The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch
Chapter 167 - Fear from a Higher Predator (1/4)

Avena’s manor did not have a true “dungeon.” Besides the wine cellar, servant passages and quarters, and the underground kitchen, there was only an underground garden.

This was a place used for planting some plants and vegetables in winter that couldn’t be planted outdoors. It wasn’t currently used and was some distance from the servant passages and quarters, so it became the temporary place to “imprison” Tara.

Led by Avena’s personal maid, Ciel arrived at the location of the underground garden.

This place originally seemed to be a private chapel, with a thick, solemn wooden door. However, an iron railing was added to the outside of the wooden door now, but it wasn’t locked.

After dismissing the maid and waiting for her to leave the passage, Ciel reached out, pulled open the somewhat rusty iron railing, and pushed open the wooden door.

Creak—

A harsh sound echoed. As Ciel pushed open the wooden door, she smelled a strong odor of dust and mold. At the same time, the sound of chains rattling also echoed.

This was a spacious area, covered with soft black soil. Only on the leftmost side were a few rows of ventilation holes leading to the ground left open. A little sunlight could shine in from there.

In the center of this black soil, a wooden stool was placed. A girl with dark green long hair was tied back to the wooden stool, wearing only a thin, torn long robe, her body covered in wounds.

At this moment, she was stepping barefoot on the soft black soil. Her tender white feet were covered in mud. Upon hearing the movement at the door, she struggled to back away, but the stool fixed in place did not do as she wished.

“Give up! I won’t say anything!”

There were two streaks of tears left on the girl’s face, stained with a little mud. Coupled with her unyielding eyes, she looked like she had suffered considerable torment.

Ciel: “...”

Did her simulated self need to be this cruel?

No, this doesn’t seem like something she would do. Avena wouldn’t be so idle as to execute someone either.

“What are you doing?” Ciel looked at Tara not far away, asking somewhat speechlessly.

“Praise the Mother Goddess... I won’t say anything.” Tara still maintained a resolute gaze, saying unyieldingly.

“Act normal.” Ciel’s expression became slightly serious.

At this moment, Tara seemed to realize Ciel wasn’t joking. She slightly shrunk her shoulders, looked around, and whispered, “Lord Ciel... wasn’t my acting good enough?”

Your acting was quite good. Don’t act next time.

Ciel walked towards Tara and asked, “How did you get those injuries?”

Hearing Ciel’s question, a white shadow surged from behind Tara. The white shadow held a whip burning with white flames in its hand.

“I did it myself, Lord Ciel.”

Tara said proudly, with a hint of seeking praise. “Didn’t you ask me to act out a scene with you? I thought this would make the effect better... Oh, right, didn’t you ask me to pretend not to know you?”

Looking at Tara before her, Ciel truly couldn’t bear to tell her the truth.

She just needed to sit here and do nothing, because Ciel would finish everything before bringing them to see Tara.

“...Are you hungry?”

After a few seconds of silence, Ciel finally managed to utter this sentence.

After all, Tara was thinking for her sake. There was no need for her to say anything more to her.

“I’m not hungry, Lord Ciel!”

Tara slightly puffed out her chest, seemingly indicating that she was completely fine and Ciel didn’t need to worry.

“Wait a moment.”

Ciel closed the door again, found the maid guarding the entrance to the underground passage, and asked her to fetch two servings of breakfast.

Breakfast was already being prepared. After waiting for less than five minutes, the maid brought a square basket containing two covered trays.

Ciel took the trays back underground, unlocked the iron chains binding Tara’s hands, and shared breakfast with her.

This was a small compensation Ciel made for Tara. Anyway, they would be eating breakfast somewhere, so she might as well eat it here with Tara.

However, this action seemed to deeply move Tara. She ate her breakfast with tears in her eyes almost the entire time, seemingly deeply touched by this reward from the “Mother Goddess.”

This exaggerated performance perfectly matched Ciel’s stereotype of Tara, but Ciel might never be able to understand this passionate emotion, willing to risk her life for a bone casually thrown by the “Mother Goddess.”

After instructing Tara not to inflict any more self-harm, Ciel closed the door to the underground garden again, leaving Tara to continue praying by herself below. After all, Tara’s ability wasn’t sealed. If she felt uncomfortable, she would come out herself.

There were still about eight to nine hours left until Lucy and the others were invited to visit. With the plan already decided, Ciel didn’t need to do anything more.

For the remaining time, Ciel decided to spend it all in the study.

Although dying midway and leaving the simulation meant taking nothing with her, knowledge was unaffected. What she learned was still hers.

Upon arriving at the study, Ciel saw the reading materials her simulated self had prepared in advance to “relieve boredom”—books on transcendent pharmacology borrowed from Adele, and a guide to transcendent materials that could be used for potion making.

Ciel’s studying was interrupted once by Avena. Avena woke up around 10 o’clock, came to visit Ciel, then went to arrange for the butler to continue setting up the banquet.

Not many people were coming this time, but they were all transcendents of considerable rank. Avena still had to ensure the proper etiquette was followed.

Moreover, from Avena’s perspective, this was the first time Ciel had requested to meet other transcendents. For this seemingly very important matter, Avena would not be negligent. She canceled all her invitations for today and almost entirely oversaw every step of the process.

Immersed in books, time passed quite quickly. By the time Avena knocked on the door again, it was already close to the time of the transcendent tea party—Lucy from the Deton Group had already arrived in advance.