The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 6

10 hours? Ten hours later?

Ciel opened the system’s time function and saw that it was currently 18:45, close to 7 PM.

She had activated the system around 6:30 PM, meaning only about fifteen minutes had passed. Aside from the time she’d spent idly in reality, the time spent within the simulation was almost negligible.

「There is a substantial time difference between the simulation and reality. The host need not worry about lengthy simulations impacting their real-world time ^^」

The system interface flashed before her, offering an explanation.

Ten hours later… That would be just before 5 AM?

She’d have 24 hours of activity time within the simulation—plenty of time to accomplish many things.

“System, if I’m in a state of mental exhaustion in reality, what will happen when I enter the simulation?”

「If the host forces themselves to stay awake, the simulation will reflect the same state of mental fatigue.」

So, states carried over…

“What happens if I exceed the allotted time without initiating a simulation?”

「If you fail to simulate before the Future simulation time【Saint Year 741, June 18, 4:45】, the Future simulation will reset to a new time.」

Ciel nodded and quickly devised her plan.

She needed to spend some time in her relatively safe room to finalize her strategy. Then, she’d ensure she got sufficient rest before initiating the simulation just before its expiration time.

This particular simulation was critical. It would be her longest simulation yet, and she had to alter the death outcome within it. Even if she couldn’t change her fate entirely, she needed to create enough impact to secure more Fate Points.

Ciel spent some time writing and sketching in her notebook, piecing together guesses and overturning them based on her current knowledge, hoping to formulate the best possible solution.

Unfortunately, the information she possessed was still too limited, and her lack of combat knowledge left her at a disadvantage. For now, she set aside the planning and grabbed some loose change to head out. From a street vendor, she purchased a short knife.

On her way back, while keeping an eye out, she once again spotted the tall, thin figure in the newsboy cap—just like the notebook had described. The stalker was still keeping watch, even late into the night.

After returning home, Ciel sharpened the short knife. She then attempted to store it in the system’s Inventory, but the attempt failed.

She tried storing several other objects, but all attempts were unsuccessful.

It seemed the Inventory could only hold items purchased from the Point Store, which left Ciel feeling slightly regretful.

Having made all the preparations she could, Ciel returned to her room, lay down on her bed, and closed her eyes. In her mind, she initiated the system simulation.

“Future.”

As she silently recited the command, a hazy silver light bloomed in her vision, pulling her consciousness into the silver-white space.

The radiant second hand spun rapidly, stopping at a fixed position. The light in Ciel’s eyes faded, and she gradually became aware of the objects and temperature around her.

「Future」

「Saint Year 741, June 18, 4:45」

「Countdown: 23:59:59」

The silver-white space dissolved before her, leaving a faint screen displaying her current time.

She had arrived at 4:45 AM on the 18th, feeling fully refreshed.

Without lighting the kerosene lamp, she moved silently in the dark. She slipped out of bed, grabbed the sharpened short knife from under her pillow, and held it in a reverse grip as she cautiously opened her bedroom door.

Ciel quietly opened Lichie’s door, confirming her sister was still sound asleep inside. She gently closed the door and descended to the first floor.

Dressed in a gray linen outfit she had prepared earlier, she draped a worn, dark-gray cloak over her shoulders, pulling the hood up. She slightly parted the curtains and began observing the area outside through a narrow gap.

The street was deserted in the pre-dawn hours. Even the most exploitative factories had already ceased their operations, leaving the area quiet.

The Clock Tower District had no streetlights that remained lit throughout the night. As her eyes adjusted to the moonlit darkness, Ciel spotted a shadowy figure leaning against a wall in the alley directly across from her house.

Vagrants and orphans were so common in the Clock Tower District that no one would think twice about such a figure. However, the gray newsboy cap the figure used to cover their face betrayed their identity.

The sleeper in the alley was the same person who had been following her all this time.

If she wanted information, this person was her best target. Eddie might not know Braid Solari’s whereabouts, but this stalker definitely would.

With the night deep and silent, Ciel gripped her knife, opened the door, and descended the stairs with slow, deliberate steps toward the alley.

Thanks to the boost from 【Dexterity Lv.1】, she made no sound as she opened the door or walked, her movements light and precise.

She approached the figure quietly, stopping only when she was close enough to hear their faint snores. The man remained oblivious to her presence.

A faint silver light shimmered briefly, and a revolver materialized in Ciel’s left hand. Without hesitation, her right hand thrust the knife forward, sinking it into the stalker’s abdomen.

