The Thousand Year Dynasty
29. Second Son

"If I may know. Why do you treat the servants equally?" Ask the boy's cousin Lucia when they're on the streets of Central City.

Nata, Aksa, Luque, and Jean, along with three servants and two cousins of Lucia were touring the city, a few days later. While the boy's second mother, along with Lucia, Orland, Amithy, and some of Elbrasta's former royal lords, held another meeting. This time to talk about the condition of the Elbrasta region and the existence of the queen in that place.

"Do you think this is wrong, Mr Alexander?" Nata answered with a question back to the 14-year-old boy.

Alexander himself was silent as if weighing Nata's question, before then answering. "If we see it in a status position. I think it will cause problems" he explained later.

"What kind of problem, Mr Alexander?" Nata asked again.

"Confusion. Something that is not what it should be will cause confusion. And confusion will bring chaos, misunderstandings, and other problems. Because it will make people start to wonder" replied the boy with a neat haircut side by side with the shape of a sharp nose.

"We're here!" Cut Aksa that surprised everyone when they arrived in front of Edward's tavern.

They were greeted by some of Edward's new servants. Two cute girls who just a few months ago moved from the Ignus region in the south.

"Welcome, gentlemen and ladies" Edward appeared from behind when he heard Aksa's loud voice. Then suddenly Edward stopped talking as he looked at Alexander. Looks surprised. "Mr Alexander, and tian Eden?!" He then almost shouted. "Thank God you are healthy and welcome to this place"

"Sorry, do I know you?" Alexander asked politely.

"Haha, of course you don't know me, sir. I used to work opening a shop in Kotaraja. And often times seeing you as the royal family's motorcade was crossing the city" Edward replied cheerfully. "Well, I won't hold you back much longer. Please" he added later.

"As usual, Mr. Edward" Aksa immediately chimed in.

"To this day, you can not order the usual, Mr. Aksa. I'll do something special" Edward replied quickly.

"You are indeed the best, Mr. Edward" Aksa pointed his thumb at Edward who rushed in again.

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"Back to our conversation" Nata said to Alexander as they waited for the meal to be finished. "Your answer has a point. Confusion and curiosity of the people can cause a lot of problems in a region. Where did anyone learn about it, Mr Alexander?" He asked from the table next to the boy.

"I often hear it when my father and brother are talking. Making sure something stays in order is important to guarding a territory" Alexander answered just as the waiter started out with a tray of tall glasses.

Alexander, his brother, and three servants were surprised by the cold and sweet taste when they first tasted Froyo, who had just been served. And they seem to like it. Aksa was seen getting two special large glasses from Edward.

"Indeed right. The important thing in maintaining a territory is to keep it in regularity. But for the matter of enforcing people equally it is an ordinance and courtesy of this area" Nata continued his conversation after feeding Froyo's first spoon in his glass. "I'm not saying that's right or wrong. But in this place if we do not impose everyone equally, it will cause confusion. So it's like the opposite. You understand?" Clearly then.

"That's weird. Why is it like that? Were not the nobles never the same as the common people? The nobles have the privilege of guiding and leading the common people. If not so chaos will appear again on this land" Alexander replied with a face that looks a little serious. Because it was as far as it seemed, Alexander was a person who did not express too much.

"Yes. It may seem strange to you right now. But once you get used to it and visit more places, this will be common to you" Nata replied by not giving the burden of complicated explanations to Alexander.

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After Edward's tavern, they proceeded to the school not far from the town square.

Nata and Aksa received a direct request from Lucia, to introduce the two cousins to the other children at the Central school.

The school building is seen to have a high roof and a tower with a bell right next to the entrance. There is a large yard with a wooden fence surrounding it.

Many children were playing and running around in the courtyard. Also some adults who look to be watching.

"They are so sweet and funny" Luque said as he watched the children play from a distance.

