Chapter 31: School

Chapter 31: School

Hearing Gregor’s words, Dorothy scratched her head, still a little groggy from just waking up. After thinking it over carefully, she realized that Gregor had indeed been talking about sending her to school all along.

In fact, it was precisely so that Dorothy could attend school that Gregor had written to bring his younger sister from the countryside to the city. Going to school had been the original purpose of Dorothy coming to Igwynt in the first place.

Who would’ve thought that even in another world, she’d still have to experience campus life all over again…

‘If I go to school, will I still have time to study mysticism in the future?’

With that thought, Dorothy—still in her nightclothes—rubbed her eyes and spoke, her voice still tinged with sleepiness.

“Do I really have to go, Gregor?”

‘In my previous life, I already went to school enough… Can’t I do something else in this one…’

Hearing Dorothy’s words, Gregor frowned slightly. He set down the documents in his hands and looked at her seriously.

“Listen, Dorothy. We’re not the children of nobles or big-shot businessmen. For people like us from the countryside to have a decent future, we have to receive an education. Otherwise, we’ll be stuck doing hard labor our entire lives. The path your brother is on right now is an extremely special case—not something just anyone can do—and it’s very dangerous. Besides, you’re a girl, Dorothy. There’s no way you can follow the same path I did.”

“So listen to me. Study hard and go to school properly. In the city, just being able to read and write isn’t enough—you need a higher level of education. Only then can you find a more respectable job in the future, completely leaving behind dirty and backbreaking work. Trust me—this is the conclusion I’ve come to from what I’ve seen and experienced over the past few years in the city.”

Gregor lectured Dorothy earnestly in the tone of a guardian. Dorothy’s inner reaction, however, was:

‘Going to school and studying… how many Revelation is that going to give me?’

To be honest, Dorothy felt that what Gregor said made sense. But after learning of the hidden world’s existence, and with her inherent lack of a sense of security, she firmly believed that exploring the arcane and gaining greater power for herself was far more important.

Still, she couldn’t exactly confess to Gregor—the safety-minded squad leader—that she had been researching forbidden knowledge all this time. He’d probably jump in fright, confiscate all her cult materials, and strictly forbid her from ever touching that stuff again.

“Uwaaah~ fine, fine… We’ll go check out the school tomorrow…”

Knowing there was no way to refuse Gregor on this matter, Dorothy agreed while yawning. Seeing her reaction, Gregor’s stern expression softened, and he smiled.

“Good. This afternoon we can go buy some stationery you’ll need for school. Oh, right, Dorothy—here’s an introduction to that school, and these are your personal details for tomorrow’s registration. You should sign your name here. Make sure to write your full name.”

Hearing this, Dorothy paused for a moment, then walked over and sat down on the sofa. After taking the documents Gregor indicated, she thought for a bit, picked up a fountain pen from the coffee table, and signed her full name on the form.

Dorothea · Mayschoss

After signing, Dorothy squinted at her full name on the page for a while, then asked Gregor beside her with some confusion,

“Hey, Gregor, don’t you think our names are kind of… weird sometimes?”

“Yeah. Long and strange. They feel a bit out of place compared to everyone else—almost foreign. Back at the factory where I used to work, there were three Jacks, four Thomas, and only one guy with a name like Gregor-something—and that was me.”

As he spoke, Gregor looked out the window, his expression seeming to drift into memories of the past.

“In my memory, our names were all chosen by that heartless mother of ours. Our dad was an uneducated hunter—there’s no way he could’ve come up with such fancy names. And since she picked the names, I figure we probably took her surname as well. You don’t really see anyone else with this last name, either.”

“Mom…” Dorothy murmured softly after hearing Gregor’s words. In her memories, there was nothing at all related to this mother.

“Yeah. I don’t remember much myself. I was only seven when she ran off. The strongest impression she left me with now is probably her hair—yes, just like yours, Dorothy. A rare head of white hair.”

