The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 36

「Future」

「Saint Year 741, July 4, 11:58」

「Countdown – 23:59:59」

Ciel slowly opened her eyes while lying on her bed.

As she looked up, she saw a familiar ceiling.

A familiar… ceiling?

Ciel abruptly sat up, and from behind her, a shadow emerged, leaning against her back.

Isn’t this supposed to be 16 days later?

Why am I still at 44 South-North Stone Street? Why am I still in the Clock Tower District?

A damp, musty odor filled her nostrils, causing Ciel to wrinkle her nose.

This smell… I’ve never noticed anything like this in my home before.

Outside, rain drizzled steadily. Ciel got out of bed and walked to her desk, flipping open her notebook.

【Saint Year 741, June 18, 7:30 PM】

【Ever since I returned, I don’t know if it’s just psychological, but my thirst has been growing worse ever since I left Sir’s Bridge. This isn’t normal. A sense of unease is growing inside me.】

【When my sister came home at 6:30 for dinner, I laid everything out for her. I told her I’d be working for a friend’s father, Baron Hastings, at the Magistrate’s Court. I lied about the salary, making her believe I’d be able to earn a lot of money.】

【My sister cried while eating dessert. She was happy that I’d be able to study law again. She agreed to take tomorrow off to attend my graduation ceremony and help me thank Amy.】

【But she refused to quit her job, saying that if we both worked, we could save for tuition faster. This time, I stood my ground and insisted she move with me. To convince her, I revealed part of the truth—that there’s danger in the Clock Tower District.】

【Now, my sister and I have left the Clock Tower District and are staying at an inn near the police station. However, I’m not sleeping in the same room as her. I’ve been staying outside the inn. My thirst has grown unbearable. On the way to the inn, I didn’t drink any water, and now my lips are cracking.】

【—There is definitely danger in the Clock Tower District. I remembered Avena mentioning dehydration syndrome. It’s likely contagious. I can no longer stay near my sister.】

Ciel’s pupils contracted.

I’ve… already been infected with dehydration syndrome? When did this happen?

It didn’t even happen after returning to the Clock Tower District—I already felt thirsty while walking in Sir’s Bridge…

This means the infection was already a certainty, something that cannot be undone, even if I return to reality. I’m already infected!

Ciel turned to the next page.

【Saint Year 741, June 18, 8:30 PM】

【I just left Avena’s house. I told her about my unexplained thirst. For the first time, I saw shock on her face. You’d probably find that amusing…】

【We came to an agreement. She would look after my sister, and in return, I would help her re-enter the Clock Tower District for further investigation. She subtly implied that I shouldn’t leave the Clock Tower District—she’s worried the mysterious dehydration syndrome might spread.】

【I agreed to her terms. Even if it’s just to save my own life, I must return to the Clock Tower District and figure out what’s going on.】

【Before leaving, I gave her a vial of my blood to have it analyzed by someone trustworthy.】

This sounds exactly like something I would do.

Ciel took a deep breath and flipped to the next page.

【Saint Year 741, June 19, 12:30 PM】

【I don’t know if it’s because of my blood sample, but Avena’s family seems to have taken precautions. Large numbers of soldiers wearing gas masks have started setting up checkpoints at every exit from the Clock Tower District, inspecting anyone trying to leave.】

【I now have to carry a backpack full of water bottles whenever I go out. Just to be safe, I exchanged 125 gold pounds and bought a large supply of clean water and juice to store at home.】

【People are panicking on the streets. The military’s roadblocks are reminiscent of the Black Death, or the plague from two centuries ago.】

【I have no clear direction in my investigation. My lungs feel heavy, and I can’t stop coughing—it’s as if all the moisture in my body is being drained.】

“Rustle—”

Ciel turned the page.

When she looked at the next entry’s date, she froze. A significant amount of time had passed between the two recordings. The handwriting had also faded considerably, and there were more corrections than before. If she hadn’t written it herself, she wouldn’t have been able to decipher the text.

【Saint Year 741, June 25, 12:30 PM】

【The military’s lockdown has tightened. No one is allowed to leave the Clock Tower District. Aside from those who realized the danger early and fled, the vast majority of people are now trapped here. Every day, more dehydration syndrome patients are brought into the district—it’s like an open-air prison.】

【The Church of the Savior Goddess has deployed large numbers of carts to deliver supplies, barely maintaining order in the district. But even among the nuns and priests, many are suffering from cracked, peeling lips. Every day, more priests and nuns arrive from other regions to replace them—or rather, I should say they’re fighting to come here. They know the risk of infection is high.】

【I believe at least 80% of them are the “Servants” mentioned in Duven’s notes. They’ve come here to offer their lives in devotion. No matter how I feel, they are doing good work.】

【I finally caught a glimpse of Uris. It was only for a moment, but I saw her rushing out of the Clock Tower Church at 11:31:51. Remember this time—she will pass by the church then.】

【Aside from the Church of the Savior Goddess, I also saw some unfamiliar figures on the streets. They wore black robes with raven-feather cloaks and bronze raven-beak masks. I have a hunch they’re connected to this epidemic.】

【However, they sometimes work alongside the Church of the Savior Goddess, helping to burn bodies and treat the sick. I transformed using Save Slot No. 2 to remove one of their masks—it was just the terrified face of an ordinary young man. His lips were cracked. They’re not the source of the dehydration syndrome.】

This is crucial information about Uris’s movements. Thankfully, I recorded it.

Ciel continued reading.

【Saint Year 741, July 4, Early Morning…】

【More and more people are jumping into the river to kill themselves. No, they’re not trying to die—they’re trying to survive.】

【Two days ago, I recorded something I wish I hadn’t.】

【I saw Headmaster Jenny in the refugee tents set up in the Clock Tower District. She’s already dead. Her body lay on the ground before the raven-masked figures dragged it away… Tell me it wasn’t me who infected her.】

【I can no longer walk. The house is still stocked with water, but it’s running out… My throat feels like it’s on fire.】

【I transformed again. Five Fate Points can buy me thirty minutes of health. I’ve been recklessly destroying unvisited, abandoned areas, but I haven’t found any useful information.】

【This is definitely the work of transcendents…】

【It’s raining again. I’m out of Fate Points. I’m lying on my bed now.】

【Did I… really simulate the future? My Fate Points haven’t decreased. Have I been in reality this whole time? If it’s a simulation, why hasn’t it ended?】

【I thought I was paving the way for my simulated self, but have I not simulated anything at all?!】

【Has this been reality all along?! I’m not paving the way for anyone?!】

【I’m out of points. I can’t simulate again!!!】

【Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!】

【I…】

【I don’t want to die…】

By the end, the handwriting grew increasingly erratic, eventually fading to the point of being almost illegible.

The suffocating despair in these words made Ciel feel as though she couldn’t breathe. She could feel the deep hopelessness emanating from the text.

These were the last things I wrote before dying. If I hadn’t entered the simulation using a saved character, I would’ve died of dehydration shortly after starting this run.

Ciel took a deep breath, slowly closed the notebook, and turned to look out the window at the misty rain and fog.