A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 37: Midterms

A few students—clearly noble offspring—tilted their heads and scrutinized me closely, but no one could accurately place my identity.

Well, even though my name had started appearing in letters several times a day, there wasn’t much information about me publicly available, so I couldn’t blame them.

“Enough chatting. Everyone, pay attention.”

Just as the chatter was starting to get on my nerves, a sharp voice rang through the exam hall.

“The person standing before you is Sir Whitney, who will be proctoring this midterm exam.”

It was a stern-looking woman—probably their homeroom teacher—who had just stepped forward and started speaking with a ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) frown.

“He’s a skilled white mage who recently defeated black mages in that unfortunate incident and received an award of gratitude from the Imperial Family.”

Thanks to that statement, the students who had been whispering fell silent, their eyes on me changing. I appreciated it, but honestly, that kind of praise was a little uncomfortable.

After all, it was Lunelle who defeated the black mages, and I just used the magical device Parsha gave me to relay vision to her and... well, kidnapped a saintess.

“So, in other words—if you’re thinking about cheating or trying any tricks, it’s best to throw that idea away now.”

The teacher added that with a cold smile, making a point to hammer in the overestimation with flair.

“Sir Whitney, if you detect any such behavior, feel free to use force.”

“Hmm, I’ll have to think about that one.”

Sure, I practice white magic, but by its nature, white magic is geared toward support and aid, not aggression. Using force wasn’t exactly my forte.

Now, if you were talking about the high-ranking officials of the Lumen Ordo—the Order of Light, which includes some of the most renowned white mages like my father—that’d be different.

For the record, I still hadn’t even been allowed to join because of how off my white magic is.

“My white magic specializes in healing and defense, not hurting others.”

“...Is that so?”

“Oh, of course, things would be different if I were facing a black mage.”

Not wanting to get caught in an awkward situation later, I laid that out like an insurance policy—while tacking on a half-decent excuse to save face.

“...Still, I can’t go treating students like black mages, can I? Haha.”

“Ah... well, that’s true. In that case, please go easy on those brats.”

Thankfully, the teacher nodded as if convinced, then turned her attention back to the now-nervous students and raised her voice again.

“Let’s cut the idle chatter here and get down to business.”

“......”

“Assistants. Begin channeling mana into the array.”

With a snap of her fingers, the assistants waiting in the back stepped forward—

Fwoosh...

—and the massive magic circle drawn in the center of the exam hall, large enough to cover the entire field, began to activate, glowing with a dark light.

“...What the?”

Seeing that, I blinked in disbelief and quickly turned to the teacher.

‘Wait, isn’t that the kind of summoning circle black mages use to summon monsters?’

Could it be? Is this that classic Academy cliché where some absurd crisis just has to happen during the test?

If so, this is bad. I need to stop the ritual right now—

“You recognized it immediately. Impressive.”

“...Huh?”

“It took quite a bit of effort to set that up, you know. Hoho.”

Ah. So it wasn’t that cliché—it was the other classic Academy trope: one of the faculty members is secretly in league with the enemies!

But then—

“Attention, everyone. The circle now activated is a summoning formation typically used by black mages to call forth monsters.”

“......?”

“As you all know, black magic is a forbidden art. No matter your status, using it means immediate execution.”

My misunderstanding was cleared up instantly as the teacher boldly turned to address the students.

“However, following recent incidents—including the most recent one—it’s become clear that the black mages are becoming increasingly active.”

“......”

“Considering the seriousness of the situation, His Majesty the Emperor has granted special permission to the Academy to allow this test as an exception.”

Judging by the mixed looks of tension and resolve on the students’ faces, this must’ve all been agreed upon ahead of time.

Now I just feel awkward. Well, at least they didn’t outright say I was a parachuted-in appointment.

“In short, this exam is a live combat evaluation—measuring how effectively you can subdue and neutralize monsters summoned by black mages.”

Given that the Academy values hands-on learning and practice, this sort of thing wouldn’t be impossible, as long as they had the proper clearance.

“Throughout this semester, you should have learned this already—but among all summoned beings, monsters are the most alien and dangerous. Even if you know their weaknesses, they’ll still be tough opponents for students like you.”

That said... is it really okay to throw first-years with no battle experience into a fight against monsters?

“Should anyone become incapacitated, the faculty—and Sir Whitney—will step in immediately. So while failure is possible, at least you won’t die.”

Ah. That explains it.

“Of course, we won’t step in for a broken arm or two, so stay sharp.”

Now it makes sense why Lady Meredia sent me here as the proctor. It might’ve been her version of being considerate.

“That concludes the briefing. Squad leaders, organize your members and prepare for combat.”

