Chapter 88
"Hueh."
Pastel with tangled pink hair in a mess controlled the broom. The broom flew wobbling as if about to fall then landed on the deck.
Thud.
Behind that sky, a fight unfolded between the angry mother whale and the fleeing baby whale.
The mother whale is pink, the baby whale is pink, Pastel is the same pink, but only I'm in the position of a small shrimp...
Pink pink shrimp shrimp.
"Your Excellency, are you alright?!"
People ran over.
I'm not alright!
She wanted to shout, but the person in overall charge couldn't be flustered in this situation, so she gathered her wits.
"I'm fine."
She refused the professors' support and stood up.
Hueh.
It seems the only thing growing is my acting skills.
She roughly fixed her tangled pink hair with her fingers.
"The mother whale is in an extremely enraged state, will damage reach Sky Island?"
A major professor briefly observed the parent-child fight with binoculars.
The situation continued with the mother whale firing huge light breaths and the baby whale hit by the beams bouncing away into the sky. Though hit by high-power beams, the baby whale was somehow in perfect physical condition.
"Though it's an exceptional case, it seems the naturally gentle mother whale won't vent anger on innocent people to this extent. However, I can't say for certain since it's unclear why she's acting like this."
"It seems the baby whale ran away from home and is being scolded."
Though actually that baby whale is concentrating on avoiding mom's beams without any reflection.
"Ah."
The professor somehow clicked his tongue. It seemed he realized there was no such thing and felt regretful, when it was a chance to be the first to present an amazing case to academia of successfully kidnapping a baby whale thought impossible.
Uwee.
Mad scientist.
"If running away is the root cause, she probably won't fly all the way to Sky Island. Sky whales are generous and easygoing."
Is it similar to how bears are unexpectedly gentle?
Being at the top of the food chain so there are few threats, rather their personality becomes gentle.
『I agree. Rather, it's better for this airship to stay still too. The mother whale is only firing breaths on paths that don't hit the airship. There's no need to needlessly move and invite danger.』
I see.
Certainly the mother whale's eyes seemed to periodically check this direction.
Pastel checked some personnel watching the majestic scene with mouths open. She clapped her hands to focus attention.
"Everyone snap out of it! Stand by at your designated positions!"
The chaos was quickly resolved.
Elsior approached holding a wooden cup.
"Good work. Drink this."
"Thanks!"
Pastel drank the orange juice.
"Puhaa!"
This is the pleasure of an authority figure who overcame crisis!
A feeling of showering and drinking milk.
Huk.
Now that I say it, it's nothing special.
Eeyee.
The whale fight didn't continue as long as expected.
The mother whale struck the baby whale with her wing fin then sharply turned her body and left. It was an attitude of finishing business.
The baby whale hit by a mom 1000 times larger bounced away just like that. It penetrated clouds like a ball and flew here drawing a parabola.
"Oing."
Its body collided with the airship's side. A roar rang out and the airship rippled. The wooden hull shattered and fragments scattered.
"Oiing!"
Pastel who staggered ran to the railing. She looked down at the hole-punctured hull.
"Whale friend!"
Any living being would have become a water balloon from that shooting...!
Wood planks on the hull stirred. The baby whale emerged rustle. Though there were minor scratches, its pink skin was smooth without major injuries.
Totally sturdy.
Pastel stroked her chest.
"Phew."
Then she hurriedly pointed at the mother whale.
"Whale friend! Hurry and go back! Mom is leaving!"
The mother whale was really leaving without a shred of hesitation. The enormous body gradually receded. It was a speed questionable if the baby whale only as big as a fingernail compared to an adult could chase.
The baby whale shook its body dropping wood debris. It blankly looked at the departing mother whale.
The whale's pink eyes rippled.
This might be a little no quite sad.
Running away was wrong, but isn't this too harsh a response...?
Pastel felt like becoming sad along with it.
This is like leaving a child in the middle of the highway because they threw a tantrum while riding in a car together.
Eeyee.
The baby whale slowly rose. It flew up above the deck then looked down at the airship people.
Everyone's expressions became complex.
The baby whale pointed at the mother whale with its wing fin. Then it flapped its wing fins and hit its belly as if pointing at itself.
Slap slap.
What does that mean?
The baby whale raised its head then made an ultrasonic sound somehow seeming to contain joy.
