Living in the Past

On April 20, Varro accompanied Joseph and others to the University of Constantinople in the western suburbs.

Initially, the university was located inside the city walls, but due to overcrowding in the school buildings, it was moved to the more spacious Sixteenth District.

The environment here is more relaxed than at the Military Academy; the school buildings are quiet and shaded by green trees. As Varro walked along, he lamented how much hardship he had endured back then.

"Sir, how many people are you planning to recruit this time?"

Joseph: "This school is quite large, with 1,200 students, but most are concentrated in theology, law, medicine, and philosophy. It doesn't offer a dedicated engineering program. I plan to recruit some students majoring in natural sciences."

As Varro passed by a school building, he saw Galileo's figure through the window.

He observed from outside the window for several minutes, but couldn't understand the complex formulas on the blackboard; they made his head spin.

"It's been a few years since I graduated, and I can't remember much of what I learned," Varro sighed as he walked away.

After informing the school authorities, Joseph set up a table on the lawn outside the cafeteria and posted a notice about the canal company next to it.

At noon, the cafeteria bell attracted a large crowd. Students curiously observed the notice, but few stopped to ask questions.

Sinai Desert?

Who would want to go to such a shabby place?

Joseph, who had once been a student at this school, understood their feelings.

Fifteen years ago, Joseph graduated from university and smoothly entered the Province capital, serving as a civil servant of the second-to-last rank. At that time, all he could think about was working hard and being transferred to Central Administration government position as soon as possible.

However, the Province was short-handed for the dam project, and Joseph was assigned to supervise it, thus beginning his more than ten-year construction career.

Joseph worked from 11 a. m. to 4 p. m., but only handed out 30 flyers. He estimated that fewer than ten people actually signed up.

The next day, they changed locations and went to the Army Higher School to recruit.

Throughout the entire Eastern Roman Empire, only this school offered a specialized construction major (engineering department), and its graduates were well-suited to serve as construction workers.

However, Military Academy limit their recruitment size.

"The railway and mining companies share your idea—they want to recruit graduates from us. But this is, after all, a Military Academy, and the military's needs must be prioritized. Where would we find so many people for you?"

I know the importance of the Southern Canal to the Empire, and I'm willing to give you ten places—that's the limit. If you want to recruit more, you must have written permission from the Prime Minister and the Army Minister.

After leaving the Military Academy, Joseph split his team into two groups, each heading to Adrian University and Nicomedia University respectively, but they still couldn't find suitable candidates.

At present, the Eastern Roman Empire has seven universities and two Higher Military Academy, most of which were founded during the reign of Vitus.

These schools have anywhere from 500 to 1200 students, each with its own focus.

Since its founding, Adrian University has excelled in medicine, boasting one of the best medical schools in Europe, attracting doctors from all over the world to pursue advanced studies.

The University of Constantinople separated its theological faculty and now operates in a secular manner, with the largest number of students majoring in law, history, and classical philosophy.

Overall, these universities retain the structure from over a hundred years ago, without specializing in fields such as construction or mechanics.

Varro recalled that at the gathering, a factory owner proposed building a new university specifically to train students needed in the industrial sector.

Given the Prime Minister's personality, this matter is highly likely to succeed, but preparing for the school's establishment and educating students will take time.

"When the first batch of students graduated, the Southern Canal was already more than halfway completed, and might even be finished."

After a busy May, Joseph led two hundred people on a pre-departure trip, leaving Varro and other management personnel in the country.

The plan is to maintain a construction team of 6,000 to 8,000 people for the canal company, with middle-level managers and machine operators to be recruited locally, totaling over a thousand people.

In order to fill the staff as soon as possible, the company relaxed its recruitment standards.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Varro fulfilled his promise to the Eunuch Erios by recruiting his nephew Angelo into the company and assigning him a clerical position that did not require him to participate in construction.

On June 10th, Varro came to the machine factory to hold a meeting.

"I am about to go to Egypt. I have entrusted the factory affairs to Raymond. No matter what happens, the canal company's order must be completed on time."

Also, an assembly workshop and a repair workshop will be set up on the construction site, and the salary is 1.8 times that of local positions. Is anyone willing to accept this new job?

Before the words were even finished, more than thirty skilled workers raised their hands.

These people were not local residents of Constantinople and had no families to support them. Since the wages in Egypt were higher, they were willing to endure the hot local climate and try to earn as much money as possible.

Have you thought it through?

Varro didn't waste any time, having the finance department register their personal information and sign contracts.

From this moment on, these people were no longer employees of the machine factory, but instead worked for the canal company.

This behavior will affect some of the factory's production capacity, but their entry into the canal company will enhance Varro's influence within the company.

