The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch-Chapter 108 - Then Let the Misfortune Come Fiercer (3/3)

Hearing Avena’s words, Ciel recalled slightly.

Ciel had heard about Ascended from Uris before. Below Ascended were five tiers. Only those reaching fifth-tier or higher qualified to be called Ascended.

Ciel in reality was cautious. The only high-tier transcendent she had direct contact with was Nia, and she was an ally.

How could she possibly provoke an Ascended beyond fifth-tier?

Honestly, the abilities of a third-tier were already unimaginable to Ciel. She didn’t even have the capital for a direct confrontation. How could someone like her possibly catch the eye of an Ascended?

“Unlikely.” Ciel shook her head.

“According to what you said earlier, the misfortunes didn’t descend immediately after violating the rules, but had some delay.” Avena looked at Ciel and said, “I suspect that on the train when you left Berren City, there was a transcendent, or someone holding a sealed artifact.”

“After causing your misfortune, they went back to cause Lucy’s misfortune, then concocted Oppold’s disaster—chronologically, this is entirely feasible.”

“But I don’t understand why someone would do such troublesome things just to make you obey some ridiculous rules...” Avena frowned deeply, finding it increasingly unreasonable the more she thought.

Someone capable of perfectly evading Nia’s detection on the train, possibly even stalking several third-tiers long-term without being discovered... Someone with such abilities, if not Ascended, must be close, right?

There were ten thousand ways to kill them silently, but why choose this method?

Unless...

“Could it be not human?” Ciel’s question interrupted Avena’s thoughts.

Ciel’s idea coincided with Avena’s.

But after careful consideration, Avena still shook her head: “Unlikely... This is almost impossible...”

Hearing Avena’s words, Ciel somewhat understood.

From the beginning, Avena had been negating her own ideas because those ideas lacked rationality, thus being directly excluded by her.

Including the investigation of the incident, the word “rational” also heavily influenced Avena’s judgment and thinking.

And Ciel’s greatest strength was turning the irrational into the rational.

Ciel glanced at the current time, 4:30 AM.

It was time to break Avena’s fixed mindset of “conventional” and “rational.”

“Eight hours and fifteen minutes ago, the train exploded.” Ciel looked at Avena and asked seriously, “If I returned to that time and killed everyone on the train, would it be possible to find that person or ‘thing’?”

Hearing Ciel’s words, Avena’s high-speed thinking process suddenly stalled. She blinked at Ciel, and after a moment, finally said, “Possible... but unlikely...”

Ciel’s words left Avena momentarily unable to organize her thoughts, because it was simply too absurd.

According to Ciel’s suggestion, returning to the past, back to that train to kill everyone, might indeed force out the mastermind. But the act of “returning to the past” itself was impossible.

And putting other things aside, just Ciel’s thought itself was somewhat terrifying.

Regardless of whether returning to the past was possible, just killing everyone on the train was already too cruel—it felt like something the Divine Advent Church or other cults would do.

A train held at least three or four hundred people. Let alone actually doing it, just thinking about it already made Avena feel some physiological discomfort.

Helping Ciel cover up a few killings or deal with some scum, Avena had no burden doing so, but this was somewhat too extreme.

The usually rational Ciel proposing such unrealistic fantasies made Avena feel a slight sense of unfamiliarity.

“Just hypothetical, Avena.” Ciel looked at Avena before her and said, “No matter how absurd the hypothesis, you can say it. As long as it’s a hypothesis that might uncover the truth, even if the premise is traveling to the Other Side, it’s conceivable.”

Looking at Ciel’s somewhat encouraging eyes, Avena felt her thoughts were somewhat chaotic.

She took a deep breath, rested her hands on the dressing table, and calmed down slightly.

Forget it... Ciel saying this must have her reasons. I just need to follow the information Ciel provides and make these assumptions...

After mulling it over in her mind, Avena started to feel a bit resigned.

She was terrible at making such assumptions devoid of logic.

After a moment of silence, she looked at Ciel and said, “If we really have to assume like this, I would choose to return to the past, back to a time before encountering these disasters, avoid the disasters...”

So there’s nothing to assume. Avena silently recited this sentence in her heart, not saying it out loud.

“Yes, exactly.” Ciel nodded, smiled, and continued:

“I thought so too.”

“But returning to a past where I wasn’t locked by the misfortune rule would make it harder to find the real culprit behind it.”

“Most crucially, I haven’t determined yet when exactly I was targeted... But this point, I should have a way to resolve.”

Listening to Ciel speak so reasonably made Avena somewhat stunned.

Making it sound so real.

“So, Avena, what method do you think is most likely to find the mastermind now?” Ciel looked at Avena and asked.

Having someone to discuss these matters with indeed broadened Ciel’s thinking. Even if it didn’t broaden her thinking, it allowed Ciel to reorganize her own thoughts, which was very helpful.

Hearing Ciel’s question, Avena took another deep breath, decided to abandon so-called rational thinking, and said:

“If it were me... I might gather everyone affected by the misfortune rule together and see what happens.”

“Although this might double the misfortune, gathering together might reveal commonalities among the individuals, and might also directly draw out the mastermind...”

As Avena spoke, she closed her mouth.

Because she saw Ciel’s eyes light up slightly.

She wouldn’t really think...

“Good idea, Avena.” Ciel nodded and said, “But what method can make them willing to gather? After all, both are third-tier.”

“Lucy’s side is manageable. She’s currently severely injured and hasn’t recovered yet. We can just tie her up and take her.”

“But if we take Lucy directly to Clock Tower Alley to find Oppold, it will definitely attract Hugh from the Church of the Savior Goddess.”

Seeing Ciel actually start analyzing the feasibility of this matter, Avena began to panic slightly.

Ciel couldn’t be serious, right?

Does she really want to gather everyone affected by the misfortune rule?

Although unsure of the consequences, just thinking about it made Avena feel immense danger.

This will definitely lead to death...

But she also knew clearly that Ciel wasn’t the type to seek death...

“Oppold’s side, I have a way to get him out.” Avena looked into Ciel’s eyes and said:

“Lucy’s side, you can only rely on yourself.”

“But there’s one condition.”

“For your safety, Nia and I will go together to the place you specify—but we will only watch from afar. If you are in danger, I will have Nia intervene.”

At this moment, Nia, who had just finished instructing the messenger on the first floor, inexplicably shivered. Her entire iron frame clanked against itself, emitting faint sounds.