“No.”
“Sir Nemo, please… no matter how I look at it, the resources required are too great. The terrain alone…”
“The limitations of the terrain can be overcome.”
“If you would just reconsider, once…”
“Considering the resources we will need in the future, it is better to prepare in advance. And.” I grabbed Vicente’s shoulder and pointed out the window, toward a ship in the distance whose modifications were nearly complete. “…Walter has already prepared a vessel for this very purpose. For the sake of his efforts alone, we cannot give up.”
“…Are you truly certain?”
“Of course.” I smiled at Vicente and said, “What is the most important part of this journey?”
“Is it not to solidify our influence in various regions and supervise the establishment of the trading posts?”
“No. If that were the only reason, there would be no need for me to accompany you.”
As I slowly shook my head, a question mark seemed to appear on Vicente’s face. I opened my mouth again to resolve his confusion. “The most important thing is to make ‘me’ known.”
“…Ah.”
To prevent misunderstandings about me from arising and to stop rumors from being amplified and reproduced among them. And to prevent those misunderstanding-filled rumors from spreading to the Europeans, sparking anxious talk of a heretical cult rising among the natives. Most importantly, to make the native peoples accustomed to the existence of ‘me.’
Many of the Native Americans speak several languages as if they were their mother tongue. The same is true for many Africans. In societies that predate the formation of large nations, societies fragmented into various tribal communities, the languages are as diverse as the political unity is absent. It is common sense here for different dialects, or even entirely different languages, to emerge from village to village. A journey of just a few dozen kilometers can bring you to people who speak a language from a completely different family.
In other words. The effect of me meeting them ‘directly’ will be that much greater. The shock might be less for those like Manteo, whose surrounding tribes mostly spoke similar languages, but for others, it would not be so.
“By doing so, I will show them that I am not a monster or an idol, and at the same time, I will testify with my own words that I am a servant of the Lord. The greatest purpose of this journey is to ensure that they do not misunderstand or fear me.”
First and foremost… I need to make sure I can live properly, don’t I? Besides, ‘I’ am the focal point of this community, so having them accept ‘me’ is also a shortcut to winning them over to our side.
“And, what we need for that is this Porter!”
I pointed to the Porter truck that had been moved to the Chesapeake Bay. At that, Vicente, who had seemed almost persuaded, tilted his head again. “Is… that so?”
“Of course. This body of steel will show them where the steel tools in their hands came from. And with the tools and cooking utensils I’ve packed here, is there not much we can offer them?”
“Ah!”
“Furthermore, no matter how many forests and swamps there are, most of our territory is not far from the coast, so it can be overcome. If not, will we not have to build roads someday for larger-scale trade and integration? As we travel with this Porter, we can also look for places to build such roads.”
“I see!”
“This is by no means for my own personal comfort.”
Although, that is a part of it.
“The Porter will certainly be convenient for travel, and it will bring better results in achieving our grand design for the future.”
Although, my personal comfort is the bigger part.
…Right. I also want to lie in bed and enjoy the AC when it’s hot and warm myself with an electric blanket when it’s cold. I want to carry a folding shower booth and be clean. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there? And it would be strange for a being called an angel or a spirit to go around looking grimy… It’s all for the greater good… Probably.
“So, let’s plan the journey’s route with the assumption that we will be taking the Porter.”
“Understood.”
“Is this the last map of the eastern coast of North America that was made?”
“It is. It was surveyed as accurately as possible with various instruments, so there should be no mistakes!”
The maps of America I possess are all from the 21st century. And the changes to the terrain, wrought over five hundred years by hundreds of millions of people reclaiming and developing this land, are enormous. The eastern America of today is a land where forests cover the entire continent, with native villages dotted in between. The undeveloped waterfronts are full of swamps and mudflats, and the coastline is endlessly complex. Therefore, to decide our route, a 21st-century map is not nearly enough.
Vicente cleared the nearby coffee cups and carefully unrolled the map from the wall onto the desk. And, hidden from Vicente’s view, I slyly brought up a 21st-century map of the United States on my phone.
“In this area… it would be better to move along this route.”
“Is that so? In terms of distance, it would be shorter to cut across here.”
“Putting aside the dense forest in that area, the ground is likely to be uneven.”
By looking at where roads were built in the 21st century, I could suggest the route we should take. Even if I couldn’t know the exact topography, it was unlikely that a perfectly fine mountain or hill would have moved or disappeared for no reason in five hundred years, so they must have built the roads to avoid such places. By connecting the residences of the tribes that had agreed to participate in our multi-level… I mean, our intermediary trade network…
“Is it done?”
“It seems… to be.”
