Chapter 44: Legendary Adventurer Cipher?

Cipher had said she wouldn't offer direct assistance, but that was just talk. She couldn't possibly stand by and watch Natalie get beaten, could she?

The moment the first warrior regained his footing and launched another attack, Cipher burst from the second-floor window. Crouching low, she accelerated from a standstill to full speed in an instant. The warrior barely registered a black shadow—the color of Cipher's tunic—streaking past.

"What?!"

Before he could react, Cipher's right foot slammed into his chest, sending him flying.

Thud!

The other warrior heard a muffled impact and saw a figure hurtling overhead. He froze for a moment before realizing it was his teammate.

"How is this possible?" The warrior's face twisted in horror. He knew his teammate's strength well, which made the current scene all the more unbelievable.

What just happened?!

Cipher's sudden appearance cooled the ardor of the nearby adventurers, who had been itching to join the fray. Seeing Natalie clearly at a disadvantage, they had figured, "That Paladin's about to fall anyway. What's wrong with swooping in for a quick assist and some easy gold?"

But now, a new and formidable enemy had emerged, throwing the balance of power into disarray. The adventurers naturally hesitated once more.

"Damn it! Damn it!" Viscount Braun cursed vehemently. "Where the hell are you all crawling out from?! First the Black Knight, and now this blasted wildcat!"

Cipher noticed the venomous disdain in Viscount Braun's eyes as he glared at her. She froze for a moment before remembering Feidric's mention that the Braun Family harbored a deep-seated hatred for Beastmen. So... I'm being discriminated against?

Her tail stopped wagging abruptly. A surge of anger welled up within her. How dare he? She loved her current appearance; she thought she was utterly adorable. Yet this man dared to look down on her?

Viscount Braun continued to shout, "What are you waiting for, you adventurers? Get in there! Kill them, and I'll double the promised reward!"

Viscount Braun wasn't foolish. He knew the adventurers were hesitant, intimidated by the Black Knight and the newly appeared Catgirl. But the doubled reward proved too tempting, and they began to stir restlessly again.

Double the reward meant two thousand Gold Dragons for a kill and a hundred just for participating—an irresistible offer!

Then, Viscount Braun barked at a guard beside him, "What are you standing around for? Go outside and call for reinforcements, now!"

"Y-yes, sir!" The guard finally snapped to attention, nodding belatedly and scurrying out the door.

It's worth noting that while Viscount Braun maintained his angry tirade, Cipher observed him slowly edging toward the exit, clearly planning an escape. But his trembling legs betrayed his terror, slowing his retreat to a snail's pace.

Cipher quietly waited for Viscount Braun to finish issuing his orders. Then, narrowing her eyes slightly and smiling sweetly, she said, "Viscount Braun, if I recall correctly, you were quite eager to meet me. Didn't you promise me some 'special treasures' if I agreed to visit?"

"Now that I'm here, why do you look so utterly displeased?"

Though Cipher spoke with polite titles and a smile, an inexplicable chill permeated the room. Viscount Braun, in particular, seemed frozen in place, as if struck by Natalie's Soul-Piercing Gaze.

Beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. While others might not grasp the implications of Cipher's words, he knew all too well what was written on the note he'd left in the vault. How could he forget its contents?

Cipher's knowledge of the note meant she had undoubtedly been to the second-floor vault. And who else could have accomplished that with such ease but the Phantom Thief Cat?

Wait... the Phantom Thief Cat?!

Viscount Braun suddenly realized the truth. His gaze shot to the cat ears atop Cipher's head and the tail swishing behind her. So that's what the "Cat Head" symbol on the theft announcement meant! The notorious thief was actually a Catfolk?!

Remembering the insults he had hurled moments before, Viscount Braun's legs buckled beneath him, and he collapsed to the ground.

Cipher spoke in a conciliatory tone, "I think we have enough people here already. I don't want any more joining us. What do you think?"

Under the threat of death, Viscount Braun's mind raced. He urgently barked at another guard, "Hurry! Stop that man who just left! Don't let him call for reinforcements! And don't let anyone else in!"

Then, turning to the group of adventurers, he snapped, "Everyone freeze!"

The battlefield, which had been ablaze with fighting just moments before, instantly cooled at Cipher's arrival and words. The adventurers exchanged puzzled glances, wondering why the Viscount, who had just been berating them for slacking and demanding more effort, was now forbidding them from fighting.

Natalie stared at Cipher in utter bewilderment. She had resigned herself to death, convinced her hopes for revenge were dashed. What on earth was happening now?

She glanced at the catgirl beside her, then at Viscount Braun, and noticed something: there was a damp patch on his trousers—a testament to his terror.

This guy... he actually pissed himself out of fear? Why?

At the same time, the Silver-rank Warrior who was still standing seemed to realize something. His expression turned grim as he said, "Legendary Adventurer, don't you feel ashamed bullying weaklings like us?"

The Warrior didn't know the full extent of Cipher's power, but the fact that she had drawn a turtle on Viscount Braun's face and stolen the gold from the treasure chest without anyone noticing meant that, in his experience, even a Gold-rank adventurer couldn't accomplish such a feat. That left only one possibility: Legendary.

The moment he spoke, everyone present turned to Cipher with expressions of utter shock, especially the adventurers who had been eager to join the fight earlier. Now, they didn't dare even think about assisting—they were too mesmerized by the first living Legendary they had ever seen, wanting to steal a few more glances. The only reason they hadn't turned and fled immediately was sheer curiosity.

