How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony

But the universities of this era are not like that. Of course, they do train a small number of legal professionals and theologians according to the demands of rulers, but that's all.

Since they didn't exist for productive purposes from the beginning, they're naturally short of money. Also, the knowledge that comes out isn't very practical. Only theology, law, and medicine, which have majors, might be exceptions.

That was the limitation of universities in this era. While not entirely unrelated to modern universities, they differ qualitatively at various points.

What I want is professional education.

No, it doesn't end at simply educating professionals.

We have Knight School and Mechanic School, but they focus on practical education, so to make an analogy, they would be closer to the old Judicial Research and Training Institute than to law schools.

We need an organization of professionals who truly produce knowledge.

At the same time, an organization that continuously reproduces such professionals.

Modern people call such an organization a university.

And, something similar in our community...

"...exists?"

It does.

I slapped my cheeks once or twice and raised my head.

This is our home in Croatoan. A pretty cottage with a green roof that my mother, a big fan of Anne of Green Gables, put her heart and soul into building.

My home.

My farm.

And.

I looked out the window.

I see that structure which has been growing larger and larger since some time ago, now magnificently sparkling like some crystal palace.

Those are our new houses made with Lexan sheets. They've all been connected and combined, resulting in that.

And inside...

"Ah, Sir Nemo? Have you arrived?"

"We tried crossbreeding the variety you mentioned last time, but the quality seems to have dropped significantly, so we're planning to discard it."

There are vineyard keepers who manage the vineyards on this Croatoan Island.

"What about the other European grape varieties?"

"Yes, we do have trees imported from France as you mentioned... but weevils immediately attached themselves when we tried direct cutting. Since they have no resistance to pests, it seems we need to continue grafting."

"...You experimented directly. Without my specific instructions."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing."

This vineyard of millions of square meters on this island that I've put my heart and soul into cultivating.

The preservation, collection, and improvement of seeds taking place all over it.

...

...

...

"Sir Nemo?"

I had been unnecessarily looking for models from afar.

When an exemplary case was right in front of me.

==

Grapes are Virginia community's main export. A kind of symbol, you might say.

Starting with Shine Muscat, which first caused a huge sensation in England, varieties like Ruby Roman and Black Sapphire continue to perform well.

If we consider not just fresh grapes but also products processed from grapes such as raisins and wine, their position becomes even more solid.

If the grape crop were to suddenly disappear from this community, our community might immediately fall into great confusion and economic depression.

'Especially, our connection to the Christian world was significant.'

Among Christians, there are those who venerate saints, those who avoid decorating church chapels, those who recognize priests, and those who don't... but one thing is the same for all.

They use wine in ceremonies.

There are many debates about whether wine turns into Jesus's blood during sacraments or not, whether only priests should drink wine or if ordinary believers should too.

But if you ask, 'So you're not going to use wine?' no one would deny it.

Moreover, in Europe during this era, clean drinking water was scarce, so low-alcohol wine or beer was sometimes drunk instead of water.

That's right.

You could say wine is the Sake of the Christian world.

A very sacred one at that.

Even if grapes don't sell, wine will inevitably continue to sell - that's the structure.

Therefore, grapes will likely continue to be on our list of major exports as long as Christianity isn't uprooted in Europe.

But of course, people generally eat what they're used to eating and drink what they're used to drinking. If it's a product from across the sea, shipping costs are added, so they'll tend to avoid it if possible.

So, we need to continuously differentiate.

It's essential to maintain quality consistently and maintain the brand so that similar products don't dare to emerge.

...Ugh, my head.

The painful memory of some good-for-nothing bastards making watery "Shine Muscat" and causing comments like "Isn't Shine Muscat a short-lived fad?" or "Shine Muscat tastes like crap these days" is...!

Thus, the Shine Muscat boom collapsed like a bubble in an instant, and those guys probably ran away saying, "What? I thought it made good money, but it's nothing special?" They would have just lost some money and that's it.

Compared to that, the pain that our Kin Issei Farm had to endure for years after the Shine Muscat trend ended...!

Teeth grinding

"Sir Nemo? Wh-what's the matter?"

"Nothing at all."

Ah, just thinking about it makes my teeth grind, my body tremble with chills, and my hands and feet shake.

Anyway, such things shouldn't happen.

Having come this far, Kin Issei Farm's grapes should be eternal. The tragedy of tearfully distributing free grapes to people around and filling one's stomach with Shine Muscat for three days and nights should not return. The blood and sweat of another poor grape farmer should not turn into a pile of debt again. It cannot be. Absolutely cannot be...

Deep breath

Let's calm down.

No, I've been stabbed and burned here, so why are those kinds of memories the most traumatic?

Anyway.

The grape varieties of our farm are continuously managed.

At first, I taught them, but now they are grafting trees on their own and experimenting with how different trees grow in different soils and climates.

Not just in Croatoan.

Such experimental farms are established far north in the Wabanaki Confederacy's land and far south in the Diocese of Florida.

They gather here periodically with data, new varieties, and research results from various places to improve our grapes.

Then.

Aren't these people experts?

Isn't this academia?

As far as I know, yes.

I've already nurtured a group of experts under the name of "vineyard keepers."

Then.

"Everyone."

As I open my mouth with gravity, everyone looks at me in silence. I smiled brightly at them and said:

"How about training the next generation now?"