"I will handle this with care," Mathus said, bowing with a smile on his aged face. He left the young raven's room with a set of revised documents in his hand. Ravina agonized over it for a few more days before giving them to him. By now they were as complete as they were ever was. Time was running out and the count wouldn't care whether the paperwork was accurate or not. He wouldn’t help or get in her way. In the end, he washed his hands of it completely.
Instead, he would allow the leading nobles to decide what to do, and that would mean self interest over anything else. This included the small council that ran the county and those in charge of the Initiates. Just because the paperwork looked good didn't mean Ravina would prevail over logic. In fact, she was arguing against it. Aligning with the church was the right move politically, socially, and even financially. She could send all the children to the mines, and they would still hemorrhage money with the education she wanted to provide. That's why she planned to start slow, beginning with the profit of resources.
What she needed to present was not documents and requests but rather a proof of concept. Kids being able to not only bring in money but also showcase a viable skill. “That's why I need you to go to the orphanages around here and pick out 12 to 15 children to train as adventures,” Ravina picked up the teacup from the table she shared with Aurelia.
The blue-haired woman paused, processing the information. "You want me to train a group of children to... pick weeds?"
"Well, when you phrase it like that..." Ravina set her cup down. "It's about supply and demand," she continued simply. "These weeds as you say, could save a family—provide them with enough coin intinil something else comes along. Currently, these children are seen as nothing more than drains on the county's budget. We need to show a working solution where they can contribute something valuable while still in the program, ensuring they can stay without concerns." We would also demonstrate that even if all the young men are sent off to war, the supply of herbs, animals, and other resources provided by the adventuring guild wouldn’t be compromised. At least the impacts could be minimized. Of course, Ravina omitted the part about the war; only she and her father were certain of that. She trusted Aurelia, of course, but loose lips… not that the country had any ships to worry about.
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"You want me to babysit more children," Aurelia said, tilting her head. "I thought I made it clear that I don’t really do training."
"Yes, I understand, but I need you. I need someone I can trust while I finish preparing, and when it’s time to demonstrate my work, I need you to ensure the children perform as expected."
"And what will you be doing while I train the children? You know I didn’t become a knight to be a babysitter," Aurelia added quickly,
"I have lessons and reports to prepare. I figured we would both hunker down and keep busy this month."
"You expect me to train children in 30 days?"
"You’ve trained me in a few weeks.”
“You were egar to learn and besides that, you already knew about herbs and if you think you can win a fight against anyone your crazy.”
“So pick the older ones; they might be able to stay focused longer," Ravina suggested.
Aurelia looked around, her expression turning to a frown. "I don’t need to," she replied. "You should hire someone properly."
Ravina blinked, taken aback. She had never anticipated Aurelia's refusal.