A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 142: The Trial

‘Well, I said I’d lead the meeting, but... now what?’

I had declared with confidence that I’d preside over the gathering and managed to expel the “Great Shadow” from my body. But the real problem was just beginning.

I had absolutely no information about this so-called Shadow Assembly.

Sure, I knew the general idea. A congregation of black mages from across the land where orders were handed down and discussions held—some sort of bonding ritual or whatever.

But... how the hell was that supposed to work in this cramped cave? Was the whole black mage community really this unimpressive?

“Oh? Did something happen while I was gone?”

“What do you mean?”

“...You just look a lot worse than before.”

Glancing around nervously at the tight cave walls, I put on my best poker face and answered the Shadow Witch who had just returned.

“It’s nothing. Now, take me to the meeting hall.”

“...Huh? But this is the meeting hall.”

She blinked at me, scratching her head.

“You’re saying all the black mages can fit in here?”

“Ah, so the Great and Mighty Shadow didn’t explain that part to you?”

Smiling faintly, she stepped past me and walked toward the cave wall.

“This isn’t the destination. It’s just the departure point.”

“...What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means we’re still at the entrance.”

As soon as she said that, she tapped the cave wall lightly with the end of her broom.

—RUMBLE...!

A deep tremor followed, and the seemingly solid wall cracked open, unleashing a blast of icy air from within.

“Most black mages rest here when they’re not on active missions.”

“......”

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

The revealed space beyond was far larger than I’d ever imagined.

‘What the hell, they’ve got an entire underground city down here.’

It wasn’t an exaggeration. The massive underground cavern looked more advanced than most rural towns in the Empire.

The buildings weren’t tall—expected, given the terrain—but they were well-built. The roads were cleaner than many imperial provinces. There was even an artificial lake, its mechanism a mystery.

With a steady food supply and a willingness to abandon sunlight, someone could live down here their entire life in comfort.

‘For black mages, this must be paradise.’

To someone like me, a white magic user, this place was anathema. But for them, it was an ideal sanctuary.

“Surprised?”

“......”

“What, did you think we were out here gnawing on dirt just because we’re in hiding?”

As I looked around, visibly stunned, the Shadow Witch chuckled softly.

“...How do you handle food? You can’t grow crops down here without sunlight.”

“Ah, yeah... That part’s a bit of a headache.”

She frowned slightly at my question.

“We used to go topside regularly—half through legal channels, half not-so-legal ones.”

“...Still, there must’ve been limits.”

“Of course. Legal supplies cost money, and what poor black mage has money?”

Though from what I’d seen, they seemed perfectly capable of squeezing every coin out of nobles like Maier. I didn’t mention that out loud.

“And sticking to illegal channels... well, the longer your tail, the more likely you are to get stepped on.”

“They say the Holy Theocracy captures more than ten black mages every year. Sounds about right, huh?”

“...Haha. I really don’t want to talk about those hypocrites.”

That last remark, though, I couldn’t let slide.

“The Holy Theocracy may be fanatical, but hypocrites? That’s a bit much.”

“Ha! You clearly don’t know what those bastards have done in the past.”

“...Hmm.”

To be fair, even in Blacktail Fantasy 3, the Theocracy’s history was... complicated.

They were rotten to the core before the Second Hero came along. Afterward, they began to reform, but in recent years they’d gone off the rails again, obsessed with purging past sins.

“How old are you, exactly?”

Because for her to call the Theocracy “hypocrites,” she had to be hundreds of years old at minimum—despite looking Sasha’s age.

Unless she was a dragon, spirit, or elf, how could a human black mage survive that long?

“Asking a woman’s age? How rude.”

“......”

“But fine. I’ll tell you I was once the Tower Lord of the Mage Tower.”

It seemed like a random tangent, but I understood the hidden implication immediately.

‘The Tower Lord usually holds office for about 100 years, right?’

High-ranking archmages, while not immortal like elves or dragons, age extremely slowly and grow increasingly powerful. A century-long tenure wasn’t unusual.

So that meant... the Shadow Witch had to be at least—

‘...What the hell am I doing.’

I was on the verge of calculating her age when I realized how pointless it was. I shook the thought away.

‘What I should really be doing is gathering intel.’

