Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Wayne's gaze passed over the fat merchant's shoulder and landed on the two huddled figures.

These are twins with black hair and beautiful black eyes. However, this is often seen as a sign of a witch.

At this moment, the two little ones had whip marks on their arms, both old and new, and they clung to each other tightly, like two frightened young animals.

The panel reappeared in Wayne's eyes.

[Name: Ella (Older Sister)]

[Identity: Unawakened Witch (Ice Element)]

[Status: Hunger, Whip Wounds, High Fever]

[Note: She shielded her younger sister with her own body, taking five lashes to the back. Her bones are fine, but she suffered minor cuts and bruises. If her fever doesn't break tonight, she might not make it to tomorrow.]

[Name: Emma (younger sister)]

[Identity: Unawakened Witch (Fire Element)]

[Status: Hunger, minor whip marks, fear]

[Note: The piece of bread she just stole was for the dog. She hasn't eaten for three days. Her sister gave her the last half of the dark bread, and she only took it because she was too hungry.]

Wayne turned his gaze away and looked at the fat businessman.

"What mistake did the child make?"

The fat merchant put down his whip and wiped his sweat. "Father Wayne, these two must be witch's offspring. Black hair, black eyes—they're the kind of animals that should have been thrown into the fire at birth. They stole my dog ​​food; they're reincarnated starving ghosts. Whoever buys them is doomed!"

"How much is it worth?"

The portly merchant was taken aback: "You...you want to buy?"

"The Goddess's mercy is without color," Wayne said.

The portly businessman sized up Wayne, as if to confirm whether the young priest was joking. Everyone in Audrian knew that Father Wayne, though young, was clear-headed, reliable, and never did anything unreasonable.

Buy a witch?

What's the difference between this and putting a noose around your neck?

"Father Wayne, have you looked closely? These two girls have black hair and black eyes; they might really be witches. If you buy them..." he lowered his voice, "it might be difficult to explain to the church."

Wayne didn't respond to that.

"Tell me a price?"

The fat businessman's expression became subtle.

Three years ago, his wife had a difficult childbirth, bleeding profusely all over the bed. The midwife even said to prepare for her funeral. He knelt at the church door, crying like a fool. It was Wayne who personally went to his house and prepared the medicine himself.

After one dose, the bleeding stopped.

After two doses, the person woke up.

After three doses, both mother and child were safe.

From then on, he told everyone he met that Father Wayne was a living saint. Although his wife later started flirting with Wayne, that was another matter.

The fat businessman scratched his head, looked at the two little creatures huddled together, and gritted his teeth.

"You can take it. No money required."

Wayne raised an eyebrow.

"Regarding what happened to my wife back then," the fat merchant waved his hand, his fat face jiggling, "my son and daughter-in-law's lives were given to me by you. Consider these two brats my way of thanking you; anyway, they can't be sold, keeping them is just a waste of food."

"The goddess's mercy will protect you." As Wayne said this, he placed his hand on the two children's heads and sent a gentle stream of water into them.

It's not treatment.

It's about appeasement.

It's too early to give medicine to someone with a high fever. We need to calm their fear first, otherwise they won't be able to swallow it.

The fat merchant grinned, his fat bulging on his face like a憨厚 (honest and simple) pig. He squatted down and quickly unlocked the chains.

"Alright, you little brats, you're lucky to have met such a good man as Father Wayne. From now on, serve the priest well, you hear me?"

The chains made a crisp sound as they hit the ground.

The two little girls hugged each other tighter, but didn't cry. It wasn't that they didn't want to cry, but that they couldn't. For children who hadn't eaten for three days, even tears were a luxury.

My younger sister moved first.

She looked up, glancing at the fat businessman and then at Wayne, as if trying to confirm something.

Then she loosened her grip on her sister, knelt on the muddy ground, and crawled over little by little. She crawled to Wayne's feet and pressed her lips to the shoe.

"Master, thank you for saving us." Her voice was soft, but every word was clear. "My sister and I will repay you, no matter what you ask us to do."

Emma's lips were pressed against the shoe.

Wayne didn't move.

He knew this rule.

In this world, a slave's way of thanking their master is to kiss the sole of their shoe like this. It's not humiliation, it's the rule. If the master were to pull their foot away or take a step back at this point, that would be true humiliation, meaning that the slave is unworthy to be their slave.

Emma knelt on the ground and waited a few breaths. When her master did not move his foot, her shoulders relaxed slightly.

Then she scrambled to her feet, staggered back to her sister, and helped Ella to her feet. Ella was burning up with fever and could barely stand, leaning against her sister with her eyes half-open and half-closed.

"Let's go."

Wayne turned and walked out.

Two little girls supported each other and followed behind.

The fat merchant watched the three figures disappear into the crowd, scratched his head, muttered something, and then picked up his whip to drive away the other slaves.

The onlookers did not immediately disperse.

"Father Wayne bought a witch?" A vegetable vendor's eyes widened. "Is he insane?"

"What's wrong with him?" The butcher next to him sneered as he wiped his knife. "He was just being merciful. Didn't you see those two girls were almost dead? The priest was saving lives."

"Saving people is one thing, but buying them back is another. Black hair and black eyes—what if she really is a witch? What if the church investigates..."

"What's there to investigate?" another voice chimed in. It was an old woman with gray hair, carrying a hen. "How many illnesses has Father Wayne treated for us in the past three years? He didn't take any money, did he? After my short-lived husband died, if it weren't for the priest bringing me food every now and then, this old body of mine would have starved to death long ago. Don't even mention witches, even demons, if the priest says they can be raised, then they should be raised."

The woman selling vegetables opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Wayne led the two girls through the market toward the church. It was completely dark, the torchlight didn't illuminate much, and the road was full of potholes.

Emma struggled to walk while supporting her sister, Ella, who was leaning almost her entire weight on her, making her sway with every step.

After walking about thirty steps, Emma's knees buckled, and she almost fell down with her sister.

Wayne stopped in his tracks.

He turned around and looked at Ella's flushed face, then at Emma's tightly clenched lips.

He didn't say anything.

He bent down, supporting Ella's back with one hand and scooping her up by her legs with the other, lifting her horizontally in his arms.

Ella was delirious with fever. She felt herself suddenly lifted into the air and instinctively tried to struggle, but her body was too limp to muster any strength. She opened her eyes and glanced at Wayne, her gaze unfocused. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

"Don't move," Wayne said softly.

Ella stopped moving.

Emma stood frozen in place, looking up at Wayne, her dark eyes still filled with fear, now tinged with confusion.

Wayne looked down at her.

"hand."

Emma didn't react in time.

Wayne freed one hand and offered it to her.

Long, clean-cut hands with distinct joints, not the calloused, whip-scarred hands of slave traders, nor the rough hands of those in the market.

She hesitated for a moment before placing her hand on it.

Wayne grasped it and continued walking forward.

Emma was led by him, following beside him.

The three of them walked through the market toward the church. The torches along the road cast long shadows of them, one large and two small, overlapping each other.

On the way, they encountered several citizens returning home late. When they saw Wayne carrying a girl and holding the hand of another person, they were all stunned.

"Father Wayne, this is...?"

"A newly acquired servant." Wayne continued walking.

"Oh, well... then you're busy."