Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 304: Chapter 228: Inspection_2

She grew increasingly interested in Lance and couldn’t help but keep asking Boudica about their experiences together.

「...」

”Those potions did have an effect. The patients’ conditions have all stabilized, but I sense there are anesthetic components...” Paracelsus said, flipping through her records as she reported to Lance.

Although she didn’t want to admit it, the Witch had indeed managed to control the worsening of the plague.

However, Paracelsus, with her strong competitive nature, didn’t think it was that simple. She believed that, given more time, she could have solved the problem too.

For this reason, she made another request. ”I want to apply for human experiments.”

When Lance heard this, he felt a headache coming on. No amount of prisoners would be enough for her experiments.

Yet, Lance understood that research undoubtedly requires material consumption. After a few seconds of silence, he added, ”Do you remember the lab rats I told you about? Start with those little mice. Once we confirm the situation, then we can verify with human subjects.”

Lance was very farsighted. He knew that the consumption of experimental subjects would be huge regardless, so he had previously arranged for people to catch rats near the granary.

However, there was a risk that viruses carried by those rats could spread to humans. The mice used for experiments definitely couldn’t be those wild ones; they needed to be domesticated to obtain purebred white mice.

But now that Paracelsus was so set on it, he decided to leave this task to her, partly to distract her.

I also need to find a way to get more test subjects; there aren’t many left in the sanatorium.

After sending her out, he looked up outside. The sun had already risen. It should be past seven. Considering he usually woke up at five, he had slept in today.

After several consecutive days of hard charging, his teammates had taken turns resting. Although they were still tired, they’d had some rest. He, however, hadn’t rested at all. Only after finally dealing with the Witch, when things had calmed down a bit, did he dare to sleep an extra couple of hours.

Only someone like him, who could control his body at will, could endure it; otherwise, such high-intensity work would have killed him long ago.

Since he was already up, he had no intention of lazing about any further.

Wang Cai was gnawing on a bone, sharpening its teeth. It ate an entire chicken or five pounds of fish daily. Sometimes, when pigs or sheep were slaughtered, it could even scrounge some bones to vary its diet. It ate even better than he did.

”Let’s go, take a walk outside.”

Lance called out, and Wang Cai immediately dropped the bone and ran over.

Lance strolled around the town, partly as an inspection and partly as a leisurely walk.

Wang Cai followed beside him, its wolf-like eyes scanning everything as if surveying its own territory.

The pair of them looked like a profligate young master letting his vicious dog run rampant.

However, the surrounding townspeople didn’t react much; they had long grown accustomed to Wang Cai’s presence.

Initially, the townspeople had been very afraid of the white wolf, as wild animals signified danger to them.

However, after learning it was the Lord’s companion, they weren’t as scared. Since it had never bitten anyone, they gradually adapted to its presence.

Lance arrived at the school, which had been partly converted from a Church building.

The front prayer hall had been converted into an auditorium, while the adjoining buildings at the back were transformed into the school and student dormitories.

Most of the orphans he rescued, as well as other children from the town, were here.

Children aged three to six attended kindergarten. This was essentially centralized childcare to free up parents for labor, supplemented with simple basic education.

From six to nine, they attended elementary school, where they began learning literacy, numbers, and simple arithmetic. Of course, physical exercise was also essential.

From nine to thirteen was when truly important matters began. They started specialized subjects, the intensity of their studies increased, and they were required to take up apprenticeships, labor, and train.

At fourteen, they became adults. Lance selected the most talented among them, and the rest naturally filled the town’s labor needs.

That’s right; in an era where the average lifespan was only thirty to forty years, fourteen was considered adulthood.

However, the school wasn’t open to just anyone. Tuition was thirty copper coins a month—roughly one copper coin a day—but it included three meals, with eggs and milk provided.

Frankly, he lost a lot at this price. Even the teachers’ salaries required his subsidy to keep the school operating.

But his goal wasn’t to make money. He aimed to free their minds from the control of the Church... and replace it with his own.

All the textbooks were written by him. The growth of these individuals was Hamlet’s hope.

Of course, only the children of craftsmen could typically afford to attend, as their parents’ combined daily income of six or seven copper coins was needed to cover the cost.

Orphans, on the other hand, needed to work for him to repay their loans after reaching adulthood.

As for the peasants, Lance had also made student loans available, lending them money for schooling, with boarding options as well.

However, not many peasants could bring themselves to do it. Only a few chose to take out loans to send their children—all of them boys—to school.

The majority preferred their children to grow up quickly to help with farming, and for girls to marry off early to avoid ’wasting’ food. This even led to the outrageous situation of ten-year-olds being married off.

One shouldn’t overestimate the mindset of the lower classes in this era. The Church and the Empire had taught them only obedience, never to think, let alone broaden their horizons.

Lance knew this but didn’t intervene, merely stipulating a minimum marriage age of fourteen.

Changing mindsets has to start with this generation. Besides, I need people to farm, and the town doesn’t have enough jobs for all the graduates.

Sometimes, a person’s future is already determined by the previous generation...

Lance hadn’t eaten breakfast when he came out. Since the school’s morning exercises had just ended and it was mealtime, he decided to eat there. It was also a good chance to make a surprise inspection and see if anyone dared to skimp on the students’ food.

His entrance into the dining hall caused some commotion. All the students recognized Lance; they knew their Lord had saved them and delivered them from suffering.

Lance, though, didn’t put on airs. He simply sat among them and ate the same food.

The hardships that pervaded their childhoods had made these children more mature than their peers. Their eyes lacked childlike innocence, instead showing restraint and a cautiousness, as if they feared angering an adult with any misstep.

Lance had known hardship as a child and understood the cost of being ’sensible.’ It was nothing to be celebrated. Even he couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart. It’s too harsh...

But under the current conditions, he couldn’t afford any special treatment. Everyone had to contribute to Hamlet.

He didn’t hurry away. Instead, he stayed, trying to converse with them as gently as possible.

”Let me test you. What’s one thousand minus seven?”

”Nine hundred ninety-three,” a child promptly responded.

”Very good, that’s correct.” Lance looked over and recognized the child as Isaac, whom he had saved in Totnes.

He remembered him because the boy possessed Extraordinary Talent. Smiling, Lance gestured for him to come over. ”Come here.”

The child approached Lance with some apprehension, only daring to steal glances by slightly raising his head.

”I remember your name is Isaac, right? You must study hard in the future.” Lance smiled, patted the boy’s shoulder, then took out a copper coin and placed it in his hand. ”Remember, ’Mathematics decodes everything.’”

Isaac hadn’t expected the Lord to remember his name and was stunned for a moment. When he came to his senses, he looked at the copper coin in his hand, then clutched it tightly. Gazing at Lance, he murmured to himself, ”Mathematics decodes everything...”

Lance continued to pose various problems to test them, and the children grew more animated. They felt the power that knowledge brought—gaining the Lord’s attention and drawing envious glances from others.

When they realized their Lord wasn’t like a traditional member of the Nobility, they gradually relaxed, and the room filled with chatter.

Lance, however, didn’t feel the slightest bit annoyed and continued to interact with them warmly.

Talking with them didn’t require much skill. Children are inherently genuine, even those who have suffered. One only needed to be patient and calm to earn their trust and offer proper guidance.

He asked about any difficulties in their lives, any struggles with their studies, and whether the school staff treated them well—if there was any hitting or scolding...