The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 72

“I…”

In Ciel’s eyes, the bed, the lamp, even Avena herself began to blur. The only thing coming into sharp focus, rapidly expanding in her vision, were Avena’s dark purple pupils.

Suddenly, a cool sensation washed over Ciel’s mind, like a mild electric shock. Her previously unfocused pupils snapped instantly into focus.

It’s the “Listener’s” ability!

A black shadow instantly shot out from behind Ciel, lunging towards Avena, restraining her from behind. The shadow’s hand clamped tightly over Avena’s mouth.

Ciel reached up with her bandaged hand and rubbed her temples. Only now did she feel the intense dizziness flooding her mind.

“Listener” was the opposite path to “Instigator.” Caught completely off guard, Ciel had just been hypnotized by Avena.

The realization sent a shiver down Ciel’s spine.

If Avena had used this hypnotic ability on the ordinary Ciel in reality, as long as Avena didn’t intend to harm her, she could bypass the Eye of Order contract entirely and secretly hypnotize Ciel, making her do anything.

Even if 【Calm Mind】 allowed Ciel to realize it, as long as she couldn’t control Avena, Avena could keep trying to hypnotize her until Ciel no longer had the mental energy to activate 【Calm Mind】.

“Listen, Avena.” Ciel spoke soothingly. “I am Ciel. It’s just that the situation is a bit complicated to explain right now. I mean you no harm.”

“Mmph mmph…” Avena mumbled something through the shadow’s hand.

Ciel controlled the shadow to loosen its grip slightly, allowing Avena to speak.

“Then why don’t you remember how you ended up here?” Avena looked at Ciel. “And, you’re a transcendent… I checked many times, Ciel couldn’t possibly be a transcendent.”

This question silenced Ciel completely.

How should I explain? That I traveled from the future to help Ciel?

There were still tasks waiting for Ciel to complete. Impatience brewed in her mind, feeling like the fire in her chest was rising rapidly.

Ciel knew the potion was influencing her, but the more she tried to suppress the feeling and calm down, the louder the indistinct whispers grew in her mind.

Ciel crawled a step closer to Avena. Simultaneously, the shadow restraining Avena shifted, covering Avena’s back and forcefully pinning her down onto the bed.

“You answer my question first.” Ciel took a deep breath, trying hard to control her emotions.

Even while restrained, Avena didn’t feel much panic.

She knew Nia was nearby. If she were harmed in any way, Nia would arrive instantly.

Lying immobilized on the bed, Avena looked at Ciel for a long moment before slowly speaking, “I thought our rooms were too far apart. If something happened to you, Nia might not be able to reach you in time.”

“So I asked you to sleep in my room with me, and you agreed…”

Ciel looked around the room, then called out, “Nia!”

After a moment, the door to the servant’s room on the other side opened, and Nia, clad in silver-white armor, emerged and took in the scene.

“Watch Avena. Don’t let her wander off.”

After instructing Nia, Ciel released her control over Avena, immediately rolled off the bed, and headed towards the door.

Only after Ciel had closed the door and left did Avena sit up again, leaning against the headboard, exchanging glances with Nia who stood nearby.

“What took you so long to come out?” Avena asked Nia.

“I… didn’t sense any danger,” Nia hesitated for a moment, her voice muffled by the armor’s metallic resonance. “So I didn’t intend to interrupt your… good time?”

“It’s nothing, you can go back.” Avena shook her head, gazing towards the direction Ciel had left.

I answered first, but Ciel left without answering my question…

Avena noticed a significant change in Ciel, especially her much stronger personality. She even touched her…

Avena looked down at her chest, a flicker of confusion in her mind.

Normally, if someone touched her private areas, she would definitely be angry.

But for some reason, she didn’t feel any revulsion towards Ciel’s touch.

Could it be that she liked it?

Avena sat there, beginning to doubt herself.

She probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

Meanwhile, Ciel had already returned to her own room and retrieved her “Judicator” potion.

She left Avena’s estate and hurried towards the “Good Night Inn.”

Upon entering the central district, she leaped onto the rooftops, darting between buildings.

【Dexterity Lv.2】 made her body feel lighter and more reliable than she had imagined. She moved across the rooftops without pause, using her shadow to leap across wide gaps between buildings.

It was as if she had become a top-tier parkour master overnight.

Ciel estimated that with just one more level up to Lv.3, her agility and strength would likely surpass the limits of ordinary humans.

Soon, Ciel reached her destination. She vaulted down from the roof, descended along the window frames level by level, and finally clung to the outside of Room 202’s window.

She slowly slid the window open and slipped inside.

The candlelight inside flickered. Two white shadows, having already heard the noise, stood waiting, blocking her path.

“Who’s there?”

From the bed, Uris, with her long silver-white hair, looked alertly towards the window. She wore a pure white cotton nightgown, her expression slightly dazed, as if just woken up.

“Saint Year 739, January 17th.”

Ciel looked at the figure on the bed and spoke directly. “You told me that if I encountered you and said this date, you would believe everything I said afterward.”

Hearing this date, High Priest Uris trembled slightly, her confusion deepening. She simply raised her hand, dismissing the two white shadows, and asked, “You…”

“I saw you in the Goddess’s divine oracle. This is the code you gave me, the day you lost the light, High Priest Uris.”

Ciel fell back on her tried-and-true tactic—impersonating a Saintess.

Hearing this, Uris stopped questioning. After a moment of silence, she asked, “What happened?”

Ciel raised her hand directly. A silver light flashed, and a letter appeared in her grasp. This letter, used multiple times before, proved useful once again.

“I need your help to destroy a Divine Advent Church stronghold and complete my ‘Judicator’ Reconstitution Ritual.” Ciel stated calmly.