Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 206

206

I stared intently at Whale’s hand holding mine and the top of his head, which was now closer.

I didn’t avoid his gaze.

His glossy eyes were affectionate, but they transparently showed emotions swirling like a deep sea.

It was as if he was allowing himself to be vulnerable with me.

I knew that look well.

‘That look really reminds me of that humpback whale bastard.’

Eyes that desired affection.

Of course, it wasn’t exactly the same. What that humpback whale bastard wanted from me was different from what Whale wanted.

That subtle difference lingered in his gaze.

I raised my hand and gently stroked Whale’s head.

“You’re a benefactor to me.”

“…….”

“I don’t know why you’re trying to walk such a difficult path.”

Even after four lifetimes, I still don’t understand love.

I just feel a little sorry that you want that from me.

I know that the way I look at Whale isn’t much different from when we first met.

Whale chuckled softly.

The quiet laughter already belonged to an adult.

“Because it’s the path I desire?”

* * *

“I heard rumors that you’re getting engaged.”

That evening, I finally saw Dad’s face.

I’d been told something came up in the territory, so he was away on business. It seemed a little strange.

‘No matter how I look at it, Dad doesn’t seem like someone who works diligently.’

Nearly ten years had passed, but Dad hadn’t changed much from the face I first saw.

As a killer whale with excellent combat abilities, his aging was slow.

In fact, my grandmother, the former head of the family, also looked quite young for her age.

Perhaps my brothers and I will also age slowly.

‘What about Mom……?’

I paused, considering my mother, who suddenly came to mind, then turned my gaze away.

Soon, I grinned.

“Yeah, that’s right. When I came back, rumors were spreading like wildfire, so I just assumed that’s how it was.”

There were always various rumors circulating about me, who was always out and about, and I was always the most talked-about topic in this family.

Recently, I knew that the rumor about my engagement had become a hot topic.

“Didn’t Dad allow it?”

I thought that’s how it was, but the reason I didn’t bother denying it was… because I thought Dad had heard it and let it go.

“Me, your engagement?”

Seeing Dad’s unusual expression.

‘……Which big-mouthed bastard was happily flapping his gums?’

Even I felt a cold sweat trickling down.

‘No, this Dad feels like he’s getting stronger and stronger.’

It was clear that something was keeping his many illnesses at bay.

“No? Never mind then.”

“On what basis did you think your engagement would proceed?”

In other words, he looked like he was saying, ‘Tell me, and I’ll destroy everything that could be the basis for it.’

“No, I was just wondering if there was someone, or if something had progressed without me knowing.”

“If you’re talking about the White Whale, didn’t you say that a way had been found to return his lifespan and undo the bond ritual?”

“Dad knows, but that’s only when I awaken the power of water.”

Dad frowned. But he was still handsome.

Hmm. Come to think of it, these days, killer whale ladies are eagerly showing off their strength whenever they see Dad, right?

There has been a surge in killer whale women dreaming of becoming the head of the family by becoming Dad’s remarriage partner.

‘Trying to covet him from me.’

No way. I’m diligently checking Dad’s partners… I stopped thinking there and smiled slightly.

I never thought the day would come when I would think like this.

As I shook my head and lay down, I heard Dad’s voice.

“I’ve been looking into what you said.”

Since opening my eyes [reincarnating], I’ve tried everything to awaken the power of water, but it was useless.

All that was left was the treasure ‘Linnaeus’ that I started searching for as soon as I opened my eyes.

In fact, besides this treasure, I wanted to find one more thing related to the power of water. This one isn’t an object, but a person.

“You’re using those two guys for the treasure, so I looked into the person.”

“Yeah, how did it go? Is there any news this time?”

Dad shook his head slightly. He still had a frown on his face.

“No. I tracked down all the branch families, including the exiled aquatics, but there was no killer whale with that name.”

What I was trying to find was my teacher from my third life, who taught me the power of water.

‘I never thought I would find that person again.’

I pondered over the past.

Not long after obtaining Linnaeus, I was just busy being flustered.

Well, I had only barely awakened the power of water in my third life out of the previous three lives.

Since I was a wanderer, there was no way I could know how to handle the power of water.

