A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 95: Slave Knight (2)

Maier’s slave knight, Ferris.

Who exactly is she?

To put it simply, if the Emperor in the original story had Lunelle, and Meredia had Parsha, then Prince Maier had Ferris.

A beastkin slave raised by Maier from childhood, she is one of the legendary characters who consistently ranks among the top when it comes to raw combat power.

‘If Bergen is the master of intelligence and infiltration, Ferris is the master of assassination.’

Of course, compared to Bergen—who served as a player’s informant in the original story—Ferris was practically impossible to recruit, so I had never even considered including her in my dream party.

And yet, to think I would encounter her here at the knight order interviews.

‘Well, obviously, she didn’t really come here because she wants to join us.’

Given the circumstances, there’s no way Ferris, Prince Maier’s loyal subordinate, is genuinely applying for a position.

Thus, there is only one possible reason for her presence.

She’s here to kill me.

‘Yeah, honestly, there’s no one else in this mansion worth assassinating.’

From Maier’s perspective, the only obstacle he would want to eliminate within the Ringaarden estate would be me.

Because out of everyone in the mansion, I’m the only one who could realistically be targeted by assassination.

‘Just look at Lunelle—even if you tried, assassination wouldn’t work on her. And Lady Meredia? She doesn’t even stay in the mansion, and she’s completely immune to assassination attempts.’

Cecil, my younger sister, was a slight concern, but after the Prodigy Selection Tournament, her combat ability had increased dramatically.

Just yesterday, she even managed to leave a small cut on Lunelle’s cheek during a live-sword training session.

And as for Parsha, she still hadn’t made any public appearances, so the chances of her being a target were incredibly low.

‘In short, she’s an assassin who’s here purely for me...’

Having once been someone who barely received any attention at all and spent his days bedridden, I usually welcome any kind of interest from others—but even I draw the line at assassins.

Still, it would be such a waste to simply eliminate Ferris here.

‘She’s way too valuable to just dispose of...’

Ferris is one of the few means by which Maier, who maintains a facade of virtue, can extend his influence from the shadows.

If I could keep her within the mansion—or even better, win her over to my side—it would significantly weaken Prince Maier’s power.

‘He didn’t become Meredia’s political rival for nothing. Taking away his assets would be smart.’

Though his raw strength didn’t compare to Meredia’s, when it came to underhanded tactics, shady dealings, and devious plots, he was her equal.

The fact that Maier had begun to move against me in earnest suggested that it was time for me to start preparing for future battles.

“You’re thinking too much.”

“...Ah, right.”

“Did that beastkin get something on her face? Why are you staring at her like that?”

As I kept silently studying Ferris, Lady Meredia’s voice, somehow laced with irritation, rang out beside me.

“No, it’s just... I’ve never seen a beastkin in person before. I’m a little fascinated, that’s all.”

“......”

“...Aren’t those twitching ears kind of cute?”

Hearing my dumb comment as I shifted my gaze sideways, Lady Meredia immediately scowled and glared at me.

“Pathetic bastard. Just die.”

“...Haha, just kidding.”

Fortunately, unlike before, she didn’t completely shut me out with a sulky expression, but her signature sharp tongue was still as biting as ever.

“How did I ever end up entangled with someone like you...”

The only thing that had changed slightly from before was that, mixed into her muttered grumbling after the insult, there was a hint of affection directed at me.

Compared to the time when I had desperately proposed ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) a contract with her at the risk of my life, it was undeniable progress.

‘Still, she was listening carefully after all.’

Of course, I hadn’t said those ridiculous things about beastkin ears because I was genuinely jealous.

Although Ferris had been maintaining an emotionless poker face almost like the original Lunelle, her ears had been twitching ever so slightly from earlier.

And I knew very well that it was a habit she had when she was secretly eavesdropping.

‘Now that I notice, her eyes have thinned slightly too...’

For some reason, the way she glanced at me through her impassive face sent a chill down my spine.

Lately, I had been hanging around Meredia and other world-class powerhouses so much that I had forgotten—but Ferris easily had enough strength to overpower and behead me if she wanted to.

Letting someone like that into the mansion was a bit nerve-wracking—but still, what needed to be done had to be done.

“So, what would you have us do?”

Just as I was organizing my thoughts, Ferris, maintaining her emotionless tone, quietly asked.

Well, I had called them here and kept them waiting long enough.

Time to get started.

“To be honest, just making it past the first round already proves your abilities.”

“......”

“Therefore, the conditions for passing the second round are simple.”

As I finally opened my mouth, not only Johan and Ferris, but also Lunelle, Parsha, and even Lady Meredia turned their attention to me.

Naturally, since I hadn’t informed anyone—not even Lunelle or Parsha—about the nature of the second round.

“In the second interview, we’ll be testing your mental fortitude.”

The reason I kept it secret was simple: if they knew my plan in advance, everyone except maybe Parsha would have tried to stop me.

“Hold out for as long as you can.”

“Wait, you?”

“...Master?”

Although I had boasted to Lady Meredia that I would eventually fix her cursed lifespan, the truth was that I still didn’t have full control over my powers.

Which meant I needed to start honing my abilities in earnest.

In that sense, this interview was the perfect opportunity to practice my “power of domination”...

“Ha!”

