Muqiao Village was one of the villages closest to Tie Mu City. As soon as the skies brightened, the villagers began their daily work.

With Richard’s various policies incentivizing diligence, the villagers were all filled with enthusiasm for their labor, for fear that their sloth would prevent them from living a prosperous life.

At this time, a peddler pushing a cartload of goods set off toward Tie Mu City with a spirited young boy trailing behind him.

“Good morning, little carpenter.”

“Morning, Old John! How’s the day been treating you?”

“Ha ha, the school in Tie Mu City is opening today, so I’m off to drop my son at the academy.”

The little carpenter paused, then asked, “How about you, young fellow? Still learning how to make shoes from your old man? Why don’t you come to school with my son?”

“I’ll send him once I’ve saved up some money.”

“The sooner you send him to school, the better prospects he’ll have in the future.”

The little carpenter listened quietly as Old John walked out of the village. He greeted every villager he met, never missing an opportunity to mention his son’s upcoming enrollment at the Tie Mu City academy, stirring up a cocktail of envy and admiration among his peers.

Young John, who walked beside him, couldn’t help but blush in embarrassment at his father’s incessant boasting.

Old John, however, remained blissfully unaware of his son’s discomfort, and continued to spread the news to anyone who would listen, as if he feared the village might not know his son was about to attend the Tie Mu City academy.

Old John had been a wealthy farmer in Muqiao Village. When construction on Tie Mu City first began, he saw an opportunity and rented a small stall within the city. During the slower farming seasons, he took up a trade and earned quite a fortune over a few years.

Although it was the season for spring planting, Old John had left his farm today to take his son to Tie Mu City, for today was the first day of the official school year.

Old John considered himself to be content with his life, and being a wealthy farmer in Muqiao Village was about as much as he could hope for. However, everyone harbored secret ambitions to improve their lot in life, and when they realized they could no longer achieve such goals, they would naturally place these hopes upon their offspring.

It was obvious that Old John had placed all his hopes upon his son. Having lost his wife early, he doted on his late-born son more than his own life.

As he pushed the cart along the wide road, Old John hummed a light-hearted tune, clearly in a good mood. He greeted any passerby with a smile, regardless of whether he knew them or not.

The journey used to be arduous until the roads were repaired during Richard’s reign. Even still, it was a long way, and both father and son were sweating despite their relatively leisurely pace. Old John asked his son, “Son, why don’t you come up and sit here? Your old papa will push you to Tie Mu City for school.”

John looked up at his father, then shook his head. “No, I can make the trip on my own two legs.”

“Ha ha ha, my boy, you’re full of ambition. You’ll be the one taking care of your old father in his golden years, I see it now.”

The two continued on their way, humming and singing happily.

“Hey, old friend, how far is it to Tie Mu City?”

Old John turned his head to look at the sound of the voice behind him, and saw a simple donkey cart slowly catching up to them. The driver, a middle-aged man with a sullen face, and his passenger, a young man lifting the curtain to look outside, seemed to be master and servant. The young man was likely the one who had asked the question.

“Hey, lucky you, asking the right people. Just follow me, and you’ll be in Tie Mu City within four hours at most.”

Old John, ever the sociable and observant peasant, took the opportunity to engage the newcomers in conversation.

He might not have had much martial prowess or cultural knowledge, but he had managed to amass a small fortune over the years and become one of the village’s more well-off families. This man possessed an extraordinary talent for business and dealing with others, honed by years of experience.

At first glance, these newcomers appeared to be simple travelers, but upon closer inspection, the young man’s supple skin and lack of calluses betrayed that he was not a laborer. In these times, only families of considerable means could afford to raise such a person.

As for the driver, his calluses were concentrated on his palms, indicating that he was likely a warrior who held his weapon by the grip. These two were clearly people of status, worthy of respect.

The young master’s question gave Old John the perfect opportunity to climb up the pole, so to speak.

“What brings you to Tie Mu City?” the young master asked, and Old John eagerly began to explain, “I’m taking my son to the official school there.”

This was precisely the opening Old John had hoped for, and he seized it, pouring forth a torrent of words. “Let me tell you, that official school in Tie Mu City is truly exceptional. If you get in, you’ll at least be able to secure a position as a village constable.”

In Old John’s eyes, even a constable appointed from Tie Mu City was a person of considerable stature.

“If you study hard, you can learn the breathing techniques and join Master Richard’s Flying Bear Army. If you serve well, you might even earn your knighthood.”

“Oh? Does every child in Hunter receive an education?”

“Ha, if only! The school accepts only a hundred or so students a year, all between the ages of ten and fifteen. The families must supply their own food, and they must also pay a few silver nars each term.”

“That doesn’t sound too expensive. Is it open to any Hunter child?”

“Oh no, not at all! They don’t accept that many students, so they have to pick and choose. You have to be able to afford it, and they have to think your child is worthy.”

At this point, Old John couldn’t help but feel smug.

The young man glanced at the spirited child before clasping hands respectfully toward Old John. “Congratulations, congratulations!”

“Ah, heh heh.” Old John beamed happily.

The official academy of Tie Mu City was another of Richard’s innovations, shamelessly boasting himself as the headmaster. In this age, only children from noble families could receive a complete education, and perhaps a few exceptionally wealthy merchant families in the larger cities might afford to send their children as well, but such opportunities were virtually unheard of anywhere else in the northern lands outside Snowfall City.

By establishing the academy, Richard provided more people with an opportunity to receive a proper education, which would also cultivate talent for Tie Mu City’s use. However, the cost of education was still relatively high, and Richard did not delude himself into thinking that a universal education was feasible.

Instead, the Tie Mu City government subsidized part of the cost, while the remainder was to be paid out-of-pocket. Many commoner families could not afford this expense, but prosperous farmers like Old John could, if only just barely, by gritting their teeth and saving up.

The public schools only administered simple tests to prospective students, assessing their physical condition and basic intellectual capacity. The age range for admission was set around ten years old, a pragmatic decision made by Richard.

Attempting to implement comprehensive education programs spanning over a decade in this world would yield no tangible benefits.

Ten-year-old youths were at the prime of their physical and intellectual development, capable of learning quickly and absorbing knowledge such as breathing techniques and other basic knight training. They could also learn about reading and writing.

After a few years of study, these students would become well-rounded individuals, ready to be allocated to the military or administrative system based on aptitude.

These children, products of the public schools, naturally developed a sense of belonging to Tie Mu City and the Hunter family. It was also easier to trust them than outsiders, making it a win-win situation for all parties involved.

As the conversation continued, the young man had just about grasped an overview of Tie Mu City’s public school system, and Old John had exhausted his knowledge on the matter.

The group had reached the main gate of Tie Mu City. After passing the guards’ inspection, they would part ways within the city.

“Thank you, sir, for your time and patience.”

The young man then gave a signal to the coachman.

A gold piece flew from the coachman’s hand, which Old John hastily caught with both hands. When he opened it, he saw it was a gold piece of Tienmu, worth a year’s worth of his annual income. To receive such a payment merely for some conversation felt surreal.

“Many thanks, sir, many thanks indeed,” Old John repeated after recovering from his momentary astonishment.

The young man waved his hand silently, and the coachman took them away in a different direction.

Old John watched as the two disappeared, carefully tucked the gold piece away, then turned to his son.

“Let’s go, we should hurry and report to the academy.”

John followed his father, mumbling the whole way.

“I’m going to give you a hundred of these gold pieces, Dad, so you’ll never have to worry about money.”

Old John was taken aback at first, but then laughed heartily. “All right, old man’s waiting to be spoiled rotten.”

He lifted his son onto the cart and sped off.