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

"Senior, are you on a quest? Can we come along?" Yuna asked eagerly, echoing Feidric's question. "We'll be good, we won't get in the way. We'll just watch from a distance, okay? Please?"

The Grand Duchy of Kandela was a small place, and Gold-rank adventurers were incredibly rare. Yuna's reasoning was simple: even just tagging along and observing such seasoned adventurers in action would be an invaluable learning experience.

Cipher hadn't explicitly confirmed her Gold-rank status when Yuna asked earlier, but she hadn't denied it either. To Yuna, this silence was as good as tacit approval. Combined with Aria's enthusiastic praise, Yuna's admiration for Cipher had nearly reached its peak.

Her lifesaver, and a supremely powerful Gold-rank adventurer at that—if Cipher were male, Yuna might have considered offering herself in gratitude.

Wait, Cipher is so beautiful... even if she's a girl, maybe... it wouldn't be so bad either?

Feidric replied, "We're not on a quest. We're simply traveling to Cloudsea City, the capital."

Aria chimed in, "Even though we don't have a quest, we're still..." She suddenly burst into tears.

Cipher reacted swiftly, whipping her tail around Aria's face to muffle her words. This girl has no sense of self-preservation, Cipher thought. Is she really about to blurt out to complete strangers that we're planning to steal the Hell Book from the king himself?

Regardless of whether Yuna and her companions could be trusted, this was a secret that needed to be kept under wraps.

Yuna visibly deflated upon hearing that they weren't on a quest, but she quickly regained her composure and consulted with her two companions. Cipher twitched her cat ears, listening intently.

"Our quest failed anyway," Yuna said. "Should we return to the previous city? Or would you like to explore Cloudsea City with these seniors? I've never been to the capital before."

The young warrior, Callum, replied tentatively, "That... could work. The Adventurer's Guild in the capital should have more quests. We'd have more options for missions there."

The ranger, Alvin, shrugged. "I don't mind. Anywhere's fine with me."

With their plans settled, Yuna returned to Cipher's side. "Cipher, Cipher, we're also heading to Cloudsea City. Would you mind if we traveled together for a while?"

Cipher nodded, pulling her tail from Aria's embrace. She had no objection to them joining their group. After all, everyone was free to walk where they pleased.

Thus, the original four-person party temporarily grew to seven. Throughout the journey, Yuna frequently approached Cipher and Aria for conversation, though her true target was Cipher. Aria was merely a convenient accessory, as she stayed close to Cipher.

The four male adventurers huddled together, watching the three women chat animatedly ahead. Douglas sighed wistfully, adopting the air of a seasoned veteran. "Ah, those were the days..."

After a pause, he continued, "Before I became an adventurer, I was always surrounded by beautiful women back home. But after a while, I grew tired of it and left to seek adventure. Seeing this scene now brings back memories of those old times."

Immediately, the two rookie adventurers, Callum and Alvin, looked up at Douglas with starry-eyed admiration. "Senior, you're really that amazing?"

Douglas rubbed his index finger against his nose, maintaining a completely straight face. "Of course! Don't all girls like brave and handsome guys? But let me tell you, instead of wasting time trying to win them over, you're better off focusing on improving yourselves. When you become strong enough, the pretty girls will come chasing after you!"

Callum and Alvin nodded enthusiastically, acting like they'd just received profound wisdom. Only Feidric, standing nearby, twitched the corner of his mouth slightly, but he ultimately kept silent.

I really want to call him out, Feidric thought. Douglas, isn't the real reason you became an adventurer because you couldn't find a girlfriend and got kicked out of your hometown?

Meanwhile, Cipher was gradually getting to know Yuna. She learned that Yuna was a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer. Yuna even boldly lifted her shirt to reveal her slender abdomen.

On either side of Yuna's navel, tiny scales shimmered against her slender waist, proof of the draconic bloodline within her.

"I heard that when Draconic Bloodline Sorcerers grow strong enough, they can even sprout wings and fly freely!" Yuna exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Just imagining it makes me so excited!"

Thanks to their draconic bloodline, as Atavism gradually took hold, Draconic Bloodline Sorcerers' physical prowess steadily improved, making them far more resilient than ordinary Wizards.

That evening, as they set up camp for the night, Yuna was surprised to learn that Cipher and Aria were sharing a tent. After a moment of stunned silence, a sour expression crossed her face, and she immediately asked if she could join them.

Cipher naturally refused. Watching Yuna trudge back to her own tent, looking dejected, Cipher felt a pang of unease. Oh no, did that time I saved her life trigger a bridge effect? she wondered. I'm not stupid—Yuna's behavior toward me has been acting a bit strange lately.

As everyone knows, medieval Europe was notoriously chaotic in Cipher's previous life. Incestuous relationships like "my daughter's daughter is also my daughter" were commonplace, and given such absurdities, homosexuality was hardly surprising.

Could it be that homosexuality is also quite common in this world? Could Yuna be a lesbian?

As for Cipher herself, she's currently female and enjoys the company of soft, sweet girls. At first glance, one might even consider her a lesbian.

But that's not the full story. She simply "likes" girls, without any desire for romantic relationships. She's a genuine advocate for singlehood, and her affection is more akin to "liking Gundam" or "liking fishing."

So, if Yuna truly harbored feelings for her, Cipher would be utterly bewildered. What should she do? Firmly reject her? But Yuna hadn't confessed anything yet. What if this was all Cipher's imagination, one of life's three great delusions? Wouldn't preemptively rejecting her be incredibly embarrassing?