Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Antwerp, the royal capital of Wiggins.

The registered population exceeds one million year-round.

Radiating outwards from the central high ground where the royal palace is located are the inner city, where nobles and the papacy reside; the central city, densely populated with wealthy merchants and workshops; and the outer city edge, where large areas of low-rise shacks stretch endlessly.

The slums in the outer city are most notorious for the Crow's Nest District in the east of the city, which is home to more than 300,000 poor households and is the most densely populated area in the entire capital.

In fact, from the Marquis of Easthill's mansion where the Wayne family lived, one could see the edge of that infamous slum in the distance—densely packed and chaotic.

They left the Black Order.

Wayne and Emily quickly boarded the carriage.

The driver in front asked Wayne.

"Sir, where are you going?"

Wayne revealed the destination.

"Crow's Nest District in the East of the City".

Upon hearing "Crow's Nest District," the coachman hesitated for a moment, then cautiously added, "Sir, that's where filthy people gather. Are you really going there?"

Before Wayne could answer, Emily chimed in, "Just go if we tell you to. Why are you asking so many questions?"

The driver asked no more questions, pulled the reins, and turned the vehicle around.

In fact, searching for clues among 300,000 people is undoubtedly like finding a needle in a haystack. Wayne's main purpose in making this trip was to see if the panel would provide any hints.

However, the panel worked quite well, as if it understood what Wayne was thinking, and lit up right on time.

[Clues for the Gluttony Vessel]

[Target: Matt, the beggar. He had witnessed the presence of the Gluttony Vessel and even briefly came into contact with the forbidden object, but the Gluttony Vessel did not choose him as its host.]

[Note: He is currently located in the Flea Nest area of ​​Crow's Nest district. Finding him might yield information not recorded in the files.]

Inside the carriage, Emily skillfully deployed a soundproofing array, and then finally asked the question that had been nagging at her:

"Sir, why are we suddenly getting involved in matters concerning forbidden objects? I've heard about them before; they're extremely dangerous. They say the Holy See once lost an entire paladin squad trying to retrieve an out-of-control forbidden object, and they were all wiped out, their remains never recovered. Are we really sure it's alright for us to take on this kind of work now?"

Wayne leaned against the carriage wall: "This was all arranged by Her Majesty the Queen; we couldn't ignore it. Besides, she's made it clear that it has to be me. And I happen to possess the ability to purify these kinds of anomalous items. So this matter has indeed fallen to me."

Emily frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the answer, but she didn't complain.

Wayne glanced at her and comforted her, "This isn't necessarily all bad. If done well, it might even secure a better status for witches in the future."

Emily's gaze shifted slightly.

"……Really?"

"The Queen is fully aware of my relationship with the witches," Wayne said calmly. "She didn't stop me, nor did she pursue the matter. Instead, she tacitly allowed me to continue using witches as part of my team. This shows that in her eyes, witches are not unusable pawns. As long as we can achieve results, the status of the witches in the capital may change."

Emily's eyes lit up instantly, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Sir, doesn't that mean... if this matter is handled well, all the witches might no longer have to live that life of hiding and running? And the eldest sister and the others might have a chance to come to the capital?"

Wayne nodded: "Completely vindicating witches is premature given the current situation. But if we can produce significant results that demonstrate the value of witches to the upper echelons of the capital, then it's possible to at least secure some official tacit approval and convenience for them."

"That's wonderful!" Emily's lips curled into a wide smile. "If Big Sister knew this, she'd be so happy!"

Wayne didn't respond to her, but instead started unbuttoning his shirt.

Emily's gaze froze, her breathing quickened noticeably, and her voice stammered, "S-Sir...what are you doing...in the carriage...this...this isn't appropriate..."

She said some unpleasant things, but her body didn't back down or move away at all. Instead, she sat up a little straighter and stared intently at Wayne's fingers as he unbuttoned his shirt, as if she were being drawn to something.

"Is this... going to be in a carriage? Although, although I really don't mind... but isn't this place a little... well... a little too exciting...?"

Wayne stopped unbuttoning the third button, glanced up at her, and seeing her flushed face and darting eyes, immediately understood what kind of scenario she was concocting in her mind.

He raised his hand and flicked her forehead lightly.

"What are you thinking? I just need to change my clothes. This outfit is too conspicuous in a place like that; I'll be spotted as soon as I step inside."

Emily covered her forehead and cried out "Ouch!" before realizing she had misunderstood. Her face flushed red to the roots of her neck, and she looked out the window in a panic.

"...Oh. Changing clothes. Changing clothes is good...I should change...I really can't wear anything too nice in that area..."

At the same time, she mentally berated herself several times.

Emily, oh Emily.

What on earth are you thinking?!

Wayne didn't say much, and took out a set of old clothes that he had prepared in advance from his storage bag.

A faded gray cotton shirt, a pair of dark trousers with frayed edges, and an old vest with patches.

He deftly changed out of his outer robe, folded his distinguished black friars uniform and put it into his storage bag, then casually applied a face-changing potion to his face, instantly blending into the appearance of the common people most commonly seen on the outskirts of the city.

Emily watched his smooth and effortless change of clothes, blinked twice, and, not wanting to be outdone, pulled a hair tie from her pocket and neatly tied up her signature long purple hair, covering it with a dusty old cloth hat. She then took out a similarly worn brown short jacket, put it on, and squatted down, looking exactly like a malnourished street girl.

"How about that? Can't tell, can you?"

Wayne looked her up and down.

"It looks even more like it when the mouth is closed."

Emily rolled her eyes at him.

Looking at Emily's appearance, Wayne recalled how she looked when he first met her, and he couldn't help but ask.

"Emily, do you remember you owe me a gold coin?"

Emily paused for a moment, then clearly remembered.

She blinked, then quickly put on her dramatic act, clasping her hands together in a pitiful pose, her voice so soft it could draw silk: "What should I do, sir? I have no money on me, could I repay you with my body?"

Wayne reached out and pinched her cheek.

"Dream on."

Emily's face was pinched until it was distorted, but she didn't flinch. She just tilted her head back and let him pinch her, mumbling indistinctly, "I just don't have any money... How about we try?"