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Chapter 9
Even if he was nearly an old man in age, he was still the undisputed head of the Orca beastman clan.
Just his presence alone radiated overwhelming authority.
The elephant seal doctor continued speaking, visibly tense.
“…Unlike your grandsons, that child will suffer from frequent illnesses in the future. Especially since its immune system is already severely compromised at such a young age.”
“So it is a defective strain?”
Harold’s words were blunt.
But they were not wrong, so the doctor nodded.
“Then let me ask one thing. What happens if that child returns to its group?”
“Unfortunately… individuals with such conditions are usually left behind by nature’s laws. And this is only my speculation, but…”
The doctor hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
“…I believe that child may not be purebred.”
Meanwhile
“My dear, my precious little one…”
“Mother loves you so much. So, so much…”
“…I’m sorry, my child. I couldn’t protect you until the end.”
Drip, drip—pearls of tears fell.
Dahlia blinked its brown eyes and reached out.
“Pi, pii— (Don’t go, don’t go, Mom—)”
Two years ago, its mother—who had disappeared somewhere—appeared in its dream.
Its beloved mother.
But before its fingertips could reach her, someone suddenly grabbed Dahlia by the nape of its neck.
The world shifted, and terrifying teeth appeared.
White Shark beastmen.
“So it’s only one pearl a week? The delivery deadline for Rose Pearls is right around the corner! And what is this tiny size? Useless trash.”
“S-sorry, boss! It’s still young, so we’re regulating its condition…”
“Then it should be discarded if it’s useless. Do I need to consider the condition of such disposable trash?”
“We will correct it immediately, boss!”
Dahlia was dragged away.
Clank. Clank.
Cold shackles were fastened around its limbs.
“Pii— piiii! (P-please spare me! Please!)”
“If it’s come to this, then prove your usefulness—so both you and I can survive.”
The method by which sea otter beastmen produced pearls was no different from clams. A pearl formed when the mantle protected itself from an intruding object.
But in captured sea otters, foreign objects were forcibly inserted.
It was unbearable pain for a young sea otter.
It hurts.
Please save me.
Mom… you know…
If I just… died, wouldn’t it be easier?
Each time, it thought of its mother and grandmother.
And it endured for ten years.
No one was by Dahlia’s side as it suffered.
No family, no friends—only cold isolation and slow suffering.
And when it finally opened its eyes again after what felt like an endless death…
It was the day it was being handed over to the White Shark clan.
“Dahlia! Dahlia! Oh my precious child!!”
Its grandmother cried out, reaching for it.
But a White Shark beastman struck even her without hesitation.
“Pii, piiii! (Grandma! Don’t hurt Grandma!)”
It struggled desperately, but it was useless.
So it ran.
Please save me.
Please help me.
Anyone, please…
Get me out of this hell.
It had screamed for ten years until its voice gave out—but no one ever heard.
It thought this time would be the same.
But then, a miracle came to the baby sea otter.
“B-boss! It’s the Orca clan!”
That was the last thing it heard before losing consciousness.
As it blacked out, it only had one thought:
‘So warm…’
…so comfortable.
When Dahlia opened its eyes, it was the middle of the night.
‘So refreshed! Really refreshed!’
The fever that had clouded its mind before was gone.
Dahlia was good at enduring pain.
And more importantly—
‘I can transform now!’
Goodbye to its fuzzy marimo-like paws.
Dahlia raised its hands proudly.
“One, two, three, four, five!!”
Five fingers.
Ten in total on both hands!
It used to struggle even holding a fish jelly—but now it could grab five at once!
“Hehe.”
It giggled.
Coincidentally, the transformation growth pain had started the night Ennio found it.
It had roughly expected it, but since it used to be in pain almost every day, it couldn’t tell whether it was growth pain or something else.
So the timing had been a little sudden.
“B-bu dis is su gud…!”
“Mmngh…”
“…Huh?”
Dahlia quickly covered its mouth.
‘Wait… what was that sound?’
There was definitely someone else in the room!
It carefully crawled to the edge of the bed and peeked down.
On the carpet below were two bundled shapes lying side by side.
‘Huh…? Isn’t that the Orca brothers?’
Ennio and Sandio.
‘Why are they here?’
As far as Dahlia knew, they both had much nicer rooms and larger beds.
‘Why are they squeezed into a place like this?’
Between them lay a long pillow like a truce line dividing the space in half.
Sandio mumbled in his sleep.
“Mm… PiPi… don’t get sick…”
“…It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”
Even Ennio muttered the same thing.
“What is wrong with these guys…”
Dahlia quietly watched the two Orca brothers.
Soft breathing. Sleep-talking murmurs.
Sharing a room like this with others was completely unfamiliar to Dahlia.
In the White Shark clan, its bed had been nothing but a dirty cage floor separated by iron bars.
So this was the first time it had seen someone sleeping peacefully beside it.
It was strange—just watching someone sleep felt oddly fascinating.
Just the fact that someone else was nearby made the room feel warmer.
Its nose stung again for no reason.
Like when it was sad or in pain.
But it wasn’t sad now. Not at all.
Maybe hanging around kids like them was making it act like one too.
“Reeally… weird kids…”
After watching them for a while, Dahlia slowly drifted back to sleep.
Morning
“Aaaaaah!!”
A refreshing morning scream.
“Ugh… what? What’s going on?”
Ennio woke up at Sandio’s shout.
“T-th-there’s a weird girl here…!”
“…Shh.”
Ennio quickly covered Sandio’s mouth.
“Mmngh…”
The “weird girl” Sandio mentioned was rubbing her cheek against the pillow in her sleep.
Her soft, round cheeks squished like a steamed bun.
“Ew! It’s wet, brother! Is this seawater or what?”
“Be quiet. She’s sleeping.”
Sandio gasped and looked back and forth between the girl and Ennio.
“Wait—do you know her? Don’t tell me… you secretly got a girlfriend??”
Ennio, who normally didn’t even look at girls, always acted like he was the smartest person alive. Yet girls for some reason always followed him around.
On Sea Day or Shell Day, he would come back with his arms full of candy and chocolate.
“You really have no sense… forget it, explaining would waste my breath.”
Ennio sighed deeply.
Sandio, meanwhile, was grinning like he had discovered something exciting.
“Wow, I didn’t think you were that kind of guy…”
He looked at the sleeping girl.
Short limbs, soft round cheeks still babyish with fat.
Curly brown hair that shimmered golden in the light.
Pale skin and pink lips.
“So you like younger girls, huh?”
“…Sandio.”
“Fine, fine! I won’t tell Grandpa! But I’ve got one condition!”
“….”
“For a week, call me ‘big brother’!!”
At that point, Ennio’s expression turned truly disastrous.
He sighed like he was contemplating what to do with an idiot.
Then he spoke.
“Sandio. What’s your dream again?”
“Huh? Me? I’m gonna be the greatest investigator in the Emerald Coast! Like Sherlock—perfect observation and deduction, catching the worst criminals!”
“You should give up on that dream as soon as possible.”
“What?! Who are you to say that!!”
“Uuuugh, so loud!”
The arguing voices were too much.
The girl finally woke up.
Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing large, sparkling eyes.
Under thick lashes, ocean-blue, crystal-clear pupils slowly scanned the room.
