Iron Powder and Spellcaster

This was an ordinary day in early September. It had been more than half a month since there had been any wild beasts hurting anyone. It seemed that the wolf plague was completely over.

Life in Wolftown is gradually getting back on track, but in a way it will never go back to its original trajectory.

It has been more than a month since Winters took office, and he has gradually become familiar with and adapted to life in Wolf Town.

The days here are dull and quiet, and everyone around him is very friendly to him. Unknowingly, his salty fish attribute quietly awakened, and he began to have an idea: maybe settling down in this secluded town would be a good choice.

That afternoon, Winters returned directly to the town hall after leaving the carpenter's house.

After opening the door, Panweiche was still leaning on the table writing calculations as usual. Nodding in greeting, Winters walked into the office.

Girard was not in the town hall, and Rhett was the only one in the room. The old mendicant monk was dozing comfortably on the couch by the window.

Winters gave the recliner an angry kick. After a while, the old man slowly opened his eyes.

"Where are the people?" Winters asked.

"Did you sneak out to play?" Brother Rhett replied casually.

"You don't care?"

"Master leads me in, cultivation is personal. I have always been..." The old monk yawned and read a passage in an exotic language: "[Selika] Jiang Taigong fishes, and those who wish to take the bait will take the bait."

Winters couldn't understand the second half of what the old monk was saying, but he knew that arguing with the magician was a waste of words.

He walked out of the town hall angrily and shouted into the backyard: "Get over here!"

After a while, Bell was the first to come over dejectedly, then Angelou, and then... Pierre, the son of Mayor Mitchell.

The three and a half young men did not dare to look at Winters and tried their best to avoid the second lieutenant's sight. Winters captured them all and took them back to the town hall.

Brother Rhett coughed slightly and pretended to teach him a serious lesson: "[Selika] I have learned a lot and traveled thousands of miles. I condescend to come here to enlighten you. A few of you guys don't know how to cherish it. Little do you know that you can still have fun today. It will be too late to regret one day..."

"Who knows what you're talking about!" Winters couldn't help shouting: "Don't use a language that others can't understand without authorization!"

After getting to know each other for a long time, Winters discovered that the old stickman preferred to talk in Far Eastern languages, especially when he was drunk or trying to tease people.

"I accidentally used my native language, sorry, sorry." Brother Rhett's expression showed no apology: "But these boys neglected their homework, and Mr. Lieutenant, you are also responsible."

"What's my responsibility?"

The old monk talked eloquently: "Mr. Panviche is qualified for such things as enlightenment. If you ask me to do this, am I not overqualified?"

"I'd rather have Mr. Panviche come." Winters sneered: "Then you take over Mr. Panviche's paperwork, and how about you two exchanging it?"

After bringing the young stable boy and the young hunter to the town, Winters discovered that the cultural level of these two boys was pathetic.

They can still pronounce individual letters, but they don't recognize them when they are connected together. Two boys aged fifteen or sixteen could not even write their names, and they had to use their fingers to add and subtract within ten.

We can't blame them, because most people in Wolf Town are illiterate. This is especially true for the Dusaks, and even the mayor of the town, Gilad Mitchell, is still illiterate.

Winters, who was born in the Merchant Republic, believed that having some writing skills would be very useful to Bell and Angelou. At least they would be able to understand the most superficial contracts and accounts in the future and not be cheated.

So Winters decided to hire a teacher for Bell and Angelo to teach them the most basic words and arithmetic.

The most suitable person for this job is of course Pan Weiqie. This middle-aged housekeeper can write in pleasing cursive calligraphy and can also keep accounts clearly. The most rare thing is to be diligent, conscientious and responsible.

But Panwitche was a housekeeper, scribe, accountant, etc., and his work was already very heavy. Winters was really embarrassed to add another burden to him.

The two clergy of Wolf Town Church are also well educated. It is said that some big nobles will hire priests as tutors, while the rest simply hire people to read and write for themselves.

But Father Anthony and Father Carman would not come to teach these two poor boys literacy and arithmetic, not even if Winters invited them.

As for the other literate farmers and craftsmen in Wolf Town, they can only barely read and write. If they want to teach, they may still have little ability.

After thinking about it, Winters found that Brother Red was the only choice left.

Although the old mendicant monk was from the Far East, he also went to a Catholic seminary for several years to study after his conversion and ordination, and there was no doubt about his cultural level.

