Chapter 340 What Magi Would Be Happy About
"What does Uncle Edward think wealth is?"
"Well, it must be having assets. Money and goods."
"Is it enough for just the lord to have assets?"
"No, not just the lord; the common people should be wealthy too."
"So, if the common people have money, do you think they would be happy?"
"Of course, they would be happy!"
Edward answered without hesitation.
"Since you can think about the happiness of both the lord and the common people, I think you have a good character. But does having money really make people happy?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, if someone works from morning till night without a break and saves money, are they happy?"
"No, they would feel happy when they spend that money."
"But they might have to work so much that they don't have time to spend money. If they take a break to spend money, they might lose their job. Are they still happy then?"
"That is..."
At Sara's question, Edward fell silent and began to think.
"Now, let's say they finally have a day off to spend money. They might want to wear nice clothes and eat delicious food. But when they go to a clothing store, they get kicked out because it's 'not a place for dirty commoners.' Then, when they go to a diner in their usual clothes, they are told, 'We don't serve people who aren't dressed nicely.' Even though they have money, they aren't very happy, right?"
"Well, they could just go to a different store."
"That's true, but the important thing here is that 'even if you have money, there are times when you can't buy what you want or eat what you like.'."
"Such rude stores should be punished."
"Are you saying that the lord's order is to treat the poor fairly? But that would take away the right to choose customers from the shop."
"Hmm..."
"Well, let's say another kind shop sells nice clothes to that person. The diner wouldn't refuse them this time. But as soon as they sit at the table, other customers look at them and laugh, saying, 'How dare a poor commoner sit here.' Is that person happy?"
"Even with money, they wouldn't be very happy. But I think the problem lies with those who mock someone who worked hard to earn their money."
"Oh, I thought Uncle Edward would say something like, 'Commoners should spend their money wisely'."
"What do you think I am?!"
"A noble supremacist?"
Edward slumped his shoulders in disappointment.
"Let's think a bit more. Some people might want to enjoy their hobbies now that they've saved up some money. For example, they might want to see a really interesting play and get curious about the story it's based on."
"That sounds likely."
"But if that person can't read, even if they have the original book, would they be happy if they can't understand it? Having money to buy the book doesn't help if they lack the knowledge to enjoy it."
"They could just find another hobby."
"What if they travel abroad but can't understand the language? Or they want to play an instrument but don't know how? They want to ride a horse but don't know how to ride? They want to dance but have never learned properly... In other words, to enjoy hobbies, you often need to learn something first. A person who was once a poor commoner would have to give up all these hobbies. Is that happiness?"
"...So, are you going to establish a school?"
"That's definitely a valid reason. Knowledge and experience enrich our lives. I'm glad you understand, uncle."
Sara looked at Edward and smiled gently.
"Happiness comes in many forms. While being materially wealthy is important, there are many other factors like being healthy, having good relationships with family and friends, not facing unfair discrimination, and being able to receive an education. No lord can make everyone happy. A lord must decide what to focus on in their territory and what kind of land they want to aim for. It's not something a simple merchant like me should interfere with. I can share my opinions, but I'm just an amateur when it comes to administration."
"If Sara is an amateur, then what does that make me...?"
"There are so many things that need to be done, and I can't do them all. As my father said earlier, we have to prioritize and tackle what we can. If uncle thinks he should follow the same path as my grandfather, that's fine, and if he thinks differently, he can choose another way. In fact, it seems my grandfather sought a different path than my great-grandfather. After all, he was the one who closed Paracelsus's laboratory."
"Sara, please don't say that. I know it's a mistake myself."
Marquis Grandchester, who had been quietly listening until then, showed an awkward expression at Sara's remark.
"I'm not sure if it's a mistake or not. Since Rihito was already asleep, I think it's natural to close the lab without a master. Besides, Rihito himself says he's tired, but it's clear that the real reason he fell asleep is because great-grandfather hid information about the medicine for the fever. If that's the case, there might have been a problem with great-grandfather's methods. No one knows the right answer, but since it was decided by my grandfather as the lord, please act with confidence."
