Chapter 455 – Principal’s Appointment 3
Chapter 455: The Headmaster Takes Office 3
After attending a simple reception banquet set up by the town mayor, Makarov and his wife settled down in the residence provided by the town government.
The next day, the couple got up early.
The wife had to get ready in order to entertain the wives of the other leading men of the town who had come to visit – as mentioned earlier, the people who run education nowadays have a high social status in all places.
It happened to be a Monday, and Makarov immediately started his new job.
In the morning he went to the new school, a large quadrangular area in the southeastern part of the town of Northwatch, surrounded by a red brick wall and containing a two-story building and a warehouse.
According to the information Makarov had received, there were more than 200 pupils in this school, divided into four classes.
The school’s only three teachers greeted him at the school’s entrance.
“Hello, Principal Makarov, I’m Vrano Deco, the language teacher of this school, and these two are Mr. Corey Hawley, the math teacher, and Ms. Fili Abdullah, the other language teacher.”
A scholarly-dressed man with an octogenarian beard introduced the teachers of the school to the new principal.
“Good work gentlemen! Thank you for all the work you’ve been doing.”
“It’s all part of our duties, as it should be.”
Makarov went up and shook hands with the teachers one by one, following them to the principal’s office that had been prepared for him.
“Gentlemen, since there’s only one math teacher here, I’ve come to take on the position of math teacher on a part-time basis as well, in order to take some of the pressure off of Mr. Holly’s workload.”
Cory Hawley thanked him.
Markelov waved his hand and continued, “In addition, I will also be the ideology and politics teacher.”
“The ideology and politics class?”
The three teachers were collectively confused, never having heard of such a subject.
Makarov explained, “Yes, Civics and Politics, the course responsible for molding children’s worldview, outlook on life, and values.”
The teachers sort of understood; it sounded a bit like missionary behavior.
“Now, Messrs. Deco and Holly, see that wagon I’m riding in outside? Please come over with me and carry some things that we’re going to install in each classroom.”
……
In the afternoon, all the students and teachers of the school were assembled in the small auditorium on the first floor.
The students looked curiously at the lanky new principal, who had shed his original Arda army uniform for civilian clothes.
The small auditorium was actually one of the largest classrooms, with a blackboard painted on the wall directly to the west.
An oil painting now hung above the blackboard.
To be precise, it was a bust.
Fili Abdullah quietly asked Fëanor Deke, “Mr. Deke, the …… painted on that seems to be Lord Lord, I should not be mistaken.”
Mr. Deco nodded his head, “You didn’t see it wrong, I confirmed with Headmaster Makarov that it was Lord Gleeman.”
“But …… “Fili covered her mouth and whispered, “If I don’t remember wrongly, Lord Gleiman is only eighteen this year.”
The man on the oil painting had a deep gaze with a few vicissitudes, looking mature and reliable, almost a different picture from the young and tender Earl in reality.
“Ahem! Artistic processing, artistic processing.”
Principal Makarov picked up the chalk and turned around to write a big word on the blackboard.
Loyalty!
“Now!”
Makarov summoned up the voice of a man who had trained in the army by shouting a bugle, shaking the room with bated breath. “We’ll begin our first lesson in Civics! The first thing we’ll teach you is – what is loyalty!”
Makarov was transferred to education with a special mission, and like him, all military personnel transferred to education had the special mission of imprinting “loyalty to Paul Greiman” as a firm belief in the hearts and minds of children who were growing up.
To this end, before leaving the army, the instructors repeatedly trained Makarov and the others, and on their departure each of them was sent a copy of the “Compendium of Ideological and Political Education” to be studied carefully, as well as a bust of Count Greiman.
Thus, Makarov, a former lieutenant platoon commander and current headmaster of the Northern Hope Public School, began a new life in the town of Northern Hope.
With a daily commute between his residence and the school, as well as regular supervision of the militia in training, his life was very pleasant.
But a sudden news interrupted this peace.
Kagit, the leader of the militia, was teaching first-graders how to do the quadratic algorithm when Makarov ran into the classroom, out of breath.
“Lieutenant, Lieutenant, there’s an emergency!”
Makarov put down his textbook, “What is it, don’t be in a hurry, speak slowly.”
“Two lumberjacks say they’ve spotted wildlings in the forest north of town.”
“Savages?”
Makarov was surprised, wasn’t that the stuff of legends?
“Confirm that you are not mistaken?”
“Confirm that it’s not a mistake, both of these lumberjacks are also loyal and reliable people, so it shouldn’t be a lie either.”
“And the savages are carrying weapons in their hands.”
“Armed? And the numbers?”
Makarov got cautious.
“Witnesses said there were at least ten. The two of them fled back to town immediately to report it for fear of being discovered by the other side, so I’m not sure what the final number was.”
“Good, you immediately gather two platoons of men, one platoon will be responsible for guarding the town’s various intersections, and the other platoon will be led by the two of us to search the north side.”
“Yes!” Kajit gave a military salute and hurriedly ran out to summon the manpower.
The teachers and students of the school were surprised to find that their new principal had changed into a uniform that he wore when he was in the army.
Then soon a group of militiamen lined up in the school’s playground – which was also used as a training ground for the militia. Most of them carried spears, some wore shields with swords, and a few carried longbows and pouches of arrows.
Makarov came sprinting up to the line.
Kajit stepped out to report to him, “Reporting Lieutenant, the 1st Platoon of the Northwatch Town Militia has 32 men due and 32 in attendance! Please instruct.”
“Uh-huh!” Makarov nodded, the speed at which the militia assembled pleased him.
“I’ve gathered you all here today, as I’m sure Khajiit has already told you – to search the forests north of the town for wildlings. What we know so far is that there are at least ten of them on the other side, and they are armed with metal weapons.”
The militiamen fell silent, neither voicing questions nor exchanging words, each with a different expression on their faces, some surprised, some curious, some excited.
Makarov asked aloud, “So, does anyone have a question to ask now?”
There was a moment of silence from the group, and it looked like no one was going to ask.
“Good! Now move out!”
With a big wave of Makarov’s hand, the Khajiit conveyed the order, “All hands, turn right! Run and march!”
The militiamen trotted off in a column all the way out of the schoolyard at a neat pace.
(End of chapter)