chsdbacks #763 - Very short
#763 - Very short
Even in late summer, the morning sun was still piercing enough to make one's scalp tingle.
Saint Gear's University's central square was packed with people.
Senechal, Kerben, and a host of other scholars sat on the high platform, with hundreds of university students below.
With books tucked under their arms, the students chattered and laughed.
Until the master of ceremonies shouted, "The Most Universal Patriarch of Thousand River Valley, Honorary High Judge of Black Serpent Bay, Holy Grandson of the Holy Saint Pope of the Sacred Axis Alliance, our great Sun, His Eminence Horn Gallar, arrives!"
The guards snapped their boots together, trumpets blared, and the square immediately fell silent.
Horn, wearing a soutane, stepped onto the podium, and the students below immediately pounded their chests and waved.
A deafening roar of tribute came: "Devotion!"
Horn surveyed the hundreds of university students present and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
Since the beginning of the year, Horn had been gradually supporting compulsory education at the town level.
From the beginning of the year to June, sixty-two compulsory primary schools were established in various towns in the three southern counties of Thousand River Valley: Lower River County, Kasha County, and Langsdorf County.
In urban areas, thanks to the investment of lottery tycoon Brandon, twenty-two primary schools and five Frick middle schools were also built.
Currently, these primary and secondary schools have enrolled approximately 13,000 students.
Although the classrooms are just brick and tile bungalows, not to mention second-hand desks and benches, they are sufficient.
Any resident who lives in a town area and pays taxes to the town area must send their children to primary school.
As for rural areas, if they voluntarily send them, they can also enter primary school.
These primary schools offer three subjects, including literature, mathematics, and history.
Currently, county seats of various counties are also establishing middle schools, recruiting from primary schools at all levels.
In the future, the various universities of Saint Gear will recruit from county middle schools.
As for teachers, they are recruited from all over the empire through the relationships of the Lakin family and the Crab Yellow Fort family.
In addition, disabled veterans who are literate in the war will also be assigned to primary schools as teachers.
Due to the shortage of manpower at the grassroots level, they often also serve as night watchmen squad leaders and captains of the Holy Guard.
At this joint opening ceremony of Saint Gear University, Horn saw many students from middle schools across the region among the newly enrolled university students.
In addition to students from middle schools, he also saw young wizards from Black Serpent Bay and craftsmen in coarse robes.
The wizards naturally came for the Dragon Language Alchemy University, while the craftsmen came for the newly established School of Metallurgy and School of Engineering at Saint Gear University.
Among this batch of freshmen, Horn even saw university students in their thirties and fifties; after all, talents were rare, and he did not restrict age.
"Eternal Sire, Creator of the world, Your holy name echoes between wilderness and fortresses..."
Everyone present, even the people from Black Serpent Bay, lowered their heads: "Eternal Lord..."
In Saint Gear, which had a strong religious atmosphere, although people were doing quite secular things, they still couldn't stop mentioning the Holy Father.
After reciting this prayer to the end, Horn drew a 屮 symbol on his forehead with his finger.
"In the name of the Father, the Lord, and the Holy Tree, Amen."
"Amen."
Only then did the university students raise their heads and look at Horn on the high platform.
"Four hundred years ago, the Saint Shelley saw that the civilization of Thousand River Valley was barbaric, so he came by boat and brought knowledge and religion to the Kush people.
He always saw one person teaching another, regardless of whether the other person was a heretic or a robber.
Some people say that you should keep your knowledge to yourself, otherwise everyone will learn your skills, and you will starve to death.
But he said that if I starve to death because of this, then I will have no regrets."
At the opening ceremony speech, Horn used a short story about the Saint Shelley as the beginning.
Then he changed the subject and came to the present: "Therefore, I will set 'teaching without discrimination' and 'tireless instruction' as the founding principles of the universities of Saint Gear.
