Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 122

122

“Didn’t you say you liked guys who were good at cooking?”

I remember tilting my head at Dad’s question.

“Huh? Yeah, I did. It’s not bad to be self-sufficient, right?”

“Where?”

“For survival.”

“……That’s a good attitude.”

Dad seemed pleased with my answer for some reason.

I don’t know where he got so impressed with the ‘good for survival’ part.

He even said this to Ekion, as if bestowing a favor.

“Just remember that he’s on his 30th cookbook. Ignore everything else.”

Four days had passed since I talked to Ekion about the power of water.

During that time, Agenor, and even Atlan, suddenly showed up at Dad’s place, saying they wanted to visit.

‘Those Lugaruba guys are trying to copy me.’

These days, I just bundled up all the guys who came to see me and handed them over to Dad.

It was as comforting as taking a digestive [something to aid digestion].

‘This is why kids need to exercise.’

After entrusting the kids to Dad’s capable kindergarten(?), I came to see Ilia today.

“The children would have loved it, but Rova and I happened to be away, so they’ll be disappointed.”

“……They see each other enough at the educational institution every day.”

Ilia, with a solemn expression despite her typically cute beluga face, smiled politely at me.

“I heard you recruited Atlan.”

“The rumors sure spread fast.”

“It’s Calypso’s rumor, so even more so. In many ways, you’re standing on a hot stove [in a dangerous or precarious situation].”

“A fish dies when it stands on a stove.”

“……Sometimes, Calypso, you enjoy jokes that people older than me would like.”

Wasn’t it funny? It was a carefully crafted gag.

It’s all because of that guy who seriously said it was funny.

“Why? It’s funny. What happens when an almond dies? They get ground into almond flour.”

“Master, I’m going to kill that bastard and return to the sea!”

“He’s been like that for 30 minutes!”

“Why? It’s funny.”

“…….”

My strategist, the dolphin.

I erased the boisterous memories and looked at Ilia.

“Thanks for the hint about the Herring family.”

Ilia smiled wryly.

“Can that even be called a hint, since it didn’t end up helping?”

“Well……”

“I never imagined you would have already joined hands with the Herring family.”

I shrugged.

“The early fish gets the worm.”

Then I sipped my tea.

It seems they gave me sweet tea because I’m a kid, but if they think I’ll like it just because of that…….

“Give me another cup.”

“Yes.”

Excellent choice.

I took the refilled cup and sighed.

“Anything going on with the Belugas?”

“We’re always the same as usual.”

Ilia rested her hand on her chin, seeming to ponder, then said lightly.

“To be honest, now that Baian is gone, no one really bothers us, so it’s peaceful.”

“Baian bothered you?”

It was not an unfamiliar story.

“Ah, yes. It’s quite an old story from when Baian was young, but we once protected a clownfish that he was trying to take away.”

It was a reckless thing to do.

Back then, Baian was running rampant.

And everyone would have condoned his violence.

“Was there a conflict back then?”

“Yes. At the time, my partner, Rova, clashed with the killer whale warriors who were escorting Baian. He was badly injured, but… he survived.”

Ilia wore a briefly chilling expression before returning to the face I knew.

“That’s the situation. There was a bit of harassment afterward, but it wasn’t enough to bother you.”

“……Sorry to hear that. If I had known, I would have taken care of that bastard sooner.”

“No, it’s okay. I was a little disappointed that you neglected your vassal [a subordinate or dependent] for five years, though.”

I chuckled.

“I wondered who Lugaruba got his eloquence from, but it’s you, Ilia?”

“Our kids do have cute tongues, don’t they?”

The way she subtly expressed her disappointment without making the other person feel bad was exactly the same as her child.

“Yeah, so, about the story we were talking about… How many of the eight families that Grandma gathered aren’t killer whales?”

Ilia immediately fell silent.

Instead, Ilia tapped the table a certain number of times.

I nodded.

……It’s a strange thing. Why did that grandmother give voting rights to weak families like the Herring family?

Especially for such an important matter as deciding the next family head.

‘If it were the grandmother I know, she would never have done that.’

She only looked at power, ignoring things like personality.

That’s why when I returned to the family in the previous timeline, the family was a mess.

The image of the family, no different from a zoo, was vivid.

‘But, six out of the eight families aren’t killer whales.’

I pondered the hint that Ilia had subtly given me using her fingers.

