The northern gate of the fortress city of Sashimimasu loomed tall and unyielding. Inside the walls, an oval-shaped formation had been drawn. About a hundred trained combatants stood at the ready, backed by roughly four hundred militiamen waiting just behind them.
At the head of it all stood Cordelia Allston. Her crimson cape fluttered faintly in the morning wind as she gazed out at the sea of ogres, more than five hundred of them crowding the plains beyond the gate. A sigh slipped from her lips.
“Pacing myself and conserving stamina… It’s just not my style.”
A man with snow-white hair standing beside her tilted his head, curiosity creasing his weathered face. He was a seasoned adventurer, clearly no stranger to battle.
“Not your style, you say?”
Cordelia turned slightly toward him, eyes narrowing as she studied his features. Recognition flickered across her face.
“I thought I recognized you. You’re Derrick, right? Upper-tier C-rank, a veteran adventurer. If I had to guess, you’re probably the most capable one here. Aside from me, of course.”
Derrick offered a short bow, his voice respectful but laced with quiet pride. “The honor is mine, Lady Cordelia. I’ve had the pleasure of joining you on six high-difficulty hunts.”
“Six, huh?” she murmured with a half-smile. “No wonder your name stuck.”
Lady.
For some reason, everyone who’d fought alongside Cordelia on the battlefield had adopted that title. Not “ma’am,” not “Commander,” and certainly not “Cordelia.” The age gap might’ve played a part, or maybe it was just her personality, but once the blades were drawn and the spells started flying, “Lady” was the only form of address that ever seemed to stick.
Cordelia shook her head lightly, brushing that thought aside as she spoke again, her tone light but resolute.
“I’m naming you my second-in-command. And just so we’re clear, I’m going all out from the start. I’ll leave the cleanup to you.”
Derrick furrowed his brow. “All-out, as in… a full release of your magic surge?”
She nodded. “That’s right. I’ve got eyes on an Ogre King out there. No way I’m handling that thing sober.”
“I understand, but won’t a full surge put considerable strain on your mind and body? Isn’t there a strict time limit to how long you can maintain it?”
Cordelia simply smiled. Not a forced, formal grin, but a bright, almost childlike one. “You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll be fine.”
“Fine?” Derrick echoed uncertainly.
“Because he’s here,” she said, her voice softening with something close to nostalgia. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt like this. Lately, I’ve always been the one responsible. The one carrying everyone’s lives on her back. There’s never been room to fight without overthinking every move. But now I can actually let go.”
Derrick tilted his head. “Lady Cordelia?”
Cordelia shrugged. “You wouldn’t get it. He asked me to handle this front. Just that, nothing more. He knows me. Knows exactly what I’ll do. He trusted me with it anyway. That means he’s already factored in the risks, the outcomes, all of it.”
“I’m not sure I follow…”
“That’s fine. All you need to understand is that if I mess up, he’ll cover it. Not me, a half-rate knockoff, but the real deal. A genius. The kind of monster who actually deserves the title of strongest. And when he steps in, it’ll be with that annoyingly flawless, ridiculously gallant style of his.”
Derrick studied her for a long moment. “I don’t know who you’re talking about. But right now, looking at you facing down an army of ogres, you have the expression of a child who’s just been handed a brand-new toy.”
“It really has been a while,” Cordelia admitted with a wry laugh.
“In all the times I’ve fought beside you, I’ve never seen this side of you. Usually, your face is all tension, but now you’re actually smiling.”
Cordelia exhaled slowly, then rolled her shoulders. “Monsters tough enough to take my full power are rare. And this time, I don’t have to worry about protecting anyone. No responsibility. No lives in my hands. Just me, the enemy, and a whole lot of stress to blow off. Honestly? I’m kind of excited.”
Derrick gave a quiet, knowing chuckle, the kind that carried both humility and pride. “I don’t know who this person is, but it’s obvious that you trust them deeply.”
Cordelia didn’t hesitate. Her silver eyes met his without a flicker of doubt. “I do.”
His expression softened, touched by her certainty. He inclined his head in a gesture of sincere respect. “Forgive me, but I still see you as a child. Just sixteen, a young girl barely out of childhood. And to be honest, I don’t understand half the things you say.”
Cordelia smiled faintly, acknowledging the truth of his words without argument. “Well, that’s only natural.”
“But,” Derrick continued, his tone shifting—stronger now, reverent, “I’ve stood beside you on the battlefield more than once. And I know this much: when you fight, you’re a warrior through and through. Not just powerful. Experienced. Hardened by fire. In that moment, there’s no one I’d trust more.”
Her gaze lingered on his, searching, then softened further. “So?”
“If someone like you says this person can be trusted, then I have no reason to doubt it. I’ll put my faith where yours lies.”
Cordelia exhaled slowly, her chest rising as tension gave way to determination. “Thank you, Derrick.”
“I’ll handle the rear guard,” he said firmly, already turning toward his position. “I’ve got a team of veteran adventurers ready. You go. Do what only you can. Let loose.”
A grin spread across her face. Not the polite smile of a noble, but the raw, hungry expression of a warrior aching for battle. “Got it.”
With practiced ease, she drew her silver longsword from the scabbard at her side. The steel caught the morning light, gleaming like ice. Her gaze swept across the battlefield, calculating.
“One Ogre King. About ten Ogre Generals. The rest are just the usual fodder—disorganized, sloppy. And no sign of an Ogre Emperor.”
Her grin widened into something feral. She licked her lips, her voice light but thrumming with anticipation. “This feels a bit underwhelming for the Hero of the North, doesn’t it? If they keep underestimating me like this, I’ll wipe them out before they even know what hit them.”
She stepped forward, sword raised, eyes alight with excitement. Her body moved with fluid grace, making it clear she wasn’t holding back.
Then she shouted, voice ringing clear over the wind, proud and unflinching:
“Cordelia Allston, Hero of the North! I come forth! Stand and face me!”