Chapter 32

After concluding his conversation with Aileen, Cody Brannage secretly left the capital to head for the southwestern border.

The "Silver Water Bottle Inn" has several bases not only in the capital Alvinas but throughout the Albein Kingdom. These bases can be traveled between using transfer magic arrays.

To set up a transfer magic array, a magic crystal that contains transfer magic is required. These magic crystals are excavated from ancient ruins, and while they can be used, their principles are not understood.

Therefore, transfer magic crystals are highly valuable and cannot be traded with money. The Silver Water Bottle Inn conducted energetic investigations of ruins and ancient labyrinths at a certain point in time and possessed eight of them, including those already installed.

One of these was installed in a post town near the southwestern border, which was a great help for Cody to act on the inn's request.

Only the deputy commander, the heavy knight Marlo, knew that Cody had left the capital. However, Cody only gave a sealed letter to a maid serving Marlo's household, stating that he would be late to the knight's quarters due to illness and would return by noon the next day. He did not tell Marlo where he was going or what he was going to do. It was a gamble whether he could return before being suspected, but it was an action based on the information that "Belvekia will attack tomorrow" brought by Rague.

Following Aileen's instructions, Cody went to the Silver Water Bottle Inn, and with Verlene's guidance, he descended to the wine cellar beneath the shop. Verlene looked at the shelves of famous wines and removed one bottle, then pressed a mechanism behind it.

The wall at the back of the room, adorned with a painting of a woman holding a wine bottle, slowly rotated—revealing a hidden door.

"I see... So that's why I was told to enter and exit through the back door. I didn't know there was such a secret."

"When the master is in the shop, he acts as the gatekeeper here, so there's nothing to worry about. Even though I'm retired, I was once the Demon King. Even if you're not here, I won't lose to anyone who tries to steal the transfer crystal."

"In the past, I struggled against your dark magic. It was the first time I was covered in blood."

"You didn't try to kill me even when you were covered in blood. If you had swung your light sword with full force, you could have torn me into eight pieces."

This was the first time the two of them talked about their past battles. Verlene, as the shop owner, and Cody, as the customer, always maintained a certain distance.

"Dick was already thinking about what would happen after defeating the Demon King before he fought you. If he killed you, the demons would never stop hating Albein until the last one was gone. He made this judgment after seeing various places in the Demon Kingdom."

"Three months in the Demon Kingdom... I thought the purpose was to disrupt the defenses, but the master was observing my country. He was looking at who was there and what they thought."

"He said it was preparation for advancing his pieces to your location. The other four were suspicious and even clashed with him, wondering why they weren't heading to the Demon King's castle. But he convinced us that minimal effort would achieve the goal with proper preparation."

Verlene found it hard to believe that Dick had come to this conclusion at the age of 13. Dark elves are long-lived, but Verlene was also called precocious and showed talent from her twenties, leading to her becoming queen after the previous king's abdication. Even from her perspective, she sometimes thought Dick had lived longer than she had.

"For the master, this is a matter of course. Even if it seems like a detour to others, it is the shortest path for him, and it has never been otherwise. That's why I wonder... why he hasn't noticed your true identity."

"Even though the noble ladies are eagerly waiting for me to attend parties... you're a cruel person."

"Truly charismatic people have no gender. Stories of female heroes seducing court ladies are not uncommon. I even had someone who served me who was only interested in the same sex."

"I think Dick also suspects me. It might be best to meet only when necessary."

"The master is respected by the guild members, but there are few he can confide in. Since you are one of them, I would appreciate it if you visited more often. The master only shows his 18-year-old face when you come... well, let's end the chat here."

Verlene led Cody into the room beyond the hidden door. There, a fist-sized transfer crystal floated in the air, and a complex pattern—a magic array—was drawn on the floor below it.

"This is the transfer magic array... can anyone use it?"

"Roughly speaking, only those with a magic evaluation of over 20,000 in this country can activate it. The master set the conditions."

"Even Dick...?"

"The master can draw magic arrays that only activate with a certain amount of magic power. He sets a 'gate' that compresses the user's magic power to one percent, and if you can pass through it, the array activates. You meet the condition in terms of magic power."

"No, I'll leave the magic to others. I can only use one magic, and I can't learn others. It's best if you activate the transfer array for me."

Verlene understood that Cody really only used 'one magic.' The only spirit presence she sensed from him was one, and there were no traces of using elemental spirits like fire or water.

Indeed, Cody had only one spirit contract. Before it, Verlene knelt.

