“At the end of the visible distance ahead, there is a mother whale!”
The sailor, who was looking through the telescope, shouted. The crew members, including a veterinarian caring for the pink baby whale, all looked beyond.
A pink skywhale was swimming in the scene where clouds spread like white paint on a blue canvas. When the giant moved, the shockwave scattered the clouds.
Same species.
Clearly a parent.
Pastel trembled.
Ahh.
A mother whale.
Sky sky whale whale.
Haaah.
The sky is going to crash because of the sky whales making noises?!
An absolute sky-crashing incident!
Boom boom!
Ahh!
However, aside from the chaotic feelings, she took charge as the person in command and tried to remain calm.
“Everyone, calm down! Just follow the plan! Cease navigation! Stay in your positions! Professor, where is the whale research vessel?”
“Over there!”
A white and blue camouflaged student ship was observing the skywhale from a proper distance.
“It’s farther than usual. Maybe the mother whale is more aggressive than expected.”
Ugh, bad news.
“It will be fine! It’s within the expected range!”
Although this was the legal airspace of Sky Island, it was quite far from human habitation.
There was almost no chance that a gentle skywhale would ignore her baby and fly all the way to Sky Island to vent her anger on innocent people.
Pastel lay down on the deck, alternating her gaze between the baby whale enjoying grilled shrimp and the angry mother whale smashing the clouds.
Neither seemed to respond.
It was acknowledged by the professors from the relevant department, including the demon lord that the parent and child could communicate since the baby whale was trapped in the metal vessel. They even investigated the magic circle in the vessel.
The mother whale was not unable to save it, but was choosing not to.
If the baby whale were truly in danger, it would be different, but skywhales are inherently resilient creatures that don’t die just because they go hungry and their skin cracks.
Still, it’s bewildering that there has been no change even when they are face to face.
Is your family relationship usually this cold?
Just like our family that sold even the family property and ran away.
Pastel approached the lying baby whale.
“How are you doing?”
The veterinarian stroked the whale’s pink skin in amazement.
“Looks fine. I’ve never cared for a skywhale before, and I only referred to cases, but I didn’t expect such recovery. It regained its health just from eating a few magic stones.”
They rescued it and flew directly here, yet in that time, the baby whale became lively without a single wound.
『Indeed, skywhales are impressive. They say that even in a relatively very small juvenile state, if they consume the magic energy around them, they can grow into massive adults. Even though we’ve fed it magic stones, I didn’t expect it to recover so quickly.』
Hee.
The baby whale stretched out its pink tongue to point at the grilled shrimp. An upperclassman worker who followed along fed the shrimp from the basket into its mouth.
Nom nom.
It definitely looked incredibly healthy.
“I’m glad you’re better!”
Pastel’s tension eased slightly as she held a grilled shrimp from a different basket.
The baby whale rolled its eyes and glanced over. Then it quickly mouthed as if to say it wanted to eat faster.
Nom nom nom nom.
Pastel peeled the shell off the grilled shrimp and sprinkled some magic stone powder on it. She took a big bite.
Yum.
The tender flesh filled her mouth. It wasn’t seasoned at all, but it had a delicate umami flavor.
Haaah.
Delicious!
The baby whale’s eyes widened. It stopped mouthing and stared intently at Pastel.
It had the same look as a cat that was astonished watching its owner pick up cat food.
Pastel’s eyes also widened in surprise. She hurriedly finished her shrimp and swallowed it.
“Whale friend, what’s wrong? Do you have something to say to me? Is it perhaps about family matters? Like why your relationship with your parents ended up like this.”
Realizing it was quite an impolite question, she quickly shook her head.
“I’m not curious about that!”
Gyaaang!
The baby whale did not reply. Perhaps it had come to terms with seeing a human eating food instead of a whale.
Nom nom.
Nom nom.
Eww.
Glutton, glutton.
『Why are you attempting to converse with the whale? Whales cannot speak human language.』
But wait! The baby birds encountered on the skywhale all communicated perfectly well!
『If you really want to talk, ask questions that can be answered with simple responses. Each individual is different, but under certain circumstances, they might understand human will.』
Haaah.
Is the demon lord a genius or what!
Let’s start with some easy questions.
“Whale friend! I’m going to ask you a question, and you can respond by moving your wing fins or something!”
She pointed to the pink wing fin.
“If you understood, flap flap!”
The baby whale glanced at her.
Silence lingered.
Ahh.
Does it not know what flap flap is?
“Like this, spreading your arms.”
Pastel demonstrated flapping with her arms.
“Flap flap flap flap.”
The baby whale stared blankly at the pink girl flapping around.
It watched her quietly, seemingly taken aback by her strange actions, and then extended its tongue.
Ah, tongue communication?
Maybe that’s more comfortable for whales?
The tongue pointed at the shrimp basket.
It was a clear prompt for her to give it food.
Woowang!
Ignored, Pastel’s face fell.
Bad whale!
Completely bad whale!
I believed you were my friend!
Huuuh.
She murmured gloomily.
“At this rate, we can take it directly to its mother without treating it in the air as we planned…”
The onlookers were startled. They had been confused by the viscount’s erratic behavior but were starting to come to their senses.
“Yes yes! That’s right.”
“Let’s send it back right away. Although it looks very comfortable here, being under its mother would be better.”
The baby whale flinched.
Looking surprised, but the slightly pouting Pastel didn’t pry further.
