Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Time quickly passed and it was afternoon.

Wayne sat in the backyard reading scriptures.

Just then, Thomason, accompanied by a woman, slowly made his way down the corridor.

"grown ups!"

Wayne stopped reading.

"What is it?"

"Sir, I...I have something to discuss with you."

Thomason stood in front of him, rubbing his hands together, his expression shifting between nervousness, anticipation, and a touch of shyness he couldn't quite bring himself to say.

He stepped aside, revealing the person standing behind him.

It was a woman, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing a faded floral dress, her hair tied back with a wooden hairpin, revealing her clean neck.

She may not be exceptionally beautiful, but she has a pleasing appearance.

[Thomasson's Wife - Personal Information]

[Name: Leah. Age: 28. Status: Tomerson's wife. Before marriage, she was a serf in Willow Village, south of Frosttown. After her husband died, she lived alone for two years before being bought by Tomerson from the slave market.]

[Past: Married at eighteen, gave birth at nineteen, child died at three. Her husband died of tuberculosis last winter, leaving her alone. She hasn't remarried, not because she doesn't want to, but because no one wants to marry a woman who has lost both her husband and child.]

[Personality: Gentle, resilient, and taciturn. Her feelings for Thomason were complex. Initially, it was gratitude—gratitude that he bought her from the slave market and gave her shelter. Later, it became habit—habit of cooking for him, washing his clothes, and making his bed every day. Then, she realized she was waiting for him.]

[Note: She knew Thomason was impotent, specifically in terms of fertility. This wasn't a guess; she had tested it. Thomason himself knew too. They both knew, but neither said it aloud.]

Wayne turned his gaze away from the panel.

Thomason took half a step forward and lowered his voice.

"My lord, I would like to... ask you to be our witness and give us your blessing."

"bless?"

"It's just..." Thomason's face flushed red, his voice so low it seemed to be squeezed out of his throat, "I'd like to ask you to give us a proper church ceremony. When I bought her, I just paid the money and signed the contract in the market, without even having a drink with her. She's been with me for so long, and I haven't even given her a proper title."

Leah stood behind him, her head bowed, half of her collarbone peeking out from the neckline of her floral dress, tinged with a faint pink in the afternoon light. She remained silent, but the tips of her ears were already bright red.

Wayne put down the scriptures.

"That's all?"

Thomason rubbed his fingers together on his sleeve.

"There's one more thing..."

"explain."

"And also... I wish for an heir."

Wayne's gaze fell on Thomason's face.

Thomason's face turned from red to purplish-red.

"My lord, I won't lie to you. I don't have that ability. My two previous wives both left me because of this. Leah doesn't mind, she's good to me, and I want her to have a better life. Having a child would make the house more lively, and she wouldn't be in such a predicament..."

He didn't go on.

Leah stood half a step behind him, remaining silent the entire time, her head bowed.

[Tomasson's Inner Thoughts]

[State: Nervous, ashamed, but reckless. He knew he couldn't say it, but he also knew that if he didn't speak up, he'd never have the chance. He'd been observing Wayne for a long time. This bishop wasn't the rigid type; he healed witches, gave medicine to prostitutes, and prayed for the town's widows. He was willing to help with anything.]

[Note: Thomason's logic was simple. Since the bishop was willing to help even a witch, surely he wouldn't refuse to do him a favor, right? He knew his thinking was absurd, but he truly had no other choice. Leah wanted a child, and he couldn't give her one.]

[Note 2: It's not uncommon for couples to pray to the clergy for children in Wiggins. It's said that over a dozen couples come to the capital's grand cathedral every month to make this request. The clergy will personally attend to their prayers. If successful, it means the goddess has sent the child. If not, it simply means the time is not yet right. The Wiggins church calls this "sacred prayer."]

Wayne looked at the panel and fell silent.

Having been a priest for so many years, this was the first time Wayne had learned that church clergy had this function.

Wayne looked at Thomason for a couple of breaths.

"You know, I am a proper clergyman."

Thomason lowered his head, his neck turning red.

"I know...I know..."

His heart was in his throat.

"M-Sir... I know my request is absurd. If you feel it's inappropriate, just pretend I didn't say anything. I just... I just..."

He couldn't continue.

Wayne put down the scriptures.

"Do you want children?"

Thomason nodded his head like a chicken pecking at rice.

"I want to. I dream about it."

"Leah wants it too?"

Thomason glanced at Leah.

Leah didn't speak, but nodded slightly. The movement was so small that it was almost imperceptible unless you looked closely.

Wayne leaned back in his chair.

"Have you considered what if it doesn't succeed?"

Thomason was taken aback.

"Not...not successful?"

"Anything can happen," Wayne said calmly. "What if I help you, and Leah still doesn't get pregnant? What will you do then?"

Thomason turned back and looked at Wayne.

"Then I'll accept my fate."

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

"My lord, I've spoken with Leah. If she conceives, it's a blessing from the goddess. If she doesn't, it's also the goddess's arrangement. We won't force it."

Leah stood behind him, remaining silent. But her hands slipped from her skirt and hung at her sides, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Wayne stared at Thomason for a long while.

"OK."

Thomason's eyes widened suddenly.

"S-Sir?"

Thomason's knees buckled, and he knelt down.

"Sir... thank you... thank you..."

Wayne stood up from the wicker chair, put the scriptures aside, and looked at Thomason and Leah kneeling on the ground.

"Don't thank me yet."

Thomason looked up.

"I can offer you my blessings. But as for offspring..."

His voice paused for a moment.

"You can only rely on yourselves."

Thomason froze, shifting his knees forward half an inch, looking up at Wayne with confusion in his eyes.

"M-Master? Rely on ourselves? How can we rely on ourselves?"

Wayne looked at him for a couple of breaths.

"I will treat your illness."

Thomason's pupils dilated suddenly.

"Cure? Can my illness be cured?"

"My water magic can cure many ailments," Wayne said calmly, "but in your case, there are too many uncertainties. I can only try my best; whether it works or not is up to fate."

Upon hearing what Wayne said, the couple immediately kowtowed.

"Sir... thank you... thank you..."

Wayne bent down, supporting Thomason's arms with both hands, and helped him up from the ground. Leah stood up from the ground, standing half a step behind Thomason, her eyes also red.

"My lord, we...we don't know how to repay you..."

Wayne looked at her.

"Just live a good life."

Thomason turned around, untied his money pouch from his waist, and emptied its contents. A few silver coins and a dozen copper coins piled up in his palm. He counted them, picked out all the silver coins, and presented them to Wayne.

"Sir, this is my pay for this month. It's not much, please take it for now. I'll pay you next month after I get my salary..."

Wayne reached out and pressed his hand down, pushing the silver coin back.

"Need not."

"But……"

"The church doesn't lack this money." Wayne withdrew his hand. "If you're willing, just put in more effort when you're in charge in the future."

Thomason nodded immediately.

"Yes, sir! I will definitely do my best."

"My lord, that...that blessing of the ceremony..."

"Tomorrow morning," Wayne said, picking up the scripture again. "After morning prayers, in the church foyer. Just come."

Thomason nodded vigorously twice.

However, the couple left at the same time.