Chapter 37
“I’m going to hold a Supreme Disciplinary Committee meeting and crush Bayan, you see?”
“…….”
Luba, who was flustered for a moment, asked.
“Is there perhaps anything I can help you with?”
“Nothing.”
There was no way there would be.
‘If I had to find one thing, I’d want to ask if you could possibly act as a substitute for my dad.’
That was out of the question.
‘A Killer Whale’s father being a Beluga. That would be interesting in its own way.’
I shrugged, brushing off the random thought.
“Then our conversation is over, right? I hope Luga and Luba recover quickly.”
“The children would be even happier if you came to visit them.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Just as I turned around, holding Loba’s handkerchief loosely in my hand, a low voice drifted toward me.
“We Belugas do not forget a debt of gratitude, Princess. My head already hurts thinking about the children claiming they will spend their entire lives repaying you.”
I turned my head.
Despite saying his head would hurt, the man was smiling gently, contrary to the content of his words.
“We will surely repay this kindness with whatever it takes. In the name of the sea.”
“……Sure, whatever.”
To aquatic animals, water and the ocean are the source of life.
Therefore, an oath taken in the name of the sea was no different from an unbreakable oath made upon the River Styx in Greek mythology.
“May I pick you up and carry you?”
“I don’t want that.”
I walked away, treating it as no big deal.
In my mind, Loba’s words had long been pushed to a corner.
‘Wow, what am I going to do about the parent summons?’
* * *
The Elementary and Intermediate Institutions were turned upside down.
It was because of what Bayan Aquasiadel had done.
Of course, since Bayan’s usual behavior was already widely known, the content of the incident itself wasn’t particularly special.
However, everyone was gasping at the fact that a new person was involved and the feat that individual had achieved.
“Hey, hey, did you hear? The story about the new Princess!”
“The one where she got tangled up with Lord Bayan?”
“Is that for real? I heard the collateral branch kids who went with him all got thrashed.”
“So, who won?”
“Lord Bayan, obviously! Is that even a question?”
“That’s because it’s different from the rumor I heard. I heard the Princess won?”
“Whaaat?!”
In the Intermediate Institution especially, where language is more fluid, rumors spread even more freely and quickly.
Whether the children were whales or ordinary aquatic animals, they were busy talking about this whenever they gathered.
“But is the rumor actually true? Isn’t it exaggerated?”
“No! My cousin saw it… He said the older brother who went with them came back with a broken arm!”
“Gasp, those Killer Whale hard-bodies?”
Most of the rumors were focused on interest.
Rumors spread just the same in the dignified Whale Class, and the 6th grade, which corresponds to the middle years, was no different. The top-tier class among them was also in an uproar.
“No, but isn’t that truly nonsense? How could a Princess who only attends the Elementary Institution win a street fight against collateral branch kids? Especially when Lord Bayan was there too?”
“Exactly! Hmph, rumors should be exaggerated within reason.”
“I heard that dim-witted Princess hasn’t even awakened her water powers yet?”
Since the top-tier class mostly consisted of collateral members who followed Bayan, they were busy badmouthing Calypso.
Yet, they showed a behavior of lowering their voices as much as possible, conscious of someone in the class.
A boy watching these Killer Whale collateral members clicked his tongue.
“Hmm, look at those Killer Whales. They’re busy watching someone’s mood. Their eyes are going to pop out, I say.”
The boy had overall dark gray hair with a protruding, horn-like pattern in the center of his head. He shrugged his shoulders.
The boy was a Narwhal shifter.
He turned his head, inwardly mocking the Killer Whales who kept glancing this way while never ceasing their badmouthing as if to show off.
“Hmm, if I summarize the rumors, a group including Bayan and the Princess attending the Elementary Institution got into a fight. But the Princess dominated the fight. That’s what it is? They say rumors are bound to be exaggerated by nature….”
The Narwhal boy poked the shoulder of someone lying face down.
“What do you think? Huh? Huh? You’re a party involved in your own way, so say something.”
The person who showed no reaction despite being poked several times finally sat up groggily after the boy poked him about ten times.
“Oh, you’re awake? What do you think?”
“……Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“You want to die?”
“…….”
A pair of extremely fierce eyes—red eyes that looked incredibly ill-tempered—were directed at the Narwhal boy.