“So my hair comes from Mom…”

As she listened to Gregor, Dorothy pinched a lock of her white hair and held it before her eyes, murmuring quietly.

……

In the Kingdom of Pritt—and indeed across the entire continent—education and religion had always been closely intertwined. Elementary education throughout society was traditionally handled by classes run by local churches. Including Dorothy, countless people had learned to read and write within church halls.

With the demand for skilled and knowledgeable workers brought about by industrialization, many countries—including Pritt—had begun implementing the Elementary Education Act several years earlier. This led to the establishment of an increasing number of public primary schools. Free, compulsory elementary education was gradually becoming widespread, while secondary education remained largely out of reach for the lower classes, still belonging primarily to nobles, the bourgeoisie, and the middle class.

Saint Amanda School was located in the western outskirts of Igwynt, near the upper reaches of the Ironclay River that ran through the city. Far from the noisy river docks and the choking industrial districts, it was one of the rare pleasant areas in Igwynt.

Saint Amanda School had been founded over three hundred years ago through a donation by Saint Amanda, a holy figure of the Radiance Church, and was named in her honor. For three centuries, the school had served the children of Igwynt’s nobility. In recent years, however, with the social changes brought about by industrialization, the school itself had begun to transform. The children of the bourgeoisie and some wealthy citizens had started entering the school through their economic means, receiving secondary education here.

The middle school Gregor had enrolled Dorothy in was precisely this one.

That morning, bright sunlight streamed through the large glass windows into the clean, orderly school corridors paved with marble tiles. Dressed in a black blouse and skirt and carrying a suitcase, Dorothy walked alongside Gregor—who wore a neat suit—down the corridor. The two of them had just finished completing all the enrollment procedures.

“All right, everything’s ready. You can start attending classes this afternoon, Dorothy. Saint Amanda has a long history and an excellent reputation. Once you graduate from here, you’ll definitely be able to find a good job. I think being a lawyer, a teacher, or a civil servant would all be great choices. Trust me—after graduating from here, getting one of those jobs will be easy.”

Walking beside Dorothy, Gregor spoke with obvious happiness. Dorothy glanced at him and replied flatly,

“Isn’t going to secondary school meant to prepare you for university?”

“University?!”

Hearing Dorothy’s words, Gregor was clearly surprised. Then he laughed.

“I didn’t expect you to have such ambitions, Dorothy. We’re from the countryside, after all—and that’s university we’re talking about! But I support you. If you really get into a university, we’ll throw a banquet for the entire village!”

‘In this society… even secondary education is already something the lower classes can only dream of… as for higher education, they don’t even dare think about it…’

Listening to Gregor, Dorothy thought to herself.

Just then, ahead of them, an elderly school janitor—his body dusted white with plaster and carrying several white gypsum statues—was walking toward them.

All of a sudden, the old man slipped. Two of the plaster statues in his arms fell forward, and a look of shock appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Dorothy and Gregor hurried forward. Gregor caught the two statues—one in each hand—saving them just before they shattered, while Dorothy stepped in to support the old man who was about to fall.

“Are you all right, sir?”

Holding the school janitor steady, Dorothy asked with concern.

After standing upright again, the school janitor squinted his gray-white eyes and smiled.

“I’m fine. Thank you, young people. I’m just getting old—my legs aren’t what they used to be.”

“It’s no problem, sir. It’s only right that we help,” Gregor said with a smile as he handed the plaster statues back.

The school janitor took them, smiling as he left. As he did, he turned his head back toward the siblings and spoke warmly, “Young man, you have good reflexes, and young lady, you have a kind heart… fine youngsters, both of you. I wish you good luck.”

With that, the school janitor hugged the statues to his chest and slowly walked off into the distance. Watching his retreating figure, Dorothy thoughtfully rubbed her chin.

If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind spending $5 monthly to see till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon:

Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 197 : New Script

Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/136848278?collection=1481191

https://www.patreon.com/collection/1481191?view=condensed