The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 25

The next morning, at 44 South-North Stone Street, Clock Tower District.

Ciel woke up to the soft light of dawn and stretched lazily.

For the first time, she had slept through the night in a simulation. When she first woke up, she was briefly unsure whether she was in reality or still in the simulation. It wasn’t until she saw her curled hair in the mirror during a groggy trip to the washroom that it finally clicked.

After all, everything in the simulation felt so real—like living in another parallel world.

She glanced at the time. It was now 10 AM, the longest she’d ever slept. The steady, rhythmic rain outside seemed to have contributed to her restful slumber.

Pulling back the curtain slightly, she looked out the window. The street below was its usual bustling self, with horse-drawn carts and hand-pulled wagons moving to and fro. A group of grubby kids played outside, pushing metal hoops with sticks as they laughed and ran about.

The fact that she had been able to sleep so soundly spoke volumes—Order’s contract was unquestionably effective. Avena had honored her promise and had not caused her any trouble.

Ciel opened the system interface and checked the time remaining.

「Time Remaining: 08:24:54」

Fifteen hours and thirty-five minutes had passed in the simulation, leaving her with just 8 hours and 24 minutes of free time.

Thanks to last night’s rest, the wounds on her body no longer ached. There was only a faint itching sensation, a sign they were healing.

It seemed the medicine High Priestess Uris had used on her was quite effective.

If she survived this simulation, Ciel decided she would save this progress to her character archive. That way, whenever she entered a simulation as this character, she wouldn’t have to endure the pain of burns all over again.

Now, what should she do next?

With the greatest threat eliminated, Ciel found herself momentarily directionless.

Grabbing her notebook from the desk, she began jotting down plans.

【1. Visit Deton Manor.】

【2. Follow through with the plan to ask the headmaster for a recommendation letter for the police department.】

【3. Borrow money from Amy.】

【4. Borrow money from Avena.】

【5. Rob a bank.】

【…】

As the list grew longer, it also became increasingly absurd.

Since this was just a simulation, Ciel didn’t feel bound by a strict moral code while planning.

After all, once she returned to reality, no one would know what she had done here.

The idea of visiting Deton Manor came from what she had learned from Avena the day before. Deton Manor was a gathering place for transcendents, akin to a marketplace for them. She might find rare items there or even pick up commissions that were impossible to encounter otherwise.

As for borrowing money—or robbing a bank—that was more for her real-world financial concerns.

In reality, she wasn’t just poor; she was dirt poor.

If an entire sack of su pounds only cost 1 Fate Point in the system, Ciel wouldn’t hesitate to exchange for it.

Of course, bringing paper su pounds into reality could pose issues, such as having serial numbers that might overlap with real su pounds. To be safe, it would be better to exchange for gold pounds instead.

Gold pounds, each valued at 1 su pound, were standardized coins weighing 7.98 grams with a purity of 91.67%. While a sack of gold coins might not have the same value as a sack of 100-su-pound bills, gold would be much safer to use.

With these considerations in mind, asking for a recommendation letter suddenly seemed like the most mundane and least worthwhile thing to do.

Ciel scratched off some items from her list and rearranged the order.

First, she’d get some money. Then she’d visit Deton Manor to see if there were worthwhile items to buy. If she found something truly valuable, she could simply end the simulation by dying on purpose, bringing the items back.

If she didn’t obtain anything of value or make much money, then as the simulation drew to a close…

She’d rob a bank.

The goal would be to figure out the optimal route for a successful heist. With enough practice, robbing banks could become a fixed routine in every simulation, maximizing how much money she could exchange for 1 Fate Point.

First, money.

Ciel put down her notebook and changed into a low-profile linen cotton dress and black ankle boots. She also donned a brown rounded hat for sun protection.

Just in case, she took her brown satchel, slinging it over her shoulder—it would mainly be for carrying money.

With her preparations complete, she headed downstairs.

By this time, her sister had already gone back to work at the factory. On the table, Lichie had left a piece of bread and some fried bacon, clearly meant for Ciel’s breakfast. The food was cold by now, but that didn’t bother her.

Ciel quickly ate the bread and bacon before locking the door and heading down South-North Stone Street toward the western district.

Both Amy and Avena lived in the Sir’s Bridge neighborhood, a far more affluent area than the city center.

Located on the west side of Berren City, Sir’s Bridge was generally referred to as the Western District. It was said that in the capital city of Ansu, the western district was also the most prosperous.

With plenty of time on her hands, Ciel didn’t rush. About twenty minutes later, she arrived at the street near Amy’s residence.

Standing in front of Amy’s mansion, Ciel paused, gazing at the grand standalone villa with a mix of emotions.

Back in school, Amy had always tried to get closer to her. However, adhering to her principles of keeping a low profile and avoiding deep connections, Ciel often politely declined Amy’s invitations.

This was partly to avoid getting entangled in the power struggles among the children of nobles and wealthy merchants, and partly because she simply didn’t have the money to join them for shopping or social outings.

They were from entirely different worlds. Even if Ciel had wanted to fit in, she likely wouldn’t have been able to—at most, she’d have ended up as an errand runner for the noble ladies.

But to Ciel’s surprise, during one of her previous simulations, the “surface friend” she had always kept at arm’s length was willing to defy her father, endure house arrest, and secretly send her crucial information through a servant. That act of kindness had genuinely moved Ciel.

She held onto that gratitude.

Cough… Even if her current visit was to borrow money from Amy, Ciel figured it was fine. If she didn’t get the money now, she’d make it up to Amy in reality by taking her out for a nice meal after robbing a bank.

Her lingering at the gate seemed to catch the attention of one of the estate’s servants. He approached the ornate iron gate and asked through the bars, “Miss, are you looking for someone?”

“I’m here to see Amy. I’m her classmate, Ciel,” Ciel replied through the gate.

“Please wait a moment, Miss Ciel. I’ll inform the young lady.” Upon hearing she was a classmate, the servant bowed slightly out of respect before jogging through the garden to the main villa.

A minute later, Ciel saw a figure in a silk robe running toward the gate, followed by a maid who looked to be in her thirties or forties.

“Miss! Miss! You haven’t even changed your clothes!”

Hearing the maid’s shout, Amy abruptly looked down and realized she was still in her nightgown. Her face instantly turned bright red as she spun around and dashed back into the villa. The maid gave Ciel an apologetic nod before hurrying after her.

About thirty minutes later—by which time Ciel’s legs were starting to go numb—the villa’s gate finally reopened.

Amy emerged gracefully, dressed in a light blue silk dress with delicate lace trim. The petticoat beneath gave her skirt a wide, voluminous appearance. She wore a white lace shawl over her shoulders and a straw hat adorned with flowers and feathers. Her golden wavy hair shimmered in the sunlight.

She opened a small door in the iron gate, reached out to pull Ciel into the garden, then quickly withdrew her hand, clasping it behind her back. Though she kept her head lowered, she couldn’t help but steal glances at Ciel’s curled hair.

“Ciel… what brings you here? I looked for you all over at the graduation ceremony yesterday, but I couldn’t find you…” Amy asked nervously, her nerves causing her to accidentally bite her tongue mid-sentence.

Ciel took a deep breath and glanced toward the garden.

The flowers really do look like flowers…

Miss Amy! You’re making this so hard for me to bring up borrowing money!