Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 151

151

People were still glued to the spectacle in the square.

Even I, while explaining things, couldn’t tear my gaze away.

“What we need to do is gather the ingredients during this commotion.”

“……Isn’t that precisely what I’m here for?”

Strong and beautiful. The sight was stimulating the senses of the Beastkin and would captivate anyone.

I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be in that position.

Because I’m a greedy Orca too.

On the other hand, I also felt a sense of pride in witnessing a scene I would never have seen in my previous life.

It was like exhibiting a masterpiece, which had been stored in a dark private warehouse and almost never saw the light of day, under the bright sunlight.

‘If Dad were a painting, he’d be a masterpiece.’

I struggled to look away.

Just then, a merchant who had delivered some goods was standing across from me, also staring blankly at the square.

콰아앙! [Sound of a loud crash]

I saw a Beastkin flying through the air, though I couldn’t tell who it was.

‘Some hothead rushed in without thinking.’

As expected, judging from the pedestrians’ chatter about the increased number of carnivorous Beastkin, I knew some hot-tempered fool would take Dad’s bait.

“It’s a weasel.”

“Can you really tell from that far away?”

“Are you blind?”

“……Dolphins don’t exactly have hawk-like vision.”

I chuckled. So, you’re showing off how smart you are, right now?

“Alright, smarty-pants, why don’t you hurry up and pay? That merchant’s hands are about to fall off.”

“Ah……!”

Levi hurriedly paid the merchant.

I was making a fuss, but the merchant was too busy watching the fight to properly count the money.

This person won’t stay in business for long.

Even in this situation, the merchant tilted his head, looking curious.

“You still look young, but you’re buying herbs that aren’t commonly used.”

“They’re not for me, but an errand for my master.”

“Is that so? He must be quite the learned herbalist. Actually, it’s no exaggeration to say that the largest market for medicinal herbs is our Dragon City.”

“That’s right. I heard that from my master too. But then you must know a lot about herbs……?”

“Of course.”

“Where would one find red frog brains for sale?”

“……Is there an herbalist looking for that? Don’t tell me you’re a poison maker, not an herbalist?”

“No. You know that sometimes potent poisons can be excellent medicines, right?”

“……”

The merchant looked at me suspiciously.

“Ah, where were we?”

He couldn’t concentrate because of the loud sounds echoing from the square.

That’s exactly what we wanted.

Eventually, Levi got all the information he needed and asked one last question.

“Have you ever heard of the tail feathers of a bluebird?”

“Huh? Isn’t that an animal that went extinct 100 years ago? They were known as a material for miracle drugs back then. Now it’s a legendary ingredient, so why are you asking about that?”

“I was just curious since you seem so knowledgeable.”

“Ah, you can’t get that anymore. But who knows? Since it was rumored to bring good luck, it might still be left as a treasure in some noble family?”

After hearing this, we moved on.

After that, we secretly gathered the remaining ingredients while avoiding drawing attention.

‘It’s going smoother than I thought.’

I glanced at Levi.

It was all thanks to that resourceful dolphin.

His skill in pretending to be an herbalist’s disciple and gathering things without raising suspicion is truly an art.

“It seems like we should stop here for today. If we buy more, we’ll stand out, no matter how much Pierre draws attention.”

“Alright.”

Levi and I changed our location.

In the meantime, the rumors spread like wildfire.

While walking, I could feel the excitement and commotion surrounding the square incident.

‘Humans and Beastkin are the same when it comes to enjoying a good fight.’

Isn’t it said that the most interesting things in the world are watching fires, watching fights, and other people’s love affairs?

At that moment, I encountered someone at the market entrance.

A man with dark reddish-brown hair and eyes.

“……I see you, young lady.”

Drex, the moray eel Beastkin that Ilia sent.

In nature, moray eels wait patiently for prey and snatch it when it appears nearby.

Inheriting these traits, they possess the special ability to explore and detect their surroundings.

“There’s no need to greet me individually.”

“……Yes.”

He seemed to be silently doing his job, but his expression was somewhat blank.

“Do you have a reason for staring at me like that?”

“No, I was just wondering if a moray eel is considered a top predator among aquatic creatures? I heard you guys even chew up sharks.”

