In the aftermath, heads rolled, literally.

The amount of money lost on the embezzlement wasn't something that could be overlooked and there was paper-trail evidence.

Some quartermasters and finances' officials had a bad time.

A few were demoted and publicly shamed, more were just straight-up executed to send a message to the whole. But for the most part, they made it out with just a warning. The evidence was kept as leverage to curry some favours later on.

Most culprits were free citizens, some among the richest ones, or members of powerful blades' families.

I hope my role in this purge will remain unknown, it could earn me a flock of enemies among blades.

The good side is that it convinced the old lord and the Shieldlord to reform the numeral system. Not to swap for decimal but at least to use Arabian numbers to have more easy-to-read reports.

I say "Arabian numbers" but they won't be my numbers. The lords are so locked in their hexadecimal system that it is non-negotiable.

I can understand why: because of a mix of religion, tradition, and simple conservatism, they would be reluctant to accept so many changes at once.

It was bothersome but I didn't have the power to enforce my reforms. Yet.

This forced me to look for a whole new way to write down numerals. I couldn't write a hex “16”, it would make no sense in a base 16 to write numbers in a base 10.

With Balout's help, I had to come up with a new way to write numbers in a base 16 and my placid friend had some insightful propositions to make.

He wanted the numbers' divisors to be seen at a glance. For ex: his 2 was looking like a half crescent moon, 4 was a circle with a dot inside, 8 the same circle with two dots and 16 (fra) was two concentric circles with 4 dots inside.

He did the same for base 3 numbers: 3 was looking like n, 6 like nn, 9 like a pyramid of n and 12 like four n forming a four-leaf clover.

5 was more like a comma, 10 like an S, and 15 was looking like a Celtic triskele. 7 was still 7 but 14 was two 7 put back-to-back. 1,11 and 13 had unique signs, prime numbers were in a bag of their own.

The system was both complex and simple. It felt strange to see all those weird new signs but at the same time, they made it easy to see at a glance what your number was and would be divided in.

A 20 looked like a “16” double concentric circle + a “4” circle, making no doubt that it was 5 “4” circles.

There were some debates as to how to write 30 for ex. Should it be a “16” and a “14” or two “15”?

In the end, we agreed that the base 16 should be the pillar and backbone around which all our system should organise, so “16”+“14” became the accepted transcription.

It took us a week to fiddle with our signs and come up with a new easy-to-read-and-write system.

We could be proud of ourselves, this was far more unique than what I did with the alphabet. My only regret was that it would take me some time to get accustomed to this new writing, I'll have to design some kind of abacus/conversion time-tables to help me juggle between both systems for a while. Or I'll just ask Balout, he was my human calculator.

Once we were done with this, we were tasked to train a handful of trustworthy young officials and military officers to use it. They would be the ones tasked with rewriting all the numbers in all the ledgers and demonstrate how this would make it easier to check the finances at a glance.

I had to work for two months with Balout to barely skim through the surface of the problem. If they had easier to manipulate and read numbers, this same job could have been done in a week or so.

Once the military will start using it, the next step would be the finances ministry and from there it should spread like wildfire. On its own, it would take a generation to change but with a bit of help it should be possible in less than a hex years to make it the next standard. Merchants and traders dealing with the lords will adopt it because of business and I would make sure all the children of the ruling classes would be taught this system.

Centralized school will become a thing. Having preceptors was nice because it meant adaptation to the needs of each student. But centralized teaching meant normalization of the system.

Our “trusted-ones” students were stemming from families with close ties to the Shieldlord or with General Suji but they weren't the smartest of the bunch.

Teaching them how to write the numbers, understanding what the zero was or how to change lines when changing hexcimal was a pain. They were just so slow and dumb.

A reminder that teaching old dogs new tricks was hard. I was lucky with my three friends, they were young minds and I was able to shape their way of thinking from early on.

I then had to teach them how to keep a follow-up ledger. Something easy enough to read that even the lord could at a glance have an idea of all expenditures. Nothing like the happy ignorance that led to their huge loss of money. In short, I was teaching them to make excel tables and annual balance sheets.

