Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Ken bent down and coughed twice more.

He was leaning on his cane, his body trembling slightly.

The crowd had already backed away, and the people at the front even covered their mouths, as if afraid they would also vomit blood.

"Your Excellency! Is this potion safe to drink?"

"Is Ken poisoned?"

"Call a doctor immediately!"

Ken stood there, looking down at the pool of black blood on the ground. He reached up and touched his chest, then his throat, before raising his head and saying...

"I'm fine, what are you all arguing about?"

The bearded man stood three steps away, his eyes wide like copper bells.

"You...you've vomited blood! And you're still okay?!"

"I feel much better after throwing up." Ken wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "The blood is black, not red."

Ken looked at everyone and said loudly.

"It was the elixir that forced my poisonous blood out; this is a miracle drug! This is a true elixir!"

Ken threw in ten more copper coins.

"Another bowl, please!"

The silence of the crowd lasted for about three breaths.

Then it surged up like a burst dam.

"I'll buy it! I'll buy it!"

"I'll buy it too! I'll buy it too!"

"Don't push! I was here first!"

The copper coins clattered as they fell onto the wooden tray, like hail. Vera frantically scooped water, bowl after bowl, her arms nearly dislocated from the effort.

Emma stood by, helping to clear the bowls, which were stacked higher than her chin and wobbling precariously. Ella quickly went over to help her steady them.

The bearded man squeezed to the front, slapped a handful of coins onto the tray, they clattered and rolled several times before falling to the ground. He bent down, picked them up, and slapped them back onto the tray.

"One bowl! Give me one bowl!"

Vera scooped up a bowl of water and handed it to him. The bearded man took it, brought it to his lips, and hesitated for a moment. He glanced at the pool of black blood on the ground, then at the clear water in the bowl, swallowed hard, closed his eyes, and gulped it down.

He held the bowl and stood there for two breaths.

He didn't vomit blood.

Two more breaths passed.

My chest started to feel warm, not the burning kind of heat, but a gentle warmth, like holding a hand warmer in winter, spreading from my chest to my limbs.

"Amazing." The bearded man looked down at his chest, then up at Wayne. "It's truly amazing! I've never felt so comfortable in my chest before!"

He put the bowl back on the tray, turned around, and shouted to the crowd.

"It really works! It's not fake!"

The crowd went even crazier.

Less than an hour.

The large vat is empty.

When the last bowl of water was ladled out, Vera's arm was too weak to lift, her hand holding the ladle was trembling, and the water in the ladle sloshed out, spilling onto the tray and mixing with the copper coins.

"No...that's all." Vera's voice was hoarse.

A sigh of disappointment rippled through the crowd.

"Gone so quickly?"

"I just got to the front of the line!"

"Your Excellency, is there any more tomorrow?"

Wayne stood beside the large vat with a smile on his face.

"There will be more tomorrow," he said. "A limited supply tomorrow morning, until the elven potions are used up."

"Is there more tomorrow?"

"kindness."

The crowd slowly dispersed. As they left, they were still discussing it. Some touched their chests and said it felt warm, some smacked their lips in lingering reminiscence, some said the water tasted better than wine, and some said it was the best-tasting water they had ever drunk in their lives.

The bearded man walked last, but turned back at the door, took something out of his pocket, and placed it on the tray.

It is a silver coin.

"Your Excellency, I've already ordered tomorrow's portion."

Wayne glanced at him.

"No reservations required, first come, first served."

The bearded man opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. He nodded, turned, and left.

The lobby quieted down.

Vera slumped in her chair, her arms hanging limply at her sides like two mushy noodles. Thomason squatted on the floor counting the coins, ten at a time, sweating profusely as he counted.

"Sir, we received... " He counted for a long time, "So many.

Wayne smiled.

"Count them carefully and record them in the account."

"Okay."

Emma squatted down next to Thomason, helping him count the coins. She got confused halfway through, so she started over. Then she got confused again, and so on. Ella stood beside them, holding a ledger, waiting to record the count.

The panel popped up at this point.

[Wayne Frosthold Reputation]

Current Reputation: Honored.

[Improvement Level: From "Friendly" to "Respectful". Reason: The Potion of the Spirits incident. Within a day, you convinced the entire town of two things: first, that you possessed spirits; second, that you were willing to share your spirits with everyone. Although they only received tainted well water, the effect was the same.]

[Note: Your message is being transmitted. Among the people who came to buy the potion today was a traveling merchant from the Church of St. Hilde. His name is Mas, and he travels between Kant and Wiggins year-round, selling icons, scriptures, and various religious items, but his favorite is selling sleeping potions. He drank your potion and gave it a very high rating.]

[Note 2: His daughter also drank your potion and was deeply attracted by your appearance. She peeked at you outside the church. Her inner thoughts: That priest is so ridiculously handsome, I really want him...]

Wayne's gaze lingered on the word "foul".

That's a fresh perspective.

In the past, when people said he was good-looking, they used words like "handsome," "charming," or "like an angel." This is the first time someone has used the word "foul."

Mas walked around the pancake stall from the other side, carrying two bowls of soy milk, and handed one to his daughter.

"Betty, your milk."

Betty took the pancake off her face, took the milk, took a sip, and then her gaze drifted back towards the church.

"Father."

"Um."

"Is that priest married?"

Mas almost dropped the bowl of soy milk.

Why are you asking this?

"Just ask."

Mas followed his daughter's gaze.

Wayne's golden hair shimmered in the light, making him look less like a priest and more like an icon hanging on a church wall.

Mas sighed.

"He is a priest, and priests cannot marry."

Betty's lips twitched slightly.

"Priests in the Kingdom of Wiggins are allowed to marry."

Mas opened his mouth slightly, then closed it again. He wanted to argue, but realized his daughter was right. The Wiggins Church wasn't under St. Hilde's jurisdiction; priests could marry, have children, and live normal lives openly.

"Then you can't..." Mas thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a suitable word.

"Can't what?"

"I can't... fall in love with something just because it looks nice."

Betty took a bite of the pancake and chewed it slowly.

"I wasn't tempted."

"Then why don't you ask them if they're married or not?"

"I'm just curious." Betty swallowed her pancake, took a sip of milk, and said, "Father, didn't you say that St. Hilde's Church is currently recruiting in Wiggins? Do you think he meets the requirements?"

Maas glanced at his daughter and immediately questioned her.

"You want him to attend the sacraments? Don't even think about it."

Betty's face flushed red.

"No way!"

"It's written all over your face." Mas placed the bowl of soy milk on the edge of the pancake stall. "Betty, how many times have I told you not to think about attending the sacrament of every handsome man you see?"

Betty lowered her head and took a bite of the pancake.

"I just think he's pretty good..."

"Then you can't hurt them."

With that, Mas left with his daughter...