Cipher never imagined she'd taste a beverage from her previous life again. Her tail wagged excitedly as she turned to Feidric. "Want to try one too? It's really good!"
Feidric's gaze shifted from her twitching cat tail. That's obvious, he thought silently before replying, "No, thanks. It's too expensive."
"What does it matter?" Cipher retorted. "Viscount Braun's treating."
Feidric blinked, momentarily stunned. It took him a few seconds to process her words. His lips twitched slightly, but he ultimately declined. "Never mind. I'm not really into sweets."
Later, as they passed a bookstore, it was Feidric's turn to stop. He went inside, browsed briefly, and emerged carrying a stack of at least a dozen books.
Well, a wizard buying books—that's perfectly normal, Cipher thought. But then it struck her: Cloudsea City was just a small town. How could its bookstore possibly stock the kinds of arcane texts a wizard would need?
Cipher stood on tiptoe to peek at the cover of the topmost book: Legend of the Demon King and the Hero: The Sorcerer's Tale, Volume 2.
Cipher: "..."
Feidric explained earnestly, "I only skimmed these novels when I was a child. While nearly all their references to the Hell Book are inaccurate, since our next goal is to search for other Divine Artifacts, I thought it might be worth a look. Just in case there's some useful information hidden inside?"
If anyone else had said this, Cipher wouldn't have believed a word. But coming from Feidric, it actually sounded quite reasonable.
Cipher reached for the book, intending to flip through it casually. However, with her other hand holding a carton of orange juice, she realized she couldn't turn the pages one-handed.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind. Recalling some images she'd seen online in her past life, she placed the carton of orange juice on her chest, keeping the straw between her lips. She tentatively loosened her grip, and as the carton began to slide downward, she immediately leaned back slightly, stabilizing it securely against her chest.
For a moment, even Cipher was stunned. She had only tried it as a joke, knowing she had the "assets," but she never expected it to actually work!
The ice cubes in her orange juice made her chest feel cool, but that was the extent of it.
Honestly, Cipher thought holding a drink on her chest was more for showboating than practical use. She had to breathe carefully to avoid dropping the glass. Maintaining stability required not only ample cleavage but also exceptional balance.
Just then, Feidric, who had been using the cantrip Mage Hand to move books, looked up and froze in surprise at the sight.
His brief lapse in concentration even caused the Mage Hand spell to falter, scattering books across the floor.
Cipher glanced at him, sipping through her straw, and said, "What do you think? Impressive, right?"
Feidric gaped, speechless. "..."
This was beyond impressive in every sense of the word. He'd once heard that a woman so beautiful she couldn't see her feet when she looked down was considered peerless. But what level of allure did someone who could hold drinks on their chest possess?
Cipher quickly extended her "third hand"—her cat tail—wrapped it around the drink nestled on her chest, and lifted it. Holding the novel with both hands, she began reading, sipping her drink with her tail as she turned the pages.
The protagonist of the book was the Sorcerer of the Hero Party, one of seven legendary heroes. His Divine Artifact was the Electro Staff, a weapon that darkened the battlefield with storm clouds and summoned endless bolts of lightning with a mere flick of his wrist to obliterate his enemies.
The story opened with the Hero Party passing through the Sorcerer's hometown on their quest to defeat the Demon Lord. He decided to visit his family, only to find a noble attempting to abduct his younger sister.
Cipher frowned slightly. This plot felt... strangely familiar.
One more glance.
As expected, the Protagonist stepped in to stop the Noble. He had intended to reason with him, but the Noble immediately ordered his guards to attack, aiming to teach the Protagonist a lesson. The Protagonist swiftly subdued them with a few lightning strikes.
Undeterred, the Noble began boasting about his powerful connections, claiming he could crush them all with ease. Just then, the Protagonist's six Hero teammates arrived.
Only then did the Noble realize he had bitten off more than he could chew. Terrified, he wet himself and frantically kowtowed, begging for forgiveness.
Cipher stared blankly. "..."
Isn't this the classic "boastful arrogance followed by humiliating defeat" trope from the novels I used to read in my past life? Did the Hero Party really encounter something like this while fighting the Demon Lord three hundred years ago? Is that accurate?
Cipher turned the page and continued reading. Truth be told, she found it quite satisfying. She understood why the novel had become so popular. In the entertainment-starved Middle Ages, a story like this—filled with arrogant posturing and swift humiliation—was bound to be a hit.
Cipher took another sip of her iced drink, a strange sense of déjà vu washing over her, as if she had somehow returned to her previous life.
Soon, the group returned to the Adventurer's Guild. Dio, upon learning they hadn't managed to purchase any supplies, cheerfully said, "No problem. Once we're inside Alliance territory, we'll just adjust our route slightly and make a small detour. There's a city nearby where we can resupply."
As a local, Dio took charge of planning the route, and no one objected.
After a final breakfast at the Adventurer's Guild, the five adventurers officially set off from Cloudsea City.
Notably, Yuna and her two companions also left the city at the same time, but their destination differed from Cipher's group. They bid farewell at the city gates and parted ways.
Yesterday, after unleashing three Fireballs, Yuna had immediately gone into hiding. With the King's death and the city's subsequent instability, Cloudsea City no longer had the resources to pursue the elusive castle bomber. Today, Yuna and her group were venturing out to fulfill an adventurer's quest.