The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 53

Ciel could feel the toxic liquid dissolving the skin on her thighs, yet she barely registered the pain. Only a faint burning sensation lingered in her lungs.

The potion must have taken effect.

The two of them rushed down the corridor, stopping at the staircase, where they took in the scene below.

The marble staircase had been severed in half. Amidst the rubble, a knight clad in silver-white armor knelt on one knee.

The lance in the knight’s hand was corroded and pitted, as if it would snap with the slightest force. However, his massive tower shield remained intact—though it was covered in barnacle-like holes.

Before him lay a grotesque, perforated figure.

“It” was draped in tattered black robes, the hem cleanly severed at the waist, suggesting it had been sliced in half.

Beneath the truncated robe, four curved insectoid legs extended outward, their surface covered in clusters of purple-green barnacles. Tiny tendrils twitched weakly from within the hollow openings, gradually ceasing movement.

The raven-beak mask had long since disappeared. Where its face should have been, there was nothing but a gory, circular cavity—devoid of facial features, brain, or flesh—lined with gnashing teeth.

It was completely mutated.

“He’s dead.” Avena let out a slight sigh of relief and leapt down from the broken staircase, running toward the knight.

“Miss Ciel, give me a hand. We need to get out of here quickly.” Avena urged Ciel over. Ciel summoned her shadow to carry her down, and together, they dragged the half-kneeling knight out of the manor.

Only when they had hauled the knight past the garden did Avena collapse onto the ground, utterly exhausted.

Ciel, however, turned back to look at the grand estate behind them.

The manor’s roof had been blasted open, leaving a massive crater as if struck by a meteor. Nearly half of the structure had already collapsed, and fires were beginning to spread throughout.

“It’s over.” Avena exhaled slowly, suppressing the side effects of the potions. “Once reinforcements arrive, they’ll check what toxins we’ve been exposed to… My strongest antidote should help. This likely isn’t a new strain of bacteria.”

“I recognized several of the infected forms we fought. Sherlon hadn’t been working with viruses for long.”

They had survived.

Ciel felt the tension in her chest loosen slightly.

She asked about her sister’s whereabouts, and Avena confirmed that she had been placed in the Jewelry District, providing Ciel with a sense of relief.

Because Avena had needed to investigate the epidemic in the Clock Tower District, she hadn’t relocated Ciel’s sister to Sir’s Bridge No. 15. Given that she had also sent all her household staff on leave earlier, it was clear that she had anticipated the need for such precautions. Thoughtful and kind, yet meticulous.

Once the potion’s side effects had subsided somewhat, Ciel reentered the estate.

She approached Sherlon’s grotesque corpse and commanded her shadow to search his belongings.

She hoped to find his mystical notebook or any records related to a cure.

Fortunately, she uncovered a journal. Taking it outside, she handed it to Avena, who used a crystal to break its protective imprint, revealing detailed virus research notes inside.

Sherlon had sought to kill for his ascension, but he hadn’t wanted to lose his mind. His mystical notebook contained meticulous records, as well as notes of his own obsession and pride in his virus.

With this, the Redemption Society could likely reverse-engineer a cure. As long as the sealed artifact wasn’t triggered, dehydration syndrome wouldn’t be fatal in the short term.

The accumulated side effects of her potions caught up to Avena, causing her to faint beside Ciel, her body drenched in sweat, twitching uncontrollably, and murmuring incoherently.

Ciel didn’t end the simulation just yet—the event wasn’t truly over.

She remained at Avena’s side for nearly four and a half hours, waiting until late into the night. At last, the reinforcements Avena had promised arrived.

They swiftly tended to Avena and Ciel’s wounds, then began the process of purifying the “Crown Guard’s” shield.

As they removed the knight’s helmet, Ciel noticed something that sent shivers down her spine.

There was nothing inside the helmet.

Goosebumps rose on her arms.

What kind of third-tier transcendent was this? The body was gone—only the armor remained?

Once she was certain the crisis had been completely resolved, Ciel took the now unsealed mystical notebook and ended the simulation.

She was too exhausted to think about anything else.

…

「Reality」

「Saint Year 741, June 18, 6:32 PM」

「Evaluation: You have found a way to survive and successfully eliminated the threat.」

「Considering the vast power gap between you and your opponent, this was indeed an efficient and relatively low-risk solution.」

「Take this, it’s what you’ve earned based on your performance.」

「Reward: Fate Points *34, 【Calm Mind Lv.2】, 【Art of Conversation Lv.2】」

「Fate Points: 50」

“Hah…”

Ciel exhaled deeply, slowly opening her eyes.

After multiple consecutive simulations, glimpsing the Other Side, and using 【Death Reversal】, her mind was utterly drained.

She had no energy left to attempt another simulation in search of a better outcome. If she did, she feared she would collapse upon returning to reality. And once unconscious, she might miss every opportunity available to her.

Now that she had a viable path to survival, the focus was on refining it. This wasn’t just a danger—it was also a potential opportunity.

Drawing a steady breath, Ciel grabbed her satchel and dashed downstairs. She immediately hired a carriage and directed it toward Avena’s residence.

She had no way of knowing exactly when Sherlon would attempt his assassination.

But if she arrived before him and got to Avena first, she could gain her trust that much sooner.

“Driver, can you go any faster?” Ciel tapped the carriage driver’s shoulder, slipping him a five-shilling coin.

The driver’s eyes lit up at the sight of the coin. He took it and responded, “With pleasure, miss!”

Crack!

The whip lashed against the chestnut horse, eliciting a sharp neigh as the animal picked up speed.

In the simulation, the journey had taken seventeen minutes. This time, Ciel arrived in just fourteen. Glancing at her pocket watch, she noted the time—6:46 PM.

Knowing there were no guards at the entrance, she pushed open the already unlocked front gate and sprinted into the estate.

From one of the second-floor rooms, a suit of armor silently observed Ciel’s approach. But it made no move to stop her, seemingly unbothered by her presence.

Ciel quickly navigated her way to the first-floor reception room and threw open the doors.

Inside, Avena sat quietly reading.

At the sound of the door opening, Avena looked up, her expression unreadable as she adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses.

“Miss Ciel?”

Ciel shut the door behind her and strode forward.

“Are you expecting someone?”

“Yes…”

“Don’t speak. Listen to me first. If you still have questions afterward, then you may ask.”

“My intelligence network has brought me new information.”