14
Clear pronunciation, and a natural way of speaking that flowed effortlessly.
No one in this class could imitate it.
“Nice to meet you.”
It wasn’t a mistake.
Only then did Karon stop looking down on her and began to scan the girl’s appearance thoroughly.
“Waaa, she’s sooooo pretty…….”
“She looks like a doll. I wanna be friends.”
“Do you think she likes plankton candy?”
“I like it!”
“I didn’t ask you!”
The younger children were, the higher—or rather, the more blatant—their aesthetic standards were.
In the eyes of such children, the newly arrived Calypso Aquasiadel looked like a tiny doll.
“I am Calypso Aquasiadel.”
Loose pigtails, round features, long eyelashes that were visible even from a distance, and the deep blue eyes that were the symbol of the direct line.
“I heard this class is the smartest and highest-ranking among those receiving education.”
Though she had a grumpy expression, even that seemed to be a cute feature.
“So, I have high expectations for this class. I hope there are many classmates who can satisfy my expectations.”
The fact that the sharp eyes unique to killer whales seemed less reflected in her also contributed to this cuteness.
When a bold introduction that was not childlike at all came out, even the teachers looked at each other in embarrassment.
“Wa, waaa. Everyone heard that, right? Please welcome our new classmate with a round of applause!”
“Waaaaaaa!”
“Welcom!”
“Welcom!”
“Pretty!”
Fortunately, the whale children, who generally loved peace, welcomed Calypso with bright smiles or applause.
Calypso was mostly welcomed by the children and sat among them…… instead, she went to the very edge and flopped down.
“Now, everyone, please go back to today’s performance task of making models with blocks and submit your results. If you are finished, please call the teacher.”
“Yeees!”
When free time was given, instead of focusing on their tasks, the children hovered around Calypso, who sat alone.
This was the same for the killer whale children as well.
No, why did someone so small come to our class?
Is she young, or is she the same age but hasn’t grown? I don’t know!
Conversations like this went back and forth.
‘Heh, looking all dazed and blurry like that……!’
Through a series of processes, Karon managed to barely keep looking down on Calypso.
“Hey der.”
Calypso turned her head. She had a grumpy expression.
“Dat hair color, you’re a Direct Line, right?”
Calypso stared at the child who had stepped right up in front of her.
Gosh, he’s dirt-big.
‘My neck hurts.’
He was a fairly large child to look at while sitting.
I suspect he’s probably 8 years old, the oldest, but even considering that, his build is much larger than his peers.
Moreover, when that guy approached, not only the kids who were coming over but even the curious killer whale kids flinched and backed away.
In this case, it’s impossible not to know.
‘This guy is the boss, huh?’
Calypso stared intently at him while slightly loosening her neck.
By nature, when aiming for the head, intimidation comes first.
“I asked if you’re a Direct Line.”
Calypso’s eyes glowed blue.
I’m taking over this class now.
“You shouldn’t be unable to tell by looking at my hair color.”
Karon flinched.
Soon, Karon huffed as if he was angry at the fact that he had flinched.
Seeing this, Calypso made a judgment.
‘There is no strong guy among those who get excited easily.’
A truly strong guy is someone who stays calm even while getting excited.
‘Like my second brother.’
Fortunately, there seemed to be no crazy guys—no, great killer whales—like her brothers in this class.
Well, it’s a bit much to compare those exceptional guys to this place, though.
“How old are you?”
“I’m eight years old. Direct Line…… you are very small for your age?”
Instead of being flustered by the mockery, Calypso tilted her head cutely.
It was a very lovely sight, but she said calmly without realizing it herself.
“What about you? How slow are you that you haven’t gone to the middle institution with that size and are still in kindergarten—no, in this elementary institution?”
“Of course I’m outstanding…… Huh?”
“I said you’re slow, you idiot. Isn’t it more strange that you are still here?”
As Calypso answered listlessly, the bulky Karon’s face turned bright red.
“The educational institutions for shifters are compulsory up to the middle institution. Usually, they move to the middle institution at age 8.”
The abilities looked at to move up a grade are physical and intelligence.
Especially for killer whales, intelligence was required in addition to physical strength and power.
