Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Frost Town is built against the mountain.

The foot of the mountain is the outer area, the middle is the residential area, and the top is the mansion of the wealthy. The higher you go, the sturdier the houses, the higher the walls, and the more guards stand at the gates.

The church is at the foot of the mountain.

The outermost position.

It is right next to the city wall.

Wayne stood at the church entrance, looking up at the mountain. In the hazy sky, the houses high up were faintly visible, some still lit up.

"When the demonic tide came," Marco stood beside him, following his gaze upwards, "this place was the first to be affected."

Wayne didn't say anything.

Marco continued, "I heard that the previous bishops all died in the onslaught of the demonic tide. The city walls couldn't hold them back, and the church was the first to be swept away. The people on the mountain just need to wait for the demonic tide to recede before they come down to collect the bodies."

……

After the goods were unloaded from the carriage, old Roger, leading the horse, stood at the church entrance and bowed to Wayne.

"Father, this is my leave."

Wayne nodded.

"Be careful on the road."

Old Roger smiled, his face crinkling with wrinkles.

"Don't worry, I've been driving this road for twenty years, I can get back with my eyes closed." He paused, glanced in the direction of the city, and said, "Before I get back, I have some things to take care of."

Wayne looked at him.

Old Roger lowered his voice and leaned closer.

"I heard there's a brothel here with nice girls. Since we're already here, it would be a shame not to experience it after all this hardship."

Wayne's lips curled up slightly.

"Go."

Old Roger chuckled twice, mounted his horse, and waved to Wayne: "Father, take care!"

Marco remained standing in the same spot.

He glanced in the direction of the houses on the mountain, then looked away and turned to Wayne.

"Master Father."

Wayne looked at him.

"I should go too."

Wayne nodded.

"Where to?"

Marco remained silent for a moment.

"Find a mercenary group first."

Wayne didn't say anything.

Marco continued, "I know this place well. I was here fifteen years ago, when I was a soldier, going into the mountains with my unit to exterminate monsters. Now... I'm coming back under a different identity."

Wayne looked at him.

Marco's gaze fell on his face and lingered for a moment.

"Father," he began, his voice lower than before, "thank you for letting me come along."

Wayne shook his head.

"You came of your own volition."

Marco didn't respond to that.

The panel popped up.

Name: Marco

Current Status: Farewell

[True purpose: I came to Frosttown not to make money, but to hone myself. Mercenary, guard, bounty hunter—I'll do it all. Once I'm strong enough, I'll go back to find that person.]

[Note: His daughter's illness was caused by a nobleman's carriage hitting her. The carriage sped away, and no one dared to stop it. He knelt at the clinic's entrance, holding his daughter, begging for a long time. The clinic staff said they could treat her, but payment was required first. He couldn't afford it, and his daughter died in his arms.]

[Note 2: He didn't tell anyone about this. He felt ashamed. How could a former soldier not protect his own daughter? What face did he have to speak of it?]

After looking at the panel, Wayne remained silent for a few moments.

He's really a pitiful person.

He raised his hand and pulled a money pouch from his pocket.

"then."

Marco was stunned.

The money pouch was tossed to him, and he caught it instinctively; it felt heavy in his hand. He glanced down and saw a glint of gleaming gold coins peeking out from the opening.

"Father, this..."

"Take it," Wayne said. "Ten gold coins, not much. Find a place to stay and buy some things."

Marco didn't reach out.

He looked at the money bag and his throat moved.

"Father, I..."

"Take care," Wayne interrupted him. "If you encounter any difficulties, you can come to the church to find me."

Marco stood there, clutching the money pouch, at a loss. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed it back.

He cried bitterly when his daughter died three years ago.

That was the last time he cried in his life.

I never cried again after that.

Now, looking at the money bag in his hand and at Wayne's face, something welled up in his throat, and his eyes immediately reddened.

If only he had met Wayne sooner back then.

Perhaps his daughter wouldn't have died.

Marco raised his sleeve and wiped his face haphazardly. When he lowered his sleeve, his eyes were still red, but the tears had stopped.

"thank you."

He turned and left quickly, as if afraid that if he stayed any longer he would burst into tears again.

Wayne looked away.

Enter the church.

Several girls had already moved their luggage into the house in the backyard. It was called a house, but it was actually just a few adjacent bungalows with peeling paint and drafty windows, but at least it was habitable.

Ella and Emma were huddled together in one room, making their beds. Emma jumped on the bedding, then turned back and smiled at Wayne.

"Master, this bed is softer than the one in the carriage!"

Ella whispered beside her:

Be careful not to step on it and break it.

At that moment, Lillian was also making the bed for the two little ones.

Wayne stood at the doorway.

"Lillian".

Lillian turned her head and blinked.

"What's wrong?"

Wayne looked at her.

What are your plans?

Lillian paused for a moment.

"Intend?"

"Yes," Wayne said. "We've arrived in Frost Town. Your aunt sent you with me to avoid trouble. Now that we're here, you can decide for yourself where you want to go and what you want to do."

Lillian tilted her head and thought for a moment.

"I don't know."

Wayne didn't say anything.

Lillian continued, "My aunt just told me to go with you, without saying where I was supposed to go. She said it would be safe with you, so I'll go with you."

Wayne looked at her.

"Following you the whole time?"

Lillian blinked.

"Is that not allowed?"

Wayne was silent for two seconds.

"Didn't your aunt make any other arrangements for you?"

Lillian shook her head.

"No. She just told me to follow you, to go wherever you go, and to do whatever you tell me to do." She paused, then suddenly laughed. "She also told me to listen to you, not to wander off, and not to cause trouble."

Wayne nodded.

"Alright, let's stay here then."

Lillian's eyes lit up.

"real?"

Wayne looked at her.

"What's wrong?"

Lillian jumped off the bed and hopped over to him. "I was worried you'd find me troublesome and kick me out." She looked up at him, her eyes bright. "Looks like my aunt was right, following you was the right thing to do."

The two girls were making their beds. Emma lay on the sheets, buried her face in them, then looked up at the doorway.

Lillian was still standing next to Wayne, smiling with her face upturned.

Emma blinked.

She sat up, kicked off her shoes, jumped off the bed, and ran barefoot to Wayne.

"Owner!"

Wayne looked down at her.

"What's wrong?"

Emma tilted her head back, her dark eyes shining brightly.

"Sister Lillian, are you staying?"

Wayne nodded.

"right."

Emma grinned.

"Very good!"

She turned and ran back into the house, where she hugged Ella, who was making the bed.

"Sister! Sister Lillian is staying too!"

Ella was jolted by her sister's bump, nearly dropping the blankets she was holding. She steadied herself and turned to look at the doorway, where Lillian was waving at them.

Please take care of me from now on.

Ella smiled too.

"Um."

……