Heti and Rebecca were summoned to Gwen's tent. When they heard Gwen's idea, they were shocked.
"Education? Every commoner and even serf will be taught? " Heti's eyes widened. She almost lost her composure. "And it's going to be a law in the fief. Everyone will have to be educated as if they are paying taxes?!"
"That's right. From now on, literacy will not only be a right, but also a duty." Gwen smiled. It was quite pleasing to see the usually mature Heti shocked. "Now everyone in the fief must be able to read and write. Those who come to this land in the future must also be able to do so. Otherwise, they won't be able to survive in the new order I'm going to introduce."
Heidi put on a thoughtful expression. "The new order …"
Rebecca, on the other hand, was much more practical. She immediately thought of how difficult it would be. "Ancestor, it's not that easy to teach an illiterate commoner into a knowledgeable person. It requires a literature teacher, a math teacher, a history teacher, a geography teacher, a swordsmanship teacher, a horsemanship teacher, and one or two natural history teachers. Even if they learn the basics, they still have to learn art, etiquette, and heraldry, which are extremely difficult. It'll take them at least a decade to learn all of these!"
Gawain was dumbfounded. Just as he was about to explain, Heidi put her hand on her forehead and said, "Rebecca … Not everyone has to study etiquette and heraldry for more than ten years. In fact, you haven't learned them yet …"
Rebecca was stunned. "Eh? Is that so? Why do I remember my etiquette teacher saying that I've finished my apprenticeship … "
Heidi looked exasperated. "Because he really can't beat you!"
Rebecca was speechless.
Amber, who was standing behind Gwen, suddenly laughed. The whole tent was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Gawain, on the other hand, had to interrupt his granddaughters. "Stop, stop, stop. You're getting out of line. I think you've misunderstood me. The education I'm talking about is completely different from the education of the heirs of the big families that you know. I'm not going to groom a nobleman or a trainee priest. I'm going to groom a talent with reading, writing, mathematics and logic. And remember, I'm going to groom a lot of them."
He shook his head. "The way of looking for a lot of famous teachers, learning from morning till night, and educating a few young masters and ladies for more than a decade won't work here. The education I want is very simple. For adults who have to work, two hours of basic general education after work every day. Literacy and numeracy are enough. For children who can't work, half a day of education, and the other half is left for them to help their parents at home. "
This kind of 'shallow' and 'cheap' education was unheard of. Heti couldn't help but frown. "That is to say, the minimum standard is to be literate, and the teachers only need to be literate … What's the use of such basic education?"
She actually didn't say the other half of the sentence. Why would the commoners and serfs need to be literate?
If it were in the past, she would have just blurted it out. But now she was not so sure because she had seen the other side of the commoners and serfs. And Gwen had previously mentioned a plan to make everyone in the territory literate, which was tantamount to giving her a heads-up. But she didn't expect her ancestor to be serious, and so soon.
"Literate people can understand the truth, take on more complicated work, understand the ideas we convey to them, live better, and become more useful talents." Gwen smiled and looked at Heti. "Perhaps some people are indeed destined to not be a mage, a Knight, a priest, or awaken extraordinary talent. But most people can master knowledge through learning. At least in this respect, fate is relatively fair."
Heti didn't realize what Gwen was talking about at first, but she soon thought of a person — a silver-haired girl from the Captical whom she had just met today.
She finally showed a look of horror. "Ancestor, you're not going to … add the rune theory to those general education courses, are you?"
"That's for intermediate and advanced courses, but why not?" Gwen smiled, feeling unprecedentedly excited and happy. "Think carefully, Heti, the formulas and theorems recorded in the notebook … Which one is related to magic talent?"
Heti opened her mouth and finally said after a long while, "No, no, those … are all pure calculations!"
"Yes, the notebook confirms an idea I had before, that is, the gap between extraordinary power and ordinary people is not as big as we thought. Perhaps such power does favor those with special talents, but since it's a natural phenomenon, it doesn't make sense that more than ninety percent of the ordinary people in this world are excluded by it just because of talent," Gwen said with a sigh. "Runes and magic have rules, and to sum up the rules … what we need is wisdom, not power."
