If you had diligently paid attention in middle and high school history classes, you''d know how critical "state formation" and "centralization" are—practically drilled into our heads.

    Of course, textbooks generally only go so far as to say that once centralization takes hold and royal authority strengthens, everything falls into place nicely.

    But if we dig a bit deeper, centralization and state formation are fundamentally connected to the presence of an "external threat."@@@@

    As wars grow larger in scale, the power of a mere tribal chief or local lord becomes insufficient to manage them...

    "Uniting around a king becomes the most efficient way to protect one’s assets."

    The tribes here are in a prime position for state formation...

    Normally, suggesting such an idea would get you pelted with stones, but they were taking my proposal quite seriously, wearing grave expressions.

    “So, we really need to establish a nation and fight them together?”

    “It’s true that just a few tribes banding together has its limits.”

    The conversation was flowing exactly in the direction I wanted.

    All I had to do was wait patiently until the rice was fully cooked.

    Adding more words now would be like opening the lid on a pot of rice just before it’s done cooking because you''re too hungry to wait.

    After a decent amount of time had passed, one of the chiefs asked me,

    “I agree that we must unite and create a nation. However, there are two things that concern me.”

    Until now, all the chiefs had spoken to me in informal language.

    Not that I was offended, but hearing a respectful tone instead gave me a greater sense of acknowledgment.

    ‘Respect means they’re beginning to see me as an authority among them.’

    “If we create a nation, should we also establish a king?”

    From my perspective, having a single king at the center makes things easier.

    If Malik, the chief of the Botswana Tribe, were crowned king, I’d only have to lean on him to reap benefits for the foreseeable future.

    However, even the tastiest food can give you indigestion if you eat too much at once.

    Achieving a goal requires taking slow, measured steps.

    “Having a king to unite around is a good idea, but more important is to move as one, centered around a ‘figurehead.’ Like when you hunt, and everyone follows the chief’s command.”

    Even animals like wolves, buffaloes, and elephants form groups.

    And every group has a leader.

    Even mindless beasts instinctively understand that while grouping is important, survival requires someone to give orders.

    “So, why not appoint the most capable among you as the ‘grand chief’—someone whose command everyone can follow in building this nation?”

    The concept of a king originates from selecting the most powerful of the tribal chiefs.

    ‘Farming yields more food than you could ever get from nomadic life.’

    Some chiefs were about to object, but I cut them off before they could speak.

    “I’ve brought about 500 people skilled in agriculture, along with tools to help with farming. Would that be sufficient?”

    On the Albanian continent, human life—particularly the life of the low-born—was worth less than the gravel on the roads.

    There, one could be hanged for stealing a loaf of bread, or an entire family could be enslaved for failing to pay taxes.

    So I’d snatched up petty criminals from various places, including Florence, and “employed” (with a little coercion) some of the slum dwellers who knew how to farm.

    It’s far better for petty criminals and slum dwellers to play the role of agricultural technicians in this colony than to rot where they are.

    ‘If they adapt well here, they might even be treated as lower-ranking officials.’

    Malik clapped his hands in delight at my words.

    “Thank you for going to such lengths, my friend. No, my brother.”

    Among the chiefs here, Malik held the greatest influence.

    Without him, the tribal alliance wouldn’t have obtained muskets and would’ve been wiped out.

    Though not a formally educated noble, he used his experience to sway the mood in his favor.

    “Keeping tradition is good. But what good is tradition if we’re all dead? How would we face our ancestors then? So, for survival, let’s accept this.”

    Malik held his musket high as he spoke.

    “To protect myself, my family, friends like brothers, and our tribe... Surely those with the courage to fight for their lives aren’t afraid of leaving tradition behind.”

    The chiefs grumbled their agreement.

    “Enough with this nonsense!”

    “It’s better to abandon tradition than to let the tribe perish!”

    Having received the response I wanted, I concluded.

    “Then I will do my utmost to teach you farming and other valuable skills—to defeat Nador.”

    If the Nador governor learned of this deception, he might just faint from the shock.

    But the crucial thing is, he has no way of finding out about my machinations.

    Besides muskets and gunpowder, the very lifelines of these tribes...

    “I also brought some of the potent spirits of the Kingdom of Granada. This is a fitting drink for a momentous occasion—please, enjoy. I’ve brought enough for everyone here to drink to their heart’s content.”

    ...Though cheaper to produce than other distilled spirits,

    it’s almost as addictive as a narcotic.

    ‘At least it’s not opium, so it should be fine.’