Chapter 23

“We… we found them!”

CRASH.

We were in the middle of a meeting in the settlement’s church-slash-town hall. It was a regular meeting to discuss matters such as the farming plans for the coming year and whether to accept other native tribes who wished to move here.

And the one who burst in on this important meeting was… none other than Vicente Gonzales. I had been wondering why he was so late, but seeing him now, covered in sweat, it was clear he had run here in a great hurry.

Seeing him, I was about to ask what he had found that had him in such a rush, but before I could even ask, Vicente spoke first, out of breath.

“We have found the missing settlers!”

“What did you say?”

“Yes. We have found the seventy missing people! Mrs. Dare! With the help of the English and the Algonquians, it was over quickly! To think they all fled inland in such a troublesome manner when we came looking for them.”

…Well, that’s because you were trying to kill them.

In any case, the mood was celebratory, so I didn’t say anything.

“Where are they?”

“The Chesapeake tribe has them. You should go and bring them back at once!”

“Ah, wonderful!”

Eleanor also stood up and said, “My father mentioned that we were short on people to cultivate the wheat in the Chesapeake colony. If we add seventy more people, the colonization will proceed much more smoothly!”

“Excellent. Then let’s go and get them. Vicente, can you guide us?”

“…Huh? Are you going too, Sir Nemo?”

“Of course. Is this not a matter that could increase the population of our island by seventy people?”

“…Pardon?”

For a moment, an earthquake seemed to run through Eleanor’s eyes. Before I could question why, Vicente shouted.

“Sir Nemo is right! Let’s go at once! The ship is ready, and the weather is not bad, so if we’re lucky, we can arrive within the day.”

Sigh… I’ve come a long way. To think that I, who once had to adopt a mystique persona because I found it difficult to control even thirty people, have now reached a point where I can accept seventy more without a second thought.

Let’s set aside the problem of how to control them, since they didn’t fight alongside me against the Spanish. Since Mr. White is the governor, he’ll be able to handle it. If they are people who need to be saved, it’s better to save them first and think later.

More than anything, our colony’s population is now over 300. No matter what they do, it’s not a level that we can’t control. For now, we save the seventy people and secure the necessary manpower for wheat cultivation.

“Then, shall we depart now?”

That is the priority—

“W-wait… a moment, Sir Nemo!”

“Yes, Eleanor?”

Eleanor, who had been trembling for some time, finally called out to me.

“C-c-could you come outside with me for a moment? I have something to tell you!”

“You can say it here.”

“I-it’s something that should be said when we’re alone.”

…What is this? A love confession?

No, that can’t be it.

“…Very well.”

I had the others wait and went outside with Eleanor. She led me to the cemetery behind the church and asked.

“Um… I have something to tell you.”

“Yes.”

Gulp.

Eleanor seemed to hesitate for a long time, her eyes darting from side to side, muttering a prayer… and then she finally spoke.

“I know your secret.”

“I see. …Pardon?”

“Y-yes, I said, I… know your secret!”

What did you say? What secret?

…No way.

“I… hmm.”

No. From experience, if you open your mouth first in a situation like this, you’re screwed. The one who speaks first always loses. If you just keep your mouth shut, the other person will eventually finish the conversation on their own. If you add unnecessary words, you invite disaster.

I had already learned that truth the day I heard the words, “Um… sunbae…” and replied with, “Sorry, I have a girlfriend,” only to hear back, “No! I was just wondering if you could give me your class notes…”

And so, I waited, my lips sealed.

“Y-yes, the fact that Sir Nemo is an angel is no secret! That’s not what I’m talking about…!”

And I had proven my theory correct once again.

…That was a close call.

I was this close to saying, “How did you know I was from the future…”, and getting a, “Pardon…? What are you talking about, Nemo-nemo?” in return.

That aside.

“…Yes. That is no secret.”

“Right! We’ve been writing down the words of the Lord that you deliver every day!”

I’m well and truly screwed.

I had secretly hoped they thought of me as some kind of mysterious saint, but it was beyond that. This was an organized faith. I subtly put my hands behind my back to hide their trembling. Right. An angel, a record of an angel’s words…

That’s a goddamn scripture.