Whether you are Leia, Frank, Norn, or even people from Black Serpent Bay, or even Snake people and Dwarves, you are welcome to come to Saint Gear.
Whether it is for studying or exchanging knowledge, Saint Gear University can provide not only a guarantee of knowledge but also protection of interests.
All 25 university graduates last year entered Saint Gear and the Saint United Government and received praise from their fellow church members.
During their time at the university, many patents generated by the scholars, such as the foot-operated thresher, the horse-drawn seeder, etc., have brought them a great deal of honor and wealth.
Of course, I believe that you must have come here for knowledge, so this year I will share part of the Great Library of Saint Gear, reprinting and translating a large number of ancient works."
Before Horn finished speaking, the students below, and even the scholars beside him, cheered loudly in surprise.
In the empire, knowledge is extremely expensive.
Even borrowing a book requires a guarantee of credit or a considerable deposit.
But in Saint Gear, as long as you have the identity of a university student or scholar,
Ancient works, obscure theological classics, and empirical formulas summarized by craftsmen can all be borrowed.
Various engineering data and government archives can be consulted at will.
Not to mention the massive employment opportunities; some university students even start attending school in the morning and working in the afternoon in their second and third years.
Horn smiled and pressed his hands down: "Everyone, quiet, be quiet for a moment; I have even better news.
The latest novels are first published on Six Nine Books!
After negotiations with the dwarves, some dwarves have decided to share their knowledge and craftsmanship with us.
Therefore, Saint Gear University will establish a new school this year: the School of Metallurgy.
Let us invite the Dean of the School of Metallurgy, the Dwarf Master Torol Firetongs."
Another burst of cheers erupted from the audience; the dwarf named Torol had obviously never seen such a scene.
His bronze face slowly turned into purplish-bronze, and it took him a long time to open his mouth and say, "Students..."
Looking at the stammering and forgetting-words dwarf master on the stage, and Senechal who rushed forward to save the situation,
Horn turned his head and said to the black-robed dwarf elder beside him, "What do you think?"
"I need to continue to investigate."
The dwarf elder replied unceremoniously; if there was someone from North Mound County present at this time, he would definitely shout: Isn't this Grand Master Dunak?
His waist-length beard was shiny with oil, and the ends were tied with rope to avoid interfering with his actions.
At this moment, he appeared in Saint Gear?
You must know that Torol is a Reformist Dwarf, and their establishment of a school at Saint Gear University is regarded as a betrayal by the Conservative Dwarves.
If others were to discover that Master Dunak, who refused to come to Saint Gear no matter what, was here and at the opening ceremony of the School of Metallurgy, then the sky of the Conservative Dwarves would collapse.
Listening to Dunak's words, Horn still whispered like a devil's temptation:
"You see, you are also trying to find out the laws of metallurgy, and metallurgy is a very complicated subject.
You need enough manpower to help you do experiments and detailed research, right?
They need to have enough knowledge and sensitivity so they won't miss any key information.
At the same time, you see, alchemy has not made a breakthrough for hundreds of years, but in my place, in less than three years, various achievements have sprung up; doesn't this prove anything?"
"I still need to observe." Dunak had the classic dwarf stubbornness and still didn't let go.
"How about this? You stay here first, and I'll assign you a few students; you do a project first and see how it goes?"
Dunak hesitated; he looked up at the several Reformist Dwarves around him with excited expressions and slowly nodded after a long time: "Then I'll stay here first... Your Eminence Horn, can you prepare a room where we can talk business?"
Receiving the old dwarf's secret invitation, Horn was stunned.
He knew that the two would have a secret talk, but was it too early now?
However, Horn had no reason to refuse: "Of course, Claude, go arrange it."
"Yes."
Turning his head and smiling at Dunak, Horn was about to speak, but he suddenly sneezed without warning.
"Achilles!"
For some reason, Horn subconsciously looked north.
Why did I suddenly sneeze on this hot day?
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, please."