The Crazy Killer Whale’s Favourite Penguin - Chapter 22

Episode 22: The Best Incentive (V)

I stopped running only after I had moved so much that I couldn’t even see Hanu as a dot.

Iprus has long since caught up with me without difficulty.

I spoke vaguely with a heart of support for Hanu, who was struggling with the huge wild boar below.

“Sir Hanu… He’s the weakest among us…”

“Isn’t Lady Lia the weakest?”

When Iprus suddenly interrupted, I stared blankly at her, then smiled benevolently.

“Iprus, do you know why a servant who always speaks the truth dies quickly?”

“Sorry.”

Upon receiving a quick apology from Iprus, I silently moved into the deeper part of the mountain forest.

Then, all of a sudden, I realized a huge cliché fact.

Wait.

After an unfortunate previous life, I reincarnated by possessing a random character in a novel I read.

‘Somehow, a handsome dork is obsessed with me, and I’m on my way to find the original male lead?’

‘Isn’t this a ‘main character’s’ narrative?’

‘…Then the main character is me, not Anemone?’

Uh.

If I were the main character, I would be criticized for not having an ability and causing trouble here and there.

‘I’m not smart enough to specifically remember the original, and I’m not nice either.’

“Hmm.”

‘Well, who cares? Sometimes, there needs to be a heroine like me to meet the minority with such tastes.’

As a person myself, I live while keeping my duty.

When I was self-justifying in the middle of the day, Iprus asked, most likely out of curiosity.

“Anyway, what brought you to such a deep place?”

“To save someone.”

“You know someone?”

“He’s more like a stranger. And maybe he doesn’t need my help.”

It had already changed a lot from the original.

It was possible that Theodore had not been attacked, and that he could have handled the assassins unharmed.

“Or maybe I just can’t find him?”

‘Actually, my memory isn’t particularly good, and it’s been several years since I possessed.’

It was impossible to know exactly where the male lead, Theodore, had collapsed.

I just had a vague idea that he would be somewhere deep in the forest.

Yes. It meant I came in without much investigation.

But what could a penguin who became human just a week ago do?

For me, this method of chancing upon the body was the best.

If I were the main character, wouldn’t the clichés that work in the novel allow me to meet him?

Around the time when I was thinking comfortably. Iprus narrowed her eyes and pointed somewhere.

“My lady, there is something over there. It doesn’t look like a beast.”

“What? Where?”

“Oh. Someone lying there? Bleeding?”

I immediately grabbed Iprus and hid behind a tree.

“Come here.”

“Isn’t that person going to die soon?”

The results of checking by squinting were… strong body shape and jet-black hair, it seemed that it was the Theodore I was looking for.

“Wait a minute, Iprus. I know a magic spell to determine whether he is dead or alive.”

“…What? But you don’t know how to use magic at all.”

“Anyone can recite it, but it’s like a forbidden language that shouldn’t be spoken carelessly.”

I looked at Theodore, who was lying down with a grim expression, and muttered softly.

“…Did you finish it?”

Keuk–!

As soon as I finished speaking, Theodore began to breathe heavily, coughing up blood.

…As expected!

This was certainly a magic spell to revive the dead.

Surprised by Theodore’s hemoptysis, Iprus jumped up. I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down again.

“You can’t go. You’re unarmed. I’ll go.”

Then I got up instead of her.

“Iprus, the potions please.”

With a worried expression, Iprus gave me the potion obediently.

“…I don’t know what the lady is planning, but I trust that you know what you’re doing.”

I looked into Iprus’ eyes. Eyes full of faith, free from impurities.

How could I not be honest with this kid?

There was something that had always been questionable in novels.

—Why don’t the main characters inform the people around them that they’ve reincarnated or possessed?

Even to the hands and feet who would give up their own lives without hesitation if it was for the main character.

In most cases, they even hid the fact from the beloved male lead until the end.

Well… There might be differences in the personality of the main character, but I thought I would reveal my secrets to someone I really trusted.

“Iprus, once we get out of here…”

—I’ll tell you everything.

I was about to say that, but realized I had almost stepped on the death flag, and quickly shut my mouth.

Then Iprus blinked and urged an answer.

“What about when we get out of here?”

I quickly rotated my brain to get out of this situation.

