Chapter 202: The Road to Development

The men held in the prison were dying on a schedule that no physician could alter.

The pills worked that way. The first dose began the process; every dose after accelerated it; the withdrawal from the last dose completed it. Their organs had been borrowing against a credit they could not repay. Roland could not help them. He said so plainly, then said: contain them, give them what they ask for, spare them unnecessary suffering. It was all the mercy available, and he did not allow himself the luxury of considering whether it was enough.

“In addition,” Roland said, “I intend to establish a primary education system in Longsong Stronghold. That will be the examination project determining whether you continue as administrator.”

Petrov’s posture changed the way it always changed when something required his complete attention — a slight forward lean, almost invisible. “Primary education.”

“For all stronghold residents under forty. Men and women both. Reading, writing, arithmetic, natural philosophy, ideological education.” Roland raised a hand before Petrov could frame his objection. “The cost comes out of the tax rate. Starting next month, you send twenty percent to Border Town instead of thirty. The remaining ten is your education fund — at minimum, a thousand gold royals. Hire scholars, knights, literate squires, whatever you can recruit. But the real instruction comes from Border Town.”

“Your Highness, the scholars I can hire have no experience teaching serfs. Ideological education is —” Petrov searched for the honest word. “Even reading the phrase on your parchment, I’m not certain I understand it myself.”

“That’s why I’m sending staff.” He said it simply, because it was simple. “City Hall officials who have been running this system since last winter. They will train your people in pedagogy and curriculum delivery. The details will arrive with them. Your examination is this: fifty percent literacy in the stronghold population within one year.”

Petrov nodded in the way of someone who has decided to trust before understanding and is now working the logic backward.

“Your workers,” Roland said. “You’ll need to recruit locally — not just the stronghold. Post notices across the entire Western Territory. Six silver royals monthly, guaranteed.”

“For laborers.”

“Yes.”

“At that wage you’ll have more applicants than you know what to do with.”

“Two thousand to start,” Roland confirmed.

Petrov’s face did the calculation he was too careful to perform aloud. Six silver, two thousand workers, twelve months. He filed the number away and said nothing.

“The road connects the stronghold to Border Town at proper carriage width — two carriages side by side. Flat, surfaced, all-weather. Karl from the Ministry of Construction will direct the build; your workers are the labor. Materials come from Border Town.” Roland watched him. “This investment returns in trade and military mobility. When I need to move the First Army to Longsong in an emergency, I cannot afford three days.”

He paused, then added: “The church building and its records are a separate matter. Write to Hermes that Timothy’s men burned it, killed the priest, and fled the territory. You have a piece of evidence.” He placed the two-colored pill on the desk between them. “Found near the ruin. They will understand what it implies.”

“I understand,” Petrov said, and pocketed it.

“Then go to work, Mr. Ambassador. Don’t let me down.”

“What will you do with the prisoners, Your Highness?”

Roland was quiet for a moment. “Contain them. They will not live long regardless.” He stood. “That is not a decision I made. It was made for them before they arrived.”

Little Town was moving at a pace that suited the river — neither slow nor hurried, the current doing half the work and the witches in the cabin adding the rest. Nightingale appeared at his shoulder somewhere north of the first bend, not as a surprise but as an arrival he had been waiting for without knowing he was waiting.

“You’re quiet,” she said.

“The militia.” He was watching the water.

“That wasn’t yours.”

“Of course not.” He meant it. The logic of the situation was unambiguous: Border Town, Timothy, the Church’s pills, the sequence of events. “I understand the cause. The cost is still real.”

She reached over and took his arm in both hands — steadier than comfort, more exact. The gesture she made when she was present rather than performing presence.

“That’s why you’ll destroy the Church,” she said. “To end it. No more people dying for no reason on someone else’s ground.”

“That’s the promise,” he said.

He felt her nod against his shoulder, and they let the river do its work, and Little Town moved north, and the stronghold grew smaller behind them, and then it was gone.

Chapter 202 The road to development

Roland took a sip of his tea, then said: “In addition, I intend to set up a primary education system in Longsong Stronghold, which will be the examination project that decides whether you will continue serving as the administrator or not.

Hearing the word “examination”, Petrov’s ears immediately stood up, “Primary education system?”

“Yes,” Roland nodded with a smile. Now, after the church had been destroyed, the High Priest killed, and the Church’s forces weakened by more than half, it was a good time to start the fight over ideological positions. He didn’t expect to transform all believers into potential workers who met with his standards; he only hoped to weaken the Church’s influence even further. In case the Holy City wanted to meddle in Longsong Stronghold again, Roland had thought about many ways to keep them away; they shouldn’t even think about building a new church here.

“The primary education should be attainable for all of Longsong Stronghold’s residents under the age of forty, regardless of whether they are men or women. The training will include reading and writing, simple calculation, the spread of natural knowledge and also ideological education.” Roland waved his hand, holding off the other’s questions, “Rest assured, the cost will be deducted from the tax paid to Border Town. From the beginning of the next month, you only have to pay 20% of the tax; the remaining 10% will be used as special education fee. With it can you recruit a few scholars from King’s City, or hire local nobles, knights or squires, but these people won’t need so much money. 10% of the tax are at least 1000 gold royals, so you have to do much more than just hire people with it.”

After thinking for a moment, Petrov opened his mouth and said: “Your Highness, do you mean to say, that I should use the money to motivate the

civilians to attend the education courses?”

