Chapter 305: Chapter 229: Heir? You’re Just a..._1
Upon learning that Lord Lance was coming, the person in charge of the school quickly made their way there as well.
The principal, named Rosa, was actually Joan’s mother, a former teacher in the city and somewhat of a professional.
Truthfully, while there were certainly differences between city and town life, they were not significant in this era. In fact, under Lance’s leadership, the town was even cleaner and tidier, and she and her daughter adjusted quite quickly.
Not to mention the ample food supply. For those who had survived famines, nothing was more important than stability, and this increased her sense of belonging here day by day.
Although there had been a little disturbance previously, after experiencing that kind of despair, this situation was not enough to throw her into chaos.
On the contrary, she had very strong confidence in Lord Lance, believing that he would surely save them.
Indeed, the chaos was quickly quelled, and she took her students to see the speech in the square.
The war was won, the plague was quelled, the Witch was killed, and many people were rewarded. All of these showcased Lord Lance’s formidable capabilities.
Lord Lance was so powerful that they worshipped him.
This sentiment was common in the town, and many were far more fervent than she was.
After the students had their breakfast, they went to classes, and the entire school began to operate, with even the naughtiest children cherishing this rare opportunity granted by Lord Lance.
Rosa, the principal, then escorted Lance around the school to inspect whether his arrangements had been implemented.
One could only say that professionals do their jobs well. The school was in good condition, and she hoped it could continue that way without holding him back.
"I have a suggestion: the physiology class should start soon, following the textbook I wrote. Inform them that it’s normal for the human body to undergo certain changes during developmental stages, such as menstruation in girls and erections in boys. Teach them not to be afraid and show them the correct ways to manage these.
"At the same time, use the textbook to educate them on how to protect themselves. I do not want any molestation to occur, whether the victim is male or female. This applies not only within the school but also to potential risks they might face outside. Anyone found responsible will be severely punished.
"The second point is bullying. If discovered, it must be stopped immediately, and the offender severely punished. This will be documented as a serious offense. If it happens a second time, the offender will be expelled from the school immediately. Orphans involved will have their student qualifications revoked and be sent to the labor farm.
"Of course, any such incident must be reported first. I will arrange for an investigation before any punishment is carried out to ensure no one is wrongly accused," Lance said.
Lance had laid out these rules, but he didn’t know how strictly they would be enforced. He could only focus on getting more people literate; that was the way to dismantle the ugly and dirty feudal mindset.
As for whether this would harm his rule? Don’t be ridiculous. Anyone who had enjoyed the conveniences of modern life wouldn’t want to stay a second longer in this place—it was too torturous.
A feudal territory with low productivity couldn’t meet his needs at all. He needed a modernized one.
Although it was impossible to bridge the huge gap directly, he would push the territory to modernize as quickly as possible, or at least ensure continuous progress along this path.
Rosa naturally had no objections. As the principal, she first needed to study the textbooks Lance had written. Coming from the city, she was, after all, more open-minded.
But after reviewing those textbooks, she realized just how shallow her previous understanding truly was.
"Principal Rosa, I just heard that Joan was doing very well helping and guiding her classmates in their studies. However, having her teach seems to be a waste of the child’s talent. What she needs now is to focus on her own learning."
The school, in its infancy, lacked enough literate people to act as teachers, so as the principal, she had mobilized all resources, including her daughter, to teach literacy.
Lance, however, disagreed. Since the students were only just beginning to learn literacy, the task wasn’t particularly difficult. Allowing a talented child like Joan to waste her time on this instead of her own studies was, in his view, simply sapping her potential.
"Let’s do this: some of the family members of those detained merchants who were copying books can read. Assign them to assist with teaching. However, be careful they don’t cause trouble. If any do, punish them severely."
The school’s books were all hand-copied, not by Lance himself, of course, but by the merchants he controlled.
As for the family members of these merchants, depending on the severity of the merchants’ crimes, they were either assigned to work in factories or to labor on farms.
Their lives in the city had been prosperous, certainly better than most urbanites. But now they were Slaves, a fate many found hard to accept. Given this chance, they would surely try to seize it.
But even if they were unhappy, Lance didn’t care; he simply paid no mind to their reactions. These people were consumables. The accumulation of capital was inherently cruel. Some rulers preyed on foreign lands, others exploited their own people; Lance preferred to exploit outsiders.
These criminals had harmed his interests, so in his eyes, they no longer counted as human. Was he supposed to exploit his own people instead?
Surely, no ruler would be foolish enough to undermine their own foundation...
"I’ll notify them later to come for an assessment. Your task will be to create an exam and interview them.
"Don’t let Joan waste her time on these things. Give her the space to study independently. I believe she won’t disappoint me."
Lance didn’t care whether his subordinates agreed with this decision or not; the principal just needed to execute it.