Ch 13
“Ah….”
Flying fish. If it was the flying fish, I could understand.
Among us aquatic beastmen, they were particularly light-lipped and loved to chatter; if compared to land animals, they were like wagtails.
“Moreover, it was a sufficiently shocking fact… originally, the more scandalous a rumor is, the faster it spreads.”
Is that something to say so calmly?
“It sounds like you’re saying my story is a scandal.”
When I spoke with a frown, Laila gave a small shrug.
“Wouldn’t it be a story that some people would rather wish were a scandal?”
Looking up, Laila was holding out her hand.
Before I knew it, there were stairs in front of me.
Instead of taking Laila’s hand, I ostentatiously groaned and struggled as I climbed the stairs myself.
I am three years old. I can climb this much on my own.
Laila withdrew her hand without looking offended and let out a small laugh.
“For instance, Lord Bayan, who might feel tense at the appearance of a genius…. Lord Sorte would be another.”
They were the sons of my paternal uncle and my father’s brother, respectively.
The eldest grandson of Grandmother’s first son. The eldest grandson of her second son.
I dusted off my hands and said nonchalantly.
“Why leave one out? There’s also Bellus.”
Laila paused for a very brief moment.
“Why? Is he too much of a genius compared to me?”
Bellus. That was the name of my eldest brother.
Since there was no answer, I didn’t mind and shrugged my shoulders as I climbed the stairs.
Laila soon followed behind me and spoke.
“Hmm, looking closely, it seems the Young Lady does not only possess great linguistic abilities. It seems your physical strength and stamina also support you….”
“You noticed that? You have a sharp eye.”
“If I couldn’t even do this much, how could I lead this educational institution?”
Look at her subtly changing the subject once my eldest brother was mentioned.
I shrugged my shoulders.
Well, she’s probably saying that for now, I can’t be compared to the greatest genius in the history of this elementary institution.
Bellus.
He was the brother who gave me the most trouble when I was trying to become the family head in my previous life.
In the end, I picked a fight, beat him, and took him in as my subordinate.
‘Hmph. Will this life be any different?’
Laila could not hide her intrigued eyes.
“Was the word that you failed to awaken the power of water also a false rumor?”
“No, that part is true.”
But why? Laila didn’t look like she believed it.
Then again, seeing me lift my own body with my hands as if I were rock-climbing the stairs without even catching my breath, I suppose it would look that way.
“Do I look impressive?”
“I can’t say that you don’t.”
I grinned.
“Then report it exactly like that to Grandmother.”
Tell her just how smart and impressive this granddaughter is.
Laila asked something more, but I didn’t say anything further.
Because the misunderstanding would deepen on its own only if I kept my mouth shut here.
‘Besides, what you see now isn’t the end.’
It’s just the beginning. When I didn’t answer, Laila gave up cleanly and climbed the stairs with me.
Soon we entered a long hallway, and Laila took the lead, pointing to a spot.
A golden class notice board with a whale drawn on it swayed gently in the breeze.
“That right there is the highest-level class of this institution that you will be joining starting today. The Alpha Class.”
* * *
Beastmen follow the characteristics and tendencies of their base animal.
Therefore, whale beastmen generally avoided fighting and loved peace, and were quite affectionate and on good terms with their own kind.
Going further, they generally had a high basic tolerance for other species.
Even the humpback whales, who are currently an endangered species of beastmen, love peace so much that they even embrace hostile land animals.
In my opinion, that’s probably why they’re endangered, but anyway.
One could tell the general temperament of whales.
“Since today’s report lesson is over, from now on, we will play by creating shapes with the provided blocks.”
“Yeees!”
However, there were eccentrics among these whales.
Need I say more?
It was the killer whales, who had seized the position of the leaders of the aquatic animals.
“Hmph. To think we’re doing such a childish pway.”
“That is true, Big Brother Karon!”
The fact that whales other than killer whales loved peace was not an important fact to the killer whales.
And the other whales were under this bully-like killer whale gang.
“Anyway, ordinary whale bastards are no good. To think they wook so happy over something wike bwocks like babies.”
“That is true, Big Brother Karon!!”
The behavior of these ones, who pushed through with overflowing thuggery and numbers, was no different even as children.
Rather, the beastman children with stronger instincts showed a more wild-like appearance.
“Hey, move.”
