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The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life

The Beginning of Education

Translated by: ME

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While the mothers of the handicraft unit are working, their young children spend their time with the children of the orphanage. Since it was common at the orphanage for the older children to look after the younger ones, it felt as though they were simply being mixed into the group.

When the trading company building was completed, I had been wavering over several alternative plans for what to do once they were no longer working at the church. However, Priest Sharon and the children-loving monks insisted that they continue as they were, and the problem was settled quite easily.

Generally, it seems that children are often left with family members or elderly neighbors, but for parents and children who have no such people to rely on, the church apparently has a history of looking after them.

Children of an age to work as apprentices participate in the work of the unit or the company within a reasonable range, gradually learning the tasks. Of course, they are paid a wage commensurate with their labor. Along with teaching them the work, I also teach them how to read and write simple names of objects and people, as well as numbers and basic calculations so they can track item counts and inventory while working.

It seems a sense of competition is the same for any child... Perhaps because many of them practice repeatedly to get better, I heard that recently even the smaller children have started mimicking them, counting on their fingers to do arithmetic.

Next time I give a gift to the orphanage, I think slates and soapstone chalk would be a good choice.

For those of an older age who have no plans to work at the church after reaching adulthood, some are learning customer service and other skills at different trading companies. Several companies, starting with Guild Master Dominic’s shop, have been cooperative in this regard.

I explain that there are other options, such as finding employment at different companies, becoming craftsmen at other workshops, or going into agriculture or fishing. However, perhaps because they have seen their predecessors fail and end up living in the slums, their response has been lackluster.

Even so, I repeatedly explain that they shouldn't narrow their thoughts or possibilities; if they become interested or want to try something, it’s not bad to give it a challenge and a try.

***

「Magnolia, about your share as the inventor of the fertilizer.」

Servas, who had spent several days traveling around the territory, was drinking tea during his break with his granddaughter sitting on his lap.

The sale and export of fertilizer—which had begun as a way to provide jobs for former knights who faced difficult employment prospects after retirement—had become a massive hit, just as Servas had predicted. Servas, who had spent years seeing barren lands and ruined countries across various nations, must have felt certain of its success.

Now, the momentum of fertilizer production is such that they are almost running short of raw materials.

By the way, regarding the issue of how to use up the reward money that had triggered the start of the business, Magnolia had proposed that it might be better to pay out reward money in installments to a certain extent.

...Actually, it seems this topic had been brought up many times in the past, but the voices of those who wanted to be paid in a lump sum as per tradition were louder, so it had never been realized.

Following the launch of this current business, it has been decided to bring the matter back to the table for discussion and deliberation.

Setting that aside.

The commencement of the education issue, which was one of the conditions listed when turning the workshop into a trading company. Now that funds—which could be called a windfall—have been secured, it looks like it can be accelerated.

「If that's the case, I want you to use that amount for education.」

「Education, is it?」

Magnolia gave a big nod.

Finally, she could address another one of her major concerns.

She wanted to jump straight to saying "a school," but as expected, there are stages and an order to things. Even if one were built by force, it wouldn't be accepted by people who have no habit of learning if it were forced upon them.

—After all, they’ve managed to get by until now.

Human beings are unexpectedly creatures that do not welcome change. Children are considered important laborers in this world. There will likely be many people who think it's a waste to let such laborers "play," even if only for a few hours a day.

It is better to prepare things little by little so that both those who learn and those who teach can be accepted, and to proceed only once the operation can be managed properly.

「For now, I want to make it sho as many people as possible can read and write; I heard from the knights who guarded me before that there are many farmers who get cheated because they can't read, write, or do math, and I'm shure there are many people other than farmers who meet the same fate.」

As Servas listened to Magnolia’s story, he pondered how best to carry it out.

「...So you mean education for those who struggle with reading and writing, such as farmers, fishermen, and low-level laborers?」

「Yesh. At first, even one or two hours is fine; I want to set up a system where we teach reading and writing to local volunteers a few times a week.」

Claude, who had been quietly listening to the conversation opposite the two, opened his mouth as he thought.

