Chapter 136: The Empress’s Troubles

Phield planned to set aside one hour every day to personally teach them.

Only the high-level workers he trained with his own hands would be reliable and easy to use in the future.

Generally speaking, in this era, anyone who wanted to learn literacy had to serve as a squire under a knight and study the traditional Seven Skills of Knighthood: horseback riding, swimming, javelin throwing, fencing, hunting, chess, and poetry. Of course, there was also the task of serving the nobility.

Phield had no intention of letting the children learn those things. Writing poetry and composing verses were of little use to the development of the territory.

There would be two hours of cultural education in the afternoon. The lessons would focus only on reading and writing, arithmetic, and the cultivation of loyalty.

As for loyalty, Phield had no intention of pretending otherwise. His purpose in training them was to serve him and the territory—not to cultivate a group of people who would one day try to overthrow him or end up working for someone else.

In addition, there would be another hour arranged with the army. They would learn formation drills, military posture, swordsmanship, and horseback riding to cultivate a martial spirit and a sense of unity.

Horseback riding was extremely important.

The territory might have small automobiles in the future, but that would take at least forty or fifty years. The entire empire barely had any decent roads to begin with, so riding horses was essential.

“As for science, mana, and magic… those will depend on their talent and loyalty before I teach them.”

After finishing the plan, Phield immediately began putting it into action.

“Tom, if you can’t learn what the baron teaches you, then don’t expect to eat in the future!”

A freewoman stood with her hands on her hips, pointing a finger at her son’s nose as she issued the threat. Her expression was so serious it looked as if she were about to march into battle.

“I will, Mom!”

The boy was terrified and ran off at once.

That very afternoon, the children gathered at the great winery for their lessons. They were used to hardship in daily life, so they were incredibly eager for knowledge that came from the upper classes.

Even if there were a few mischievous kids among them, their parents would strictly order them to study hard. Otherwise, they would receive a severe beating once they returned home.

This was a chance to leap across social classes.

Opportunities like this rarely appeared in a lifetime.

“Everyone’s here. Let’s begin.”

Phield waved his hand and had the guards bring over a blackboard, along with some chalk.

Both items were simple to make. The blackboard was just a wooden board painted with black lacquer. As for the chalk, it was simply lime mixed with water and hardened into small blocks.

They were crude, but usable.

Yet despite their simplicity, tools like these were only widely used in education after the Industrial Revolution.

Before that, teachers simply lectured on their own or worked on other tasks while occasionally giving a few pointers. What the students learned depended largely on their own comprehension.

Teaching methods had also evolved—from “individual handicraft production” into “industrialized production,” eventually producing intellectuals in large numbers.

At the same time, Phield had several squad captains from the army, the steward, and Tate come to observe.

“From now on, try to educate the students according to my teaching methods.”

Tap. Tap.

Phield wrote his name on the blackboard.

“Let me introduce myself. I am your lord—Phield Ross. This name is the first set of words you will learn to recognize. Next, I will teach you the alphabet and numbers…”

This scene was in stark contrast to the poverty of Nightfall Domain.

At that very moment, in Griffin Province, within the Golden Wing Manor of the imperial capital.

Inside a study on the second floor.

Empress Leticia Golden Griffin sat in an exquisitely crafted royal chair, decorated with countless gemstones embedded into its surface. The velvet cushions beneath her were incomparably comfortable.

But the afterglow of the sunset was blocked by the window, so only shadows fell upon her.

She gazed out at the beautiful garden outside. Three or four gardeners were trimming the lawn. Even though the grass was already flawless, the gardeners were still contemplating how to make it even more pleasing to the eye.

“Your Majesty, Governor Tacolin wishes to dine with you tonight.”

A close attendant bowed respectfully. He did not dare raise his head to look at the most powerful person in the empire.

“Heh. Tell him to get lost,” Leticia said without even lifting her eyelids.

“Use a polite tone.”

“But he just won a battle. Rejecting him like this might chill people’s hearts. Perhaps you could give him a chance to pursue you,” the attendant said after hesitating. Thinking about the three wagons of gold coins Tacolin had given him, he still tried to persuade her. “If Your Majesty had a husband and an heir, the empire would also become more stable.”

“I do not wish to repeat myself.”

“Y-Yes… As you command, Your Majesty. You seem somewhat troubled. Would you like to play cards?”

Leticia casually flipped through the battle reports on the table.

“I have no interest in clowns. You may leave.”

The attendant sighed inwardly and left the study.

A griffin the size of a cat suddenly leapt out from the shadows, landing on the desk and nearly knocking over a wine glass. It chased its own tail in a circle on the tabletop before stretching its wings.

“Why are you still unhappy after a victory, dear Majesty?” the griffin spoke in a human voice.

“See for yourself.” The empress tapped the battle report.

The griffin leaned over and flipped through the pages with its sharp claws. Soon, it revealed an irritated expression.

“What a miserable victory. I don’t even see the death of any notable enemies. Hmm? Milani died… If I remember correctly, she was the hidden piece married into the Nibelungen family, wasn’t she?”

“That’s right. This battle ruined half a province, cost us a piece used to monitor the imperial nobility, and now I must deal with a pile of useless fools begging for credit. I truly can’t think of anything worth celebrating.” Leticia snorted coldly. “Sometimes I feel like kicking them all out of the imperial palace.”

“Haha, I’d like that too.”

The griffin cackled with laughter.

However, both the woman and the griffin knew that such a thing was impossible.

Every official of the empire represented the interests of major families, provinces, and social classes.

If she dared to move against them, the one who would suffer in the end would be herself—even if she was the empress.

The griffin flipped over another sheet of paper and said in surprise,

“Someone has taken root in the Northern Province? Phield Ross… Could the Ross family be reclaiming their former glory?”

“Most likely just a publicity stunt. The chances are slim.”

The empire had previously tried many methods to reclaim the Northern Province—for example, advancing slowly inward from the outer edges.

But each attempt was quickly drowned beneath an overwhelming tide of corpses, forcing them to retreat behind the great city walls.

Within the gray mist seemed to lie many “core regions.” Unless those areas were occupied, the number of rotting corpses was effectively endless. If the empire chose to fight a war of attrition, it would immediately become trapped in the quagmire of endless warfare.

It seemed as if they killed thousands upon thousands of corpses every day.

Yet they would grow back like weeds.

Reclaiming the Northern Province was no different from waging war against an entire nation.

“Oh? This report was written by Sherry. She is truly loyal to the empire. Her family has shed blood for it as well. I suspect there’s some truth to it.”

“Yes. The Gassina family is loyal to the empire—not to me.” Leticia’s lips curved slightly upward. “As for this matter, whether it’s true or false doesn’t really matter. The Northern Province is worthless, and it certainly can’t be reclaimed by a single family.”

“Haha. You truly are the embodiment of the empire.”

Hearing footsteps approaching along the corridor, the griffin quietly retreated back into the shadows.

“Is there really no one in the entire empire who can give me peace of mind?”

Leticia gently rubbed her temples, falling into deep thought.

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