These days, Shabi was incredibly busy.
By now, the Waste Collection Overseer's job was no longer as demanding as it had been in the beginning. After all, commoners and serfs weren't fools since feces could be exchanged for money, who would be foolish enough to relieve themselves in the streets?
Everyone took care of it at home, treating it like a precious resource. If a child accidentally defecated outside and someone else picked it up, they would surely be scolded when they returned home.
But Shabi wasn't feeling any relief. Though he no longer had to worry about feces collection, Bruno had assigned him a new task.
Teaching!
To be honest, when Shabi first heard about this, he was completely baffled...
Teach what exactly?
In his mind, attending classes was something only noble young masters did.
It was an activity exclusively for the upper class!
He didn't think his own knowledge was enough to take on such a responsibility.
As for teaching commoners, that was even more impossible. In this world, literacy rates among serfs and commoners were extremely low—finding a literate commoner was like finding a needle in a haystack.
To them, reading and writing were useless skills. Whether they were literate or not, they would still have to work the land for their lord when they grew up...
Before meeting his students, Bruno personally gave Shabi some training. This session made Shabi feel... quite enlightened.
Thus, with a nervous heart, Shabi—after completing his training—finally met his students in the castle dungeon: fifty troublemakers who had been arrested during the recent census.
These fifty hooligans had been locked up for about a week now. The pitch-black dungeon was damp and cold, making people shiver involuntarily.
When they were first thrown in, most of them were defiant, acting as if they feared nothing. They longed to stir up some trouble just to prove their existence.
After all, until recently, Bruno had mostly ignored the affairs of his territory. This had allowed some young street thugs to become increasingly brazen, to the point of forgetting their place.
However, after being locked up, they soon realized that aside from two meager meals a day, no matter how much they schemed or shouted, no one would pay them any attention.
The confined environment amplified their emotions, making them restless and isolated.
On top of that, the food portions were small—never enough to fill their stomachs. Mealtimes quickly turned into violent battles... The weaker ones were beaten up and left to starve in the corners.
After starving for a few days, the weaker ones would suddenly be "rescued" by the benevolent guards, who would give them food and clean water... before brutally beating the stronger hooligans who had been hogging the meals.
After several rounds of this cycle, the prisoners gradually began to see the guards as figures they needed to please. Even a casual remark from a guard would be treated as a sacred decree, analyzed and obeyed.
When a few "favored" prisoners received extra food and water, this phenomenon became even more pronounced.
So when Shabi stepped into the dungeon... almost every hooligan looked at him nervously, with flattery and anticipation in their eyes.
Shabi glanced around, took a deep breath to steady himself, and then spoke:
"I am here to teach you."
The prisoners were confused, but none of them dared to interrupt. They simply lowered their heads and stole glances at Shabi.
"You have all committed grave sins, and the root of it all… is because you lack faith. You have not yet felt the embrace of the Holy Light."
Shabi paused, cleared his throat, and continued,
"But I, a devoted follower of the Great God of Light, have come to save you from darkness. When you truly understand the greatness of the God of Light, you will be able to leave this dungeon and redeem your sins through labor..."
Most of the prisoners didn't fully understand what Shabi was saying.
But one thing they did understand very clearly: leaving the dungeon.
In an instant, nearly everyone perked up and listened attentively.
"The great God of Light brings warmth and radiance to the land, grants life and hope to all things, and allows you to survive under the protection of the loyal, kind, steadfast, and wise Count Idar… The reason nobles are nobles is because they have faith in the God of Light. Let me tell you a story… A long, long time ago..."
In the following days, Shabi came daily to preach to the prisoners about the greatness of the God of Light. He told them how faith in the God of Light could help people succeed and painted a beautiful future for those who believed.
Meanwhile, the guards in charge of the prisoners became increasingly harsh and violent. Even the smallest mistake would result in a brutal beating.
As a result, the prisoners began to look forward to Shabi's lessons—because during his lectures, he would describe a world of faith where there was no oppression or suffering, a paradise of peace and happiness.
However...
Shabi's visits became less frequent.
At first, he came twice a day. Then it was reduced to once a day. Eventually, he would sometimes skip a day.
The harshness of reality and the promises of faith created a deep psychological divide within many of the prisoners, making them feel that their suffering was due to their lack of devotion to the God of Light.
Some even began praying silently to the walls, hoping for the God of Light's salvation...
Bruno was utterly astonished.
He had never expected Shabi to have such a talent he had managed to brainwash these troublemakers in such a short time...
This was truly a cause for celebration.
"Master…" Shabi cautiously stood beside Bruno and said,
"I think those prisoners in the dungeon have learned enough. Now, whenever I visit, they ask me how they can atone for their sins before the God of Light…"
Bruno studied Shabi carefully.
This guy... was truly a natural-born conman...
"The recruitment date set by the Regency Council hasn't arrived yet, so there's no rush to send them off. But... since they're so eager, let's put them to work on the Hanging Garden first. Assign them as a separate unit—call them the Ninth Production Team. If they're so desperate to atone for their sins, we shouldn't stand in their way.
I am truly a kind and generous lord, aren't I?"