That's not how you use a witch!

Chapter 46 Not a Single One Left Behind

Inside a wooden house in Thorn Ridge.

"Sir, sir, please have some tea..."

With trembling hands, Ellison poured Ronan a cup of tea and handed it to him, completely stunned.

When the militiamen took Charlie home that day, they told him that he should send his children to school and emphasized that it was the lord's wish.

Ellison took it seriously, but he never expected the young lord to actually come to his house. He was just an ordinary hunter; what merit did he possess to attract such an important figure?

He was extremely nervous; not serving tea would seem disrespectful, but serving tea risked offending the lord with the poor man's coarse tea...

"Thank you for the hospitality."

Ronan readily accepted the tea, which relieved Ellison slightly.

But then the lord's next words made him tense again: "Mr. Allison, Charlie says you don't want him to study. Can you tell me why?"

"I...I deserve to die!"

Ellison pulled his wife along and immediately knelt down before Ronan.

"Don't be nervous, I didn't mean to blame you. In fact, your situation is not an isolated case in Thornholde."

Ronan waved his hand, trying to make his tone as calm as possible. "I just want to understand your thoughts and needs. Let's work together to find solutions so that Thornlands can become a better place, right?"

"Sir...we are just commoners. We don't understand those grand principles, nor can we be cultured people. We just want to get by..."

Ellison finally raised his head and tapped his limping right leg.

He said he broke his leg while hunting in the mountains, and since then he has basically been confined to his home, making a living by tanning fur or repairing hunting tools. His life is better than that of an average farmer.

Until two months ago, the Thorn Territory under Ronan's rule underwent a dramatic transformation.

Ellison envied those who were strong and healthy and could live a good life through work; on the other hand, he felt lost because of his disability, feeling that he had been left behind and that all the changes had nothing to do with him.

Life was far from ideal, and Ellison's temper grew increasingly volatile. He used to be known as a good husband by the neighborhood, but now he would occasionally beat his wife to vent his anger over trivial matters.

Ellison knew it was wrong and regretted it frequently afterward, but he was trapped in it and couldn't break free.

That's why he doesn't go to school. On the one hand, he has difficulty walking, and on the other hand, he feels that he would rather do more work than waste his time.

He didn't let Charlie go to school for the same reason, so Charlie could help him chop more firewood...

While speaking, Ellison carefully observed Ronan's expression.

He knew that his lord wanted commoners to go to school, so he was afraid that his words would anger him.

But Ronan didn't show any anger; instead, he listened attentively the whole time and nodded after he finished speaking.

"Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mr. Ellison. Your feedback is invaluable. The development of Thorn Territory cannot leave anyone behind. We must consider not only the interests of the majority but also the interests of the disadvantaged minority."

"My lord, you mean...?"

"I will be launching a support system for vulnerable groups, specifically to register and verify families like yours facing difficulties. Depending on the extent of your hardship, you will receive some free assistance, including food, charcoal, and a small amount of money. These assistances will be limited, but sufficient to allow you to maintain a minimum standard of survival even without doing anything."

Ellison was stunned for a long time, never expecting that the lord would not only not blame him for his foolishness, but would instead announce such a decision.

He knew Ronan was a man of his word; he would do what he said he would do, and he would also supervise those who did the work to ensure it was done properly.

"Thank you, sir!"

Ellison covered his face and wept, "You are such a kind, benevolent, and generous lord. I don't know how to repay your great kindness..."

"It's simple, repay them by going to school."

Ronan announced the second half of the policy to Ellison: all struggling families receiving subsidies must send their children to school, and adults must attend night school for a sufficient amount of time; receiving subsidies without attending school would be considered illegal.

Ellison couldn't understand why the lord would make such an arrangement, but he accepted it without hesitation.

If you can get paid for reading books you don't need right now, then reading them isn't a bad idea...

