Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

After lunch, people were scattered around the main hall.

The long table was removed and replaced with several small round tables and a dozen or so chairs. Some people leaned against the window to bask in the sun, some curled up in a corner to read books, and some huddled together in twos and threes, talking quietly.

Wayne sat in a chair by the window, Emma leaning on his knees, her eyelids already drooping. Ella sat beside him, her back ramrod straight, but her head was slowly drooping.

"Go to sleep if you're tired," Wayne said.

"I'm not sleepy," Emma mumbled.

Her eyelids drooped again.

"Aren't you sleepy yet?"

"No... I'm sleepy..."

The sound grew softer and softer, and the breathing gradually became even.

Wayne also pulled Ella's head down, ruffled her hair, and said to her.

"Sleep, sleep!"

Soon Ella also completely relaxed and fell asleep.

Christina walked over from the direction of the main seat, carrying two cups of tea. She handed one to Wayne and kept the other for herself.

"Mr. Wayne, how was the meal?"

"good."

"That's good." She took a sip of tea, looking down at the rim of the cup. "It's rare for the Order to have guests, especially someone like you."

"Mr. Wayne, what you were saying at the dinner table... about those herbs and powders, were you joking?"

"you guess."

Christina's fingers stopped.

She looked at Wayne, and Wayne looked at her. They stared at each other for a moment, then Christina looked away first, picked up her teacup, and took another sip.

"Mr. Wayne is quite the smooth talker."

Wayne didn't say anything, but simply returned a smile.

Dora stood alone by the window.

She leaned against the window frame, her gaze fixed on Wayne behind her round-framed glasses, unblinking.

Dora has changed.

It wasn't a gradual change; it happened overnight. To be precise, it started last night. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, and that voice in her head came again. It wasn't the first time; that voice had been there for days, but she had been suppressing it.

She couldn't control herself last night.

The voice said: Go. Go and possess him. Go and own him. Take what you want. Why wait? Why endure? Why stand by like a fool and watch?

Dora didn't recognize the voice.

But she knew it grew from her body, and that it only started growing after the water elements flowed through it.

Like a seed, it was watered, sprouted, and overnight grew into a vine that entwined every bone in her body.

The voice said: You are an animal. Animals don't need to reason. Animals only need to possess.

Dora didn't believe in these things before.

She was the academic leader of the Witch Cult, having read more books than anyone else in the cult. She knew what rationality, restraint, and morality were. But now, those things were like paper walls, collapsing at the slightest push.

Now she has tasted it.

She wanted it.

It's not "hope" that we have it, it's "must have it".

Lynette walked around from behind and stood beside her, glancing in the direction of her gaze.

"What are you looking at?"

"It's nothing."

Lynette chuckled, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.

"You prescribed the medicine, so how come he's alright?"

Dora answered seriously.

"He discovered it."

"You found out?"

"Yes. He's a potion master, and quite skilled at it. He knew what those things were the moment he tasted them."

Lynette frowned.

"Then what happened to him...?"

"Why are you still eating?" Dora chimed in. "It's on purpose. He's telling us he's not afraid. Whether you drugged him or not, it's the same to him."

Lynette was silent for a moment.

"So what do we do now?"

Dora pushed up her glasses.

Take your time.

"Take your time?"

"Yeah. He's not the kind of man you can win over with drugs. The more anxious you are, the further away he'll drift. The slower you go, the more he'll come to you on his own."

Lynette glanced at her.

How did you know?

"I've checked."

"Investigate what?"

"Audrian," Dora's voice lowered by half an octave, "when he was in Audrian, he had tacit relationships with many noble ladies in town. Not the kind of messy relationships, but tacit ones. Those people helped him, and he helped those people. It was consensual, and each got what they needed."

Lynette drew a circle on the rim of the glass with her finger.

"So you mean...?"

"What I mean is, he's neither a saint nor a god. He has needs, he's just picky. No amount of medication will work on people he doesn't like. People he likes, he won't need any medication, they'll come to him on their own."

Lynette leaned against the window frame, her gaze fixed on Wayne: "So, do you think he'd even look at us?"

Dora did not answer.

Lynette waited a moment, then turned to look at her.

Dora's face turned a little red.

Why are you blushing?

"It's nothing."

"What are you thinking about?"

"I wasn't thinking about anything."

Lynette stared at her for a couple of moments, then suddenly smiled.

"Dora, you wouldn't be...?"

"no."

"I haven't finished speaking yet."

"No matter what you say, it's not true."

Lynette laughed out loud, not loudly, but the people by the window heard her. Someone glanced over, and she stopped laughing, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Alright, alright, if it's not, it's not." She picked up her teacup, took another sip, and said, "Then tell me, how do you mean 'take it slow'?"

Dora thought for a moment.

"Either get used to it, or be direct."

"Habit and directness?"

"Yes. Make him feel that we are safe, reliable, and won't harm him. Make him feel comfortable and relaxed with us. Make him feel that we need him..."

She paused.

"However, direct enticement might be the best."

Lynette put down her teacup.

"How do you directly entice or seduce someone?"

Dora pushed up her glasses, her gaze behind the lenses falling on the chair by the window. Wayne was still sitting there, Emma on his lap, Ella leaning on his shoulder, her breathing even and deep.

"I'll demonstrate myself," Dora said.

Lynette paused for a moment.

"Demonstration?"

"Yes." Dora closed the notebook and hugged it to her chest. "These people in the cult are all cowards. They say they want to sleep with him, but when it comes to actually doing it, they all run away faster than the last."

She turned to look at Lynette.

"Including you."

Lynette paused slightly, but did not refute.

Since Dora went out of her room last time, she has changed dramatically. Her boldness often catches people off guard.

Dora straightened her clothes and took a deep breath.

"Let them all learn something."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards Wayne.

Dora stopped in front of Wayne.

Wayne looked up.

"Mr. Wayne," Dora said, her voice not loud, but everyone in the hall could hear her clearly, "I have some newly acquired medicinal herbs in my room, they're of good quality, and I'd like to ask you to take a look at them."

She paused, then added.

"By the way, the petals of my curse seem to have gotten a bit heavier lately. Could you please help me comb them out?"

The women all eyes were on her.

"Okay," Wayne said.

He glanced down at Emma, ​​who was lying on his knees, and then at Ella, who was leaning on his shoulder. The two little ones were fast asleep, with drool still hanging from the corners of their mouths.

"Emily".

Dora called out to the other end.

Emily emerged from the shadows.

"Please look after Mr. Wayne's two little girls."

Emily nodded and walked to Wayne's side. Shadows spread out from beneath her feet, like a black ribbon unfurled, silently covering Emma and Ella.

The two little ones sank down, as if they had sunk into a soft ball of black cotton, without even frowning, and slept even more soundly.

"They'll sleep in my room," Emily said.

"I'll bring it over as soon as it wakes up."

Wayne nodded in thanks.

However, what happened next was still unexpected.