The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 62

“Miss, upon your first entry to Deton Manor, you are required to participate in a gambling session.”

“If you lose 50 su pounds in chips or win 50 su pounds in chips, the session will conclude.”

“Do you have any objections?”

The maid wearing a red chip mask softly explained the rules to Ciel.

“No objections.” Ciel nodded.

At that moment, the dealer in the green mask asked, “Miss, what type of card game would you like to play?”

“Whist, Blackjack, Faro, Draw Poker, Roulette, Dice, and Backgammon—all of these are available in the gaming room.”

The dealer spoke with impeccable courtesy. Ciel remained silent for a moment before asking, “Can you explain the rules of each game?”

Ciel’s question made the surrounding players grin widely.

Many of them were already eyeing the table eagerly, itching to play.

To them, Ciel looked exactly like a newcomer who just wanted to pay the 50-pound “protection fee” and leave.

If she was going to lose 50 su pounds anyway, why not earn it themselves?

Ciel listened carefully to the dealer’s explanations, calculating which game offered the highest chances of winning.

Games like Whist and Backgammon required skill and familiarity—Ciel knew nothing about them, meaning she was guaranteed to lose.

Roulette and Faro were purely luck-based, as bets were placed before the result was revealed. Ciel wouldn’t be able to use her ability to predict the outcome.

That left two games where she had an advantage.

Blackjack and Dice. In both, Ciel could predict her hand or dice roll in advance, increasing her odds of winning.

But she couldn’t be entirely certain of victory.

Cheating was allowed here—so long as it wasn’t caught.

Earlier, while passing by a table, Ciel had seen a “Gambler” switch a seven of clubs to a king of clubs with a mere flick of his fingers. Even with her ability to see one second into the future, she couldn’t tell how he had done it.

The sleight of hand was simply too advanced.

For Ciel, card games were actually riskier.

The easiest game to win was, ironically, the deadly roulette she had seen in the glass chamber.

As long as she had the first turn, she’d be nearly invincible. With the gun in her hands, she wouldn’t have to worry about her opponent cheating either.

Of course, she wasn’t about to play deadly roulette in real life. But if she ever needed to digest the “Gambler” potion, it might be worth considering.

Ciel chose Dice.

The rules were simple—two six-sided dice were rolled in a cup, and the highest total won.

Ciel could control the dice cup herself, ensuring that the numbers came out as she wanted. This also prevented anyone from tampering with her roll.

“Miss, please.” The dealer slid a black wooden dice cup toward Ciel, then turned to the crowd. “Who would like to join this round of dice?”

“I will!”

“Me, me, me!”

“I’m in!”

Immediately, the seats around Ciel filled up, each player grabbing a dice cup and preparing to shake.

Since Ciel was first in turn order, she placed her hands on the cup and began shaking it vigorously. Then, with a sharp motion, she stopped and tightened her grip, as if about to reveal the dice immediately.

“Miss! You must place a bet before opening—” The dealer, thinking Ciel was about to lift the cup prematurely, quickly reminded her.

Ciel released the cup.

She had already seen the result.

Double sixes. Not bad.

She pushed forward a 50-pound chip. “Fifty.”

The other players, seeing this, beamed with delight and quickly followed suit.

“Fifty!”

“Fifty!”

“I’m in for fifty!”

“Following.”

They were all convinced Ciel was here just to donate her money. None of them considered the possibility that she might win.

By the time the betting finished, the total pot had reached 300 pounds. The other five players exchanged knowing smiles.

This was a winner-takes-all game. However, if multiple players had matching high rolls, they would split the winnings.

Whenever a newcomer played, the “Gamblers” tacitly agreed to let the most skilled among them roll double sixes, take the winnings, and then share the earnings.

This reduced the risk of getting caught cheating while ensuring they all profited from the newcomer’s losses. It was an unspoken rule among the “Gamblers.”

“Reveal.”

The dealer opened Ciel’s dice cup.

“Double sixes.”

The dealer continued revealing the other dice cups. Meanwhile, the other players sat frozen, staring at Ciel’s roll.

What? That lucky?

By the time Ciel had collected her 150 pounds in winnings and left the table, the gamblers erupted in frustrated groans.

“Are you kidding?! Her luck’s insane!”

“She was faking it! She’s actually skilled!”

“Shit!”

“Come back and play one more round! Don’t run!”

Ciel ignored them and left. She had no intention of staying any longer, let alone continuing to gamble.

She walked confidently into the front hall, carrying her handbag and a small wooden box holding three extra chips, where Avena and the others were waiting.

Noticing Ciel’s approach, Avena stepped forward—but then paused.

Her eyes drifted to the basket in Ciel’s hands, and to the unexpected number of chips inside.

“Uh… did you lose all but these?” Avena asked, keeping her face neutral. But internally, she was already considering lending Ciel some money.

“I won,” Ciel replied. “I only exchanged 100.”

“That’s good.” Avena nodded, though she quietly thought, What a pity.

She led Ciel and Adele toward the exchange area—their real destination.

The exchange center was located in the manor’s basement, behind a massive vault door similar to those found in banks. Transcendents guarded the entrance.

The two maids accompanied them, leading them down into the underground vault.

Aside from the slightly cooler air, the level of luxury was just as extravagant as above.

Countless materials that Ciel had never seen before were displayed in individual glass cases, making the place look more like a gemstone exhibition.

Four attendants approached, politely asking about their needs.

In no time, Adele and Avena were escorted to the second-tier potion section, while Ciel was taken to the first-tier potion area.

“Ascetic,” “Listener,” “Instigator,” “Physician”—Ciel recognized many potion names. She could take “Instigator” right away.

