A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 136: Standoff

“...Hnn?”

The first scene that entered my field of vision as my hazy consciousness returned and my sight came into focus—was something I simply couldn’t understand.

“Guh... K-Kuhk...!”

For some reason, Lord Maier was kneeling before me, clutching his stomach and drenched in cold sweat.

‘...A dream?’

For a moment, groggy as I still was from having just regained consciousness, I wondered if I was dreaming. But it seemed that wasn’t the case.

— Goooooooo...

A massive stream of black magic surged from right beside me, piercing straight into Maier, clearly visible to my eyes.

“Haha.”

And the source of that black stream—was the shadow witch, calmly perched on her broom, giving me a wink.

‘What the hell is going on?’

Judging by the wink, she seemed to be signaling something to me, but I had no idea what her intent was.

It made sense. I’d only just come to, having been shoved into a pit and knocked out cold. What the hell happened in the meantime to leave Lord Maier in such a state?

‘Well, it is satisfying...’

Not that I found the sight unpleasant. Lord Maier had been one of the main culprits who abused Meredia during her childhood. He could suffer worse and I still wouldn’t care.

“You... What the hell... is this...?”

“......”

“You seriously... want to die that badly... Kuhk!”

As I silently stared down at Maier, he grit his teeth and tried to get up, only to collapse again, coughing blood this time.

“Damn it... You're a white mage... How...?”

Well, that would be because it’s not me attacking you—it’s the shadow witch over there. Has he never seen her in this form before?

Now that I think about it, in the original game, whenever the shadow witch appeared from Maier’s perspective, she was always depicted as a silhouette of a saint.

Yeah, I guess it’s understandable he’d misinterpret things. Explaining it sounds like a hassle, so I’ll just let it slide.

“What’s this? A fight?”

“...But hierarchy fights are banned during Shadow Gatherings.”

“...But hierarchy fights are banned during Shadow Gatherings.”

“This is fun! Heehee!”

“Huh? That’s a face I’ve never seen before.”

Anyway, as I stood there in a daze, doing absolutely nothing, a cluster of faces popped out from a cave deep within the pit, accompanied by a chorus of chattering voices.

“Eh? What’s that guy? He’s not a black {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} mage or a demon.”

“...A human? Is he human?”

“An intruder?”

“Prey!?”

They stared at me and soon began loudly conversing among themselves. From what I could tell, they were demons—the kind that were said to have disappeared from the world long ago.

For reference, demons are beings so rare that even the most devout black mages spend a lifetime failing to summon even one. And even if you do summon one, getting it to serve you is practically impossible.

Given that four of them had just popped out like this... yeah, this really was the headquarters of the black mages where the Shadow Gathering was taking place.

‘Wow, now that I look closer... those are some familiar faces.’

I studied them more closely and, without realizing it, broke into a slight smile as memories came flooding back.

‘...So that’s why those prideful demons were wearing maid outfits.’

They looked a bit silly, sure—but in reality, these were the Four Archdemon Sisters who served under the shadow witch. In the final chapter, they’re mini-bosses you face mid-battle.

Just looking at their stats, I’d say each one could go toe-to-toe with Azrael when she’s at full power during the Prodigy Selection Tournament's final boss fight.

Meanwhile, I had nearly died just to barely acquire a single demon by exploiting loopholes—and she was casually commanding these as her maids? The disparity was downright offensive.

“...Wait a second. I know that smell.”

“...That foul white magic stench?”

“A white mage? He’s a white mage?”

“Prey! He’s prey!”

While I was letting out a bitter chuckle, I suddenly felt a wave of murderous intent from the demons peeking out from the darkness.

‘...I’m screwed.’

They were right—I was a white mage. And demons weren’t exactly the conversational type, so cold sweat began dripping down my back.

“...Ahaha...”

I glanced over at the shadow witch in desperation, but she was still fully focused on torturing Lord Maier.

Part of me wanted to ask her to sic the demons instead—but if I did that, my bluff would be exposed instantly. This was the very definition of a rock and a hard place.

“...Damn it. I should’ve brought Azrael.”

Bringing a subordinate to this place had never even been considered—but right now, someone like Azrael, who was contractually bound to obey me, would’ve been ideal as an escort.

— Crackle...!

That thought had barely crossed my mind when it happened.

“Y-You called...?”

“...!”

In the blink of an eye, a magic circle flared up on the ground before me, and Azrael emerged.

“I was doing laundry...”

With gloves on instead of her usual knuckles, a mop in one hand and a laundry bucket in the other—she was, for all appearances, just a housemaid now.

Looking closer, I could see calluses forming on her hands. Don’t tell me she was getting hazed by the other maids in the mansion?

“I mean... it got kinda fun doing this... Huh?”

She gave me an awkward excuse, then began looking around in confusion.

“This place is...”

“......”

“...Eh?”

Then, after a brief pause, she locked eyes with the Four Sisters.

“What the hell? That’s Azrael, isn’t it?”

“I thought she was dead. Guess not?”

“...But why did you contract with a white mage? Huh?”

