Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Hospital
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River School.
Principal's office.
Campbell was spending his days in a frenzy of busyness.
The work he handled boiled down to two main things.
1) School operations.
"I never imagined it would be like this when they asked me to take over as principal..."
When Elwin had built the school
and asked him to run it,
he had gladly accepted.
He planned to look after the children
and, with a bit of ambition, even train some hunters.
But then...
"What kind of school has this many branches!"
When the school in Terra was built,
he figured they'd appoint a separate principal there.
But no.
When the school in Alp went up,
he dared to hope.
But he ended up shouldering the work again.
Iron, Yuran.
Lately, even Plain and the surrounding satellite cities.
This wasn't the principal job he'd envisioned.
'No way... what Elwin mentioned in passing...? Nah.'
There had been that offhand comment once before.
Something about how what they were doing was public education,
and they needed someone to oversee it all...
'Was that on purpose?'
Even if he gave a hundred concessions.
Public education? Fine, he could handle it.
The problem was, that wasn't all.
2) Overseeing Paonia surveillance.
Hunters were watching Paonia.
The other heirs were watching Paonia too.
And he was the one doing the final analysis on all the intel they gathered.
"Sigh... oh man..."
There was just too much work.
He needed his son to grow up quick so he could hand off all the hunter stuff.
"He's still not ready to take over Paonia surveillance."
In the end, it all fell to him.
Every last bit.
Knock. Knock.
"Come in."
The door to the principal's office opened,
and an unexpected guest appeared.
"Priest, what brings you here...?"
He took the letter the priest handed him.
It read...
[...Grandfather, please set up theology classes at the school. ...And build a small temple inside too.]
The more he read, the tighter his grip on the paper grew.
[...We'll dispatch one priest per school. They'll handle the main lessons, but hire some extra teachers...]
"Urgh!"
More work piled on.
If the priest hadn't been there, he might've thrown a fit.
"Ahem. Priest, please stay at the River Temple for now. We'll set up the theology classes and build the temple as fast as we can."
"Much obliged, Principal."
The priest bowed and left the principal's office.
Lately, many priests had been unhappy with Elwin's overreach.
But he was different.
Priests spent most of their time cooped up in temples.
Was that right?
Should they only tend to the believers who came to them?
Shouldn't they go out and reach the people first?
He'd harbored these questions for a while,
so Elwin's directives didn't exactly bother him.
Then he heard about opening theology classes at the schools.
He'd volunteered right away.
He saw it as a chance to expand the church.
The main ways to become a priest were like this.
You entered the church young.
Some were sent by parents, others came through temple orphanages.
From childhood, they learned doctrine and internalized the Goddess's teachings.
They prayed to the Goddess every day.
Eventually, some would receive the stigmata.
Those children became priests.
It cost a pretty penny to raise them.
So they couldn't teach that many kids.
And as the church shrank,
the number of children they educated dwindled.
Which meant fewer received the stigmata.
"The fewer kids we taught, the fewer priests we got. Flip that around..."
If more kids took priest classes, more priests would emerge.
With theology classes in schools,
they wouldn't even bear the extra costs.
The territory would cover everything.
"More priests mean a stronger church. Using the island as a foothold to grow our influence, we could spread the Goddess's word across the continent."
He unpacked at the temple,
sat at his desk.
To prepare lessons.
Plain City.
Government office.
Elwin's office.
He read the report Isaac brought.
"This many hospital users?"
He'd expected some demand.
That's why he hadn't jacked up the prices.
To keep it for those who truly needed it.
Yet the patient numbers were huge.
"What about requesting more priests?"
"They refused, saying priests are assigned based on believer numbers."
Can't ramp up supply,
demand's through the roof?
Raise prices.
But...
Hospital fees were already steep.
Hiking them more could strain household budgets.
"What if we add folk remedies?"
"Patients come to the hospital after trying all folk remedies—for severe cases."
"Then potions... no."
Potions cost more than hospital stays.
Not a solution.
"Can't count on new priests either..."
Theology classes were just starting.
It'd take years to produce priests.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place,
one idea hit him.
"Temple knights can use holy power too, right?"
"Yes."
"So they can heal too?"
"They can, but..."
Was there a law saying only temple knights could guard temples?
Guards, mercenaries, any knights—anyone could do it.
"Leave one temple knight per temple, send the rest to the hospital."
"But, my lord."
"What's the issue? Worship services are priest-only anyway. One knight per temple is plenty. We'll support the rest at the territory level."
Temple knights standing guard at temples?
What inefficiency.
Holy power was exclusive to priests and temple knights.
Temple security? Anyone could handle that.
"Makes sense to reassign them."
"But, my lord. There was huge backlash with the priests. Worried it'll be the same."
When he clashed with the priests,
the Saintess had his back.
Would it be different this time?
Doubtful.
"Push ahead anyway."
"...Understood. Next, Plain development status."
Flip the report,
Plain details appeared.
Farmlands developed,
satellite city construction underway.
But slower than expected.
"We threw all spare funds at it, and this is all?"
Soap business, hospital—recent revenues were up, weren't they?
He'd ordered it all invested in Plain.
"We prioritized theology classes and hospital openings first. And... hospital profits are just starting. Soap takes six months for real revenue, as you know."
So the businesses weren't fully online yet.
Real income would take time.
"Pour revenues into Plain as they come in."
"Yes."
Plain development was a megaproject.
Not like building one village in Terra or Alp.
At least six such villages, simultaneously.
Larger scale each.
A month passed.
Funds kept flowing into Plain development.
Meanwhile, he reorganized internal structure.
With new ventures piling up,
workloads ballooned,
and clear divisions between orgs were needed.
At the top: Island Enterprise, with him as overall head.
Below: various divisions.
1) Agriculture/Livestock Division (Isaac)
2) Manufacturing Division (Dve)
3) Merchant Division (Russell)
4) Hunter Division (Miller)
5) Mercenary Division (Aine)
Division heads got full discretion on ops, handle internally unless major issues.
Slave soldiers, schools, hospitals etc. weren't spun off—some too vital,
others too small.
With the full reorg done,
focus locked on Plain,
one piece of news arrived.
Plain City.
Government office.
Elwin's office.
The office door opened,
a hunter entered.
"Early report?"
Hunters reported Paonia status on schedule.
This was ahead.
"Paonia's on the move."
"Paonia?"
Unexpected.
Hunters' full pursuit.
They shook it off, vanished clean.
No traces left.
Elites like that,
knowing they were watched,
still moved.
Paonia family head's face came to mind.
No pushover.
Not one to act rashly.
Yet he did.
'Underestimating me?'
All Island heirs watching too?
Arrogance behind that calm face?
Impatient enough to act after mere months?
'Better this way.'
Chance to finish them for good.
"Paonia's head is more impulsive than he looks. No need for us to rush. Slow and steady. Keep them under wraps."
Paonia ran point-org style.
Catch a tail, not the body.
Last chase too.
Lizard-like escape.
Shedding tail to flee.
"Find ironclad proof. Grounds to hit the Paonia family. That's their end."
Suddenly, Gibson's face flashed—always tagging along.
But he shoved it aside.
Opportunities like this,
you eradicated shadows decisively.
Even if it soured brotherhood.