Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 115

I stared blankly at the narwhal. His name was Levin, I think.

“Rejected.”

Levin was startled by my merciless answer. His horn-like hair seemed to bristle.

“Ah! Why? Why?”

“Why? Because you asked for help, so I just need to answer yes or no, right?”

“That’s, right…? But.”

He was a former subordinate’s younger brother, but I had no intention of recruiting him right now, and upon closer inspection, he didn’t seem to need much help.

‘I thought Atlan might be hitting him, but it doesn’t seem like it.’

He looked perfectly fine on the outside.

“Just kidding. So, what do you need help with?”

I answered firmly, but it was a matter of attitude; I was willing to listen, so instead of moving, I tilted my head.

‘Let’s hear what he needs help with.’

Of course, I had no intention of actually helping, but I was curious.

No, if it’s really serious, I might consider it.

Since it was a story related to Atlan, I couldn’t really guess what it was.

Fight, rest, fight, rest again.

That was his routine, and he had lived so simply that I couldn’t figure out what was going on.

‘Still, he has friends and is amazing this life, huh?’

In a way, I felt proud.

Because in the previous iteration, Atlan was truly a lone wolf, a loner in the truest sense of the word.

“Hey, Second, don’t you have anyone to talk to besides me?”

“Huh? Why would I need someone?”

A fierce guy who barely spoke unless it was about battle.

For the Second, in this life, to have a friend who thinks of him and steps up.

‘You don’t remember, but you’re keeping your promise, huh?’

Suddenly, I remembered the moment when Agenor asked why I wasn’t sincerely recruiting Atlan.

To be honest, considering the conflict with Lilibel and the fact that he was living a normal life, I didn’t want to bring him in.

And…

I stopped myself from thinking further.

It was something I hadn’t even thought about when talking to Agenor.

I didn’t want to think about it.

Because to think about it, I would have to remember Atlan’s death as well.

“That’s… Atlan.”

“Atlan?”

“He’s not taking the exam!”

I had been thinking seriously, but I felt deflated.

“…Isn’t he not the type to take exams?”

“No, but he’s at least someone who follows the minimum rules. The problem isn’t that.”

Levin grabbed his hair tightly in front of me.

“We have a group project this time… and he’s not showing up, so we can’t proceed!”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“I’m the leader of the group project!”

“…Oh, good luck.”

Group projects are, by nature, the greatest challenge on earth, where you realize how foolish and uncooperative humans are and contemplate how to effectively use these animals.

I guess there’s something like that when you go up a grade. I just found out.

Well, it’s my first time going through intermediate institutions, so I couldn’t help it.

‘I need to beat up those freeloaders. I’ll fix those rude guys with my fists…’

Free-riding is enough on Earth.

Even as I secretly vowed, feeling a surge of anger just thinking about it, I stared at Levin with pity.

It’s a shame, but since he’s saying that guy is a freeloader, what can I do?

“The problem is that my promotion depends on this group project, and I absolutely have to get promoted.”

“Oh dear, heavens.”

“…Junior. I’m sorry, but could you put a little soul into it?”

“Oh dear!”

“Just putting exclamation marks isn’t enough!”

“Okay, I got it. I’ll listen attentively, so keep talking.”

Somehow, this narwhal looked like he was about to cry, so I patted him and said.

Still, maybe because he was a former subordinate’s younger brother, I felt closer to him than others.

“No, Atlan at least pretended to listen to me in other assignments…”

“Um, I’m sorry too, but pretending to listen means he didn’t listen at all, right?”

Levin made a tearful face.

“Sniff, but he showed up three times if I begged him ten times!”

“Oh… He’s a real friend, huh.”

Atlan, that guy, listening to someone else? And not even someone stronger than him?

“What are you talking about? Anyway, as soon as the autonomous classes end these days, we absolutely! have to do the assignment, but he’s not coming because he’s following you around!”

I thought of Atlan, who was stalking me like a stalker.

Followed by the glaring gaze that came to mind.

“Like I said, I have to get promoted this time. That’s the only way my family will accept me. Please, just help me once!”

“What exactly do you want me to help with?”

“The reason Atlan is doing this is because he wants to fight you, right? Please, just fight him once!”

I listened to that and pondered.

There were many things to consider in those words.

‘His family will accept him? Narwhals aren’t like orcas, who discard you if you’re useless, right?’

So why is he talking about his family accepting him or not?

Well, this must be a personal matter, so let’s put it aside.

Let’s first consider the pros and cons.

Narwhals’ specialty is, uniquely, invention.

Their specialty, stemming from their reclusive nature, was also very helpful in wars.

And it was a specialty that I needed in this life as well.

“That’s perfect. It aligns with my purpose.”

“Purpose?”

“Yeah.”

I looked around.

Sure enough, speak of the orca, and he arrives. Atlan was coming this way, striding and fuming.

I subtly pointed at Atlan with my finger.

“I was going to settle things with that guy anyway.”

“Ah…!”

“Because it’s a nuisance to many people.”

“…”

“What’s with that expression?”