Oing.
Then it started showcasing a whale dance shaking its body and fins quickly.
Flap flap flap flap.
Shake shake.
A victory dance shown to everyone!
I beat mom!
Whale breath beam~!
A joyful light breath was fired into the sky.
"Uwak!"
Pastel belatedly understood the situation.
"That's not something to boast about!"
You unfilial whale!
#
Pastel looked at the academy's lake.
The pink baby whale swam leisurely. It looked very happy eating fruit thrown by the gathered bustling students.
Apple crunch crunch.
Eeyeeyee.
"Are all pink pinks like this?"
The demon in formal wear pondered next to her.
『It seems so.』
"What? Why aren't you denying it?!"
It was a joke!
『It's an answer considering you and your mother too.』
Uwaa.
Mother.
What did you do to demon for your reputation to be like this?
Though there'd be no answer coming back from a dead person even if I ask in my heart.
Pastel sighed deeply.
"Whale friend who doesn't know parents are precious."
The demon's lips moved. His expression became one of misspeaking then he slowly closed and opened his red eyes, pondering how to smooth it over.
Pastel watched his expression then put her hands behind her back and muttered loudly.
"Ah really if I had inherited abundant assets, I would have played with friends all day while lazing around~"
The demon was dumbfounded at the blatant wish.
Hehe.
Let's not get needlessly serious.
It's just the cult's tricks, not demon's fault.
The sound of stepping on grass was heard.
"Excuse me."
Elsior had approached at some point. A bundle of documents was awkwardly held. It was an attitude seeming unfamiliar with chores.
"The student council finished investigating the Knight Order."
"Ah! Thanks!"
Pastel reflexively received the documents. Then she paused discovering a flaw.
"Why are you bringing this?"
Not Ellie or Dustin or friend friends.
"Hm?"
Elsior was perplexed.
"I went to the student council and they gave it to me."
Was the duchess originally a being to do such errands? Or is Ellie who gave work as soon as she came amazing?
"Why did you come to the student council? Do you have some request?"
"Hm?"
Elsior was more perplexed silently. It was an expression of why are you asking such a question when you called me.
Eeng.
I didn't do that though?
Popular Pastel felt a flash of wariness for a moment.
Huk.
This chilling sensation.
This is like when you're nice to a kid with no friends then they think you're only friends with them and make lots and lots of promises.
A troublesome kid who takes it as rejection as a friend even if you refuse saying you already have a schedule.
Nod nod!
A friend who has difficulty accepting schedule as a refusal reason because they've never had many friends.
Pastel understands sufficiently!
But if left alone it will cause rumors so bluntly.
"Sorry Elsior. Though it's very enjoyable for you to come play at the student council after becoming friends, I don't always have time either. Can you understand?"
I can't spend time only on you.
Elsior was confused.
"You and you were friends...?"
Eweeh?
Pastel was shocked.
"We weren't friends?"
Elsior tilted her head. Her silver hair flowed down.
"Since when were we friends?"
They became expressions unable to understand each other.
Silence fell.
"What are you saying to someone without friends. There's no way a forced superior-subordinate relationship is complete friendship."
A voice was heard from the garden trees behind. A blonde girl poked out just her face.
"If you Pastel forced Bellamont to receive sponsorship for the ducal family succession competition, take responsibility as a noble."
Huk, Melissa.
"Why are you like that?"
Melissa flinched. She seemed extremely caught and hesitated then fully came out from behind the tree.
"Ahem. It certainly wasn't dignified. I apologize."
The future archmage patted her robe tok tok embarrassedly.
Elsior looked at that appearance then suddenly said.
"Undignified."
The corners of Melissa's mouth trembled.
Uwak!
A situation of the northern warlord suddenly picking a fight with the southern warlord!
"Wait! Wait!"
Don't fight again you two!
She waved both arms.
"What were we talking about! What were we talking about!"
The documents swaying along with her arms caught her eye.
Knight Order investigation report.
"Ah! Right! The Knight Order!"
The bad Knight Order that didn't deal with terrorism and drew a line saying internal circumstances and even attempted a power struggle over the sky whale matter.
"I have something you two can help with!"
The righteous act of improving the evil Knight Order as legitimate administrative power!
It's also a righteous act of the academy being reborn as Sky Island's sole authority!
Ahem.