Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 37: Founding a School
In a simple and elegant reception room, there was a table with four chairs. On the walls to the left and right hung several oil paintings related to the church, and on the far wall was the emblem of the church — a yellow four-pointed star.
Owen sat calmly in one of the chairs, sipping tea as he waited. Mapel stood upright just behind his right side.
At that moment, the door to the room opened, and in walked a kindly looking elderly man, likely in his fifties. The high-ranking clerical robes he wore clearly identified him — it was Bishop Flynn.
“My apologies for keeping you waiting, Marquis Eisen.”
Bishop Flynn said with a polite smile.
“No problem at all, Bishop Flynn.”
Owen replied, quickly rising from his seat to show respect.
Bishop Flynn walked over and gestured for them to sit.
“Let’s sit and talk.”
“Of course.”
With that, the two of them sat across from each other at an elegant mahogany table.
After exchanging some pleasantries, the conversation turned to yesterday’s speech.
Regarding the lord’s decision, Bishop Flynn expressed full support for Bianshu Town.
With that pledge, Owen felt more at ease. As long as the church stood with him, it would help stabilize public sentiment — especially among the faithful.
They then discussed winter relief efforts in greater detail. Previously, Bishop Flynn had only given a verbal promise to help; now they worked on the practical plan to implement it.
Once those matters were covered, Owen steered the conversation to his true purpose for the visit.
“Bishop Flynn, I heard that your orphanage doesn’t merely raise children but also teaches them how to read. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Flynn affirmed.
He paused, then explained further:
“However, we only teach the children how to read the scriptures, since they are almost certainly going to become trainee clerics. If they couldn’t read, they wouldn’t be able to spread the greatness of the Lumichael Faith.”
Furthermore, those with magical talent would be trained to become high-ranking priests who could wield magic — or even Holy Knights, just like Theresa.
“I see.”
Owen nodded, now understanding. Then, he made his request.
“Bishop Flynn, I’d like to ask a favor.”
“What is it?”
The bishop asked.
“I’d like to borrow a few of your priests who are skilled at teaching reading and writing. Would that be possible?”
“If it’s just lending personnel, of course it’s possible.”
Flynn then speculated,
“Marquis Eisen, you’re planning to cultivate a group of literate people, aren’t you?”
“Exactly. I intend to found a school. You’ll provide the instructors, and I’ll supply all the necessary teaching materials and equipment.”
To ensure Bishop Flynn fully understood, Owen proceeded to explain his universal education plan in detail.
This winter, many townspeople would have little to do. Owen planned to gather them and divide them into children’s and adult classes, beginning with basic literacy instruction.
As for the physical school building, he would simply repurpose one of the abandoned noble estates — after all, those nobles had already fled, so there was no harm in putting their homes to good use.
This would just be the pilot phase.
Later, once the time was right, Irwin planned to promote free compulsory education throughout Bianshu Town —
All children under the age of fourteen would be required to attend school. In addition to literacy education, the curriculum would include arithmetic, basic science, physical education, and history.
Students would need to pass academic exams to receive a primary-level diploma in order to graduate.
And where there’s a primary diploma, there will naturally be intermediate and advanced diplomas as well.
However, to pursue those, students must pass entrance exams — after all, not everyone excels at studying. As long as they master the basics, there’s no need to force them into deeper education.
For adults who need to work during the day, Owen planned to open evening classes, which would also include exams, and those who passed would receive the same diploma certifications.
It was a noble and beautiful vision — but the reality was much harsher.
The priests provided by Bishop Flynn might only be able to teach basic literacy. This meant Owen would have to personally train them to become the town’s first qualified teachers.
Moreover, Winster had warned him: education is a bottomless pit for investment — the returns are not immediate and require long-term commitment to bear fruit.
While Bishop Flynn followed the explanation at first, as Irwin got deeper into the details, he began to feel confused. For instance, what exactly was basic science? That concept was completely foreign to him.
Even so, it didn’t stop him from grasping the essence of the universal education plan. Clearly, this was a massive and time-consuming undertaking.
What he didn’t understand was why the lord was going to so much trouble for something that seemed so pointless.
“Marquis Eisen, your people barely use written language in their daily lives. Will they even want to learn?”
“Maybe not now. But they’ll need it in the future.”
He explained that starting next spring, he planned to build a large number of factories in Bianshu Town, which would require a highly skilled workforce. Only those with a basic education would be qualified to take on those jobs.
As for whether the townspeople would be willing to study — once the monthly salaries of factory workers were made public and the right messaging was delivered, Irwin believed they’d be eager to learn.
“Uh… what’s a factory?”
Bishop Flynn was clearly baffled. The lord kept using strange new words he’d never heard before.
“Sorry, I should’ve explained that.”
Having been around Winston so long, Owen had picked up many modern terms — and had momentarily forgotten that others in this world had no idea what they meant.
So, what is a factory? It’s a large industrial building where goods are mass-produced, often using machines on a production line.
Of course, Owen couldn’t explain it in those terms. He had to relate it to things that made sense in this world.
“A factory is basically a super-sized workshop. A large group of people works together inside to mass-produce the same goods.”
“Ah… I see.”
Bishop Flynn stroked his beard.
“So, in other words, you’ll promise to provide many well-paying jobs — jobs that will require knowledge taught at the school?”
“That’s more or less it.”
Owen nodded.
At last, Bishop Flynn fully understood the lord’s intentions — it had taken quite a bit of explanation.
“Very well, Marquis Eisen. We will assign you five priests skilled in teaching.”
The bishop agreed.
“Also, would it be possible to enroll the children from the orphanage into the children’s class you mentioned?”
“No problem at all, Bishop Flynn. And thank you for your support.”
The two then discussed the matter in greater detail, including compensation — after all, the church wouldn’t be providing this service for free.
“Oh, right!”
Owen suddenly remembered something else important.
“Bishop Flynn, I’ve issued a conscription order to form a militia. This unit will receive nightly cultural education sessions. Please send one priest to meet with me — I’ll need to personally explain the content of that training.”
“Huh? They need literacy training to fight undead monsters?”
Bishop Flynn asked, clearly confused — and skeptical.
He didn’t know much about combat, but this seemed irrelevant.
“Of course. A truly powerful and elite force is also one that’s educated.”
That line wasn’t something Owen made up — it was something Winston had told him.