The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 233

“That is completely fine.”

Henry didn’t seem to mind. He seemed very familiar with the abilities of the Eye of Order.

He raised his hand, and the words on the parchment contract before him began to burn with blue flames. The words also started to twist, and a small clause was added.

This clause allowed the signatory to reveal the secrets seen inside the door to a person named Ciel—when specifying this person Ciel, many specific words were used, such as height, hair color, abilities, and other more specific descriptions, to ensure that it pointed exclusively to the individual Ciel.

After confirming that the new contract had no impact on her, Tara raised her hand and directly pressed her handprint on the contract.

Blue light flashed. Henry beside her stepped forward and directly pushed open the large door. He no longer paid attention to Tara and walked directly into the room.

Tara looked at the dark room before her, then stepped in as well.

The moment Tara stepped inside, the oil lamps on the wall lit up with dim flames, illuminating everything before Tara’s eyes.

In the center of the vast room, a dark green, incomplete brain floated quietly in place.

From that dark green brain, clusters of dark green fungal growth extended like a mycelial mat, hanging down and spreading across the floor, almost covering the entire hall.

And around that brain, dozens of shattered iron armor wrecks knelt. The broken iron armor maintained a kneeling posture, facing the dark green brain.

Gurgle—

As the dark green brain emitted a faint glow, one cluster of the fungal mat, as if infused with some energy, began to pulsate, transferring this energy to one of the broken armors connected by the dark green mycelial network.

In the eye sockets of that broken armor, a dark green glow slowly lit up.

“Your Holiness…”

Henry knelt before that armor. He directly raised his hand and removed the arm gauntlet covering his right hand, exposing his wrist.

He took out a small knife and directly cut his wrist. He raised his hand, letting the blood from his wrist drip onto the armor.

The moment the blood dripped onto the armor, it was quickly absorbed. The dark green fungal mats also wriggled and quickly burrowed into the cracks of the armor, filling the empty spaces inside.

The broken armor, which had been half-kneeling and whose eyes were emitting a sickly green light, slowly stood up.

“Interesting…”

A metallic buzzing sound came from inside the armor. “She directly created another identical node with her bare hands…”

The broken armor seemed to completely ignore Tara, who was standing before it with wide eyes. It slowly lowered its head and looked at Henry, who was kneeling before it.

“Get up, Henry.”

The broken armor took a step forward, but as soon as its metallic right leg took its first step, a grating sound of metal fatigue echoed, like a scream.

That right leg began to twist and deform.

“Henry… haven’t you found that candidate Saintess yet?”

The voice from inside the broken armor seemed to carry a hint of impatience. “Didn’t she return to Ansu?”

“Yes, but she is still under the protection of the young lady of the Roswell family…”

“No need to worry about that anymore, and don’t worry about Forte either. Bring her here, quickly… These bodies are too frail…”

The Pope walked towards Tara, their tone gradually becoming calmer.

“Let’s go, Miss Tara.”

A metallic screeching sound echoed.

“Let us go see Her Excellency Ciel again…”

Tara’s heart pounded. After seeing the Pope about to leave, she only recovered herself at Henry’s reminder and quickly followed.

This is bad… I need to quickly inform Lord Mother Goddess…

So… this was the true purpose of the Church of the God of Order wanting to kidnap Nia…

…

Clang—

“Phew…”

Ciel threw the empty iron armor shell onto the carpet, panting. She was leaning on her knees, slightly out of breath.

She didn’t know how long it had been since she had felt this feeling of sweating from exercise. This armor was truly heavy.

“Lord Ciel, are you alright?”

Percy, seeing Ciel come up, quickly stepped forward and took out a clean white handkerchief, handing it to Ciel.

“Thank you.”

Ciel took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her face.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to use her own handkerchief. It was because she had given her handkerchief to Tara earlier… but she seemed to have forgotten to ask Tara for it back.

After catching her breath a little, Ciel looked up and scanned the area. She said, “Where is Tara? Where is Henry?”

Why were so many people gone as soon as she came up?

Ciel’s gaze fell upon the shattered iron armor lying on the ground. She was a little speechless.

The Pope died downstairs. Forte might still be outside… In this simulation, she was probably not going to have a good ending.

Ciel had originally thought that the Pope’s mental strength should be much stronger than other “Crown Guard” transcendent individuals, given that they could withstand the influence of the door to the Other Side and stay with her until the end.

But she hadn’t expected that after she created the second Other Side node, under the influence of the two nodes, the Pope’s mind collapsed quickly.

Moreover, she was even “possessed” by the platinum armor Other Side creature that came later for a period of time… It seemed they were as dead as could be.

“Teacher Tara… went with Henry,”

Percy’s face showed a hint of worry. She said, “Henry said something about going to welcome the ‘Pope,’ and that this secret couldn’t be known to others… Lord Tara told me to stay and protect you. She went with him.”

Tara…

She’s completely prioritizing me, not caring about her own life at all…

“Let’s go, find Tara.”

Ciel didn’t hesitate. Although her evaluation of Tara had always been “very useful tool,” when a tool was easy to use, Ciel naturally didn’t want to replace it or have it break.

Just as Ciel was preparing to lead her people towards the door, a broken silver iron armor appeared at the entrance.

“Your Excellency Ciel… have you finished your research?”

A familiar metallic buzzing sound came from within the armor. The sickly green glow in its helmet’s eyes stared directly at Ciel. The aura from the Other Side contained within it made Ciel feel a little uneasy.

For a moment, Ciel felt as if she was facing a terrifying creature from the Other Side—and not a friendly one.

But from Percy’s words just now, Ciel could deduce that this was the Pope… She hadn’t died, and she had even switched bodies…

“I apologize, I didn’t know this would affect you.”

Ciel pointed at the armor on the ground, but her eyes were scanning behind the armor.

Only upon seeing the small figure with dark green hair did Ciel’s heart slowly relax.

“Tara, come here.”

Ciel beckoned to Tara. Only after Tara walked up to her did Ciel raise her hand and shield Tara behind her.

“Are you alright?”

Ciel asked in a low voice.

“I… I am alright, Lord Ciel.”

Tara lowered her head and said nothing. She knew she couldn’t tell Ciel these things now.

“You have seen the node, and you have read the notes… Your subordinate has also spied on my most hidden place… I have held nothing back from you, Your Excellency Ciel.”

A grating, metal-on-metal buzzing sound echoed.

“I wonder, Your Excellency, have you considered the matter of cooperation?”