After I died, my personal maid rebelled.

Federico couldn't see the far-reaching impact of the military academy's establishment, but Janet knew it clearly.

The residents of the Northern Territory admire martial prowess and take pride in serving in the military. Especially after the Duke's military reforms, soldiers who distinguished themselves in battle received real rewards.

The money they sent home alone required several horse-drawn carriages to move.

Now the Duke has directly linked the army with education. If your child is illiterate, he can only be a common soldier, while other people's children, because they have learned to read and write, can directly enter military academy, and even if they don't pass the final selection, they can become high-ranking officers.

What is this? This is a clear path to advancement, the honor of standing proudly beside the Duke.

Once the residents realized the importance of knowledge and culture, it would be a natural progression for the Duke to establish regular schools.

The military academy registration office in Iron Lake City was bustling with activity as young people flocked to the site. They were tall and strong, the first batch of new-era teenagers in the Northern Territory to have developed well due to improved living standards since the reforms.

The Duke's reforms spanned their adolescence, and even though they were far apart, Luna and Jane could feel the vibrant life force emanating from them.

"Okay, okay..."

Federico was practically drooling. With such a large physique, it was a real waste that he wasn't a heavy infantryman. If he had a whole regiment of heavy infantrymen, just standing there, well, exuding a murderous aura.

After indulging in daydreams about the future for a while, Federico snapped out of his reverie and realized that the dropout rate for military academy admissions was frighteningly high.

One promising candidate after another was eliminated in his eyes. The first test alone, which required writing down fifty commonly used characters, was enough to filter out ninety percent of the candidates.

It was indeed unacceptable for officers to be illiterate. Federico frowned, suddenly understanding the Duke's good intentions.

People crave comfort, and for the residents of the northern territory, the land was given to them by the Duke for free; even after taxes were deducted, it was enough to support a large family.

The northern territory is vast and sparsely populated. On twenty acres of land, whether you plant more cash crops or more grain, you can sell them, even to the Duke's mansion.

Therefore, the current situation in rural areas of the northern region is that every household not only has surplus grain, but also surplus money.

But with such a standard of living, the residents' plans for the next generation were very simple: either continue farming or join the army. These were clear choices laid out before them.

For the residents of the Northern Territory, being an official held little appeal. The village chiefs in the rural areas of the Northern Territory were elected by themselves; they were all uncultured men, and the only difference between them was their popularity.

And those young people who were assigned as local administrators were so busy that they were practically running around on their feet. If a serious crime happened in any village, they would go crazy on the spot.

After all, with the Duke above them, the era of the nobility was over, and these officials dared not do anything wrong; they all behaved themselves.

It can be said that it was the Duke's series of reforms that led to the current situation in the Northern Territory where education is not valued.

Although the central district is corrupt, the academies in the royal city hold a high status. Many years ago, a certain king issued a decree ordering each academy to recruit a certain number of commoner students.

According to this decree, nobles started a trend of funding commoners to cultivate their own power; while commoners with good family backgrounds would also take the initiative to hire teachers to teach their children.

Entering the academy was the only chance for ordinary people in the Central District to change their fate.

In contrast, the common people of the northern territories: I have a house and land, and my life is infinitely joyful...

As I said before, people crave comfort. If there's no benefit to studying, why should I waste my youth on it?

Unless you truly love it, who can say they've found enjoyment in learning?

Childhood spent with friends in the village, and youth spent admiring Cuihua next door—aren't those more interesting than books?

If the Duke of Oswald forced them to go to school, they might not understand but would support it, and then just drift through life, doing whatever they were supposed to do after graduation.

Perhaps an elder from the village will come and say, "Duke, the ancestral laws cannot be changed! Don't take our child away from us..."

But the establishment of the military academy is a good start.

After the first round of enrollment, the Ironlake City Junior Military Academy recruited a total of 175 students, more than Federico had anticipated.

The southern commercial district is, after all, a thriving commercial area, and people here still need to learn some cultural knowledge in order to conduct business.

As for the other primary school in the city of Kuogu, Federico could already foresee their dismal enrollment situation.

The academy will officially begin teaching in January next year, while workers are rushing to build makeshift teaching buildings and training grounds next to the military camp.

Federico's current task is to bring these young men into the military camp and conduct military training with the soldiers.

Commander Federico, who commanded 5,000 elite soldiers, suddenly became the instructor of 45 new recruits.

It would be a lie to say I'm not feeling bitter.

"The reason I joined the army was to support His Excellency the Duke's ideals, to defeat the corrupt nobles, and to defeat all the powerful enemies of our Northern Territory!"

The legendary figure Fei Sanbian began his historical revisionism, spreading rumors and misinformation about him making a living and being a duke whipping someone.

The new recruits below stood ramrod straight, all looking at him with adoration.

Federico, who had been showing off a little, suppressed the smile on his lips, deliberately tightened his face, walked up to a new recruit, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Now tell me, Ryan! What is your purpose in joining the army?!"

The recruit named Ryan blushed crimson and answered just as loudly, "Reporting, Instructor, it's to defeat the enemy in the Northern Territory!"

"Great, that's very energetic!"

Federico asked the same questions to each of them. The recruits, who had just finished a morning of physical training, were somewhat surprised that their instructor could remember all of their names.

"Tell me, Gan, what is your purpose in joining the army?!"

"Reporting to the instructor is to obey your orders!"

Federico gasped. "Good lad, you're clever enough. I'll copy that line and say it again in the future just to obey the Duke's orders."

Federico never hesitates to praise and lavish compliments on promising young players.

"Damn it! You're a fucking genius! I've never heard such a satisfying answer before. Your intelligence definitely surpasses everyone else in the academy!"

"If you graduate smoothly, I'll definitely recommend you for Northern College! You'll definitely be a general someday, Gan."

Hearing such high praise, everyone turned their gaze, only to be met with a "wise" face.

Hmm... this must be the legendary "great wisdom appearing as foolishness".

Paul, who was taking a walk in the forest with Leia's help, heard Federico's roar from the training field from afar, through the fence.

I heard that Federico's performance was exceptional when he was training troops in Kuogu City, no wonder he was valued by the Duke.

Paul, who had gotten married somewhat haphazardly, was now a little envious of Federico.

When he woke up, the whole world had changed. The Duke and others sent him letters of greeting, and even Luna and Lisa would look at him with concern... then chuckle and remind him that he could rest for a while longer.

He seemed to have suddenly become a free man, a free man who didn't need to do anything but enjoy the gifts and blessings of fate.

Correa's love was so passionate that it gave him an unprecedented feeling, and his heart was pounding uncontrollably.

The two had only nodding acquaintances before, so why was Leia's love so sincere, so genuine that it was completely unpretentious?

Paul was somewhat dazed. He had never received unconditional love. The Duke and his comrades cared for him as friends and comrades, while Luna and Lisa were more like best friends.

The puzzle of his life was completed after he met Leia.

It was time to say goodbye to the past, he thought. He had received enough happiness and should reciprocate this love.

"Miss Leia."

Paul stopped in his tracks, his voice still trembling with tension despite having experienced countless brutal battles.

When he woke up, he was struck by their unwavering sincerity and, in a rather straightforward manner, asked, "Why did you sacrifice so much for me?"

He will probably never forget Leia's answer for the rest of his life.

"Do you believe in love at first sight, Mr. Paul?"

Leia, her pretty face slightly flushed, also realized something. Her big, watery eyes looked over, as if they contained a sky full of stars, twinkling for one person.

Paul knelt down on one knee and gently took her hand.

"I swear in the name of the Holy Knight that I will faithfully protect our happiness."