Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 175

175

A week later.

“I’m glad Lilly is adapting well to the Mass [a religious service or gathering].”

“With all due respect, I think that squirrel child would follow anyone who became her nanny.”

“That’s true.”

I looked up from the papers and nodded.

In the past week, I had another meeting with Grandma and succeeded in getting the ingredients I needed.

Grandma still seemed to be in a good mood and readily opened the family vault for me.

“Hmph, are you trying to heal Pierre too? You’re wasting your time.”

She did scratch my nerves with some unnecessary comments, but it was bearable.

And I started attending intermediate classes again. By this time, the events in the Dragon City had spread to the general public.

And I…

“Princess, you’ve become a hero!”

“Congratulations on becoming a hero.”

I had become a hero.

It was literally like being a general returning in triumph after winning a war.

The red carpet laid out before me was laid by the Lugaruba twins themselves.

Even the students were all cheering.

Even those snobby Orca branch family members were joining in the boisterous welcome.

‘Well, I guess a common enemy is important.’

Even the Orcas hate land animal Suins [a type of creature or race], especially the land predators.

Anyway, I had become a hero on the level of someone who had liberated a country, and I was attending the academy.

Sometimes it was overwhelming.

“…I don’t want to go to school.”

“All students say that, but your reasons are a bit different, Princess.”

“Yeah. I saw someone with a golden parasol today. I heard some rich guy made it.”

“Well, you’re not exactly the type to stroll around elegantly with a parasol, Princess.”

“What, did you see me?”

“Isn’t that right?”

“…That’s true.”

I readily agreed. I’d rather walk fast than use a parasol.

“How’s the ingredient situation?”

Levy shook his head with a grim expression.

In the past week, Levy, as well as Lyla and Ilia, had met with collectors and inspected the materials they had, but…

There was no way to obtain materials from extinct animals.

‘I didn’t think I could gather them in just a day or two anyway.’

I couldn’t help but feel anxious.

I had a bad feeling. It was as if someone was whispering that I needed to hurry.

I had asked Whale for another diagnosis a few days ago, but it was difficult due to circumstances.

So I chose to call a doctor instead.

‘It’ll take some time for the doctor to arrive.’

The doctor who diagnosed Dad’s illness as incurable was currently in another region.

It was no use having another doctor come, so I had no choice but to wait.

But instead of showing my anxiety, I put down the documents I was looking at and tapped the desk.

This was the room Dad had given me to use as his office.

Eckion and Tus were sitting on the sofa in the room as if it were natural.

I stared at Eckion and suddenly remembered.

No, I had remembered it a long time ago, but it was a question I had put off asking for a while.

“Eckion.”

The boy, who had been reading a book with Tus, quickly stood up.

“By any chance, can you get materials from extinct animals with your power?”

“Materials?”

“Yeah. Specifically, I was wondering if your power could take us back to when these animals were alive.”

As I said this, I looked at Tus, who was sitting next to Eckion looking exactly like him.

“What do you think, Tus?”

“Um, I want to grant Calypso’s wish. But…”

“I can do it.”

Eckion said firmly.

“I’ll grant Calypso’s wish.”

I looked at Eckion with a slightly suspicious expression after seeing Tus’s troubled face.

“Is it difficult? Tus doesn’t look good.”

“No.”

“No lying.”

“……”

Then Eckion closed his mouth tightly.

“You won’t get hurt or die, will you?”

“Then?”

“Tus can explain this!”

When Eckion couldn’t explain, Tus quickly raised his hand.

“Like the Duke said, you can do it. But you don’t have much experience yet. It’s hard to find the exact time and space right away.”

“What do you mean by hard?”

“You might get lost.”

If you’re lucky, you’ll go to the time when that animal lives in one go, but if not, you might get lost quite a bit.

Especially since Eckion had never seen the animal himself.

I briefly recalled the time when Eckion had shown me his parents on Earth.

Was that just luck?

“And Calypso. You’re getting a little unstable as you grow.”

“Yeah. I’m listening.”

“So you have to be very careful about going berserk when you use your power.”

“Ah, I see.”

