Translator: Cinder Translations
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Paul's days in Crystal Glare could be described as good.
Rodney the Eighteenth had gifted him a mansion, and he spent his time writing and receiving visitors. As a newly minted Marquis, he also frequently attended the king's cabinet meetings.
He knew that his new title had sparked envy in many, so during meetings, he mostly remained a silent listener. Any thoughts he had, he would express privately to the king afterward.
In the early days, many nobles from the royal capital tried to befriend him. Invitations to various banquets arrived one after another, but Paul wasn't particularly skilled at handling such social situations. He didn't understand many of the inside jokes in the Crystal Glare circles, and when people around him began laughing, he could only awkwardly laugh along without knowing why.
Eventually, he found this behavior foolish. At the start of each banquet, he would take a glass of wine and retreat to a corner to sip it slowly—he just couldn't muster the motivation to engage in the tedious conversations.
Over time, he earned the nickname "The King of Cold Silence," and the noble circles in Crystal Glare came to a consensus—it was a bad idea to invite Marquis Paul Grayman to any banquet.
The Marquis made a conscious effort to minimize his presence, but because of his status, no one could truly ignore him.
The number of invitations gradually decreased, which was exactly what Paul had hoped for.
However, as long as there was no ill will, people didn't label him as rude, bitter, or indifferent.
In private dealings, the Marquis was generally sincere. If someone asked for his help and it was within his power, he never declined.
Especially in business matters, as the initiator of large-scale maritime trade in recent years and the master of the kingdom's most prosperous industrial and commercial area, Paul held many important pieces of information that others could not easily access. Whenever someone asked for advice, he was always generous with his knowledge.
He knew where certain goods were in high demand, where key raw materials were produced, which company's bonds were the most stable, and so on. Despite his lack of social engagement, many in Crystal Glare liked him.
Of course, while many liked him, there were also many who disliked him.
To the old-fashioned nobles, although Paul Grayman's family could trace its roots to the founding of the kingdom, he was hardly considered a typical Aldor noble. On one hand, he came from the bustling, nouveau riche region of Crystal Glare—newly redefined by the Northwest Bay. On the other hand, he had also taken many unconventional actions.
Especially the strange ideas he had proposed to the king.
Indeed, increasing the national treasury was a worthy goal, and some of his ideas were quite brilliant.
But what was this about focusing on education for the common people? That didn't sound like it would help the treasury at all—it would just cost a huge sum every year.
"Your Majesty, this will not bring any benefit to the kingdom's finances in the short term. If you need a large number of talented individuals, can't we use the many well-educated children of noble families?"
When Rodney the Eighteenth discussed this with his reform advisory circle, there were strong disagreements.
The king's advisory circle was not large, with both Paul and Malon being members.
"I have already discussed this with Marquis Grayman," Rodney the Eighteenth glanced at Paul and explained to Earl Walsh McKee, who had voiced opposition. "I believe those from noble families would not be willing to humble themselves to work in factories, ports, or farms?"
"I think not," came the reply.
"But in the future, these places will require a large number of skilled professionals, especially in operating machinery. They must be able to read and write to quickly learn new skills."
Earl McKee sneered, "But children from common families are too slow-witted, clumsy, and teaching them would require too much effort and resources."
"That's a mistaken viewpoint!" Rodney the Eighteenth disagreed sharply. "Princess Eileen's school has accepted many children from common families, and I've confirmed with her that there's no significant difference in learning abilities between excellent common students and noble students."
Earl McKee shook his head. "I think individual cases are not enough to prove anything."
The king frowned. "I believe conclusions derived from practical experience are far more accurate than stereotypes passed down by word of mouth."
"Alright, Your Majesty," Earl McKee raised his hands in a gesture of resignation. "I just hope that the investment in common people's education can be kept under control. If we implement it and find it to be a bottomless pit, it won't be good."
Rodney the Eighteenth smiled. "We don't need them to learn poetry or music. As long as they can master reading, writing, and simple arithmetic, that will be enough. Besides, Marquis Grayman has another idea on how to achieve this... what's it called again?" He looked back at Paul.
"Cost-cutting and efficiency improvement, Your Majesty," Paul responded.
"Cost-cutting and efficiency improvement? How so?" Everyone in the room turned to him.
Paul thought for a moment and then spoke seriously. "As the king just mentioned, we don't need common students to learn poetry, music, art, and so on. What we need to teach them is a great deal of practical knowledge that is simple and efficient. The textbooks should be quick to read, easy to understand at a glance, and easy to memorize after just a few readings. Therefore, the complex and lengthy grammar that is common in high society is unsuitable."
He raised his voice. "I propose simplifying the Aldor language textbooks."
"Simplifying?" Everyone looked confused.
"Yes, simplify!"
"First, change the complex, lengthy traditional grammar into a simpler, more direct style, like spoken language."
"Second, abbreviate overly complex words, keeping them under 10 letters so they're easy to spell and remember."
"These two measures would not only make it easier for students to learn, but they would also make it easier to format textbooks and save a lot of paper and ink. Although we might not save much on a single book, when printed in large quantities, the cost savings would be substantial."
"The other key point is that such simplified textbooks don't require highly educated teachers, which would help us quickly establish an education system."
After Paul finished speaking, the room fell silent.
"Nonsense!" Earl Walsh McKee broke the silence, his face turning pale with anger.
"Yes, this is absurd!"
"It's an insult to our beautiful Aldor language!"
"It's a disrespect to the precious heritage our ancestors left us!"
Many voices shouted in opposition, and bitter criticisms filled the room.
When the advisory council was first established, Rodney the Eighteenth had encouraged everyone to speak freely. After some time, people realized that the king was serious about this—at least, when it was just the advisory circle—so everyone began speaking without much restraint in these internal meetings.
"I'm just offering an idea. Whether it's implemented and how it's implemented is entirely up to your wise judgment," Paul said with a smile and a shrug, offering no further argument.
(End of the Chapter)
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