Chapter 18: A Thief in the House

Unlike Aria, Cipher found the marketplace rather unremarkable. After all, she had witnessed far grander spectacles in her previous life. A mere market? Child's play.

Still, the overwhelming noise caused Cipher's ears to droop, dulling her hearing. The cacophony was so intense it felt like a hammer pounding her skull.

The streets were packed shoulder-to-shoulder with pedestrians, where accidental bumps should have been inevitable. Yet Cipher moved through the crowd with the agility of an eel, deftly avoiding contact. Though none of the passersby were malicious—a brush or two wouldn't have mattered—she simply preferred to avoid physical contact with strangers.

Meanwhile, in the short time they'd been there, Aria had already unintentionally elbowed several people.

It started when someone accidentally bumped into her. Instinctively, Aria stepped back and apologized, only to collide with another person. She apologized again, then inadvertently elbowed a pedestrian to her side.

Despite Aria's slender arms and legs, she possessed surprising strength. The person she had elbowed immediately contorted their face into a mask of pain.

Fortunately, the passersby were good-natured. Realizing Aria's clumsiness was unintentional, they clutched their stomachs, waved dismissively, and forced out strained reassurances: "It's alright, it's alright."

Cipher, exasperated, quickly grabbed Aria's arm and hurried her away from the scene.

As they strolled through the market, Cipher purchased a shoulder bag and some personal necessities: a comb, towel, soap, and even some chew grass. The items weren't expensive, totaling only five Silver Lions.

Just as Cipher thought they were finished, a tantalizing aroma wafted through the air. Turning toward the source, she spotted a row of food stalls. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she tugged Aria toward the snacks. "Aria, let's check those out!"

For Cipher, the greatest regret since arriving in this world had been the absence of her former life's culinary delights. She was sick of the daily rations of white bread and jerky. Now that she finally saw some variety, how could she resist?

Moments later, Cipher was strolling along with a skewer of roasted eggs in her left hand, a freshly grilled chicken leg in her right, and a special fruit curled around her tail.

While these treats couldn't compare to the gourmet food she had enjoyed in her previous life, they were infinitely tastier than the plain white bread she had been forced to endure for the past five days.

Cipher took a large bite of the chicken leg, her cheeks puffing out slightly like a hamster's. She narrowed her eyes in bliss, a blissful expression spreading across her face, making her look utterly adorable.

She dragged Aria along the snack street, buying nearly every treat in sight until she was completely stuffed and couldn't eat another bite.

She patted her full belly, her tail wagging gently behind her, radiating contentment.

So Sister Cipher likes these kinds of things, Aria quietly observed, making a mental note. She hadn't bought anything for herself, content to watch Cipher devour the treats. The main reason was the exorbitant prices.

Cipher had spent only five Silver Lions on a pile of daily necessities, yet a single round of snacks had cost nearly a Gold Dragon. For Aria, it seemed wiser to save that money for more practical needs than to indulge in fleeting culinary whims.

Cipher hadn't given much thought to the long-term consequences. After a satisfying meal, she and Aria returned to the Adventurer's Guild. As night fell, Cipher prepared to put her plan into action.

She told Aria she was going out, without explaining why. Aria didn't ask, and Cipher simply left the guild.

As the de facto rulers of Stone Pine City, the Braun Family was undoubtedly well-known. During the day, Cipher had casually asked a passerby and learned the location of the current Viscount, Alexei Braun, the head of the family and the biological father of her former employer, Pieck Braun.

With a light leap, Cipher landed on the roof opposite the Adventurer's Guild. She leaned forward, her tail stretched straight back, forming an almost perfect line with her spine. In this near-horizontal posture, she dashed off at full speed.

In less than two minutes, Cipher had crossed most of the city and arrived near a lavish mansion.

The area was enclosed by a nearly three-meter-high fence. A quick glance revealed at least six guards patrolling in pairs, each carrying a kerosene lamp. Cipher twitched her cat ears and overheard their conversation.

It was mostly pointless chatter, ranging from "Isn't the Viscount's latest decree a bit too harsh?" to "What should we have for breakfast tomorrow?" The topics were wildly diverse.

As one patrol moved on and the next hadn't yet arrived, Cipher stealthily approached the fence, lightly vaulted over, and landed inside.

The mansion had four stories. Knowing she couldn't use the main entrance, Cipher circled to the side of the building, gazed up at the wall, and flexed her fingers.

In her past life, the protagonists of Ubisoft's renowned Assassin's Creed series could scale buildings using minimal ledges. In reality, elite parkour athletes and rock climbers could perform similar feats. Though she'd never attempted such a climb herself, Cipher figured it shouldn't be too difficult.

With a light running start and a jump, Cipher reached the windowsill on the second floor. Her entire weight now hung suspended by just her ten fingers.

With a light push against the wall and a coordinated effort from her hands, Cipher leaped another three meters up the nearly vertical surface, grabbing onto the windowsill of the third floor.

She repeated this maneuver until she reached the fourth-floor window. Cipher cautiously peered inside. The room was pitch-black, but her cat-like eyes allowed her to discern the layout: a study.

Confirming that no one was present, she slowly opened the window. Clearly, no one would bother locking a fourth-floor window. She easily slipped into the mansion.

"..."

Her golden high heels landed silently on the floor. Cipher first wandered around the study, picking up a kerosene lamp from the desk to examine it. Then, she began testing whether any of the books on the shelves could be pressed. During her haphazard fiddling, a distinct "click" echoed as one of the books recessed.

Immediately, the bookshelf before her slowly slid to the right, revealing a narrow passage just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Cipher stared in astonishment. "Ah... ah?! A real secret passage!"