That's not how you use a witch!

Chapter 28 Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix

"I see……"

In the lord's office, Grant, who had been deep in thought for a long time, clapped his left hand with his right, as if he had suddenly become more intelligent.

"Different jobs pay different work points. Literate residents can understand the contents of the notice board, so they can be competent for high-paying jobs and have priority when choosing jobs."

Once other citizens have learned their lesson the hard way, they will realize the importance of education. Then, without anyone urging them, they will naturally want to study.

Brother Ronan, your idea is truly ingenious!

Faced with his little brother's starry-eyed expression, Ronan simply waved his hand dismissively.

"This is just the first step—once their knowledge level is generally improved, I can assign them more complex tasks, and the construction speed of Thorn Territory will be far greater than before. This is a great achievement for the present generation."

Once the importance of education becomes a consensus throughout Thornlands, my people will do everything they can to send their children to school. This is a long-term plan that will benefit generations to come.

With the rebel army currently looming over the western borders, this actually significantly reduces the resistance to implementing policies. Having such a powerful external enemy minimizes internal conflicts. In peaceful times, many measures would be difficult to carry out.

"I see, Brother Shi is truly a master strategist..."

"Therefore, the education construction project in Thorn Territory is entrusted to you, Crown Prince Grant."

"Huh? I work in education? Really?"

Grant pointed to himself, looking completely bewildered.

"Of course it's true, after all, you're one of the few intellectuals among us."

Ronan chuckled. "Uncle Vance has never approved of your path. Don't you want to make something of yourself and prove your choice right with your actions?"

"Yes, I've always hoped for this opportunity... Okay! Leave it to me!"

Seeing Grant pat his chest with righteous indignation, Ronan couldn't help but smile, thinking that chuunibyou teenagers were easy to manipulate.

Of course, putting aside the time before his transmigration, Ronan's current physical age is only eighteen, just one year older than Grant, and strictly speaking, he should even call Meldale "older sister"...

"But Brother Ronan, schools in other places have always been run by the church, and the purpose of teaching literacy is to instill those dogmas and scriptures. This is obviously different from our educational needs."

Grant frowned. "We need to adapt to the growing needs of Thorn Territory, and also expand rapidly before the rebels arrive—to be honest, it's a bit tricky!"

"It's okay, take your time."

Ronan didn't expect Grant to do a perfect job; getting it done was more important than perfect. Even a pile of shit was better than nothing; he could work on it slowly later.

He could certainly do a better job if he did it personally, but everyone's energy is limited. As the territory develops, doing everything himself will only lead to inaction.

He needs to cultivate a team and gradually delegate the peripheral and detailed work, while he can act as the chief designer and gatekeeper, rather than being a jack-of-all-trades who puts out fires everywhere.

"Don't worry, my brother, you're not fighting alone. I've also found a friend who's just as talented as you to help you."

"Oh? Talented as much as I am? I'd love to see for myself!"

Grant and Howard, who had just entered the office, met each other's eyes.

"Senior Howard? What brings you here?"

"Grant! I thought you were dead!"

The two knights embraced each other excitedly, leaving Ronan somewhat bewildered.

Only after asking did I learn that these two were not only knights of the Northern Alliance, but also longtime confidants—Hodway was the pen pal Vance had mentioned who had sent Grant on his adventures to the North.

The two met by chance at a poetry gathering and quickly became good friends because of their shared interests. During his repressive adolescence, exchanging letters with this refined and easy-going senior was one of Grant's few sources of emotional support.

So much so that when Grant received a letter from Hodway, he didn't hesitate to follow him.

After the allied forces were defeated, the two wandered with the fleeing soldiers until they were taken in by the Thorn Territory, after which they lost contact with each other.

Ronan really wanted to complain: You guys have been stuck in Thornlands for so long, and you didn't even know the other side was there?

But then I thought about it again and realized they probably really didn't know, because their isolation and control measures were so thorough that the original organization and relationships of the routed soldiers were basically completely disrupted...

"Brother, you can rest assured that the education of Thorn Territory is in our hands!"

Grant put his arm around Howard and confidently gave him a thumbs up.

After a lively exchange and much contemplation, the two knowledgeable and refined knights fell into deep thought.

"So how do you think ordinary people should be taught?"

"I don't quite understand, what do you think, senior?"

"I... will stand and watch."

"..."

The two of them scratched their heads in exactly the same way.

"It's okay... take your time."

Ronan sighed; it seemed unlikely he could rest easy...

·

The following day, Grant returned to the Mountain Territory.

He didn't really want to go home, but Ronan insisted that he come back once a week, at least to have a meal with his father.

Despite his reluctance, he had no choice but to follow his elder brother's suggestion. Vance, on the other hand, was quite happy. Although he complained, what father wouldn't want to spend more time with his son?

Vance was genuinely grateful to Ronan, who not only gave him a chance to mend his relationship with his son but also provided a topic to discuss. When talking about Thornlands, Grant spoke more than ever before, recounting everything from what he had seen and heard to the tasks assigned by Ronan.

"Alas, I don't know how to achieve the educational effect that you desire, Brother. We can't exactly teach those illiterate commoners to appreciate literary classics, can we?"

Grant ate his bread and steak, shaking his head in worry.

"Daydreaming won't work; you have to work backward from the needs to find the right approach."

Vance poured him a glass of wine and helped him organize his thoughts:

Ronan's purpose in promoting education was for production and war preparation. Therefore, the content of education had to be closely linked to these two aspects. He abandoned fancy literary classics and focused on practical content such as common vocabulary, simple calculations, map recognition, and military flag signals.

On the other hand, Ronan's ideas about witches do not conform to the mainstream. Previously, it was only because Thorn Territory was isolated from information, had a small population, and lacked the power of the church that no problems arose.

As the population grows, the clash of ideas will inevitably intensify. Therefore, it is also necessary to promote the witch ideology of the Thorn Territory while teaching knowledge, and to legitimize Ronan's series of actions without conflicting with mainstream dogma.

Besides verbal promotion, the witch's contributions could be indirectly highlighted by explaining the development history of Thornlands. Grant's literary talents could even be utilized to create stories or plays for propaganda. Of course, these are much more difficult and should be given lower priority…

Grant felt enlightened.

"Father is absolutely right, I have an idea now! Although we disagree on many points, I have to say, in this matter, experience is invaluable!"

Vance smiled and raised his glass: "Of course, intelligence has always been a fine gift of our Wimbledon family."

Looking at Grant, who was clinking glasses with him, Vance felt a little dazed: the last time he toasted with his son was many years ago, when his son wasn't so rebellious, and when he hadn't found his hidden skirt...

The two drank and became increasingly happy, and Grant took the initiative to bring up the matter of Madeleine.

As an unconventional and rebellious teenager, Grant has sympathized with the fate of witches since childhood, but he doesn't speak out much because of the mainstream views of the aristocratic circle.

It wasn't until he arrived in Thornlands that he felt like he had met a kindred spirit: it turned out that witches were not symbols of misfortune; they could live normal lives, and could be accepted and even welcomed...

·

·