Chapter: 05
“Still… isn’t there anything I can do about this body? It’s way too weak…”
My frail body was the one thing I hated every time I regressed.
And for good reason.
“All my stupid older brothers were born with incredible strength and powerful bodies. So why am I the only one…?!”
Every one of my brothers inherited only Father’s overwhelming power.
Meanwhile, I was the only one who inherited nothing but his weak constitution.
“Ugh… this rotten genetic lottery…”
I grumbled under my breath while making my way toward the building where my room was.
It was the place where all the baby orca beastkin were kept.
The room itself was barely managed, but since I’d caught Grandmother’s attention, it wouldn’t be good to disappear for too long in case she came looking for me.
It’s so far.
I let out a deep sigh.
If only I could use the Power of Water at times like this!
The Power of Water wasn’t simply the ability to control water.
It was the very source that allowed aquatic creatures to survive.
Because of that, if properly applied, even a child like me could display strength comparable to an average adult beastkin.
Among my brothers, there was one who was especially talented at using it that way.
I wonder if the second brother is doing well…
In my previous life, after I defeated my brothers, they accepted their loss without complaint and became my subordinates.
They were selfish, arrogant jerks…
But in the end…
They died protecting me.
Typical orcas.
They remained stubborn until the very end.
For a moment, I wanted to see them.
But now wasn’t the time.
They were probably staying in the main estate or one of the training facilities.
Besides, to the current me, they were complete strangers.
As long as they’re still breathing, they’re probably fine.
Anyway, I’d become influenced by an orca’s instincts as well.
I felt camaraderie toward them, but not deep affection.
Normally, whale beastkin possessed strong bonds with members of their own species.
But orcas were different.
They saw one another as comrades who should protect each other, yet they lacked the warm affection humpback whales or dolphins had for their own kind.
If I had to compare them to something…
Orcas were more like members of a massive gang.
They considered each other comrades carrying out the same operation.
I awakened the Power of Water in my last life…
Will it not happen this time?
Unlike my brothers, I was the only one of Father’s children who wasn’t born with the Power of Water.
Every lifetime, Grandmother mocked me as nothing more than a half-baked fish head.
Because I was useless…
I was quickly sold off.
That was why, during my third life, I ran away and claimed the treasure mentioned in the novel—
Linius.
Originally, the male lead obtained it after a tremendous adventure and presented it to the heroine as a gift.
It was said to be the tears shed long ago by the Water Dragon.
With its help, I managed to awaken the Power of Water.
Do I have to go get it again this time?
In the original story, it was supposed to become proof of the male lead’s devotion and love.
No way.
I’m not letting that bastard use it to fulfill his romance.
I’ll use it for myself again.
Still…
If I could use the Power of Water without having to search for the treasure, that would be ideal.
With a tiny sliver of hope, I grabbed my finger, squeezed with all my might, and tried to activate it.
Nothing happened.
“Ugh… what a shame…”
For now, I’d just focus on winning Father over.
I gave up cleanly and was about to continue walking.
“Hey, is it here? I think we came to the wrong place.”
“No, I’m telling you, this is it!”
I turned my head.
Not far away, I saw several children.
They looked around nine to twelve years old.
Judging by their hair color… they’re collateral branch orcas.
Thanks to my diligent walking, I was already close to the building where I lived.
I was about to ignore them and leave…
“Agh, I’m telling you! The newly born direct-line girl is here! We’ve got to make her useless!”
I froze.
Direct line?
Girl?
There was only one.
Me.
“Okay, but why? She can’t even use the Power of Water, and isn’t she just some defective who’s going to be sold off as the Dragon’s Bride?”
“No, things changed! Didn’t you hear? Lord Patriarch acknowledged her, and she’s moving to the main estate!”
“Huh…?”
“You don’t know? If we leave her alone, it’ll cause trouble for Lord Baiyan! If anything happens to him, we’re all dead too!”
The moment I heard the name Baiyan, I immediately understood the situation.
Baiyan…
My eldest uncle’s first son.
Grandmother’s eldest son.
My eldest uncle.
And Baiyan was his oldest child.
He was also the very first person I defeated in my previous life.
An unbelievably greedy man.
Most collateral branch members of the orca family chose a single heir and voluntarily became their retainers.
Without extraordinary talent, that was the only way they could survive.
These kids had apparently been following Baiyan since childhood.
