Chapter 57 It'S Unavoidable
After putting the cutlery back in its original shape and placing it on the table, Marquis and Robert let out a sigh of relief at the same time.
"I apologize. I didn't mean to surprise you."
'That's a lie. I was clearly trying to surprise them.'
"I didn't mean to look down on women, but it seems I've made you angry, Sara."
"To be honest, it's unpleasant, but I understand that it's unavoidable. In that world, women have been discriminated against for a long time. To be precise, discrimination still remains. Many women are still forced to live in unhappy circumstances."
"Hmm."
"I still want to prove the value of women within my capabilities."
"Well, let's see you try."
A faint smile floated on Marquis's lips. His expression was so similar to Arthur's that Sara's heart skipped a beat.
'That's right. Even if I have memories of my past life, I'm still Sara. I'm Grandfather's granddaughter and Father's daughter.'
"In my past life, I was blessed. In the country where I was born, all citizens, both men and women, have the right to receive education from the age of 7 to 16, and it's compulsory for parents to educate their children."
"Nine years?!"
"That's right. Children have the right to receive education, and parents have the duty to educate their children. Of course, not all countries are like that, so I can say I was lucky to be born in this country."
Robert's eyes widened in surprise.
"Even after completing compulsory education, most children attend higher education schools for 3 years and then receive specialized education."
"Is it a country where everyone becomes a scholar?"
"Most people become employees of organizations like merchant guilds, while some take up bureaucratic posts, or become pharmacists, and so on. They learn various things, discover their aptitude, and develop their abilities for their future dreams."
"Is it like in the Academy, where we choose our majors in the second year?"
"I think it's similar. So, we can develop ourabilities and freely choose from various occupations. Moreover, the law prohibits employers from discriminating based on gender when hiring. They must decide based solely on ability."
'Well, it's not like it's always followed, but... Clearly, the ratio of men to women differs between comprehensive and general occupations.'
"So, how much education did you receive, Sara?"
"I finished compulsory education, then received 3 years of higher education and 4 years of specialized education, joined a merchant guild, and worked abroad while receiving 2 more years of specialized education."
"Wait, so you received 18 years of education?"
"Exactly. Before compulsory education, I attended a nursery school for about 3 years, and while receiving compulsory and higher education, I also attended a private academy."
'Well, aside from the 2 years of business school after getting a job, it's pretty normal, right?'
"That's because your ability is high. You studied many times harder than us, huh?"
"But isn't education a waste for all citizens? Farmers don't need to study, do they?"
At that moment, Sara remembered something very important.
'No, this isn't the time for this conversation!'
"No, Grandfather. Education is absolutely necessary for farmers too. Right now, the wheat in our territory is being affected by a disease. If we don't take action immediately, the damage could spread throughout the territory."
"What's going on!"
Marquis stood up in a panic.
"Did you plan to reveal that you're a reincarnator because of this, Sara?"
"No, I just gave up on hiding my ability, but I didn't plan to reveal that I'm a reincarnator. In fact, I hadn't told Uncle or Miss Rebecca about it either. I didn't think they would believe me if I told them."
"Well, that's true. If I weren't the head of Grandchester, I wouldn't have believed it either."
"I really wanted to keep it hidden as much as possible. I want to live peacefully, grow up, and become independent."
"What's going on! You plan to leave Grandchester?"
'Ah, his reaction is just like Uncle's. As expected of family.'
"Yes, I'm a commoner, so I'll probably end up like that, right?"
"Ah, that's right."
'Hey, wait a minute. Did he forget?'
"Let's talk about that later. There are too many urgent matters that need attention, and it seems like we'll have to take drastic measures."
"Hmm, you judged that it's hard to keep it hidden, right?"
"I apologize for keeping it hidden. Grandfather."
"Well, it's fine. Is that also part of the 'later' conversation?"
"U, ah, yes. That's right."
Robert pulled out a box containing the infected wheat from beside him, apparently brought for the Marquis to see.
"Father, this is the wheat infected with the disease."
"What's this black seed?"
Sara explained about the wheat smut fungus to the Marquis, just like she had to the bureaucrats.
"Was there wheat smut fungus in the previous world too?"
"Yes. However, since technology advanced in that world, there was almost no damage."
"I see."
"Most of the wheat cultivated in this field will have to be disposed of. We're also concerned about soil contamination, so we shouldn't cultivate wheat next year either. We were lucky to discover it this time, but we can't assume there's no damage in other regions, so an investigation is necessary. If we leave it alone, the wheat in Grandchester territory might be wiped out."
"What! Is it that serious?"
Although Sara might have exaggerated a bit, stopping the wheat smut fungus contamination was crucial, so she decided to continue emphasizing the crisis.
"But, the farmers who cultivated the wheat will resist disposing of it. And if we prohibit wheat cultivation next year as well, it'll be even more troublesome. If we suddenly say there's a wheat epidemic, the farmers probably won't understand. They don't know, so it's natural, right?"
"Is that why farmers need education too?"
"If they can't understand the reason for disposing of the wheat they grew, they'll think the lord is being unreasonable. There might be farmers who are afraid of disposal and don't report the outbreak of the disease. If that happens, all we can expect is tragedy."
"But we'll compensate for the disposed wheat, won't we?"
"Do you think the notification will be conveyed correctly? It's probably written in a document, right? I wonder how many farmers can read that. Of course, the bureaucrats will explain it, and there might be someone who can represent the farmers. But I don't think they can repeat the explanation until everyone understands."
"I see what Sara is saying. As a lord, I might not truly understand the lives of my people."
It's easy to deny the Marquis's muttering. As his grandchild, Sara could comfort him by saying, "That's not true, Grandfather. You're doing your best." But Sara didn't offer any comfort. Being a lord isn't that sweet, and the power to decide the lives of the people is in the lord's hands.
"By the way, Grandfather, what do you think we should do to increase our national power?"
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