This guy’s mind is indeed very sharp, Roland laughed, “That’s right, with the exception of the children, most people have to earn their livelihood during the during the day, so their education courses have to be held in the evening, allowing them to carry out their work during the day. And after being busy the whole day, instead of resting, no one wants to come round only to hear other people’s nagging them, not to mention using their brain to learn how to read and write.

“Because of this you have to lure them with some means to learn, such as providing them a dinner that has meat, or if they are able to speed up the learning process they can also get a monetary reward, etc., and of course, a bright and spacious classroom is also essential.” He paused, “In short, you must try every means to popularize attending the education courses to all the residents of the stronghold. As I said, this is also your examination: After one year, more than 50% of the stronghold’s population needs to have reached literacy.”

“But Your Royal Highness…” Petrov hesitated. “No matter if they are scholars or belong to the nobility, they fundamentally have no experience with teaching civilians how to read and write, even less teaching them natural knowledge and ideological education,” he had to read the hard to pronounce noun of the parchment. “In fact, even I do not quite understand the words myself. By employing these people, I am afraid you cannot achieve your desired result.”

“Do not worry, I have already taken all that into account,” Roland paused. “I’ll send a group of officials from Border Town’s City Hall to help you realize it. Furthermore, all the books you need for the education will be provided by Border Town. They have a wealth of experience in how to teach, so they can show the people you recruit how to teach, and then, your personal will have to start to educate the residents. At that time you and they will have comprehended all the necessary details, the specific arrangements will be done when they arrive.”

This way, as long as Petrov wanted to keep in control of Longsong Stronghold, it was inevitable that he worked together with the Prince’s staff,

and by placing his aids at critical positions within the Ministry of Education, news reaching or happening in Longsong Stronghold could also be passed on to Border Town in the first moments.

Seeing that Petrov didn’t show any objections, Roland began to explain his final command: “Thirdly, I plan to build a road between Longsong Stronghold and Border Town to shorten the traveling time between the two locations for pedestrians and caravans.”

“Your Royal Highness, don’t we already have a way between those two?” Petrov asked in surprise.

A mud path created by people walking over it can be counted as a road? With a width less than two meters, filled with mud by the rain, and furthermore, with all its holes, it will never be suitable for high-speed carriages.

Roland shook his head. “I want to build a road that can accommodate at least two carriages side by side. A road that is flat and straight, and won’t be covered with water during rain, exactly like the road in Border Town.”

“You mean a macadam road?” the Acting Duke looked a little surprised, “The costs of such a road isn’t low, it requires the mason to cut the stones and then they have to pick out the stones with the right sizes which can be used together. A gravel road to Border Town would at least cost five thousand gold royals, and with all due respect Your Highness, we will never get so much money without a tax increase.”

“The stronghold only needs to provide the workforce.” The Prince stated bluntly, “You will issue a recruitment notice throughout the whole Western Territory, not just Longsong Stronghold, including all of the other noble’s territories. The monthly salary will be six silver royals, with that sum, I believe there should be plenty of applicants.”

“For laborer, six silver royals are quite a high salary,” Petrov nodded, “may you tell me how many people you want to recruit?”

“At least two thousand people,” Roland replied.

The monthly cost for such an amount of handymen wasn’t a small sum, together with masons and gravel workers, in the eyes of others, it would definitely regard as a ridiculously high costs. Very few Lords would be willing to put their money into building something which seemingly wouldn’t provide and return. This thought process could also be seen in Petrov’s expression. But now, with Border Town being able to sell steam engines, and to maintain the balance between income and expenditure, putting the remaining money into upgrading the infrastructure was undoubtedly the best choice to make. After all, Roland never intended to store all the gold royals in a vault, which was often the desire of many of the newly rich.

The construction of a high-quality road connecting the stronghold and Border Town was of the highest importance, not only to facilitate the trade between both places, but was also a prerequisite for the rapid deployment of the armed forces. If the trip is an inconvenience, even if I receive the news of an attack on the stronghold at the earliest possible moment, I would only be able to reach the stronghold in three days, I am afraid that by that time, the enemy’s banner will already be flying over the highest tower.

“I understand,” Petrov said.

“Now that you have so much to do, I will soon return to Border Town. Do a good job, ‘Mr. Ambassador’, don’t let me down.”

“What do you plan to do with the people held in jail, Your Highness?” Petrov asked, after a moment’s pause.

For the first time, Roland didn’t know what to answer, and after a moment of silence he spoke, “Contain them, they won’t be able to live for long anyway.”

…

Climbing onto Little Town, the Prince embarked on his homeward journey.

“You do not seem to be in a good mood?” said Nightingale after appearing next to him. “Is it because of the civilians?”

“They were all forced by Timothy,” Roland sighed. “If they hadn’t taken those pills, they would not act like his minions at all and wouldn’t have to die on an unfamiliar land.”

“This is not your fault.” The Nightingale reached out and held his arm.

“Of course not,” Roland said without hesitation, “If I hadn’t stopped them, Border Town would have become the victim of Timothy’s desire for power. And of course, the Church that made those pills is also one of the culprits.”

“That’s the reason why you will wreck the Church, to end the dispute, so that people no longer have to kill each other for such senseless reasons, right?” Nightingale asked with a smile, “No matter if they are ordinary people or witches, under your rule, they will all live a happy life. ”

“…” Roland looked into Nightingale’s shiny eyes and gently nodded, “Ah, that’s a promise.”