The child quickly wrote down as much as possible but was forced to summarize Shiloh's words. Salt water wasn't good. Freshwater was needed. Hunters and fishers will need to be in places with animals. Farmers were better with flat terrain and few large predators. All of this information was like bits of gold to Dala. Every piece of it was essential to know and would help her in the future. Suddenly, her teacher began to talk about how the next advice would be more opinionated but the child didn't care too much.

From her perspective, this was a wise person who knew what she was discussing. As Dala continued writing down Shiloh's advice, she began to wonder how much time she would need to estimate for her goals. Building would take a few years and getting money for her goals would take time. Building kingdoms took money. Everything required money or at least natural resources. Her mind snapped back to Shiloh's words as she realized that weather would be important to know and to make friends with the people who lived in that area. 

"Wasting resources and destroying the land is another way of stabbing yourself in the foot." Dala agreed with Shiloh. 

Suddenly, Shiloh seemed to come up with an idea of how to make this lesson more than a lecture. She would present Dala a scenario and the child would have to solve it. Issues would be pointed out in the way that she handled it. The child thought about this suggestion for a moment then nodded her head. It made sense, as leadership seemed to be more about making decisions in difficult situations and finding ways to help the people than remembering information like a scholar. 

"Will they be scenarios with a clear right or wrong?" Dala asked curiously, "Or will these be more complex situations where there isn't exactly any good options but one is prefer- prefer…" 

The child had momentarily forgotten the word she was looking for. Frustration ran through her mind as she was trying to find the word to explain what she meant. 

"One is better than the other?" She finally finished having found a substitute for that word. 

If this was going to be a test with a correct answer, then she would have to think extra hard about what the right answer was. If this was a test where there weren't really truly correct answers then she would have to decide the less harmful answer. One could make a poor choice but that choice had to be able to be recovered from. Dala had put down her quill and was thinking hard about the type of questions that might be asked, even before Shiloh was asking it. Her small hand was cupped underneath her chin and her legs were crossed. The child's eyes were staring down at the table, her mind within deep thought. 

It would be good to start small, then gradually work up towards the more ambiguous situations. "Scenario number one–your settlement is situated in the plains nearby a woodland. This forest has existed for at least fifty years, untouched by development. Your farmers and herders are thinking of expanding their lands to increase food production. A wide variety of game animals including wolves live in those woods, and recently cattle have been found killed or missing. The people of your town propose cutting down the forest and chasing the wild animals out. What do you think is the best course of action?" This particular situation was something that Shiloh had encountered before to be exact, one that didn't end well for the townspeople in question. They weren't dead and she couldn't say for how they were living now, but they had almost killed one of her close associates in cold blood. She had warned them about their folly and even pointed out that they were being led by the nose by a despot who never thought of anyone but himself. But they had been stubborn, trusting people they knew instead of people who had sense. And so, they paid for it.

"Scenario number two, after a very hot summer with heavy rain people in the settlement have started to fall ill. Nearby are orcish tribes who have lived here for generations and they are known for practicing unknown magic. As the ill keep increasing, your subjects suspect that they have been cursed by the tribes following a land dispute last season. Despite the extreme weather, none of the tribes seem to have fallen ill. What would you do?" This was a more straightforward one, and anyone who didn't have a cultural bias could solve half of it without a problem. Almost every Adelunian would fail this portion, thanks to the persistent propaganda the kingdom still maintained after the humiliation of their previous attempts at conquest. Their old pride was strong, concentrated mostly in the older generations and their descendants who had been fully indoctrinated against reason.

Shiloh would then answer any questions the girl had about the two scenarios, and when Dala gave her final answers Shiloh would assess them. This continued for a couple more hours until one of the more human-looking automatons poked her head in the library. "Hello there! I don't mean to interrupt, but lunch is ready! Would you like me to bring it in here or would you prefer to eat elsewhere?"

The first scenario was already a difficult question. She didn't know if the people were in need of food in that scenario. Did they need it or were they just wanting more than what they needed? Expansion was important since she had seen what villages that didn't expand were like. They were small and it was easy to destroy them. Thousands of villages had been abandoned or destroyed after the major war. Only the villages that had enough power and land were able to survive the catastrophe. However, in this case they seemed to be trying to take over some land that could already have creatures inside it. Just because there weren't any humans, didn't mean that there weren't any beings living in there. 

