Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Amu talked as he walked.

"This used to be all farmland. Corn, wheat, potatoes, you name it. Now nobody farms it anymore, it's all abandoned."

Emma stepped on a loose clod of earth, slipped, and swayed to the side.

Wayne reached out and supported her arm.

"careful."

Emma steadied herself, glanced down at the clod of earth she had crushed, and stuck out her tongue.

"Thank you, Master."

Amu paused for a moment.

He glanced at Emma and Ella.

Owner?

He didn't dare ask any more questions and continued walking forward.

At the end of the ridge was a grove of trees.

The trees are not tall, with twisted branches and sparse leaves. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Amu stopped at the edge of the woods and pointed ahead.

"The mine is just beyond this forest."

Lillian glanced at him.

"You're not going?"

Amu moved his foot back half an inch.

"Um, I... I won't go in."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was firm.

"I've brought me here. You can walk the rest of the way on your own. Just follow this path until you reach the mine entrance. I won't forget."

Amu's face flushed slightly.

"I know this is pathetic. But... I can't die. I have a younger sister to support. My father and mother are gone, and my grandfather is old. If something happens to me, there will be no one to take care of my sister."

Wayne looked at Amu, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"You are a responsible child. I believe the goddess would be very willing to reward someone like you."

He untied his money pouch from his waist, counted out about ten silver coins—just enough for a family of three to eat for a month. The silver coins gleamed grayish-white in the sunlight. Amu's eyes widened, his lips moved slightly, but he couldn't utter a word.

Wayne handed over the silver coins.

"Let's go back."

Amu didn't answer.

His gaze darted back and forth between the silver coin and Wayne several times, and his throat bobbed.

"Your Excellency, this...this is too much. I only showed you the way; it's not worth this much..."

"Take it."

Wayne stuffed the silver coin into his hand.

"This isn't for you."

Amu was stunned for a moment.

"That is..."

"This is for your sister." Wayne patted him on the shoulder. "Your sister is still young and needs nutrition. This isn't much money, but buy some meat and eggs so she can eat better."

Amu gripped the dozen or so silver coins tightly, his knuckles turning white, his lips trembling several times, before finally stuffing the coins into the closest place to his body.

"Your Excellency, I...I..."

"Alright, go back now. Be careful on the road."

Amu turned around, took two steps, and then turned back.

"Your Majesty Bishop!"

"Um?"

"You...you must be careful. That rock demon is really powerful. The villagers said it's as big as a house and can smash a crater in the ground with one punch."

"it is good."

Amu is really gone this time.

He looked back every three steps, and when he reached the edge of the woods, he stopped again, bowed to Wayne from a distance, and then turned and ran into the woods. His footsteps faded into the distance and soon disappeared.

Emma stood to the side, watching the whole scene unfold, her eyes slightly red. She tugged at Wayne's sleeve.

"Owner."

"Um."

"This child is so pitiful."

"Um."

"His sister is even more pitiful; she lost her parents at such a young age."

Wayne didn't say anything.

Emma tugged at his sleeve again.

"Master, after we defeat the Rock Demon, can we go see his sister?"

Wayne looked down at her.

"You want to go?"

"Hmm." Emma nodded. "I want to go see her. If she's not doing well, I want to help her. Anyway... anyway, we don't have anything else to do."

Wayne reached out and ruffled her hair.

"it is good."

Emma's lips curled into a smile.

"Master is the best!"

Lillian lifted her foot to walk into the woods.

Wayne reached out and stopped her.

"etc."

Lillian's feet stopped in mid-air as she turned her head to look at him.

"What's wrong?"

Wayne didn't answer, but tilted his chin slightly towards the woods.

Lillian followed his gaze.

The woods looked much the same as before; the trees were still the same, crooked and sparse, with sunlight filtering through the branches and casting dappled shadows on the ground.

She looked for two breaths.

I couldn't see anything.

I watched for another two breaths.

Her pupils contracted.

She noticed.

Not all the trees remained unmoved.

Several trees were slowly moving.

The speed was so slow that it was almost imperceptible unless you looked closely. It moved one inch in one breath, two inches in two breaths, in different directions—some to the left, some to the right, and some forward.

They are moving.

But it wasn't about running away.

It means to surround.

"Treeman... a second-tier magical beast."

Wayne nodded.

Emma peeked out from behind Wayne and took a look.

"Tree people? What are those?"

"A type of magical beast, with life and consciousness." Wayne's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "They usually don't move and look no different from ordinary trees. But if you walk into their encirclement, they will come to life."

Emma's eyes lit up.

"Are they powerful?"

"Second order".

"Second tier?" Emma's tone lightened slightly. "Only second tier? I thought it would be much more impressive."

"Second-tier ones aren't that powerful, but there are a lot of them." Wayne's gaze swept across the forest. "And the treants have one unique characteristic: they're impervious to pain. If you slash one, it won't flinch, it won't cry out, it won't retreat. It will continue walking towards you, until it's right in front of you, and then it will wrap you up with its branches."

What happens if it gets entangled?

"I'll strangle you."

Emma's smile froze for a moment.

"Then eat it?"

"No, the tree people can't eat you. They have no mouth, no stomach. They strangled you simply because you trespassed into their territory. They don't allow any living thing to pass through their forests."

Emma swallowed.

"Shall we fly over them?"

"Can you fly?"

"Won't."

"That settles it."

Emma shut her mouth.

Lillian stood to the side, rubbing her chin with her fingers, her gaze sweeping back and forth across the forest several times before finally settling on the slowest-moving tree-men.

"Mr. Wayne, shall I make a move first? To demonstrate for them? My ability is elemental creation, and I also know a bit of fire magic, which is perfect for dealing with treants."

Wayne glanced at her.

"What about ice-type?"

Lillian scratched her head.

"Ice... I'm not very familiar with it. My elemental creations are more inclined towards fire and wind, and I only know a little bit about ice. I can make a few ice spikes, but I can't do anything more complicated."

Wayne's gaze lingered on her face for a moment.

"never mind."

Lillian opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. She knew that her ice-type skills were inadequate, and arguing further would only humiliate her.

Wayne turned to Emma and Ella.

"Come here."

Emma paused for a moment.

"Shall we go?"

"Um."

"Master, are we, the two second-tier beings, going to fight a whole bunch of second-tier beings?"

"Who told you to attack a whole group?" Wayne's gaze swept across the woods. "Pick out the lone ones. Attack them one by one."

Emma looked at the forest and tapped a few times with her finger.

"The one on the far side is out of the group; it looks a bit smaller than the other tree people."

"Okay, this is it."

Emma took a step forward, then pulled back.

"Master, can we really do this?"

Wayne looked at her.

"You can do it."

Ella and Emma said.

"Then, little sister, let's give it a try!"