Steel and Mana

Chapter 318 – Orin’s Tour (2)

Chapter 318 – Orin’s Tour (2)

Strolling through the city, Orin watched as people in the city preferred to have a permanent place, their own shops, instead of quickly put together stalls, covering the streets like in Aldrim. Something like this in an Atuvian city was only a possibility for the wealthier families. Those who had their own caravan businesses and connections. Yet here, it was the norm, and he had already realized that many of these shops were also functioning as the homes of those running them, with the second floor serving as their living space. His steps were taking him past one displaying books, their leather spines crafted masterfully, the titles of the books printed onto them in golden letters. He stopped there for a moment, marveling at the sheer variety available for people. Back home, books were usually treasures, hoarded by the wealthy or the clergy operating in Atuvia. Here, they were stacked high, with signs advertising prices even a common laborer back home could afford.

"Madam Lu...?" He mumbled, realizing that the books whose titles were printed in red signaled that they were for adults only. Then he noticed that people were readily buying them, which finally made him note down the most important conclusion. "Everyone is educated here..."

As a merchant and living in a country of traders, Atuvia's literacy was already high compared to other places. However, that didn't mean everyone mastered the art of reading or calculus. Why should a worker who had to carry the shipments from one end to the other be able to read more than he needed? He just had to recognize the letters and numbers he had been assigned to carry out his task. Same with the mercenaries they usually hire. It was enough if their leader could read a letter; those others who died fighting bandits had to only know how to hack and slash.

"We must do something about it," Orin muttered, his eyes flashing. "I will need to speak about this with Dad. The people here are the worst customers!" He laughed, thinking about it, "They can read and count, countering our greatest advantage... Hopefully, not many of ours tried to swindle Avalonians, or Dad will have a bad time tomorrow."

Thinking about it, Orin turned down a side street and found himself in what appeared to be a schoolyard. Children of all ages milled about, some playing games in the snow, others clustering around a teacher who was drawing something on the ground into the snow. Orin paused for a little, watching. The teacher—a man with a thick coat and a thoughtful face—was explaining some kind of game based on arithmetic... Or was it a rhythm game? Because, just as he thought about it, the children started hopping on the drawn squares while counting loudly.

“Are you lost?”

The voice startled Orin. He turned to see a younger boy, close to his age, perhaps fifteen, wearing a fluffy jacket and a colorful scarf wrapped tightly around his neck.

“No,” he answered quickly. “Just... curious. Is this a school?”

“The newest." The boy nodded. "We are big on teaching ourselves, and the Sovereign began introducing split schools, separating them into elementary and high school education. As we call it. I heard that there will be a third one, called university too, but that is for the brilliant ones!"

"I see... So... is this an...?"

"Elementary. It is always open because kids need a place to be if their parents are working. Also, every child has to go here until they’re at least fourteen. After that, it’s up to them. High school wasn't made mandatory anymore, but I know nobody who skipped it.” He grinned, "I just started there last year; it is the original school where the Prime Minister was the first teacher. Although he no longer holds regular classes, only a few ones at grand occasions, his duties are numerous, after all!"

"Incredible... Sorry to ask so many questions; it is just new to me! But please, tell me..." Orin frowned a little. “Even poor children must learn? How are they paying for the tutors?”

"Ahaha!" The boy laughed out after hearing him speak, making Orin further furrow his brows. “First, it's free. Second, poor children especially have to come here. That’s the point. How else are they supposed to make something of themselves?”

“That’s... different,” Orin murmured. Back home, education was a privilege reserved for those who could afford the price of the few tutors available. The idea of teaching every child, regardless of their station, was almost an absurd idea. And yet, looking at these children, he couldn’t deny the logic. No wonder every Avalonian he saw was confident and capable. They would grow up to be something more than farmhands, dock workers, or mercenaries.

“It works,” the boy said as if reading his thoughts. “My dad’s a machinist now, driving the train that goes to the Silver Region and back. He grew up in a village with nothing. But he came here, learned to read, and got a job at one of the factories building the train, and then... Well, he is now in charge of one. We’ve got a warm house, food, and everything we need, and I have already submitted my application to be an army mechanic after school. Life is good here, Mister. You should consider becoming one of us.”

“That sounds... incredible.”

“It’s just Avalon." The boy shrugged. "Where are you from?”

“Atuvia,” Orin said, finally turning away from the schoolyard.

"Paxon has caught something interesting."

"Krel's Toys..." She muttered, reading the report's opening title.

"We got someone who may not even realize what he had done."

"Something bad?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at me.

"Not at all! Quite the contrary." I chuckled, stroking my sleeping children's heads. "Keep on reading."

I let her go through it without interrupting her thoughts, watching as she pursed her lips, going back and forth and checking some of Minister Paxon's comments within the report.

"He really did manage to create a walking toy?"

"Seems like it. I told them to bring one back for me to see, but it turns out he is out of stock. He was noticed because of the request he submitted to the Ministry, asking for a loan to expand his business. When it reached Paxon's ear, he realized its importance and immediately put together a survey to bring to me. I already checked the toy, too."

"You said he had none."

"But Dorian did. He bought one, so I visited him to see it in action. It is a marvelous little thing."

"It is more than that, isn't it?" She chuckled, looking at the grin on my face. "Reproducing something at this scale... What do you think? Would Kraus and his team be capable of replicating it?"

"With the blueprints? Yes. Still, our dear Krel had done it alone because he wanted to make a great toy. Nobody seemed to think anything about it until it reached Paxon's eyes, and he saw the opportunity. And the seriousness of the situation."

"Miniaturization," Sasha muttered, making me nod my head. "You did tell me that everything gets smaller as time goes on."

"Usually. Now... I am not saying that what he did was replicating our mechs at all, and he was selling Avalon's secrets. That would be simply impossible." I chortled, watching her thinking expression, "But his toys will surely inspire some other talented group wherever his toys end up."

"Will you stop him from selling them?"

"I don't know yet." I shrugged, leaning my head back, "I thought about it. I would reimburse him for the unfulfilled contracts and restrict him to only doing business with locals. On the other hand... his toys work via steam. I already sold tractors to Atuvia, so..."

"What they would gain from his toys is his craftsmanship. The insight on how to work it at that scale. Although they would still need proper tools... And they are struggling with creating a working copy of our tractors."

"That's why I don't know what to do with him. Haaah... I will ask the Ministers for their opinions. But first, I will meet with Alvor tomorrow. Then, I intend to talk with our toymaker. Let us see how his head works... He made me very curious about what kind of man he is."