Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 150

150. The Orca Father

15 minutes prior.

The central market street, the largest market in the City of Dragons, was bustling as always.

Midday was an especially crowded time.

It was the time when merchants who had arrived in the morning finished setting up their displays and were promoting their specialty products.

“What’s with all the wild beasts roaming around these days?”

The grumbling one was a merchant who had just arrived that day.

“Don’t you know? It’s been happening for the past few years. More and more beastmen are gathering in this city.”

“Ugh, it makes an omnivore like me feel uneasy. Kwehk!”

The merchant who sneezed, “Kwehk!” was a roe deer beastman.

“Hey, I told you not to sneeze on me! And don’t go around advertising that you’re a roe deer!”

“Why not? It’s our characteristic!”

The roe deer beastman grumbled, but still rubbed his arm.

Instinctively, his body shrank back.

“I don’t know how many glares I got just coming here.”

“They probably don’t even know they’re glaring. Their eyes are just so… fierce, aren’t they?”

“I don’t know, is this a city of beasts or a city of dragons?”

Carnivorous beastmen don’t actually eat herbivorous beastmen.

But they couldn’t help but instinctively fear predators.

Besides, carnivorous animals were generally violent and enjoyed fighting, and they weren’t good at hiding these traits.

“Why are they gathering anyway? A merchant like me who comes intermittently needs to know.”

The roe deer merchant was talking to a beastman who had lived in the City of Dragons for three generations. He was also his trading partner.

“You know that Lord Dragon has been unwell for several years, right?”

“Yes.”

“His illness is so severe that the Imperial Family is worried and keeps sending escorts. It’s a strange thing.”

No matter how ill he was, why would a dragon need an escort?

Even for an ordinary resident, something incomprehensible was happening in this city. It felt unsettling.

“Fights have increased so much in the city. The security forces are having a hard time.”

“Why?”

“Why do you ask? You know carnivorous beastmen are nobles, right? The ones fighting are all nobles….”

Because of this, all the herbivorous and omnivorous beastmen living in the City of Dragons couldn’t stand tall [couldn’t assert themselves or feel confident].

“Rumors are spreading that the Dragon’s bride has arrived, so I wonder how many more people will flock here.”

“More beasts gathering… Ugh, that’s terrible.”

During festivals and special events, the City of Dragons temporarily hired knights from beast families as security forces, like mercenaries.

In fact, some families with lower titles made a business out of this.

In any case, the fact that even more beasts were expected to gather on top of the already gathering beasts sent chills down their spines.

“I hope Lord Dragon recovers quickly. If he were healthy, no one would dare to move.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

The two beastmen talking were elderly, and they had seen the previous Lord Dragon long ago.

Everyone knew, believed in, respected, and trusted the Dragon Lord’s strength.

Sometimes, they missed those days.

“…Ugh, it can’t be helped since the young Dragon Lord is still recovering. But I wish someone would come out and do something about this fierce atmosphere… It’s scary to even go to the market.”

The merchant who had been chatting with the roe deer merchant was a raccoon beastman.

“This place is a mess. I hear someone picking a fight every minute.”

As if to prove his words, one side of the market soon became noisy.

“Hey, you bastard, you were glaring at me, weren’t you?”

“No, no! I wasn’t!”

Crash, bang. At the sound of something falling, the raccoon beastman shook his head.

“Oh dear. Isn’t that the sparrow’s stall this time?”

“Tsk, too bad.”

Fights were too common, and the bullying of the weak by the strong under the guise of fighting was even more frequent.

Before they knew it, a cow beastman who had been complaining that he was going to choke on his grass, appeared in the market square.

The market square was circular, with a huge plaza with a statue in the center.

However, the center with the statue was quite deserted.

This was because the market was formed away from the statue.

However, the structure allowed everyone passing through the market or the merchants to see the statue.

Therefore, there was no one who couldn’t see the person walking towards the statue.

Moreover, if the person walking was so handsome that even from a considerable distance, eyes widened.

“Goodness, how can a human look like that?”

“A beast, a beast.”

If they’re handsome, they’re beasts. Beastmen maintained their beauty the stronger they were.

“Tsk tsk. Which family’s young master is that this time?”

“But… was there a beastman who looked like that? I’ve never seen him before….”

The cow beastman stopped chewing on his thistle.

“W-wait a minute. I… I know a beastman who looks like that… Isn’t he an orca?”

