Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Wayne pushed open the church door.

When he opened the door, the morning mist hadn't yet dissipated, and the courtyard was quiet, except for a thin layer of ice in the bucket by the well. He stretched his shoulders at the doorway, and the control panel popped up precisely on time.

[Audrian News Flash - Morning]

The messenger is dead. Charman's men, sent to Frostshire, were attacked by bandits in the Maple Forest area; the man was gone, and the message was lost. News reached Adrian yesterday morning.

The paladins have set off. The leader decided not to wait any longer; the seven of them, lightly equipped, rode north. At their pace, it would take them about seven days to reach Frostbite. Before departing, the leader said, "That Father Wayne had better still be alive, otherwise this trip will have been in vain." His tone was rather unfriendly.

[P.S.: Charman did something last night. He sent someone to town to buy some powder, intending to poison the paladins, and then secretly poured it into their dinner. But he didn't know the powder was fake. The seller, seeing he was an old man, thought he was easy to fool and used aphrodisiac powder instead.]

[The paladins last night: The scene was quite chaotic. The seven of them helped each other until dawn. This morning, when they rode their horses, their backs were so sore.]

[Note: In the ecclesiastical climate of the Kingdom of Wiggins, such things are not uncommon. Every now and then, similar stories of "the soup was good" circulate from the Holy Knights' headquarters in the capital. These handsome young men, being self-taught, not only didn't feel humiliated by last night's events, but actually thought the old bishop had good judgment, offering soup as a parting gift, showing deep affection. The leader even remarked to his lieutenant from horseback, "That old man, he knows how to handle things." The lieutenant didn't reply, his face looking rather pale, probably due to back pain.]

Wayne stared at the panel for a long time, even wondering if he was still dreaming.

However, reality is just that absurd.

The messenger died.

Charman intended to poison the seven paladins, but instead bought an aphrodisiac, resulting in the seven men taking turns sleeping together all night.

The person even said thank you at the end.

Wayne couldn't help but sigh, the Kingdom of Wiggins truly lived up to its reputation as the most absurd of the four kingdoms in the Southern Continent Alliance.

It's no wonder that the orthodox church (the Grand Church of St. Hilde, recognized by the Southern Continent Alliance) has never acknowledged the church status of the Kingdom of Wiggins, instead referring to it as a "false church" or a "wild church".

If it weren't for the fact that the Kingdom of Wiggins had a foolish king whose strength was unpredictable, the banners of conquest would probably have been planted all over the walls of the capital long ago.

Wayne had just turned off the control panel and was about to wash his face.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

The person who came was Melsa.

Melsa didn't look too good today; her eyes were slightly dark, clearly indicating she hadn't slept well the night before.

"Mr. Wayne."

Wayne turned around.

"What's wrong?"

"There are people outside the church," Mayfair said calmly. "A lot of people, I heard they're here for morning prayers."

Wayne glanced towards the church's main hall. Even through the courtyard wall and half a corridor, he could hear a buzzing sound outside; he guessed there were many people.

At that moment, Melsa's panel popped up.

Name: Melsa

Current state: Exhausted, restless

[Yesterday's events: It's true that someone in town invited her to attend a funeral mass. But several more people joined her on the way. Three local thugs, unable to afford brothels, heard that a young nun had arrived at the church and hatched a different plan. They pretended to be relatives of the deceased and lured her to an abandoned mill outside town.]

[Outcome: The thugs died. Two died on the spot, and the third ran less than a hundred paces before being caught by something and dying on the path behind the mountain.]

[Note: She doesn't need help. She has already subdued the spirits of those people, and they are now following her closely; they are much more obedient than when they were alive.]

[Note 2: She didn't sleep last night. After returning from the mill, she prayed all night in her room. Not for the thugs, but for herself. She was asking the goddess if murder was a sin. The goddess did not answer her.]

Wayne couldn't help but shudder.

However, he looked left and right but didn't see any ghosts, so he didn't care much.

Looking at the strange Wayne, Melsa asked in confusion.

"What's wrong, Mr. Wayne?"

"It's nothing." Wayne looked away. "You don't look well. Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Mayfair nodded slightly.

"Um."

Wayne didn't press the matter of the mill, nor did he mention the ghosts. Her secret was something she could handle herself. He only needed to know that she could manage.

"Take a good rest today," he added. "If nothing comes up, don't force yourself to go out."

Mayfair felt a slight touch of emotion.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Wayne was concerned about her.

"But the people outside..."

"I'll handle it."

Mayfair was silent for a moment.

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne."

Wayne waved his hand.

"You are welcome."

Mayfair didn't say anything more. In the end, she just nodded and turned to walk towards the backyard.

When Wayne pushed open the side door.

The church was already packed with people.

There weren't enough benches to sit on, and there were more people standing than sitting at the back. Men and women, young and old, dressed in all sorts of clothes. Several brightly dressed women were sitting in the front row; they were the same group of prostitutes from yesterday.

The buzzing in the crowd grew louder when they saw him emerge.

"It's out! It's out!"

"Is he the new bishop?"

"Did you hear? He saved a child's life yesterday!"

"Really?"

"Of course it's true! I saw it with my own eyes! The child was kicked by a horse, his ribs were broken. He pressed his hand on it, and the child came back to life in no time!"

"And what about Lisa! Have you heard? Lisa from the Rose Courtyard! All her illnesses are cured!"

"real?"

"It's true! The people at Rose House said it themselves! I took a shower yesterday, and my skin is so white it looks brand new!"

"That's a miracle!"

"you do not say!"

The murmurs grew louder, and people began to push forward, eager to see what the new bishop looked like. Wayne stood on the platform, raised his hand, and the crowd's voices gradually subsided.

"Ladies and gentlemen," his voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the quiet church could hear him clearly. "Today is a day of Goddess's blessing. Thank you all for coming to participate in the morning prayers."

"However..." Wayne paused, "I have a few things to say before we begin today's morning prayers."

Everyone perked up their ears.

"First thing. Starting today, the church will be open twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Morning prayers will be after sunrise, and evening prayers will be before sunset. Anyone who wants to come is welcome to come at any time."

Some people in the crowd nodded.

"The second thing. The church will regularly hold free clinics to treat those in need. It's free, only a prayer will be accepted. The clinics will be held once a week, with a limit of seven people. I will have Thomason post the specific times."

As soon as these words were spoken, a buzzing sound immediately filled the church.

"No charge?"

"Really, you don't charge?"

What does it mean to only accept one prayer?

Wayne raised his hand and explained.

"Prayer means that you should recite the goddess's holy name in your heart and then say 'Thank you, Goddess.'"

Someone laughed.

"It's that simple?"

"It's that simple."

The buzzing grew louder, but this time it was excited. Some people started telling the people next to them, "I'll bring my mom to see it tomorrow," while others began silently reciting the goddess's holy name, afraid they might forget it.

Wayne stood on the podium and waited for the buzzing to subside before speaking again.

"The third thing."

The crowd quieted down.

"The Frosttown Church is short-staffed and needs to recruit some people to help. Room and board will be provided, and wages will be paid monthly."

As soon as he finished speaking, three or four people raised their hands.

"Me! Your Excellency, I can do anything!"

"I can cook, and I can do laundry too!"

"Your Excellency, my husband has a leg problem. Could he come and help? No wages needed, just meals!"

Wayne raised his hand:

"Everyone, don't rush. Just register with Thomason after morning prayer."