The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 34

The mention of dehydration cases seemed tied to some hidden matter. Even when Ciel directly asked Avena about it, she didn’t provide a clear answer.

Ciel’s instincts told her this was no simple illness—it was likely connected to some transcendent forces.

The Clock Tower District seemed far from peaceful… Ciel felt she couldn’t afford to wait much longer.

Avena had Ciel stay for some time, setting up a desk across from her own to serve as Ciel’s workstation. She gave Ciel a few documents to compile, seemingly as a test of her abilities.

Ciel completed the task flawlessly, further impressing Avena with her competence. Since Avena had other matters to attend to that day, she dismissed Ciel early, instructing her to return promptly the next morning.

Thus, at 1 PM, Ciel finished her first day of work.

With some time to spare before attending Amy’s tea party, Ciel wandered around the area near the police station, looking for rental properties.

After some time, she came up empty-handed. The places she found were either too expensive or too cramped. Finding a suitable home in this area would clearly take more time and effort.

Ciel began considering whether she and her sister should stay at a nearby inn for the time being, but she wasn’t sure what excuse she could use to justify the move.

The fastest, simplest option she could think of—one that wouldn’t require any explanations—was to set the old house on fire. But that would be far too cruel to the kind landlord who had rented it to them at such a low price, not to mention Ciel wasn’t sure she could afford to compensate for the loss of an entire house.

It was about time to sell the “Avenger” potion to Avena. With the contract in place, Ciel wasn’t worried about revealing her secrets.

As for the “Instigator” potion, she planned to keep it and see if she could experiment with digesting it in a simulation.

The only issue was that she couldn’t be certain whether the ritual process Thomas had recorded was accurate—after all, he had been driven to madness by it himself.

With this in mind, Ciel headed toward the Sir’s Bridge District and stopped at a dessert shop, where she bought a vanilla pudding for three whole shillings. Although the price was steep, the dessert’s exquisite packaging and mouthwatering appearance made it a suitable gift.

Ciel made her way to Amy’s home, arriving at the villa just before 2 PM.

By this time, several invited young ladies were already arriving with their invitations in hand. Amy’s garden had been set up with tables, desserts, and drinks, and the tea party was about to begin.

It was only now that Ciel realized—she hadn’t brought an invitation.

What did she have in her bag right now?

Two notebooks, two potions—the most valuable items in her satchel, but hardly appropriate for a tea party.

“Ciel?!”

A delighted voice broke through her thoughts, drawing her attention.

Amy was hurrying across the garden, lifting her dress as she ran toward Ciel, her face glowing with joy. It seemed she hadn’t expected Ciel to actually show up.

Thankfully… nothing embarrassing happened.

Ciel smiled at Amy and handed her the vanilla pudding. “That dress suits you well, Amy.”

“You knew I liked this?!” Amy’s eyes widened as she accepted the pudding, her face lighting up with an uncontrollable smile. “Their pudding is so hard to get! It’s limited, and the supply times are random—money can’t even guarantee you’ll get one…”

Ciel had remembered this because Amy had complained about it during a simulation.

“Let’s eat it together later. You have to pair this with tea…” Amy held the pudding in one hand and grabbed Ciel’s hand with the other, leading her into the garden as though afraid that Ciel might run away if she let go.

Ciel’s purpose for attending was to repay Amy for the intelligence she had provided during the simulation.

The party went smoothly. As long as Ciel didn’t bring up the Blackwater Gang, nothing would happen like in the simulation, where she was asked to leave.

She found a quiet corner to sit in, listening to the conversations of the noble girls around her.

It wasn’t that Ciel didn’t want to join in—it was that she couldn’t understand what they were talking about.

Perfumes, cosmetics, accessories, desserts… This tea party, held under the guise of academic exchange, ended up discussing everything except studying.

Apart from mingling with others at the start, Amy spent most of her time by Ciel’s side, chatting nonstop. Ciel responded with polite nods and affirmations.

How could someone talk for an entire hour without repeating a single topic? And none of it overlapped with her conversations in the simulation.

She’s incredible—a true chatterbox. She could lend some of that conversational skill to Avena.

“By the way, Amy.” Ciel suddenly thought of something and said, “Have you heard of a condition called dehydration syndrome?”

“Dehydration syndrome?” Amy blinked, momentarily thrown off. Just seconds ago, they were debating whether to pair strawberry or tomato sauce with their pastries. The abrupt shift in topic made her pause. She shook her head. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“What about unexplained illnesses—anything happening in the Clock Tower District?” Ciel pressed on.

“No idea…” Amy scratched her head but quickly grew concerned, looking at Ciel nervously. “Is something happening in the Clock Tower District? You’re not…”

Amy trailed off, realizing she might’ve said too much. She quickly lowered her head and took a big bite of cake to cover her embarrassment.

Ciel didn’t mind. She’d already figured out in her second simulation that Amy knew her address; she just didn’t mention it out of consideration for politeness.

“It’s nothing serious. I just overheard a supervisor at the police station mention it.” Ciel shook her head and said with a smile, “It’s fine if you don’t know anything—it’s not a big deal.”

“The police station?” Amy’s eyes lit up at this, and she suddenly leaned forward, her excitement palpable.

She pushed back her chair and stood up abruptly, saying, “Ciel, wait right here.”

Before Ciel could react, Amy dashed into the villa. A sinking feeling settled in Ciel’s stomach.

This silly girl… don’t tell me she’s gone to fetch her father again?

She’d already been kicked out once in the simulation. Was it going to happen again in reality?

Just as Ciel was contemplating whether to make a quick escape, Amy returned.

“Ciel, come with me,” Amy took the opportunity to grab Ciel’s hand and said with a smile, “Father said he’d like to meet you.”

Of course.

Ciel hesitated for a moment before standing up and allowing herself to be led.

This time, she wasn’t entangled in any matters involving the Blackwater Gang or connected to the church in any way. She probably wouldn’t be kicked out… right?

Although she’d technically been through this in the simulation, it had only been described in text. Meeting Amy’s father in person for the first time still made Ciel a little nervous.

Amy led her to the study on the first floor. Its location near the entrance made it convenient for receiving visitors—clearly, Amy’s father conducted much of his business at home.

The study door opened to reveal a tall, lean middle-aged man with partially graying hair. His posture was straight, and he exuded an air of efficiency and competence.

“Lord Hastings.” Ciel gave a small curtsy, raising her eyes to meet the baron’s gaze.