As Cipher sized up the employer, he was naturally scrutinizing the seven adventurers in turn. "Three Silver-ranked, four Bronze-ranked? Just as I expected. This backwater town can't attract any truly skilled adventurers, but they'll have to do."
"I expect you to fulfill your duties and protect me throughout this journey. Rest assured, you'll receive every coin of your agreed-upon reward. Now, prepare yourselves—we depart in half an hour."
Pieck's tone was brusque, but as the employer, he held the upper hand. The adventurers had no grounds to complain. However, as he turned to leave, Cipher clearly noticed his gaze lingering on her for an uncomfortably long moment.
Cipher: "???"
Feidric seemed to notice it too, whispering, "Beastmen are rare in this country, and many harbor prejudice against them. Be careful and avoid being alone with him."
Feidric's warning only intensified Cipher's urge to steal from the employer.
He dares discriminate against someone as adorable as me? How dare he!
Of course, Cipher wasn't foolish enough to act right then. Firstly, she had never stolen anything before and was highly uncertain of her skills. Secondly, acting now might cause trouble for Aria and the others.
After all, Cipher was known as a thief, and if Pieck's belongings went missing shortly after hiring her, suspicion would inevitably fall on her.
Cipher rested her chin on her hand, quietly pondering the optimal time to strike. It would likely be upon reaching a bustling major town or the day after completing the quest.
For now, perhaps she should practice her sleight of hand?
She pulled out the Adventurer's Badge Feidric had recently given her. Spreading her fingers, she began twirling the badge between them.
When it came to thieving, finger dexterity was paramount. Cipher's slender, elegant fingers were perfect for the task. Initially, she had simply been playing around, but her movements quickly became fluid and graceful, the badge spinning effortlessly across her fingertips.
Soon after, Cipher approached Aria and said, "Little Aria, would you like to see a magic trick?"
"Magic?" Aria nodded hesitantly. Magic existed in this world, usually performed by bards in street shows for tips.
"Ahem, watch closely!" Cipher said, pinching her Adventurer's Badge between the index and middle fingers of her right hand. She slowly closed her fist, and when she opened it again, the badge had vanished into thin air. Her palm was completely empty.
Aria blinked, her face a picture of bewilderment.
Next, Cipher opened her left hand, revealing the badge resting in her palm. Without closing her fist, she flipped her hand over so that her palm faced downward, yet the badge remained stuck to her palm. When she turned her hand back over, the badge had vanished once more.
"Whoa! Sister Cipher, how did you do that? It's amazing!"
For a magician, there was no greater reward than an audience's look of utter astonishment. Cipher crossed her arms, her tail swaying gently behind her, and grinned smugly. "Hehe, impressive, right?"
The secret behind Cipher's "magic trick" was surprisingly simple: she relied on skillful sleight of hand and lightning-fast movements to toss the Adventurer's Badge into her other hand before the audience could even react, exceeding their dynamic vision.
This might sound implausible, but in Cipher's previous life on Earth, many renowned magicians had performed similar feats. If ordinary people there could manage it, there was no reason Cipher couldn't, especially now that she understood the underlying principles.
Although her technique was still a bit unpolished, Aria wasn't particularly perceptive anyway, so it was hardly surprising she failed to spot the flaws.
The delightful time spent teasing Aria came to an end quickly. Half an hour later, the seven adventurers, Pieck, and his two guards—ten people in total—gathered outside the Town to officially begin their journey.
Pieck rode in a horse-drawn carriage, one of his guards driving while the other followed alongside on horseback. The seven adventurers, of course, had no choice but to walk.
A gentle breeze rustled the strands of Cipher's hair near her neck, causing them to brush against her chest. Feeling a slight tickle, she casually swept the stray hair aside and then nonchalantly scratched her upper chest.
They had been out of town for some time now. Cipher stood on a tree branch, surveying the surrounding area.
As a Thief, she wasn't suited for direct combat. Coupled with her absurdly sharp hearing, Feidric had assigned her the task of scouting for potential enemies during this quest.
As for why Aria was the Captain while Feidric gave the orders... well, that question was utterly pointless.
And so, Cipher leaped from tree to tree ahead of the carriage, repeating this routine for hours on end.
"Ugh~ So boring~"
But that was the normal reality of escort missions. Most of the time was spent in tedious monotony, with bandits and magical beasts unlikely to attack every moment.
Or rather, arriving safely at their destination and collecting their reward without incident would be the ideal outcome.
At noon, Cipher perched on a branch and munched on a piece of white bread. By evening, she returned to the carriage, where Aria had pitched a tent. Naturally, Cipher shared it with her.
Feidric, Douglas, the black-robed member of the other adventurer party, and 'Raccoon' were assigned to the night watch. Cipher, Aria, and the female warrior, being girls, received preferential treatment and were allowed to sleep and rest normally.
Cipher's expression was a bit odd when she learned she would receive this special treatment, but she ultimately accepted the arrangement. This peaceful routine continued for two days. On the morning of the third day, however, an unexpected event occurred.
Hanging upside down from a tree branch, a blade of grass dangling from her mouth, Cipher was idly spacing out when her cat ears suddenly twitched. The sound of chaotic, hurried footsteps echoed from the distance.
Cipher immediately loosened her legs and dropped from the branch. Despite being upside down, she effortlessly flipped mid-air without any leverage, landing gracefully on her feet.
After all, she was a Cat—they always land on their feet. It was a Rule-based Skill!