Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

It was evening.

When Ace opened the door, Wilford was sitting in the front hall.

A bowl of ginseng soup sat beside him, already cold, with a thin layer of grease clinging to the rim. His complexion was not good, not the kind of bad that comes from illness, but the kind of bad that comes from having experienced too many things he didn't want to remember.

"Father." Ace stood at the door.

Wilford looked up, his gaze falling on Ace. After a couple of breaths, he shifted his gaze to the person behind Ace.

Leon stood outside the threshold, half his body still in shadow. He was wearing Ace's spare clothes, a size too big, the collar gaping open to reveal a section of his collarbone. His complexion wasn't good, his lips were a little pale, and his left leg was slightly bent, as if he was afraid to put weight on it.

"Why are you back?"

Wilford's voice was devoid of emotion.

"I'm back now that I've finished my business."

Ace took a step inside.

Celine came out from behind.

She was wearing a lake-blue long dress, her hair pulled back, and carrying a plate of sliced ​​fruit. Upon seeing Ace, she paused briefly, then quickened her pace.

"Ace? You're back?"

"Mother."

Celine walked up to Ace.

She pulled her hand out and touched his face.

"He's lost weight. He's gotten darker. He hasn't shaved."

"It's inconvenient outside."

Have you eaten yet?

"have eaten."

"What did you eat?"

Ace thought for a moment.

"wild fruit."

Celine's voice rose half an octave.

"Wild fruits? You eat wild fruits?"

"And grilled fish."

Celine's expression changed from heartache to complexity.

She turned her head and her gaze fell on Leon.

"Who is this?"

Ace turned to the side.

"Mother, this is Leon, my friend."

Leon stepped in from outside the threshold and bowed slightly.

"Uncle, Aunt. My name is Leon, and I am a paladin from the capital."

Wilford tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair.

"A paladin?"

"Yes." Leon straightened up, trying to make himself look convincing. "Our squad was ordered to Frosttown on a mission, but we were attacked en route. The squad was scattered, and I... I got separated from my companions."

He paused.

"I need the mayor's help now."

Wilford leaned back in his chair, his gaze lingering on Leon's face for a long time.

"What mission?"

Leon hesitated for a moment.

"Arrest Bishop Wayne."

The lobby fell silent.

It was as quiet as a graveyard.

Wilford's fingers hovered on the armrest, motionless. Celine's hand, holding the fruit platter, froze in mid-air; the last piece of apple rolled onto the table, and no one picked it up.

Wilford confirmed again.

"Are you here to arrest Bishop Wayne?"

"Yes." Leon nodded.

Wilford stood up from his chair.

"Someone come here."

The guard outside pushed the door open and came in.

"master."

"Arrest them!"

The two guards paused for a moment, exchanged a glance, and then looked at Leon at the same time.

Leon's expression changed.

"Uncle, what's wrong...?"

"Who's your uncle?" Wilford's voice rose a half-octave. "You, a paladin from the capital, come to my Frosttown to arrest our bishop? Do you think I, the mayor, am dead?"

Leon took a half step back, his left leg giving way, and swayed slightly. "Uncle... no, Mayor, I am a paladin, acting on orders from the Holy See..."

"The Papacy?" Wilford interrupted him.

"The Vatican has no jurisdiction over Frosttown."

Two guards had already walked up to Leon, one on his left and one on his right, and reached out to support his arms.

Celine also glared angrily at Ace.

"Ace, why did you bring someone like this back?"

"Mother, Leon, he..."

"He's here to arrest Bishop Wayne." Celine stared at Leon, her gaze like a knife. "Who is Bishop Wayne? He's the one who saved your father, the one who healed everyone in town, and he even gave me..." She paused, "In short, you brought this kind of person back to harm my whole family?"

"Mayor," Leon tried to keep his voice steady, "I don't understand. Wayne is someone the Holy See wants. As mayor, shouldn't you cooperate with the Holy See...?"

"Cooperate?" Wilford walked up to him, looked down at him, and said, "Do you know how many times Bishop Wayne has saved my life?"

Leon shook his head.

"Twice." Wilford held up three fingers. "He saved me twice in two days."

Leon's pupils contracted slightly.

"Do you know how many people he saved in town?" Wilford continued. "Do you know how many people he healed, exorcised, and distributed potions to? Do you know what he did in Frosttown before you came, and what the Holy See did?"

Leon didn't say anything.

Wilford turned around, his back to him.

"Lock him up."

"Mayor!" Leon's voice finally became urgent. "I am a paladin; you have no right to imprison me!"

Wilford turned around.

"In Frosttown, I have the right to detain anyone."

Ace's voice boomed in the front hall.

"Stop it, all of you!"

Two guards, supporting Leon's arms, turned to look at him. Wilford and Celine also looked at him with suspicion.

Ace took two steps forward and stood in front of Leon.

"Father, Mother, you mustn't arrest him."

Wilford looked at him.

Why?

Ace opened his mouth, then closed it again.

His lips moved several times, and the sound squeezed out from his throat, as if someone was choking him.

"He...she..."

"What about him?" Wilford's voice rose a half octave.

Ace took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and forced the words out of his chest.

"He's pregnant with my child!"

The lobby was completely quiet.

"What?!"

……

The Witch Cult.

A map was spread out on the long table in the hall, and the candlelight flickered in the night breeze, casting dancing shadows on the map.

Christina stood at one end of the long table, her red hair cascading over her shoulders, holding a wooden stick in her hand. The tip of the stick pointed to a location on the map: Frost Town.

"In six months, it will be the once-in-a-millennium purple sun."

Everyone in the hall looked serious.

"On that day, the biggest demonic tide will erupt here. Not the small-scale ones of previous years, but a real demonic tide that can wipe this place off the map."

No one spoke.

"This place will become scorched earth in the future." Christina put the stick back and twirled it in her hand. "So, in the fifth month, we will most likely have to leave."

Tilu sat in the corner, twisting the hem of her skirt with her fingers.

"Is it absolutely necessary to leave?"

"We have no choice but to leave."

"So...where are we going?"

Christina did not answer immediately.

She turned around, pulled an old roll of parchment from the shelf behind her, unfolded it, and laid it next to the map. It depicted the entire southern continent, mountains, rivers, towns, and fortresses, densely marked with various colored symbols. Red crosses were the most numerous, covering the entire map like a red rash.

"The witch cult of the Southern Continent once suffered a devastating blow from Saint Hilde."

She pointed to the area with the most red crosses.

"Here, here, and here. These used to be strongholds of our sect. Now they're all gone. Saint Hilde's crackdown on the Witch Cult is more severe than you can imagine. It's not about arresting or imprisoning, it's about killing. If you're caught, you're killed. There's no trial, no confinement, just on the spot."

"What about the Northern Continent?"

"That won't work either..."