successors compete fiercely.

The rest are just named in the succession competition.

As they go further back, the direct lines also tend to serve each successor they choose as their master.

Like my brothers, who finally succumbed and swore allegiance in the previous iterations.

“We support her as the successor.”

There was such a thing as a family publicly supporting another family in a family meeting like this.

It was also a sight I had seen when I returned to the family in the previous iteration.

“I, the head of the dolphins, representing all of our dolphin families, support Calypso as the successor.”

If I were to pick the closest subordinate to me in the 3rd iteration.

I would have to mention one beastman who was my strategist, my right-hand butler, and sometimes even served as a servant.

A dolphin beastman. I didn’t know I would hear the lines that guy said again.

Even this time, from the White Dolphin family.

……It felt like life was being confronted.

“Hoo, since I have said it directly, I have no intention of questioning it.”

Grandma stroked her chin, having relieved her displeasure.

Her wrinkled face smiled slightly.

“To follow a baby orca who has just been recognized today and whose blood hasn’t even dried yet? You won’t regret your decision, will you?”

Unlike her smiling face, her voice was stern.

As if warning that it was irreversible.

Illia smiled brightly with her cute face.

“We are a family that lives by its head, so how can we not make a calculation? Respected Head of the Family.”

Grandma laughed coolly and accepted.

No, when I think about it, it was quite a wonderful sight.

‘But, the problem is!’

I was only three years old!

‘What on earth are they talking about.’

Far from being happy, I was just dumbfounded.

The reason for this bewildered feeling.

‘……I’m not going to be the head of the family?’

Right in front of my eyes, they grabbed a string that had come loose, no.

It was because they grabbed a stock that was scheduled to be delisted [referring to a failing investment].

* * *

The meeting ended.

‘Crazy, I don’t even remember how it ended.’

The remaining agenda had nothing to do with me, so I listened with one ear and let it out with the other.

Only the words spoken by Illia, the head of the White Dolphin family, were being replayed in my head.

I tried to tear my hair out, but barely managed to resist as I became aware of the gazes focused on me.

“The meeting is adjourned.”

When the meeting ended like that, Grandma left without regret.

Behind her, the orcas, especially Baiyan’s parents, hurriedly chased after her.

In particular, it was quite a sight to see my uncle rushing after her like a live fish that had been electrocuted.

Even Baiyan glared at me and then chased after her father.

Among Baiyan’s family, only one small girl remained.

She was probably younger than Bellus, and maybe similar to Atlan.

I recognized her earlier, but the pretty orca girl turned her head as soon as our eyes met and calmly followed her parents.

Next, I felt the gazes of my uncle and my uncle’s son, Sorthe, but it was only for a moment.

“Let’s go back.”

I would have forgotten for a moment if Father hadn’t said it.

Ah, if I go back like this, I’m going to Father’s residence.

Yuck.

It’s written on Father’s face like this.

‘We have a lot to talk about, right?’