Sorcery Monarch

Chapter 74: A Bustling Bay Village

 

Bay Village.

 

The Academy for Professional Training.

 

Though it was called an academy, it was more accurately just a large enclosed yard.

 

Over ten spacious warehouses had been converted into classrooms for teaching.

 

The academy was roughly divided into a preschool training class, a physical exercise class, and a skills training class—what Matthew referred to as the small, medium, and large classes.

 

In Matthew’s vision, training individuals to become professionals was only the first step; making them stronger was the core mission of this academy.

 

But that was a distant goal. For now, all Matthew needed to do was provide a space where these children could learn to read and grow.

 

This wasn’t without precedent; many lords before him had initiated similar educational efforts.

 

While most previous lords focused on training spellcasters, Matthew’s scope was simply broader.

 

His efforts would likely be seen as generous by many.

 

After all, the majority of the professionals trained here would be obligated to work for him for 20 years.

 

Even so, working for such a generous lord and securing an unshakeable “iron rice bowl” remained the greatest wish of every child and their family.

 

Matthew, who had once envied the stability of an "iron rice bowl," acknowledged its limitations and flaws, but the advantages outweighed them and greatly increased his control.

 

The more generous he was, the faster his territory would develop.

 

The more professionals there were, the stronger he became, which in turn justified even greater generosity!

 

It was a win-win, with Matthew winning at least twice!

 

Why wouldn’t he embrace it?

 

Steward Ralph quietly stood behind Matthew, reflecting on the grand troll bounty strategy that had taken over half a month to set up, deeply impressed by the lord's foresight.

 

Hearing the sound of training nearby, Ralph grew curious and, after some hesitation, asked:

 

“Why not let older professionals handle the teaching? After all, they must have a lot of experience…”

 

Pausing from his writing, Matthew looked outside at the uniform training, as orderly as workers on an assembly line, and chuckled as memories of his past came to mind:

 

“Young people are more moldable and obedient, as long as they follow orders.”

 

“Of course, the premise of all this is to genuinely provide them with a bright future.”

 

“Aside from meeting specific task goals, a pass rate of over 70%, and a bonus of 50 gold coins for every additional professional trained—it’s quite worth it…”

 

Ralph, already familiar with his lord’s method of using money as a motivator, was nonetheless always intrigued by the objectives and approaches Matthew chose each time.

 

Ralph could imagine it.

 

With honor and the prestige of respect as a lure, and extremely generous rewards as support.

 

These young professionals with potential but low starting points would surely work tirelessly to train the children well.

 

As for Matthew's mention of "ideological construction," Ralph considered it somewhat unnecessary.

 

“A rare and extraordinary lord like you is bound to be loved by all your people, isn’t loyalty already a given?”

 

Naturally, Matthew didn’t explain this point to Ralph—changing deeply ingrained beliefs wasn’t something that could be achieved in a few words.

 

Instead, Matthew was planning the next steps for the “Troll Bounty,” figuring out how to maximize its impact.

 

March 16th, light rain.

 

Ralph and Old Village Chief Field scolded some villagers trying to head out for work, putting a stop to their “crazy” ideas.

 

Catching colds and fevers was no joke—it would end up costing them more than they gained.

 

After days of hard work, everyone finally relaxed and, to their surprise, noticed something new.

 

The transformation was not just limited to the wilderness beyond the village, nor to the tall factories being built.

 

The buildings inside the village had undergone significant changes too.

 

Paved stone roads now lined both sides of the village, with drainage ditches carrying waste away, ensuring the roads wouldn’t turn to muddy swamps after rain.

 

Rows of 20 to 30 newly built wooden houses lined the streets.

 

Extended eaves along the street offered covered walkways, allowing people to walk through the village even in the rain.

 

Each house served as a shop, selling various goods.

 

From brand-new furniture and chairs to everyday household items like needles and bowls, everything was for sale in these shops.

 

And, at Matthew’s direction, most of the goods were sold at relatively low prices.

 

Maintaining a modest profit without needing to subsidize anything.

 

Matthew hadn’t opted for more advanced production methods.

 

Simply because Bay Village’s market was too small to handle such immense pressure.

 

The people of Bay Village, now earning money and free from the fear of hunger, generously purchased furniture for their homes and clothing for their families.

 

The entire village became bustling with activity.

 

In just over half a month.

 

Under the leadership of their lord, Bay Village had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.

 

Life had changed from hunger to one where no one worried about their next meal.

 

Only now did everyone realize how much their lord had done for them, without them even noticing.

 

And all they had to do was follow the lord’s orders, put in the same effort they always had, and reap completely different results!

 

How could they not be excited?

 

Not only were the streets bustling, but the taverns along the roads were packed with business.

 

Adventurers, flush with success, were celebrating gleefully, throwing around gold coins and indulging in food and drink.

 

If there was one regret, it was that Bay Village didn’t offer any women for entertainment.

 

A territory that didn’t deal in that kind of business was baffling to many adventurers.

 

But since the lord of the land was an arcanist, and a particularly generous one at that, most put aside this minor disappointment.

 

In just two days, the adventurers had captured a total of 20 trolls, losing only two people, and earned over 1,000 gold coins in bounties.

 

Every adventurer walked away with at least 2 or 3 gold coins, the equivalent of a month or two of hard-earned income, often with much greater risks.

 

How could they not be thrilled?

 

If it weren’t for the rain today, the remaining isolated trolls would have been captured too, leaving only those in the deeper, more dangerous parts of the forest.

 

Even so, the adventurers, led by Alice and other team captains, were already planning how to capture more trolls deeper in the Gloomy Forest.

 

Such a golden opportunity—how could they let it slip by?

 

“Ever since the empire abandoned expansion in the northeast, Bay Village hasn’t seen such activity in a long time…”

 

Standing on the wall, Old Village Chief Field smiled as he watched the scene before him.

 

Steward Ralph, brimming with confidence, imagined the grandeur of Senna City and, gazing at the approaching convoy in the distance, smiled and said:

 

“It’ll only get livelier here. Let’s go welcome Adam Smith; this tireless merchant has brought us more good things.”

 

In the misty rain, a caravan, larger than before, slowly approached Bay Village.