And as far as Winters' intuitive feeling is concerned: Rhett does not have the arrogance inherent in other clergy.

As "shepherds of God", even the most humble clergy are arrogant at heart, because they think they are closer to God and the Kingdom of Heaven than anyone else. The metaphor of "shepherds" itself is the greatest arrogance.

But Rhett, an old bastard, doesn't have this problem. He can apply for the position of scribe without any hesitation, and teaching a poor boy how to read probably won't hurt his dignity. I'm afraid as the old man himself said: "I became a priest just for the convenience of traveling."

So after some bargaining, Winters agreed to pay an extra teacher's salary, and Rhett agreed to teach Bell and Angelou literacy and arithmetic.

But Winters didn't expect that the old master's laziness had become a long-lasting habit, and the little hunter and the ponyboy often found excuses to skip classes and sneak away. Rhett not only didn't care, but was happy and at ease.

"With an extra salary, you have to do some work, right?" Winters said sarcastically to the old stickman.

Unexpectedly, Brother Rhett pointed at Pierre casually: "If we just teach these two babies to read and arithmetic, little Mr. Mitchell is enough to do the job."

Pierre is here because of his mother.

When she heard that Lieutenant Montagne asked Father Reed to give lessons to the two little Dussacs, Mrs. Mitchell sent Pierre over.

But little Mr. Mitchell can already write and do arithmetic. According to Gilad Mitchell, his wife, Mrs. Ellen Mitchell, personally taught her son when he was young.

Winters had to come to explain that he only asked Father Reed to enlighten the two little Dussacs, and little Mitchell could not learn anything at all.

But unexpectedly Mrs. Mitchell replied: "It will also be of great benefit to Pierre to be able to stay with Father Rhett and Lieutenant Montagne for a while. This child is always causing trouble, so please Please keep a close eye on our couple."

Mrs. Mitchell's reasons left Winters powerless to object. Moreover, he had been greatly helped by the Mitchell family's generosity since arriving in Renlang Town. In comparison, adding a set of tables and chairs next to the two little Dussacs was not even a reward.

So Pierre Giladnovich Mitchell became Brother Reed's third student. The old sage never refused anyone who came and did not take the opportunity to ask Winters for a raise.

Angelou and Pierre were originally playmates, and Bell also played with two peers because he temporarily stayed at Mitchell's house during the wolf disaster.

Angelou and Bell were guards in name, but in reality they had little work to do. As the only son of the manor owner and mayor, Pierre usually has nothing to do and is idle.

These three little Dussacs put together not three times—but three times the trouble.

Whenever Winters left the town hall, the three boys would sneak away right behind him. Old Rhett just pretended not to notice, and was more than happy to have a little more time to nap.

Fortunately, all three of them respect and fear Winters, so Winters can still control them.

Returning to the town hall, Pierre was caught off guard by Father Rhett's name.

The old monk didn't talk nonsense. He scribbled a few words on the paper and handed it to Pierre: "Boy, read it."

Pierre took the note and looked at Father Rhett blankly.

"Read it!" The old monk pulled out a rattan stick from somewhere and gave it to little Mitchell.

Pierre was startled and stammered: "The clumsy, stupid Golden Summit Mountain Fuck Sheep guy... is the best description of my friends... Angelou and Belle."

Angelou and Bell were still suppressing laughter when they heard the first part, but they were stunned when they heard the last part.

Brother Red yawned and said calmly to the other two little Dusaks: "Do you two understand? You are illiterate, and you can't even understand what others are saying to insult you."

Afterwards, Reid asked several mixed arithmetic operations questions. Every time he asked the other two little Dussac first. When they were still counting on their fingers, Rhett would ask Pierre instead.

Pierre was able to answer quickly, but his voice became quieter and quieter, while the other two little Dussac became more and more ashamed and silent.

Brother Rhett yawned again and asked casually: "You are about the same age. Pierre can already write and calculate. What about you two?"

The ponyboy Angelo lowered his head, and the little hunter Belle stared at Father Rhett with his fists tightly clenched. Pierre was at a loss and looked to Winters for help.

"Forget it, I won't embarrass you." Brother Rhett sighed, scrawled something on the paper and handed it to the two little Dussacs: "You two follow the words I wrote and write them exactly as they are. You won’t have to go to class after one comes out. You can’t even do this, right?”

Bell was the first to grab the pen and paper, lie down on the table and start.