Our travel route was complete. The estimated time required was six months. …Six months. It was a longer journey than when I went to Africa and the Caribbean to fight the Spanish navy a few years ago. I suffered a lot on that ship. That’s when I learned why a sea voyage was a life-threatening affair. I learned then how difficult it is to live for months on a cramped ship where the planks creak like mad, clean water is hard to come by, and there isn’t a single proper facility, be it a toilet or anything else.
‘…I’m never doing that again.’
Thank goodness I’m bringing the Porter. Thank goodness I built the camper…!
I looked out the window and saw Raleigh and the others walking over. I put on my coat and said to Vicente, “Well then, let’s start packing.”
It was now March of 1600. It was about time to depart.
***
A bonfire was lit, and inside the hut, numerous people were smoking tobacco and looking at each other.
“The past winter… was the most comfortable and abundant of the dozens of winters we have spent. And we have acquired many sharp and high-quality tools. It is all thanks to our trade with you,” the chief said to the man in priest’s vestments.
“It is nothing, haha.”
“Your name… what was it again? James?”
“Yes. Please call me that.”
“Right… James. A name that never quite settles in the ear, no matter how often I hear it.”
“Haha, you will get used to it.”
“Yes… I suppose so. Where was I?”
“You were saying that the past winter was very abundant.”
“Ah, right. It was. In any case… we will still need to bring in more of that thing called a ‘potato.’ Our food is running low.”
At the chief’s words, a silence fell. The other tribe members clicked their tongues and shook their heads.
Clap!
“Everyone.”
In the somewhat subdued atmosphere, the priest clapped his hands to draw their attention and set down his tobacco pipe. “This thing called tobacco, hooo, it really calms the heart. It clears the mind.”
As Father James stood up and spoke, the dozen or so tribe members in the hut lifted their heads to look at the priest standing by the hut’s door. Beyond that door stood the recently built trading post and the small church attached to it. And also, the thing called a ‘cart.’
“You will all live better lives in the future. That is certain. Do you know why?”
“…”
“…”
“Because Sir Nemo blesses you! He has conceived of a business that will benefit everyone!”
As applause and cheers erupted, the priest bowed his head and said to them all, “Every time you bring the furs of foxes, weasels, and various other beasts, the number of glass beads in this settlement will increase! You will get one more cat! You will get more axes and tools made of iron!”
Everyone listened intently to the priest’s words. It was an attitude befitting of superior members who had leaped to the Sapphire tier in a single bound.
“The more tribes you introduce to our business, the more the profits will increase. Remember. He is always prepared to give back more than what we have sent.”
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, speak!”
A tribe member then asked, “W-with the steel axe we’ve obtained, would it be alright to… take care of the Susquehannock people?”
“Take care of, you say…?”
“They don’t serve the Great Chief Nemo as we do, so… we’d like to settle our dispute with them once and for all. Would that be alright?”
“…”
“…”
The priest smiled quietly and pulled a contract from his robes. A contract written in both their languages. “If you look at the terms and conditions here, there is a risk of a tier demotion or contract termination if you attack another tribe through violent means.”
“…Ah, was that so?”
“It was. Isn’t that what our friend James said from the very first day he came?”
“That is correct. In most cases, it would be more advantageous for your rise to the Diamond tier to try and win over even a hostile tribe, rather than resolving things violently.”
…Diamond!
The highest tier one could reach… where one could receive not only various tools made of iron, but even a few ‘guns’ for hunting. In that moment, ambition flared in the eyes of everyone gathered there, and they looked at each other and nodded as if they had hardened their resolve. And then.
“Still… for now, more than any other item, we need more of that ‘potato.’ We’d also like to know how to cultivate it, if possible.” At the chief’s words, the flames of ambition subsided somewhat, and a serious mood settled over them.
“…We are too hungry to be ambitious. The only reason we want to kill the Susquehannock is the fear that they might come to plunder us.”
“I… understand.”
“Is that so? I am glad to hear it. We will not attack them first, but please be aware. Our hardship has not yet been properly resolved. For now, not many are starving, but who knows what will happen next year, and the year after. No one knows when this cold will recede.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
The atmosphere of the gathering, which had felt like a business presentation for a multi-level marketing company, was instantly doused with cold water. They were afraid. The fear that the hope they had found might be extinguished at any moment was growing behind them like the shadow from the bonfire.
“…C-can we make more of those?” the chief asked, pointing to the cart standing behind the priest. “Thanks to that, we were able to carry more furs. And after we paved a road for it, it became a bit more comfortable to walk. Can we get more potatoes by loading more furs onto more carts? Can you give us food without end? Is your Great Chief truly that wealthy, enough to feed us all?”
For a moment, the priest was at a loss for words. He stood there with his mouth open… and finally, he spoke. “Of course! Sir Nemo is very wealthy!”
“I-is that so?”
“The more you increase items like that cart, the wealthier this tribe will also become! Believe in your new Great Chief…”
And then.
Kukukukung!
