Episode 38 — Rational Education and the Temptation of Fried Bread.
—Pshhh.
Along with that satisfying sound, a distinctively sweet aroma tickled my nose.
I poured the cola into a glass filled with ice and let out a long, satisfied breath.
“…Ahh, this is it. Being able to drink as much cola as I want every day is the absolute best!”
I was in my usual prime seat on the sofa. Tama was perched on my lap like a heavy paperweight.
Before my eyes, the footage from the latest drone was being projected clearly onto a 4K monitor hooked up to my phone.
“Ah, Bartos. Do you copy? …Yeah, that stone placement. Shift it about two meters to the left. …Right, that’ll make the transport route much wider. Also, Bartos, don’t overdo it. Make sure you take proper breaks.”
‘Oh, Master Zect! Understood! Truly, this is the perspective of a god…!’
Bartos’s vigorous voice crackled back through the walkie-talkie.
Neither the sweat nor the dust of the site could reach this room. Watching the bean-sized Bartos briskly issue orders through the screen, I was basking in pure bliss.
(This is the life. Optimizing the world with a cool face without moving a single step. This is exactly the kind of “work” I’ve always wanted.)
One day, while I was savoring this remote-work paradise, Gustav paid me a visit for the first time in a while.
“Mr. Zect, do you have a moment? …Oh, what is that?”
“Hey, Gustav. Look at this efficiency. I know everything that’s happening without going to the site. So, did something happen?”
The person who entered was my excellent administrative lead (who has been looking a bit haggard lately), Gustav.
He looked down at his documents and knit his brows in concern.
“It’s about the ‘school.’ …We’ve hit a snag. Particularly in the rural areas outside the gates—the parents are reluctant to send their children to school. To them, children are a vital source of labor.”
Ah, I see. A classic developing-world challenge.
However, if education is neglected here, then in the future, the excellent talent who can handle my paperwork for me… I mean, who can take over my administrative tasks, won't be cultivated. That is an unacceptable problem for my “Ultimate Sloth Project.”
“…Hey, Gustav. I want to ask you something.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“For a typical family of four in this country—or this city, rather—how much does it cost to live for a month?”
Gustav looked a bit surprised by the question, but he immediately began calculating in his head.
“Let me see… excluding housing, just for food and daily necessities, they should be able to maintain a decent lifestyle with thirty silver coins.”
I converted that to Japanese values in my head.
One silver coin is roughly 5,000 yen.
That would make one large copper coin 500 yen, and one small copper coin 50 yen.
“Got it. Alright, Gustav, let’s set the school hours until noon and provide ‘school lunches.’ We’ll have the kids go home after they eat.”
“School… lunches?”
“Right. We’ll serve nutritionally balanced meals at the school. As for the cost… how about a monthly fee of about six large copper coins?”
Gustav’s eyes went wide.
“Mr. Zect, that’s way too cheap! That breaks down to only three small copper coins per meal! We’ll be in the red just on the cost of ingredients!”
I took a sip of cola and leaned deep into the back of the sofa.
“It costs more because individual households buy ingredients separately and burn their own firewood. …Listen, the school will make everything ‘in bulk.’ We buy ingredients at wholesale prices in one go. We use fuel for only one location. It’s what we call ‘economies of scale.’ If we commit to mass production, the cost per meal drops dramatically.”
“Economies… of scale…?”
“Basically, if we make the parents realize their kids can eat better, cheaper food at school than at home, we win. The parents will realize that throwing their kids into school actually saves them money on food and helps the household budget. Once that happens, sending them to school becomes more rational than forcing them to work the fields, right?”
After a moment of stunned silence, Gustav’s shoulders gave a slight shiver.
“…Terrifying. You’re calculating even the ‘profit and loss’ emotions of the parents to lure the children into education. …What unfathomable rationality.”
No, it’s not really terrifying. It’s just the basic theory behind a school cafeteria.
“By the way, add ‘fried bread’ to the trial menu. It’s cheap, filling, and more importantly, I like it. …Alright, tell Bartos to confirm the setup for the school kitchens as well.”
When I smiled and said that, Gustav gave a deep bow—one filled with profound respect, or perhaps something closer to awe.
“…Understood. I shall restructure the budget proposal immediately.”
…Good. With this, in a decade or so, an elite group will probably make Felsen even more prosperous. Maybe.
The foundation for my complete retirement is steadily being laid.
“Mrrp. (I want to eat fried bread too.)”
Tama, on my lap, let out a pampered sound.
What is it, Tama? I’m just very seriously moving Felsen for the sake of my own peaceful slumber.
NEXT→