Yes, mortals could also come into contact with the Extraordinary domain. Even if they could never cast a spell, they could establish indirect contact with the Extraordinary power through the "levers" of mathematics and logic. As long as there was contact, the terrifying number of mortals could raze the Old Order as easily as crushing dry weeds. Gawain had no doubts about that.
Heti pondered in shock. Finally, she asked hesitantly, "Do most people … really have this kind of wisdom?"
"You sound hesitant, which means you already have the answer." Gwen looked at Heti with a half-smile. "After these days of contact, are you still not sure that they are people like you and me?"
"I understand." Heti took a deep breath. "I'll make preparations. First, I'll select those who have the ability to read and write from the Captical to be the most basic teachers. Then, I'll summon the supervisors and arrange everyone's labor and learning time."
"Remember, the most basic ability to read and write." Gwen nodded with satisfaction and emphasized. "And we can't delay the construction of the fief. Teachers and students can't be released at this stage. The teachers who teach reading and writing also have to participate in the labor after class."
"Don't worry, I'll do it well."
Rebecca looked at Heti and then at Gwen. She scratched her head, a little confused. "What did you say at the end? Rune theory? Why don't I understand … "
"It's normal that you don't understand because you didn't go with us this morning." Gwen leaned back in the chair and smiled at the iron-headed fireball. "Rebecca, I've found a friend for you. She's good in the same field as you …"
Before Gwen could finish, Rebecca's eyes lit up. "She can also shoot three fireballs?"
Gwen said, "… Err, I'm not talking about the ability to shoot fireballs."
Rebecca rolled her eyes. She wanted to ask if she could climb trees, dig out bird nests and roast grasshoppers if she could not shoot fireballs. But she was afraid of being beaten, so she did not dare to say it out loud. When Gwen saw the girl's expression, he deeply understood the fact that no matter how talented she was, she could not change her temperament (and her head had been caught by a door). He had to say it directly. "The friend I'm talking about is not fooling around with you. She's a member of the Hundred Support Group. She's a fourth-level runemaster. She's as talented in mathematical calculations as you are, and the way she studies magic also has a lot of complementary and commonalities with you …"
In order to prevent the girl from losing her mind again, Gwen told her everything about Jenny Perot in one breath.
Rebecca listened in a daze. In the end, she suddenly clapped her hands. "You're saying that she has developed a technology that relies on calculations, not magic, to build rune blueprints?"
Although the process was complicated, Gwen did not explain too much at this time. "More or less."
"Hey! I want to see that person! "Rebecca was very happy." I feel that she's very powerful! "
Gwen was very happy to see that Rebecca was very interested in this matter, but he still reminded her before the silly deer ran away. "Don't delay the development of the magic engine and the 'cement'."
"Don't worry! I know! "
"Then this matter ends here." Gwen nodded in satisfaction and then looked at Amber. "Amber, you go again and call Byron and Knight."
Amber looked reluctant, but her figure gradually faded in the air. "Sigh, what a busy life."
Soon, Byron and Knight, who were resting in the barracks, were brought into the tent. The middle-aged mercenary Knight saluted Gwen. "Duke, you were looking for me?"
"Are you familiar with the serf market and the refugees?"
Byron and Knight froze for a moment, then nodded. "I'm very familiar with the serfs. I've previously represented Miss Rebecca's father to buy slaves from other nobles' territories. As for the refugees … I'm not familiar with them. They're all roaming around, similar to savages. The old mines and the abandoned Grimm Mill in the north of Tanzania Town —"
Gwen interrupted him. "I don't want those who have already become bandits, but those who are still innocent for the time being."
"None of the refugees are innocent, but I think I understand what you mean. You want those who are still wandering around the towns and villages, and have not given up on making a living in the civilized world?"
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