"Oh, are you here, Mr Alexander? Thankfully you are fine" suddenly a Narva boy who seems not much different in age to Alexander, greets as Aksa and Nata's entourage enters the school grounds.

"Oh, Herman? So you guys moved in here all this time?" Alexander seemed to recognize the boy. "It's fitting that I haven't seen you in a palace meeting in a long time"

Alexander's younger brother seemed very interested in joining when he saw some children of his age playing in the yard, but shy. Standing behind the feet of one of his servants.

"Right, Mr. Alexander. Our family moved here. My father was holding a trade in this place" the boy called Herman replied.

"There were quite a number of noble families who decided to move here" Herman continued as one of the young women cut him off.

"Come, kids. Quickly enter, the lesson will begin soon" said the young woman from the front door of the school building.

"Looks like I should go in, tian Alexander. We'll talk later" Herman said again as he ran to the entrance.

"What are they really doing?" Alexander asked again after the yard was deserted. After all the children have entered the school building.

"They attended school" Nata replied.

"What is school?"

"Like the training of knights and magicians in the kingdom, Mr. Alexander. But this one wasn't doing physical training, they were learning about knowledge" this time Jean answered.

"What's it like for the souvenirs?"

"It's like a cendicia society in Kotaraja"

"Are they not too small for that?"

"Learning doesn't know age, you know?" Aksa sounded out.

"Wouldn't it be that at their age, that knowledge would be useless as well?" Alexander asked again.

"You are indeed an intelligent and critical person, Mr. Alexander" Nata replied with a smile. He and Aksa liked the boy. "So our goal is to make them learn from childhood; so that they are familiar with science. Nor do we teach practical knowledge for everyday life. We teach them only the most basic knowledge. Like reading, writing, arithmetic, and manners" he explains.

"And why did they learn this? Even most of them aren't nobles?" Alexander continued to ask questions.

"First of all, you may forget that in this place nobility and common people are not distinguished. And then, it's very important for a region to make sure that children have these basic knowledge" Nata explained to Alexander.

"Why is that?"

"To maintain the stability of a region, one of them is to ensure that people get jobs with enough wages to support themselves and their families. So as not to arise a resistance, rebellion, and so forth" Nata replied again.

"With the increase in population, which is not accompanied by increasing territory, the existing jobs will be increasingly difficult to obtain. For example, with the same land area, the number of farmers needed to cultivate the land will also not prosper, right? While the population continues to grow" Alexander saw Nata's explanation seriously.

"So if it is left, there will be a lot of unemployment. And that ends up being criminals and bandits that even troubling our own territory" Nata continued.

"There's still another kind of work. Like hunters, warriors, and witches" Alexander replied again.

"really. But not everyone is gifted with magic, or endowed with a good physique to be a fighter, hunter, and even a warrior. And if forced, then the territory itself will be harmed. Soldiers of people who do not have a good physique will be easily defeated, as will witches or healers"

"What does this have to do with having knowledge?"

"Well, the solution to that problem is to create new jobs. And it cannot be done if the people do not have the knowledge to support it. We take for example, by getting used to counting then when they start their teens they can immediately become a trader without the need to learn again which will hinder the creation of new jobs.

"Or usually write and read, then when they grow up, they can work as a clerk in an inn or service exchange hall. So their employment options are becoming more and more diverse.

"Even with that knowledge, those with fighting and magic abilities can also develop more. Because they have more value. Hunters can write a guide, or a map. Magicians could divide the method of controlling the flow of Souls, and even warriors could create a battle strategy book or their way of training.

"And besides being able to make money, it will also help improve the abilities of others, without us having to bother working on it. Which will also ultimately impact our territory becoming stronger" Nata then closes his long explanation for Alexander.

Alexander was just silent with a face that looked expressionless as usual.

"I just heard something like that for the first time. Although there are some things that I do not understand, but I think your words make sense, Mr. Nata" said Alexander.

"Maybe you will understand it better if you also attend school with them" said Aksa who suddenly interrupted.

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