The morning began peacefully.
Noel was drinking tea in his office.
Aran was reviewing construction reports.
The academy was already busy.
Isobu was enjoying his lake.
Son Gokū was somewhere near the southern road.
Everything was normal.
Until—
A young academy scholar burst through the door.
“Lord Noel!”
Noel nearly dropped his tea.
“What happened?!”
The scholar was holding several papers.
“We have a problem!”
Noel immediately stood.
“Is it an attack?”
“No!”
“Another Tailed Beast?”
“No!”
“Another broken aqueduct?”
“No!”
Noel relaxed.
“Then what is it?”
The scholar looked extremely serious.
“We don’t have a proper calendar.”
Silence.
Noel stared at him.
Aran stared at him.
The scholar stared back.
Then Noel slowly sat down.
“…You’re right.”
Aran covered his mouth.
Noel looked at him.
“Don’t laugh.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m trying not to.”
Noel sighed.
“We’ve built a city, an academy, roads, trade routes, irrigation systems…”
He looked at the scholar.
“…and we forgot to decide what year it is.”
The scholar nodded.
“Yes.”
Noel covered his face.
😂
The Problem With Time
The academy had been recording events using phrases like:
“Three years after the founding.”
“Two months after the festival.”
“The seventh year of Lord Noel’s rule.”
It had worked.
Until Liyue started trading with outsiders.
Different settlements used different methods of counting years.
Some counted from the birth of their current leader.
Others counted seasons.
Others simply said things like:
“It happened after the great drought.”
Noel stared at the pile of records.
“Absolutely not.”
Aran raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“We’re creating an official calendar.”
The Liyue Calendar
Noel gathered scholars, farmers, astronomers, and government officials.
He didn’t want the calendar to be based solely on himself.
The astronomers suggested using the movement of the sun and moon.
Farmers explained the seasonal cycles.
Scholars proposed standardized months.
After several weeks of discussion, they created the first official calendar.
It would contain:
12 months.
Each month would have 30 days.
That gave them:
360 days.
The remaining days would be designated as special festival days at the end of the year.
The scholars were excited.
The farmers were satisfied.
The merchants were thrilled.
Noel was relieved.
“Finally.”
Naming the Months
“What should we call the months?”
Noel froze.
“…Oh no.”
Another meeting began.
😂
Some suggested names based on seasons.
Others suggested names based on important events.
The academy students proposed increasingly ridiculous names.
One suggested:
“Isobu Month.”
Isobu immediately approved.
Excellent.
Another suggested:
“Son Gokū Month.”
Son Gokū laughed.
I approve.
Noel shook his head.
“No.”
A student raised her hand.
“What about naming them after the twelve animals?”
Noel considered it.
Then shook his head.
“Let’s keep the calendar simple.”
Eventually, the months received names based on natural cycles.
The exact names were recorded in the academy archives.
Year One
Then came the most important decision.
What should they call the current year?
Noel stood before the council.
“We’re currently seven years after Liyue’s founding.”
The scholars nodded.
“So…”
Noel looked at the calendar.
“We’ll officially call this Year 7 of the Liyue Era.”
The room became silent.
Then the chief scholar stood.
“Then the founding year was Year 1?”
“No.”
Noel shook his head.
“The founding year is Year 0.”
Everyone stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because Liyue didn’t exist before that.”
The scholars began discussing it.
Finally, they agreed.
The official historical record became:
Year 0 — Founding of Liyue
Year 1 — First settlements established
Year 2 — First Geo Vision granted
Year 7 — First Founding Festival
Year 7 — Official Liyue Calendar established
Noel looked at the record.
“Perfect.”
The Academy’s New Department
The academy immediately created a new department.
The Department of History and Timekeeping.
Its job was to record:
Important events
Births and deaths
Treaties
Natural disasters
Discoveries
New settlements
Geo Vision awakenings
Tailed Beast appearances
Major construction projects
Noel looked at the department.
“This is going to become important.”
The head scholar nodded.
“Very.”
“Why?”
“Because someday, historians will need to know what happened during these early years.”
Noel smiled.
“Then make sure they get it right.”
Isobu’s Complaint
That evening, Noel visited the lake.
Isobu was floating peacefully.
Noel told him about the calendar.
Isobu nodded.
Good.
“That’s it?”
Yes.
“You don’t want anything?”
Isobu thought.
I want one thing.
“What?”
Isobu Month.
“No.”
Why?
“Because you don’t get an entire month.”
Isobu frowned.
Then I want a holiday.
Noel sighed.
“…Fine.”
Isobu smiled.
Excellent.
Son Gokū’s Demand
Unfortunately, the news reached Son Gokū.
The Four-Tails immediately appeared in Liyue.
“I heard Isobu got a holiday.”
Noel stared.
“Who told you?”
“Isobu.”
Noel looked toward the lake.
“TRAITOR.”
Isobu pretended not to hear.
Son Gokū crossed his arms.
“I want one too.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if every Tailed Beast gets a holiday, we’ll have no normal days left.”
Son Gokū thought about that.
“…Fair.”
Then he smiled.
“Can I have a festival?”
Noel paused.
“That’s basically the same thing.”
Son Gokū laughed.
The Historical Record
That night, Noel stood in the academy’s new history hall.
A giant stone tablet had been placed at its center.
The first official record was carved into it:
YEAR 0
The desert settlement known as Liyue was founded.
YEAR 2
The first Geo Vision was granted.
YEAR 7
The first Guardian Beast, Isobu, chose Liyue as his home.
YEAR 7
The Four-Tails, Son Gokū, became a Guardian Beast of Liyue.
YEAR 7
The Liyue Calendar was established.
Noel looked at the tablet.
“Now future generations won’t have to guess.”
The academy scholar smiled.
“That’s the purpose of history.”
Noel nodded.
The system appeared.
[Historical Calendar Established.]
[Chronological consistency increased.]
[Liyue Era officially recognized.]
[Nation Development: 33%]
[Morax Template Synchronization: 22.1%]
Noel smiled.
“Finally.”
He turned toward the academy.
Then he stopped.
“…Wait.”
Aran looked at him.
“What?”
Noel’s expression slowly changed.
“We’ve established a calendar…”
He looked horrified.
“…but we haven’t established weeks.”
Aran stared.
The scholars stared.
Noel sighed.
“Tomorrow.”
He walked away.
“We’re doing that tomorrow.”
From the lake, Isobu’s laughter echoed across Liyue.
To be continued…