Chapter 141: Althoff Elementary Academy
The completion of Althoff Elementary Academy was announced on a clear morning, when the final construction inspection concluded without any major objections.
Mara stood outside the newly finished building alongside Lucan, Edric, and several departmental inspectors.
Before them stretched a spacious courtyard bordered by carefully leveled paths, young trees, and neatly arranged flowerbeds.
Beyond the courtyard stood the Academy itself, a handsome collection of interconnected buildings constructed from dressed stone, locally manufactured bricks, and timber supplied by Althoff’s managed forests.
It was neither a magnificent noble estate nor an extravagant institution intended to impress wealthy visitors.
It was a school.
And for Raymond, that made it considerably more important.
"Your Excellency, the main construction work has been completed," Mara announced when Raymond arrived accompanied by Alaric and Eleanor Whitcombe. "All essential buildings have passed their structural inspections, and the remaining preparations concern furniture placement, cleaning, and the opening ceremony."
Raymond surveyed the Academy with obvious satisfaction.
"Well, would you look at that," he remarked, smiling broadly. "An actual school. I was beginning to think we’d spend the rest of our lives discussing construction schedules."
Mara gave him a tired look.
"Considering how many projects you’ve authorized, my Lord, some of us may very well spend the rest of our lives discussing construction schedules."
Lucan chuckled before gesturing toward the entrance.
"Shall we begin the inspection, Your Excellency? I believe you’ll find the interior arrangements satisfactory."
Raymond nodded, and the group entered through a broad doorway leading into the Academy’s central hall.
The interior smelled faintly of fresh timber and newly finished plaster. Sunlight streamed through generously sized windows, illuminating clean floors and walls painted in simple, welcoming colors.
Several corridors connected the main classrooms to administrative rooms, storage facilities, and the teachers’ working areas.
Eleanor walked beside Raymond, examining every detail with the focused attention of someone preparing to assume responsibility for hundreds of children.
"The entrance arrangements are excellent," she observed. "There’s sufficient space for pupils to gather without crowding the classrooms, and the corridors should allow teachers to supervise movement between lessons."
Raymond glanced toward Lucan.
"Was that part of your original design?"
"Yes, Your Excellency," Lucan answered. "Mistress Eleanor emphasized the importance of safe movement throughout the building. We adjusted several doorways and corridors accordingly."
Their first destination was one of the larger classrooms.
Rows of wooden desks and benches had been arranged facing a broad writing board mounted upon the front wall. Shelves stood along one side of the room, while a teacher’s desk occupied a position near the windows.
Raymond approached the nearest desk and ran his hand across its polished surface.
"These look sturdy," he remarked.
"They should be, my Lord," Lucan replied. "The carpenters used properly prepared timber and reinforced the joints. We also instructed them to avoid sharp edges wherever practical."
Eleanor examined the seating arrangements before nodding approvingly.
"The desks are suitable for elementary instruction," she said. "However, we’ll need to ensure that younger pupils are assigned furniture appropriate for their height. A child shouldn’t struggle to reach the writing surface throughout an entire lesson."
Raymond smiled.
"Then we’ll arrange the classrooms according to age groups and instructional needs. I trust you’ve already considered that."
"Naturally, Your Excellency," Eleanor answered, returning his smile. "I’ve prepared preliminary classroom assignments based upon the enrollment records."
They continued through several additional classrooms, each furnished according to its intended purpose.
Some contained larger writing boards and additional storage for instructional materials. Others had been arranged to accommodate younger children who would require closer supervision.
The Academy also possessed a modest reading room, where shelves awaited books, instructional texts, and other educational materials.
Raymond stopped inside the room and examined the available collection.
There were introductory reading books, arithmetic exercises, writing guides, and several volumes covering geography, agriculture, and practical knowledge.
It was hardly an enormous library.
Nevertheless, it represented a beginning.
"How are we handling books and learning materials?" Raymond asked.
Eleanor opened a small inventory ledger.
"We’ve acquired sufficient introductory materials for the initial classes, my Lord. Some books will remain in the classrooms for shared instruction, while essential writing supplies will be issued according to the arrangements approved by the Administration."
Alaric added that the Treasury had established a separate account for educational supplies.
"Purchases will be recorded through the Academy’s administrative office, Your Excellency," he explained. "Mistress Eleanor will submit regular expenditure reports, and additional allocations can be considered as enrollment increases."
Raymond nodded.
"Good. I don’t want teachers spending their own wages purchasing supplies because someone forgot to include chalk or writing materials in the budget."
