Time flew by quickly. Over the past few days, the minotaurs worked with their heads down, earning quite a bit of goodwill from the other workers laboring alongside them.
Meanwhile, the public facilities were rapidly taking shape. The first to be completed was the hospital, which had the smallest floor area. However, the empty hospital currently had only one doctor: Rona.
But Rona had not yet taken up her post. Instead, she had gone outside the city to gather herbs. Although Griffin Viscount Territory lay near the sea, it was still fairly large. Its westernmost lands included a medium-sized mountain range branching off from the Magic Beast Mountains. It contained all kinds of strange herbs and magical beasts, but it was far from the villages within the viscount territory and from Nafo City, so both sides had remained at peace.
The place Rona had gone to gather herbs was precisely that mountain range. Claire was not worried that she would run away. During their mental connection, he could clearly sense that she wanted to stay. Besides, Rona herself was an apprentice mage, so he simply let her go gather herbs on her own.
Elves were nature's darlings, and half-elves who inherited half their bloodline were naturally familiar with forests. So Claire had not assigned any knights to follow her. Once those knights entered the forest, they probably would not even be able to keep up with Rona. Besides, there were plenty of magical beasts inside. If danger arose, it was hard to say who would be protecting whom.
However, something rather interesting happened during this time. Claire had put considerable effort into setting up a literacy night school and had even poached someone else's wife from tax officer Robin to serve as a teacher. Yet the residents of the viscount territory showed little interest. Other than the people who came to watch the excitement on the first day, hardly anyone attended over the next few days.
This troubled Regan greatly. As the viscount territory's administrative officer, he could not understand why the people would refuse to attend a free night school personally ordered by the young master. After thinking it over and failing to come up with any good solution, he could only report the matter honestly to Claire.
Claire laughed as soon as he heard it. What was so difficult about solving this?
He immediately issued another announcement: anyone who could read would receive an additional five silver coins while working for the viscount. Furthermore, more new positions would become available in Nafo City in the future, and literacy would be a requirement for applying.
As soon as the announcement came out, the night school classroom was packed that very evening. Most of them were workers who labored during the day. If they could read, they could earn an extra five silver coins. That was one-quarter of their current monthly wages! It could bring no small change to their families. At the very least, when their children wanted sweets, they would not have to tell them to be sensible.
It was not just the workers. Even some elderly people and women came to learn how to read.
Claire did not expect every resident of the viscount territory to become literate. If one-quarter of them could read and understand books, Nafo City as a whole would undergo enormous changes.
Still, as Claire's otherworldly version of nine-year compulsory education unfolded, the literacy rate within the viscount territory would certainly rise bit by bit!
In the end, Claire had Regan raise the maids' wages to twenty silver coins per month. Back when life had been difficult, they had no choice but to pay four silver coins. Now that they had money, their wages could not possibly be lower than those of jobs elsewhere.
A few days later, a newly posted notice appeared beside the previous one, and the residents crowded around it.
They had already figured it out. Ever since the viscount had returned, every notice posted had announced something good. Not a single one had been bad news that went against their wishes.
"You again! Don't rush! How many times have I told you? If you can't read, don't squeeze so far to the front."
"What's wrong with that? I signed up for the night school! I know one or two hundred characters now. In a few more days, I'll be able to read this notice myself!"
"Hah, who hasn't? I've memorized nearly three hundred characters already! What are you so proud of?"
"I lied just now. I've memorized four hundred!"
"I know five hundred!"
"I know a thousand!"
The two continued arguing while someone literate read the notice aloud.
"What? Our viscount territory has a doctor now? Could this one be another quack like the last one?" someone asked worriedly.
"What are you thinking? This is a doctor brought in by the viscount himself. How could she possibly be a quack?"
"Oh, my mistake, my mistake! I said the wrong thing. But where is this hospital?"
"It's that building that was just constructed. Don't you know?"
"Really? I'm going to take a look."
"You aren't sick, so why are you going there? Hey! Wait for me, I'm going too!"
