--------The next day------
Since Landon couldn't start the mission until Tim returned, he decided to open the school today.
The adults could attend classes any time of the day because some worked morning shifts while others worked afternoon shifts.
At the moment, Landon forbade anyone, especially the miners, to work above 9 pm in Baymard.
Mining while using lamps and candles was still too dangerous, in Landon's opinion.
The children, on the other hand, had to attend only morning classes.
After training, he asked the knights to gather all the villagers around the city square in the central region.
Even the miners and farmers had to attend, plus the alchemists and fishermen were there.
He looked at the large crowd and climbed up the podium in the city square in the central region.
"Citizens of Baymard.
Within this past month and a half, history has been made here in this glorious city.
The farmlands have born food, the people are healthy, and the town is growing steadily.
Some of you have had steady wages from working in the various jobs in Baymard and can now afford to feed your families.
You all need to feel proud because this is the result of your hard work."
Everyone nodded and felt warm inside, especially those who had been working in factories and farmlands.
"As you all know, Baymard is no longer part of Arcadina.
The empire has rejected us because in their eyes, we are the trash of Arcadina.
The empire abandoned us and left us for dead. But do we need them?
No, we don't.
We will make our own empire and make them regret ever throwing us away."
As they listened, their blood began to boil.
For years now, they had been requesting food and assistance from their former king, Landon's father, King Barn.
But what did he do?
Absolutely nothing.
He neglected them for years and left them to their hunger.
"The empire laughed at Baymard, thinking that we would always remain weak and die from starvation.
But haven't we proved them wrong?
It is my dream to make Baymard a paradise on earth for you all.
We will progress mentally, physically and financially together.
We will fight and trample on our enemies together.
I promise to make the city a holy land to all who see it.
Are you all with me? Are you all with me!!!? Landon asked loudly.
"Yes," They yelled passionately.
"Good.
In future, I will offer up more jobs to you all, allowing all of you to make as much money as you would like and live better lives than your current states.
But for this to happen, I need my people to become literate.
I will teach you all and allow you to further yourselves in the world.
My people must not be looked down on by anyone in the empire.
I will make you all leaders of tomorrow and Baymard, the promise land for all.
This is my promise to you."
They were stunned.
Was his highness willing to teach them?
Their hearts were filled with joy and gratitude towards Landon.
Their children would become literate and intelligent like people in flourishing cities.
They vowed that they were going to learn and develop Baymard alongside Landon seriously.
They also wanted to witness history in the making.
Landon explained the schooling system to them and had everyone register for a session.
He had Lucius and the three Major general's, write out their names on parchment papers.
Lucius wrote down the names of all children, while the three generals Registered the adults.
Gary registered adults for morning classes, Josh for early afternoon classes and Mark for late afternoon classes.
Registering allowed Landon to know how many people would attend the classes daily. Just like that, the first day of class was set for tomorrow morning.
He also told them about the slaves and refugees that would come at the end of the month and got 100 volunteer men and women who would aid in building houses for them.
He discussed the pay and also promised to provide them with food and guards while they were working.
He wrote down their names and told them that they would start the next day.
And finally, he gathered 350 men and women in advance for the building and development of cannons.
He also wrote down their names and told them to begin work Monday next week since Tim would come on Friday.
Off the bat, he decided to let most of the women work with making glass, as that did not involve strenuous digging for ores in the mines.
Although women could do the job, men had more raw strength and were just faster than women.
On earth, women could work in a lot of jobs due to the progress of technology.
There were machines that dug up the ground and carried raw materials for people.
All one needed to do was to control these machines.
But now, in this ancient and wayward era, there was no way he would allow women to carry heavy stones and rocks all day.
They'd get sick and damage their organs and bodies.
Landon wasn't risking it.
But he could allow them to be a part of putting sand in sacs and letting the men load them unto carts that would transport them to the glass-making factory.
The women could also become alchemists or scientists, if you will.
They could also weld and mould the cannons in a giant furnace.
But he would never allow them to work in the mines.
The women who signed up were happy and excited.
Women in this era only cooked, took care of their families, sewed, farmed, mould mud bricks or became maids for wealthy households.
Even working as a blacksmith's apprentice was not allowed.
They were bored with these jobs and wanted something new, but now they could.
And the best thing was, they got to earn the same salary as a man.
In this era, even in the same profession, men earned more than women.
For example, In the same bakery or farming jobs.
Even if a woman did exactly the same thing as a man, she'd still get lower wages compared to that man.
They usually got frustrated because they too have families to take care of.
Some of them were widows, while some had husbands who became bedridden with illness.
They became the breadwinner in those cases and had to support their husbands and children.
But this era made things too hard for them.
Over the past month, Landon had been teaching Lucy, his mom Kim, Grace and little Momo math.
Likewise, Lucy and Kim also taught Grace and little Momo how to write, read, count numbers, and do basic addition and subtraction.
In Landon's opinion, Grace was very knowledgeable and had a sharp mind.
With more time, Grace would definitely become a master in mathematics.
In the future, he would let his mom teach math 2, while Grace thought math 1.
But not for now, she had to continue learning properly.
Landon went down to the Alchemy department and transported a massive stack of chalk to the classrooms in the upper region.
Each student would be given 2 packs of 12 stack chalk sticks (24 pieces of chalk in total) and 2 slate-boards for free at the beginning of the term.
Once they lost or finished their school supplies, they could buy extra supplies from the school store or the local stores in the central region.