“But if Tus is there, the risk of going berserk is low, so don’t worry too much!”

Tus looked so flustered that I chuckled.

“Okay, I’m glad it’s possible. Let’s look for other ways first, and if there’s no other way, we’ll talk again.”

I said this and looked at Levy.

Levy, who had a momentarily bewildered expression, bowed his head and turned away as if nothing had happened.

‘Ah, I guess this is the first time Levy has heard about Eckion’s abilities.’

I stared blankly at Eckion and Tus, and suddenly felt like the seat was empty.

‘Is it because Dad’s not here?’

Dad had seemed busy lately.

He met Lyla often, and he was often away.

When he came back, he would stroke my hair and then turn around and go to sleep.

If it wasn’t a mistake, his complexion seemed to be getting worse.

If I saw it twice or three times, it wasn’t a mistake.

That’s why I’m working so hard to find the ingredients.

‘It’s okay.’

I know roughly when Dad dies in the previous timeline.

At least it wasn’t now.

But why do I feel so anxious?

I told myself it was just worry, but…

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just a feeling of unease, as reality struck soon after.

“Calypso.”

I was still talking to Levy about the collector that day.

The door opened and Dad came in. Lyla, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, was next to him.

“Dad!”

Dad lifted me up with his water power as always.

Somehow, the water seemed a little lighter in color, and the stream of water seemed a little thinner than usual.

“Dad. Where have you been?”

“Just tidying up some things?”

“Tidying up?”

“Yeah. More importantly, is the work going well?”

“…Dad.”

I reached out while floating in the air. Dad readily gave me his arms, and I grabbed his cheek.

“Tell me the truth. You’re not feeling well, are you?”

“Not feeling well?”

“You are. Your complexion is strange. You’re not well.”

“……”

Dad tilted his head.

Then he turned to look at Lyla.

“Lyla.”

“Yes, Pierre.”

“What’s my complexion like right now?”

“Pardon?”

“Tell me as it is.”

“Ah, um… To be honest, you look no different than usual.”

I was a little surprised at Lyla’s words. No, who wouldn’t say he looks a little pale and different from usual?

I quickly called Levy.

“Levy, what about you? Do you think the same way?”

“Pardon? Um, if you want an honest answer from me… yes. If you’re not feeling well, a doctor should examine you carefully, but outwardly, even my eyes, which deal with medicine, don’t see much difference.”

I blinked.

Am I the only one who sees Dad’s condition as a little strange?

I grabbed Dad’s cheek and turned it this way and that. My judgment still didn’t change.

“Dad, I don’t think this is going to work. Even if I’m the only one who’s worried, let’s go to bed first…”

“Calypso.”

Dad overlapped my hand on his cheek.

Why? Why did I feel like my heart was about to drop?

Why?

Dad smiled slightly and kissed my hand. I felt a warm, affectionate feeling.

“If there’s one thing my mother did that I liked the most, it’s that she gave my daughter a good name.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? It’s so out of the blue…”

“Sehera told me this once.”

“Sehera?”

When I tilted my head at the name I was hearing for the first time, Dad said quietly.

“The name of the woman I married. She would be your mother.”

I paused.

“Seherazade. That’s her full name.”

It was the first time I had heard my mother’s name.

But that wasn’t the only reason I paused.

He brought it up as if he were talking about a distant stranger, but I sensed Dad’s attitude, which was subtly different from how he treated others.

“She said this. Someday… there will be someone else who will uniquely recognize my condition, just like her.”

“Dad?”

“I never thought that would really come true.”

Dad’s voice was as calm as ever. But my heart was beating anxiously.

“So I must tell you now. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance.”

“……”

“I have almost no experience in apologizing, so I’m sorry if this apology is also clumsy. But.”

Dad’s hand stroked my head.

As affectionate as ever.

“I hope you don’t worry too much. This too, shall pass.”

“…What?”

Dad’s hand gradually loses strength. At first, his hand dropped.

Then I slowly went down. When my feet finally touched the ground safely.

Thud!

I’ve heard bigger sounds than this, but it was the most shocking sound to me.

Because Dad, who was always like a mountain, was lying on the floor.

“Dad!!”