The little hunter is not writing, he is copying. He imitated every arc extremely carefully, but he still wrote crookedly, like a toddler who was just learning to write. When he finished writing, he handed the quill to Angelou.

Angelou looked at Winters pitifully, and Winters nodded expressionlessly.

So the young stable boy also lay down on the table and copied it again. But because he pressed it too hard, the tip of the quill was broken.

"Don't be in a hurry. Write slowly and try to write as well as possible." The old monk handed Angel a new quill.

In the end, Angelou also completed the "copying", and his handwriting was even worse than Bell's.

Brother Rhett took the note back and read it carefully, then asked with a sneer: "Are you idiots? You just write when I ask you to? Do you know what this is?"

The two little Dusaks were stunned on the spot.

The paper was unfolded by the old monk - what he handed out was a folded paper, and there was other content in a place that Bell and Angelou didn't see.

Rhett shook the paper in his hand: "This is a 'slave contract', and you have just signed it. From now on, you are not free people, but slaves owned by me. I can buy or sell at will, You will be executed."

The two little Dussacs were dumbfounded.

"You think I'm scaring you?" The old monk snorted coldly: "Don't believe it? Let the second lieutenant and little Mitchell take a look."

With that said, he handed the contract to Winters.

After reading it carefully, Winters said: "This is indeed a standard personal rights sale contract. Plato does not allow the use of slaves, but allows slave trade. Brother Red now has the right to sell you to other places. Only However, this contract is not valid in Veneta, because Veneta does not allow any form of slavery, and you will be free if you escape to Veneta."

Pierre took the paper and after reading it, he confirmed what Winters said.

"You tricked us into signing it!" Bell yelled angrily.

"Who can prove it?" the beggar monk said disdainfully: "You yourself signed this contract in black and white. The only blame is that you are illiterate. You dare to sign anything, and you didn't even know you were sold into slavery. Are you not convinced? Well. ! Pierre, you should also write what I wrote."

After speaking, Father Rhett thrust the contract into Pierre's hand.

Pierre stood there stupidly, not writing.

"Look! Little Mr. Mitchell knows what this is, so he knows not to sign it." The old monk mocked: "But what about you two? You don't know anything. If I ask you to sign it, you will sign it. Dussac I didn’t learn my shrewdness, but I inherited all my recklessness.”

Angelou's face was filled with shame, while Bell's eyes were full of anger.

Brother Rhett stopped talking nonsense, tore the contract in half and stuffed it into the hands of the two little Dussacs.

"Take it." The old monk said nonchalantly: "If you don't want to be sold into slavery for no reason in the future, go and understand all the words above with Mr. Mitchell. If he doesn't teach you, then he wants to trick you. Get out."

Belle was the first to turn around and walk out of the room, followed by Angelou, and Pierre saluted and hurriedly chased after him.

After the three little Dussac walked out of the town hall, Winters couldn't help but ask: "Is this how it is with a few children?"

"Sixteen is not a young age. If they weren't Dusak, they might have already gotten married." The old monk yawned: "And maybe these boys can hate me for the rest of their lives, but they won't learn the lesson at all. "

"If you leave your teaching job to Pierre, don't you get another salary for nothing?" Winters suddenly caught the point.

Brother Rhett laughed loudly: "Teaching people to read is not worth money. Knowing how to teach people to read is worth a salary."

While the ensign and the monk were chatting in the town hall, a new wooden house was rising across the road.

Whole logs are being transported on carts from the lumberyard. Carpenters, masons and laborers are sweating, and one of the walls has been built.

This is the top priority in the town these days, an important piece of the puzzle for the prosperous and prosperous Wolftown that Girard Mitchell hopes for.

This wooden house, which is expected to be larger than the town hall, will be the future Langtun Town Security Office. It will have many functions such as office space for the officers stationed in the town, weapons depot, cells and guard dormitories.

Whether Winters thought about it or not, whether the impact was good or bad, he still left his footprints on this land.

Thanks to the book friends who have always voted for recommendations;

Thanks to book friends Whitehorns, Ami, Flower Planter’s Yellow Rabbit, Calm Gray Pass, Moon Night Edge, behere370, Kamen Rider Talcum Powder, Book Friends 20191007064305842, Jiang Xue Diao Weng, Sky Lens, Nothing is Xiao Gao, Calm Gray Thanks for the recommendation vote, everyone.