"The destination is inside the border, but is that okay? We can't let the Belvekian army cross the border."

"I'll climb the border wall and end the battle as soon as I see the Belvekian army. I'm specialized in such tasks. Only you, as a Demon King, need to get close to deal damage."

"Is that an honor... to survive a close combat with the Light Sword Hero? No, I should be ashamed of being held back."

"Not at all. It took five of us to finally defeat you."

Cody smiled brightly and asked Verlene for a handshake. Verlene removed her right glove and shook his hand.

"Good luck. When the master returns, please report your success."

Verlene activated the magic array. Cody's vision was enveloped in light, turning white.

When the light faded, the scenery before Cody had changed. A middle-aged male mage stood before him, whom Cody identified as a guild member of the "Silver Water Bottle Inn."

"I have received word from the guild master. Is there anything I can assist you with, Commander?"

"There's one thing I need. And... please call me 'The Masked Savior.'"

"I apologize... Truly, both he and his companions are quite unconventional."

Cody put on a red cloak to hide his silver armor and a yellow mask to disguise his identity. The male mage, despite the flashy and eye-catching appearance, narrowed his eyes and smiled.

◆◇◆

After Cody transferred to a post town near the border and a few hours had passed.

Before dawn, a figure with a flashy mask appeared near the border fortress. When questioned by the guards, he did not answer and repeatedly leaped up the outer wall with incredible acrobatics, reaching the top in an instant.

"Who are you! Get down from there!"

"This is no place for outsiders... oh! Enemy attack, enemy attack!"

"In the west, a large army... the Belvekian army...!"

As the soldiers watching the Belvekian side began to panic, Cody, from the roof of the watchtower, recognized the vast Belvekian army in the dimly lit western plain.

An army of about 50,000, consisting of cavalry, infantry, and siege weapons. Belvekia intended to attack Albein without the help of Vinsbruck.

Albein, with its vast territory in the northern part of the Exlea continent, rich in mineral resources and fertile land, was attractive to Belvekia because of the large river that runs through the country from north to south and its abundant groundwater.

Water was precious to the people of Belvekia and a source of conflict. Currently, Belvekia is a republic named after the unification of nine ethnic groups, but in reality, it is a military dictatorship led by the Garaba, who gradually annexed other tribes.

However, the military state of Belvekia had long been subjugated by a more powerful force and exploited by other countries.

To the west of Belvekia, there is a territory ruled by an S-rank Demon King. The Demon King once invaded Belvekia and reduced a village to ashes, a crisis that made the people of Belvekia fear the destruction of their country.

The Demon King did not advance further but demanded tribute. The village was attacked not to be destroyed but to be plundered.

Long exploited, Belvekia poured its resources into the military and formed the "Black Iron Cavalry." They believed it was more feasible to fight a human country than to challenge the Demon King's territory.

The officers and soldiers of Belvekia pinned their hopes on this war. The Garaba, who had once pacified nine ethnic groups, believed they could annex another nation—the Kingdom of Albein.

However, they were not aware that Albein's peace was achieved by defeating an SSS-rank Demon King.

Vinsbruck did not inform them, only spreading information favorable to Belvekia, and Belvekia did not trust the foreign Vinsbruck.

How did they think they could win? Cody felt pity rather than anger.

At the same time, he wished that none of the advancing soldiers would lose their lives in vain.

"Albein's guards, do not move!"

The mask altered Cody's voice, making it sound like someone else. The guards were overwhelmed by the deep, resonant voice.

"What are you saying... the enemy is attacking! With that large army, we have no chance..."

"Run! Abandon the fortress and run, then you might survive!"

A few soldiers shouted and ran away. Cody had instructed the guild members he brought to the fortress to capture them.

There are no deserters in the Albein Knights. As the commander, Cody regretted the desertion of his subordinates but saw it as a lesson for the future.

"Belvekia... I will send you back this time. One day, you too will be saved."

Knowing the existence of the Demon King threatening the neighboring country, Dick Silver would not leave it alone.

He could defeat a distant Demon King without leaving the tavern.

He would do it as a matter of course, as he always has. Cody had no doubt about this.

As dawn approached, the sun began to rise from the distant horizon behind Cody.

A tear rolled down the white cheek beneath the mask.

Cody did not know why.

"Am I a pawn for you... Dick?"

Speaking in a voice that no one could hear, Cody faced the sun and raised his hand.

Silent incantation—Cody wondered what would have happened if he hadn't mastered it at a young age.