“I’m just saying let’s talk. Just talk.”
The boy took a posture of surrender, thinking that his classmate was terrifying no matter when he saw him.
“She’s your younger sister, Atlan.”
At that, the forehead of Atlan, who had just woken up, twitched.
His black hair, the symbol of the direct line, and the white spot marked there seemed to glare.
Sure enough, his fierce and sharp eyes turned toward the boy.
“What does it matter.”
Unlike his terrifyingly fierce eyes, Atlan did not pick a further fight and closed his eyes.
“I don’t have a younger sister.”
What a temper.
The Narwhal boy pouted his lips but couldn’t bring himself to disturb Atlan, who was trying to sleep again.
* * *
Meanwhile, the rumor, naturally, spread widely among the 9th graders, the highest grade of the Intermediate Institution.
However, as people of an age soon to become adults, they were generally dignified.
The opinions that came out were mostly constructive discussions, such as why Bayan does so many things unbefitting his age.
This was also because among the highest grade, there were many academic Killer Whales who didn’t belong to any faction or were headed for research positions.
“What do you think?”
At someone’s question, a boy who was quietly reading a book turned his head.
He was a boy dwelling in the age range between a boy and a young man.
Thanks to his long, bobbed hair and fair skin, one might mistake him for a girl, but his neat appearance was clearly that of a boy to anyone who looked.
“Bellus.”
The white spot on his head and the silver hair that became more prominent toward the bottom were the symbols of the Killer Whale direct line.
When Bellus’s incredibly cold gaze turned toward his classmate, the classmate who had called him flinched.
“……If a sin was committed, one must be punished.”
“Sin? What sin are you talking about? Is there anything here that qualifies as a sin? Bellus, explain a bit more.”
“Violating rules is what Grandmother hates the most.”
“Rules?”
The classmate tilted his head.
Since Bellus did not answer any further, he couldn’t get an answer.
Around the time the classmate, having lost interest, left to find another conversation partner, Bellus spoke in a low voice.
“The real problem isn’t Bayan.”
Meanwhile, Calypso, the protagonist and party involved in all these rumors, was currently…… lying in her sickbed, unable to get up.
* * *
The problem wasn’t that jerk Bayan.
‘Yeah, it wasn’t him.’
I let out a groan while covered with a blanket.
To be aching like this from just one street fight. This is a disgrace!
Of course, this was entirely my fault for recklessly training afterward because my anger hadn’t cooled down even after the fight that day.
No. No.
How is it my fault!
‘This is all because of that guy Bayan, who smells like lion stench!’
In any case, I ended up missing the institution due to illness.
Fortunately, Laila said I didn’t have to attend anyway to prevent a commotion until the disciplinary committee was held.
‘Good. There’s no perfect attendance award in this world, but I was aiming for something like that in my own way.’
I decided to shake off the pain by desperately engaging in random imaginations.
I am not weak enough to lose to mere muscle pain!
Determined to overcome it with sheer spite, the place I went to was the building where Dad lived.
“…….”
For some reason, Dad, whom I met after a few days, looked even more like a mafia member, as if he had upgraded in the meantime.
He even exuded a force that seemed like he should have dark music playing in the background and smoke effects blowing out.
I proudly straightened my shoulders.
“I won the street fight.”
It was a very proud story.
Didn’t even that jerk Bayan count among the opponents?
“The enemy leader was excessively strong, so I went with the ‘beat them down one by one’ tactic, and the results were better than expected. Master.”
“…….”
“Most of all, my fists worked even against guys of that age. I think it’s thanks to training hard.”
“…….”
“Because the Master is excellent, the disciple was able to achieve such an excellent feat. It means the Master is the best!”
I decided to think calmly for now.
I still have the parent summons left, which makes me dizzy just thinking about it.
I don’t know how to tell Dad about this, but for now, the start of my plan was this.
‘Let’s start with some thick flattery first!’
I won, didn’t I?
Among Killer Whales, there isn’t a human who dislikes victory.
In any case, I’m in a situation where I have to say something unpleasant, so if I soak the person in honey before doing it, the adverse effect will be less.
For a plan thought up hastily with a slightly dazed head, it wasn’t a bad idea.
‘But Father, why is there no response?’
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