I hadn’t forgotten my real purpose here.

I needed to learn about the black mages’ goals and their numbers. And above all, the whereabouts of Bergen’s daughter.

“If food is limited, labor must be too.”

“Well, yeah. We can’t just sit around here forever, so most people go out and find work.”

“How many are we talking about?”

“...Heh, stuff like that will come up during the meeting.”

Too direct. She brushed me off with a vague answer.

Even though she had invited me here, she was frustratingly evasive when it mattered.

“Is the lab here too?”

“...The lab?”

“The one where they study children with the Demon King's power.”

I wasn’t great at subtlety, so I just said it outright.

“......”

The three executives who had been following silently behind me all froze in place.

“...Oh.”

Even the Shadow Witch walking beside me halted.

“That’s top-level classified information.”

“......”

“How do you know that?”

She tilted her head, eyes narrowed with suspicion, and I panicked a little.

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

“...Huh?”

Which was true. I had seen the experiment [N O V E L I G H T] on Bergen’s daughter—thanks to Hestia’s power.

But it wasn’t the kind of truth I could explain.

“What do you take me for?”

My mind nearly short-circuited. But then I fell back on my tried-and-true ultimate weapon.

“You still think I’m just a lucky white mage who stumbled into the power of domination?”

It was the same bluff I always used when cornered.

“If you think I’m helping with your plans, you’re wrong. I’ve held the reins from the beginning.”

“......”

“So stop testing me with these subtle games.”

I had to admit, when I narrowed my eyes and spoke with a certain kind of smirk, even nonsense tended to sound pretty convincing.

“...You caught me.”

The Shadow Witch flinched slightly, her smile twitching.

‘...Wait, seriously? You were testing me? I thought we were allies?’

I had merely voiced a silent complaint—but now I had to scramble to keep my face straight.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure at first. Whether you were a fluke... or truly one of us.”

“......”

“I was fifty-fifty. But now I’m convinced. You’re not a coincidence. Not even a little.”

Maybe she thought I looked offended, because she started spilling everything in a flustered attempt to clarify.

‘Lady, I’m like... 90% coincidence.’

This entire situation was built on luck, timing, and—fine, maybe a little help from my face.

“Tch...”

Behind me, the undead knight who had been radiating killing intent suddenly withdrew it with a disappointed sigh.

‘Guess I can’t deny it now...’

“See? We’re friends after all. Hahaha!”

“...Y-Yeah. F-Friends. Sure.”

At that moment, it became clear: with the exception of the puppet master—who’d clearly sensed something off the first time we met—every single executive had been suspicious of me.

“Right, the meeting hall is this way. The black mages and our allies are already gathered.”

With a ridiculous amount of luck and coincidence (and definitely not my face), I’d managed to get past their doubts.

Time to head to the Shadow Assembly.

“Hmm...”

But something still felt off.

“Hey, are you sure she’s okay?”

“...?”

“The one following behind you. She’s about to pass out.”

“...Ah.”

That’s when I realized the source of my unease—thanks to the Shadow Witch, who glanced behind me and whispered.

—Shiver shiver shiver...

Sasha was trailing behind, pale as a ghost, trembling like a leaf and staring blankly at me.

“I-I-I-I also believe the few can be sacrificed for the many.”

“...Sasha, what the hell are you talking about?”

“I-I mean it! Please don’t kill me!”

I’d definitely have to sit Sasha down later and explain that I was just an unfortunate, unlucky guy with no ties to child experimentation.

***

Meanwhile, at House Embergreen.

“Huff... Huff...”

Ignoring her retainers' protests, Meredia had rushed back home by express carriage. Now she stood panting before the office of the former Duke of Embergreen—the office she herself had sealed.

—BOOM!

The nailed-shut door exploded in a blast of splinters.

“......”

She hesitated at the threshold. But then, with far more caution than the fury she'd arrived with, she stepped inside.

“...Please. Please...”

She tore through piles of old documents, ransacking the entire room.

“Let them be wrong...”

Her hands began to tremble as she muttered—but once again, the stars didn’t grant her wish.

“...Ah.”

About thirty minutes later, she found it.

The one document she had never wanted to find.

“Report – Seria Ringaarden”