One of them looks familiar.
The problem was…
Collateral families serving a powerful heir usually possessed considerable influence.
Enough to completely ignore a direct-line child like me, who had neither allies nor protectors.
“What kind of person is the Patriarch? If he acknowledged her, then she’s definitely going to become an obstacle in Lord Baiyan’s future.”
“…Did Lord Baiyan himself say so?”
“He did!”
Wow.
From the sound of it, the news that Grandmother had acknowledged me had already spread everywhere.
Well…
Receiving praise from that woman was extraordinarily difficult.
Right now, the grandchildren were fiercely competing over the succession.
So the sudden appearance of a direct-line descendant acknowledged by the Patriarch…
Wasn’t welcome news to those already fighting for power.
“She still lives in that building. If we kill her now, nobody will know. Everyone will just think she was too weak to survive past the age of three like so many other children.”
“Ohh…!”
Important enough…
That they had come to kill me.
If only I had the Power of Water, I’d send these cocky little brats flying with one hand.
Orcas were known as the outlaws…
The gangsters…
Of the sea.
Because of that, even after becoming human, their naturally violent tendencies remained.
Children like these casually talked about killing someone as if it were nothing.
It’s frustrating, but I don’t have the strength to fight them yet.
I’ll have to hide…
The moment that thought crossed my mind—
As if fate were mocking me—
I looked back…
And met one of the boys’ eyes.
In an instant, his black eyes swept over my head.
My hair!
The hair color of the direct line was different from the collateral branches!
“Hey… th-that kid…!”
There was no point hiding anymore.
I immediately turned around and ran.
Damn it! I’m still not used to running!
Whales were mammals.
Animals born alive developed much more slowly than those born from eggs.
And my whale body already developed slowly to begin with.
Combined with my naturally weak constitution…
Being caught was practically inevitable.
The problem was that I froze when the boy effortlessly overtook me…
And tripped face-first onto the ground.
Ugh… how humiliating…
I immediately lifted my head.
“Look at her. Covered in soot. Ew, she’s filthy.”
“Seriously. Covered in dirt. Is this really a direct-line descendant? She looks like an idiot.”
“I heard she can’t even use the Power of Water.”
The two boys surrounded me as I lay on the ground.
“Which means we can kill her.”
I looked around.
Of course there wasn’t anyone nearby who would help me.
“But if she can’t use the Power of Water, how did she catch the Patriarch’s eye?”
Good.
I’m glad you asked.
“You two… you’re collateral branch members.”
“Baiyan’s lackeys, aren’t you?”
The boys stiffened.
One of them looked utterly bewildered.
“Hey… did she just… talk?”
“I’m not imagining things, right? I heard she’s not even thirty months old yet. How can she talk? Damn, that’s creepy. I didn’t start talking until I was eight…”
“Hah… I was wondering how she got the Patriarch’s attention without the Power of Water.”
One of the boys lightly tapped my head while grinning.
“So that’s because you’ve got a really good brain?”
His sharp fangs showed as he smiled.
Malice gleamed in his eyes.
“Yeah… if we leave this one alive, she’ll become a pest for Lord Baiyan.”
What?
A pest?
“A pest? You really just said that?”
I grabbed the finger that had been poking my head.
Then I bit down with all my strength.
“AAAAAGH! You crazy little—let go!”
“Ugh!”
He shoved me away with all his might, knocking me onto my backside.
But I still had plenty to say.
“A pest? Then that’s a land animal, you uncivilized fish bastard! How dare you compare me to some land insect? You plankton-brained idiot! If I smacked your head with a stick, it’d sound like a drum!”
“…”
“…What the hell is she talking about?”
How dare these bastards insult a fellow sea creature by comparing her to a land animal.
“Hm… maybe she’s just insane? You know, one of those kids who’s so smart they end up crazy.”
“That actually makes sense. Doesn’t matter. We were going to give her a peaceful death… but I guess that’s not happening anymore.”
Even under their murderous stares, I refused to back down.
“You’re going to kill me?”
“Do you even know where I’ve just been?”
“Tch, for such a tiny thing, you sure talk a lot. Bite my finger, will you? I’ll beat you to death.”
Kicks began raining down on me.
Compared to everything I’d endured in my previous life…
These kicks were nothing.
I shouted at the top of my lungs.
“You!!”
“I just came back from meeting our father!!”
The kicking stopped instantly.