“Is there something you’re worried about?”

Ilia opened her mouth, perhaps understanding my worries as a lack of hints.

“I can give you more hints if you’d like.”

“Yeah, I’d appreciate it. But more than that……”

I clasped my hands together.

“I came to ask you one thing today. You told me before, right?”

“Yes. Tell me your command.”

“To introduce me to a dolphin.”

“We’re close to the Dolphin family, so we’re planning to arrange a meeting with them. Would that be alright?”

This time, the target is the dolphin.

And this guy is.

‘He’s also related to Dad’s treatment.’

Now, one by one, the blueprint is being realized.

I’ll see you again.

It was time to see my right-hand man from the 3rd timeline.

……Or so I thought for a moment.

“Um, Calypso. I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible.”

My plan hit a wall from the start.

“All those dolphins packed their bags and went back to their hometown. Except for one person.”

* * *

“Is something bothering you?”

I groaned and raised my head.

Dad was standing there in comfortable clothes.

“Oh, it’s already evening.”

When did it get so late?

I remember constantly worrying after visiting Ilia…….

I don’t know when I lay down, but to my left, I saw Ekion, who had fallen asleep, using my leg as a pillow.

I smiled softly and stroked Ekion’s hair.

“It’s best not to get too attached.”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you going to send him back to his hometown?”

That’s right.

“That’s true, but it’s not like I’ll never see him again, right?”

Dad sat down in the empty seat on the right. In Dad’s hand was a small toy.

It was the one I gave to Ekion, and it seemed he had picked it up from the floor.

I sometimes saw Dad cleaning up himself, and every time, I was reminded of the story about ‘Clean Pierre’ that I had heard from my former subordinate.

“So, what’s bothering you?”

Um, why is he just glossing over the words?

I frowned slightly but answered.

“Dad. Let’s say someone suddenly leaves the place where they’ve built their life and returns to their hometown.”

“Okay.”

“Then why do they usually leave so suddenly?”

“Are you talking about moving? In general…… they’re tired of the place they lived, or there’s a reason they can’t live there anymore and they’re forced to leave. Isn’t it one of the two?”

“Yeah, that’s right, isn’t it?”

The dolphins all went back to their hometown.

‘The problem is that I definitely need one of them.’

After cleanly giving up on this good method of awakening the power of water through Ekion, I came up with another method.

It was to reuse the method I was able to awaken in the 3rd timeline.

That is, using the treasure ‘Linnaeus’.

However, there was a problem.

‘It’s too far.’

Even back then, it was a place I arrived at after wandering for several years after escaping from home.

Now I can take a carriage, but it’s still far. Besides.

‘I need help to get there easily.’

That’s probably the dolphins’ territory, right?

“I know that the remaining dolphin will also be leaving soon, and he’s packing his bags.”

“That can’t happen!”

I broke out in a cold sweat at Ilia’s words, which gave me the feeling that I would miss him if I didn’t move now.

After much deliberation, I raised my head.

“I guess it’s better to ask directly?”

“Whose story are you talking about?”

“My ex-lover.”

The toy that Dad was lightly playing with fell to the floor.

“……Didn’t you meet me when you were three years old?”

“Yeah.”

“So, you had a lover back then? Is that a joke?”

“Ah, of course, it’s a joke.”

I stuck out my tongue and shrugged. Then I realized that Ekion might wake up and felt bad.

“……A friend who was so close that they seemed like a lover?”

Um. You could say we were close.

After all, he was my right-hand man in the 3rd timeline, so we were really together day and night.

Of course, because of work.

“Please let me off work.”

“Do it. If you want to see me die from overwork tomorrow morning.”

“……Damn it. I won’t get involved with the head of the family in my next life.”

“I won’t let you go.”

“Why don’t you make a lover and do that obsession to him?”

“Oh, sorry. I like your cooking. Want to live in my house?”

“That’s why other guys misunderstand!”

Seeing us sticking together so disgustingly, the other subordinates often suspected.

Of course, I joked around because I found it funny to see him jumping around.

“……Quite a wide foot for a three-year-old [someone who is very experienced or worldly for their age].”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Whoever it is, I’d be surprised if a three-year-old had a friend like a lover.”

Dad’s face turned cold.

“I’m curious to know who that guy is.”

Dad whispered softly.

“And his face, too.”