As I let out a dry laugh, picturing the tsundere streak Lady Meredia had been showing lately, the students began forming into groups at the teacher’s command.

Bzzzzt...

At the same time, thick, ominous smoke began pouring from the activated magic circle, quickly filling the entire hall—

Ruuuumble...!

—and massive walls sprang up from the ground, forming a huge maze that trapped the smoke inside.

“Eek.”

“U-ugh...”

The instant dungeon formed in seconds. From the smoke drifting out of the maze entrance, a chilling presence began to seep, and groans started escaping from the students.

“One thing to note—monsters feed on fear. If you start trembling now, you might end up their prey.”

The teacher’s voice stayed calm as she warned the students. Then she glanced my way and threw me a casual question.

“So, Sir Whitney? They’re the lowest tier of monsters used by black mages, but still—impressive, aren’t they?”

“Ahaha...”

All I could do was force a stiff smile.

‘...This is terrifying.’

Because despite my public image, the truth was—I had zero real combat experience.

This was literally the first time I’d seen one of those freakish monsters from the game with my own eyes.

—Mmm... what a delicious soul...

—So many fresh young ones here...

And to make it worse, it sounded like I could actually hear the monsters murmuring from within the maze’s gaping jaws.

—That black-haired girl looks especially tasty...

—But she seems strong... let’s feast on the weak ones first...

Wait. Hold on a second. What the hell is going on?

—But where is our summoner?

—Strange... I sense something familiar...

Why do I understand what they’re saying?

***

“M-my legs won’t move...”

“H-hiiiiek!”

“M-mommy...”

While I was still reeling from suddenly understanding the monsters’ language, the midterm exam proceeded without a hitch.

“Team A eliminated. Assistants, cut the mana flow.”

The reason nothing went horribly wrong was because the faculty members had full control of the situation and responded with absolute precision.

“I told you not to let fear overwhelm you.”

“GRRAAARGH!”

“They may look grotesque and wield unnatural powers, but they’re still summoned beings at the core.”

The moment students lost their will to fight and entered a panic, the magic circle’s mana flow was cut, and the waiting instructors rushed into the maze.

For reference, every single member of the faculty—especially the strict woman from before—was a battle-hardened veteran.

“KYAAAAAGH!”

“Strike the weak points, and they vanish just like any other monster.”

Thanks to their efforts, the low-tier monsters that had been feeding on the students’ fear were reverse-summoned without resistance.

—N-not there... that spot is... sensitive...

“...Ugh.”

For some reason, I could still understand their whimpering. Honestly, I was starting to feel sorry for them.

“Hmph, how pathetic.”

“...?”

“To think they’d tremble in fear at such lowly monsters. Absolutely ridiculous.”

Just as I was standing awkwardly—still with no reason to intervene—I heard a refined yet arrogant voice beside me and turned my head in confusion.

“Still... I didn’t expect you to ignore me so blatantly, you know?”

“Who are you?”

“Didn’t you read the letter from my father?”

Among the noble students who had been whispering that I looked familiar, one particularly proud-looking young lady now approached and spoke as if she knew me.

“I’m Adel Felgrave, second daughter of the Marquess of Felgrave. Still don’t recognize me?”

“Ah...”

“Fufu, well, as long as you know now.”

Honestly, it was the first time I’d seen her face, so all I could do was wear a puzzled expression. Only after her impeccably noble tone and gestures did I finally recall who she was.

She was the one listed just below Cecil on the Prodigy Selection Tournament candidate roster.

And—if I remembered correctly—she was from one of the most prestigious families, judging by the invitations I’d sorted through and burned all night.

“So, when will you be sending your reply?”

“......”

“My father isn’t exactly a patient man, you know. Surely you understand the need for proper timing in these things?”

She looked at me with a haughty pout, clearly assuming I’d be accepting that wedding proposal.

But now that I’ve regained my memories from my past life and have the common sense of a modern man, I have absolutely no desire to get involved with someone three or four years younger than me.

“My lady, I’m sorry, but I already have a fiancée.”

“...What?”

“Rather than someone like me, wouldn’t you enjoy dating someone more dashing and closer to your own age?”

Besides, if I had responded to even one of those letters, I’d probably be buried beneath the dirt floor of a certain duchess’s estate by now, those pretty eyes filled with rage.

“I heard rumors that you’re being used by Lady Meredia.”

“.......”

“If anything, this might be your last chance to escape before you’re discarded.”

Apparently, this bold young lady hadn’t quite understood what I was trying to say.

How do I explain this gently, without causing her entire family to be buried in the Embergreen estate garden?

“If you're concerned about the duchess’s influence, you needn’t worry. Perhaps you’re unaware, but the Felgrave family is an ancient lineage of magic tower masters.”

