Chapter 88

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt you during your work... I've finished compiling the school's instructional plan. Would it be alright if you could take a look at it when you have some free time?"

In the office, Noein, who had been diligently working on paperwork, was approached by his wife, Clara.

"Of course, Clara, good job... I'll read it now, as a break from work."

"Shall I bring you some tea, Master Noein? And Lady Clara, would you like some as well?"

"Thank you, Matilda, I would appreciate that."

"I'll have some too, thank you."

Soon after Clara married into the Earlquvist family, she proposed to Noein the idea of establishing a school within the capital of Noeina. Furthermore, she expressed her desire to be the head of the school and to serve as a teacher.

The school, however, would only be for the children of commoners, who would attend a few times a week for half a day. The education period would be about six months to a year, focusing mainly on basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. Still, it would significantly enhance the intellectual capabilities of the next generation of the domain.

Given Clara's deep knowledge of academia, she was the perfect candidate to be the head of the first school in the Earlquvist domain. Noein immediately accepted her proposal and asked her to develop a more concrete instructional plan.

After about two weeks, Noein reviewed the completed instructional plan while sipping the tea Matilda had prepared.

"…Yeah, this is great. Of course, it covers basic reading, writing, and arithmetic, but the idea of inviting experts from various departments to teach is also excellent. Have you already spoken to them?"

"Yes, of course, I have."

Clara's instructional plan included not only her teaching basic reading, writing, and arithmetic but also proposals to have Edgar, the agricultural officer, Sylph, the physician, and Kristy, who had studied at a higher school, teach the fundamentals of their respective fields.

She had already spoken to them, and they had agreed to teach within the limits of their work schedules.

"I see. To have put this together in just two weeks… Clara, you're amazing."

To be honest, Noein hadn't expected her to do such a splendid job, so he sincerely praised her.

"R-Really? …Am I of any help to you?"

"Of course, you're a great help. As the literacy rate of the domain's residents increases, the development of the domain will also accelerate. Thanks to Clara, the Earlquvist domain will mature further, and both the residents and I will be happier."

Not only basic reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also sharing basic knowledge from various fields among the residents will help build a more refined society in the Earlquvist domain.

"Hehe… I'm glad."

"That's wonderful, Lady Clara."

Clara blushed and said this, then exchanged a smile with Matilda. Since the incident during the inspection, these two have become very close.

"When I was with the Konitz family, I once suggested to my father that we establish a school, but he refused, saying, 'The wealthy merchants and farmers won't agree.'"

"Well… That's understandable. For those who have been in the upper echelons of society for a long time, it's not fun for the common people to become wise. They might threaten their own positions. I think Lord Arnold couldn't act to avoid losing the support of the wealthy."

Many people, in order to maintain their status as the educated class, actually want the lower classes to remain ignorant. The lack of public schools that anyone can attend in the Rhodenburg Kingdom is partly due to this social context.

Noein was able to take the step of establishing a school because the Earlquvist domain, being a new territory, did not yet have a class of vested interests. Philip of the Skinner Trading Company, for example, actually supported the establishment of a school because he wanted more people who could read, write, and calculate.

"The world is complex, isn't it…?"

"Yes, it is. Fortunately, this domain doesn't have such entanglements, so we can develop while taking on new initiatives. Establishing a school is an important first step, so please continue to do your best."

"Yes, sir!"

……

Clara has been performing admirably in creating the instructional plan. However, she still doesn't fully understand the ways of the Earlquvist domain, and with her limited social experience, there are still many limitations.

Therefore, Noein had the Chief Vassal Yuri support her in the procedural aspects, such as the construction of the school building.

By entrusting the mine development to the mining engineer Victor, Yuri was completely relieved of his supervisory duties in the Restio Mountains. With more free time and a deep understanding of the domain as the Chief Vassal, Yuri was the ideal person to assist Clara.

"At this rate, we might be able to open the school next month."

"Yes, that's right. If we increase the number of classes during the winter farming off-season, we should be able to complete the education of the first batch of students by next spring."

While inspecting the steadily progressing construction site of the school building, Noein and Yuri exchanged these words.

Since only a few dozen students would be learning at a time, the school building would be a small, one-story structure. However, the site was taken to be sufficiently large so that it could be expanded as the number of students increased with the population.

"Still, it was unexpected that the first step to strengthen the domain would be to establish a school. It doesn't have immediate effects, does it?"

"Exactly. Because it takes years to see the results, I want to start as soon as possible… If a war breaks out, the country will likely be in turmoil for a few years. It would be reassuring to have many wise residents during such times."

Noein smiled wryly in response to Yuri's question.

"I see. If you look at the long-term benefits, the best thing to do is to cultivate people."

"Exactly… By the way, how are the residents reacting to the school? Will there be enough students?"

"Yes, the response is generally positive. The tax is low in this domain, and thanks to potatoes, many households have a comfortable life. I think a considerable number of eldest sons from each household will attend."

Usually, even if there are schools or private tutors, few families can afford to send their children. This is one reason why the wealthy become even more prosperous with education, while the poor remain poor.

However, in the Earlquvist domain, thanks to potato cultivation, sufficient food can be produced with less effort than usual, and Noein has set the tax rate lower than the national average, making life easier for the residents.

Moreover, Noein is funding the school's operations, so children can attend for free. The residents seem to have decided to let their children study at the school.

"That's good… It seems to be a smooth start."

"Yes, it does. Now we just have to wait for the results to come in."

After confirming that the preparations for the establishment of the school were proceeding smoothly, Noein and Yuri left the construction site.