"For the cows, I would suggest keeping them away from the forest and using a barn or some sort of enclosure to keep them safe." She said, "If people are keeping an eye on them or have them in safe areas then there shouldn't be an issue with wolves. The only way a wolf could get into a well built barn is if they are a werewolf or something along that nature. If that's the case, then we need to figure out how to communicate with the werewolves and find a way to get them to agree to stop harming the cows."

She took a pause for breath.

"As for the forest…Resources are important. But we can't take any more than what we need and we would have to talk to the intelligent beings who live in the forest. If there are nymphs or other beings we can talk to, then we can ask them about the best ways to gather from the forest that wouldn't destroy its natural system of things. Sorry I don't know the word for it." Dala said, "System. Life system? Anyway if we can chop down areas where trees are growing too much or hunt the animals that are overpopulating the forest, then we can gather resources without destroying the forest. It would take more effort than just chopping down the forest and we would have to be careful with the resources we do have, but long term-wise we wouldn't be eradicating the forest. Destroying the forest would be essentially the same as stabbing ourselves in the foot."

Saying that leaving the forest alone didn't seem like the wisest action. But treating the forest like it was a valuable resource that needed time to grow and had a specific way of being handled was a better idea. If the villagers didn't like the extra effort, then they could go back to whatever they were doing before they came up with that idea. Wood was important in a plains area. So is food and other things. However, taking whatever they want whenever they wanted it, well that was a shortcut to a disaster. It was better to ask the locals about what needed to be dealt with and taking only what they needed. The second scenario was a lot easier. 

"Well that's easy. The orcish tribes clearly have some technique on how to deal with this illness. Now we might have to negotiate for that information. Creating a trade maybe? Or maybe some sort of agreement?" Dala suggested. 

The one thing she didn't mention was asking for help. That didn't occur to the child. She believed that everything came with a price and few ever helped for free. Especially with a group of people, no matter their race. People were selfish and naturally would want something in return. There was no point in asking for help. Or at least she believed all of this. Her world view was jaded. 

"That's a good start, but remember just because people think cattle losses are caused by werewolves doesn't mean they actually are. Most animals and beast shapeshifters normally don't go around killing cattle unless they're desperate. They have a healthy fear of human interaction, which is a smart move on their part. Make sure you fully investigate the problem before you start jumping to conclusions." Because shapeshifters had a bad reputation in certain places like Adeluna, the idea that all werewolves were rabid monsters was practically accepted as fact. She could have easily fallen into that same assumption if it weren't for her witnessing one almost being lynched for somebody else's murder. For being so young, Dala was already rather well-informed about magical beings like forest nymphs. Her solutions to the hypothetical scenarios were already leagues above what you'd hear from the average child. What Shiloh wanted to teach her in this exercise was to explore all possibilities before choosing a course of action. It was impossible to predict everything, and most of the deity's decisions were made through a combination of observation, experimentation, as well as trial and error. 

She emphasized this point in her response to the girl's answer to scenario two. "Sometimes negotiation shouldn't be the first thing on your mind. In hot and humid environments disease is very common, and what causes disease? Insects, pests, and mold. Mold and spoilage are going to be the prime suspects next to insects when illness strikes. Check if there are places in the settlement buildings that are damp or rotting. Wood and other natural materials will decompose over time if untreated, but even so you need to ensure that everything is kept well-ventilated and dry. If there are pools of standing water, those need to be drained immediately because those are insect breeding grounds. Once you confirm that these factors are not the cause, then I would go ahead with an attempt at negotiating an exchange with the tribes."  Crossing her arms, she leaned her back against a bookshelf. "I know that these situations might seem unfair because there is no perfect answer, but what I want to point out is that nothing is as simple as it seems from the surface. There's always something to look out for, something that might be the key to solving everything. You've already gotten the basics down though, and as long as you do your research before you act, you'll do just fine. Oh and one more thing–sometimes asking for help isn't always a bad thing. It all depends on who's offering." 