The power gap between each rank of adventurer was enormous. Even a Gold-rank adventurer, regardless of their class, could easily slaughter everyone present if they were prepared. As for a Legendary adventurer... well, that went without saying.

Hearing this, Natalie's face mirrored a mixture of bewilderment and disbelief. She stared blankly at Cipher, utterly unable to believe that her temporary teammate was actually a Legendary Adventurer.

It was like finding a friend online to go to a comic convention with. You'd bonded over the internet, chatting like old friends, only to discover upon meeting that they were a stunningly beautiful young girl, incredibly cute, and a wealthy heiress who seemed to have a soft spot for you.

Hmm, that's the kind of thing you dream about. Could it ever really happen?

Yet, incredibly, this unbelievable scenario was unfolding before Natalie's eyes. A Legendary Adventurer—a term she'd only encountered in myths and legends—was standing right there in person.

Of course, a flicker of doubt lingered. What kind of Legendary Adventurer hesitates to kill? But then she remembered Cipher's mysterious ability to instantly transport her to the Viscount's Manor, and how Viscount Braun had soiled himself with fear at Cipher's mere words. Maybe this is real after all?

As all eyes turned to her, Cipher's earlier anger vanished instantly, replaced by sheer awkwardness.

What the hell? Legendary? Me?

She was just a rookie Bronze Adventurer who had barely completed two quests! How could she suddenly be considered legendary?

In terms of strength, Cipher might well match or even surpass the title, but her experience fell far short. Of course, she wasn't foolish enough to publicly correct the mistake. In this situation, silence was best. All she needed to do was rest a hand on her hip.

She did exactly that, placing her right hand on her slender waist. Her tail, which had momentarily stilled, began to sway again. Ignoring the warrior's question entirely, as if he weren't there, she calmly turned to Viscount Braun. "Since taking office, you've drastically increased taxes. What's your purpose?"

The question seemed absurdly obvious to the assembled adventurers. What other reason could there be for raising taxes but greed?

Cipher wasn't convinced. Before Viscount Braun could speak, she deliberately twitched her cat ears and added, "Don't even think about lying to me. I can tell when you're not telling the truth~"

Of course, it was a bluff, a tactic to increase the pressure on the Viscount.

Viscount Braun visibly flinched at her words, his lips trembling slightly as he prepared to speak. But the warrior cut in first. "Your Excellency, don't think your Legendary-level strength gives you free rein. The entire Grand Duchy of Kandela stands behind us! Even a Legendary Adventurer wouldn't want to become enemies with a nation!"

At first glance, the warrior's statement seemed like a classic villainous threat—You beat the lackeys, then the boss shows up; you beat the boss, then the big boss comes! But the timing was too convenient. He had clearly interrupted Viscount Braun deliberately, trying to conceal something.

Cipher pondered this for a moment before turning to the warrior and asking, "So, are you saying Viscount Braun's tax hikes are connected to the Grand Duchy of Kandela? Is this... an order from His Majesty the King?"

If the King was indeed Viscount Braun's backer, as the warrior implied, then it followed that the Viscount's actions must have been sanctioned by the Crown.

"Wh-what...?" The warrior's face contorted in shock at Cipher's words, but he quickly took a deep breath and retorted, "So what if that's the case? His Majesty ordered the funds to be raised. What's so strange about that?"

Cipher stroked her chin thoughtfully. "So, His Majesty's true purpose isn't simply to raise funds... it's something else entirely?"

It was obvious the warrior was trying to conceal the truth. Why else would he be so evasive? Anything he said now couldn't possibly be the truth.

"You...!" The warrior roared, clearly enraged by the exposure. With a low growl, he lunged at Cipher, sword raised. Natalie, standing beside Cipher, instinctively stepped forward to intercept him.

But before she could react, Cipher calmly asked, "Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"

Needless to say, everyone present was utterly baffled. In a world where the vast majority were illiterate, how could they possibly know what "the speed of light" even meant?

But that didn't matter. The important thing was that the line sounded cool, and that was enough!

In the next instant, the warrior seemed to see a golden flash of lightning before his eyes. Then, completely unaware of what had happened, a searing pain erupted in his chest. The world began to spin wildly as he crashed through the main gate of the Viscount's Manor and hurtled onto the street outside.

In truth, Cipher had held back. She hadn't kicked him while in Divine Speed, but had instead briefly activated it to close the distance, then deactivated it before delivering the kick.

She had no intention of kicking him to pieces with a single blow. Besides, she had already proven that a normal kick was enough to incapacitate a Silver-rank Warrior. Theoretically, there was no need to use Divine Speed at all. But... now that she had delivered the line, she had to commit to the act.

To onlookers, no one had clearly seen what had happened. There was just a sudden flash, like a bolt of lightning, and then the warrior was gone.

With a single kick each, Cipher effortlessly dispatched the two elite warriors who had been overwhelming Natalie, bringing the battle to a swift and decisive end.

Although numerous guards remained nearby, none dared to re-engage. The surrounding adventurers, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, were even less inclined to intervene.

Finally, Cipher turned to Viscount Braun and demanded, "What reason did the King give for ordering you to raise taxes?"

Having witnessed Cipher's display of power firsthand, Viscount Braun was utterly terrified. He immediately confessed, "It's because of the Hell Book! Your Majesty intends to artificially create hell across the kingdom to activate this divine artifact!"

Life for the common people was already harsh. A mere tax increase, coupled with subtle manipulations—such as providing farmers with inferior seeds and occasionally releasing wild boars to ravage their fields—would inevitably lead to famine. Masses would perish far faster than in war. The resulting landscape of corpses strewn across the land would perfectly embody the very definition of "hell."