“No, um… I just never thought I’d hear the word ‘nuisance’ from an orca.”

Levin scratched his cheek.

“I’ve heard you tell other whales or aquatic beings that you’re a nuisance to the ecosystem, but…”

“Were you perhaps… bullied by Atlan?”

“Huh?”

“Does that bastard hit you? Is he just a friend in name only?”

I asked with a serious expression.

I felt like the parent of a perpetrator. What if it’s true…?

What kind of compensation would he want? No, should I let him hit him the same way until he feels relieved? My head became complicated.

“No, no! It’s the opposite. I received help!”

“Really…?”

As I suspiciously looked back and forth between Levin and Atlan, who was approaching, with a ‘that guy?’ face, Levin laughed heartily.

“Hahaha, you know Atlan’s personality well, huh? I thought you barely talked to him.”

“I don’t necessarily have to talk to him to hear rumors.”

“That’s right, it wasn’t a righteous situation or reason like you think, Junior.”

It turned out that Atlan was fighting someone who was ganging up on others, so Levin was naturally rescued.

“But help is help, so I’ve been friends with him since then.”

“…He thinks of you as a friend too, right?”

“Hahaha, maybe…?”

Why do you sound so unsure?

“But I also heard about you, Junior!”

“What did you hear?”

“Ah. About five years ago, the day your rumors spread like wildfire, I asked him. About your younger sister. I asked if he was curious.”

Five years ago would be when I first appeared at the family meeting. That’s when the rumors spread the most.

“So… Atlan said, ‘I don’t have a younger sister,’ right?”

“…”

I wasn’t particularly shocked. I just thought, ‘Oh well.’

‘His temper is still the same, huh.’

I was a little more disappointed than I thought, but I forgot about it. I didn’t look for him, so I thought this disappointment was unfair.

“Oh, you’re not disappointed?”

“If I don’t have expectations, I won’t be disappointed.”

The moment I said that, I heard a thumping sound.

Looking back, for some reason, I saw Atlan, who was still quite far away, fuming.

“Um, you know. Junior. I’m saying this because I don’t think he can hear us from this distance…”

“It seems like he can hear us.”

“Huh?”

“No. Go ahead.”

Unlike how he had been speaking quite cheerfully until now, Levin hesitated and spoke.

“I think you get along well with Agenor, so why don’t you talk to Atlan? I heard you’re close enough to go to the Dragon City with Velos…”

…Velos, that guy, followed me on his own accord. Where did those rumors come from?

“Even though Atlan is fierce… he never uses his fists against ordinary whales or weaklings like me.”

“I know.”

“…”

“I wouldn’t call that kind, but at least he’s not a despicable guy who punches the weak. I know that best.”

“…Then why haven’t you ever talked to Atlan? Even though he’s been following you so eagerly.”

I looked into Levin’s eyes.

“That’s what he wanted.”

A bitter taste rose in my mouth.

In fact, it wasn’t like I could always calmly recall the previous iterations.

No, I mostly recall them calmly, but there are some memories that are particularly difficult to do so.

In the last iteration, among my three older brothers, Atlan died the most tragically and pitifully.

And it was to save me.

“Hey, Head of the Family. If there’s a next life, I hope… you know… we don’t have wars or anything like that. No fighting either.”

“…What kind of nonsense is that? Are you sick? Did you hurt your head? I told you not to fight before important battles.”

“No, don’t curse?”

“Oh. You can understand curses now. Amazing.”

It was the conversation right before the final battle.

If I had known this would be our last conversation. I.

“No, just. It’s the last battle now. I’ve fought so much in this life… I was just thinking it might be nice to live a normal life in the next one.”

“Hey, there’s no way you’d do that.”

“What? I just wanted you to do that too, Head of the Family. I, I’ll do it too.”

“Okay, if there’s a next life, I won’t recruit you.”

“Ah, why!”

I would never have said it so lightly.

So, I’m just granting your wish to live a normal life.

No, actually, I’m just not confident enough to see you, who died so tragically.

Some deaths leave too big a scar.

“Okay, next time, in the next life, let’s both live peacefully.”

…I thought I would live in that life, in that life for a very long time. With you guys.

‘Ah, I ended up remembering something unnecessary.’

I frowned and said to Levin.

“It’s a mutual agreement.”

I know this is an excuse.

In the meantime, Atlan had arrived in front of me.

His shadow fell over me.

Instead of hiding behind the pillar like a shy snail as always, he came right in front of me today.

For some reason, his face seemed more filled with anger and resentment than usual, so I tilted my head.

“Hey, Second. I can hear you breathing. Move away a little.”

Only after calling him that did I realize that I had unknowingly called him familiarly like in the previous iteration [previous life].

Oops.

It was because I was thinking about my last conversation with that guy.

Ugh, even when I was talking to Velos, the title came out on its own.

The moment I was about to correct myself with a frown.

I instinctively met the eyes of Atlan, who had stepped back.

“Yeah. Second, that distance is just right for you, got it?”

Atlan stood on the exact line I had set.