I’ll tell you everything → Death flag.

Let’s go eat something delicious → Death flag.

Let’s formally apologize to Hanu → Death flags.

But unfortunately, whatever I said after ‘Once we get out of here…’ seemed like a death flag.

Shit. What should I say at a time like this?

As if realizing I was flustered, Iprus shifted the topic elsewhere.

“Rather than that, is it okay to just leave him like that?”

“That’s a good point. I’m going to get him right away, so you stay here.”

“My lady, but…!”

“If you feel uneasy, it’s okay to come closer. You just have to stand at an angle where he can’t see you.”

“…I know. Instead, if it seems dangerous, you should give a signal right away.”

“Yes.”

I drank all the potions Iprus gave me and walked straight to the fallen Theodore.

His condition, when up close, was more serious than expected.

Like he had been deeply stabbed in the shoulder, blood was still leaking from the place where he roughly tore his clothes to stop the bleeding.

Seeing how he couldn’t move his body, the sword must have been poisoned…

It appeared that his life could not be guaranteed if he was left alone.

Fighting assassins in this state, what a mind-boggling human being.

Putting my thoughts aside, I decided to save Theodore first.

To be honest, it was thanks to the half-elixir I had tucked away in my pocket that I was able to calm down somewhat from seeing the serious wound.

When I opened the cork of the bottle containing the half-elixir, the smell of strawberry syrup wafted out along a ‘pop’.

It was a smell that made me very curious about the taste.

I untied the knot he had made to stop the bleeding.

It was a wound so deep that even I, who was accustomed to the wounds of others due to my long hospital stay, would frown at him.

I measured the amount of potion in the bottle and poured about half of it into his wound.

Then, as if proving that this was a fantasy world, the bleeding stopped immediately and new flesh began to rise.

This scene also showed why someone the size of Theodore was aiming to win the hunting competition in order to obtain the half-elixir.

Soon, I gazed away from the wound and motioned to pour the rest of the potion into his mouth.

Since the wound was more or less treated, I intended to detoxify him.

It was when I was about to put my hand to Theodore’s mouth.

Tak.

I thought he had lost consciousness, but he caught my wrist with brightly shining eyes.

Seeing that the hand on the side of the injured shoulder was weakly drooping, he did not seem to have fully recovered yet.

“Answer me… W-Who are you?”

“A passerby.”

On closer examination, his eyes were cloudy and strangely out of focus, as if he couldn’t see very well.

Was it because of the poison?

He took a deep breath and sighed.

“…G-Go away.”

I was thinking about how to effectively silence this bastard, and decided to borrow Suradel’s way of speaking.

“Huh, but I already treated your shoulder, so you can’t tell me to leave now.”

“Ha… ugh… To you, help, seek… No, enemies…”

“Then, did you intend to end up here?”

I didn’t hear an answer, either because he didn’t want to answer, or because he didn’t even have the energy to answer.

I quietly brought my hand to his mouth. But… it didn’t open because he was clenching his jaw shut.

“It’s not poison, so open your mouth when I’m asking nicely.”

“…….”

“Open your mouth?”

It was quite reasonable to refuse a potion given by someone you didn’t know in a situation where you were ambushed by assassins.

‘But considering how you’re going to die soon from the poison, isn’t it worth a try?’

“Hey.”

“…….”

I was getting angry at this prolonged strange confrontation.
(TL/N: i’ve tried my best to rephrase to fit the ‘style’ i guess the author is going for, but please imagine the below scene in manhwa style~)

In order to save this guy, I…

Heard insults that I shouldn’t have to hear about ‘all killer whales being crazy’ (truth: not a killer whale),

Servilely borrowed the half-elixir from Suradel (reality: he readily gave it),

And was so nervous that I went back to my penguin form in the morning and almost got my identity revealed to Suradel (what Lia did not know: he was the first to find out).

On top of all that, our frail Sir Hanu was stranded alone in the middle of the mountain! (technically, Lia left him behind.)

In the end, I reached the point where I had done enough and thought that I no longer needed to be considerate of Theodore.

I used both hands to forcefully open his mouth.

“After I came all the way here to save you, do you think I will let you die? Cheeky fellow.”

“What is this…! Urk!”

“Drink!”