“Traitor! She’s a traitor!”

As the Four Sisters started whispering with wide eyes, Azrael dropped her mop and bucket, her face a portrait of shock.

“...W-Why... why did you summon me here of all places?”

“......”

“Why? Just why?!”

Technically, I didn’t summon her. She just responded to my internal mumbling like an overeager puppy.

The result was something akin to getting caught in cosplay by your extended family during the holidays—and I refused to take the blame for that.

“Whatever. Can you deal with them, please?”

“J-Just me?!”

“Weren’t you the Demon King’s field commander?”

“...They were the elite royal guard though?”

Well, either way, it wasn’t my problem, so I looked at her with the calmest face I could manage. But her reply was just absurd.

“If you’re colluding with a white mage, you’re basically a traitor, right?”

“I mean, maybe if you were working with the Church, we could talk. But a white mage? That’s rock bottom.”

“Execution! Time for execution!”

“Heehee. It’s been a while since we hunted one of our own.”

The demons, now fully revealing their bloodlust, began approaching us.

“You dare... mention the Demon King... Mmgh!”

“...Haha.”

Azrael, cluelessly trying to speak, was swiftly silenced as I covered her mouth with my hand.

‘Guess I don’t have a choice.’

I was just about to quietly gather my white magic into my palm when—

— Fweeeeeesh...

A sudden breeze swept through, and some dust blew into my eyes.

“Ow...”

I rubbed my eyes, frowning. But then—I felt the atmosphere had changed.

— Zzzzzzt...

What unfolded next was even more surprising than when I’d first regained consciousness.

A soft vibration spread through the air, and then—it was as if time itself had stopped.

“...What the?”

Shocked by this anomaly, I turned to look at the shadow witch—only to see her completely frozen on her broom.

“Hey. What’s going on?”

“......”

“Oi.”

I even poked her cheek a few times, thinking she was playing around, but she didn’t react—she simply tilted sideways, motionless.

“What the hell...”

Not just her. The Four Sisters, Azrael—everyone was frozen in place, locked in time.

— Step, step...

Then, just as I stood there in blank confusion, footsteps echoed from the cave entrance where the sisters had emerged.

“Who’s...”

“There’s no need to be alarmed.”

A voice echoed from beyond—and the moment I heard it, I realized who had caused this.

“I just wanted a moment alone.”

“......”

“So I froze time for a bit.”

The figure I’d met once at the academy—unquestionably one of this world’s true masterminds.

The head of the black mages. The one person above all others. The one who had the Emperor wrapped around their finger. Shrouded in nearly complete mystery.

“It's been a while since the academy, hasn’t it?”

“......”

“You could’ve at least called. I would’ve left a mark on your heart.”

The one called the Great Shadow—had finally revealed themselves before me.

***

Meanwhile, at that same moment, in a back alley of the Empire’s danger zone—

“What’s going on?”

“...No idea. Emergency summons, apparently.”

“Sigh... I was finally on leave...”

Information agents of House Embergreen, scattered across the underworld, began converging at a shabby inn—most still half-dressed, unprepared.

“Is everyone here?”

“......”

“Answer me.”

Grumbling with silent resentment at the abrupt and forceful summons, they stepped into the inn—and instantly dropped all thoughts of complaint.

“Answer. Now.”

The person who held their lives, both physically and politically, in the palm of her hand—Meredia Embergreen—stood inside, exuding a chilling, murderous aura unlike any she’d shown before.

“C-Capital Division intelligence agents—s-seventeen in total. Assembled.”

“From this moment, I will issue a new order. Abandon all current missions. You are to prioritize the task I am about to give.”

The agents, frozen in fear, fell silent as Meredia delivered her command with icy authority.

“B-But... Lady Meredia. Halting our current operations would result in massive losses—”

“I said it was an order.”

“M-My apologies...”

The oldest among them, the chief of House Embergreen’s intelligence division, broke into a nervous sweat. But as Meredia’s eyes lit crimson, he could do nothing but shut his mouth.

“I don’t care how massive the losses are. I will ensure full and generous compensation. But you will obey.”

“...Understood.”

Only after Meredia suppressed her fury and her eyes returned to their usual color did the agents allow themselves to breathe.

“From this moment forward, every operative in the Empire will dedicate their full capacity to one task.”

And the moment she declared the new mission—their faces all turned pale once more.

“Investigate everything about Whitney Ringaarden’s birth mother, Seria Ringaarden.”

It wasn’t simply the nature of the order—a deep-dive into her fiancé’s personal history, whose name had been splashed across scandalous headlines alongside hers.

“Why the shocked faces?”

“......”

“Aren’t you the ones who carried out all manner of filth without blinking?”

Even as she sensed the shift in the room’s mood, Meredia asked calmly. Yet the agents remained silent.

‘...God help us.’

Especially the chief of intelligence—his face now ghost-white—looked utterly devastated.

Because more than ten years ago, it was he who had led a mission ordered directly by the Duke of Embergreen.

And the target of that mission... was none other than Countess Seria Ringaarden.