“No matter how strong you are, if you’re stupid, you can’t go to the middle institution. Why are you bragging about being slow?”
Since that guy was still here with that size, it wasn’t the time to act all high and mighty.
Before long, children were huddled together watching.
Even the killer whale children were creeping closer.
Calypso lifted her large eyes and glanced around with a side-long look.
‘Laila…… probably won’t stop this.’
The teachers were standing by.
“Eek, you’re just a tiny beanstalk!”
“Hey, kid.”
Calypso called one of the watching children.
The child who received the gaze flinched their shoulders.
Hair with a gray base and navy patterns dotted in.
Various whale characteristics passed through Calypso’s mind.
“Are you a Gray Whale?”
“Huh? Yes! Yes……! Dats right!”
“Do you know how to count numbers?”
The child hurried to nod.
He looked happy that she correctly identified what kind of shifter he was.
“Yees! I count well!”
How precocious.
“Right, then that slow kid…… what’s his name?”
“Karon!”
“Right. Then what’s your name?”
“I’m Joseph!”
“Right, Joseph?”
Calypso confidently held up her fingers to the Gray Whale child, Joseph.
“Try counting these fingers.”
“O…ne, two, thwee. It’s three!”
“Good. Now, tell that Karon my age.”
“Yes! Princess is three years old!”
Karon blinked his eyes.
Calypso smiled brightly.
“Tsk, do you want to be in the same class as a 3-year-old?”
* * *
The face of the guy named Karon turned very red.
It was intended.
‘He probably realized that his own situation is slow even by his own standards.’
Actually, considering he was 8, it wasn’t extremely late, but it wasn’t a level where he could proudly stick his chest out here either.
Why is the level of the boss here like this?
‘Still, the level of the collateral line guys in the very last cycle wasn’t this bad.’
The kids have gone soft.
I scanned the collateral line killer whales.
It was very easy to see since I only had to pick out those with plain gray hair.
“Wha, what! Don’t talk nonsense! How are you three years old! We are whales who can’t even speak properly until we are five……!”
Where does he get off thinking his brain is the same as mine?
As I looked at him listlessly and turned my head, I felt like I could hear the sound of snorting in my ears.
It was at that moment.
“Ah, no!!”
Simultaneously with the voices of the surrounding children, a fist came down toward where I was.
Thud! Although he was still a child, a killer whale is the strongest underwater creature.
The slightly cushioned floor was dented.
If he had aimed just a bit more accurately, I might have ended up like that floor.
“Hmph! Even if you’re a Direct Line, you’re still just a shorty…….”
“You need to learn some manners first.”
“Wha?!”
Ugh, I don’t know if it’ll work well, but…….
I ran forward and slammed my head just like that.
‘I’ll let you off with a headbutt instead of a fist, you punk.’
……is a fake, a head with a larger surface area than this tiny fist will be perfect!
Clang!
Did Pierre’s hard training actually yield results?
I was more surprised seeing the guy fly back.
‘……What. Was the training actually effective?’
I never imagined it would be to the extent of being usable in real combat.
“Oh my goodness……!”
“Karon flew like dis!”
For a single moment while running, why was it? I felt my body become light.
It was a feeling similar to when I briefly awakened the power of water in the previous cycle.
I looked at my hands, but even when I applied strength, water did not gush out.
Through the slightly rising dust, I saw Karon lying down.
I wondered if it was a bit pitiful, but it’s no big deal. You definitely don’t die from something like this.
‘Indeed. I know because I grew up getting hit. Don’t fake it, you punk.’
He was busy groaning while holding his head.
As our eyes met, I grabbed a block that was nearby without hesitation.
‘Until yesterday, Pierre made me clean and organize things so that labor fatigue would build up.’
Recalling the sensation of crushing stones and lifting hammers…….
When I squeezed hard, the block crumbled in my hand.
With the “Waaaaa” sounds from the children, I saw Karon’s face turn pale.
“Wanna fight?”
“…….”
In fights between killer whales, victory or defeat immediately determines the hierarchy.
Karon’s eyes cast downward. The appearance of all beasts admitting defeat is the same.
As if I had been waiting, I blew on my dainty fist.
“My dad told me not to go around getting hit.”
I’m taking over this class starting today.
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
