How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 63: Great Chief’s Realm (1)

"I am Raleigh. Ra-leigh."

"Raleigh? Funny name."

"You are quite intelligent, Massasoit. Learning basic English in just a month."

"Sim...ple. You people, speak language, similar to ours."

Massasoit chuckles and says to Raleigh and Vicente:

"Speak with similar language. Speak with English. Same. Understand quickly."

"Good. Very good. I should give a gift to a friend who learns our language so quickly."

Rustle. Rustle.

As Raleigh takes something out of his bag, Vicente quickly pulls out a Bible. Raleigh places a scepter in his hand and a crown on his head, while Vicente recites Bible verses and says:

"Do you now recognize Nemo of Croatan as the Great Chief?"

"...Of course. If he is the wealthiest."

"Do you swear to receive gifts from Nemo of Croatan, and also to send gifts in return, firmly maintaining your faith and loyalty toward him?"

"Gifts... must, continue."

"Excellent! Now you are a loyal subject of Mr. Nemo!"

Originally, they should have mentioned the Queen of England's name, but it was unlikely that the Queen would send someone all the way here to check and behead Raleigh for treason.

Raleigh confidently offers a handshake to Massasoit and says in Algonquian:

"You are now our comrade too. Let's work together for the Virginia community!"

"Well... I won't ever go there in my lifetime..."

"You never know, do you? Would you like us to take you there?"

Massasoit shook his head. He spoke in his native language, not English.

"This is my home, so I won't leave."

"..."

"You call this place 'Massachusetts'?"

More precisely, Nemo had mentioned Massachusetts in front of them. The two men just remembered it.

"I won't leave Massachusetts. So you should return."

"...Then, farewell."

Raleigh nodded to him with a smile.

"Glory to our Emperor, Great Chief, Angel, whatever you call him. I hope to see you again."

With that, Raleigh and Vicente leave the shore and board their boat. Thus, they continue their journey.

This story took place quite some time after leaving Chesapeake Bay.

==

"..."

"..."

"..."

I and other Europeans are speechless, staring intently at the map Manteo has colored.

Since many natives don't know how to read maps, they just glance at each other, not knowing what's happening.

But I could roughly tell from Manteo's expression.

Even if other chiefs knew how to read maps, they wouldn't have been so surprised.

Because for them, this is a 'natural' situation.

We organized a gift exchange network with enormous resources, and as a result, successfully brought numerous tribes under our influence. All achieved through grapes, aluminum, and other items.

...What is this? Why does my head understand but my heart refuses to?

It's a similar sentiment to when the fate of the world is decided by a card game or soccer in a children's animation.

I mean, no matter how delicious Shine Muscat is, really? Conquering a land as large as Japan with it?

It's nonsensical.

"Ah, well, um..."

"...You didn't know?"

"I didn't know."

"..."

"..."

But it's not nonsensical, they say.

Yes. No matter how unbelievable, reality is reality.

"Then... those outsiders who sometimes lingered around during meetings?"

"They are people who gathered because the 'Great Chief' called a meeting. I explained the situation and sent them back, but they must have been somewhat dissatisfied. I'll mark such tribes with stripes."

I see.

Anyway, I barely managed to finish the meeting while trying to keep my head from spinning. And looking over the various areas Manteo had colored on the map... I sigh.

"So they've at least entered my 'sphere of influence'?"

"That's right."

"But they're not members of our community yet?"

"Correct."

If they are in my sphere of influence, and they recognize me as the Great Chief, am I their king?

No. To them, I am... um...

Perhaps like a UN Secretary-General.

Roughly speaking, it's like having a presence that's neither here nor there. It's simple when I think about how I didn't even know I was a Great Chief until Oitotan called me one.

Can I, as a Great Chief, demand them to fight for me? No. Or can I, as a monarch, give other orders? That's also not possible.

Whether a chief or a great chief, in this neighborhood, it's closer to an honorary position. It's somewhere between a group project leader and a village head.

...Whatever the case, for some reason, there was a strangely large amount of incoming resources. So I was distributing grapes across an area about the size of Japan.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

"Everyone, I missed you! I missed Chesapeake so much!"

"If you knew how many places we adventured to, you would be surprised!"

"...Oh."

And not long after realizing this fact, Raleigh and Vicente returned.

"Welcome back. Now you need to go to England."

"...What?"

"Pardon? I am Spanish."

"Then let's exclude Vicente and just have Walter go."

Various spices, sugar, various small tools, clothes for residents to wear... there are many necessities.

After unloading pearls, coral, and all sorts of jewels in England, when Walter Raleigh returned, several more months had passed, and it was gradually becoming September.

September... grape season...

Grapes overflow from everywhere.

This time, without worrying about freshness, we could properly harvest most of the grapes at the optimal time. And the various new grapes I ambitiously cultivated this time!

Ruby Roman! My Heart! Cotton Candy!

And countless premium grapes worthy of being supplied to department stores bloom on Croatan and nearby islands!

I used to pay royalties for some varieties, but now there's no entity to take those royalties! Neither the US Department of Agriculture nor the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries can stop me!

"Now, Walter! Please work hard again."

"...I've spent half the year at sea."

"Indeed, Walter's spirit of adventure is amazing."

And the ambiguous climate of the North Atlantic can't stop me either!

Now I can export grapes harvested at the optimal time across the sea in perfect condition!

With a heart pounding with excitement, thinking 'I'm going to destroy all the English nobles' gums,' I sent Raleigh off.

Raleigh complained about how difficult it was to operate the clipper, the terrible steering difficulty, and the grinding labor of skilled sailors...

But all those words only led me to the conclusion that I should send out a 'skilled captain.'

"...Then this time I'll stay in England for a while. I should attend Her Majesty the Queen's coronation anniversary banquet for once."

I granted Raleigh's vacation.

So Raleigh departed.

I eat some leftover Shine Muscat and fall into thought.

It's already the 6th year since I came to this land. These are Shine Muscats that I've maintained with all my might, continuously replanting and even trying flat-roof cultivation methods.

Hmm, grapes.

Even though I'm called a Great Chief, I'm not an entity with real power like other Great Chiefs of this era. To many people, the grapes I grow are probably closer and more familiar than I am.

Just as most grape farmers are to consumers.

Yes. I'm just a grape farmer. But a farmer who has targeted a rather broad market.

Thinking like that makes me feel a bit better.

I chewed and swallowed another grape.

==

"Father, jewels are becoming scarce. Even nearby fur pelts are running dry."

"Is that so?"

Drought continued. With farming and hunting becoming difficult, it's not strange that foxes giving fur are becoming rare.

Also, jewels don't grow like plants or animals, so naturally, they decrease as people pick and mine them.

One cannot sustain oneself by clinging to disappearing things.

"Father, why did our tribe abandon our previous life? Why did we accept rather than reject or burn the grapes and those things called 'potatoes' offered by the so-called Great Chief?"

"...To survive."

The chief smiled at his son's words and said.

'Gifts' weren't originally like this.

Originally, 'gifts' were mostly exchanges of more symbolic, valuable, and crudely speaking, useless items.

Like sharing necklaces made of coral and shells, or passing around elaborately decorated feather hats.

Of course, it's natural since people had time to spare but not food. No one was that wealthy.

No one could casually share 'gifts' of food that could feed tribe members for months, as they do now.

No one could offer rare fruits to those suffering from drought and famine, as they do now.