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

"The Grand Duchy of Kandela, where we are now, is a very small and weak nation," Feidric explained. "It covers less than 120,000 square kilometers and has a population of under half a million. There are very few adventurers here, and even fewer spellcasters. Naturally, no one would open a magic shop in such a backwater; there simply aren't enough customers, and those who are here are too poor."

"As for Storage Rings, they're even rarer and more valuable. You'd likely have to go to Hetherland, a region within the Arcane Federation, to find such magical items, and they generally cost no less than 10,000 Gold Dragons."

Only 10,000 Gold Dragons? That doesn't sound too bad, Cipher thought, recalling the several treasure chests in Viscount Braun's mansion. If I cleared out his entire estate, I could probably afford one.

Regardless, Cipher's hopes of acquiring a Storage Ring were dashed for now. Just then, she noticed her System's Fame stat suddenly surge by over a hundred points.

Without a doubt, someone had discovered the small note she'd left in Viscount Braun's vault.

The truth was indeed as it seemed. Viscount Braun stared at the three opened treasure chests before him, clutching the note in his hand, his face flushed crimson with fury.

Cipher's message was infuriatingly provocative, treating the vault as if it were her personal domain—a place she could come and go as she pleased (which, infuriatingly, was exactly what had happened).

"You two! What kind of guards are you?! You didn't even notice a rat slipping in?!"

The two guards instantly panicked.

"This... how could this happen? It shouldn't be possible!"

"Viscount, we stood guard at the door all night without moving an inch! No one came in, I swear!"

The vault was a completely sealed chamber with no windows, theoretically having only one entrance: the main door. If not for the note and pen Cipher had left behind, Viscount Braun might have suspected the guards of stealing the Gold Dragons themselves.

"But how in the world did that damned thief even get into the vault?" Viscount Braun was baffled. Could the thief be a spellcaster? That seemed unlikely; normally, spellcasters were the ones being robbed, not the robbers.

Viscount Braun couldn't make sense of it, and the more he pondered, the angrier he became. In a fit of rage, he crumpled the paper in his hand into a ball and hurled it to the ground.

But two seconds later, he bent down and picked it up again. After all, this crumpled piece of paper was currently his only lead. He unfolded the now-wrinkled paper and finally noticed Cipher's cat doodle in the corner.

Gritting his teeth, Viscount Braun ordered, "Go! Find me the city's most skilled detective. I'm determined to catch this damned thief, no matter what it takes!"

As it was an order from the Viscount, a detective arrived hastily within half an hour. After hearing his employer's request, the detective stared blankly at the crumpled paper in his hand, utterly stunned.

"Are you saying... the criminal successfully infiltrated a vault with only one entrance, guarded by armed sentries, stole a hoard of Gold Dragons, and vanished without a trace?"

If not for Viscount Braun's furious demeanor, the detective would have almost thought he was being made a fool of. Could such a case truly be possible?

Regardless, the detective had no choice but to proceed with the case. He stared at the crumpled note in his hand, paused to gather his thoughts, and then spoke: "The culprit left this note behind, and its purpose is clear. He's likely an orphan who grew up without love, which explains his desperate need for attention. He's using this mocking behavior to assert his existence and gain validation."

"Judging by the note's tone, he's probably a bitter, sarcastic individual. The more harshly someone criticizes others, the more self-assured they become. That crude doodle in the corner? It's almost certainly a self-portrait! It serves both his need for recognition and his inflated ego!"

"But the culprit isn't stupid. This self-portrait is deliberately crude, but that doesn't matter. I can fill in the details and reconstruct his true appearance!"

Within minutes, the detective was sketching on another sheet of paper. Ten minutes later, a bald man with a round face, a pointy, monkey-like mouth, and a sleazy demeanor emerged from the lines.

To put it simply, he was utterly hideous and detestable, perfectly embodying most people's fantasies of what a "thief" should look like.

Viscount Braun nodded in satisfaction as he examined the portrait. "Impressive work, Detective! You truly live up to your reputation. To deduce the culprit's appearance so quickly!"

He immediately ordered his men to create a wanted poster based on the drawing and launch a city-wide manhunt.

The detective wiped the sweat from his brow. Great detective? he thought. All my deductions were complete nonsense! The reasoning didn't matter; what mattered was that Viscount Braun was furious, practically exploding with anger. So I just needed to insult this unknown criminal as harshly as possible, acting as the Viscount's mouthpiece. The harsher my insults, the happier Braun would be.

But the detective knew better. If Braun's claims were true, the mastermind behind this "perfect heist" must be an incredibly skilled legendary thief—someone far beyond his ability to handle.

He couldn't afford to cross Viscount Braun, and now he was forced to cobble together more absurd deductions to fuel Braun's rage. But he certainly couldn't afford to cross that thief either! If the legendary thief ever discovered this portrait was his doing, he'd be a dead man!

"I can't stay in this city any longer," the detective muttered to himself. "I'm leaving tonight. I have to get out of here!"

Meanwhile, at the Adventurer's Guild, news of the theft at Viscount Braun's residence had spread like wildfire. While it would take time to print and post official Wanted Posters throughout the city, the guild, being the Adventurer's Guild, managed to obtain its first copy by noon that very day.

It was the original sketch drawn by the detective himself, now prominently displayed on the guild's wall:

WANTED: Round-Faced, Pointy-Mouthed, Bald Phantom Thief

Yesterday, this Phantom Thief infiltrated Viscount Braun's residence and stole two thousand Gold Dragons. A reward of one thousand Gold Dragons will be paid for the capture of this criminal. Even providing a single clue leading to their arrest will earn you ten Gold Dragons immediately.

Cipher stared at the poster, her expression mirroring that of an old man baffled by a smartphone on the subway. She struggled to articulate her bewilderment.

Round-Faced, Pointy-Mouthed, Bald Phantom Thief... What kind of ridiculous nickname is that?!

And two thousand Gold Dragons? She'd barely managed to snag a few hundred at most!