Chapter 248 – Teachers
“Let’s have Orun train as a sorcerer together with Erin for now.”
The three children nodded, which concluded the discussion.
“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After quick goodbyes, I left the inn to finish my tasks for the day. But before that, I posted a job advertisement on one of the boards close to the city center. It was the correct approach since I was aiming for someone who could read and write to teach the children. The time was short since the recruitment would be the next morning, but I wasn’t worried. In Geola, rumors flew at high speed. As for available teachers, that was never an issue. On the contrary, getting some work was the problem in this medieval time. People with stable jobs were the lucky ones, while others had to find ways to survive or go do some farming in one of the surrounding villages. If it were a position that didn’t need any specific skill, I could literally snap my finger and get a hundred people instantly. For this one, I expected at least a few candidates to show up.
The next morning, I knocked on their door once again. As they opened it, I could see that a large part of their tension was gone. It seemed that sleeping in a decent and safe environment, with clean sheets and clothes after eating a good meal, had done wonders for their mood. If anything, they looked a bit excited about the day’s schedule.
“Are you ready to go out?”
“Yes! I’m ready!”
The always enthusiastic Orun made me smile. We went to the street, directly toward the place where I had put the job ad. There were already four people waiting in front of it when we arrived at the correct time.
“Hello, everyone. I’m the person who’s looking for someone to teach my children.”
The three kids were startled by my choice of words. The serious ambiance stopped them from saying something, though. The four candidates focused on me.
“As written, I’m looking for someone who can teach all common topics, including reading, writing, calculations, common knowledge, basic science, and so on. Can I assume you all fit those criteria?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. The salary is ten silvers per day. Teaching time is half a day every day, nine days a week. If you don’t mind waiting a little, I’d like to interview each of you quickly and choose one of you on the spot.”
They all approved, and I proceeded with it. It was time to use my people-judging skills to their maximum. The chosen person would be with the children for a long time, so they needed to be at least a little trustworthy. One person was swiftly eliminated in my mind since I could see they were lying about their qualifications. Another one was a nervous wreck and wouldn’t be a good fit with Erin, who wasn’t the most patient person in the world. I was left with the last two. They both had plenty of experience teaching children from rich merchants and commoners alike.
Their characters were the complete opposite, though. One was a gentle-looking old man, while the other was a strict-looking middle-aged woman. Both were fit for the position, but I ended up choosing the strict woman since education was all about forcing children to do things they didn’t like. Even though I hated it when it was my turn, I couldn’t deny that I reached my current level because of it. Of course, my experience wasn’t a very good reference since it was so extreme.
“Thank you for coming, everyone. I’ve decided to hire Mrs. Itfan here.”
The three that weren’t chosen let out disappointed sighs and left. Mrs. Itfan spoke next.
“Thank you for choosing me. You won’t regret it. Can I ask about the specific arrangements?”
“Yes. The teaching will happen at the inn where the children are staying, for now. The first floor has plenty of tables, so it shouldn’t be an issue. It’ll be in the morning, and I’ll pay for your lunch at the inn.”
“That’s generous of you.”
The salary was also above average, considering the short working time. That’s why I was able to recruit decent people on the spot.
“Do you have any other questions?”
“How long is the teaching period? And how much should I teach them?”
“There’s no limit to the teaching. I want you to teach them everything you know that can be useful in life.”
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Really? That could take years.”
“That’s fine. That doesn’t mean I want the pace to be relaxed, of course. Please work them hard. I’ll give you a bonus if I feel they’re learning enough.”
She nodded approvingly.
“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve never gone easy on children.”
I smiled meaningfully while the children looked at each other, suddenly worried. It would be their first time receiving strict education, and they would certainly suffer a bit at the start.
“Anything else?”
“No, it’s clear.”
“Great. We still have a bit of time before lunch. Do you mind giving them a short first lesson? I want to observe your methods.”
“Of course.”
We went to a few shops and bought some necessary items like papers, pencils, and a few books. The books were quite expensive, but the content was decent, so I didn’t mind paying for them. After that, we went to the inn and I observed the first lesson.
When Aren made a mistake almost immediately, Mrs. Itfan took a short wooden stick out. The children were bewildered, but I knew exactly what would happen.
“Give me your hand, Aren. Yes, like this, palm out.”
The boy obeyed innocently. Mrs. Itfan gave a violent strike of her stick on his palm.
“Ouch! Y-You hit me!”
“I did.”
“Tila! She hit me!”
His eyes were already a little teary from the pain.
“She did.”
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“That’s what education is all about. It’s not for fun, kids. You learn much better this way, trust me. Try not to make too many mistakes, hehehehe.”
My sadistic laugh made the children’s faces grow pale, Mrs. Itfan nodding approvingly next to them.
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