章節 204: Year End 4
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Malon Ganard, who had been silent on the sidelines, spoke up, "Buteya originally had a church school. Perhaps we can cooperate with them to expand the school?"
"Oh, forget it, Malon!" Paul waved his hand repeatedly. "I've heard that many clergy have a certain special fondness for young boys. I don't want more children going there."
The crowd burst into laughter, leaving only the female advisor blushing.
Paul raised his hand firmly in the air, "We must establish an education system completely under the control of the Ministry of Affairs!"
Suddenly, his gaze turned and continuously appraised the female advisor.
Eileen's heart pounded as she felt uncomfortable being scrutinized by Count Grayman in front of so many people. He was being quite rude.
The female advisor's face turned slightly red as she asked impatiently, "Lord Earl, is there something you need?"
"Miss D'Arshi, I wonder if you might..."
"W-what?"
"The position of Director of the Ministry of Education in the Ministry of Affairs is currently vacant, and there wasn't much systemization in this area before, so there wasn't much to do. But if we're going to establish so many schools, there will be a lot of work in the future."
"Well, that's true."
"So, would you be interested in taking up the position of Director of the Ministry of Education?"
Eileen was momentarily stunned, looking at Paul not knowing how to respond.
Paul quietly waited for her answer, but before the female advisor could say anything, there were objections in the hall.
"Ahem! Lord Grayman, this seems contrary to tradition. How can a woman hold a public office? Oh, I'm not questioning Miss D'Arshi's knowledge, after all, she's a genuine scholar, but a woman... Anyway, this doesn't conform to tradition."
It was Baron Hansel Abbott speaking. Obviously, he disagreed with Paul's intention to appoint a female officer—especially one at his level.
"But in our administrative system, Miss D'Arshi and Miss Ladia seem to be the two most knowledgeable individuals."
"Knowledge doesn't necessarily mean suitability for management in administrative matters! Lord Earl, some scholars are only focused on research and lack basic social skills. How would they handle the tasks from top to bottom in the administrative system?"
"But I recall that Her Royal Highness the Grand Princess Catherine is a heroine who excels in both military and political affairs!"
Mentioning the Kingdom's Grand Princess Catherine caused "Miss D'Arshi" to tremble slightly.
"Oh! Lord Earl," Hansel chuckled, "you can't take an exception to prove a point. Moreover, Princess Catherine has grown up in the royal family with extraordinary family conditions that most men in the country do not have access to in terms of education and training."
"And..." Hansel's lips curled slightly, "if His Majesty the King had an equally outstanding prince, I'm afraid Princess Catherine wouldn't be as prominent as she is now."
Paul had no choice but to ask everyone, "What are your opinions on appointing Miss D'Arshi as the Director of the Ministry of Education?"
People looked at each other, then turned their eyes to their noses and mouths, but no one made a sound.
After spending so much time together, everyone respected the female advisor's knowledge, but appointing a woman... that was a bit hard to accept.
Paul had to ask again, "Can anyone step forward to volunteer for the position of Director of the Ministry of Education, or recommend someone?"
Still, no one spoke up. The rough old men from the Northwestern Bay had a good sense of self-awareness; education was clearly something they couldn't handle.
Among the "high-level" talents from the capital city, Bernard served as the chief secretary, always by Paul's side, handling various documents and scheduling. Guy Burns, newly appointed as the factory manager, was a tech enthusiast who didn't want to deal with anything other than technology. Being a factory manager was challenging enough for him.
Neither of them wanted to take on more responsibilities.
The only one who had some thoughts was Hansel—he liked power.
But Hansel was also self-aware. As the head of the Ministry of Agriculture, there were plenty of agricultural matters to handle. He had just been criticized by the lord for the slow progress in consolidating arable land. Besides, he was also busy with the immigration and recruitment of talents from outside. He was equally overwhelmed.
Now, his mind was quickly thinking about whom to recommend for the position of Director of the Ministry of Education. Of course, the scope must be among the talents he recruited, preferably also from the capital city.
But no matter how Hansel thought about it, he couldn't find anyone who fully met the three conditions: arriving relatively early, having strong abilities, and having a certain degree of compatibility with the lord.
Arriving relatively early was a given—after all, who would appoint a newcomer to such an important position?
Having strong abilities was necessary too; otherwise, even he wouldn't approve. He always judged based on abilities.
Having a certain degree of compatibility with the lord was also crucial. For the old folks from the northwest, that was the lord's base. Among the senior officials from outside, Bernard started with simple tasks and gradually gained the count's recognition. Guy Burns shared the count's interests in technology, and both were equally passionate about technology. Hansel himself maintained a certain form of alliance with the count, each taking what they needed.
Damn it! You always realize the shortage when you need it most. Must I watch such an important position fall into the hands of that woman? The lord clearly values education a lot.
As Hansel was sweating with anxiety, Paul spoke up.
"Since no one can suggest a suitable candidate, I think for now, Miss D'Arshi will handle the educational affairs. However, considering that there is currently only one Weis Academy under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Affairs in the territory, unlike other departments that are so busy, I have decided to change the Ministry of Education to the Department of Education. A department is a level lower than a ministry. Miss D'Arshi will temporarily serve as the acting head of the Department of Education. What do you all think?"
Still, no one spoke.
"Is there no objection?" Paul changed his way of asking.
"Um... I think that's fine," someone finally spoke softly. Others nodded slightly, tacitly agreeing with the count's decision.
"Then it's settled."
Only Hansel was not happy: How could everyone not see that the earl is making a retreat? I guarantee that woman will be on equal footing with all the department heads within two years, and the Department of Education will be upgraded back to the Ministry of Education.
Hansel did recognize the abilities of the female advisor, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease about a woman holding such an important position.
If the female advisor hadn't been so diametrically opposed to him on refugee issues, he might have reluctantly accepted it. But since there were policy differences between them, he certainly didn't want her to gain more power.
(End of the Chapter)
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