A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 180: The Nest (2)

"Why are you both making those faces?"

The girl tilted her head as she looked at Whitney and Ember, whose expressions had instantly darkened.

"Ah, well... I’ve actually been feeling a bit sick for a while now... H-haha..."

“The Demon ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ King is going to be resurrected? That... that shouldn’t be allowed to happen...”

The moment the girl spoke, Whitney and Ember both forced a strained smile and began offering excuses no one had asked for.

"You don’t need to worry about that."

“...Excuse me?”

"We dragons aren’t so easily dealt with."

With an unpleasant scowl, the girl’s voice dropped into a cold, sharp tone.

"But it was a prophecy—"

"Our kind is not bound by predetermined fate. Not even one told by the Dragon Lord."

At those words, Whitney, silent for a beat, gave a sharp gaze—though no one could see it, as his eyes were still closed—and asked:

"Has anything like this happened before?"

"In what sense?"

"I mean... has there ever been a prophecy that was changed? A fate that was overturned?"

She tilted her head briefly before answering in a low murmur.

"No such precedent exists."

“...What?”

"No such precedent exists. Because we’ve never even attempted it."

Hearing that, Whitney and Ember's faces twisted strangely. It was then that the Death Knight, who had been quietly silent beside them, finally spoke up.

"Dragons are, by nature, indifferent to the affairs of the world. They’re famous for refusing to interfere no matter what happens outside."

"Indeed. That is both our creed and our conviction. Of course, not when it concerns a crisis threatening our species..."

"So when the Second Demon King appeared, you sided with the Demon King’s army?"

The girl, nodding along in agreement with the Death Knight, suddenly fell silent at the unexpected retort.

"That tale has been clearly and deliberately distorted. For one, the dragon in the Second Hero’s party was the Dragon Lord of that era—"

"But isn’t it a fact? If that dragon hadn’t joined the Second Hero’s party, the rest of your kind would’ve helped the Demon King destroy the world."

The girl, who had just begun a cool and deliberate defense, faltered as the Death Knight effortlessly smashed through her argument.

"You seem quite well-versed in hero lore."

The girl blinked, briefly falling silent, then offered a delicate smile.

Unlike her usual cold demeanor, it was almost... gentle.

—Gooooh.

If not for the overwhelming dragon fear pouring from her in waves, they might’ve actually believed it.

“...Huh?”

But unlike the frozen Ember or the Death Knight, who was standing stiffly with a grimace, Whitney simply tilted his head in mild confusion.

Hero lore...?

An odd sense of déjà vu had been tickling at the back of his mind for a while now.

“...!?”

And in truth, enduring such intense dragon fear based on just a vague sense of familiarity—unless one was a dragon—was impossible.

The girl had been moments away from unleashing her full strength to silence these disrespectful pests. But as she stared at Whitney, who remained unaffected, she couldn’t help but be startled.

...Strange.

She hadn’t flinched when intruders had entered the sacred snowy mountain. Nor when the Death Knight took her by surprise.

But this... This was different.

The chasm between species—especially when it threatened to be denied by a human—was something dragons instinctively hated.

It was the very reason they had driven the dragon slayers to extinction, even at the cost of their own kind.

...Should I kill him?

That thought surged uninvited into the girl’s mind as she silently glared at Whitney.

She couldn’t explain why. The young human man before her looked frail, maybe a little rough around the edges—but otherwise, quite ordinary.

Yet something about him wasn’t.

Something strange lay beneath his skin. The more she dwelled on it, the more the discomfort grew.

No. Endure it.

With difficulty, the girl suppressed her killing intent and shook her head.

It was the Dragon Lord himself who had permitted these humans into the Nest.

Even if other dragons had begged her (not that dragons ever would), refusing the Dragon Lord’s word would’ve been suicide.

Dragons were individualistic, egotistical creatures, whose pride matched their immense power. For them to acknowledge someone as "Lord"—to follow another dragon—that was sacred.

And breaking that trust? The ultimate taboo.

"I will not discuss that legend further."

“......”

"Woman who carries foul energy. Consider this my final act of mercy."

"So you’re saying if I follow you looking all calm and obedient, you’ll slice me up and bury me somewhere in the snow?"

“...Were you always like this?”

"Well, I mean..."

"And even if that did happen, you’re strong enough to survive, aren’t you?"

But when Whitney pointed this out, Ember glanced around nervously before whispering something just for his ears.

“Okay, look, this is seriously a secret. Especially from the Death Knight...”

“...?"

"So the truth is... I’d probably lose to a random kid off the street right now."

