A sailboat from Longsong Stronghold slowly docked at the wharf of Border Town.
Once the gangplank was lowered, people carrying all sorts of luggage walked off the ship one after another. Most of them were setting foot on this unfamiliar land for the first time, and their expressions seemed somewhat lost. The sailors urging them from behind only intensified their anxiety.
In the jostling of the crowd, a middle-aged woman accidentally slipped, lost her balance, and was about to fall off the gangplank. Another woman took the initiative, grabbing the other's wrist and helping her regain her footing.
"Th-thank you," the rescued woman said repeatedly, clutching her chest with lingering fear.
The woman just smiled and waved her hand, indicating it was nothing.
Fellin.Sylvester, who was waiting by the wharf, immediately recognized the lithe young woman from the crowd—Ailin, the rising star of the stronghold's theater, his beloved wife. She was wearing a pure white dress, her long hair was done up, and she still looked so beautiful and refined.
The First Knight suppressed his excitement and waited until she safely stepped onto the land from the wharf before striding forward and embracing her tightly from the side, completely disregarding the gazes and discussions of the people around them. She was startled, but after recognizing Fellin, she gently returned his embrace.
"I was so frightened when I heard the news of the Duke's army's defeat. I wanted to see you in Longsong Stronghold, but I didn't have the chance," she whispered in the knight's ear. "I'm glad you're safe."
"I was locked in the lord's castle dungeon at the time; the guards would never have let you in," Fellin released his wife. "Have you been doing well these past two weeks?"
"..." She was silent for a moment, "I left the theater."
Fellin immediately understood what his wife meant. When he was still the First Knight of the Western Region, only the Duke dared to make a move on her. Now that he had become Prince Roland's prisoner, those guys who coveted Ailin no longer needed to hide their malice and were all preparing to pounce at the opportunity. Going back to work at the theater at this time would undoubtedly be like sending a lamb into a tiger's mouth.
"It's okay, I have a job here, and the salary isn't too bad," he comforted her. "Let's go home and talk."
"Home?" Ailin seemed a little surprised, "Don't we have to live separately?"
Generally speaking, prisoners who were not executed and not redeemed were mostly used as coolies. The place where they lived was basically tents and barracks, with many people squeezed together, lying on the ground covered with wheat straw as a bed. The treatment of prisoners' families was not much better. Women had special camps and also had to sleep on the ground. When the men worked, they had to be responsible for cleaning up the men's residences, as well as boiling water, cooking and washing clothes.
Thinking of this, Fellin was a little moved. At the stronghold farm, she at least had a spacious room, with a comfortable bed and soft bedding. But for his sake, she still chose to come to Border Town alone. Even if she had to squeeze into a small house or tent with other women, and accept forced labor every day, she did not flinch.
"I am now a teacher," he took Ailin's luggage, took her hand, and walked towards the New Civilization District. "And teachers get free housing."
To be honest, when he first heard His Highness announce the teacher's treatment, he did not expect too much—as a prisoner, having a house was already good. Even if it was a leaky wooden house, he could fix it up and live in it. The result was beyond his expectations. The housing assigned to teachers would be so... formal.
Walking into the community, the streets suddenly became wider. The ground was covered with gray and white gravel, which was flattened by rolling stones, and it did not feel rough at all to walk on. Fellin did not understand this approach at first, and felt that the stonemasons were wasting manpower and time. It was not until after a heavy rain that rainwater flowed into the ground along the stone crevices and then converged into the deep drainage ditches on both sides that he understood the reason. Compared to the muddy and waterlogged alleys in Longsong Stronghold after a rain, such streets were obviously much better.
Ailin looked around and asked suspiciously, "The houses here all look newly built, are you taking the wrong way?"
"No, dear, we're almost there."
Turning two corners along the community street, Fellin.Sylvester led
Ailin to stop in front of a two-story brick building, "This is it."
"Where?" She looked around twice before turning her gaze to the new building in front of the knight, covering her mouth in disbelief, "Could it be... this whole building is our home?"
"Of course not," he smiled. "This is the teacher's building. Our home is in the middle of the second floor. Come on, let's go up."
Taking out the key to open the door, Fellin took his wife's hand and walked into the new residence—this residence includes a main hall, two bedrooms and two auxiliary rooms, and the furniture inside is complete. Although not big, it is surprisingly comfortable. Whether it is the decoration of the main hall or the layout of the bedroom, it is refreshing. Now with Ailin, this home is even more perfect.
"Good heavens, were you really captured as a prisoner?" Ailin couldn't wait to run into each room to check carefully, excited like a child. "Will we live here from now on?"
"Yes, of course." Fellin smiled and took out rusks and cheese from the cabinet and put them on the table. "You haven't eaten on the boat, have you? Fill your stomach first, and I have to go out to work later."
"By the way, you are now a teacher," Ailin ran back to her husband's side. "Which noble's children are you going to teach?"
"Not nobles, but teaching His Highness the Prince's subjects."
"Subjects?" She paused. "Teach what?"
Fellin picked up a book from the table and handed it to his wife. "Teach them how to write, this is what His Highness sent me... the 'textbook'."
When he chose to become a teacher, he was worried that he would not be able to do it—after all, this position was generally held by knowledgeable and talented white-haired elders. His Highness said casually to teach according to the textbook. When he saw this so-called textbook, he realized that teaching people to write can also be refined to such an extent.
From teaching methods to course content, everything is available. The first page also lists more than a dozen common questions and answers for novice teachers, such as how to become an excellent teacher? How to entice students to learn? How to test teaching effectiveness? The answers are simple and easy to understand, which is quite enlightening. Before starting the class, he was already deeply attracted by this book.
Ailin was obviously the same. Growing up in the theater, she had read more books and scripts than Fellin. The knight once sighed that with his wife's appearance and talent, if she was born in a noble family, she would definitely become an outstanding woman known throughout the Western Region.
After turning a few pages, Ailin suddenly raised her head and asked, "You said earlier... the teacher's salary is not bad?"
"Twenty silver wolves a month, and it will increase by five every year."
"There is no theater here, right?"
"No..." Fellin hesitated, he had already guessed what his wife was thinking.
Sure enough, the other party closed the book and smiled, "Then I will also become a teacher, dear, just like you."