"That's true... Edward, you don't have to force yourself to carry on my ambitions. Just govern the territory in the way you think is best. But remember, the lord exists to protect the people, and that is something you must never forget."
"Yes. But for that, I need to understand how Father governs. Please teach me."
"Of course. I'm sorry for neglecting it until now. Robert, you also need to govern your territory as Viscount Astley. Shall we learn together?"
"Yes, let's do that."
"But Sara, can you at least teach me how to make money?"
"Both grandfather and uncle talk about making money easily, but when you get serious about it, it's quite complicated. Everyone (grandfather, Edward, Robert), didn't you take economics classes at the academy?"
"I took the course, but I didn't earn the credits."
"I didn't even take the course."
"I graduated from the knight program."
"...I see. That's a problem before I can teach you. If you really want to learn, you should take basic education from Mister Thomas. He's an expert in that area. That said, I can predict that you two might not have the time for that, so if you consult me, I can help you think things through."
"That would be fine."
Edward leaned forward and tightly grasped Sara's right hand with both of his.
"Sara, please. I don't want to be a lord who brings misfortune to my people."
"I-I understand, so please let go! Actually, I've started teaching Chloe and Chris the basics of accounting. If Uncle Edward doesn't mind learning from his own children, you should start with them. They are both excellent, so they should be able to explain it well to you. It will also be a good review for them, so it's a win-win!"
"I already have credits in accounting from the academy."
"The new bookkeeping system is based on better content than what the academy offers. First, you need to understand the flow of money necessary for governance. We can talk about the rest after that."
Then Robert chimed in.
"Sara, I want to learn that too!"
"But you already use it, right?"
"I learned it on the fly, so I think there are many gaps. I want to learn it properly."
Looking closely, Sara noticed that bureaucrats behind Robert were also peeking at her with keen interest.
"Could it be that everyone wants to learn accounting too?"
"I want to!"
"Me too!"
James and Benjamin eagerly responded.
"Hmm. I do have a curriculum prepared for the employees of the Sophia Merchant Guild. It's a one-hour study session after work, but..."
"That sounds good. Is there a problem?"
"The teacher is a golem, is that okay? Well, Mister Thomas handled the lessons for the golem, so the quality of the content should be high."
"Does that mean we can take classes from Mr. Thomas Tyler, the former elite palace bureaucrat, through the golem?"
James reacted.
"Well, that's how it is. He's also the one who compiled the textbooks."
"That's amazing. I heard he was called a genius at the academy. It's a shame he had so much trouble because of his pretty face, but I think his skills are real. A friend of mine who stayed at the academy praised him a lot."
"But it's really just the basics, okay? After learning how to fill out ledgers and do calculations, you'll learn the flow of accounting work. You'll learn to create financial statements and reports, but you all can probably do that already, right?"
"That's true, but by studying it properly, we might discover something new."
"I see. Then, should we also prepare textbooks on financial analysis and accounting audits? Since you all aren't from merchant families or guilds, I don't think you need knowledge about industrial bookkeeping... um, like cost accounting. You probably know more about financial laws and tax systems than I do, so you can skip that too."
After discussing this, Sara thought for a moment.
"Hmm. Who should I collect the tuition from? It seems strange to do charity work with a bureaucrat."
"In that case, let's pay from the territory's budget. Improving the bureaucrat's abilities is also for the benefit of the territory."
Marquis Grandchester answered Sara's question.
"If that's the case, there's no problem. I'll send a golem from the Sophia Merchant Guild. This time, I'll only charge for the actual costs, like the textbook fees. But in return, could you please let me view the materials about the Ancestor? I can't access them without the lord's permission, right?"
"Those are only allowed to be viewed by the direct male descendants of Grandchester, but I suppose I can allow Sara to see them."
"Thank you! By the way, can I also have the golem learn from them?"
"As long as you don't carelessly leak anything to the outside, it's fine."
"I'll keep it a secret."
'There might be something interesting written there. Magi would be super happy.'
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