Witch Training Manual: My Water Magic Is Wrong

Aya did as instructed.

She closed her eyes and stood still, as if replaying the trajectory of that sword strike in her mind over and over again.

After about ten breaths, she opened her eyes, took the wooden sword from Gwen, and walked to another ornamental tree.

She mimicked the old swordsman's posture, gripping the hilt, taking a deep breath, and then...

Swing it out!

There were no cuts, and no tree crown slipped off.

Only a sword mark about one finger deep remained on the tree trunk.

But the old swordsman's gaze changed.

The direction, angle, and residual sword energy traces of the sword mark almost perfectly replicated the path of his previous sword strike.

Although the pure sword energy contained in his sword strike was something that Aya, at her age, could not replicate, she remembered the flow path of the sword energy and successfully incorporated it into her own sword-wielding movements.

The old swordsman spoke several sentences in a row.

"Genius! Truly a genius!"

He turned his head, his gaze fixed intently on Aya: "For an average genius, remembering 70% is already quite impressive. You've remembered at least 97%, and you can even reproduce it in your own swordplay. I've never seen another talent like this in my entire life."

The old swordsman said excitedly.

"Good...good boy..."

He crouched down to be at Aya's eye level, and said solemnly, "Aya, I'll ask you one more time. Are you willing to become my disciple?"

Aya didn't answer immediately, but instead turned to look at Wayne.

Wayne nodded slightly to her.

Aya turned back, looked into the old swordsman's eyes, and nodded seriously: "I'm willing."

The old swordsman straightened up, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He reached out and gently patted Aya's head, his tone filled with a sense of pride and satisfaction.

"Alright. From today onwards, you will be my last disciple, Ron Grayson's last. I will no longer accept any other disciples and will dedicate myself entirely to training you alone."

Gwen was shocked to hear this. She couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!" and then leaned close to Aya's ear and whispered, "Aya, do you know how much weight my grandfather's words carry? He had seven disciples before, and each of them claimed to be his favorite, but he never used the term 'closed-door disciple'."

After listening, Aya lowered her head, looked at the wooden sword in her hand, and gently gripped the hilt.

Wayne watched as Aya carefully examined the wooden sword, then whispered, "Aya, from now on, you'll have to walk your own path."

Aya raised her head, looking at Wayne with a firm and bright gaze: "Yes. Don't worry, sir, I won't let you down. One day, I will become the strongest swordsman, to protect you, sir, and to protect everyone."

The old swordsman stood in front of the ancestral home, looking at the disciples he had received that day. He said earnestly, "Girl, you have mastered the basic sword techniques very well, but knowing only the basics is far from enough in real combat. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you your first real sword technique."

Aya nodded and asked, "Then... Master, what time should I come tomorrow?"

The old swordsman thought for a moment and said, "From today onwards, you will stay in my residence. That will be more convenient."

Aya was clearly taken aback.

She looked down at the wooden sword in her hand, then looked up at the old swordsman's serious face, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.

Gwen noticed her hesitation, took half a step forward, and asked gently, "What's wrong, Aya? You don't want to?"

Aya didn't answer, but looked at Wayne.

Wayne knew exactly what Aya was thinking: "If you don't want to stay at the manor, you can go back to your place. I'll have the driver bring you here every day, it'll be the same."

Aya's expression visibly relaxed. She turned to the old swordsman and bowed deeply. "Master, thank you for your kindness. But I still want to go back to your place. I promise I will come to practice swordsmanship with you on time every day and I will never slack off."

Seeing her resolute attitude, the old swordsman didn't press the matter, and chuckled twice: "Very well. Sword practice can't be rushed. Where you live is a minor matter; the key is to focus your mind on the sword. Let's do as you say then, come every morning and go back in the evening. I'll have Gwen arrange a regular carriage for you."

Aya bowed again: "Thank you, Master."

Wayne stood aside and bowed slightly to the old sword saint: "I'm sorry to have bothered you today. Thank you for accepting Aya, Sword Saint. I will pay a formal visit to express my gratitude another day."

The old swordsman waved his hand, his tone casual and carefree: "No need for thanks. It's my good fortune to have encountered such a promising talent. You focus on your work; leave this little girl to me, I won't let you down."

Without further pleasantries, Wayne nodded and led Aya and Alice out of the courtyard.

The three left the Sword Saint's residence.

On the other side, Gwen stood there, watching the three figures disappear around the corner of the porch. She looked at her grandfather and asked, "Grandpa, is that little girl really as amazing as you said?"

The old swordsman's smile faded, replaced by a seriousness Gwen rarely displayed. He remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking, "Perhaps what I cannot do in my lifetime, she can."

Gwen paused for a moment.

"Grandpa, what are you saying?"

The old swordsman did not answer. He turned and went back into the house, leaving Gwen alone on the veranda.

Inside the carriage, Alice leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh. "Phew... today's trip went much more smoothly than I expected." She paused, as if remembering something, and turned to Wayne, asking, "By the way, brother, did you know that the Royal Magic Academy is currently undergoing reforms?"

Wayne looked at her with slight regret.

"Reform? What reform?"

Alice sat up a little straighter, her tone filled with the excitement that comes with hearing something new.

"The Royal Magic Academy will soon merge with the Royal Capital Theological Academy and be renamed Wiggins Royal Academy. I heard that this was spearheaded by Bishop Cecil, and a preliminary resolution has already been passed by the Council of Cardinals and the Senate of the Royal Palace. The announcement should be posted in the next few days."

Wayne's brow twitched slightly.

The Royal Capital Theological Academy is the territory of the old school, while the Royal Magic Academy is a relatively neutral academic institution. If the merger of the two was led and promoted by Cecil, then the intention of this move is very clear: the teacher intends to gradually dilute the old school's foundation in the education system through educational reform.

Wayne still needed to clarify the impact on Emma and Ella's enrollment. He immediately asked, "Will this affect Emma and Ella's enrollment?"

Alice shook her head and replied confidently, "It won't have a big impact. I've already inquired about the enrollment quotas at the Royal Magic Academy, and everything is as usual. It's just that there might be some minor friction in the subsequent integration of the teaching staff."