Chapter 520 – Need More Money.

Elodia blinked, caught off guard by her husband’s unexpected question.

“Teaching? Me?”

She repeated, her voice laced with confusion.Roland nodded, his expression serious yet encouraging.

“Yes. You’ve already been running the orphanage so efficiently, guiding and nurturing those children. I’ve seen how they respect and look up to you. It’s not much of a stretch to imagine you teaching them – and others in a more structured way.”

Before becoming Roland’s wife, Elodia had already worked for him as a store clerk. She had been perfect for the role, her years of experience as a guild receptionist making her exceptionally qualified. However, that was before Roland had risen to prominence as the Knight Commander. His new position brought heightened dangers to their lives. As his wife, Elodia was inevitably at risk as well.

The store itself posed challenges. As it attracted customers who were trained adventurers and potentially tier 3 class holders. Many individuals in this world didn’t require weapons to inflict harm or cause wanton destruction. In the past Arthur’s brother’s knights had attacked her and Agni, something that still bothered him to this day.

If Roland could transition Elodia into a more controlled environment, such as a teaching institution, ensuring her safety would become significantly easier. He could station sentries throughout the building and conduct background checks on any new children allowed to participate. It was a plan that would protect her while allowing her to use her talents meaningfully.

“I don’t know… Teaching is quite different from running an orphanage. What exactly are you suggesting?”

Elodia’s tone was hesitant, but the fact that she hadn’t dismissed the idea outright gave Roland hope. Now he just needed to convince her.

“A school, of course. One where children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can learn practical skills – like literacy, mathematics, and maybe even some basic combat training.“

In this world, free schools didn’t exist. Education was a privilege of the wealthy, with nobles hiring private tutors to ensure their children excelled. It wasn’t a coincidence that more nobles acquired combat-related classes compared to commoners.

Leveling battle skills through training, as Roland himself had been forced to do, dramatically increased one’s chances. So did learning essential skills like reading and arithmetic. Even if these children didn’t obtain combat-oriented classes, the knowledge could still help them achieve a better station in life than becoming mere villagers or farmers.

“A school? Like one of those academies, the nobles use? That sounds… ambitious. Where would we even begin? And why are you bringing this up now? Is it because of that one customer?”

“Well… partially but I have been thinking about this for a while now.”

Roland admitted with a nod. That one customer had played a role in sparking the idea, but it wasn’t the only reason. In truth, Roland believed his wife’s talents were being underutilized. She was far more capable than her current roles as a shop clerk and housewife allowed her to show. He thought she would be happier surrounded by children, using her skills in a way that made a lasting impact. A school that taught children to read, write, and defend themselves was just one concept, though. If she didn’t like it, there were other paths they could explore.

“If you don’t like that idea, we could think of other things…”

“Now hold on there,”

Elodia interrupted.

“I didn’t say no. The idea is… intriguing.”

Elodia paused, clearly pondering the proposal. Roland could tell she was weighing the idea seriously. She folded her arms, her brow furrowing in concentration.

“It sounds noble, but also like a monumental undertaking. Who would fund it? Build it? Staff it?”

“Well, we would.”

Roland replied.

“We? It seems my dear husband hasn’t been keeping an eye on the ledger…”

Elodia raised an eyebrow.

“Unless you get Lord Arthur to finance this venture, we’d be hard-pressed to cover the costs on our own.”

“Were we really that in the red?”

“Well, a certain someone tends to buy all sorts of exotic materials every day and doesn’t restock his own shop too often… they also vanish for weeks or months and don’t really bring back anything to show for it, it’s a miracle that this shop even functions…”

“I… uh…”

Roland turned his head, feeling awkward as he was called out for his overspending. It was true. Despite earning a lot from selling equipment, he hadn’t been producing much lately. He’d also wasted a great deal of his gear during Robert’s rescue, blowing up all the golems in the process. After that, he had started tinkering with prototypes that couldn’t be sold. It seemed that in order to move forward, he’d need to return to his work or perhaps explore other ways to earn money.

“I thought so, well, once you take care of that problem, then I’ll give it a serious consideration.”

The idea of starting a school lingered in Roland’s mind as he watched Elodia return to the shop. Her reaction was promising, though it came with many concerns that he was aware of. Funding was a valid point – one he couldn’t ignore. His habit of hoarding rare materials for crafting and neglecting to restock the shop had undoubtedly stretched their resources thin. If this school were to become a reality, he’d need to fix his finances quickly.

At first, he pondered whether it would be fine to restructure the dorms into part of the school, but the thought of having more children near his workshop bothered him. The dorms operated as an orphanage, sustained by his work and Elodia’s. While the kids would eventually grow up and leave, it didn’t mean he could simply repurpose the space into something else. It could remain as a dormitory or an orphanage for other children. Perhaps even some of its old residents could manage it.

A better idea began to take shape – a proper institution within Albrook. There were still suitable locations where such a place could be built, and with Arthur’s help, securing the rights likely wouldn’t be a problem. However, this would be a massive undertaking. He would need to design a large building and ensure it was fully secured for Elodia’s use. She would probably be the only teacher at first, but in time, he envisioned her becoming the Headmistress, deciding how the institution would operate. Roland planned to be the main sponsor, but for that, he needed to earn a significant amount of money.

‘It always comes down to resources, but what’s the best way to go about this?’

Roland was a busy man with many demands and little aptitude for commerce. He could, in theory, lock himself in his workshop for a few months to earn enough money for the project, but he couldn’t afford to waste all that time. His level wasn’t advancing quickly enough, and he was keen to address that problem too.

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‘I need a more permanent solution. I’ll always need more money, now and in the future – that’s a truth that never changes,’

Not much time had passed since he started working with mithril, but he knew there were far superior materials awaiting him in the future. Creating golems, developing new runic devices, and expanding his workshop all demanded more time and resources. If he relied solely on selling personally crafted items, he would be unable to focus on other projects or improve his combat skills.

‘I wish that Time Chamber idea was feasible, but that’s probably going to take years of research, and even then… It could be impossible. I should focus on building a factory instead. Let the golems handle assembly for me, even if I can’t create a rune assembly process, I should be able to minimize my involvement.’

Roland already had a solid plan for creating his first runic factory. He still had a large amount of unused old farmland where it could be constructed. That would likely become his next major building project, but it wasn’t his only priority. He also wanted to delve back into the dungeon to explore the layout of the B-rank portion or confirm if its rank wasn’t higher. From what he had gathered, adventurers were struggling to progress beyond a few floors, and no one had discovered a boss chamber yet.