Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

At this tense moment...

A voice came from deep within the church.

"The gods say that there will soon be no more strife in the world."

The sound wasn't loud, but it possessed a strange power that inexplicably forced Wayne to loosen his grip. Dalton slipped from his hand, slumped to the ground, and gasped for breath, clutching his throat.

Wayne's heart skipped a beat.

This is the power of words.

This ability is only available to fifth-rank Holy Order Priests.

This is not ordinary holy light magic, but a direct intervention in reality in the name of divine decree.

The man who came out was Freddie—Bishop Bellino.

He wore a deep red robe, and his hair was gray, making him look like a gentle elder.

Wayne had met this man once when he was in the capital.

That was a few years ago, on the eve of his graduation from seminary, when Cecil took him to a party held by the Vatican. Freddy was there too, sitting quietly in a corner, drinking without speaking to anyone.

Dalton scrambled to his feet and crawled behind Freddy, his face still showing signs of shock: "Sir! Sir! He tried to kill me! You saw it with your own eyes! He intended to murder a member of the church! You must take him down!"

Freddy did not respond to Dalton immediately.

Instead, they greeted me first.

"Long time no see, young friend Wayne."

The panel popped up at that moment.

Bishop Freddie Bellino

[Fifth-tier Holy Decree Priest.]

[Position: Wiggins is a neutral figure within the Vatican, never taking sides in factional disputes. He more often observes from the sidelines, preserving his own reputation and status.]

[Note: To protect his own reputation, he ignored the immoral act his eldest son committed against his second son, and even deliberately suppressed the matter.]

[Note 2: His eldest son is attracted to men.]

[Note 3: Dalton and his eldest son had been having an illicit relationship for three years. This was the fundamental reason why Dalton was able to quickly establish himself in Bellino parish.]

Wayne bowed slightly to Freddy, performing a standard church salute: "Mr. Freddy, it's been many years, and you're still in such good health."

"I'm old, no longer useful." Freddy waved his hand, his gaze lingering on Wayne's face for a moment. "But you, you've changed quite a bit. When I saw you in the capital, you were just a young man fresh out of seminary. Now you're a bishop in charge of your own affairs. Time really flies."

Wayne smiled and said, "Your Excellency is too kind. I still have much to learn."

The conversation between the two sounded polite and respectful, like old acquaintances reminiscing after a long separation.

However, Freddy's voice quickly turned somber, and the veil of gentleness in his tone was finally lifted.

"Young friend Wayne, Dalton is, after all, my assistant bishop, and everything he does is for the good of the Vatican. Weren't your actions just now a bit excessive?"

His gaze carried an unspoken sense of oppression.

Dalton, standing behind Freddy, beamed with delight upon hearing the bishop speak up for him, straightening his back slightly. He clutched his still-reddened neck, trying to feign pitifulness.

Wayne ignored Dalton and clapped his hands as if nothing had happened.

"Bishop Freddy, you're joking. I was just teasing Dalton. He read out my charges in public, and I gave him a little feedback—it's fair to return the favor."

He paused, then changed the subject.

"However, you are wrong about one thing. What Dalton did was not for the sake of the Papacy."

Freddy's eyes flickered slightly.

Wayne continued, "He received a promise from some important figure, so he meticulously plotted to frame me, all to climb higher. Bishop Freddy is truly fortunate to have someone like that by his side. I wonder when Bishop Bellino's promotion order for Dalton will finally be issued?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall became subtly tense.

Dalton's smile froze on his face.

He abruptly turned his head to look at Freddy's retreating figure, then quickly turned back, glaring at Wayne: "Stop spouting nonsense! I am utterly loyal to the Holy See, and I have the utmost respect for Lord Freddy! Do you think you can sow discord between me and the Bishop by making up a few words?"

Wayne retorted sarcastically, "So you're very loyal then?"

Freddy's expression darkened.

Dalton, clearly noticing Freddy's silence, grew anxious and immediately turned to him, his tone becoming incredibly earnest: "Sir, please don't listen to his nonsense! I have always been loyal to you, without a single disloyal thought! Wayne is making a desperate attempt to sow discord and escape!"

Freddy remained silent, his gaze lingering on Wayne's face for a moment before he slowly spoke, "Young Wayne, words are meaningless. You claim Dalton received a promise from some important figure; do you have any proof?"

Wayne shrugged.

"I don't have any evidence right now."

Dalton immediately retorted, "To openly slander a fellow member of the Vatican without any evidence—what kind of behavior is this? Your Excellency, look at this, it's nothing short of malicious accusation!"

"but!!"

Wayne interrupted Dalton, his tone still unhurried: "Whether there was a promise or not, Bishop Freddie knows better than anyone else, doesn't he?"

Freddy's gaze sharpened for a moment.

Wayne didn't give him a chance to speak and continued, "The Bellino Diocese must have had quite a bit of contact with the capital lately, right? No matter how discreetly some messengers travel, they inevitably leave traces. Bishop Freddy, you've been able to hold onto this position for so many years precisely because you don't take sides, don't get involved, and don't stir up trouble. But if someone uses your name to associate with people they shouldn't, then sooner or later the dirty water will be splattered on you."

Dalton's face turned noticeably pale for a moment.

Dalton then turned to Wayne, his voice rising even higher: "Wayne! Don't you dare make baseless accusations! Everything I've done has withstood the scrutiny of the Vatican! You've colluded with witches, blasphemed against God, and now you're trying to slander your colleagues! This only compounds your crimes!"

Wayne stood there, watching Dalton's exasperated expression, offering neither rebuttal nor explanation, but simply smiling slightly.

Freddy fell even more silent.

The hall was so quiet that the faint crackling of the burning candles could be heard. The believers and monks standing at a distance didn't dare to breathe.

Then, Freddy spoke slowly, the gentleness in his voice completely gone, replaced by a businesslike indifference.

"My dear Wayne, you are very eloquent, but Dalton's accusations against you have not disappeared, and it seems that evidence is on its way..."