“Schlurk—”

Warm blood splattered onto Ciel’s hand.

“Urgh—!”

The man curled into himself from the pain, the newsboy cap slipping from his face and falling to the ground.

Clutching his stomach, he looked up sharply at Ciel, only to see the red-haired girl bathed in moonlight, calmly pointing a gun at him.

“Keep your voice down.” Ciel spoke evenly, maintaining a safe distance from the man.

She didn’t know where to strike to incapacitate someone without killing them. As a result, she’d chosen the soft abdomen, where no immediately fatal organs were located.

“Where is Braid Solari?”

The steady tone of the girl’s voice caused the man’s face to twitch. When he heard the name, panic and astonishment flashed unmistakably in his eyes.

“That church member tricked Braid. The ritual is fake. Tell me where he is, and I’ll spare your life.” Ciel spoke flatly, her tone devoid of emotion.

She had fabricated this information based on what she already knew, gambling that the man wouldn’t know more than she did—and that he’d value his life enough to talk.

The sight of the blood-dripping knife in her right hand and the revolver in her left made the man grit his teeth in hesitation. After a moment, he gave in.

“He… he’s at the Blackwater Tavern, the one on East Street… He’ll be there for the next couple of days… cough, cough…” The man’s voice grew weaker and more broken as he spoke.

The moment he finished speaking, a crisp “click” echoed—a warning as the revolver’s hammer was cocked.

“Lies won’t save your life. It seems my mercy was wasted.”

Ciel’s calm face showed a trace of “anger” as her left index finger rested on the trigger. She took a step forward, forcing the man to crawl back in panic.

Seeing this, his eyes widened in terror, and he began trembling and pleading desperately. His voice grew louder, even breaking into sobs.

“No… I’m not lying… cough, cough… I swear it’s true! He’s really at the Blackwater Tavern on East Street!”

Ciel paused momentarily before slowly lowering the hammer. She waved the revolver toward the alley.

“Get lost. Don’t let me see you again.”

“Th-thank you…” The man struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall as he limped into the depths of the alley. His frantic steps caused him to stumble multiple times.

When he had walked about ten meters, he mustered the courage to glance back, only to find the moonlit alley empty. The girl was gone.

Breathing heavily, the man tore off his sweat-soaked shirt and balled it up, pressing it against the wound in his abdomen to stop the bleeding.

Clutching his wound, he hobbled out of the alley and made a sharp left turn toward West Street. He never noticed the shadowy figure cloaked in black silently trailing him from the rooftops.

The man navigated several alleys before arriving at a brightly lit tavern with a sign reading “The Hammer.” Seeing the light, he quickened his pace and used the last of his strength to dash toward it.

“Almost there… Almost there… Boss Braid will call a doctor to fix me up…” His voice was slurred, his lips pale from blood loss. He muttered to himself as he staggered toward the beacon of hope.

“Thud…”

A sound of something heavy falling echoed from a nearby alley, causing the man to instinctively turn his head toward the darkness.

From the shadows, a bloody knife-wielding hand reached out. The hand rose slightly before plunging toward his throat in one swift motion, leaving only despair in his eyes.

“Guh…”

The man couldn’t even muster a scream before collapsing to the ground. His labored breathing, mixed with gurgling blood, was replaced by silence.

His lifeless body was slowly dragged into the alley, as if an unseen entity lurking in the darkness was claiming its prey.

After a few muffled sounds of a blade piercing flesh, the street returned to its eerie stillness.

About twenty seconds later, a red-haired girl emerged from the shadows of the alley. Her left hand held a blood-soaked knife, while her right hand wiped blood splatter from her face with a handkerchief.

As she stepped out, Ciel tilted her head back slightly, inhaling deeply the still-stale air devoid of any metallic tang. Her gaze, however, seemed slightly distant.

Though her notebook had recorded her killing Eddie once, this was the first time she had truly done it herself.

Even in the simulation, the sensation of blood splattering on her face felt so real. Even after wiping it away, the metallic stench of blood lingered, clinging to her nostrils.

“I just wanted to live a peaceful life…”

“I’ve tried my best to avoid provoking anyone…”

“Why did you have to come after me…”

“To shatter this peace…”

Her soft words didn’t sound like she was questioning any specific person. Rather, it was as if she were questioning fate or the gods.

After a long pause, she tucked the bloodied handkerchief away. At some point, a black revolver had materialized in her left hand. Holding it steadily, Ciel began walking toward The Hammer Tavern.