The truth I had been avoiding is now revealed. The puzzles I had refused to solve are now snapping into place, and all the feelings of unease I had felt until now are being explained.

An angel.

A new, expanded edition of the Bible (with a Roanoke Kickstarter backer-exclusive side story).

A cold sweat trickled down my back. I barely managed to maintain a transcendent demeanor, but my insides were burning. I clenched my jaw to stop my teeth from chattering and quickly wiped the sweat from my palms on my clothes.

“Anyway, uh, I was just wondering if it was all right for you, an angel, Sir Nemo, to leave your home.”

Eleanor, oblivious to my turmoil, shouted with a serious expression.

“…”

“…Pardon?”

Silence.

What… does that mean?

I (kind of?) get that I’m an angel, and I get that you guys are writing a new Bible (Roanoke Funding Participant Exclusive Side Story Included). But why is it a problem for me to leave my house?

“Hooooo. You are worried about ‘that,’ I see.”

Of course, my strategy this time was the same. Do not reveal your ignorance.

“Y-you even know what I was going to say… As expected of you, Sir Nemo.”

And my strategy was effective once again.

No. I don’t know, so just spit it out.

“I-I know about your sacrifice, Sir Nemo…! My father knows too! What you do every night!”

“Indeed, there are no eternal secrets.”

“You’re stopping the demons from rising from Hell every night, aren’t you!”

“What the fu— no, I mean, that is incorrect.”

“Pardon? Ah, anyway, my father and I promised to keep your secret that day. To think that such an evil power was extending its hideous reach in that place we thought was so holy… haah, we had no idea.”

I get it now. Your situation.

I want to die of embarrassment.

I’ve been found out. DOOM.

For some reason, I felt I had to show a melancholic expression at this point. So I did, and Eleanor shed a tear.

“…It is not an easy task.”

“I know! I remember the curses you uttered as you slaughtered the demons, and the evil hymn the devil’s minions sang is still ringing in my head! The lyrics…”

“Stop.”

If that comes out, I think I might burst out laughing. Because I have a feeling that evil hymn… is probably ranked 200th on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2012 edition).

“…In any case, you are worried that if I, who must stop the forces of the devil, leave my post, something terrible might happen.”

“Th-that’s right!”

“You underestimate my power.”

“…”

“Darkness can do nothing but retreat when the light approaches. The power of Satan can never overwhelm the power of the Lord.”

“Ah, aaaaaah…!”

“So, from now on, do not worry.”

“…Yes!”

“And tell Mr. White the same.”

“Yes!”

“And… please keep the secret.”

“O-of course!”

With those words, Eleanor, shedding tears of emotion, went back inside the church.

I… have to go back in soon and head to the Chesapeake Bay with Vicente…

First, I closed my eyes.

Hooooo… really. It’s so hard to live. So, so hard.

What do I do about this? What…

“Sir Nemo! We are departing!”

Hooooo.

First, let’s go to the Chesapeake Bay. Let’s think about it there.

***

“Now, let me tell you something, and you listen well.”

“…”

“Our friend Roger says that he has a great need for your lands and your food!”

“WRAAAAAAGH!”

“Therefore, the members of your tribe must either give us your territory and your grain, or prepare for war with us!”

“Th-this is an outrage! Our confederacy will not stand for this!”

“You will not stand for it? What will you do?”

“…”

“Begone. When you return, come with the will to surrender… or return with your weapons!”

“WRAAAAAAGH! Begone!”

The tribe’s warriors were in a frenzy of excitement, some banging their spears on the ground, others throwing their bows into the air.

“…Y-you will regret this! Our confederacy will make you regret the decision your chief has made this day!”

“Try us! That aside, if you do not leave at once, I will peel the skin from your back. I will count to three. One, two…”

“Ugh, uwaak!”

The chief laughed heartily as he watched the Powhatan emissary flee in terror. He then turned to Roger and said.

“What do you think, Roger? Once our war preparations are complete, we will march into their territory and plunder their food!”

“W-will it be all right? You said the Powhatan tribe has thousands of warriors, did you not? And that their population is several times larger than yours!”

