Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Wayne looked at his sister and changed the subject.

"How's the situation with the Chamber of Commerce?"

Alice perked up noticeably at the mention of the Chamber of Commerce. She pulled a neatly bound ledger from her briefcase, turned to the latest page, and handed it to Wayne.

"We've officially started operations. The business registration office in the capital is very efficient; we had customers coming in the very day the sign was put up. The turnover in the first three days has already exceeded two thousand gold coins, which is quite good for a newly opened business."

She paused slightly as she spoke.

"However, brother, there's a problem. The potions you provided are indeed of high quality and have a high repurchase rate, but at the current sales rate, the inventory can only last for a month at most. After a month, if there's no new supply, the merchant guild's main profit source will be cut off."

Wayne nodded: "I'll figure out the supply. I'll take some time in the next few days to prepare another batch of potions, no less than last time. Also, we can't rely on just me to supply them. Keep an eye out for potion guilds around the capital and see if there are any skilled but unconnected independent potion makers you can sign long-term supply agreements with. Make sure the prices are fair, don't try to drive down the price."

Alice nodded, then quickly remembered something else: "Oh, right, brother, someone came to the Chamber of Commerce to cause trouble yesterday afternoon."

"Looking for trouble?"

"Yes. Four or five people came, claiming to be employees of a long-established potion merchant guild in the east of the city. They said we broke the rules by opening our new store without informing them. The leader even slammed his fist on the table and told us to take down the sign within three days, or else we'd better watch out when we walk at night."

"and then?"

Alice smiled. "Then Tiffany and the others threw them out. Hilda stuck the leaders' hands to the doorframe for a while, and Salia used her weight to break the belts of the remaining guys, causing their pants to fall down. The last group ran away holding their pants up, and the whole street saw it."

Wayne's lips curled slightly after hearing this.

"No one was killed, right?"

"No. My eldest sister was very measured in her actions."

"That's good. It's bad for the Chamber of Commerce's reputation to have a fatal incident so soon after opening. Once we've established ourselves, there will be plenty of opportunities to teach them what the rules are."

Alice continued, "I've already arranged the personnel on Tiffany's side. Their identities were cleared smoothly; after re-registering with the Black Order, they all received official civilian status documents. Now, the remaining witches have all been incorporated into the Merchant Guild's organization, and they're presented as employees. The group that came causing trouble yesterday was dealt with by them."

Wayne nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. In this way, the frameworks of both the Black Order and the Merchant Guild are established."

Alice said, "Oh, right, brother, there's one more thing. Sister Tiffany has recently set up a small training ground in the Chamber of Commerce's underground warehouse. She said that new members can familiarize themselves with the environment there first, which can also serve as a kind of advance preparation."

Wayne straightened his expression and said, "You've worked hard these past few days. The Alice Chamber of Commerce is just starting out, and it's not easy for you to manage so many things all by yourself."

Alice shook her head: "It's what I should do."

"But, brother."

She changed the subject: "Your potions are indeed selling very well, but at the same time, we have quite a few troubles. Those potion merchants who have been operating in the capital for many years already see Alice Merchant Guild as a thorn in their side. I'm worried that as time goes on, these conflicts will slowly erupt."

Wayne took a sip of water to moisten his throat.

"Alice, you must remember this principle. Any power that wants to operate in the long run cannot rely on just a glamorous facade. The Chamber of Commerce's brand is you, you, Alice Angus. You are the one in the spotlight, clean and beautiful, and everyone can see you. But for a power to gain a foothold, it's not enough to just have people in the spotlight. It also needs hands behind the scenes, hands that can do the dirty work, the hard work, and the ruthless work."

Alice's brow twitched slightly.

"What you mean, brother, is... to find someone who can do those things that are inconvenient for us to do in the open?"

"Yes. This kind of person is called a white glove."

Alice nodded thoughtfully, but quickly raised a new question: "What you said makes a lot of sense. But where do we find these kinds of front men? They need to be capable, reliable, and not too involved with the existing system. Such people are hard to find."

Wayne waved his hand.

"There's no rush. The role of a front man is hard to come by. Finding the wrong person is worse than having no one at all. Instead of rushing things, let the Chamber of Commerce establish itself first. Once we have a real foothold in the capital, people will naturally come to us. We can choose then, which is much safer than us searching all over the streets now."

Alice agreed with this reasoning and didn't press the matter further: "Then let's listen to you, brother. No rush, let's take it slow."

Wayne steered the conversation back to something more pressing: "While the Gluttony Vessel is temporarily contained, the other seven forbidden artifacts are still outside. I'll go see Professor Cecil to see if he has any clues about the other forbidden artifacts. As for the Merchant Guild, you hold on for now. If you encounter anything you can't handle, don't try to tough it out; Tiffany and Falcon will cooperate with you."

"Okay, don't worry, brother."

Wayne stood up and straightened his clothes.

He really needs to go see Cecil.

Not long after, Wayne arrived at his teacher's residence.

Cecil lived in a quiet alley in the western part of the capital, in an inconspicuous two-story building with an old locust tree in front of the door.

When Wayne knocked, a young monk answered the door. He clearly recognized Wayne and, without asking any questions, stepped aside, saying, "The Cardinal is waiting for you in his study on the second floor."

Wayne went upstairs and opened the door to the study.

Cecil, sitting behind his desk, looked up at Wayne when he heard footsteps. "I've heard about what happened at the cemetery. Well done."

Wayne sat down opposite him. "Teacher, I came to see you today because I wanted to ask about someone. Do you know Maurice, the gravedigger in the cemetery?"

Cecil's gaze shifted slightly.

He put down his cup, paused for a moment, and slowly began to speak: "His name is Maurice Alders, and he was once the most promising exorcist in the Holy See. Before you entered the seminary, he was recognized as an exorcism genius within the Holy See in the capital. No matter which diocese there was a report of otherworldly contamination, sending him there would solve any problem."

"Twenty years ago, he came into contact with something he shouldn't have during an investigation. After returning, he changed. He was no longer as cheerful and talkative as before, but became taciturn, sometimes talking to himself in front of the wall. The Vatican's doctors examined his mental state and concluded that 'the mental pollution is irreversible and has a tendency to self-destruct.' At that time, the Vatican decided to isolate him for observation, but he escaped."