Chapter 468: Disappointment

Lucas’s expression was filled with disappointment.

"And weren’t you and your so-called scholar friends always looking down on the officials appointed by the prince? You thought yourselves superior because you followed the old traditions and studied the old texts!"

He shook his head bitterly.

"You claim that His Highness refuses to give you a chance, but you were the one who refused to accept the opportunities he offered!"

Olivier was speechless.

His lips moved, but no words came out.

He wanted to argue that the matter was more complicated than his father understood.

He wanted to explain that the old scholars had their own principles and that Simon’s policies threatened traditions they had upheld for generations.

But looking into his father’s eyes, he suddenly found it difficult to speak.

No one understood a son better than his father.

Lucas knew that Olivier had always been ambitious. He also knew that his son had become increasingly proud after receiving a formal education and meeting influential people.

Perhaps Olivier had convinced himself that he was defending justice.

But in Lucas’s eyes, his son had simply become too arrogant to recognise the hand that had helped him rise.

For Lucas, becoming an official in the principality or the imperial court was still a respectable goal. He had never demanded that his son abandon his ambitions.

What he could not accept was Olivier’s willingness to undermine the ruler whose policies had given their family a better life.

Everyone in Kingston Village understood the situation.

Supporting the Great Prince was not merely a matter of loyalty. It was also a matter of survival.

They had seen the refugees who fled from Preston. They had witnessed the suffering, poverty, and desperation those people carried with them.

The memory remained painfully fresh.

None of them wanted to return to those days.

After a long pause, Lucas finally spoke again.

"There’s a public school in the county town now. The government has announced that children from any household can attend."

Olivier looked up.

Lucas continued, his voice calmer this time.

"Once they complete their studies, they can take the entrance examination for Oxford Academy. Those who pass will have the opportunity to receive a proper education and become useful talents for the domain."

He glanced toward the other rooms of the house.

"I’m going to send your second and third brothers there."

Olivier’s expression changed.

"Father, can we really afford to send both of them to school?"

Lucas let out a bitter laugh.

"Afford it?"

He shook his head.

"Public school is free."

Olivier fell silent.

"His Highness has already made education accessible to ordinary families like ours. He has given children from poor households a chance to change their futures."

Lucas stared at his eldest son.

"And you still refuse to serve him. Tell me, Olivier, what exactly are you thinking?"

This time, Olivier had no answer.

He lowered his head, staring blankly at the blanket covering his legs.

For years, he had believed that his education made him different from the common people. He had thought that the knowledge he possessed entitled him to respect and that his ambitions deserved recognition.

Yet his father, an ordinary farmer who had spent his life working in the fields, had just exposed a contradiction he could not easily dismiss.

If Simon truly despised poor scholars, why had he established free public schools?

If the prince intended to deny ordinary people opportunities, why had he created Oxford Academy?

And if Olivier’s education had been possible only because his family had sacrificed so much, why had he never considered what the prince’s policies had contributed to his family’s circumstances?

For the first time, Olivier found himself unable to dismiss these questions.

But doubt was not the same as repentance.

Deep inside, his pride still resisted the possibility that he had been wrong.

***

Olivier was not the only scholar facing the consequences of the recent controversy.

Throughout Brambleford, those who had followed him in opposing Simon’s policies were beginning to reconsider their actions.

Many had joined the demonstrations simply because their friends had done so. They had assumed that the support of fellow scholars would protect them from any serious consequences.

They had badly miscalculated.

The merchants, craftsmen, and ordinary citizens had responded with unexpected unity. Instead of standing aside and allowing the dispute to remain an argument among educated men, they had openly defended the prince’s reforms.

The newspaper articles had further exposed the consequences of restoring the old social hierarchy.

Suddenly, the scholars discovered that their traditional authority no longer guaranteed public support.

Some became frightened and immediately wrote letters of apology to the governor’s office, promising never to repeat their actions.

Others quietly withdrew from the movement.

A few even registered for the Oxford Academy entrance examination.

They might have previously looked down on the institution, but their attitudes changed when they realised that refusing to attend could permanently close the door to official employment within Brambleford.

Whatever their private opinions, they could no longer afford to ignore the new reality.

For the moment, the opposition had lost its momentum.

The merchants had demonstrated their strength, the common people had made their position clear, and the craftsmen had shown that they would not stand idly by while their interests were threatened.

With these groups united behind Simon’s reforms, few scholars dared to challenge the prince openly.

As a result, the policies announced by Simon were implemented with far less resistance than anyone had anticipated.

At the royal castle, Simon was in an excellent mood.

Reports continued to arrive from different parts of the domain, and each one confirmed that the public response had exceeded his expectations.

He had originally intended to use the controversy surrounding Doctor Oscar’s death to weaken the influence of the traditional religious scholars.

He had not expected the situation to develop so favourably.

The dispute had not only exposed the weaknesses of the old establishment but had also allowed him to consolidate the foundations of an entirely new system for selecting and training talent.

In the past, a person’s prospects often depended on family background, traditional connections, and the recognition of influential scholars.

Simon intended to change that.

Under the system he envisioned, public education would provide the foundation. Oxford Academy would serve as an important institution for advanced training, while examinations would help determine who possessed the knowledge and abilities required for official positions.

It was not a perfect system, and there would undoubtedly be difficulties along the way.

Nevertheless, it offered something the old order had consistently denied ordinary people: a clear path toward advancement.

More importantly, the system would gradually reduce Brambleford’s dependence on the traditional scholars who had long dominated education and official recruitment.

Instead of allowing established elites to determine who deserved an opportunity, Simon could cultivate a new generation of officials who had grown alongside his reforms.

These people would understand his policies, recognise the importance of economic development, and possess a direct stake in the future of Brambleford.

In time, they could become the backbone of his administration.

Thinking about this, Simon couldn’t help smiling.

He had originally worried that confronting the traditional scholars would create unnecessary complications. Now, however, the situation had shown him that the old establishment was not nearly as unshakable as he had imagined.

As long as his policies continued to benefit the people, he would have a growing number of supporters willing to defend them.

Just as Simon was congratulating himself on the success of his plans, a group of craftsmen from the glass workshop arrived at the royal castle.

They carried a carefully wrapped object.

After receiving permission to enter, their representative stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Your Highness, we have something to present to you."

Simon glanced at the package.

"Oh? What is it?"

The craftsman smiled.

"It’s a small gift from everyone at the glass workshop. We hope Your Highness will like it."

His curiosity piqued, Simon gestured for them to unwrap it.

The craftsmen carefully removed the covering.

When the object beneath was revealed, Simon’s expression changed.

For a moment, he simply stared at the gift before a smile slowly spread across his face.

It seemed that Brambleford’s craftsmen had prepared another surprise for him.