Thus, the courtyard outside the hospital entrance soon filled with residents who had rushed over to watch. Rona, sitting inside, did not react much. She merely glanced outside. When she saw that no one was entering, she continued sorting through the herbs she had gathered.
"Hey! That's the half-elf the viscount bought a few days ago," someone said in surprise.
"Oh! So the viscount bought her because she knew medicine. I thought..."
More and more people gathered, and the chatter grew louder and louder. Yet Rona still did not react. She could not understand what these people were saying anyway. Her only concern was that the residents might dislike her if Claire made her the doctor of Nafo City. But she could not see any disgust in the eyes of the onlookers now. Most were simply curious, so Rona relaxed and continued arranging the herbs she had picked.
"Please make way!"
A voice came from outside the crowd. A large man supported another man whose arm was covered in blood as they entered.
"His arm was hit by something while building the school. We heard the hospital had just opened, so we hurried over."
The crowd immediately made a path for them, allowing the large man to help the injured man into the hospital. Only then did Rona stop sorting the herbs and look over.
The large man said anxiously, "His arm was crushed! Please take a look at him!"
The injured man wore an expression of agony. He kept his eyes shut, too afraid to look at his mangled and bloody arm, constantly drawing sharp breaths and making hissing sounds.
Rona said nothing. She walked over and cast a diagnostic spell. After roughly assessing his injuries, she returned to where she had been sorting herbs and began selecting some. She placed several strange herbs into a stone mortar and ground them, eventually producing a pool of thick green paste.
Rona did not speak throughout the entire process. The large man and the injured man also unconsciously shut their mouths and lowered their voices.
When Rona finally applied the thick green paste to the mangled wound, the man could no longer hold back a sound that was both relieved and painful. "Hiss—ah!"
But he immediately shut his mouth again, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
After the paste had been applied for three or four minutes, it hardened into a solid clump. Rona gently peeled away the hardened green layer, revealing the arm beneath. The previously bloody arm now had skin as fair and tender as a baby's.
The injury had not damaged the bone, so it was quite simple to treat. Claire could have healed it with a basic healing potion as well, but the cost would have been much higher. Besides, he did not have time to stay in the hospital every day brewing potions.
The man stared at his healed arm in astonishment. "This is incredible! It hurt so badly just now, but now it's completely healed."
After tossing the green solid into the trash bin, Rona returned to her previous spot and resumed sorting herbs.
"Thank you, Doctor! Thank you, Doctor!" The large man pulled the other man along as they bowed several times. They had no doubt that if they had gone to that previous quack, they would probably be at the amputation stage by now. Whether the man would even survive would be hard to say.
It was precisely because they had seen darkness that they felt even more grateful toward a doctor like Rona!
But Rona did not respond to them. Just as Claire had said from the beginning, she only needed to treat illnesses. Whether she communicated or not did not matter.
Seeing that Rona remained silent and quiet, they quickly closed their mouths as well, afraid of disturbing her while she sorted herbs.
Finally, they whispered, "Doctor, please carry on. We'll be leaving now."
They began backing out slowly and carefully, but Rona suddenly frowned as she remembered something. She tapped the table, and the crisp sound stopped the two men.
Rona took out a copper coin from her pocket, then used magic to write the number thirty in the air. After that, she placed the copper coin into a collection box nearby.
Only after doing this did Rona let out a breath of relief. I almost forgot. Claire said I had to charge money.
The two men quickly took out thirty copper coins and placed them into the collection box. They backed away while repeatedly thanking her. Compared to the six silver coins charged by the previous quack, this new doctor's fee was incredibly reasonable!
After this incident, word about Rona spread throughout Nafo City.
A particularly kind-hearted miracle doctor had arrived in Nafo City. No matter what illness someone had, once they entered the hospital, there was nothing she could not cure.
But... she seemed never to have spoken. She was a mute doctor.
I stayed up late writing this so you could see the new chapter as soon as you woke up, so don't blame me for posting two updates a day.
Before you continue