Chapter 317 - 315: Movable Type Printing

Chapter 317: Chapter 315: Movable Type Printing

"Education?"

Julian was stunned. Once again, he found himself unable to keep up with his Lord’s train of thought.

However, as the territory’s General Affairs Consultant, he was aware of the task assignments for the newly arrived followers.

"You must be referring to the work arrangements for Beatrix, correct?"

Beatrix Moore was a follower who had joined Black Forest Island around the same time as Lune, Dina, and the others.

She was a widow with a three-year-old daughter who had suffered a great tragedy. However, due to her background, she could read and write, and she had even tutored the children of a wealthy merchant after her husband’s death.

"It’s just that we currently have very few children here who are suitable for education. Right now, there are only Vera, Wilson, and Liss’s three children."

Ralph added, "Liss’s oldest child is already sixteen. It’s time for him to work the fields or learn a trade to make a living. He’s too old for schooling now."

When education was mentioned, both men immediately thought of the children among Duane’s followers. Looking around, it was true that only a few of them had children.

Besides, Vera was being personally taught by Constance, so she didn’t need another teacher. And they probably wouldn’t think much of Beatrix anyway.

"What about the entire island?"

Duane posed a soul-searching question: "How many children under the age of thirteen are there?"

He set the age at thirteen because children under thirteen were exempt from the head tax.

Julian’s heart skipped a beat. He asked tentatively, "My Lord, are you thinking of having the commoners receive an education as well?"

"Yes!"

Duane gave a firm reply. "I am going to open a school on the island and give every child under thirteen the opportunity to come and learn!"

As soon as he said this, the air in the study seemed to freeze.

Julian and Ralph exchanged a look, their expressions growing complicated. ’Why does the Lord always propose measures that are so difficult for us to understand?’

The Assessment Department, they could accept that. It even seemed reasonable.

But educating commoners... was that really necessary?

Considering Duane’s authority, Julian chose his words carefully before finally speaking with caution, "My Lord, this idea... I’m afraid it might be inappropriate."

"Oh?" Duane raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

Julian took a deep breath and spoke bluntly. "As you know, most knowledge is currently in the hands of the Nobility. If commoners wish to learn, their only path is to become your followers, like us."

"If we rashly open a school and educate the commoners, it will inevitably broaden their horizons and, in turn, shake the Lord’s rule."

Once knowledge becomes widespread, the commoners tied to the land will develop their own ideas and begin to think for themselves.

If they start to question the existing order, or even demand more power, it will naturally pose a threat to the noble system of rule.

Of course, this was the Extraordinary World, and the Nobility controlled the martial power.

On Black Forest Island, even if all the subjects revolted against Duane, he could probably suppress them.

But not all Lords were as powerful as Duane.

Moreover, Extraordinaries could also be born among the commoners. If the number of educated Extraordinaries were to increase, the threat would be even greater.

"That’s right, my Lord!"

Ralph also tried to persuade him. "If all the commoners go to school, who will be left to farm your land?"

Duane smiled and said, "You don’t need to worry about that. No matter what, there will always be people to farm the fields."

"As for building the school and implementing education for commoners..."

Duane paused here, considering his words.

"Educating the commoners is the cornerstone of the territory’s development. Only by breaking the monopoly on knowledge and cultivating more foundational talent—people who are literate, skilled in arithmetic, and able to think logically—can we support the ever-increasing demands of administration."

He looked at Julian as he spoke. "Surely you don’t want to reach a point where you can’t find a single person in the territory who can read or write, do you?"

"That may be so, but I still don’t think it’s necessary to open the school to commoners. You could easily select from the descendants of servants, or from the Silent Shore..."

Julian glanced at the male servant, Logan, who was waiting at Duane’s side. "Although you had a late start and lack established personnel, you could borrow some people from Count Kais to get through this period. For example, Logan here is quite competent."

Duane shook his head. Having to borrow talent from an outsider was not just a matter of losing face; it exposed the fact that he had no one of his own to use.

"I know you have your considerations and worries, but this is something I have already decided."

His tone was unquestionable. "I am not discussing this with you. I am telling you to follow my will, draw up a viable plan, and begin to implement it!"

Duane’s ambitions weren’t limited to the small plots of land that were Black Forest Island and the Silver Jade Territory; he was aiming for hegemony.

If he were to conquer vast lands in the future but continue to use the old noble models and personnel, his new territories would only become a carbon copy of the Pruck Kingdom.

To build the world he envisioned, Duane needed to cultivate a group of grassroots officials who were loyal to him and possessed a new way of thinking.

"This..."

Julian and Ralph had wanted to argue further, but after hearing the firm resolution in Duane’s voice, they didn’t dare say another word.

This was the first time Duane had been so severe with them, forcing them to wonder if they had overstepped their bounds.

At that moment, Duane’s tone softened.

"You are looking at this matter through the lens of your own knowledge and experience. That’s not your fault, and I don’t mean to blame you, but sometimes you need to look at things with an eye toward development."

Ultimately, the work still had to be done by his subordinates, so Duane felt it was necessary to explain himself.

"I need talent in all sorts of fields: scribes, accountants, craftsmen, trade, construction, smelting, navigation, Magic Energy Manufacturing, and more. The more, the better."

Duane gave a wry smile. "You can’t expect me to keep borrowing from the Count, can you? Besides, for some of these roles, the Count himself might not have many people to spare."

Hearing this, the two men nodded to themselves.

That much was true.

"My policy on educating commoners is not just a ’merciful handout’; it’s a long-term strategic investment. The results might be slow to appear in the short term, but in a few years, or perhaps a decade, I will undoubtedly have a group of loyal and efficient personnel."

He looked at them seriously. "Can you imagine how large the territory of I, Duane Brian, will be by then?"

Those final words made both men’s eyes widen. Even Logan, standing to the side, couldn’t help but feel his heart quicken.

They had heard the ambition in the young Lord’s voice.

Julian stood up, placed a hand on his chest, and bowed. "My apologies, my Lord. It was my mistake to question your decision!"

Ralph did the same. "Please forgive my transgression!"

"It is a good thing to dare to speak your mind. I hope to hear differing opinions. As they say, listen to all sides and you will be enlightened."

Duane smiled and had the two men sit down again. "Next, we can have a proper discussion about the matter of ’textbooks’."

Duane was no saint. He naturally hoped that the talent he cultivated would serve his territory. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Therefore, when it came to the textbooks, it was only natural to reinforce his own image.

Fostering a cult of personality, positioning himself as their spiritual pillar—it wasn’t out of the question.

Of course, besides that, things like praising the territory’s changes, envisioning a wonderful future, and recording fun childhood memories could also be used to strengthen the children’s connection to their homeland.

It was a task that would require constant exploration and adjustment.

"My Lord, I understand everything you’ve said."

Julian felt immense pressure. This was far more difficult than simply assigning tasks to slaves.

"Even if we write these texts, the books themselves will be a problem."

He said helplessly, "We don’t have the manpower to produce so many handwritten copies."

Why was it said that knowledge in this world was held in the hands of the Nobility?

It was because the cost of producing books was too great—

Paper was expensive, with parchment being the basic material for pages.

The contents were copied entirely by hand, making production incredibly slow.

"Your task now is to gather the necessary people and decide on the content for the books. Once that’s settled, submit it to me for review."

Duane said, "As for the issue with the books, I will find a way to solve it."

As a well-read man from a new era, he knew the principles of movable-type printing.

What he needed to do was use those principles to create an Otherworld version of movable-type printing.

This would, in fact, be a knowledge revolution.