Starting as Cipher-The Flame-Chaser Identity System(Honkai Star Rail)

The four travelers returned to Stone Pine City in the late afternoon. Cipher had initially worried they might be stopped for questioning, given Feidric's overwhelming stench, but to her surprise, there were no guards at the city gate.

The gate stood wide open, and Cipher noticed that the main street leading directly into the city was completely deserted, creating an unsettling sense of desolation. This was Stone Pine City, after all!

As they entered the city, Cipher twitched her cat ears and picked up faint sounds from the surrounding buildings: breathing, footsteps, and hushed voices. This suggested the city hadn't been suddenly abandoned; something must have happened to drive everyone into hiding.

A short while later, as they approached the Adventurer's Guild, the scene was starkly different from the earlier emptiness. A dense crowd had gathered outside the guild, with city guards forming an outer cordon and adventurers making up the vast majority of the throng.

Douglas led the way, and the crowd instantly parted, everyone staring at him with expressions of horror. Of course, they weren't intimidated by his presence, but rather repulsed by the lingering stench emanating from Feidric.

Without hesitation, Douglas swiftly escorted Feidric back to their inn room. Cipher and Aria, however, remained behind, curious. It didn't take Cipher long to understand what had happened.

In short, the Black Knight had infiltrated the city, attacked a noble, and killed several guards before vanishing into hiding somewhere within the city's labyrinthine streets. The guards were now posting temporary quests, seeking adventurers to assist in her capture.

The Black Knight's ransom demand to Viscount Braun was merely a ruse to lure the viscount into dispatching a large force to hunt her down. The more men Braun sent, the better—this would leave Stone Pine City's defenses vulnerable, allowing her to slip in undetected.

Her distinctive full plate armor would never pass the city gates, so she simply removed it. While shedding her armor significantly weakened her combat prowess, this diversionary tactic, if successful, would provide the perfect opportunity to annihilate the Braun Family. She couldn't afford to abandon such a crucial advantage.

The Black Knight never anticipated that Viscount Braun, wary of Cipher, would forgo hiring adventurers. Similarly, fearing the Black Knight herself, he hadn't deployed his guards, instead turning to Lucien, the Necromancer, for assistance.

Completely unaware of Lucien's existence, the Black Knight successfully infiltrated Stone Pine City. Upon observing that the city's guard presence hadn't diminished as expected, she should have abandoned her plan and retreated immediately. But at that moment, she happened upon a noble from the Braun Family. Without hesitation, she struck, killing him in broad daylight.

This reckless act jeopardized her position. Hundreds of guards throughout Stone Pine City began searching for her. Viscount Braun himself was startled, his face contorted with shock and suspicion. "Did Lucien fail? How did this Black Knight manage to breach the city?!"

Driven by fear, Viscount Braun had no choice but to hire adventurers to protect himself.

Just then, a guard approached Cipher and announced, "Ten Gold Dragons for any sighting of the Black Knight! Fifty Gold Dragons for participating in the fight, and a thousand Gold Dragons for the kill!"

Before the guard could finish his pitch, Cipher shook her head. "I'm not accepting it. You'll have to find someone else."

The guard blinked, surprised. "Huh?"

The reward for this quest was exceptionally generous, and no adventurer had ever turned it down before.

After all, once accepted, you didn't even need to actively seek out combat. Just wait for a brawl to break out, toss a throwing knife from a hundred meters away, and boom—you'd participated! Fifty Gold Dragons for practically doing nothing? It was practically free money! Who would refuse that?

Seeing the guard's bewildered expression, Cipher realized her answer was unconventional. She explained, "Sorry, our party just returned from another quest. Remember that unbearably smelly guy earlier? He's one of my companions. You really don't want to know what we went through."

"So, I'm sorry, but our team can't take on this quest right now. We need to rest properly."

"Oh, right!" The guard's face lit up with understanding, clearly remembering the earlier incident vividly. He nodded. "I get it. I get it."

After the guard left, Aria spoke up beside Cipher. "But Feidric is the only one temporarily out of commission. You, Douglas, and I are all fine, right?"

Cipher countered, "So, Aria, are you suggesting we accept this quest and hunt down the Black Knight?"

Aria fell silent. Her recent encounter with the Black Knight was still fresh in her mind. The knight didn't seem evil, and she certainly didn't want to join the hunters.

But helping the Black Knight against the hunters? That was equally impossible. Aria suggested, "Maybe we could persuade the other adventurers to abandon the quest?"

Hearing this, Cipher couldn't resist stroking Aria's golden hair, letting the soft strands slip through her fingers. "They're offering fifty Gold Dragons just for participating in the battle," she said. "Do you really think they'd give up that kind of wealth just because you asked?"

"Trust me, there's nothing we can do right now. Just go back and get some rest."

Aria hesitated before nodding faintly. "Okay..."

Of course, Cipher's words were meant to dissuade Aria from interfering, but that didn't mean she herself would stand idly by.

Black Knight's Character Sheet

Name: Natalie Hoover

Gender: Female

Class: Paladin - Oath of Vengeance (Level 8)

Attributes:

Strength: 14

Dexterity: 12

Constitution: 14

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 10

Charisma: 16

Paladin - Oath of Vengeance Class Skills: Nine Sword Techniques (Mastery), Healing Light, Divine Smite - Death, Aura of Vengeance, Soul-Piercing Gaze

Personal Special Ability: Combat Persistence

P.S.: Levels 1-4 roughly correspond to the strength of Bronze Adventurers, 5-8 to Silver, 9-12 to Gold, and 13-16 to Legendary. Levels 17-20 are exceedingly rare, representing the chosen of destiny—individuals so exceptional that they are nearly unheard of in the entire world. The seven heroes who once slew the Demon Lord all possessed this level of power.