1885, I came to save Greece

Chapter 185 The Cornerstone of Culture

Callinicus's final question, like a giant hammer, shattered the last vestiges of hypocrisy and stubbornness of the Holy Council.

Shame, fear, anger, remorse... a complex mix of emotions clung to the faces of every bishop.

The old bishop who was presiding over the meeting stood up shakily. He did not look at Yermanos, but bowed deeply to Callinicus.

"Father Callinicus, you are right. It is we who have failed the glory of God."

This action signaled the complete collapse of the old forces.

The subsequent vote was a foregone conclusion.

"The vote on the 'Tithing of Knowledge' bill will now commence."

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

……

Voices rose and fell. The bishops who had once vehemently opposed the movement now eagerly raised their hands, as if performing a belated act of atonement.

The final result was an overwhelming victory.

Next came the second vote.

"I propose the establishment of a supreme religious court to thoroughly investigate all instances of dereliction of duty and corruption identified in the audit report!"

This proposal was also passed by a near unanimous vote.

Yermanos, the once-powerful conservative leader in the church, sat slumped in his enormous chair, his face ashen. He watched as his former allies, one by one, avoided his gaze, casting their votes to distance themselves from him.

He knew he was finished.

After the meeting concluded, two guards from the Inquisition approached Yermanos. They did not use violence, but calmly removed the jewel-encrusted cross from his chest, a symbol of the bishop's authority.

When the heavy cross left his chest, Yermanos felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he collapsed completely.

This former church "strongman" fell from the pinnacle of power to a loser whom everyone avoided in a single day. His end came so quickly and so completely.

Inside the palace, Constantine signed the decree.

On the still-wet ink paper, the words "National Education Fund" gleamed under the light.

The church, once the biggest obstacle to reform, has dramatically transformed overnight into the most powerful engine for promoting compulsory education.

They not only need to spend real money, but also send their best priests to serve as ethics teachers in the newly built schools, in order to "atone for their sins" and restore their reputation, which has plummeted to rock bottom in the eyes of the public.

The news caused a sensation throughout Greece.

Crown Princess Sofia officially assumed the position of honorary chairperson of the foundation amidst thunderous cheers from the crowd. Her "Metis Education Foundation" was merged with the National Education Fund, and her actions earned the entire program unparalleled moral prestige.

The power of example is endless.

Greek expatriates living abroad learned of this momentous change in their homeland through channels established by "royal merchant" Antonio Petaras. Their admiration for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess translated into tangible support.

Within a week, ships laden with bills of exchange set sail from London, Paris, New York, and Alexandria toward Piraeus.

The first donation from overseas Chinese was as high as five million drachmas, almost equivalent to the total amount of tithes the church needed to pay in its first year.

This huge sum of money not only solved the Chancellor of the Exchequer's immediate crisis, but also acted like a shot in the arm, injecting energy into the heart of the entire country.

Several months later.

Thessalian Plain.

The autumn sun turned the fields golden.

Beside the village where Christos lived, on a piece of land that had once been barren, a brand new building with white walls and red tiles stood.

This is the first "Queen's Country School" funded by the National Education Fund.

The opening ceremony was simple yet solemn.

There were no lengthy speeches, no tedious ceremonies.

Queen Sofia attended in person. She wore a simple long dress and had a gentle smile on her face.

Below the stage sat dozens of farm children, their skin dark, but their eyes sparkling with excitement and curiosity. Their parents stood outside the classroom, craning their necks, their weathered faces etched with excitement and anticipation.

Christos, the old farmer who wrote to Constantine, was also standing in the crowd. His son, the illiterate child, was sitting in the first row of the classroom.

Sofia walked up to the podium without saying a word.

She simply picked up a small wooden mallet from the lectern and gently struck a brass bell hanging under the eaves.

"Clang—clang—clang—"

The clear sound of bells echoed across the golden fields, carrying far and wide.

This is the school bell.

This is also the sound of a new era beginning.

Guided by a young priest, the children picked up brand-new slates and pencils and began to learn to write their first letters.

Constantine stood beside Sophia, quietly watching everything unfold.

His gaze swept across the faces of the focused children, then looked out the window at the vast, boundless land that now belonged to the farmers themselves.

In his blueprint, these schools, funded by the state and with church involvement, that teach modern science and national spirit, will become giant melting pots.

They will transform the ignorant, poor, and scattered farmers and urban dwellers into a new generation of Greek citizens who possess knowledge, faith, and a sense of national identity.

The land liberated the people's bodies.

Education will liberate their minds.

The revitalized church will infuse the nation with a unified and steadfast spirit.

Land, education, faith.

These three cornerstones, which laid the most important foundation for the modern nation, were finally firmly hammered into the land of Greece by his own hands after a whole book of bloody battles.

The wind blows across the fields, and the wheat waves roll.

Constantine reached out and took Sofia's hand.

The ancient ship named "Greece" has finally been fitted with a brand new engine, its course has been adjusted, and it is ready to sail towards the more magnificent, unknown, and challenging deep blue sea.