Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Wayne agreed with Salia's point of view.

"This matter requires careful consideration. The defenses of St. George's Cathedral cannot be breached by brute force. I need to first understand the specific layout of the dungeon and the rotation patterns to find the most suitable opportunity to enter."

Tiffany said worriedly, "Then, sir, what should we do next? The mission has failed, and Carosso will surely find out soon."

Wayne looked at her and said seriously, "From now on, you will stay by my side. You don't need to go back."

The three women were stunned for a moment.

Hilda blinked. "Sir, you mean...we should just follow you?"

"Yes. Going back would be suicide for you. Staying with me at least guarantees your safety."

Tiffany's expression turned grim: "Sir... if we don't go back, Carosso won't get the news, and he'll definitely think the mission failed. Then what about those sisters in the dungeon..."

Wayne shook his head: "No. I'll announce that the three of you have been killed by me. The bodies will be disposed of cleanly, and there will be no evidence. Caroso won't use you as hostages anymore if they don't get news that you're alive. Maybe they'll send others to assassinate me, but that's a matter for later."

Hilda seemed to remember something, her eyes suddenly lighting up. She took a half-step forward: "By the way, I heard that Mr. Wayne, your water magic can lift witches' curses, is that right?"

Wayne did not deny it: "It does have a relieving effect. However, everyone's constitution is different, so the effect will vary."

Hilda immediately chimed in, "Could you take a look at Salia? Her magical backlash has been getting increasingly severe lately."

Wayne's gaze shifted to Salia.

Salia hesitated for a moment, the blush on her cheeks betraying her shyness. Then she took a deep breath, untied the ties at her chest, and revealed the center of her breasts.

Hilda leaned closer to take a look and exclaimed in delight, "Salia, your petals have lightened! They're pale purple now!"

Salia stood to the side, and upon hearing Hilda's words, she looked down at the cursed mark on her chest.

Her gaze fell on the patterns on the petals. The color was indeed lighter than before. Although the change was not particularly significant, for someone like her who had been tormented by the curse for more than a decade, even the slightest change visible to the naked eye was enough to give her a jolt.

She looked up, her gaze falling on Wayne. After a moment's thought, she said incredulously, "...Water magic. It's your water magic."

Wayne nodded, not denying it: "Perhaps when we were fighting just now, the water mist I released also cleansed the curse erosion in your bodies."

Hilda was so excited upon hearing this that she almost jumped up: "Then we don't have to die! Sir! You really are our savior!"

Wayne nodded: "Yeah, so I don't have to die."

Before she finished speaking, Hilda had already lifted the back of her neck, swept her hair to one side, revealing the skin between her neck and shoulder blade, and turned to call out to Salia, "Sister Salia, quickly check if the color of my mark has faded too?"

Salia leaned closer, her gaze falling on the dark purple petal pattern on the back of her neck. After a moment, she nodded: "Hmm, it's lighter. About the same as mine, it changed from black to light purple."

Hilda let her hair down, turned around, and her smile widened. She spun around on the spot and even hummed an unknown tune happily.

The two women turned to Tiffany at the same time. They didn't say anything, but their meaning was clear—sister, what about yours?

Tiffany's expression visibly stiffened for a moment.

She stood still, her gaze slightly averted.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Salia took a step forward and asked in a low voice, "Big sister, would you like me to take a look?"

Tiffany's ears turned red instantly. She stood still, her lips moved as if she wanted to refuse, but in the end she nodded slightly, her voice as low as a mosquito's hum: "...Mmm."

Salia nodded and naturally followed behind her. The two walked one after the other towards an area not far away that was well hidden by the shadows of the trees.

Wayne stood there watching the two walk away, then looked away and casually asked, "Where are they going?"

Hilda stood beside him, her hands behind her back, a mysterious smile playing on her lips: "Sister Tiffany's curse mark is in a rather unusual location; she can't see it herself and has to rely on others to see it for her, so..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaningful expression said it all.

Just then, the panel appeared.

[Tiffany's Cursed Mark Location Confirmed]

Location: Middle of the right hip peak.

[Note: Salia is checking the changes in the mark for her. According to Salia's initial observation, Tiffany's curse mark has also changed from dark purple to light purple, with the degree of change being basically the same as the other two.]

[Note 2: While Tiffany was examining the mark with Salia, a thought involuntarily flashed through her mind: how would she feel if you were here to see it yourself? This thought lasted for less than two breaths before she forcibly cut it off.]

[Note 3: As always, the witches of this world suffer from long-term ostracism and targeting; repression is the main theme of their lives. Therefore, it is not surprising that they occasionally have some wild thoughts.]

Hilda stood beside him, her hands in her pockets, kicking a small pebble on the ground with her toes.

"Mr. Wayne, you are not quite the kind of person I imagined a clergyman to be."

Wayne turned his head and glanced at her.

"What's different?"

Hilda thought for a moment: "The priests I've met before either have a serious look on their faces as if to say 'you owe me money,' or they smile and tell you 'the goddess loves you,' but their eyes are always glancing in places they shouldn't be looking at. You're different from them. You really don't seem to care whether we're witches or not."

Wayne replied matter-of-factly, "Witches are human too. Humans have good and evil, and those with good and evil should be treated differently, not condemned outright because of their status."

Hilda smiled happily after hearing this, firmly believing that the person in front of her was absolutely no problem. "...Then I'll follow you from now on, sir. Anyway, I've already signed my life to you. If you tell me to go east, I'll never go west."

Not long after, Tiffany and Salia emerged from behind the trees. The blush on Tiffany's face had mostly faded, and she appeared to have returned to normal, at least outwardly. Salia followed behind her, her expression unchanged, revealing no particular emotion.

Wayne glanced at them: "Confirmed?"

Tiffany nodded. "Yes, the color has indeed lightened. It's faded from jet black to a pale purple. The effect is much more noticeable than I expected."

Wayne didn't delve deeper into the topic, instead changing the subject: "Let's go into town first. Rest tonight, and we'll set off for the capital early tomorrow morning. The three of you will travel with my carriage."