Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

As the carriage entered the border of the Crow's Nest district, the landscape on both sides of the road began to change.

The houses on both sides gradually changed from brick houses with courtyards to close-knit wooden sheds.

Not long after, the carriage suddenly jolted, followed by a startled neigh from the horses. The driver quickly tightened the reins and it took a while to steady the carriage.

The driver's voice came from ahead, tinged with obvious panic: "Sir! It seems...it seems we've hit someone!"

Wayne lifted the curtain and leaned half his body out.

About three or four steps in front of the carriage, a thin figure lay on the road, curled up, emitting faint groans.

It was a little girl, who looked about eight or nine years old. She was wearing an oversized, dirty, and tattered dress, and she was barefoot, with bruises covering her exposed ankles and calves.

The panel popped up at that moment.

[Lucy - Character Information]

[Identity: Beggar from Raven's Nest District.]

[Note: Abducted as a child and sold to Raven's Nest District, they are managed by the Thieves' Guild. They must fulfill a daily quota of taxes; failure to do so results in beatings and starvation. Staging accidents involving passing carriages is one of their most common "businesses."]

[Note 2: Every year, many children die as a result of failed staged accidents. Some are kicked in vital areas by out-of-control horses, some are whipped to death by angry drivers, and some are dragged back to their hideout and never seen again because they failed to meet their quota for the day.]

[Note: Her leg injury is real, but it wasn't from being hit by the carriage. Her leg had already been broken by members of the gang before she rushed out of the alley. Using an old injury to stage an accident is much more successful than using an uninjured one.]

Wayne had just disembarked from the carriage.

A middle-aged man dressed in a tattered shirt and looking disheveled quickly pushed through the crowd and walked over.

He shoved aside the old woman who was squatting next to the little girl, stood in front of the little girl, and shouted so loudly that the whole street could hear him.

"How could you drive like that? My daughter already had a high fever today, and now you've hit her, her leg is broken! Tell me, how are you going to resolve this?"

His angry and agitated tone drew a crowd of onlookers who were unaware of the situation, who began to discuss the matter.

"The impact was so severe... that leg must be badly injured."

"Oh dear, what a terrible child, hit by a carriage like this."

"This carriage is really something, why is it going so fast on the street..."

Most of those who said these things were outsiders who had just passed by or lived nearby. They did not understand the survival logic of the Crow's Nest District, and with their simple sense of justice, they naturally stood on the side of the "wounded child".

The indigenous people squatting at the base of the wall exchanged a silent glance and then continued to watch the show quietly.

Well, another sucker has come to the street.

Wayne ignored the whispers and pointing around him. He walked over to the little girl and knelt down beside her.

"Since it's happened, I'll fix it. That way, the problem is solved, isn't it?"

As he spoke, Wayne raised his right hand, and a soft white holy light gradually condensed in his palm.

The CD player dispersed the surrounding murky air, causing several nearby onlookers to subconsciously squint.

However, the little girl who was still groaning on the ground did not show any joy of being rescued when she saw the holy light. Instead, she seemed to have seen something terrifying.

She supported herself on the ground and kept backing away.

"No! I won't get treatment! I won't get treatment!"

Wayne paused for a moment.

He was puzzled.

The surrounding chatter started again.

"Why doesn't this child need treatment yet?"

"Are you stupid from the accident?"

"Could it be that he's afraid of pain?"

The panel popped up at this point.

[The Underlying Reasons for Lucy's Refusal of Treatment]

The broken leg was arranged by the gang. If her injury had been treated on the spot, she would have faced even more severe beatings when she returned home, and might even have her other leg broken as a warning to others. In her past experience, the kindness of outsiders never lasted until sunrise, but the gang's clubs would.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man immediately seized the opportunity, raising his voice several octaves: "Look! Look! You've terrified my daughter! She doesn't trust you! You respectable people have no idea about our suffering! You must pay us compensation today!"

His tone became increasingly self-righteous.

Several of his accomplices around him also chimed in.

"Exactly! You think you can just hit someone and get away with it with a quick fix?"

"We'll have to pay at least two hundred gold coins!"

"Two hundred isn't enough! That child's legs might be ruined!"

Wayne saw the fear filling the little girl's eyes. He didn't withdraw his holy light, but turned to look at the impatient man.

"You're saying this child is yours?"

The man stood with his hands on his hips, speaking with an air of self-righteousness: "Of course it's mine! What, you hit one of my people, and you're trying to deny responsibility?"

"Okay. What's her name? What year was she born? What birthmarks does she have? Is she left-handed or right-handed?"

The man's expression visibly stiffened, and he forced out a pointless remark: "What do you care what her name is? You hit someone, so you have to pay for it!"

Wayne didn't respond to his shouting, but instead looked back at the little girl, softening his tone as much as possible: "You don't want to be healed here because you're afraid they'll beat you up again when you go back, right?"

Lucy's gaze suddenly trembled.

She didn't answer, not even daring to nod. If she dared to show the slightest anger, she would face even harsher punishment in the future.

Wayne pursed his lips, smiled helplessly, and nodded.

It seems the girl in front of him doesn't believe him.

Then Wayne changed direction.

"Since she's not your daughter, I'll take her away and send her to the Vatican's asylum to recover. You shouldn't have any objections, right?"

The middle-aged man's expression changed instantly.

"...What right do you have to take my daughter away?"

“I am a clergyman of the Vatican,” Wayne explained. “The Vatican has an obligation to take in all believers in need. Your daughter has broken her leg; I will take her in, provide her with free treatment, food, and lodging until she recovers. If she wishes, the shelter can also provide her with education until she is able to support herself. Isn’t that much better than you taking her to the streets to stage accidents?”

The man became excited.

"...Who knows if you're a human trafficker! I've seen plenty of people dressed as clergy trying to trick children in Raven's Nest District!"

Besides, with so many children disappearing under the Vatican's control every year, what kind of good place is the Vatican anyway!

The man's accomplice began to echo his sentiments.

"Yes! That's right!"

"You have to pay me back two hundred gold coins!"

"Don't even think about leaving until you pay up!"

Emily had somehow appeared beside Wayne, her hat pulled low. "Sir, would you like to...?"

Wayne raised his hand and gently pressed her wrist, signaling her to calm down.

"No need to rush, I'll handle this."

His gaze swept over the man in front of him and his accomplices behind him, their panels appearing one by one.

Each of these people has at least one life on their hands.

What angered Wayne was...

They primarily harm children.