This also meant I had to teach the prince and princess.

It was quite strange after the big classroom to spend time with just the two royals.

Balout, Melodi and Gel were also sticking around but only Balout was interested in the numbers. He wasn't as patient as I was, he was already better than the two royal kids and losing time on such simple maths bored him.

* * * * *

All this hard work wasn't for naught.

Lord Iroto wished to thank me. Of course, there was some money as part of the reward. Not a lot compared to the sums I made them earn back but still a lot for a commoner.

I split it evenly with Balout, he earned it and then gave part of my share to Gelcaria too. Both where there to help and it was only natural for them to enjoy the fruits of our labour too.

But the old lord also wished to offer me a more personal reward. Once the training of his grandchildren was over and they were able to read the numbers fluently enough, he waited for an afternoon where there was only the princess, Hamy: her bodyguard, and my friends (and probably Shizu lurking somewhere) before offering: “You can ask for anything you want.”

The offer might have been a bit rushed due to the excitation and a lack of judgement due to alcohol. Yet there was genuine curiosity in his mossy eyes, he was looking forward as to what I was going to ask from him and hoping for a surprise.

I was happy to oblige, this wasn't the kind of offer you could pass up.

My wish was simple yet caused quite the commotion. I wanted for him to have me and my friends tested for Chi and magic.

It wasn't unusual for blades to be tested this early in their life but it was almost unheard of for commoners. From what I knew, testing kids early on was costlier than testing them once they reached puberty. The amount of Chi to detect was often smaller, so it needed rare and high-sensitivity tools. Only the rich could afford it and asking for that kind of treatment was akin to asking to be treated like nobles.

It was bold but I believe it to be the right decision. I was a god-chosen one, brought from another world by some mysterious powerful people; of course, I was meant to have powers.

And I was quite sure my friends would have some too. The training they've been through since their youngest age made them nothing like commoners and closer to blades. I knew how physically strong they were and had little doubt that it was early signs of their Chi awakening. Testing them now would help speed up their training.

Not able to come back on his word, the old man agreed to my request. This caused wide eyes on the princess and Hamy and a wave of cheers from my friends. Melodi and Gel were especially eager to finally become able to compete on equal terms with the princess.

Testing us for Chi was a simple procedure.

We just had to all be provided with a super sensitive crystal. The best were unused “raw” crystals, that never received any tainted outside chi.

They were rare. They could only grow in places where Chi balance was perfect, with no element stronger than another and with almost no life around to come and pollute the flow of Chi.

This meant they were found in very secluded and hostile places: undersea volcanoes, magma outcrops in the far north, subterranean caverns, desert oasis etc...

They were hard to reach, hard to bring back untainted, and hard to process. Once the raw crystal was harvested it had to be shielded from any unbalanced influence. We're talking specific storage, careful manipulation etc...

I was gallant and let the girls go first. They were the ones undergoing martial training and I had little doubt they would have the foundation for Chi.

Shizu had appeared out of thin air with a small lead-box. Inside were a few translucent crystals.

Melodi was the first to go. She took one in her paw and held it. There wasn't much more to do, just try to feel the Chi flow in and around her, which was easier said than done.

After a minute that felt like an hour, Melodi started to tremble. Her eyes were close as she was focused on sensing her surroundings. Her whiskers quivered and her cat ears were trying to focus on some imaginary sound, they had found something and the crystal clenched in her paw started to shine. It wasn't a pure white light but rather a dark blue one that was reminiscing me Shinpilo's fog. The catgirl must have sensed the change because she opened her eyes and had a victorious snarl on her face.

She had Chi.

No big surprise there: everyone had Chi. Gupta the Dard's priest had already explained this to me. Every living being has Chi and is a vessel interacting with the Chi flowing around them. But only a few would be able to store enough of it and control it. Some plants and animals could do it too but it was mostly sapients and monsters who were using their Chi to enhance themselves.

