The sailboat from Changge Fortress slowly docked at the Border Town pier.
After the springboard was lowered, the crew members, carrying various bundles of luggage, descended the gangway. Most of them were stepping onto this unfamiliar land for the first time, their expressions appearing somewhat bewildered, while the sailors' urging behind them only intensified their sense of unease.
Under the crowd's pressure, a middle-aged woman slipped and lost her balance, nearly falling off the walkway. Another woman stepped forward, grabbed her wrist, and stabilized her posture.
"Xie... thank you." The rescued individual covered their chest with lingering fear and repeatedly expressed gratitude.
The woman merely smiled and waved her hand, dismissing it as a trivial matter.
At the dock, Filin Silt immediately recognized the agile young woman among the crowd—Eileen, the rising star of the Fortress Theatre and his beloved wife. She wore a pristine white dress, her long hair elegantly coiled atop her head, radiating timeless beauty.
The first Knight, barely containing his excitement, hurried forward when she safely stepped ashore from the dock. He threw himself around her, completely ignoring the stares and whispers of the crowd. Startled, she recognized him as Philin and responded with a tender embrace.
"The news of the Duke's army's crushing defeat sent shivers down my spine. At Longsong Fortress, I longed to see you, but fate denied me that chance," she whispered in Knight's ear. "Thankfully, you're safe." "I was imprisoned in Lordcastle's dungeon—guards would never let you in," Philin released his wife. "How have you been these past fortnight?" "..." She paused. "I've left the theater." Philin instantly grasped her implication. When he was the Western Border's foremost Knight, only the Duke dared to lay a hand on her. Now, as Your Royal Highness's captive, those who covet Eileen need no longer conceal their malice—they stand ready to strike. To return to the theater now would be to invite disaster."
"It's alright. I have a job here with decent pay," he reassured her. "Let's go home first." "Home?" Irene looked surprised. "Don't we live separately?" Typically, prisoners who weren't executed or accepted for ransom were forced into manual labor. Their living conditions were basic—tents and barracks where people crowded together, sleeping on straw-covered floors. Families of prisoners were treated no better. Women had designated camps where they slept on the ground, and when men worked, they had to clean their men's quarters, cook meals, and wash clothes.
This thought stirred a deep emotion in Fei Lin. At the Fortress Farm, she had at least one spacious room with a comfortable bed and soft bedding. Yet for her own sake, she chose to come to Border Town alone, even if it meant sharing a small house or tent with other women and enduring daily forced labor. She never wavered.
"I'm a teacher now," he said, taking Irene's luggage and guiding her hand toward the Civilized New District. "Teachers get a free apartment." Truth be told, when Your Highness first announced the teacher benefits, he hadn't expected much—being a prisoner, having a room was already a blessing. Even a leaky wooden shack could be patched up and made habitable. But the reality was far from what he'd imagined: the teacher housing allocation would be... downright standard.
As he entered the neighborhood, the street suddenly widened, its surface paved with grayish-white gravel—smoothly compacted by rolling stones, leaving no stinging sensation underfoot. At first, Fei Lin couldn't comprehend this method, dismissing it as a waste of labor and time by the stonemasons. Only after a heavy rainfall, when water seeped through the stone cracks into the ground and drained into the deep ditches on either side, did he grasp the rationale. Compared to the muddy, waterlogged alleys of Changge Fortress, such a street was clearly a far better choice.
Eileen surveyed the surroundings with a puzzled look. "All these houses look newly built. Did you get lost?" "No, darling, we're almost there," Philin Silter replied. After rounding two corners along the neighborhood street, he stopped in front of a two-story brick house. "This is it." "Where?" She glanced around before fixing her eyes on the brand-new building Knight stood before, covering her mouth in disbelief. "Could... this entire building be our home?" "Of course not," he chuckled. "This is the faculty building. Our place is in the middle of the second floor. Let's go up." With a key, they entered the apartment—featuring a living room, two bedrooms, and two utility rooms, all furnished. Though modest in size, the space felt surprisingly cozy. The living room's decor and the bedrooms' layout offered a refreshing contrast. Now, with Eileen here, the home was complete.
"Good heavens, were you really captured as a prisoner?" Irene rushed into each room with childlike excitement, "We'll live here from now on?" "Of course," Philin said with a smile, pulling out dry bread and cheese from the cupboard. "You haven't eaten on the ship yet? Fill your stomach first—I still have work to do later." "By the way, you're a teacher now," Irene ran back to her husband. "Teaching which Noble's child?" "Not Noble, but the subjects of Your Royal Highness." "Subjects?" She froze. "What subjects?" Philin picked up a book from the table and handed it to her. "Teach them to read and write. This is the... 'textbook' Your Highness gave me." When he chose to become a teacher, he had worried about his competence—after all, the role was usually reserved for erudite white-haired elders. But Your Highness casually remarked that teaching by the textbook was sufficient. Only when he saw this so-called textbook did he realize that teaching literacy could be refined to such an extent.
From teaching methodologies to course content, the book offers a comprehensive guide. The first page features over a dozen frequently asked questions for novice teachers, such as: How to become an excellent teacher? How to spark students' interest in learning? How to evaluate teaching effectiveness? The answers are straightforward and insightful, often leaving readers feeling enlightened. Even before starting his teaching career, he was already deeply captivated by this book.
Eileen was no exception. Having grown up in the theater, she had read more books and scripts than the film itself. Knight once remarked that with her beauty and intellect, she would have undoubtedly become a celebrated woman in the Western world had she been born into a Noble family.
After flipping through a few pages, Irene suddenly looked up and asked, "You mentioned earlier... the teachers 'pay is decent?" "20 silver wolves per month, with a 5-wolf annual increase." "There's no theater here, right?" "No... there is." Philin hesitated for a moment—he had already guessed his wife's thoughts.
Sure enough, the other person closed the book and said with a smile, "Then I want to be a teacher too, dear, just like you."