[New Quest: Feed the Masses]
After the "Great Toilet Incident," people started looking at me differently. It wasn't just respect for a Chief's son anymore; it was the look you give someone who might be touched by the gods. Or a witchdoctor.
I decided it was time to level up. You can't fight an empire with just clean water and good hygiene. You need food. You need organization.
"Brother!" My little brother, Lakan, ran up to me. He was holding a basket of fish. "Father says we have plenty of fish today! We can feast!"
I looked at the pile. It was a lot, but I knew better. "How much did we have yesterday?"
"Uh... less than today? More than tomorrow?"
Right. No inventory system. No accounting.
"Gather the elders," I commanded. "And bring Hiraya. I have new 'Spirit Words' to teach them."
The Lesson
We sat in a circle. The villagers looked nervous. Hiraya stood at the back, arms crossed, watching me like a hawk waiting for me to make a mistake.
I drew symbols in the dirt: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
"These are not just marks," I declared solemnly. "These are the language of the heavens. With this, we can count the stars, the rice, and the enemies."
The old shaman squinted. "So... it's magic to count faster?"
"Exactly," I lied. "It is called Mathematics. It helps us know if we have enough food for the rainy season before the rain even starts."
I spent the whole day teaching basic addition and subtraction. It was... frustrating.
"Why is 5 plus 5 always 10?" asked a warrior. "What if the spirits want it to be 11 that day?"
"Because the universe says so!" I massaged my temples. "Look, if you have 5 enemies and I have 5 enemies, together you have 10 enemies to kill. It doesn't change!"
Hiraya stepped forward, surprisingly interested. She pointed to the symbol '0'.
"What is this? Nothing?"
"Yes. Zero."
"Nothing... can be written?" She touched the ground. "That is powerful. To represent the void. So you can count what you don't have?"
Oh. She gets it faster than the warriors.
"Precisely," I smiled. "If your granary shows Zero, you know you are in danger."
The Granary System
Using my "magic numbers," I organized the village storage.
1. Surplus: We collect extra food not for feasting, but for saving.
2. Rations: Everyone gets a fair share based on work and family size.
3. Tax: A small portion goes to the Datu for emergencies and projects.
At first, people complained. "Why give extra? It's my fish!"
But when I explained that if a storm comes, we will feed them, they slowly agreed.
Hiraya approached me that evening. She wasn't holding her spear anymore.
"You make the people strong," she said, her voice softer than before. "My people just fight and take. You... you make things grow."
"Taking is easy, Hiraya," I said, looking at the sunset over the bay. "Building is hard work. But building lasts longer."
She nodded slowly. "I will follow your strategy, Kalayaan. If you say numbers win wars, then I will learn your numbers."
[Status Update]
Relationship with Hiraya: Suspicious ➔ Respectful
Unlocked Skill: Basic Administration Lv.2