“That’s an exaggeration.”

In the previous rounds, the moray eels had sided with Lilibel. I remembered that they were very difficult opponents to deal with.

Stealth was useless against them, and they were ridiculously strong.

‘Ilia is resourceful. To bring these guys in.’

“Did you meet the target quantity?”

“Yes. And……”

The moray eel Beastkin spoke slowly.

“I also asked about the ‘ivory of the white elephant’ that you mentioned, but everyone laughed, saying I was looking for materials from a fantasy……”

“Is that so?”

“Shall I keep asking?”

“Um, for now, just keep an eye on the other party. Just enough not to be obvious.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Then let’s go back.”

I didn’t expect to get so much done on the first try.

It was more of a test run to examine the effectiveness of the operation and the market, but it achieved results beyond my expectations.

“Since I can’t come out with you starting tomorrow, make your own judgments. Everything should be done without getting caught. Do you understand?”

“Yes……”

“Yes, I understand.”

* * *

When I returned to the room, I didn’t use the door.

Because I entered through the window with the help of Atlan, who was already waiting.

‘Fortunately, this room isn’t too high up.’

Thinking this, I entered the room, and someone ran towards me.

“Calypso……!”

It was Ekion. I naturally hugged the boy in my arms and looked around the living room.

Hmm?

“Did you guys fight?”

That’s because Ekion and Whale’s condition wasn’t good.

Whale shook his head with a stoic expression.

“No, we had some friendly bonding time.”

“……What kind of friendly bonding time leaves your clothes wrinkled like that?”

“Isn’t this how kids grow up? Levi said so.”

“Ah. Did you think I would say that?”

How ridiculous. It was a clumsy attempt to hide the truth.

I frowned and stared at Ekion.

“Ekion, tell me honestly. Did you bully Whale?”

Ekion, who possesses the power of a dragon, and Whale, the only white whale Beastkin, whose specialty is healing.

Ekion shook his head.

“He said he wanted to explore me.”

“Explore? Ah, diagnose?”

“That’s right.”

Whale nodded. Ekion quickly continued, in a hurried tone, as if to explain.

“I don’t do things that Calypso hates. I hate it, but…… that’s necessary for Calypso.”

That title is a bit awkward…… I think this is the first time I’ve heard Ekion speak well of someone other than me and Dad.

“It’s not that, it’s Whale.”

“……Whale.”

“Whale, I’ll ask you too. Did nothing really happen?”

“Nothing happened. I was just curious about how my power interacts with the power of the dragon.”

“Ekion wouldn’t have needed to be healed, would he?”

“Are you sure he wouldn’t?”

“What?”

What is he talking about? I blinked.

“You said you came here to find someone important, right?”

“So?”

“I think you need to find that person quickly.”

“……Why?”

“Because his vital energy is being consumed. In simple terms, it’s his life force.”

I paused. I had always assumed that Ekion’s frequent sleeping was related to his abilities.

Or simply due to growth.

In fact, he had grown taller after sleeping soundly.

“He must have had a mutually complementary existence. It would have been okay to be apart for a while, but…… now he’s reaching his limit.”

“……You mean I have to bring him back quickly?”

“Maybe.”

I got goosebumps. The time I promised with Tus was actually the year I turned ten.

According to Whale, arriving two years early was the right decision.

I stroked my chest.

“I’ll go get him soon.”

Whale looked a little relieved at my answer. I was reminded again that the white whale is a very kind being.

Clearly, the subtle tension between the two boys that I sensed in the carriage was more about Ekion openly expressing his dissatisfaction.

Whale was still worried about Ekion’s condition even in this situation.

“And by the way, there’s one more thing.”

“One more thing?”

“The flow of power that child has is unstable.”

Whale cited Dad, whom he had diagnosed a while ago, as an example.

Usually, those with strong power have a feeling that it flows at a constant speed in some form, like a river.

“His power is like magma. You know about volcanic eruptions, right?”

“I know.”

“Right. The characteristic of magma is that it’s boiling and you don’t know when it will explode.”

“……”

As I listened, something clicked in my mind. As I waited without saying anything, Whale continued.

“If you leave him like this, he’ll explode……? To put it more simply, he’ll ‘berserk’.”