That was Julian's initial thought, building an academy. But as the chalk scraped against the board, his realistic mind began to analyze the intense social hurdles.
The high-ranking nobles of the empire were very prideful, bound by centuries of volatile class segregation. They would undoubtedly feel insulted at the mere suggestion of their heirs sitting in the same classroom as a greenhouse keeper's daughter or a blacksmith's son.
I will have to enact a structured system, Julian analyzed internally, his mind automatically organizing the administrative framework. A merit-based system where advancement is determined by intellect and effort, not bloodlines. I must ensure that no child, regardless of their background, gets left behind.
Ah, but to open a legal provincial academy of that scale, he would face the ultimate political barrier: he needed the Emperor's official, signed approval.