“Hmmm...”

“And my father holds the highest rank among the current tower lords. Even the mighty Embergreen family can’t treat us carelessly.”

From the way she spoke, it seemed unlike other families who sent letters out of ignorance or desperation, hers was acting on the confidence of genuine political clout.

The problem is... I remember that the magic towers will soon be rocked by a major scandal involving black magic, leading to a massive restructuring.

And if I betray Lady Meredia, that’ll only accelerate her descent into villainy—at which point both the Imperial Family and the towers are doomed anyway. So, really, her offer means nothing to me.

“Ahem. Hrm!”

As I stood there with a clearly uncomfortable expression, trying to figure out how to politely decline, Adel cleared her throat loudly, glancing around.

“Ah, Lady Adel! Come to think of it—how did your application to the Prodigy Selection Tournament go?”

“Only top-tier students are even eligible to apply, aren’t they?”

“I wasn’t even qualified to submit one!”

Her followers, who had been watching the mood anxiously, suddenly swarmed in with clumsy, suspiciously timed questions.

“Fufu, don’t be shocked—I’m the second-ranked candidate!”

“W-wow!”

“Amazing!”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Oh, and by the way, that’s confidential Academy information. So don’t go spreading it around!”

Grinning smugly, Adel twitched the corners of her mouth and glanced at me proudly.

...I’m embarrassed just watching this.

Even though she’s a noble debutante, a child is still a child—the fact that her true feelings were so obvious wasn’t surprising. What stood out more was that she hadn’t even mentioned who the top-ranked candidate was.

I already knew.

“Team B, passed!”

“...Huh?”

“Incredible. A first-year record—no, even including second-years, it’s unprecedented.”

At that perfect moment, the teacher called out in rare surprise. Smiling quietly, I turned and began walking toward the entrance.

“Haha, Cecil. You never disappoint me.”

“...Ugh, whatever.”

As expected from the first-ranked candidate, Cecil just gave me her usual grumpy attitude and kept walking. Still, I couldn’t help but feel proud.

“I-I could do that too, if I wanted!”

“Here we go again...”

Just as I was scratching my head in awkward amusement, I overheard a conversation between the young lady who had been pestering me and Cecil.

“Aren’t you tired of this? Seriously...”

“Y-you! How dare you talk to me like that—”

“You’re the one who’s always picking fights, Lady Adel.”

Listening in discreetly, it was clear the two had the classic rival dynamic you always find in stories set in Academies.

“...Please. Just leave me alone, okay? I’m begging you.”

“Ugh...”

“I’ve already got more than enough on my mind.”

Judging by the tone of their conversation and the number of people standing by them—Adel’s being followers and Cecil’s being actual friends—it wasn’t hard to tell which of the two was at a disadvantage.

“Sir Whitney. After watching Teams A and B, have you gotten a sense of things?”

“Ah, yes.”

“In that case, please oversee the exams for Teams C and D.”

Smiling to myself in quiet satisfaction, I followed the teacher toward the maze and deliberately raised my voice as I walked.

“I do hope the remaining students can perform at least as well as Team B did—otherwise, I might be a little disappointed. Haha...”

“...Tch.”

I felt a little bad for the Marquess’ daughter, who let out a frustrated shiver and a low growl behind me. But hey, learning your limits early is also a life skill.

Especially when your rival is our Cecil.

***

“L-Lady Adel. Are you alright?”

As Whitney’s cheerful voice faded and he disappeared into the maze, Adel’s followers quickly rushed to check on her expression.

“That guy’s from a family we wouldn’t normally even get to talk to. The way he spoke was seriously rude.”

“Totally. And his face is so shady too. Honestly, this might be for the best...”

But Adel Felgrave ignored them entirely.

Her icy stare remained locked on the entrance to the maze Whitney had just entered.

“...So that’s how you want to play it.”

At first, she had simply followed her father’s secret order to approach Whitney without thinking much of it.

But now that her pride had been bruised, something had clearly snapped.

“In that case, I’ll just have to show him what I can do.”

She gently touched the pendant hanging around her neck—an emergency tool her father, the Tower Lord, had told her to use only in dire situations.

Now, with a cold smile, she began to whisper.

“Try not to faint from shock, fufu...”

And the moment she began quietly channeling mana into the pendant—

Vrrrrmm...

The magic circle within the maze gave off a faint vibration and began to glow a deeper, darker shade.

“Teams C and D, enter the maze.”

“...I’ll break that so-called record. Again and again if I must.”

With a confident smirk, Adel stepped into the maze alongside her team.

No one noticed the subtle anomaly she had triggered.