Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

The discussion grew louder and louder.

The content of the discussion became increasingly unfavorable to Dalton.

Dalton stood in the center of the hall, his lips trembling. He wanted to retort, to say something to salvage the situation, but it was too late.

He had meticulously prepared for so long, rehearsing every single step repeatedly—the bandit attack, the magic stone, the witch's accusations, the charge of licentiousness against the Church, each link connected to the next, which should have thoroughly nailed Wayne to the judgment seat.

But now, the anti-magic stone is showing an orange color. St. Hilde's case has been decided by the College of Cardinals. The accusation of adultery by the Papacy seems weak in the face of the tacit testimony of the local bishop and believers. And his two twin sisters, who were used as trump cards, are actually innocent magicians, not witches.

He lost.

They lost completely.

Wayne stood there, looking at Dalton's distraught appearance, and didn't pursue the matter further. He simply said, "Assistant Bishop Dalton, is there anything else you want to say?"

Dalton looked up, his eyes filled with something indescribable, a mixture of anger and despair, which finally culminated in a dry, cold laugh: "Wayne... don't get cocky... you can't be this lucky forever..."

Wayne shook his head slightly.

"I am not lucky. I am on the side of truth and Goddess. You, Dalton, have neither truth nor Goddess."

After he finished speaking, he stopped looking at Dalton and turned to Freddy.

"Bishop Freddie, the matter is clear. All of Dalton's accusations against me are either old cases that have already been closed by the College of Cardinals, or baseless slanders. I demand that Assistant Dalton's slanderous behavior be dealt with publicly and that he be held accountable for his false accusations."

Freddy spoke.

"Young Wien is right. Dalton, you have indeed gone too far this time. You have seriously damaged the reputation of a regional bishop. According to the Wiggins Vatican Law, falsely accusing a colleague, abusing power, and disrupting diocesan order are punishable by at least a six-month suspension and a fine."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Wayne, his tone carrying a hint of negotiation: "Young friend Wayne, do you think this punishment is acceptable?"

Wayne understood that this was Freddie in Pauldon.

A six-month suspension and a small fine are hardly a problem. Once things calm down, Dalton can be reinstated and continue as his assistant bishop in the Diocese of Bellino.

Wayne looked at Freddy.

"Mr. Freddy, I have a question for you."

"you say."

"If I can't prove my innocence today, if the anti-magic stone detects something else, if the witnesses say something else, and all the so-called 'ironclad evidence' points to me, what will happen to me?"

Without waiting for Freddy's reply, Wayne continued, "I guess it'll be either the gallows or the stake. At best, life imprisonment; at worst, public execution. No one will speak up for me, no one will feel wronged. A bishop who colluded with witches and blasphemed God deserves to die."

Wayne's gaze was fixed on Freddy's face: "If you were in my position today, would you have downplayed the issue and let it go?"

Freddy was silent for a moment.

Then Freddy spoke slowly, his voice a few decibels deeper than before: "...You're right. This matter can't be left like this."

Dalton's expression changed instantly: "My lord?!"

Freddy didn't look at him. He continued, "In that case, you can appeal to the goddess's judgment against Dalton. I believe that's the best way to resolve all the issues between you and him."

These words caused an uproar in the hall.

"Goddess's Judgment?"

"That's a fight to the death..."

"How could Dalton, an office worker, possibly handle such a position?"

"Isn't this blatantly trying to kill Dalton?"

"This bishop of Frosttown is really not someone to mess with... Dalton has really bitten off more than he can chew this time."

Freddy's words struck a chord with Wayne.

He took a step forward and pointed at Dalton.

"Dalton, I, Bishop Wayne of Cold Mountain, hereby invoke the judgment of the Goddess against you."

Dalton stood in the crowd, then abruptly turned to Freddy, his voice trembling with barely suppressed panic: "My lord! You cannot agree to his request! The Goddess's Judgment is a product of a heretical age! You cannot agree to his request!"

Listening to Dalton's words, Freddy pondered: "My friend Wayne, the Goddess's Judgment was indeed repealed once in the Papal Law, but it was later amended. Now, this judgment has a prerequisite: the initiating party must provide sufficiently compelling reasons to prove that conventional trial methods are ineffective in resolving the dispute."

Wayne nodded: "My reasons are very valid."

He turned to Dalton and pointed: "Auxiliary Bishop Dalton, abusing his power, fabricated evidence and publicly slandered a serving regional bishop. Every charge he made against me was enough to send me to the gallows. If it weren't for God's protection, allowing me to prove my innocence, I would already be in the dungeon by now."

However, Dalton's response surprised everyone: "I accept your goddess's judgment. Let's set the time for the morning of three days from now."

Everyone in the hall was completely stunned.

She was just crying, begging her parents not to answer, how come she's suddenly acting like a victor?

Even Wayne raised an eyebrow slightly.

The panel popped up at this point.

[Dalton - Current Reality]

[Status: Not a single word he just said was what he truly wanted to say.]

[Note: Freddy used his power of words to control him, forcing him to agree to the goddess's judgment. Dalton was cursing inwardly at that moment, hurling extremely vile insults at his ancestors.]

[Note 2: Dalton felt like dying. He was a clerical worker who had never even killed a chicken, and in three days he was going to fight a combat-type bishop capable of single-handedly killing a fourth-tier demon in the arena. He had only one thought in his mind: My life is over.]

[Note 3: The control effect has been lifted. But Dalton dared not turn back to explain, because he knew that if he went back on his word in public, Freddy had a hundred ways to make his death even more gruesome. He could only grit his teeth and bear it, praying for some miracle to happen in the next three days.]

Wayne turned to Freddy and bowed slightly: "Bishop Freddy, now that the goddess's judgment has been made, I will not disturb you any longer. I will be at the dueling arena on time three days from now."

Freddy nodded, his face bearing his usual gentle expression. "Alright. See you at the church in three days."

Wayne turned around, and with the two sisters in tow, strode out of the church under the watchful eyes of the entire hall.

The moment I stepped out of the church, the sunlight warmed my face.

Emma followed behind him, taking a couple of steps, her voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "Master! Did you see that just now? That scoundrel Dalton's face turned white! Hahaha! He actually dared to agree to the Goddess's judgment! Isn't he courting death?"

Ella stood to the side, her expression unlike her sister's relaxed demeanor. After a moment of silence, she spoke softly, "Master... Dalton agreed so readily, could there be a trap? Could he do something underhanded within three days?"

Wayne did not turn around.

"He does tamper with things, but that's not important."

Ella was taken aback: "Not important?"

"Yes." Wayne nodded. "Because no matter what he does, he'll die in three days."