In the future, Varro will be serving in the South for 5 to 10 years; the more acquaintances he has, the easier it will be to get things done.

A week later, Varro took his family to the dock to board the ship.

Anastasia was born and raised in Constantinople and has hardly ever left the metropolis.

When she thought of Egypt, the first thing that came to mind was the murals in North Africa -themed restaurant:

Under the scorching sun and amidst the rolling yellow sand, a caravan of camels strolls in front of the pyramids.

Secondly, she had seen plays about Vitus's conquest of North Africa, most of which were dry war scenes. The only line that impressed her was. "Forty centuries of history are looking down on us. Charge with me and take the Sultan's banner."

Varro spent his childhood in North Africa and understood the harshness of the local environment. At times, he even wanted to leave Anastasia in Constantinople, but she firmly refused.

Thud! Thud!

A tremor came from below deck, and the steamship pulled away from the dock, sailing smoothly across the busy Sea of Marmara at a speed of 10.

Kilometers per hour.

From Constantinople to the port of Pelusium, including the time spent at port, the journey took only one week, faster than sailing ships.

Another advantage of steamships is that they save manpower; this ship had a full load displacement of 1,200 tons and only 40 crew members.

Varro predicted that within a generation, ocean-going sailing ships would gradually disappear, replaced by noisy steamships billowing black smoke.

This is good news for the vast majority of people; transportation costs are down, and goods are cheaper.

Steamships also have an advantage in fishing.

A kilometer away, two steamships were moving at the same speed, hauling a large fishing net to catch fish. Varro picked up his binoculars and saw the mountain of fish piled on the deck, attracting flocks of seabirds to come and feed.

Traditional sailing ships rely on wind power and cannot operate in all weather conditions, while steamships are not subject to this limitation and can continuously trawle. Moreover, steamships can tow larger nets and catch more fish in a single trip.

Due to a combination of factors, the fishing efficiency of a steamship of the same tonnage is 4 to 5 times that of a traditional sailing ship.

Despite rising prices for agricultural products due to the colder climate, fish and meat prices have remained stable. This means that even those at the bottom of society can afford a hearty serving of fish and chips – one of the benefits of technology.

On June 20, the outline of Mykonos appeared on the sea.

Varro entered the bright and spacious first-class cabin, shaking the sleeping Anastasia awake.

"My uncle's island is just ahead; we'll be spending the night here."

"Okay, I know." Anastasia got out of bed and dressed with the help of her maids.

Half an hour later, she appeared on the deck wearing a pale yellow dress with a huge skirt, a white wide-brimmed hat, and white gloves.

Varro, having changed into a presentable outfit, solemnly instructed his wife, "Remember, your uncle isn't well, so don't say anything careless later."

"I'm not a child anymore," Anastasia said, taking his arm.

As the steamship came to a stop, the couple, surrounded by a crowd, walked toward the noble mansion on the north side of the harbor.

The building's exterior is unremarkable, with white walls and red tiles. The iron gate at the entrance is open, and a servant sits in the shade, lost in thought.

Who are you?

"Varro Palaiologos, stopped by to visit his uncle."

While waiting, Anastasia looked around. The coat of arms on the iron gate was rusty, and the green shutters of the main house were faded, suggesting that the owner of the house was not in good financial condition.

Upon entering the main house, this conjecture was confirmed.

The carpets inside were old, and the furniture was all from the last century. A portrait of their ancestor, Renaf, hung on the wall. He was fully armored and had a serious expression, as if he were scrutinizing this slowly declining family.

"Ahem, little Varro, and this young and beautiful lady, must be Anastasia."

Lucius Mykonos, who was over fifty years old, came over and greeted his nephew warmly.

It is now the seventeenth century, but his clothing style remains that of the fifteenth century. He wears a cloak draped diagonally on the outside, secured with a brooch, and the edges of the cloak are sewn with colorful diamond-shaped decorative patches.

Underneath was a Dalmatia robe, wide-sleeved and knee-length, with two purple stripes added according to etiquette: one signifying his Hereditary Nobility status, and the other indicating that he was a member of the House of Nobles.

Varro spent a long time in the Military Academy and the army, so his clothing style became more concise: a knee-length black coat with narrow sleeves, and loose gray trousers, which was convenient for both horseback riding and hunting, as well as for inspecting factories.

"Uncle, I went to Adrian University for a job interview a while ago and met my cousin and his family. They seem to be doing well and haven't encountered any troubles."

From the time of Vitus onwards, there were two main paths for the sons of nobles:

Study law or philosophy at university and then take up a civilian position, or enter Military Academy and serve in the military.

After the widespread adoption of the steam engine, a new trend emerged—investing in factories, railways, or mining to make a fortune in the industrial sector.

