Cipherday #71 · September 2, 2026
The answer to Cipherday #71
The full three-cipher chain from September 2, 2026, the public-domain quote it hid, and how each cipher worked. Today’s chain stays sealed until it becomes a past day.
The revealed quote
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”— traditional proverb
Distance can sharpen how much a person is missed.
The cipher chain
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Stage 1 · Caesar · Shift of 24
Ciphertext
Jmqr rgkc gq lctcp dmslb yeygl.Decodes to
Lost time is never found again.Every letter was slid 24 places down the alphabet; sliding it back the same amount restores the line.
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Stage 2 · Substitution · Keyword “GALLEON”
Ciphertext
Em kmt lry mvor spdit jdih.Decodes to
Do not cry over spilt milk.A keyword scrambled the alphabet into a fixed cipher alphabet, so each letter always stands for the same partner — letter frequency gives it away.
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Stage 3 · Vigenère · Keyword “CIPHER”
Ciphertext
Cjhlrtg uprij vpt oirtb vysn hwckii.Decodes to
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.A repeating keyword shifted each letter by a different amount, which is what lets one letter encrypt two ways; the right keyword resolves it.