“......?”

Just as I was focusing power into my eyes and gathering mana throughout my body, a soft, delicate hand suddenly covered my face, making me flinch and stop.

“Master, I’m really sorry, but...”

“Parsha?”

“...Please, don’t open your eyes.”

For some reason, Parsha—who usually acted so composed—had gone completely pale, awkwardly smiling as she whispered to me.

“...Why?”

“If you open your eyes, everyone here except for Lady Meredia might die. It could get a little messy.

Ah, assuming I even survive to clean it up, that is...”

What the hell is she talking about?

It’s not like I usually go around with my eyes closed!

Sure, my eyes were a little narrow, but that was just a physical trait. I could see perfectly fine!

“...P-Please, Master.”

“......?”

“Just this once, please keep your eyes closed...”

Even Lunelle, wiping cold sweat from her forehead, chimed in with the same plea, so I begrudgingly relaxed the power gathering at my eyes and closed them.

‘Maybe I really should get cosmetic surgery or something.’

Seriously, this face is becoming such a disadvantage it’s practically a curse.

***

“Well then, prepare yourselves.”

The confusion that had briefly swept through the interviewers left Johan and Ferris bewildered, but only for a moment.

Very soon, they realized exactly why the commotion had occurred.

– Goooooo...

From the body of Whitney, seated among the interviewers, an indescribable energy began to spread throughout the courtyard.

Immediately, an overwhelming sense of pressure descended upon them, sending shivers down their spines.

“Huk?”

“...Ugh.”

Johan, whose physical specs were only that of an ordinary knight cadet, immediately gasped and collapsed onto the spot.

Even Ferris, who had endured more pain than most, had to forcibly resist the buckling of her knees just to remain standing.

“Wh-what is this...?”

“Impossible...”

Meanwhile, Whitney remained calmly seated at the table, to Johan and Ferris appearing more like a force of nature than a mere man.

“This kind of pressure... only magical beasts should have it...”

“...Ugh, ngh...”

Earthquakes, tsunamis, storms—forces so massive that simply facing them eroded a person's will to resist.

The aura they felt was something no mere human should ever be able to produce.

And yet, to Whitney, who had somehow drawn near them without their realizing, it all seemed perfectly natural.

“Master, I’m really sorry, but if you open your eyes...”

“......?”

Yet that moment—both brief and eternal—came to an abrupt end the instant Parsha, trembling violently, rushed forward and hastily covered Whitney’s eyes.

“...Haa, haa...”

“...Huff...”

Johan and Ferris, finally freed from the crushing sensation that had felt like a mountain pressing down on them, sucked in desperate breaths, beginning to comprehend what had just happened. frёeωebɳovel.com

‘What the hell... is he a monster...?’

‘...I’ve never heard of anything like this.’

But what was even more shocking to them was that Whitney, who had just emitted such overwhelming power, now gave off no aura whatsoever.

“Haha, why are you already so nervous?”

Still, that fact paled in comparison to the absurdity of Whitney’s next words as he casually approached them.

“I haven’t even started yet.”

Though he spoke in a lighthearted tone as if joking, the eerie smile curling on Whitney’s lips made it clear to the two that he wasn’t joking at all.

“I-I’ll withdraw!”

“...Huh?”

And thus, it was hardly surprising that, unlike Ferris—who had a clear goal of assassination—Johan immediately blurted those words out.

“I-I don’t think my skills are worthy of the Ringaarden Count’s Knight Order yet.”

“......”

“So I’ll go back and train a little more... uh...”

However, just as Johan was politely expressing his intent to withdraw, his words suddenly began to trail off.

‘...What is this?’

A sudden, powerful urge to stop talking—and even to retract everything he had just said—rushed over him.

‘Usually, when this kind of instinct hits, I’m supposed to trust it...’

The reason Johan, an otherwise unimpressive commoner, had managed to graduate from the prestigious Byework Knight Academy was thanks to his highly sensitive intuition, which sometimes activated for unknown reasons.

‘But this time, something feels... off.’

Unlike usual, the instincts flooding him now were conflicting.

‘Two urges at once...?’

One was an overwhelming desire to get as far away from Whitney as possible. The other, strangely, was a growing desire to stay where the beastkin standing next to him was.

“So, you were planning to quit?”

“Uh, well...”

“...If you truly want to give up, you’re free to do so anytime.”

Conflicted and confused like never before, Johan eventually made his decision under the gentle voice coming from in front of him.

“N-No. I’ll stay.”

“...Hmm.”

“I-I spoke out of turn. I’ll work hard from now on.”

Whitney, who had been watching him carefully, smiled in satisfaction.

“That’s a relief. You see, I’ve taken quite a liking to you, Johan.”

“...Huh?”

“Never mind. Now then, shall we truly get started?”

At those words, Johan felt a sudden, doubled urge to flee the mansion immediately—but it was already too late.

“From now on, I’ll be doing something to both of you. Do your best to resist it.”

““......!””

The moment Whitney finished speaking, Johan and Ferris felt their control slip away—as if they had become puppets on strings.

***

“This is... quite fascinating...”

Meanwhile, at the interview table Whitney had vacated, Parsha continued observing the two applicants, murmuring with a very interested look in her eyes.

“...Master even saw through this as well. Heh heh.”