In this highest whale class, named ‘Alpha Class,’ only the most elite and exceptional children among each type of whale, including killer whales, were gathered.
“It’s mi-i-ine….”
“What. You want a piece of this?!”
“Waaaaah, Teacher…!”
Even among them, the killer whale bullies existed, and furthermore, the one who ruled over these killer whales was ‘Karon’ from a branch family.
“Umm, Student Karon. You must not hit your Beluga classmate.”
“When did I hit him? My hand was just there, and he crashed into it.”
“…….”
“What, you think I’m wrong? Speak up.”
“Hieeee, Teacher…!! Karon gwared at me!”
Karon, who turned 8 this year, had a physique twice as large as the other children.
“Student Karon, please participate within limits that do not interfere with the class.”
“Yes, yes. I get it.”
However, a common characteristic of whale beastmen.
The characteristic where they cannot help but use slurred speech even at the age of 7 or 8.
The Alpha Class, where only the best of the 7-8 year olds were gathered, could not escape this characteristic, and it was no different for Karon.
“Hmph, you things who aren’t even worth my fin…! What, what are you wooking at.”
However, among these dull whales, Karon believed that he alone was the best.
In this educational institution that lumped them into one class according to similar age and level, entering the very best class was Karon’s pride, and being the top here was the pride of his family.
‘Even if I’m not a genius as much as the direct line young lords. Someone like me!’
He also had the grand ambition that he would eventually awaken the power of water one day.
Moreover, his family members as well as those in the surrounding families already had high expectations.
Seeing Karon, who was larger, stronger, and had better stamina than normal killer whale children, they expected that he would be exceptional among the branch families and awaken the power of water.
“Oh, he’s doing that again. Again and again.”
“Again and again!”
“Hey, you dolphin twins over there, won’t you be quiet?”
“…Hup!”
“…Hup!”
In this class, there was truly no child superior to Karon.
An educational institution established by these killer whales is a place where the strong take everything.
Furthermore, that was the purpose of the aquatic animal educational institution.
Accordingly, the teachers did not restrain him as long as it wasn’t excessively noticeable, so Karon’s tyranny only grew day by day.
Karon would likely remain the boss of this class until he completed the elementary educational institution.
The killer whale children had long since attached themselves under Karon.
“Now, we have a new friend ‘Calypso’ here today. Everyone, please welcome her with applause.”
This was a fact that would not change even if the teacher brought a new kid to introduce today.
However… the moment Karon saw the tiny child waddling in behind the teacher, his eyes widened.
‘Direct line?’
Pitch-black hair, and white spots that looked like eyes on top of the head.
It was clearly proof of inheriting the direct line of the Killer Whale family. It was a color not often seen.
“Shall we introduce ourselves?”
Moreover, the person who followed behind was Laila, the owner of this institution, whom no child attending this elementary educational institution could fail to know.
Karon, who wasn’t very afraid of the teachers who rarely scolded or just stood by, flinched as he was instinctively afraid of Laila.
“Certainly, our institution welcomes strong children, but Karon… it would be best for you to do things in moderation.”
This was because he had received a warning from Laila once while hitting the dolphin twins, and his body still remembered the power of water he saw then.
It was the same for the other killer whale branch family children who displayed similar misbehavior as Karon.
They looked nervous as they watched Laila.
Moreover, she’s a girl…. Karon soon recalled one fact.
“They say that Pierre’s daughter was born, right? But apparently, she couldn’t even awaken the power of water.”
“They say she’s a useless child. We support Lord Bayan, the eldest son of the Family Head and his son. It’s a good thing if something useless is born. I heard she’s scheduled to be sold as the Dragon’s Bride, so that’s lucky.”
“My goodness, how could such a useless thing be born under Lord Pierre….”
“Isn’t that just the mystery of genetics?”
That was the content of the conversation between his mother and father, the heads of a branch family.
Karon particularly took note of the word ‘useless.’
‘Could that kid my parents were talking about be her?’
Regrettably, Karon’s parents belonged to a branch family that had not heard the rumors that had spread in just one day.
“Umm, Miss Calypso? The introduction….”
“Ah, sorry. I was looking around for a bit.”
Karon raised his head confidently but soon opened his eyes wide.
‘Wh-what was that just now?’
Not just Karon, but all the children opened their eyes round.
In particular, the highly inquisitive dolphin-type children had their eyes sparkling.
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