“It is fine! Even if there are thousands, they will flee in terror at your ‘guns’! And in the end, we have only declared war on one of the tribes in their confederacy!”

The chief smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. But his voice was grave.

“War is inevitable anyway. We barely have enough food for ourselves this year. To survive, we must plunder other tribes.”

“…”

“That you all have come to this land is a blessing from the spirits. Or perhaps it is a blessing from the Jesus you believe in and follow. Whatever the case, we must survive. I trust you agree with that fact.”

“…I understand.”

Roger finally understood the reality of the situation and nodded. White had left, and the rescue from England had not come. When the Spanish came, were these not the people who had hidden and protected them? In the end, he had no choice but to follow their words.

At this, the chief finally broke into a broad smile and laughed.

“Huhu, huhuhu… the day I finally get rid of them from my sight has come.”

It had been some time since the Powhatan Confederacy had reigned as the hegemon of this region. How much sorrow had he endured from their coercive demands and threats? But with the arrival of these people from across the sea, everything had changed. Their guns could bring down a flying bird and made a sound like thunder. Even the bravest and most well-trained warrior could be killed by a single gesture from a child.

And so, the balance of power had shifted. The chief, who had been piling up sorrow upon sorrow in his heart, was now given the strength to release it for the first time! The chief’s ambition for conquest and achievement burned brightly. He pictured himself bringing them to their knees and expanding his tribe’s territory far to the north. With these people called ‘English’ from across the sea, he could do it! It was no longer an unattainable dream!

They have nowhere to return to anyway, do they? They were mostly men. If they married some of the beautiful women here and settled down, they would naturally become members of the tribe, become warriors. If that happened…

“Huhu, huhuhuhu…”

The Powhatan Confederacy would be nothing…!

“…Chief! We have a visitor!”

“Hoho, what’s the rush? We have just decided on a matter of great importance to the tribe. A visitor can wait a moment…”

“Um… he is a man from across the sea! He says his name is John White…”

…Huh?

Instantly, Roger’s face lit up. And the chief’s face turned ashen.

“J-John White!”

“The Governor has come! The Governor has come!”

“Th-thank you for everything until now, Chief! Now that my countrymen have arrived, I must be going!”

Uh… uh oh?

“I will have some gifts sent to you when I connect with my homeland!”

“Finally! I can eat roast beef after a million years!”

Uh oh… uh oh oh?

-“…Y-you will regret this! Our confederacy will make you regret the decision your chief has made this day!”

The words of the emissary came to mind.

-“W-will it be all right? You said the Powhatan tribe has thousands of warriors, did you not? And that their population is several times larger than yours!”

The words Roger had just spoken also came to mind. The way to face thousands of warriors, a population several times their size… was… ‘guns.’ And those guns were now leaving.

Should I stop them?

Is that even possible?

“Uh oh oh… uh oh…?”

“Chief, then farewell…”

“W-w-wait a moment.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

The chief swallowed hard and said to Roger.

“L-let me meet this John White person.”

At his words, Roger, realizing the upper hand had shifted to him and his countrymen, grinned and said.

“…Very well.”

And so, not long after, four people entered the chief’s house. Three of them were familiar to Roger. John White, Eleanor Dare, and Manteo. And the last person was…

‘…Who is that?’

A savage guide?

While Roger was tilting his head in confusion, the three people sat down opposite the chief. The chief spoke to the person seated in the middle.

“…Are you John White? You look more like our people than the other people from across the sea. Quite a surprise.”

“John White is I. This is Sir Nemo.”

“…Huh? But why are you sitting over there?”

“What is wrong with where I am sitting?”

Oops. For the sake of White, who would not be familiar with the customs of the savages, Roger quickly approached and said.

“Governor, the seat that savage is in is the chief’s seat. Since you are our representative, you should sit in the middle.”

“…What?”

“So, Governor, you should…”

“I am not the representative.”

“What do you mean by that…”

“And if you call ‘Him’ a savage one more time… I will not stand for it.”

Instantly, the look in White’s eyes changed. He was not the indecisive, gentle man he usually was.

“Not just I, but God himself, will not stand for it.”

“…Pardon?”

“Nemo…? Ne…mo? Uh oh?”

