Lind is still sleeping in the tent, but the school has already become one of the most complete buildings in the territory.
Although it is just a row of bungalows with only a few teachers, there is not a single dining hall missing.
Lind is the nominal principal of this school, but the management of the school’s foundation is entirely entrusted to Isha.
To be honest, Isha doesn’t quite understand why Lind is willing to entrust the education of these territory’s children to herself, a rebel.
The curriculum is also quite different from what Isha initially expected. Isha thought that Lind felt it was inappropriate to build a church now and intended to build a church school as a transitional measure first.
However, the main subject, theology, in the church school has directly transformed into a course similar to moral education in Graywhite Territory, and there are so few classes scheduled each week that it’s pitiful, not to mention there are no hard and fast examination standards.
Isha has roughly understood that this is what Lind meant by secularization at the beginning.
In contrast, the proportion of language and mathematics classes has significantly increased, especially language classes. Isha even feels that Lind has become somewhat obsessive, actually insisting that all the children in the territory must be literate and able to read and write at a basic level.
Not only that, after the children finish their studies, their parents must also learn together with them, with these children teaching their parents to read.
There are rewards for learning well, and although there are no punishments for failing, it does make it a bit difficult for those families in the neighborhood to hold their heads high.
Because of this, the parents no longer think as they did before—that their children would ultimately have to go work in the fields, so what’s the use of learning a few characters? They have begun to constantly urge their own children to study, and with the rising living standards in the territory, the parents’ teaching materials have changed from stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat to seven wolves.
The territory has also opened night classes for those who do not have children at home or for individuals who want to self-study since their children are not performing well. Although it’s free, the concern is that it may affect their labor the next day, so not many people come.
Still, there are many far-sighted individuals who, even if life is tough, want to come learn literacy.
To be honest, it was only after truly managing a large territory with over a thousand people that Lind realized how important literacy rates are. Only when the literacy rate goes up can it ensure smooth governance and maximize the certainty that the orders given will not be distorted.
There is also a fast-track class in the territory. As long as someone passes the assessment of this fast-track class, they can apply for management positions.
This assessment is not easy and primarily provides opportunities for those who are already literate.
When Caroline arrived at the school, the break time had already ended. Children of all sizes were sitting in the classroom listening to lessons, following Isha as they read new vocabulary.
Isha is somewhat of a celebrity in the royal capital, not because she killed a count—the count may sound intimidating on the border, but he really does not hold much weight in the royal capital, let alone that Jagger was killed by unarmed refugees, which is a complete embarrassment for the nobles, ranking just below Lena in the royal capital’s noble disgrace.
What truly made Isha famous is due to Caudic’s propaganda campaign. The students in the royal capital do not consider Isha a rebel but rather a resistance fighter against the brutal rule of the Lars family in the Northern Border.
In the public opinion of the royal capital, all the blame lies with the Lars family; the displaced persons are said to be so because the Lars family cannot hold the border, and the rampant hunger is blamed on the Lars family’s refusal to open the granaries. Although Jagger has secretly allied with the royal family, he is still nominally a vassal of the Lars family, and Isha has naturally become the freedom fighter against the Lars family’s tyranny.
Moreover, Isha is also an outstanding graduate of the academy, which has made her an idol for many academy students, including Caroline.
However, regarding Isha’s ideological views, not a shred of it has been transmitted to the royal capital; instead, it mainly emphasizes how Isha resisted the Lars family.
And this legendary senior from the academy who fought against the tyranny of the Lars family is now teaching in the Lars family’s territory, which is something Caroline finds hard to accept.
After finally waiting for Isha to finish the lesson, Caroline stopped Isha, who was about to organize her teaching materials.
“Senior Isha! Weren’t you leading the refugees in rebellion? How can you be teaching in the Lars family’s territory now? And teaching these treacherous things?”
Caroline seems to have witnessed her idol’s downfall, her tone somewhat hysterical.
Seeing Isha looking somewhat puzzled, Caroline realized her rudeness.
“Sorry, Senior Isha. I am a student one year below you at the academy. I was very moved when I heard that you raised the flag for the refugees and led a rebellion, wanting to save the people of the Northern Border from the brutal rule of the Lars family just like you. But why? Why are you teaching on the enemy’s territory now? Is it because that noble disgrace threatened you?”
Although a series of questions came at her like a storm, Isha finally understood what this somewhat agitated black-haired beauty was saying.
“Did you come from the royal capital?”
Isha did not rush to respond but looked Caroline up and down.
“That’s right! I am your fan. To be honest, there are quite a few people in the academy who take you as their role model. Although we are preparing to resist the Lars family, I know that you, who dared to rebel against the nobles, wouldn’t easily surrender. It must be that noble disgrace who coerced you, right?”
Hearing Caroline’s last remark, Isha smiled and said, “It’s not that Lena threatened me, but that the lord of this Graywhite Territory did.”
Before Isha could finish her sentence, Caroline seemed to have grabbed a lifeline, excitedly saying, “So you really were coerced? That lord of Graywhite Territory is brutal, just like that noble disgrace!”
Maybe it was because Caroline’s voice was too loud while speaking, other teachers and security personnel in the school heard Caroline insulting their lord, casting dangerous glances at her. Even many children passing by after school looked at Caroline with ill intent.
Isha quickly pulled Caroline aside and continued her previous statement, “It’s not a threat, but the lord provided us refugees with food aid and offered us jobs. Even if I wanted to rebel again, no one would follow me.”
This was somewhat self-deprecating, as Isha could still rally many loyal followers if she truly wanted to continue the rebellion.
“Resisting the Lars family is a noble cause, how could these refugees give up for just a meal and a bit of wages!”
Hearing this somewhat enchanted speech, Isha felt that something was off and hurriedly asked, “What is the current news about the Northern Border from the royal capital?”
Soon, under the inquiry of her idol, Caroline poured out Caudic’s rhetoric all at once.
From Isha’s initial surprise to sentiment and confusion, it finally transformed into incomprehension.
“The current situation in the Northern Border is indeed very dire, but is it all because of the Lars family?”
Faced with Isha’s question, Caroline replied without hesitation, “Of course, as long as the Lars family falls, everything in the Northern Border will improve.”
However, this question was more of Isha asking Caroline than Caroline answering Isha.
Under the feudal system, my vassal’s vassal is not my vassal; while the Lars family is indeed the largest power in the Northern Border, in reality, more land is still under the jurisdiction of other small to medium nobles.
Are those small to medium nobles truly innocent? The further Isha traveled, the more the exploitation seemed to worsen in smaller territories.
On the contrary, the Lars family at least issued orders to distribute relief grain.
In times of chaos, those small nobles became even more willing to take the opportunity to make money, heedless of the floods raging behind them.
This does not mean that the Lars family are good people, but rather that the chaos in the Northern Border has led to the most significant impact being on the Lars family.
