Chapter 27 Education Plan in Another World
Before Henry stood paper, another groundbreaking product appeared one of the things he needed for significant change.
Henry picked up the paper in front of him, noticing it was slightly yellowed. He gently pulled it a few times and found that it still had good toughness.
The increased toughness came from a unique plant in the other world. The fibers it produced were very tough, making the paper more durable. When Henry first learned about this, he was very happy because it signified another change.
"Excellent." Henry was very satisfied and praised, "You've done a great job. Keep improving these papers. As long as the paper becomes whiter and tougher, there will be a big reward."
"Yes!" The crowd exclaimed excitedly. They had food and drink here, the work wasn't difficult, and they couldn't find such good jobs elsewhere.
Henry left with the stack of paper, ready to start some of his plans.
By the time he returned to the castle with Mila, it was already noon, time for lunch. Before lunch, he sent someone to call Vincent.
While waiting for lunch, Vincent entered. Henry invited him to join him for the meal.
Today's lunch was steak. Vincent looked at the exquisitely crafted ceramic plate in front of him, with a piece of steak the size of two palms, sprinkled with fragrant spices, a fried egg on the side, and some wheat flour.
Vincent stared blankly, thinking, 'Is this the lunch of nobles? It's too extravagant, no, it's an art piece.'
But how should he eat this? Vincent turned to Henry and tried to imitate him, holding a knife in one hand and a fork in the other, awkwardly cutting the steak.
He couldn't quite manage to cut the steak as gracefully as Henry did.
As he put a piece of the cut steak into his mouth, he was delighted. He swore that what he had eaten before was nothing compared to this.
Mila, eating steak beside him, smiled playfully. Seeing Vincent's expression reminded her of her own awkward first time eating steak.
"Vincent, do you like the steak?" Henry asked with a smile.
"Huh?" Vincent was taken aback, quickly stood up, and bowed, "My Lord, this is the most delicious thing I've ever eaten in my life."
"Please, sit down!" Henry gestured for him to sit, "Enjoy it. I'll have the kitchen pack some for you to take back later."
"Thank you!" Vincent excitedly bowed.
"Eat quickly; it won't taste as good when it gets cold," Henry said with a gentle smile.
Henry quickly finished his steak, sipping tea slowly. He turned to look at Mila, who was on her fourth serving of steak and chuckled helplessly.
"Vincent, do you know how many literate people there are in Eldoria?"
Vincent had just finished eating when he heard Henry's question. He quickly straightened up and said, "My Lord, there are very few literate people in Eldoria. Perhaps one or two out of a hundred."
This answer was expected by Henry. After all, in an era where even food was scarce, it was difficult for commoners to read.
"How about children aged six to fourteen or fifteen?" Henry continued.
"My Lord, there aren't many children of this age in Eldoria, probably less than three hundred," Vincent replied promptly. Having lived in the city for many years, he knew many people.
The number of children made Henry furrow his brow. In the age of cold weapons, population size was a resource, representing strength. It seemed that increasing the population would be part of his next plan.
"Vincent, I have a task for you." Henry beckoned for the maid to clear the table and offered Vincent a cup of tea.
"My Lord, please command." Vincent respectfully said. His current life felt ten times better than before; dining with Lord Henry was something he could boast about for a year.
"I need more literate people in Eldoria," Henry pondered, then continued, "Of course, I won't force anyone to learn. You just need to set up a night school, teaching everyone to read at night, just for an hour or two."
Henry knew that most people were busy with food and drink during the day and only stopped everything at night.
"My Lord, this..." Vincent hesitated. For shortsighted commoners, he didn't think anyone would waste time coming to him to learn to read.
"Don't worry. I understand your concerns, and I'll take care of them. You just need to establish the night school," Henry said mysteriously.
With more literate people, many of his plans could be better implemented. The foolish masses were easily swayed, and with more literate people, talents would emerge, which he needed.
Well, during the teaching process, he would mix in a bit of personal touch, like how great Lord Henry was and the significant contributions he made to Eldoria.
Vincent opened his mouth to speak but saw Henry push something over and hand him a pen.
"This is paper, a material for writing. It's cheaper, more portable, and more suitable for writing than parchment scrolls."
"Go back and try it out. Tonight, you can go to the military camp to teach the soldiers. They only need to learn to read and some numbers."
Finally, Vincent left the castle with a mindset. He looked at the white paper in his arms and the steak in his hand.
The steak was really delicious. He was willing to challenge this kind of life because Henry was mysterious and powerful.