The character of Varro's "good uncle" Nikephoros is a prime example.

However, Lucius' eldest son chose medical school, and after graduating, he stayed at the school to teach, living a relaxed and comfortable life, ignoring the disputes of the outside world. The price was that he stayed away from power and wealth, and the family's influence gradually declined.

How much money can an island earn?

With an annual income of about three to four thousand Hyperpyron, they could barely maintain the dignity of this hereditary family, but they couldn't do much more. Now they were like a large tree rooted in barren soil, withering and dying over the long years.

After several days of smooth sailing, the steamship arrived at the port of Pelusium.

This is the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. Goods from Suez were transported here by land and then shipped to the Mediterranean Sea region.

Pelusium originally had mediocre natural conditions, but thanks to regular construction and maintenance by the Eastern Roman Empire, it now has 30,000 residents and is classified as a medium-sized city.

The ship slowly approached the dock, and the group came to the deck to watch. Anastasia squinted and fanned herself frantically with a fan, sweat dripping down her fair cheeks and wetting her blue dress.

"It's so hot! Did you grow up in this kind of environment? That's so pitiful."

Varro's gaze was fixed on the naval steamship not far away.

As far as he knew, steamships were very popular among the public, but the navy had a very poor opinion of them, building only one warship for technology demonstration before putting resources into other projects.

At a party in Constantinople, Varro talked about this with a naval officer.

The biggest drawback of steam-powered warships was the two paddle wheels on their sides.

Warships typically mounted cannons on their broadsides, using dozens of cannons to send enemies to their deaths. Now, steamships have paddle wheels on their broadsides, which reduces this space, leaving only a small number of cannons for the bow and stern, significantly weakening their firepower.

For a long time to come, the mainstay of the navy will still be sailing warships.

At 3 p. m., the Varro couple followed the canal company personnel to the residential area in the east of the city.

"This is the accommodation assigned to us?"

The mansion was not as decorated as the Constantinople, but it was spacious enough to accommodate the twenty servants (maids, cooks, laborers, and bodyguards) that the couple brought.

After looking around, Varro went up to his bedroom on the second floor.

"The temperature here is very high, and freshwater lakes or ponds easily breed mosquitoes, which can spread malaria. Everyone's beds must be covered with mosquito nets, and everyone should drink boiled freshwater."

Traveling under the scorching sun had exhausted Anastasia's strength; she was quite tired, and her feet slipped off her shoes, her fair legs swinging freely.

"I know that Vitus the Great said these words in 'The Chronicle of the Nile River,' could you please not repeat them?"

More than a hundred years have passed, and mosquito prevention measures have not changed much: mosquito nets, incense, and filling in puddles that breed mosquitoes.

The real breakthrough came with the discovery of Cinchona Bark, a highly effective treatment for malaria.

This medicinal herb comes from the Andes Mountains of South America and has very strict requirements for its growing environment. The Eastern Roman Empire attempted to cultivate it domestically, but all attempts failed.

The Rome Geography Magazine describes the successful transplantation site of the cinchona tree: the East Africa Plateau near the equator.

The area receives ample rainfall throughout the year and is free of frost, allowing the Portugal to successfully cultivate a large area of cinchona trees and export Cinchona Bark.

These goods are extremely expensive, but the Eastern Roman Empire, situated in the Eastern Mediterranean, faced significant pressure to control mosquitoes in the summer and had to import them continuously.

In order to obtain more antimalarial drugs, the Eastern Roman Empire sent fleets to the New World every year to purchase Cinchona Bark from the Andean Confederation.

Decades ago, the Andes Mountains were a Spain overseas territory, and the Eastern Roman Empire directly purchased bark from Spain. The two sides had a good relationship and trade was smooth.

However, during the Second Italian Wars, Spain's main forces were concentrated on its homeland, weakening its garrison in the Andes Mountains.

There were two main groups in the area: indigenous people and people of mixed European and indigenous descent. Due to the excessively heavy taxes imposed by Spain, they eventually united in rebellion, declared the establishment of the Andean Confederation, and broke away from Spain rule.

News from Spain had been consistently bad, and Varro lost the will to complain.

An even bigger disaster occurred in the Mediterranean Sea theater, where the actions of the Spain king severely damaged the Eastern Roman Empire Army.

Thanks to its naval superiority, the Eastern Roman Empire stabilized its position in the Mediterranean Sea. However, its overseas territories suffered, such as the settlements on the southeastern coast of South America, which were looted one by one by the enemy.

However, there was nothing of interest to be found in the area, and the Cabinet did not take those settlements seriously.

After the war ended, the Cabinet continued to send exiles to those settlements, leaving them to fend for themselves.