Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 78

Chapter 78

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. I’ve only realized this recently, but…”

Dad stared at me, then reached out and pinched my cheek.

It didn’t hurt, but the way my cheek stretched out made the serious atmosphere suddenly crumble.

“You need to be more childlike.”

“What?”

“I admit, even I wouldn’t have been able to do as much as you at three years old. I’m aware that geniuses are generally precocious. In such cases, it’s important to provide education that matches their level, as well as what their peers enjoy.”

…What is he talking about?

As Dad continued to speak, my questions soared, and I unconsciously looked around the room.

Since entering this room, I had been so focused on getting to the point that I hadn’t paid any attention to my surroundings.

‘A book?’

Near Dad’s legs, a book was turned upside down, as if he had been reading it.

Reading the title, I was overwhelmed with indescribable emotions.

「How to Raise My Child Correctly」

I blinked.

To be honest, my most immediate and honest thought burst out.

“That doesn’t suit you.”

Pierre, of all people, reading a parenting book? No one would believe it if I told them.

And I’m not a genius, just a regressor [someone who has returned to an earlier point in their life].

Sorry, but the idea of growing up correctly became impossible a long time ago.

“You neglected me so much; do you think reading a book like that now will make you a good parent?”

“I suppose so. But what’s wrong with trying? Did you think I wouldn’t even make this effort?”

“Yes.”

“……I’m getting a terrible evaluation.”

“If you wanted to care, you should have seen me as a three-year-old from the beginning. What changes now that you’re seeing me again?”

I wish you had cared from my first life.

What changes if you try now?

I was firmly determined to go home. These changes won’t change my mind.

Dad stretched out his arms, picked me up, and examined me closely.

“Is it because of the long journey? You don’t look well today. Are you sick?”

“Who do you think I take after, being so disgustingly healthy that I don’t get tired or sick from this kind of trip? Didn’t you see me beating up that fox at the restaurant earlier?”

Dad chuckled softly.

“Yes, it was refreshing.”

“……”

I admit it.

If we had become like this a little sooner, I might have thought differently.

No, if I had lived like this until at least ten years old, I might have thought differently.

‘I arrived in the Dragon City too quickly.’

It might have been something done for me, but it became the reason we can’t be together.

With the path home right in front of me, why would I give up?

‘But the way he looked a little while ago was unusual…?’

It seemed like if I really just stayed here and told him to go back, there would be enormous consequences.

I need to be careful.

After a moment of thought, I came to a simple conclusion.

Let’s pretend I don’t know for now.

It’ll work out somehow.

It wasn’t just resignation or a simple postponement.

‘I haven’t met Dragon Duke yet.’

Everything can be decided for sure after meeting Dragon Duke.

Even so, I stared at Dad as if I still had lingering feelings.

“…Master, be good to me.”

Even I, saying this, was an Orca [referring to the character’s manipulative nature, like an orca preying on others].

Orcas know best about Orca’s obsession.

If you had been a dad who cherished me from the beginning.

You wouldn’t have died from the disease.

I might not have let you die, no matter how much you suffered from the disease, you know?

We’re better off now.

“Yes. I’ll think every day about how to be even better to you in the future.”

I didn’t answer.

I also quietly ignored the fact that this embrace was warm.

* * *

That night.

Late into the night, I suddenly opened my eyes.

In fact, I hadn’t been sleeping at all, just waiting for time to pass with my eyes open.

‘I’m glad I took a nap.’

After having a strange and awkward conversation with Dad, I returned to my room and lay down.

Thinking about it seemed like it would only make my mood stranger, so I forced myself to sleep.

“Oh my, our Princess seems very tired.”

“Right, we even get to see her nodding off! So cute……!”

Around dinner time, I woke up briefly when the Herring maids called me to eat.

For some reason, Velos also came out and joined the meal.

Somehow, I found it difficult to make eye contact with Dad, so I focused only on eating.

The conversation partner naturally became the Herring maids and Misa, who had gone out to play.

“Was Dragon City worth seeing?”

“Yes! It definitely felt different from our territory!”

“Right, the festival eve had already started, so it was fun.”

“No one causing trouble?”

“No, we wore robes, so there wasn’t anyone. There were a lot of people in the market completely covered up like us!”

The maids and Misa looked lively.

Especially when I saw Misa, who was usually the calmest, blushing as she explained.

Well, I couldn’t go out, but I’m glad you guys had fun sightseeing, I guess.

After the meal, I pretended to sleep and lay down, and now it was time.

‘But I wasn’t just lying down.’

As soon as the meal was over, I took out the things I had asked the maids for in advance, one by one.

One was a children’s dagger. And a belt to wear around the waist.

I casually mentioned that I wanted to try on a baby robe and had them leave it behind.

‘While lying down, I asked Tus for detailed information about the local geography.’

-Calypso, are you ready?

By the time I put on the robe, Tus was already ready. Well, in fact, there was nothing to prepare; he was just wrapped around my wrist.

-Yes, I’m ready. Let’s go.

I opened the window.

This was quite a high floor, but I jumped down without hesitation.

While falling, I grabbed a passing tree and slowed down my speed.

If an ordinary person did this, their arm would fall off, but for me, who had somehow become physically strong, it was not a difficult movement.

I landed quietly on the ground with a smooth motion.

‘Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve moved like this.’

In the last 3rd round, I challenged the family head with absolutely nothing, so I had to do everything myself at first.

Among them was also monitoring the movements of my enemies.

The memory of flying across the rooftops in the middle of the night was still vivid.

-You said it’s to the west?

-Yes! You have to run for a long time. Long time.

The advantage of talking to a beastman was that it could only be heard by each other, like ‘telepathy’ in martial arts novels.

-Okay, I roughly understand the distance. Hold on tight, I’m going to run at full speed.

-Huh? Eek!

I learned for the first time that snakes could scream.

About 20 minutes later.

Tus said in a tearful voice.

-Calypso, fast. Fast! Too fast!

-What’s with the fuss? Dragon Duke would have run faster; he wouldn’t be slower than me, would he?

-Dragon Duke…… can’t run.

-Why?

-It’s too narrow to run.

It was like a riddle, but Tus didn’t answer even when I asked more.

Instead of asking more questions, I raised my head.

I would find out soon anyway.

Because I had arrived in front of the building that Tus had mentioned.

‘This is… embarrassing.’

I couldn’t hide my embarrassment in front of the building.

Because.

‘Isn’t this completely a ghost castle? Is Dragon Duke really living in a place like this?!’

What I saw in front of me was a very eerie and old, dilapidated castle.

No, could this even be called a castle?

It was not enough to say that it was an old building where vampires from classic movies would live.

Frankly speaking, the building I live in at the Orca mansion looked decent in comparison.

In fact, there was another reason why I couldn’t help but be embarrassed.

The Dragon’s Castle where the guests stayed was so splendid.

And the castle next to it, where Dragon Duke lived, which Velos had mentioned, was incredibly magnificent.

‘……Why is none of what I heard correct?’

Just the fact that Dragon Duke lives in a place like this tells me that the situation is not very good.

I can find out more accurate and detailed circumstances by going inside and listening.

From the person himself.

-How do I get in here?

-Calypso, you have to be quiet.

Before I could question Tus’s words, I quickly lowered my posture.

The bricks of the old building were pitch black.

Under the moonlight, there was even a subtle blue light, and a person appeared where there was clearly only a wall.

And I saw it clearly with my own two eyes.

The skin and clothes of the person who had just appeared were the same color as the bricks, before returning to the person’s skin color.