While Roger was bewildered by White’s words, the chief muttered the unfamiliar name to himself, then his eyes widened as if he had realized something. He remembered who the person with the name Nemo was. And he corrected his arrogant posture and asked cautiously.

“A-are you… the Great Chief of Croatoan Island?”

***

“…Pardon?”

“I apologize for not having visited you sooner. The lawless Powhatan Confederacy to the north has been in a standoff with us, so I have not had a chance to visit.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Uh… Sir Nemo? What is it?”

What is this? I’ve heard of the Korean plant breeder who became a chief in Nigeria by developing a pest-resistant cassava… but why am I your great chief?

In my confusion, I glanced at Eleanor, and Eleanor looked at John White, and John White looked at Manteo. Then Manteo, looking bewildered, asked me back.

“Is there… something wrong?”

“No… that person just called me a great chief.”

“Yes. What is strange about that?”

“Pardon?”

What’s with you now?

After a long silence, and after seeing the many questions in my eyes, Manteo clapped his hands and said.

“Ah… I naturally assumed you would know. Since you are so fluent in our language.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The chief is the wealthiest man. Is he not?”

“…That’s usually the case, yes?”

“And the wealthiest man is the most generous man. He must share his wealth with others, so that they will respect and acknowledge him as their chief, no?”

“Uh, uh oh…?”

“Who is the wealthiest and most generous person in this region?”

“…”

That would be me.

I thought of the pearls, coral, and furs piled up in my farm’s warehouse and felt a cold sweat, like a downpour, on my back. I had thought we were engaging in barter. I had thought I was giving them grapes and receiving various gifts in return. But it was, uh, tribute?

Huh?

“Great Chief, is there something that displeases you?”

What is this? Am I in some kind of ‘K-Shine Muscat goes global! Americans, captivated by the taste of grapes, make a Korean their great chief!’ YouTube video?

Since Manteo had spoken the entire conversation in English, the other chief had only heard my words and, knowing nothing, was tilting his head in confusion. He must be wondering why these bastards are suddenly chattering amongst themselves.

“Am I, uh, that is to say, that man’s king?”

“That is correct. However, you are not a powerful and binding king like the King of England, but rather someone of a higher station. Someone to be respected, not a ruler.”

“…”

I get it now.

I’m in the position of the ‘seonsaengnim[1]’—the landlord since the Japanese colonial period (whose method of accumulating wealth during that time is suspect)—whom the village elders bow to.

I put some force into my eyes and spoke with as much dignity as I could muster.

“…There is nothing that displeases me.”

“Th-that is a great relief.”

“Except for one thing.”

“Y-yes? That you are displeased, what could it…”

I quietly turned my gaze to a white man standing beside the chief. And I asked him in English.

“What is your name?”

“Uh… pardon?”

“Yes. Were you not a member of the Roanoke colony?”

“M-my name is Roger. Roger Pratt.”

“Roger Pratt.”

I turned my head again and said to the chief.

“What is your name?”

“…I am called Opechancanough[2].”

“Opechancanough, I would like for Roger Pratt to return to the arms of his countrymen. And all of his companions as well.”

“…”

“Can you help me with that?”

Good. That was suitably authoritative. He seems to have eaten my grapes that have somehow made their way here. If so, he’ll pay the price for the Shine Muscats.

I thought this and smiled, watching his expression.

“U-uh… th-that, that, um…”

“…”

What is it? Suddenly, Opechancanough’s face turned ashen. His severely tensed expression was so unsettling that I began to feel uncomfortable and anxious myself.

“That is, you see…”

“…”

“P-please, spare our lives.”

“…Pardon?”

“P-p-please, just let my tribesmen live… If you help us, I will repay your kindness by any means necessary.”

I looked at Manteo again, and Manteo, too, had a bewildered expression, with a multitude of question marks floating above his head. Just in case, I looked at Roger… and he was quietly sighing, his face buried in his hands.

“Help us! If this continues, our tribe will be finished by the war!”

“Explain… yourself.”

“W-well, you see…”

…

…

…

Aha.

We’ve arrived at a very awkward time.

And so, I answered.

“No.”

Sigh…

Bear the burden of going all-in.