Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

The villagers knelt on the ground, some kowtowing, some crying and shouting, and words like "divine messenger," "savior," and "benefactor" kept popping out of their mouths.

Wayne bent down to fasten the buttons of his priest's robe, his gaze sweeping across their faces without any expression.

"Let's go," he said to Marco.

Marco paused, then said, "Father, they..."

"It has nothing to do with us."

Wayne turned and walked toward the carriage. Ella and Emma followed behind. Emma glanced back at the kneeling villagers, then at Wayne's back, and jogged after him.

The village chief called out from behind, "Father! You saved our village! You can't leave! We haven't repaid you yet!"

Wayne kept walking.

"To repay the debt, never sacrifice living people again."

The village chief opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

The carriage drove out of the village and traveled about two miles when old Roger reined in the horse and looked back at the carriage.

"Father, there's an open space ahead where we can set up camp."

Wayne lifted the curtain and took a peek.

"This is fine."

The carriage stopped, and the group began to set up camp. Marco went to gather firewood, old Roger fed the horses, and Mayfair stood at the edge of the clearing, closing her eyes to sense her surroundings. Ella and Emma helped Vera out of the carriage and sat her down by the fire.

Lillian moved closer to Mayfair, her brown eyes fixed on Wayne, who was setting up the tent.

"That guy," she whispered, "is he really a priest?"

Mayfair didn't say anything.

Lillian continued, "They look refined on the surface, but once they take their clothes off, they're all muscles. They can kill someone with a single punch, fight a third-tier magical beast bare-handed, and finally pull out a potion to turn the snake into a monster. I've seen at least eighty or a hundred clergy members, and none of them are like this."

Mayfair opened her eyes and glanced at her.

"What are you trying to say?"

Lillian blinked. "I'm just curious, what's he going to Frosttown for? Who would go to such a lousy place?"

Mayfair remained silent for a moment.

"From the church."

"Did the church send him to his death?"

"right."

Lillian tilted her head: "Then why didn't he run?"

Mayfair did not answer.

Lillian thought about it for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Yeah, where would he go? The whole kingdom is the church's territory." She glanced back at Wayne, who was adding firewood to the fire. "But it's for the best. If he didn't go to Frost Town, my aunt wouldn't have let me go with him."

Mayfair looked at her.

"Your aunt wants you to go with him?"

Lillian nodded: "My aunt said it's safe to go with him."

Mayfair didn't say anything.

Lillian continued, "I didn't believe it at first. How safe could a priest be? Now it seems my aunt was right." She paused, then her eyes lit up again, "His muscles when he took his clothes off were really impressive."

Mayfair looked away.

The fire was lit, and its light illuminated the camp.

Dinner was simple: dried meat with hot soup. Vera held her bowl and sipped slowly, not daring to eat too quickly since she hadn't eaten for three days.

The fire was burning brightly, with sparks crackling and shooting upwards.

Emma leaned on Wayne's shoulder, her eyes half-open, almost asleep. Ella sat on the other side, hugging her knees, occasionally stealing a glance at Wayne.

Wayne put down the bowl in his hand and looked at Vera.

"What's your name?"

Vera looked up.

"Vera...Vera."

"Who else is in the family?"

Vera lowered her head.

"They're all dead, my parents are gone."

Wayne nodded.

"What are your plans for the future?"

Vera paused, then remained silent.

she does not know.

From the moment she was tied to the wooden frame, she never thought about the future. Alive? Dead? It was all the same. No one would save her, no one would care about her. This was something she had understood since her parents died.

Then this person appeared.

He killed the priest with a single punch, had his body burned, ordered the six heinous criminals killed, and killed the mountain god with his bare hands.

He asked her what her plans were.

"I..." Vera opened her mouth, "I don't know."

Wayne looked at her.

The girl was eighteen years old, and her face still showed signs of weakness from not eating for three days. Her hair was messy, her clothes were torn to shreds, and her exposed arms were covered with old scars.

"Would you like to come with us?"

Vera was stunned.

"Follow...follow you?"

Wayne nodded.

"Go to Frosttown, the church is short-staffed."

Vera opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Mayfair's voice suddenly rang out.

"Mr. Wayne."

Wayne looked at her.

Mayfair walked over, her gaze falling on Vera for a moment before turning to Wayne.

"Let her come with me," she said.

Wayne looked at her.

Mayfair's voice was flat:

"I need an assistant."

Wayne didn't say anything.

Mayfair continued, "I need help getting to Frosttown. She has nowhere to go, and I need manpower. Perfect timing."

Wayne looked away.

"Sister Mayfair, you'll have to ask her herself."

Mayfair turned to Vera.

"Would you like to come with me?"

Vera glanced at Mayfair, then at Wayne, and finally her gaze settled back on Mayfair. This nun in black had barely spoken a word since boarding the train, but there was something strange in her eyes when she looked at people.

It's not fear.

It's not disgust.

It is... calm.

It's like looking at someone just like yourself.

Vera nodded.

"willing."

Mayfair nodded.

"Then it's settled."

Mayfair

Current status: Curious

[Note: She's collected quite a few rumors about you over the past three years, especially the risqué ones. From "Father Wayne's hands can make a woman cry" to "Father Wayne's drugs can make a woman unable to stand," she's written them all down in a notebook. Not out of malice, but she doesn't know why she collects them; she just can't help it.]

[P.S. Her greatest wish is to experience your water magic firsthand. Although she knows it's against protocol—priests and nuns are, in the Church's definition, colleagues—making a colleague blush and tremble is clearly not a respectable thing to do. But she still wants to try.]

[Also: She didn't intend to say it. She was just thinking about it.]

After looking at the panel, Wayne glanced up at Mayfair.

Mayfair stood next to Vera. Noticing Wayne's gaze, she looked up and met his eyes.

Their eyes met.

Two breaths later, Mayfair looked away.

Just then, Lillian walked over, sat down next to Wayne, and plopped down on the floor.

"Mr. Wayne."

Wayne opened his eyes and looked at her.

Lillian stretched out her arm, rolled up her sleeve, and saw several small scratches on her fair skin. They weren't deep and were oozing blood, but they were clearly not serious injuries.

"Look," she said, "when you were fighting with the snake, the flying stones cut me in several places."

Wayne looked at her.

Lillian blinked, her brown eyes shining brightly.

"Can you heal me?" She shook her arm. "My aunt said your water magic is incredibly powerful; it can make people... um..."

She paused, as if recalling her aunt's exact words.

"It makes people feel extremely comfortable."

Wayne didn't move.

"What else did your aunt say?"

Lillian thought for a moment.

"My aunt told me that I must try it when I have the chance, because she said that's true happiness."

Wayne looked away.

"Give me your hand."

Lillian reached out her hand.

Wayne grasped her wrist.

The water element begins to circulate.

The warm sensation seeped into my skin and flowed with my blood. The scratches on my arm began to heal, at a steady pace, visibly so.

Lillian looked down, her eyes shining.

"It's really healing."

Wayne didn't say anything.

The water element continues to circulate.

Lillian waited.

I waited and waited.

Nothing happened.