Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

While Annesser was lost in thought.

The panel appeared before Wayne's eyes.

[Annise - Current Perception Feedback]

Status: Confused.

[Analysis: She was completely unaware that she was entirely wrong. Emily's unusual behavior wasn't due to interest in her, but rather had a deeper reason.]

[Note: For someone like Emily, the pursuit of thrills is her very nature. In some ways, Emily's behavior is closer to the essence of desire than that of a typical desire-driven witch. However, no one in this world ever gets what they want.]

[Also: Remember Ben, the reincarnated one from Bellino? He used his memories from his past life to have his mother buy a mountain of gold ahead of time, and now he wields enormous wealth and is secretly making his own plans.]

At this moment, Wayne was helpless.

He never imagined he would end up in this situation.

In Wayne's mind, Emily can't escape the label of "little devil." Furthermore, this label has a fitting prefix: the abyss.

Not long had passed.

Anka returned carrying a stack of bound files, which she placed on the table in front of Wayne.

"My lord, all the information has been gathered. Bella Hopkins, Lina Crawford, and Serena Durham—the backgrounds of these three families, their current leaders, their businesses in the capital, and their records of dealings with the Papacy and the nobility are all here."

Wayne put down the file in his hand, his gaze falling on the stack of newly delivered documents, and nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

"It's no trouble for you, sir. This is all I should do."

He opened the first document, his gaze quickly scanning the pages. Bella Hopkins, Viscount Hopkins' second daughter, 17 years old. Her family ran a medium-sized ironware trading company in the capital. Viscount Hopkins himself was known for his extreme caution, never participating in any factional struggles. After his daughter's disappearance, he neither reported it to the authorities nor made a fuss, only making a few private inquiries, which yielded no results before falling silent.

The second one. Lina Crawford, the second daughter of Baron Crawford, is fifteen years old. The Crawford family has long since fallen into decline, possessing only a nominal title and maintaining a semblance of respectability through a few rented shops. After Lina's disappearance, Baron Crawford went to the Holy Knights to inquire once, but was dismissed with the excuse that "an investigation is underway," and there has been no further news since.

The third one. Servie Durham, the only daughter of the Earl of Durham, is two or four years old. The Durham family is distantly related to the Heinrich family; although the relationship isn't close, they still hold some influence in the capital. After Servie's disappearance, the Countess of Durham wept bitterly, while the Earl of Durham himself tried to inquire about her through various connections, but all channels had been preemptively closed by people from St. George, and no one dared to take the lead.

After reviewing the three documents, Wayne closed the file.

Anka stood by the table and, seeing him put down the file, asked, "Sir, are there any other cases we need to review? I've prepared a few backups, which, while not as detailed as these three, are still of some reference value."

Wayne waved his hand: "No need. The other families are staunch believers of the old guard of the Vatican, so their information is not very useful. These three are enough."

He stood up, put the three files into his briefcase, and then turned to Anka: "You continue to familiarize yourself with the daily affairs of the Dark Order with Annethern, and don't let up on the public relations efforts. I've put Annethern's potion on the table; take it on time, and I'll check on the effects in three days."

Anka nodded quickly.

"Understood. Don't worry, sir, I'll keep a close eye on things."

Wayne didn't linger any longer. He tilted his head slightly towards Emily and said, "Let's go."

The two walked out of the Black Order's gates one after the other and got back into the carriage.

The coachman pulled the reins, and the carriage slowly drove away from the street corner.

Emily sat opposite Wayne and waited until the carriage rounded the first bend before speaking, "Sir, which house shall we go to first?"

Wayne answered Emily's question: "Let's go to the Earl of Durham's mansion first. If there's no problem with this place, the other two will naturally be fine too."

Why?

"Because the Durham family is the most influential of the three. If they are willing to step forward, the other two will have the confidence to follow suit."

The carriage traveled through several streets and stopped in front of the Earl of Durham's mansion. The mansion was not particularly grand, but the stone steps in front of the gate were very clean, and the door knockers were polished to a shine, exuding a kind of dignity unique to a fallen noble family.

Wayne stepped forward and knocked on the door knocker.

The old butler, who opened the door, glanced at him for a moment, then asked in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant, "May I ask who you are?"

Wayne revealed the Black Order's insignia: "Wayne Angus, head of the Black Order. I wish to see the Earl of Durham to discuss some matters."

The old butler's gaze lingered on the badge for a moment, his expression shifting slightly. Without asking further questions, he stepped aside to clear a path: "Please wait a moment, I'll go inform them right away."

Wayne hadn't been waiting in the lobby for long when a series of hurried footsteps came from the depths of the corridor. A middle-aged woman in a dark gray house dress strode out, her eyes slightly red and her expression excited. Her gaze lingered on Wayne for a moment before she quickly approached him.

"Are you the newly appointed head of the Black Order?"

"it's me."

"My name is Laura Durham."

The news that Her Majesty the Queen supported the Black Order had spread throughout the capital, and the Countess's first thought was that they were sent by Her Majesty the Queen to save her daughter.

Mrs. Laura reached out and grasped Wayne's arm, her voice trembling with excitement: "Then...then you've come to rescue my Servie?"

Wayne didn't beat around the bush; he cut straight to the point: "Mrs. Durham, I'm here today indeed regarding your daughter. But before discussing specific actions, I need to confirm one thing with you. You should know your daughter's true identity, right?"

Mrs. Laura's face paled for a moment, but she nodded: "...I know. She's a witch. How could I, as her mother, not know what my daughter is?"

She paused, as if making a decision, and looked up to meet Wayne's eyes directly: "My Lord, you don't need to test me anymore. I'll tell you the truth, I'm willing to do anything to save my daughter. Even if it means turning against the entire St. George's Cathedral, I won't back down an inch."

Just as Wayne was about to ask about the Earl's whereabouts, a series of hurried yet steady footsteps came from the depths of the corridor.

A thin, middle-aged man with graying temples strode out. He was dressed in casual dark clothes, but his back was ramrod straight. Although he looked tired, his gaze was unusually firm.

Earl Durham walked up to Wayne and, without any further pleasantries, began to speak:

"Master Manager, I heard what my wife said just now. Her opinion is my opinion. As long as Master Manager Wayne can help our family rescue Serena, I will agree to anything. Even if it means going bankrupt, even if it means sacrificing my old bones, I will not hesitate."