The gasps from the adults around us told me that she was above the average.

This pleased the catgirl greatly, she was leaping around, tumbling or cartwheeling in the grass in celebration before ending in Gel's embrace.

“That's quite the potential. Even more so for a Beastkin,” acknowledged the old lord. He shared a knowing stare with Shizu and his trusty aide disappeared after giving Hamy the lead box.

Princess Moatimu and Gel were congratulating the leaping flea and trying to calm her down.

Melodi finally got focused again when Gelcaria's turn came. Although friends, they were also some kind of rivals in their physical prowess, she was eager to compare their outcomes.

Gelcaria quietly stood before Hamy. The bodyguard opened the lead box once more and Gel fished her own blank crystal out of it. She closed her purple eyes and sat in the grass, almost like she was trying to meditate. She was fast, as soon as she sat, her hand started shining with a bright pink colour.

The radiance was a bit dimmer than Melodi's sparkle but the colour was more vivid.

People seemed less surprised this time. She had Chi and it was a special one for the colour to be so unusual but everyone knew about her eyes and how it meant a god was doting on her. Her Chi manifestation was less of a surprise.

Melodi was smirking in victory, her fangs showing out in a smug smirk of disdain: her light was brighter than Gel's.

She shouldn't be too hasty, I remember Gupta's teachings: Chi isn't everything. The way you use it was more important. Gel might smack that smug smile back sooner than the kitten thinks. A tool was only as good as his wielder was.

We all huddled around her to congratulate her. She blushed in happiness and her cheeks turned to the same pink as her crystal. Her lilac eyes were more bright than ever.

The princess was the happiest of all and was clapping her hands in excitation in a very not-princessy-like fashion. Her two sparring partners will become even more worthy opponents and the battle-craving fighter she was, was taking over.

Then came my turn.

Finally. I've waited years for this. I've always wondered why I was sent to this world. After seeing the magic, the blessing of a god and the threat of monsters, I knew I was chosen and nurtured for a reason.

Since the day I saw there was magic and other fantastic rule breaking powers, I wanted to dab in it. Who wouldn't dream of becoming a powerful magician, bending the reality to his will?

My father and grandfather had Chi, even my brother was starting to use it at his workplace. The newfound energy that I felt in me was probably it. I was also suspecting that my blessing thing was just a Chi manifestation too? When I had to prove my blessing it was all about lighting a crystal too.

I snatched a crystal from the box with confidence and started to meditate.

As soon as I felt some warmth in the crystal I knew this was it and I held my fist high in the air, basking in the glow radiating from it.

Except there was none.

I opened my fist and the crystal was still as blank and inert as when I took it.

The old lord was stunned and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. His verdant eyes were looking for what trick I was playing on them. “Is something the matter?” he asked.

I shook my head in denial and tried to focus on my Chi again.

Minutes passed. After a while, the princess was the first to voice her concern: “There might be a problem with your crystal,” she proposed, “it happens sometimes when one is tainted, the sensibility goes down. Take another one.” she encouraged me.

The old lord approved and Hamy presented the box once more at me.

I grabbed another crystal and tried to circulate my Chi again. I was trying to recall the sensation of my blessing circulating through me and towards the crystal.

Still no light coming out.

The old lord was looking worriedly at me. “Can you sit down, I'd like to examine you, there might be something interfering with the crystal's resonance. I could help you circulate your Chi,” he stated in a knowing tone. The man was a scholar, a warrior with good Chi and a magician, I can trust his know-how on the matter.

I sat beside him and he took my right wrist, feeling my pulse with three fingers. His eyes started to shine with their own inner light, like sunlight passing through the leaves of a tree. I felt something warm seeping out of his index finger and probing inside of me.

It wasn't painful but it felt like some foreign body was squirming its way inside of me. I focused on not resisting it and tried to put my unease aside, this examination was needed.

The more seconds were passing the more the old man's face was creasing with wrinkles. He was now frowning deeply. He turned to Hamy since Shizu was away: “Go fetch a doctor, quick.”