Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 71

“Huh, Your Grace…!”

Ah, she said only I can hear her. I must look like I’m talking to myself.

I brushed off Misa’s words and raised my eyebrows.

“Did you take over the entire lake by yourself?”

-No…! I was about to stop eating!

“Then come down. I don’t want to have nightmares about you ruining an entire lake.”

-Okay….

The snake slithered closer and plopped onto my hand.

Its golden eyes seemed to be looking around cautiously.

-Did this body make a mistake? Was I wrong?

I sighed softly at the childish tone.

“Luckily, you almost made a mistake. You don’t need to drink any more water, right?”

-Yes. I don’t need to drink it. This body will be fine without water for about three months now!

“That’s a relief.”

I looked straight at the snake, which was wrapped around my arm like a bracelet, and asked what I had wanted to ask all along.

“No matter how I look at it… you don’t seem like an ordinary snake. What on earth are you?”

Despite its innocent tone, it looked extraordinary.

I tensed as I waited for an answer.

A being I didn’t know, even though I boasted that I had regressed three times and knew all the contents of the original story.

Because there was only one being I didn’t know well in this world.

-My name is Tooth! This body is a familiar of the great Dragon Duke!

Yes, that being was the person I was eagerly heading to see right now.

It was only the Dragon Duke.

* * *

We arrived at the Dragon City.

No, to be exact, we were scheduled to arrive in about 30 minutes.

I couldn’t hide the grinning expression as I looked out the window.

‘Oh my gosh, what a windfall.’

On my shoulder was a coiled baby snake, no, ‘Tooth.’

‘It’s not just a windfall, it’s a huge one. Yes. Luck has come rolling in.’

It was two days ago from today that this baby snake revealed its identity.

That also meant that two days had passed since the day it had been sucking up the lake water.

“Are you that happy?”

“Huh?”

When I raised my head, Dad seemed to be looking at me with a slightly curious expression.

I was conscious of the corners of my mouth, which were grinning.

“Yeah. I’m so excited.”

I didn’t want to show it, but what could I do if I couldn’t help it?

‘No wonder, it’s the Dragon Duke’s familiar, they said!’

I was already worried about what kind of method I could use to get deeply involved with the Dragon Duke when I arrived at the Dragon’s Castle.

The problem was that I couldn’t think of a solution as the city got closer.

‘This little snake appeared right then and there.’

I recalled the conversation I had with the horned blue baby snake, Tooth.

I went back in time and reminisced about that time.

It was when I returned from the lake to the place with the bonfire.

“What is a familiar?”

As I said, I knew not only the characters in the original story, but also most of the major families and figures of the land animal beastmen through the war. In addition, I was familiar with the aquatic animal beastmen.

However, the only being I didn’t know well was the Dragon Duke.

The word ‘familiar’ was also unfamiliar.

-Familiar!

The baby snake’s explanation was like this.

-The Dragon Duke took out his power and made this body!

The Dragon Duke seemed to be able to take out his power and create something like a subordinate.

When I asked, it said there weren’t any others besides it. Just Tooth alone.

In addition, the familiar and the master had a special bond, so the familiar was absolutely loyal and the master was responsible for the familiar’s life.

-Dragon Duke cherishes me!

Then a question arises here.

‘If it’s such a great and affectionate relationship, why was the familiar snake dropped on this road and withering away?’

I accepted the familiar as a concept of family or the most cherished subordinate.

Then, of course, it should be by the master’s side.

Besides, wasn’t the place where I found Tooth a forest quite far from the Dragon City?

Considering that it was withering away that evening, it would have died if it hadn’t met me in the worst case.

When I pointed this out, Tooth drooped.

-That’s right, this body left the Dragon Duke… Bad.

It seemed there was a reason why it wouldn’t answer me even when I asked what was wrong.

I was very curious about the reason, but it kept its mouth shut, so I had only found out this much.

-Name Calypso? You life savior. Thank you!

The situation wasn’t bad.

‘Because it recognized me as a very grateful being.’

When we said we were going to the Dragon City, its face lit up.

“Take you to the Dragon’s Castle?”

-Good! Calypso thank you!

What, I’m the one who’s grateful.

If you think about it, it might be closer to unilateral help.

Thanks to this, I have an excuse to meet the Dragon Duke personally.