After all, the expression must be because it was unhappy with how the shrimp it was eating wasn’t properly peeled.
They executed the plan to return the baby whale. The research vessel turned around and they reconfirmed the baby whale’s condition on site.
“Really, not a single injury!”
“Great!”
Pastel tucked the white broom between her legs. The broom was repaired by an artisan while onboard the airship.
Powerful Pastel, capable.
“Up up, broom!”
Buuuuung~.
The broom lifted off. As the rope attached to the broom went up, the baby whale, tied to the rope, was drawn upward.
It wasn’t tightly bound; the rope was meant to pull gently. The original plan was for the healed baby whale to gracefully fly to its parent, but it seemed reluctant to leave, so they had to forcibly move it.
The pink baby whale stuck itself firmly to the deck. The rope tightened.
Such a stubborn attitude.
Oing.
“What’s the matter? Did you injure your stomach or something, making it impossible to fly?”
Is there an injury in a hard-to-see area?
Duchess Althea approached the whale, intrigued.
“It flew for a moment earlier to eat shrimp. It’s like it’s trying to change to a feeding position.”
“Really?”
Pastel tilted her head. She increased the broom’s power.
Then the resisting baby whale began to fly sluggishly. Although it seemed really unwilling, it started to move.
Pastel took one last look at the sack of magic stones, which would be used as fuel for emergencies.
No issues.
She gripped the broomstick tightly with her trembling hands.
With a calm expression, she looked down at the people on the deck.
“If I fly, please have the airship circle to the designated location. Be ready to escape at any moment.”
“Yes!”
She met the eyes of a mid-level professor.
“If I happen to die, please lead. Please send regards to Professor Horace.”
“…Yes, Your Excellency.”
The professor nodded with a complicated expression.
Pastel looked back at the still angry mother whale smashing through the clouds.
“I’m going!”
She increased the broom’s output. The baby whale, still sluggish, flew after her. The airship began to turn, and the deck rapidly distanced itself.
The open sky welcomed her. The wind rushed in, whipping her pink hair about.
“All clear!”
Except for the fact that I might just die from the anger of the whale.
“Wowaaang!”
With nobody watching, Pastel dropped her responsible persona and let herself cry freely.
“Life, my life…!”
Her body trembled as she voiced her frustrations.
If only the whale friend would fly on its own, she wouldn’t need to risk bringing it back!
But still, forcing the victims to do that seems too much!
The demon smiled slyly.
『Little Craft, you can be proud. As you say, now that you have money and power, you could have simply had someone else do it, yet you didn’t.』
It seemed like the demon’s voice lightened, as if shedding previous worries.
Though Pastel didn’t feel any joy from the demon lord’s words.
“I want to do that right now!”
Someone else, please do it for me!
『But you didn’t. That’s how it is.』
Ugh!
Why did I do that!? Why!?
With just a nod of my finger, some crew members could fly on the airship and bring the baby whale back!
Could it be that Pastel really has become an idiot?
Could it really be true that stupid stupid Pastel is a fact now?!
Is that so?!
Is it really so?!
Ugh!
At this rate, I’m definitely the stupid stupid stupid Pastel!
No chance of redemption!
The broom sped along.
As they got substantially closer, the mother whale, causing shockwaves with her tail fin, stopped her movement. Even from far away, her enormous eyes stared blankly.
Pastel felt a chill run down her spine.
“Y-you’re the parents, right? Of the whale friend?”
She swallowed hard.
“Maybe you can’t hear my voice at this distance~.”
Hahaha…
The mother whale moved her massive body. As she approached, the air was pushed away, creating a whirlwind.
Pastel struggled to keep her eyes open against the strong wind.
“Don’t do this! Don’t do this!”
I don’t want to die…!
She clutched the broom and trembled.
In the midst of it all, the demon calmly watched the situation.
『Hmm. The gaze is not directed at you. It’s neither the airship nor the direction of Sky Island.』
The demon seemed intrigued.
『Oh, I see. Look closely at the whale’s eyes. Can you not sense the anger of a mother?』
“I can feel it! I can feel it!”
The demon lord’s attitude seemed absurdly joyful at a time when circumstances were dire!
Still, being obedient, Pastel continued to observe the mother whale, still far away.
Despite the deadly atmosphere, as the demon said, it didn’t seem directed at Pastel.
Oing.
What’s going on?
“Whale friend! Do you know what’s happening…?”
When Pastel turned back, her mouth fell open.
The baby whale was making a mad dash away, as if it had predicted this. The wing fins that had been dormant were now flapping vigorously, and the tail fin was thrashing at light speed.
Oh wait.
Why are you running away?
A thought struck her.
“Could it be that you ran away from home?!”
Was the one hesitating actually a runaway child who didn’t want to go back home?!
Now that they can communicate over such a long distance, perhaps the mother whale hadn’t rescued her because it was meant to let the baby experience some hardships outside!?
But now the runaway had been properly rescued and was lazily enjoying shrimp, so the anger hadn’t subsided?!
In an instant, a blinding light covered the world. The beam of light shot by the mother whale aimed specifically at Pastel, deliberately missing her as it targeted the baby whale.
A tremendous roar and storm erupted. The aftermath crashed over Pastel. The broom spun wildly in the whirlwind.
“Waaah!”
In a whale fight, the shrimp gets broken!
Save the shrimp…!