That was one lesson she was learning, even now. Being cautious saved her hide many times, but even being prepared couldn't cover the unexpected. And if it weren't for the kindness of total strangers when she needed it most, she wouldn't be standing here. There was still a small silver lining on the edge of that gloomy, thunderous storm of life. When she offered help to people she knew couldn't repay her, Shiloh never expected anything from them. Not everything had to be a transaction, despite how she allowed the world to see her. But there were too many out there who took advantage of kindness, and so this was the front she displayed to protect herself and others who associated with her. The more good people there were in the world, the easier life would be for everybody. All it takes is one bad apple to ruin the bunch, and when trust is broken it is nearly impossible to fix. At the reminder that lunch was ready, Shiloh replied back to the automaton. "I'm fine with wherever. Where we'll be eating will be up to you, Dala." She said to the girl cracking a wry smile. 

As Shiloh began to reveal the correct answers, Dala began to scribble as fast as she could. Frustration ran through her mind but it was more towards herself for not getting the answer perfect. This was why she was here, to learn and to grow as a leader but the fact she didn't know the answer fully still irked her. Yet Dala still wrote down the correct answer and kept in mind to think better in the future. Shiloh continued on with the lesson and Dala continued writing. The most important lessons she was gathering from these scenarios was that she had to look for ALL options, couldn't jump to conclusions, and sometimes asking for help was alright if the person was alright. Her notes were covered in scribbles but she was able to read them well enough. Although she had been frustrated with her own answers, she found the scenarios made sense and were a useful way to figure things out. These were real choices that real leaders had to make. It was best that she learned them now than learned them later, the hard way. 

"Miss Shiloh do-" Suddenly an automaton reminded them that lunch was ready. 

Dala's stomach growled with hunger. She hadn't eaten much before entering the temple and the studying had made her hungry. The child practically jumped out of her chair and was looking around for the food. 

"Lets bring in the food here. We have a table." Dala said. 

The truth was that she just wanted the food. Where they ate didn't matter. But there was one more thing she wanted to say to Shiloh before they ate. Something was on her mind and had been ever since she entered. 

"Miss Shiloh…. I…" Dala began, unsure of how to say this, "I promise to be the best ever student! I'll learn everything and be the best! And….thanks. For you know…. teaching me and stuff." 

She wanted to say something else but the idea of saying it embarrassed her too much. The child was going to say that she would make Shiloh proud but the words failed her. Instead she just pretended that was all she was going to say. Now was food time. Her eyes looked around the room for the munchies. 

The food was brought in, one of the few times the kitchen was actually used for something in Antikythera. Most of Shiloh's 'living' staff didn't stay at the Machinarium anymore so it was just her and the automatons. It was Jayou-style stir fry today. Wax peppers and carrot cut into thin strips tossed with bean sprouts and slices of pork on a bed of egg noodles. The sauce was a blend of lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, peanut oil, and a sprinkling of white sesame. It was pretty impressive for a chef who couldn't taste or smell what they were seasoning, which was why Shiloh was so proud of her automatons when they chose their own personal hobbies. She didn't mention any of this to Dala however, as it wasn't important. With the food on the table, Shiloh waited until they both had their forks. The girl spoke up, almost as if she was struggling to say something. Eventually Dala decided to say a simple thanks for taking the time to teach her. Having read the girl's body language, Shiloh was sure she knew what she was about to say. "No problem, Dala. You know, I should be thanking you for being my first and probably best student. I'm not exactly a great teacher, but I guess it just takes the right people sitting together to make it all work out. As long as whatever you've learned helps you, then I'm satisfied. Ok enough talking–let's eat!" 

Was it strange that it felt like this was the first time she'd spoken with somebody who was so much like her? Shiloh didn't know, but in a way she saw a lot of herself in Dala. And if she were anything like her, then it meant she had been through some hardships herself. But she'd pull through and survive, just like countless others in the world. And she'd do more than that–she'd make something out of herself for the benefit of others. Eventually the lessons came to an end and the girl was ready to practice what she had picked up. Whether or not Dala knew who she was learning from no longer mattered, only what would happen after she left through the Entrance Hall's door to the outside world. And once the girl was gone, Shiloh wished her the best of luck. After all, a little luck went a long way when you used it well.