Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 152

152

It was a familiar word. Moreover, it was a word I had experienced before.

Yet, far from being familiar, the chilling feeling that the two letters ‘Rampage’ evoked was immense.

It was the word that had ruined my third life, a life that had been on a successful path, in an instant, and destroyed the world.

I clenched and unclenched my hands.

I tried not to show how shaken I was. Because.

‘Eckion is listening, too.’

Besides, he had come to my side before I even noticed, unable to get as close as before and just grumbling.

He must have taken my words about whether anything really happened with Whale as a scolding.

‘Yeah, unlike Duke Yong back then, what could I possibly do with that little fry…’

I shook my head inwardly.

It is important to know about anything before it happens.

Preventing something before it happens is prevention, but once it happens, it becomes an incident and causes damage.

“…So, there’s a possibility of exploding?”

Whale nodded heavily.

“That’s right.”

No matter how much I looked at it, Eckion was clearly acting territorial or something towards Whale, but Whale didn’t show any reaction at all.

‘Rather, it seems like he helped Eckion.’

He has the kind of volunteer spirit that would have led him to join an NGO [Non-Governmental Organization] or Doctors Without Borders as a doctor if we were on Earth.

It wasn’t intentional, but Whale not only came under me but also seemed to follow me with all his heart.

‘Having someone like this roll into my life is a boon.’

Talented people should be valued.

I smiled brightly.

“Thank you for caring.”

I approached Whale and tapped him on the shoulder. Whale flinched and looked at me.

Hey, I just lightly praised you, you don’t have to back away as if something was on you, do you?

I tilted my head but spoke in a sincere tone.

“But don’t overdo it.”

“…Overdo it?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that diagnosis quite difficult?”

“…”

I remember Whale fainting after diagnosing Dad.

“I want you to save your strength.”

“…Why?”

“Because your strength will be used in many places in the future.”

“Are you saying you’ll exploit me?”

I shook my head.

“No, it’s the opposite. You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. If you want, you can just save Dad and one more person as promised with Levai and be done with it. You can use it only when you feel like it. Isn’t that good for you too?”

You can’t control people with coercion, fear, and violence alone.

This was why the Orca family was in chaos as soon as Grandma died.

It wasn’t the strong typhoon that stripped the traveler in Aesop’s fable [a short story that teaches a moral lesson], but the seemingly insignificant sunlight.

I may instill fear in someone when necessary, but that will only be directed at my enemies, not my subordinates.

I shrugged.

As if I had no ulterior motives.

“Now, you’re a precious person to me too.”

You too, Levai.

Whale had a blank expression.

Then, his pure white face briefly turned red, and he roughly rubbed his cheeks with the back of his hand.

The area under his indifferent, sharp eyes was red.

“Why, why do you say such things so directly?”

“Isn’t it because I don’t like beating around the bush?”

I leaned in and smiled brightly.

“Why, is it not good? Should I be gentle and accommodating next time?”

“Who, who asked you to do that? Just stay away.”

“You’re subtly prickly.”

I could sense the embarrassment hidden between his calm voice.

It seems he hasn’t received much praise for his abilities and talents.

He has the eyes of someone who grew up without being recognized.

‘It’s like seeing my subordinates from previous regressions.’

I recognize these people very well. Because I was in the same situation.

I stroked Whale’s head.

Whale’s face turned even redder, but he didn’t shake off my hand.

I turned my head.

“Eckion. Don’t just stand there, come here.”

Eckion, who had been lingering a little distance away, looked like he was about to cry, then quickly ran to me and clung to me.

He was holding my arm tightly.

It was a little funny because he was now a little taller than me, but the cuteness was greater.

‘I definitely feel like I’ve become a kindergarten teacher, which isn’t bad.’

I was relieved to think that the two of them would no longer fight secretly or openly behind my back.

“By the way, where did Lily go?”

However, the squirrel that I needed to see was nowhere to be found.

Whale and Eckion looked at each other once, and soon Eckion raised his finger.

“Here.”

Surprisingly, the place Eckion pointed to was his hat pocket.

“Huh?”

