Chapter 19: Cipher: Enough Pretending, Time to Cheat

In movies and TV shows, studies always seem to have secret rooms. The way to open them is usually by twisting a lamp or pressing a specific book on the bookshelf. Cipher decided to try it on a whim, not expecting anything, but to her surprise, it actually worked!

She stood frozen for a few seconds before stepping into the newly revealed secret room.

Since the door's already open, might as well take a peek! She was dying to know what was inside, but... behind the bookshelf was just another small, self-contained room. The first thing that caught her eye was a pink double bed.

Cipher: "...?"

Is this... right?

Then she noticed "toys" scattered around the bed: whips, candles, collars, ropes... She seemed to understand exactly what this secret room was for.

Probably for secret rendezvous with mistresses. Why else would it be so hidden?

"Seriously? Viscount Braun must be over fifty! And he's still pulling stunts like this?" Cipher wrinkled her nose in disgust and quickly left the study. She pressed the book again, and the bookshelf slid back into place automatically.

Standing at the study door, Cipher pricked up her ears. The hallway outside was eerily silent, devoid of any sound. Slowly, she pushed the door open and stepped out.

Even when Cipher walked normally, her footsteps were nearly silent—a trait that had startled Aria countless times. Now, deliberately softening her steps, she seemed to melt into the shadows, her presence fading until she was practically invisible. Anyone passing by would likely fail to notice her.

Professionally trained assassins and thieves could actively seek out blind spots in their enemies' vision, concealing themselves in inconspicuous corners to hide or prepare for a surprise attack. Cipher, however, possessed no such refined techniques. Instead, her method resembled a direct suppression of her own presence, making her unremarkable, like a small roadside pebble—something no one would bother to focus on.

Cipher subtly diminished her presence, achieving an effect akin to invisibility. Unaware that she was practically invisible, she cautiously began her stealthy operation, her instincts guiding her as she prepared to steal.

Cipher explored the fourth floor, discovering it was primarily composed of unoccupied guest rooms. She entered one at random and was immediately struck by how much more luxurious it was than her room at the Adventurer's Guild.

Soft, fluffy pillows adorned the crisp white sheets, and even the polished wooden floor gleamed with cleanliness. Though she knew little about wood, Cipher could immediately tell its quality far surpassed that used in the guild.

Having found nothing of interest on the fourth floor, Cipher descended to the third. As soon as she reached the landing, a nearby door suddenly swung open, revealing Pieck walking shoulder-to-shoulder with another man. From their conversation, Cipher could tell Pieck held this man in high esteem. This was likely Viscount Braun, the lord of the mansion.

Moments later, the two parted ways, each entering separate rooms—presumably to retire for the night. Only then did Cipher release her grip and drop from the chandelier in the hallway.

Yes, the moment the two men appeared, Cipher instinctively leaped up, gripping the chandelier with both hands and bracing her feet against the wall for leverage. She hung horizontally in mid-air.

Since ancient times, the saying goes, "Gamers never look up." While not gamers, true to the adage, the two men failed to spot her. Cipher patted her ample chest, letting out a relieved breath. "That gave me a scare."

Though, in truth, even if she had remained still, they likely wouldn't have noticed her anyway.

The third floor seemed to be the Braun Family's living quarters. Cipher could hear people in most of the rooms, making a search pointless. She skipped the floor and descended to the second.

Immediately, she spotted two yawning guards stationed outside a room at the end of the corridor. The presence of guards clearly indicated the room's importance.

However, slipping past two watchful sentries would be no easy task.

After a moment's contemplation, Cipher decided: Forget it. No more pretenses. Time to pull out all the stops!

Divine Speed—activate!

Instantly, golden electric sparks crackled around Cipher, and the world visibly slowed to a crawl.

In the blink of an eye, Cipher stood before the door. The two guards were still mid-yawn, mouths agape. But as she grasped the handle and tried to turn it, she discovered... the door was locked.

This is an important place, after all. It would be strange if it weren't locked.

Now the problem arose: Cipher styled herself a "Thief," but she couldn't pick locks! What to do? She couldn't exactly kick the door down, could she?

After a moment of panic, Cipher's gaze darted to the guards' waists. Surely the guards at the entrance would have the keys?

Sure enough, she spotted a key ring hanging from the left guard's belt and snatched it without hesitation.

The key ring held numerous keys, but Cipher got lucky. After a few tries, the second one clicked, unlocking the door.

Once inside the room, Cipher quietly closed the door behind her before deactivating Divine Speed.

"Hah~"

The guard's yawn drifted in from outside. Throughout the entire ordeal, neither of them had noticed the "little kitten" who had slipped past right under their noses, using their own keys.

The room appeared to be a warehouse. Upon entering, Cipher immediately noticed three metal treasure chests neatly arranged in different corners, each secured with a lock.

Glancing down at the key ring in her hand, she muttered, "No wonder there are so many keys."

She casually selected the nearest chest and picked a key at random. Her luck held true; the lock clicked open on her first try, revealing a chest brimming with Gold Dragons.

Each Gold Dragon was about the size of a thumb, roughly one centimeter thick. The chest itself measured a full meter in length, half a meter in width, and half a meter in height. It was nearly impossible to imagine how much wealth this single chest contained.

"Wait... no way!"

Cipher suddenly turned to the other chests. She pulled out her keys and opened the second, then the third. Without exception, each chest was filled to the brim with the gleaming golden coins.

Cipher couldn't help but swallow hard, genuinely stunned. Even by a conservative estimate, the total value of these Gold Dragons must easily exceed ten thousand.

She knew noble families were wealthy, but she never imagined they could be this rich.