“Is the name ‘Caesar’ correct?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Caesar. One day, a female killer whale aquatic who suddenly appeared before me introduced herself like this.

She said she was a wanderer like me and had been abandoned by her family.

“Come to think of it, it might have been a pseudonym. I’ve been searching for years, but she hasn’t shown up.”

I carefully recalled my previous memories.

“When she trained me, she definitely used scissors. Giant scissors made of the power of water.”

“Something like this?”

Dad slowly tilted his head and flicked his fingertips.

Soon, scissors made of water were created above Dad’s hand. There were various shapes of scissors.

Among them, I pointed to a large pair of garden shears.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“That’s unique.”

“Isn’t it?”

I thought carefully.

“Thinking about it, it’s probably a pseudonym, and the approach was different.”

It might be natural for someone abandoned by their family not to use the name given by the family.

Or maybe she just didn’t tell me her name.

I wasn’t disappointed.

That’s because she was like a fleeting wave and like the wind.

“We’re just a fleeting connection. Even if you do well later, don’t look for me. That’s how you repay the favor.”

“Teacher, you’re a strange person, aren’t you?”

“If you know, then keep rolling. 50 more times, right? Are you slacking off somewhere?”

“…….”

……Come to think of it, the way she makes people roll is similar to Dad?

Anyway.

‘She probably hasn’t changed the way she uses the power of water in this life either.’

The power of water was close to a fingerprint for killer whales. Each person’s unique weapon or method was clearly defined.

Just like how I enjoyed using a hammer.

“Branch families who can use the power of water are rare, right? Can you focus on these people and look into it for me?”

Dad nodded.

“And while you’re at it… catch those guys who are talking about engagement too.”

“……Why them?”

“We don’t need guys who spread false rumors in this family.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled slyly. I tried to hold it in, but it burst out.

“Why, Dad? Daughters say they’re going to marry their dads when they’re young, right?”

“So?”

“I should have said it once when I was young too.”

I lay down on the sofa, propped my chin up with both hands, and smiled.

“Too bad.”

“Is it?”

Dad smiled slightly.

“Marriage is out of the question, but… keeping you by my side for life isn’t so bad either.”

“Are you trying to end marriage with Mom once and for all?”

I thought of the branch families who had slipped a marriage proposal to Dad and were severely punished.

Dad’s expression stiffened for a moment.

Soon, it softened a little.

“……Yeah.”

I saw a faint regret pass over Dad’s face.

“There won’t be anyone like her.”

The sincere voice that slipped out quietly resonated in the air.

‘He’s being honest now.’

When I looked up, Dad had returned to the cold expression he always wore.

“Hey, Dad. I’ve said this before, but Mom is…….”

“Are you saying she’s alive? No, she’s dead.”

“…….”

I closed my mouth again.

Nine years ago, I heard from Bellus that Mom was still alive.

After that, I told Dad about it once, but he always answered with the same words.

“She’s dead. I’m sure of it.”

It was an absolute certainty.

As if he had seen her death before his eyes. I couldn’t ask any more, but I wondered if that was the case.

‘But why is the story different from Bellus’s?’

Could it be time to unravel this story that I’ve been putting off?

I thought this and got up.

“When are you planning to go out again?”

“It’s not much longer now. About two bases? I’m planning to stay for quite a while this time. Besides, tomorrow is my birthday, right?”

Dad looked relieved at my words.

I smiled brightly and left the room. Soon, the smile disappeared from my face.

* * *

The next day, I was planning to go meet Bellus, who had gone out on a brief inspection, but the plan was canceled.

That’s because there was a visitor who came before that.

The person who came in the morning was none other than the third one [third brother].

‘Did he have a really intense duel yesterday……?’

There was a bandage on his fair cheek as if to show off.

Judging from his even colder expression, he must have lost to the second one [second brother] again.

‘Actually, the power this guy uses is almost entirely focused on assassination, so it’s disadvantageous in a duel.’

Thinking that, I sat facing him.

“There was a really important story yesterday, but I ended up getting distracted.”

“It’s okay. You ended up postponing it because it was okay to put it off for a while, right?”

“…….”

I was just going to offer some simple comfort…….

An amazing story came out of the third one’s mouth.

“I found a clue about the treasure ‘Linnaeus’.”

“……What?”