Land animal beastmen ridiculed and looked down on aquatic animal beastmen without exception.

There was an exception.

The orcas, who could be called the strongest among them.

“…What. Why is an orca here?”

“Ah, I heard the Dragon’s bride is coming from the Water City….”

“Was it an orca?!”

As the merchants whispered, more attention was drawn.

The man who came to the empty square soon slowly looked around.

“Everyone, listen carefully.”

He had only said it casually, but strangely, it was clearly heard.

Few in this place realized that this was the ability of ‘the power of water,’ unique to them.

Except for a few beasts.

The man loosened his neck, moving his head back and forth.

Soon, he lifted his leg.

Kwaaaang!

At that moment, a huge sound that shook the earth rang out, and cracks spread across the ground like a spider web.

Beastmen barely managed to keep their balance on the shaking ground, screamed, or fell.

“W-what is it!”

And the man who stood firm, Pierre, looked at the cracks he had made before pulling out a sword he held in his other hand.

The sword spun around in his hand before being planted straight into the ground.

Not as much as when he stomped the ground with his foot.

“My name is Pierre Aquasidel. I am the chief in charge of this Dragon’s bride procession.”

A cold and detached voice fell like a declaration to everyone gathered in the square.

“I hereby declare a challenge.”

Pierre scanned the silent crowd.

“My daughter has been chosen as the Dragon’s bride this time. And I don’t particularly like the dragon whelp [young dragon].”

Everyone gasped at the extremely rude title.

A dragon, what did he say?

How dare he call our Dragon Lord that…!

However, no one could move due to the immense power that swept through the square and the unknown pressure.

“Dragon who wants to take my daughter, you must be stronger than me.”

His gritted voice was filled with personal feelings, but no one here noticed.

“Come out and fight me.”

Crazy, the current Dragon Lord was still young.

What is that orca doing, challenging the young Lord?!

“It won’t take an hour for this news to spread.”

Just as the beastmen who had regained their senses were starting to emerge one by one, Pierre’s next words burst out.

“If the dragon doesn’t come out, anyone who follows the dragon is fine.”

It was a provocation.

“Ah, all you do is act tough and bully those weaker than you.”

A sneer touched his cold voice.

“Yeah. You reek of dragon. Even if you landlubbers [people unfamiliar with the sea or seamanship] come at me as proxies, I’ll gladly take you on.”

Words that no beast, no land animal beast, could ignore.

His arrogant voice even felt bored.

“Come at me.”

* * *

“Keuh, good, very good. I should have played that role.”

I clapped inwardly while keeping my eyes fixed on the center of the square with sparkling eyes.

I also didn’t forget to mutter very quietly.

Ah, I’m so sad I couldn’t do that!

I’m confident I could do really well if you gave me something like that!

‘Why am I the bride!’

Of course, that was something I had asked my dad to do, and something I couldn’t do.

As I was watching with great interest, I felt a piercing gaze from the side.

It was Levi, who was buying herbs next to me.

What is this guy doing? Why isn’t he buying herbs quickly?

‘He should quickly buy as many different things as possible while he’s gathering attention.’

Just then, the merchant left to bring more from inside. I frowned as if I had been waiting.

“Isn’t it not time to look at me? Aren’t you working?”

When I clicked my tongue, Levi frowned as if he was dumbfounded and asked.

“Calypso, by any chance, is that… your script?”

“Yeah, so?”

I nodded.

“Isn’t it cool?”

Levi’s face contorted. For a moment, the face from the previous episode seemed to overlap.

That’s the face he makes when he’s going to object.

“What, if you have something to say, say it. Don’t make a face like you’re chewing on goldfish poop.”

“G-goldfish… Can I speak honestly?”

“Yeah. Go ahead.”

“The lines are really bad. Completely.”

Why is he picking a fight? I stopped watching my dad and slightly raised my eyebrows.

“Provocation is originally more effective the more childish it is, you know?”

I flared up. How hard did I work on that script last night?

However, Levi didn’t erase his expression that it was bad.

“It’s not sophisticated.”

“The stupid land beast bastards can’t understand if you speak smartly, you know?”

“What does it matter? If they’re nobles, they’ll have heads [attendants] to interpret for them by their side.”

“Then the provocation effect decreases.”

Levi paused at my calm voice.

“Don’t you get it? That role is about buying as much anger and resentment as possible.”

“…It might be too much.”

I smiled brightly.

“The more, the better.”