「For now, shall we put out a call to former and active-duty knights...? Since we won't know how many students will gather at first, it would be safest to use meeting halls or the fortress.」

「Wouldn't the attendance rate increase if we made plenty of provisions and included meals? Children during the day, and for adults who want to learn, perhaps at night when it’s easier to find free time.」

「It might be good to have something like a common textbook so they can learn efficiently.」

To her surprise, opinions came one after another from the two of them.

Their desire to improve the territory they had been involved with for many years was likely even stronger than Magnolia’s. They simply hadn't been able to find methods that were concrete or effective enough.

To begin with, the way of thinking itself is completely different from Earth. The difference in consciousness between nobles and commoners is beyond what Magnolia, who lived in modern society, could have imagined. Those who lead and those who are led. Those who rule and those who are ruled.

They are taught that if there are poor people, one should give alms. While alms alone do not provide a fundamental solution, that is the general way of thinking here. Magnolia herself does not necessarily believe that her own way of thinking is the only correct one.

Every society and country has its own way of thinking. This world must have its own flow of society based on its own rules, and she doesn't think it has to become the same as Earth. Even in modern Japan and on Earth, problems were piled high; there were distortions and challenges alike.

However, there is surely no mistake in them leading independent lives and being provided with a minimum level of education, and right now, this concerns her own territory. It is well within her reach.

「...Then, please adjust the details; for the realization in the capital, I’ve already received permission at a previous meeting to use the Guild's conference room. Eventually, if there is desire and means, I want to create an insh-titution that can provide more advanced education.」

She made her wishes known. She had the trust and conviction that they would not handle it poorly.

Sebastian, who was standing by the wall, closed his eyes as if resigned.

(…Sorry. Making you busy again…)

She offered a silent prayer of apology in her heart.

***

「How does this look?」

I asked the elderly knights who had volunteered to be teachers to create the textbooks to be used in class. Once I’ve checked them and if they seem okay, we will print them and turn them into books. For the time being, these will be equipment for lending.

Furthermore, we will create exercise books in stages and print and sell them under the school’s name—the "Azenda School" name. It likely won't be immediate... but I think they might sell for those who heard about it but can't come to school for various reasons, or for children who are doing apprenticeships to use for practice.

Since the habit of learning isn't deeply rooted, another key point is that the price is set low. The image is that of the drills sold at 100-yen shops, though since the scale of sales and the cost ratio are different, they aren't quite that grand... yet even now, Magnolia thinks 100-yen shops are amazing.

Ten percent of the revenue from the exercise books is paid to the person who created them. The remaining profit after deducting expenses like material costs, combined with the amount distributed to Magnolia from the fertilizer products, will be used to operate a small school, like a private academy.

Servas and Claude said they would also invest, but she asked them to do so when the project gets on track and they build a full-scale school.

Since the operation is a matter of trial and error, she doesn't forget to pay attention to ensuring the content is reasonable for both parties at first.

Classes are twice a week and the fee is free. Each time consists of one hour of reading and writing, and one hour of arithmetic, for a total of two hours. Afterward, a meal is provided as a school lunch.

Calculating four hours of study in a week, they will be given a manageable amount of homework to do during the break to encourage the retention of academic ability. It would be good if the number of days could be increased gradually.

The location will be handled in shifts during breaks or on days off from the fertilizer business, so it was arranged to use the meeting hall near the fertilizer plant, and if the numbers become large, they will rent the fortress for that time.

Children from far away will travel by the covered wagons that run together during the morning raw material collection, and for several locations that are still too far, the teachers will travel to those places on different days to conduct classes.

For the adults, it’s basically the same, just that the time is at night. Of course, it is also possible to substitute it during the day.

—This was the predecessor to the Azenda General Academy, which later possessed numerous specialized courses and research institutions, providing basic education to everyone from commoners to nobles without discrimination.

And the necessity of education and its philosophy would spread across the continent over many long years, but that is a story for another time.

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