“...What?"

Whitney gave her a look of utter disbelief, prompting Ember to rush out an explanation.

"Eek! But there’s a reason! I—I couldn’t help it!"

"In what way couldn’t you help it?"

“You remember all those exclusive perks I worked so hard to collect? Well... they were all one-time-use only, see? The devs didn’t want them to break the balance...”

"Get to the point."

"I—I used them all during the Demon King Candidate Selection Tournament! I was planning to gather the rest and bring them here, but—"

Hearing that much, Whitney let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead.

“So because I moved up the timeline, you didn’t have time to restock your perks?”

“...Yes, exactly.”

“Meaning that right now, you’re weaker than a random street kid?”

"N-no! I mean, before I possessed this body, yeah. But some of the perks boosted physical and magical abilities—"

"Then you’re fine, aren’t you?"

"But some of the ones I used had recoil effects, and now—"

“...Haaah.”

Sizing her up, Whitney let out another heavy sigh and stepped forward.

“W-why are you moving closer?”

“So, in conclusion, you’re a completely useless burden at the moment.”

"Y-you don’t have to say it like that..."

“...But it’s true, isn’t it?”

Her attempt to protest was silenced by his frosty whisper.

“...Yes. You’re right...”

“You admitted that pretty fast.”

“S-sorry...”

"You should’ve just been honest and refused to come with us."

“B-but I couldn’t miss a journey with my favorite character—hiiik!”

Still clueless, Ember said something ridiculous again—only to yelp as Whitney suddenly leaned in.

"Miss Ember, I see there’s no helping it now."

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just... from now on, you’ll take the lead wherever we go.”

“B-but I’m useless right now!”

"Exactly."

Ember’s eyes widened, her pupils trembling.

“W-wait, are you using me as a meat shield...?”

“......”

“F-for real?!”

She stared at him, aghast—but Whitney’s face was colder than ever.

“There must be some other use for me! I could plan tactics, or act as your strategist—”

“......”

“Or, or... I could keep you company! I’m good at cooking too—”

“...?”

“Really! I’ve been living alone for years! I can make anything—from basic survival meals to fine dining!”

She was trembling and rambling at this point. But when Whitney’s brow twitched slightly at the mention of food, a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

"This is a frozen wasteland where only dragons live. Are you planning to roast dragon meat?"

“W-well...”

But when Whitney sighed again, her fleeting hope was quietly snuffed out.

“...!?”

Fortunately for her, no one saw the girl at the front flinch and glance backward upon hearing that exchange.

"Take the lead."

“...Yes...”

And so, with the helpless Ember now at the front, Whitney and the others began following the scale-covered girl deeper into the snowy mountain.

***

They walked through the forest. Who knew how much time had passed.

"Hey."

“...Yes?”

The girl, who had been walking in silence, tilted her head at the voice from behind.

"Forgive me, but what should I call you?"

"I decline."

“...What?"

Whitney had walked up behind her and asked in a hushed tone (Ember, for reference, was ahead of both of them, trembling as she walked), but the girl responded with an icy glare.

"I have no desire to be addressed by name from the likes of a human."

"But earlier, you said you were being polite..."

"Of course. Most dragons—including myself—would incinerate a human for even asking our name."

"That seems a bit extreme."

"Wouldn’t you want to crush a passing ant if it suddenly called you by name?"

Whitney frowned, as if he couldn’t understand.

"I’d actually find that kind of amazing."

"Ah. There are a few odd dragons who think that way too."

The girl nodded, surprisingly open.

"But among them, some go so far as to mate with humans. Disgusting creatures."

"......."

"Those are the disgrace of our species. To mix the blood of a noble race with humans, of all things..."

She sneered, her expression filled with contempt.

"I heard the previous Dragon Lord married the Second Hero."

"...That was an exception."

When the Death Knight muttered from behind, the girl suddenly replied in a cold, mechanical tone.

"And the first Dragon Lord married the First Hero—"

“Silence yourself.”

Before he could finish, the girl snapped—her eyes gleaming as she radiated deadly intent.

“...I lost my temper. Apologies.”

Then, as if nothing had happened, she bowed her head with a calm expression and resumed walking.

"Now, I’ll continue leading you—"

But she didn’t get far.

A few steps in, she stopped. Her face... went blank.

“...Huh?”

“Eh?”

“...?”

The same confusion spread across the faces of Whitney and his party.

Because, in the distance—just barely visible now—the Nest had come into view.

And from it, a towering pillar of black smoke was rising, vast enough to blot out the sky.