Chapter 3: Ludwig... Is Moved to the Core!

“The Greenmoons have, after all, always shown a strong inclination to look down on commoners. I suspect this is their way of protesting Your Highness’s planned policy of opening the academy’s doors to all people, whether noble or common. Unfortunately, a good number of nobles seem to support their stance, and the situation is rather dire.”

With access to a large fleet of sailing vessels, the Greenmoons had long maintained close ties with nations across the seas. Their experiences abroad exposed their ancestors to a great deal of foreign know-how, leading to them being among the first to recognize the usefulness of accruing knowledge. Ever since then, the Greenmoons had actively invested in scholarly pursuits, resulting in their outsized influence on the empire’s academic circles. The Duke’s ability to sway the opinions of scholars could not be overstated. Furthermore, their stance in this matter ended up becoming a rallying cry for all those nobles who thought ill of Mia and her magnanimous attitude toward commoners. And there were a lot of them. Even for the ones who were publicly neutral, it would come as little surprise if a good number of them were secretly offering the Duke their support.

Of course, it wasn’t all a pile of noxious self-importance in the Tearmoon nobility. Officials who retained some shred of morality were in favor of Mia’s endeavors, and their help was what kept information about the Greenmoons’ meddling flowing to Ludwig.

“And what about the rest of the Four Dukes? Any news on them?”

“Redmoon and Yellowmoon have both adopted a wait and watch approach. Only Bluemoon has pledged monetary assistance, and it’s quite the sum, actually.”

“Oh? Have they now? That’s surprising...”

Granted, considering Sapphias was now a member of the student council, the pledge felt like the kind of thing that carried the nuance of “Here’s a little something for you. Hoping to hear good things about the boy’s experience there.”

“Or maybe I should see this as an attempt from the Serpents to slither closer to me...” she said contemplatively to herself. “Either way, if he’s going to take my side for now, then he’s more than welcome. I’ll take all the help I can get.”

“Indeed. Thanks to them, funding is of no immediate concern to us. As for the building itself, Viscount Berman has taken the initiative to oversee its construction, so that’s proceeding smoothly for the time being as well.”

“My, a second surprise. I thought for sure getting him to cooperate was going to be like pulling teeth.”

She issued a silent apology to the Viscount for slandering him in her mind.

“Still... What in the moons are we going to do about this?”

“What indeed. It seems to me we have only two options. Either we persuade them again, or we start looking for new candidates.”

His statement was true, but it was also far easier said than done.

“Now there are some options that will be like pulling teeth... I doubt there are a whole lot of potential teachers willing to challenge Greenmoon’s influence— Hm? Wait a minute. Greenmoon’s influence? Why do I feel like this topic came up recently... I was talking to someone not under Greenmoon’s influence... Who was it again?”

With audible effort, she swam back up the recent stream of memories until she reached the one she was looking for.

Ah, now I remember. Rania’s sister is a botany teacher... And the Perujin king is trying to marry her off to some noble somewhere to strengthen national ties... I wonder if she’d be willing to come to my academy to teach? Maybe if I ask really nicely...

Even from a diplomatic perspective, it seemed a far better option than marrying some random noble. After all, when it came to strengthening ties, which could be more important than the one with herself, the Princess of Tearmoon? Besides, it wasn’t going to be a decades-long stint or anything. She could teach for two or three years, and if she really wanted to get married, she could just resign afterward. That way, even if Mia had to look for a replacement, she’d have much more time to do so, making everything a lot less stressful.

Also, I need someone who can teach botany so Cyril will learn enough to develop that new strain of wheat.

The more she thought about it, the better an idea it seemed. Before she knew it, a wide grin had spread across her lips.

“Ludwig, about the whole looking for new lecturers issue. I have someone in mind whom I think would make a great candidate.”

“Is that so? Who is it?”

“The Second Princess of Perujin Agricultural Country, Arshia Tafrif Perujin. I believe she studied botany at Saint-Noel...and just so happens to be looking for a place where she can put her knowledge to good use. She,” Mia declared with supreme confidence, “will be the perfect addition to my academy.”

Upon hearing the candidate’s name and area of expertise, Ludwig drew in a sharp breath.

Does this mean... Yes, it has to... So that is indeed Her Highness’s intention...

To welcome the princess of an agricultural country in the capacity of a botany teacher could only mean one thing.

The toxic belief that has been festering within the empire for so long... She means to fight it head on! This is it! She’s declaring war against anti-agriculturalism!

Now that he thought about it, the best method of eradicating irrational prejudices and superstitions was indeed education. Through the academy city project, Mia intended to solve the empire’s biggest problem once and for all!

Pure energy surged through every fiber of his being, as if lightning had struck him through from head to toe. His heart started racing. Goosebumps appeared on his skin. He shook, moved with excitement and admiration.

This... This is why she is the Great Sage of the Empire! Ah, as if there had ever been any doubt... This ailing empire of ours is in steep decline, but all is not lost, for the heavens saw fit to confer upon us an angel of wisdom in the form of Her Highness!

He regarded Mia, his wide eyes marveling at the pair of wings spreading from her back, each imbued with the celestial glow of moonlight. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was visualizing a metaphor. Probably. Either way, he felt both deeply blessed and immensely proud to work under the direction of such a transcendent entity. So profound were the emotions welling up from within that despite himself, he broke out in a bout of rolling laughter.

“Ha ha... Aha ha ha! So that’s it! Your Highness already has someone in mind. Of course.”

“Well, I haven’t exactly discussed it with her. Not directly, anyway. Also, we’re going to need more than one teacher...and I have no idea what we’re going to do about the headmaster. We have to choose carefully, since they’re going to be the face of the academy... Ugh, this is going to be a headache.”

Her concerns were quite legitimate. They’d planned for Count Bachmann—a renowned intellectual in the empire—to take the headmaster’s seat, hoping his reputation would attract further talent. And he did, in fact, have the intended effect; a few of the lecturers signed on mentioned they were drawn by his name. This demonstrated the necessity of having a well-known figure preside over the teaching staff, to which end...

“Regarding that... I have an idea, though it might take some work. May I have your permission to handle this matter?”

“Certainly. I assume you have some candidates in mind?”

“Just one. To be honest, I had my reservations about this person, but after witnessing Your Highness’s ambition and resolve, I’ve made up my mind. I shall meet this challenge head on.”

“A-Ambition? Resolve? E-Erm, well, as long as you’ve made up your mind, I suppose. Who are we talking about?”

Ludwig closed his eyes. After a long, quiet moment, he said in a soft voice, “The man who taught me all I know. My master.”