Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Soon, St. George sent people to ransom the person.

The one who arrived was a middle-aged monk.

He stood in front of the Marquis's mansion, carrying a heavy bag of gold coins, looking at the six paladins hanging on the iron gate, his face showing an expression as if he had just swallowed a live fly.

The old steward took the money pouch, weighed it in his hand to confirm the amount was correct, and then waved to the guards. The six paladins were lowered from the door, and the young monk quickly slunk away with them.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the capital. Idlers in teahouses, adventurers in taverns, and women haggling in the market were all talking about the same thing.

"Have you heard? St. George's inspection team caused trouble at the Marquis of Angus's mansion, and they ended up being stripped naked and hung up at the gate!"

"Really? When have the people of St. George ever suffered such a loss?"

"It's absolutely true! My neighbor's cousin works at the Marquis's mansion, and he saw it with his own eyes! Six people, all stripped naked, were hung at the gate for almost an hour!"

"Hahaha! Even paladins get their comeuppance!"

When the news reached the palace, Queen Evelyn was reviewing memorials. After listening to the lady-in-waiting's report, a smile appeared on her lips: "Such a clever little fellow."

On the other hand, after this incident...

Alice quickly realized an important problem.

That means there's a traitor in the household!

She was talking to her brother Wayne at that moment.

"Brother, I've already had the steward investigate this matter. I don't think it was one of the old servants who leaked the information. It's very likely someone who was recently hired. The scope of the investigation isn't too broad; we should be able to find out in three days at most."

Wayne waved his hand: "No need to wait three days. Summon all the servants in the manor, I will interrogate them myself."

Alice was clearly taken aback when she heard this.

She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help speaking up: "Brother, isn't this too hasty? If we gather everyone here, the mole will definitely become suspicious. What if he slips away beforehand? It'll be even harder to investigate then. How about we observe him secretly for a few more days?"

Wayne glanced at her, his tone resolute: "Don't worry, I don't do things I'm not sure about. Go and make the arrangements now."

Hearing Wayne's confidence, she finally nodded.

"Okay. I'll arrange it right away."

About fifteen minutes later, all the servants in the Marquis's mansion, regardless of rank or seniority, were gathered in the front courtyard. From veteran servants who had worked there for over twenty years to handymen hired just last month, they stood in a dense, dark mass. The crowd whispered amongst themselves, their expressions varied—some were bewildered, some nervous, and some secretly exchanging glances.

Wayne stood on the steps, his gaze slowly sweeping across the crowd.

The panel moved line by line in his field of vision.

[Character, Identity, Notes]

[Old Rolf, Marquis's Stableman, Loyalty: High.]

[Lisa, the Marquis's cook - Loyalty: Medium.]

[Hans Marquis's Gatekeeper - Loyalty: Medium]

……

His gaze swept over each person, and messages popped up on the panel one by one. When he reached the back of the crowd, the panel paused for a moment.

[Gastronaut, Newly Recruited Gardener, Loyalty: Extremely Low.]

[Note: He's only been on the job for less than a month. This man is a gambler, heavily in debt, and has a history of beating his wife and daughters. In a sense, he's a complete scoundrel. Three days ago, he lost his entire month's salary at the gambling table, and was approached by people from St. George's, who bribed him with money. He had betrayed information about the Marquis's mansion.]

Wayne's gaze lingered on the name "Gaster" for a moment.

He pointed to the man not far away.

"You, step forward."

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

All eyes followed Wayne's finger and landed on a middle-aged man standing at the back.

The man was wearing an old, mud-stained shirt. He was thin, with prominent cheekbones, and his face bore the listlessness that comes from years of drinking and gambling.

He visibly trembled when Wayne suddenly called his name. He looked up, his eyes filled with obvious panic and a forced composure: "Young...Young Master, you called me?"

"Step forward."

Gast hesitated for two seconds, then finally steeled himself and stepped out from the crowd, standing at the bottom of the steps, his hands unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes. He looked up, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Young Master, what are your orders?"

Wayne didn't waste any more words.

"Are you going to say it yourself, or do you want me to say it for you?"

Gast's face turned pale instantly: "Young Master... what are you talking about? I don't understand..."

Wayne had no patience to beat around the bush with him anymore.

"Three nights ago, you lost your entire month's salary at the casino in the east of the city. After the casino closed, someone found you in the back alley. He gave you some money and asked you to tell him about the recent comings and goings of people at the Marquis's mansion. This morning, you handed over information about my and Alice's whereabouts, as well as the news about the side building. Then at noon, the Holy Knight Inspection Team came to our door."

With each word Wayne spoke, Gast's face paled a little more.

At this moment, Gast's eyes were filled with disbelief.

How did he know?

It was raining heavily that day, and there was no one there.

This man is a devil! He's a devil!

Alice stood on the steps, and she quickly saw through the guilty conscience of the person in front of her: "So it was you."

Gast knelt down with a thud: "Young Master! Miss! I was wrong! I was really forced! I owe too much gambling debt, and they threatened to cut off my hand if I didn't pay it back! I had no choice..."

"No choice? Having no choice means you can betray your master? When you were gambling recklessly at the gambling table, why didn't you think about having no choice?"

Gast was speechless.

Before Wayne could continue, Alice gave the order: "Drag this traitor away, break his legs, and send him back to where he came from."

Two guards stepped forward, grabbed Gast's arms on either side, and dragged him out of the front yard like a dead dog. A moment later, Gast's screams echoed through the yard.

The remaining servants stood there, heads bowed, not daring to breathe. Some exchanged furtive glances, but quickly lowered their heads again after only one look.

At that moment, Alice spoke up from the steps.

"Everyone, please don't be nervous. The Marquis's mansion has always been fair in its rewards and punishments. Most of you are veterans who have served the mansion for many years, and you know better than anyone what you should and shouldn't do. I've called you all here today simply to clean up the trash, and it's not targeting anyone in particular. As long as you do your job well, the Marquis's mansion will certainly not treat you unfairly."

She then added, "That's the end of today's farce. Everyone, go home and do what you were doing."

The servants, as if granted a pardon, bowed and then quickly dispersed, heads bowed, to return to their posts.

Wayne stood on the steps, watching Alice handle the entire situation without interrupting or interfering. Only after everyone had left did he speak, saying, "Well done."

Alice turned around and smiled at him: "I'm your brother's sister, I can't let him down."

Wayne didn't respond to her joke. His gaze fell on the side building. He was silent for a few seconds before saying, "After what happened today, St. George shouldn't send anyone to cause trouble openly for a while."

Alice nodded slightly: "Yes. But even if they don't come openly, they'll probably do it more frequently behind the scenes. Brother, you need to be careful."

"I know."