(If I hadn't, I probably couldn't have deceived you... and I would have been seen as a 'strange woman.')

Unable to trust men, including Dick, and treating Miralca even worse, he might have been hated.

Or, no matter what, Dick would have opened his heart to him.

(Thinking about it, it seems silly. You are truly...)

Without worrying about the tears flowing, Cody spoke the true name given to him by his parents, which he had kept hidden for a long time.

"I, Cordelia Brannage, petition. O sword spirit Ragnar, grant me the light sword in my hand..."

Cody was a pseudonym he had used since being tested as an adventurer and achieving the SSS rank.

On the journey to defeat the Demon King, he did not use his real name and called the light sword using silent incantation to deceive Dick.

The sword spirit, known as a "unique spirit," is said to be the only one of its kind in the world, unlike elemental spirits. When Cordelia first made a contract with a spirit, she was chosen by the sword spirit and became its contractor.

One of the magical swords granted by the power of the sword spirit is the "Light Sword."

It has a blade of light and was used in this form against Verlene.

However, the true form of Cordelia's Light Sword is "light itself."

In close combat, it achieves maximum power in the form of a sword, but it does not have to be in that form. What happens when it is used as a weapon with the properties of light—

—Light Sword: Ultra-Long-Range Light Bullet—

The shape of the Light Sword changed, converging into two light bullets, which then disappeared.

Almost simultaneously, the flag of the Belvekian army was pierced, and the iron helmet of the commander nearby shattered with a strange sound.

The light bullets, traveling at the speed of light, accurately hit their targets almost simultaneously.

With the assistance of the sword spirit, Cordelia could precisely visualize and aim at any location the light could reach. In theory, the range is infinite. The light created by the spirit does not refract like ordinary light.

"What... the Belvekian army is in chaos...!?"

Panic spread through the advancing army. They had enough troops to break through the fortress in half an hour, but they stopped.

"That large army has stopped... did that masked person do something...?"

"Impossible, what can be done at this distance?"

"But it looked like he did something... damn, the sun is too bright to see."

If it was known that he used the Light Sword, his identity could be revealed. Cordelia listened to the Albein soldiers' words with tension and observed the movements of the Belvekian army. Piercing only the commander's helmet might not be enough to break their fighting spirit.

However, the Belvekian army was not as resistant to unknown fear as Cordelia thought.

"They are... retreating..."

"The entire Belvekian army... what is going on...?"

An army that had staked everything on the attack lost its fighting spirit over this. Cordelia did not feel the urge to scold them.

Her power had always been feared. When she made a contract with the sword spirit and her power was known, even her strong brother looked at her with fear. An S-rank adventurer was terrified by a girl five years younger.

Confused by the unexpected situation, the soldiers inhaled deeply, thought of what Dick would say, and declared loudly.

"I just pierced the commander's helmet! Listen, soldiers! Don't expect the 'Masked Savior' to save you from every crisis! Tighten your resolve, prepare for the enemy, and continue your daily training!"

Cordelia, mindful of her tone as the commander, leaped from the roof of the watchtower and quickly descended to the bottom of the fortress.

"The Masked Savior... he's amazing... who is he...?"

"Pierced the helmet at this distance... look! Their flag is torn!"

"Did he do that... it's a miracle...!"

The Belvekian flag was torn, now just a large piece of fabric. Whether this would reinforce her statement was a gamble, but it went according to her plan to some extent.

"Everyone, I'll personally guide you later... don't get complacent just because the enemy hasn't come for a long time. We need a strict training schedule."

Cordelia, leaving the fortress, looked back with a cool smile.

On the road away from the fortress, Cordelia met up with the guild members. The male mage who managed the magic array and his subordinates had captured the soldiers bought by Rague.

"Thank you for your hard work. I couldn't see what happened, but I could tell the enemy army retreated from the state of the fortress."

"Yes, thank you. The members of Dick's guild are indeed excellent. Are all the deserters captured?"

"There might be some who didn't flee when the time came. We need to root them out later."

"No. I plan to impose strict training on all the soldiers in the fortress later. If they participate, they probably won't betray again. My and my direct subordinates' training is quite severe."

Hearing Cordelia's words, the guild members imagined the intensity of the training and sympathized with the soldiers. Her presence, even among a group of male adventurers of B rank or higher, was so overwhelming that it could strip away their fighting spirit.

While planning to transport the captured soldiers to the capital, Cordelia used the transfer magic array again and returned to the capital. This all happened in a few hours from the time she left her mansion until dawn.