The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 68

【Saint Year 741, June 20, 5:00 PM】

【Avena took my intelligence very seriously. She realized that both she and Adele had already been exposed to the Divine Advent Church’s attention. She decided to secretly contact Adele and have her come over so they could discuss a solution together.】

【I noticed the sub-system and knew this was a simulation, so I didn’t interfere with Avena’s actions—I just observed.】

【To avoid getting ordinary people involved, Avena still didn’t recall her other servants. I ended up cooking another meal for her. Even though it was just a simple stew, she ate it with great satisfaction.】

…

【Saint Year 741, June 21, 3:00 AM】

【Adele arrived at Avena’s estate under the cover of night. We began discussing countermeasures in Avena’s room.】

【What surprised me was that Adele actually knew more about the Divine Advent Church than Avena did. She provided a lot of information she had gathered from the Redemption Society—notes compiled by her former mentor, Sherlon. It seemed Sherlon had been interested in contacting the Divine Advent Church long before any of this started.】

【By 2:00 AM, our discussion had concluded. I’ve summarized the key points for you.】

…

【The Divine Advent Church does not have a fixed base of operations. Structurally, it functions more like an intelligence network, with members embedded in various fields. Kitty is most likely a ‘Missionary’ stationed at Deton Manor, tasked with spreading heretical beliefs while using her position to serve the church.】

【Their internal communication system is even slower than that of the Church of the Savior Goddess. To avoid exposure, they use a one-way contact method—only higher-ups can reach out to lower-ranking members. Kitty likely has no means of contacting her superiors or even fellow cultists—she can only receive orders passively.】

【However, the cultist responsible for relaying information is highly discreet and keeps an extremely low profile. There is almost no way for outsiders to identify them based on appearance or abilities—only other cultists can instantly recognize them.】

【According to interrogation records from the Redemption Society, one captured cultist described it as follows: “Seeing the bishop is like gazing upon the world where the Mother Goddess resides. It’s an indescribable beauty that you lowly beings could never comprehend. It purifies your faith.”】

【I suspect this may be the result of exposure to some kind of writings or artifacts from the Other Side, leading to mental instability.】

【Avena and Adele decided to file separate reports tomorrow—Avena would report to the church, while Adele would report to the Redemption Society. Then, they planned to wait two days to observe how things unfolded.】

【I thought this plan was too dangerous. I convinced them to flee to Ansu immediately after delivering the reports, while I stayed behind to monitor the situation and wait for your arrival.】

【But Avena and Adele both strongly rejected this idea, saying it was too dangerous for me. If anyone was leaving, we’d leave together.】

【Avena and Adele are both deeply loyal. They don’t care about the simulation or what’s real—they only see my life as equal to theirs, something that must be cherished.】

【Ironically, I’ve become the one who values life the least among the three of us. Funny how that worked out.】

Ciel reached this part and nodded slightly.

Ever since she had learned to differentiate between the system and the sub-system, her simulated self had become much more composed—she even had time to make jokes in the notebook.

Adele’s knowledge of the Divine Advent Church was an unexpected gain.

As for the description of their information couriers… Ciel pondered for a moment.

Would her 【Other Side Page】 be capable of producing a similar effect?

Whether it worked or not, she had to test it. This was a simulation, after all—there was no reason not to experiment.

Ciel turned the page and continued reading.

…

【Saint Year 741, June 21, 12:00 PM】

【At dawn, the others left the estate separately before daylight could expose them.】

【I asked Adele for some medical supplies, took some money, and left the estate after they had gone. I needed to stay away from Avena and Adele for now to see whether I was also under the Divine Advent Church’s surveillance.】

【I rented a room near the Clock Tower District, not far from the quarantined zone. The Church of the Savior Goddess’s “Ascetics” had been quite active lately, working alongside the Redemption Society’s physicians to distribute diluted dehydration syndrome cures and transport severe cases to church hospitals.】

【I noticed that the inn from the previous simulation—the one that had been fully booked—was still closed to new guests. Priests could be seen entering and exiting frequently.】

【If my guess is correct, Uris is probably still inside, remotely coordinating the church’s actions in Berren City.】

【I didn’t waste time. I went out to procure a few things you might need—and prepared a surprise for you.】

【Don’t worry, it’ll only hurt for a moment. Just like getting a shot. It’ll be over quickly.】

A shot, huh…

That crossbow bolt was a bit too thick for that description, wasn’t it?

Ciel sighed and flipped to the next page.

…

【Saint Year 741, June 22, 12:00 AM】

【Everything is set up. I tested it repeatedly on pork last night, calibrating the crossbow to fire with just enough force to pierce the body without causing excessive internal damage.】

【Originally, we were supposed to meet at a café today, but I spent a long time sitting in a restaurant across the street—and neither of them showed up. I left.】

【I needed to prepare the scene before your arrival to ensure there would be no time constraints.】

【Welcome to the Future Simulation—Me.】

Your way of welcoming me is a bit intense.

Still, as her notes mentioned, the force had been calibrated perfectly—not enough to damage internal organs. And with transcendent medicine, she could barely feel any pain now.

Avena and Adele disappearing at the same time and failing to show at their meeting spot meant something must have happened to them.

If more intel surfaced, Ciel would investigate their disappearance.

But for now, she had more pressing matters.

She stood up and scanned the room. On the table, she spotted the black suede handbag that Avena had given her.

Opening it, she found various supplies her simulated self had prepared.

A membership card for Deton Manor, a brand-new silver revolver, a small tin of bullets, a few potions, several medical vials, and a neat stack of crisp 20-su-pound banknotes (probably borrowed). There was also the Redemption Society-issued mask Avena had purchased for her.

Ciel took out the revolver—it was noticeably longer than her old one. Weighing it in her hand, she flipped open the cylinder and saw it was fully loaded.

For some reason, seeing the six bullets neatly arranged in the chamber made her frown.

Something about this “100% certainty” felt… unpleasant.

Despite having one more bullet than her previous gun and a slightly larger caliber, it felt—

Too predictable.

Ciel raised the revolver and pressed the ejector rod, letting the bullets fall onto the table with a crisp clink.

Then, she reloaded a single bullet, spun the cylinder, and snapped it shut with a flick of her wrist.

After holstering the gun at her waist, Ciel’s actions felt more instinctive than deliberate—perhaps an unconscious influence from the “Gambler” potion. She was unaware that her mindset had already shifted.

As an “Avenger,” her thoughts had often burned with fury, constantly simmering with rage. That was why she had orchestrated the public execution in the simulation, blowing up an entire plaza.

Now, as a “Gambler,” her emotions had begun to shift in a different way. Every decision was weighed against its risk and reward—she was prioritizing high-risk, high-reward actions.

This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. According to her knowledge of the “Gambler” path, this was exactly the kind of mindset needed to maximize its abilities.

Unlike the “Avenger” path, which granted a tangible combat advantage—like a shadowy entity aiding in battle—the “Gambler” path was far more abstract, centered around “luck” and “fate.”

A “Gambler” could activate their ability to perform a “Fate Roll”—not just with dice, but with coins, bullet casings, lucky charms, or anything symbolic. If the outcome was favorable, their next actions would receive a significant luck boost. If it was unfavorable, disaster would strike.

Cheating would nullify the effect entirely.

And in combat, a “Gambler” fought much like in Death Roulette—the lower the probability of success, the greater the rewards.

If they fired a blank at themselves and survived, their next attack would become exponentially stronger.

It was a style of combat that made life itself the wager—the bolder the gamble, the greater the power.

Of course, if luck ran out… that was another story.