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After leaving the Ellison's house, Ronan visited several other families who hadn't sent their children to school. He then convened a short meeting to finalize the overall plan and specific details of the new system.

After the meeting, Ronan returned to his office and slumped into his chair, feeling utterly exhausted.

"Leaving no one behind...it's a long and arduous task!"

Now he understands how difficult and great those seemingly ordinary jobs in his previous life were.

He certainly had ideas ahead of his time, but if his feet weren't firmly planted in the soil of this world, he wouldn't be able to bear the right fruit.

As I lamented the winding road ahead, a pair of warm, soft hands rested on my shoulders.

"You've done a great job, don't be too hard on yourself."

A girl's voice came from behind, carrying a faint fragrance, "Take a rest, I'll give you a massage."

"Thank you... This technique sounds familiar, where did you learn it?"

"You gave me a massage."

"Oh, I had forgotten about it if you hadn't mentioned it, haha."

Meidel remained silent, but she exerted a little more force as if in a fit of pique, as if expressing her dissatisfaction that he had forgotten such an important matter.

"The steam engine has been assembled and is currently stored in the warehouse."

She whispered as the massage ended.

—After the initial draft of the steam engine was completed, she put the processing and assembly work on the agenda, but the progress in the early stages was actually quite slow.

Although her steel armor has been upgraded to Alloy Storm, such a large and complex machine is still a considerable challenge for her.

First, many parts can't simply look identical to the drawings; the dimensions of each part must be precisely controlled according to the overall design. Madale wasn't a professional craftswoman, and although she had completed the design drawings, she couldn't grasp every detail perfectly. The two of them spent a considerable amount of time on this alone.

Secondly, certain key components, such as bushings, valve cores, and sealing gaskets, require the use of non-ferrous metals such as copper and silver. Shaping them into their specified shapes is more difficult than shaping steel.

Not to mention that she also needed to participate in the militia exercises, so the time allotted to the steam engine each day was quite limited.

Fortunately, Medallion was very helpful and completed the work as expected despite facing so many difficulties.

"And that... industrial hen?"

The girl chewed on the tongue-twisting word. It was another design by Ronan, and also the machine she had been building in sync with the steam engine these past few days.

"It's an industrial mother machine—in layman's terms, a machine that makes machines."

A smile crept into Ronan's eyes.

"Thank you for your hard work! I can't wait to see your masterpiece!"

"It's our masterpiece."

"Meidel corrected him, and with a serious expression, pushed the plate that the servant had brought toward him."

"Before that, you have to finish your meal properly and take a half-hour nap."

"Okay, whatever you say..."

·

At 3 p.m., the two arrived at the warehouse, where a group of battalion commanders and squad leaders had been waiting for some time. Vance was also present—he had been specially invited by Ronan.

Even on the warmest afternoon, the winter in the West End can still make one shiver. But after receiving the invitation, Vance set off immediately, arriving without even having a proper lunch.

"Nephew, is this the machine you spoke of... capable of changing this land?"

Vance examined the machine, constructed from steel and small amounts of copper and silver, with its enormous gears and boiler, speculating about its purpose: "Is this some kind of new weapon? Or a tool similar to a water-powered blast furnace?"

"It's closer to the latter, but its power is unmatched by water power."

Ronan briefly explained the principles of the steam engine to everyone present and arranged for his servant, a blacksmith, to demonstrate its operation to them.

As the boiler roared to life, Ronan pulled down the control lever. The next moment, the enormous gear began to spin rapidly, far exceeding the speed of the carriage wheels.

The onlookers gasped in surprise, never expecting that this machine could unleash such tremendous power simply by boiling water.

Vance's mouth dropped open, and a multitude of thoughts raced through his mind in an instant:

If such a machine were used to power chariots, it would be a nightmare for all cavalry; if it were used to power forging hammers and bellows, its effects would overwhelm all water-powered and wind-powered devices…

And... what if we used such a machine to build more of the same machine?

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