SQL and Swords

The sun had already dipped low when Kina tugged on Saito’s coat, her tail flicking with determination.

“Sensei,” she said, “you can’t sleep in that hayloft again. You helped me so much today. You deserve a real bed.”

Saito chuckled. “It’s fine. Hay has its charm. And only a few bugs.”

Kina pouted. “No! You’re my sensei now, and you’re staying at my house. I’ll convince Papa!”

Before he could protest, she grabbed his hand and pulled him through the quiet village streets. The sky was painted with shades of orange and purple, and glowing fire-lanterns began to float above doorways.

They reached a small, cozy shop built into the side of a massive glowing tree. A crooked sign hung above the door: “Minerals & More – Honest Stones, Fair Prices.”

“Papa!” Kina called as she burst through the door. “I brought someone home!”

Inside, a broad-shouldered beastman with a thick gray beard and shaggy wolf-like ears looked up from his mug. His amber eyes narrowed in confusion.

“This isn’t a pet, right?” he asked warily.

“No, Papa,” Kina said, rolling her eyes. “This is my sensei!”

Saito bowed politely. “Saito Minoru, sir. Programmer. Educator. Proud destroyer of confusing price negotiations.”

The old man blinked. “…You brought me a talking human.”

Kina put her hands on her hips. “He helped me earn more gold in one day than I ever have! He even made the shiny numbers float in the air!”

The old beastman’s ears twitched. “Is that so?”

“I also don’t snore,” Saito added helpfully.

That got a laugh. “Alright then. Sit down, Magic Numbers Man. Let’s talk over dinner.”

The inside of the house smelled like roasted mushrooms, boiled herbs, and something suspiciously similar to garlic. The table was cluttered with old ledgers, empty jars, and a cracked teacup being used as a coin holder.

Saito sat across from Kina’s father, who introduced himself as Bran. He laughed loudly, chewed like a bear, and had the kind of warm, intimidating energy of someone who could crush boulders or bake cookies, depending on his mood.

“So,” Bran said between bites, “you helped Kina track her sales?”

“With something from my world,” Saito said. “It’s called programming. And I think it could help you too.”

Bran squinted. “Unless your programming can stop customers from haggling with goat cheese, I doubt it.”

Saito grinned. “Even better. I can help you remember everything they buy—with perfect accuracy.”

Bran raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

Saito opened his mana-powered laptop. Its runes flickered to life, casting soft light around the room.

“In my world, we use something called a database to store information,” Saito explained. “It helps businesses keep track of customers, orders, and payments.”

Bran crossed his arms. “Like my ledger?”

“But smarter,” Saito said. “And without ink smudges.”

He typed quickly.

Bran leaned in. “That’s a spell?”

“It’s a query,” Saito said. “A way to talk to the database. Now let’s add a customer.”

The entry glowed midair. Kina clapped.

“It remembers!” she said. “It’s like a magic memory jar!”

Bran scratched his beard. “That’s… actually useful.”

Saito nodded. “And you can check who bought what, any time.”

He showed one more query.

SELECT * FROM customers WHERE name = 'Ragna the Ogre'; 

The data floated in golden light.

Bran stood up suddenly. “That ogre swore he paid me seventy!”

“Now you can prove it,” Saito said with a smile.

Bran let out a hearty laugh. “You’re a wizard of numbers! Stay here as long as you like, lad. We’ve got an extra room, and Kina clearly trusts you.”

“Thank you,” Saito said, genuinely touched.

Bran added, “But you’re doing all the dishes. Magic or not.”

That night, Saito helped Kina write her own mini-program to record ore types. She kept calling it “KinaScript.”

“Is it really okay that I learn all this?” she asked as she typed slowly.

“Of course,” Saito said. “You’re curious, you work hard, and you’ve got better instincts than most junior devs I’ve trained.”

Kina giggled. “What’s a dev?”

Saito grinned. “Let’s just say someone who breaks things until they figure out how to fix them.”

The next morning, Saito was finishing his tea when loud hoofbeats echoed down the road.

A moment later, the shop door burst open.

A tall man in shining armor stepped in. His silver breastplate bore the royal crest: Twin Moons over an Open Scroll. His helmet under his arm, his ponytail immaculate, and his gaze sharp.

“Good morning,” he said formally. “I am Sir Rupert, knight of the Royal Guard. By order of the High Chancellor, I am here to request an audience with the one who commands code and rune-magic.”

Bran stood, growling low. “He’s our guest. Not your pawn.”

Rupert held up a hand. “This is not an arrest. We simply wish to speak with him. Peacefully.”

Saito stepped forward. “I’m Saito Minoru. Can I ask why the palace is interested in floating numbers and magical spreadsheets?”

Rupert looked at him with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. “Because in three days, you've increased the market productivity of this village by 27%, according to our scouts. That kind of shift raises questions.”

Saito blinked. “...You have scouts measuring productivity?”

“We do now,” Rupert said. “You’ve started something unusual. The court wishes to understand it—and perhaps control it.”

Kina stepped beside Saito and tugged his sleeve. “Sensei, are they going to take you away?”

He smiled down at her and shook his head. “No one’s taking me anywhere. But if the palace wants to understand code…”

He turned back to Rupert, straightened up, and smiled calmly.

“Then they’d better be ready to learn.”