Eleanor smiled appreciatively.
"That consideration will be greatly welcomed by the teaching staff, my Lord."
The inspection continued toward the sanitation facilities, where Edric had been waiting with two assistants.
Unlike many older buildings throughout the territory, the Academy had been constructed with its water and drainage requirements incorporated from the beginning.
Edric appeared particularly proud of that accomplishment.
"Your Excellency, the water connections have been completed and tested," he announced. "The washing facilities are operational, and the drainage system has passed inspection. We’ve also arranged separate sanitation areas and established procedures for regular cleaning."
Raymond examined the facilities carefully.
"Excellent. Children need clean water and proper sanitation just as much as they need books."
Edric nodded firmly.
"Precisely, my Lord. We’ve also ensured that wastewater is directed away from the areas where pupils will gather and play."
Selene Arward, who had joined the inspection, confirmed that the facilities met the Health and Sanitation Department’s requirements.
She also recommended establishing regular cleaning schedules and basic health procedures before the Academy opened.
Eleanor immediately agreed to incorporate those instructions into the staff regulations.
Their next destination was the teachers’ accommodation wing, a modest collection of rooms intended for instructors who had relocated to Althoff without securing private housing.
The accommodations were simple but comfortable, with shared facilities and sufficient space for personal belongings.
"Not every teacher will live here," Eleanor explained. "However, providing temporary accommodation should help us recruit qualified instructors from other territories."
Raymond approved of the arrangement.
"If we’re asking capable people to move here and educate our children, the least we can do is help them settle properly."
By the time the inspection concluded, the group had spent nearly two hours examining classrooms, administrative rooms, storage areas, sanitation facilities, and the surrounding grounds.
Raymond eventually stepped into the courtyard and looked back toward the completed Academy.
For several moments, he remained silent.
He remembered the Althoff he had inherited.
The territory had been impoverished, its administration disorganized, its economy struggling, and its people burdened by years of neglect.
Back then, establishing a proper school would have seemed like an absurd luxury.
Now the city possessed expanding markets, functioning industries, improved roads, organized public institutions, and enough growing prosperity to begin investing seriously in the education of its children.
The transformation had been extraordinary.
Yet Raymond knew that the buildings themselves were only part of the achievement.
The true value of the Academy would emerge over the coming years, as children learned skills their parents had never possessed and carried that knowledge into the wider territory.
"Your Excellency?" Alaric asked, noticing his thoughtful expression. "Is something troubling you?"
Raymond shook his head.
"Not at all, Alaric," he replied with a faint smile. "I was simply thinking about how different this place looks compared to when we first started rebuilding Althoff."
Alaric followed his gaze toward the Academy.
"We’ve certainly come a long way, my Lord," he acknowledged. "Although I suspect you have no intention of allowing us to rest anytime soon."
Raymond laughed.
"You know me too well."
The remainder of the afternoon was devoted to preparations for the official opening ceremony.
Eleanor reviewed the teaching staff’s assignments, while Alaric coordinated invitations for parents, departmental representatives, and community leaders.
Talia arranged temporary traffic restrictions around the Academy, ensuring that visiting families could approach the grounds safely.
Mara instructed her workers to remove the remaining construction equipment, and the groundskeepers began preparing the courtyard for the expected gathering.
Raymond insisted that the ceremony remain welcoming rather than extravagant.
"This is supposed to celebrate the children," he explained. "We don’t need an elaborate noble banquet. A few speeches, an introduction to the teachers, and an opportunity for families to see the classrooms will be more than enough."
Eleanor agreed enthusiastically.
"That should help the children feel comfortable before their first lessons, Your Excellency."
By evening, the final inspection documents had been delivered to Raymond’s study.
He reviewed the completed construction report, confirmed the Academy’s readiness, and signed the authorization permitting preparations for its official opening.
The moment his signature touched the parchment, a familiar sound echoed inside his mind.
Ding!
Raymond paused.
A translucent blue window appeared before his eyes.
[Infinite Clan Treasury System]
[Major Family Mission: The Rise Of A Count’s Domain]
[Educational Institution Completion Detected!]
[Althoff Elementary Academy has been successfully constructed and approved for operation.]
[The County’s first formal educational institution has been established.]
[Awaiting Official Opening and Commencement of Instruction.]
Raymond stared at the notification before slowly smiling.
The building was complete.
The teachers were preparing and soon, the first generation of Althoff’s schoolchildren would enter their classrooms.