‘If I take it there, the Dragon Duke will definitely be happy, and I’ll use this as an excuse to get information or try to make friends.’

How could I not be in a good mood in this situation?

Back to the present, I hummed a tune.

‘Things have been going smoothly since we left.’

Even the fact that I was almost regressed again after being careless about the assassins’ attack can be thought of as a stroke of luck to meet Tooth.

Was my humming too loud?

Even Bellus, who had been quietly reading a book, shifted his gaze and looked at me.

“What, why? Was I disturbing you?”

“It’s not that.”

Bellus had a slightly strange expression.

“…Where did you hear that song?”

“Huh? Um, someone I knew told me a long time ago.”

What song did I sing?

Ah, it was a song I learned from my subordinate in the previous regression.

There was a subordinate who always sang when he was in a good mood.

The problem was that he didn’t have a day when he wasn’t happy, so he always sang, so I naturally learned it.

“Life is fun, Master!”

I naturally sang it, and the three older brothers sometimes looked at me as if they were tired of it.

I smiled slightly as I thought of that time.

“I’m sorry if it was noisy. I’ll be quiet.”

After receiving Bellus’s help, I tried to meet his demands as much as possible during the journey.

Then Bellus frowned and lowered his head again.

‘Even if I try to please him, what’s with that expression?’

But I quickly felt better again, so I quickly forgot that face.

“Teacher, when we go to the Dragon City, there will be a lot of land animal beastmen, right?”

“Yes, it’s called a festival for beastmen, but it can be seen as a festival without aquatic animals.”

Dad pondered for a moment and then continued.

“According to what I found out before departure, the Imperial Family will arrive in the city on the last day of the festival.”

“Really? Isn’t that usually the case?”

“Usually.”

The Imperial Family usually arrives in the middle of the festival and stays until the last day before leaving.

“It seems that the Pantereon Ducal Family will be giving the opening speech on the first day of the festival on behalf of the Imperial Family.”

I stopped in my tracks at the name of the family that was suddenly heard.

“…Ah, really? They’re coming.”

Wasn’t it awkward? I was startled.

Pantereon Ducal Family.

It was where the original heroine was, and it was a black panther beastman family.

“Get lost.”

“The fact that a woman like you is my fiancée is disgustingly hateful.”

And it was also the family I was sold to for engagement in the previous regression.

It was a deal. Grandma sent me here to benefit the family.

No matter how many times I regressed, it was a name I couldn’t get used to.

I sighed.

‘I was surprised. Just thinking about those guys’ faces makes my skin crawl.’

Of course, it’s not because I’m scared, afraid, or worried.

It’s purely because of anger.

Pure hatred that I will definitely overturn those XX’s faces if I see them again?

The Pantereon Ducal Family was where the protagonists of the original story were, and it was the place that enjoyed the next highest power after the Imperial Family in this empire.

As you can tell from the species, it’s a strong and cool beastman family, but they’re not the kind of guys who are backed up by personality.

To be exact, it’s a family that only becomes a younger sister fool and a daughter fool to the protagonist.

As always, the law of this childcare world is all about the protagonist.

“It’s the city gate.”

Soon, a huge city gate appeared.

The Dragon City Ekina, which is said to have been built directly by the dragon a thousand years ago.

The walls here were huge and majestic, as if they would reach the sky.

‘Wow, I’m finally coming to a place I haven’t even attended in the previous regressions.’

I was immersed in a new feeling.

The lord’s castle of this city can be seen far away.

-Castle, Callimso! Castle!

“Yes, yes, it’s a castle. And it’s not Callimso, it’s Calypso.”

-Yes! Take me to the mansion quickly. I have to go to him!

This is good news.

If you want me to take you there quickly, then that means I can see the Dragon Duke quickly, right?

“Okay, wait. We’re going to enter that castle.”

Bellus and Dad knew that only I could understand Tooth’s words, so they didn’t care even if I was talking to myself.

-I have to go to him. He must be lonely….

Tooth said gloomily.

Even its small head was drooping.

“Does a dragon get lonely too?”

-Why not!

“I see.”

No, the feeling given by the name Dragon Duke gives off an atmosphere of being alone, complete, and noble.

If I hadn’t seen his crazy rampage in the previous regression, I would still think so now.

“But the master is a dragon, so why are you a snake?”