The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch-Chapter 88 - Instigation, Ritual, and Bloodletting (2/4)

Avena and Ciel were new friends; Adele didn’t know them very well yet.

However, she really hadn’t expected Avena and Ciel to call her over merely out of concern for her safety, wanting her here for easier protection.

This moved Adele deeply.

Ciel and Avena had already developed a relationship where they could sleep together; she couldn’t be the odd one out.

Her gaze swept back and forth between Ciel and Avena. Ciel was also looking at her, waiting for her to speak.

Just then, Adele spoke.

“Next time you sleep together, can you include me?”

Ciel: “?”

Avena: “???”

Avena, who had been watching Ciel and lost in thought, was jolted awake by Adele’s words.

Seeing their shocked expressions, Adele tilted her head slightly to the right and asked quizzically, “Aren’t you having a pajama party?”

Ciel: “...No.”

After explaining to Adele that coming to Avena’s was for safety due to Nia’s protection, Adele finally understood that Ciel and Avena weren’t having a party earlier; Ciel had just gone to sleep early because she was tired.

It was late at night now, far past Adele’s usual bedtime. Plus, she had waited downstairs for so long, she was already extremely sleepy.

After confirming with Avena that she would be sleeping in her bed tonight, Adele didn’t hesitate much and went straight to the bathroom to shower, leaving Avena and Ciel alone in the living room.

Avena looked at Ciel, noticing she seemed to be contemplating something with her head lowered. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, “What are you thinking about, Ciel?”

Perhaps Ciel, like her, after sleeping in the same bed, was also starting to reconsider the definition of their relationship.

Hearing Avena’s question, Ciel looked up at her, shook her head, and said, “I’m thinking about what comes next.”

“What comes next?” Seeing Ciel’s somewhat serious expression, Avena reined in her thoughts slightly, though a faint sense of disappointment lingered.

Ciel chose her words carefully before speaking:

“I’ve also been assigned a mission, so I must complete my task.”

“Thank you for letting me stay these past few days, but I have to leave now.”

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No matter how many times she succeeded in the simulation, she ultimately had to perform the actions herself. It was already the early morning of the 21st; Ciel had to act quickly.

“Wait, Ciel.” Avena stood up, placed her hand on Ciel’s shoulder, and asked seriously, “I have one last question, Ciel.”

“What question?” Ciel looked into Avena’s eyes.

“Ciel, perhaps it’s just my overthinking... but I really feel the organization behind you isn’t a good one.” Avena hesitated, then continued, “Killing Sherlon earlier, that was also their assigned mission, right?”

“And coming with us to Deton Manor before, that was also because they asked you to investigate, right?”

“They assign you these difficult tasks that even transcendents might not be able to complete, yet they can’t even guarantee your sister’s safety, leaving it to me... They provide you with intelligence to complete missions, but you even have to acquire the funds for these missions yourself.”

“Do they have some kind of ‘leverage’ on you? If this is something you can’t talk about, just blink three times consecutively to tell me.”

Avena’s mind was extremely sharp, intensely curious, possessing a superb talent for “detection.”

These recent negative experiences had long made Avena notice some clues.

That organization, apart from intelligence, clearly provided Ciel with no substantial help, perhaps only that pistol that seemed like a sealed artifact.

But regardless, that wasn’t a reason for a powerful, secretive organization to repeatedly put an ordinary person in danger. In Avena’s eyes, Ciel was being thoroughly exploited.

If Ciel was willing to tell her the truth behind this, she would do her best to help Ciel break free from the organization’s control.

At this moment, Ciel looked at Avena, her expression calm, without ripples.

She had long known Avena would definitely become curious and suspicious about the organization behind her; it was just Avena’s nature, so Ciel wasn’t surprised.

It had to be said, Avena’s “Listener” potion digestion was excellent. After hearing Avena speak, Ciel herself felt an urge to confide, but thankfully Avena hadn’t actively used her ability, so the effect wasn’t too strong.

As for the explanation, she had already prepared it.

“You’ve misunderstood, Avena.” Ciel raised her hand, gently removing Avena’s hand from her shoulder. “I’m just using a special Reconstitution Ritual, with the organization’s help, to digest a unique potion.”

Unique... potion?

Hearing this, Avena was somewhat baffled.

Centuries ago, major churches had already collected information on all first-tier paths. In recent centuries, the number of paths was no longer a secret to slightly higher-level organizations and churches.

The Roswell family had basically collected information on all first-tier potions and rituals, lacking only two paths.

So, how unique could the uniqueness Ciel mentioned possibly be?

Ciel turned towards the door, picked up her canvas bag and hat hanging beside it, turned back to Avena, and said, “Don’t worry about me, Avena.”

“I might be a tiny bit stronger than you imagine.”

With that, Ciel walked out of the room, leaving Avena standing there, looking at the Ciel who seemed unfazed by second-tier cultists, lost in thought.

She originally thought her communication with Ciel was deep enough, but the more she learned, the more mysterious Ciel seemed... as if she could never fully grasp her.