Cipher deliberately wiggled her ears, discovering that even the slightest adjustment in their angle could completely change the direction of the sounds she heard.
This gave her a significant advantage: she could selectively activate her Super Hearing to focus on specific locations. If she didn't want to hear anything, she could simply droop her ears to block out unwanted noise, preventing it from disturbing her sleep.
Watching Aria finish packing, Cipher waved goodbye. "I'm heading downstairs first!"
She quickly left the room and returned to the lobby on the first floor. The moment Douglas, who had been enthusiastically discussing the beautiful women in the area, saw Cipher approaching, he coughed awkwardly and adopted a solemn expression.
"Feidric," he began, "do you remember that exhilarating battle we had back in Troy City? Ah, just thinking about it fills me with nostalgia. If the opportunity ever arises, I'd love to spar with that valiant warrior again!"
Cipher, who had just sat down, stared at him, puzzled. "Huh?"
Even Feidric, who had been completely absorbed in his book, couldn't resist glancing up at Douglas. A slight twitch flickered at the corner of his eye, but he remained silent, unwilling to expose Douglas's lie.
Douglas finally turned to Cipher, grinning. "Little Cipher, perfect timing! We were just discussing my heroic battle where I single-handedly took on three opponents. Would you like to hear all the thrilling details?"
Cipher replied expressionlessly, "But weren't you just talking about the female warrior's pectoral muscles at the next table?"
Douglas sputtered, "Huh?!"
Feidric burst out laughing, "Pfft—!"
Douglas looked utterly flustered. "Ah... wh-what?"
Cipher pointed to her ear. "I heard everything. Don't mind me; carry on with your conversation."
Douglas couldn't help but look embarrassed and awkward. "N-no, no, no! Talking about such things in front of a lady would be too..."
Cipher interrupted, "Didn't you say you wanted to flirt with her? I heard her table discussing you too, and she seems quite interested. Why not give it a shot? You might actually succeed!"
This was a lie. At that moment, the Adventurer's Guild only had two occupied tables. While the group at the neighboring table was indeed discussing Douglas and Feidric, the female warrior's exact words were:
"That hulking guy is so annoying! He's blocking my view of the mage!"
"As I thought, I still prefer cute little boys~"
Cipher had deliberately urged Douglas to approach them, her motives crystal clear: revenge!
How dare he tease her about being "naive"? Even if it were true, now that she had a chance for payback, she wasn't about to let it slip away.
Hearing Cipher's words, Douglas's face flushed visibly. "She... she really said that?"
Cipher fabricated the story without a hint of embarrassment. "Absolutely!"
But the next moment, Douglas shook his head. "No, never mind. To be honest, I prefer petite girls over muscular women..."
Cipher then pointed to a female staff member nearby who was wiping tables. Her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her round face, lightly freckled, looked undeniably cute. Her only real flaw was her almost completely flat chest.
"What about her?" Cipher said, pointing to the staff member. "Doesn't she perfectly fit your type? I even overheard her complimenting your looks to the other staff backstage!"
Feidric seemed to sense something was amiss. He glanced at the female warrior and the staff member, his eye twitching slightly, but he remained silent, choosing not to expose Cipher's lie.
Douglas, completely oblivious to the undercurrent, stammered, "R-really? Could this finally be my lucky day with romance?"
Cipher chuckled. "Of course! Go strike up a conversation! Trust me, you've got this!"
Douglas stood up, took a deep breath, and then... promptly sat back down. "Wait a minute," he said. "I've reconsidered. I suddenly realized I still prefer Beastmen. Those fluffy ears and tails are just too irresistible."
He deliberately glanced at Cipher's chest before adding, "Especially petite Beastmen. I really can't stand the ones with... those."
In this world, Beastmen weren't the green-skinned, tusked monsters of legend. Instead, the term encompassed races like Catfolk, Foxfolk, Bearfolk, and others.
Feidric turned to Douglas, his face a mask of shock. He suddenly realized that Douglas often indulged in crude banter, "appraising" the women they encountered on their adventures like a seasoned veteran. At the time, Feidric hadn't thought much of it. But now, looking back, it seemed Douglas had only dared to talk big—he'd never actually flirted with anyone.
Cipher frowned slightly. "But didn't you say you didn't like beast ears and tails when we first met?"
Douglas remained silent, but Cipher could feel his body tense. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans began to form on his forehead, inexplicably reminding her of a certain meme.
Sweating bullets, little bro.jpg
After a moment, Douglas stiffly turned his head, avoiding Cipher's gaze. He stammered, "D-did I really say that?"
At that moment, Feidric chimed in, twisting the knife. "Yes, you did. I remember it clearly."
Douglas's eyes widened to the size of copper gongs as he stared at Feidric in disbelief, his expression screaming, "How could you betray me like this, brother?!"
Cipher finally realized the underlying reason for Douglas's behavior. A mischievous grin tugged at the corner of her lips, revealing a cute little snaggletooth as she struggled to suppress her laughter. "You... you're not actually afraid, are you? All that smooth talk, and you can't even strike up a conversation?"
Thud! Douglas, the two-meter-tall behemoth, slammed his head against the table with a muffled thump. "I'm sorry! I'm a thirty-year-old loser who's never had a girlfriend, and that's why they kicked me out of the War Church! Waaah!"
Feidric stared blankly.
Cipher stared blankly.
For some reason, Cipher felt a pang of sympathy for him. What kind of bizarre church kicks people out for being single? What did us lonely hearts ever do to you?!
Just then, Aria returned to the main hall after finishing tidying up the rooms. She sat down next to Cipher and glanced at Douglas with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong with him?"
Cipher shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing. Probably just hungry... So, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
Her sympathy was fleeting.
Aria gasped in alarm and waved frantically for a staff member. "Oh no! If you're that hungry, you should have ordered already! There's no need to wait for me. Just hang in there, I'll order right away!"
Feidric continued to stare blankly.
Cipher, "..."