The materials Thomas had provided only included supplementary ingredients. The potion itself had dissolved into his body, requiring special extraction methods.

According to the notes Ciel had read, extracted potions carried additional contamination.

This contamination altered the potion’s appearance and significantly affected the Reconstitution Ritual.

For example, if the original potion required ten kills, a second-extracted potion might demand eleven, thirteen, or even fifteen kills to fully digest.

Moreover, the increased contamination meant heightened mental corruption, amplifying the whispers after consumption.

Of course, potions like the one extracted from Sherlon—completely undigested—were still considered original potions.

One account in the notes even described a thrice-extracted potion. The moment its drinker took a sip, they were instantly consumed by the potion, transforming into an eldritch horror.

Deton Manor clearly sorted its potions into original and second-extracted categories. The latter were about a third cheaper.

Ciel recognized several names from the notes.

“Detective,” “Gardener,” “Magician”—but many display cases were empty, some labeled, others not.

She didn’t see “Avenger” or its successor, “Judicator.”

Then she noticed something missing.

She turned to the attendant. “Where is the ‘Gambler’ potion? Are they in those empty cases?”

She had seen “Adventurer,” but not “Gambler.” Given Deton Manor’s nature, “Gambler” should have been the most common potion here.

“No, Miss. Those empty cases hold potions that are not for sale,” the attendant replied. “But the ‘Gambler’ potion is free.”

“Free?”

“Yes,” the attendant nodded. “If you win 15 consecutive rounds of deadly roulette, you will receive the ‘Gambler’ potion and its Reconstitution Ritual for free.”

“Win 15 rounds?”

“Yes. Fifteen consecutive wins is the fastest way to complete the ‘Gambler’ ritual.”

An almost impossible challenge… but Ciel had a chance.

“What are the first-turn rules for deadly roulette?” Ciel asked.

“You place a hidden bet. Before revealing, you write down your wager in a secret compartment. The highest bet goes first, capped at 8,000 pounds.” The attendant explained.

“The first shooter can choose how many bullets to load, with a maximum of five.”

“The revolver is made from ‘Gambler’ transcendent material and possesses the abilities of a Gambler.”

“If you load five bullets, they will be rubber rounds—capable of blinding an opponent but not lethal.”

“The fewer bullets loaded, the stronger the remaining ones become.”

“If the shooter fires an empty chamber, the remaining bullets will continue to grow stronger, and the shooter can keep firing.”

“If the shooter fires at their opponent but it turns out to be an empty chamber, the opponent then gets their turn to shoot.”

“For an ordinary person, when only three bullets remain, a well-aimed shot is usually deadly.”

So the fewer bullets loaded, the stronger they became?

“What if I load four empty chambers and only one live round?” Ciel asked.

The attendant replied, “The live round will be deemed a ‘guaranteed hit,’ and the shooter will automatically be declared the winner. Just like a ‘Gambler’ transcendent—with lower odds, the rewards become disproportionately greater.”

So this was the ability of a “Gambler”?

Even in battle, they had to gamble?

To achieve guaranteed hits and victories, they had to fire four shots at themselves first…

A path with immense risk and reward… but for Ciel, that wasn’t an issue.

Because she could see whether the next bullet was live or blank.

If that revolver was paired with her precognition…

“If I win, do I keep going, or does the next challenger take the first turn?” Ciel asked.

“The winner keeps their turn.”

Meaning if she won the first betting round…

She could maintain first-turn advantage indefinitely?

Ciel asked the final question.

“What happens after 15 wins? Are there more rewards?”

“Yes. After 15 wins, there’s a 50-win challenge for the second-tier ‘Harbinger of Misfortune’ potion.”

“And at 100 consecutive wins, you receive the third-tier ‘Fated One’ potion, its ritual, and elite membership—allowing you to exchange chips at a 1:1 rate at all Deton Manor establishments.”

Ciel’s pulse quickened.

“What’s the current win record?” she asked.

“Seventeen,” the attendant replied.

Ciel reviewed the rules carefully.

If they were accurate, she could never lose.

A straight path from first to third tier… with major perks.

Was this worth spending 10 Fate Points to test?

Fifteen wins could complete “Gambler.”

But what if she won 100 times before drinking the potion?

She’d not only gain abilities but over-complete the ritual, earning even more Fate Points.

Spending 10 Fate Points now was a gamble—for even greater rewards.

Ciel held her breath as the system screen appeared.

If the “Future Simulation” or “Past Simulation” landed within the next two days, she would proceed.

If not, she would abandon the plan.

A silver interface unfolded.

「Second time breaking a Predestined Death. Random simulation uses saved.」

「Future: 1h (Saint Year 741, June 20, 9:05 AM) (Cost: 10 Fate Points)」

「Past: 1 Day (Saint Year 741, June 19, 9:01 AM) (Cost: 10 Fate Points)」

「Old Days: ***, *** Days (???) (Cost: 10,000 Fate Points)」

「Re-randomize: 1」

One hour later?

Ciel didn’t hesitate. She turned to the attendant. “Do you have paper and a pen?”

“I do.”

“Take me to a resting room.”

Soon, Ciel was escorted to a lounge. She took the pen and wrote in Ansuian:

【Borrow 5,000 pounds from Avena, then observe the deadly roulette】

Finishing, she looked at the attendant and smiled. “I’ll rest here for a bit. Please don’t let anyone disturb me.”

“Of course, Miss.”

When the attendant left and closed the door, Ciel sat on the sofa and slowly closed her eyes.

“Future, No.0.”

A flash of white light consumed her.