And at the same time as I gave a bewildered answer, a small squirrel popped its head out of Eckion’s hat.

…Why are you coming out from there?

Dad, and even that Atlantean bastard, seemed to have a firm belief that Eckion wouldn’t like Lily.

In fact, I was aware of that atmosphere.

So I tried to delay the meeting between Eckion and Lily as much as possible, or temporarily entrusted Lily to Whale…….

The baby squirrel looked at me with wide eyes and ran down Eckion’s body and flew to me.

For a moment, I thought it was a flying squirrel, not just a squirrel.

“Oh, be careful. You’ll get hurt.”

I received the baby squirrel in a daze and headed straight for the two of them.

“Why is she coming out of Eckion’s robe hat?”

“He, he likes her?”

“Whale, is he Lily and she Eckion?”

“Why are you asking again when you know?”

That’s because I can’t believe it. Looking at Eckion, he was hugging my arm as if he didn’t care what happened.

‘Was I being overly concerned?’

Whale had a slightly embarrassed face, explaining that he had tried his best to keep her with him as I had ordered.

But it was Lily who ran out as soon as she saw Eckion.

“Eckion, weren’t you bothered…?”

Eckion was someone who wouldn’t even talk to anyone else, let alone touch them, unless it was me.

Eckion tilted his head for a moment and then nodded.

“She and he. Needed by Calypso.”

I blinked.

‘…Does he know what he’s talking about?’

Eckion, who no longer guarded against or didn’t guard against Whale and Lily from the beginning.

Their specialties were ‘healing abilities’.

I was about to say something, but thinking that Lily was listening, I first hugged Lily tightly.

“Lily. Are you listening?”

She understands even when she’s an animal anyway. It’ll be okay.

“It’s time to go home now.”

Then Lily’s eyes widened.

In fact, the black panthers seemed to be desperately looking for Lily, so I was thinking of dragging it out a little longer.

But looking at her again, Lily was too young.

‘I don’t want to exploit the feeling of wanting to see her family.’

“There are your family members in this castle. Right? I’ll give you a chance to send you back.”

Of course, I couldn’t just send her back. There shouldn’t be any misunderstandings.

“Instead, I have a favor to ask. Don’t say that you came back to the castle thanks to us.”

“…”

“No, to be exact…”

I hesitated for a moment and then smiled brightly.

“Will you say these words when I need them?”

I thought Lily would nod happily. After all, wasn’t she going back to her family?

But why.

‘Why does she have that expression?’

Lily didn’t look happy at all.

Rather, she grabbed my sleeve and shook her small head hard. She was spinning around and grunting.

Soon, with a pop, a baby beastkin was hugging me tightly instead of the baby squirrel.

“Unnie!” [Korean term for older sister]

I didn’t know why, but I patted her to calm her down.

Why is she doing this?

“Unnie, don’t abandon me…”

“Huh? Abandon? Who’s abandoning who?”

Then Lily, who didn’t know what to do, grabbed my clothes with her small hands.

“Unnie, can’t you take me with you? I don’t wanna go back.”

“…Why?”

I was very surprised inside, but instead of panicking, I asked calmly.

The more this happens, the calmer you have to listen so that the other person can calm down.

When I didn’t waver, Lily seemed relieved and bit her lips tightly before whispering in a small voice with tears in her eyes.

“…It hurts. Scary…”

Hurt? Who? Lily?

No way. The black panther family’s protection was perfect. There were times when I felt suffocated, but their affection was genuine.

Even if they excluded me, weren’t they cherishing Lily as if she would fly away in the wind?

“…Did the black panther guys harass you? No, did they perhaps, hit you?”

Lily quickly shook her head.

“There’s a scary person. Very scary, and gold… Hair…”

Golden hair.

There was only one person in this world with blonde hair.

That is, the lions.

I bit my lip tightly. Is it the Emperor or the Crown Prince?

Lily had been involved with them since she was young in the original story, so it wasn’t strange that Lily had seen them.

But not just that level, but afraid of them?

“After eating something weird, Lily turns into an animal… I don’t want to eat the painful thing.”