A sudden roar cut off the priest’s words. The startled people rushed out of the hut, and as they looked outside… a bright light appeared on the horizon, as if a star had fallen. The people began to stir, and the chief hurriedly tried to calm them.
Woooooooooong!
The roar grew louder, and his efforts were instantly rendered moot. In the darkness, two lights, like the glowing eyes of a great beast, were burning. And the roar was clearly coming from the same direction as the lights. As the lights and the roar drew closer, people began to take out their spears and stand on guard, one by one. They couldn’t even guess what it could be…
Screeeech!
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…Hooo, is this the place? Walter, is this right?”
At those words, the faces of the tribe members hardened. Is it possible for one voice to speak multiple languages at the same time? Or is it natural to shed the outer skin of language and convey only its pure meaning? They didn’t know if it was possible, but it was happening before their eyes.
As the speechless tribe members stood there, the people who had gotten out of the ‘cart’ surrounded the one who had just spoken, as if in reverence. “Uh… it should be. When I heard from the Lenape Great Chief, he said that the lands of the clan living here were the last of the members.”
“Let’s check the map first!”
“…”
“…”
“…”
They saw it. They saw the bright light pouring out from the two ‘eyes’ of the strange ‘cart.’ They saw half a dozen able-bodied men jump out of the giant cart.
“Uh… ooooh…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
It was an object whose principle of movement they could not even fathom.
“Good evening. I am Nemo.”
“Good ev… Nemo?”
“Yes, that is me.”
And after the ‘Great Chief’ had shaken hands with each of them, the bewildered chief asked the priest, “Uh… that…”
“…”
“Can we… make one of those, too?”
“…”
As the chief pointed to the ‘Porter,’ the priest could say nothing.
***
“Ugh… ughk…”
I stretched and quietly looked around. After racing down a rough, unpaved road for a long time, my whole body was screaming. And I had been at the wheel for days on end without anyone to switch with. I desperately needed a proper rest. I offered some greetings to those around me and entered the camper. The cozy bed and the half-read catalog were waiting for me.
I flopped down on it and opened the catalog. All sorts of historical facts were listed there.
—‘Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, after a reign of 44 years. The end of her reign was difficult. Her confidants, including the Earl of Essex, plotted a rebellion, popular uprisings were incessant, and she lost the support of the public after exhausting the national treasury with a long war.’
—‘Walter Raleigh, after losing the Queen’s favor, was never able to restore his relationship with her to its former state. During the reign of James I after the Queen’s passing, he was openly checked and humiliated, and was eventually executed on the charge of having caused an armed conflict with Spain during an expedition to find El Dorado.’
No, to be more precise, these are things that ‘were’ historical facts. Now, far from exhausting the national treasury, Elizabeth is earning a massive income from Virginia and maintaining support for the war. She is also successfully leading the war in Ireland, and thanks to her strengthened coffers, she is achieving results here and there in the war with Spain. Raleigh, too, after suppressing his uncontrollable promiscuity with a flood of work, had no cause to lose the Queen’s favor. He had built up an incredible position by monopolizing the trade with the New World, and politically, he boasted enormous popularity among the citizens of London, where he was called a ‘saint.’ Drake, too, had been taking the nutritional supplements I gave him and managing his health well, so he hadn’t died of a fever, and the historical trajectories of the other figures had also been greatly twisted.
…Good. It’s good, but.
“I don’t know… what I should do from now on.”
Most of the historical content in the catalog is about Europe. And as time passes, the density of that content decreases, and there are more and more omissions. This means that my greatest strength, ‘future knowledge,’ will soon become useless. Considering the butterfly effect I’ve caused, it’s almost there already.
The resource cheat, too, while it was enough to feed hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands, is now clearly showing its limits. In ten years, when the population may have multiplied several times over, will the infinite resources based on my farm still be able to function meaningfully?
And my characteristic of being an immortal. I have all sorts of questions, but its utility is low. For example, like a planarian, what would happen if my body were to be split exactly in half? Would I divide? If my head is cut off, will a head regenerate from my body, or will a body regenerate from my head? Following on from the previous question, as depicted in various media featuring immortals, is there a central point from which my body regenerates? If so, if that is destroyed, do I die? …Each one is an extremely dangerous thing to test. In the first place, I shouldn’t be in a situation where I’m about to die, and the immortality cheat is just my last resort.
I can feel the importance of the means I had, the means I could have, fading one by one as the community grows and time passes. Because I am just one person. Even if I live forever and have infinite resources, that clear fact does not change.
So… what will my future self be like? How will I live my life? Will my life really continue like this?
***
…What is ‘immortality’?
“A life… that never dies.”
Ten years so far. Hundreds of years to come.
I pondered how I would live through that long expanse of time, gazing at the stars beyond the window.
Perhaps, I might live even longer than those stars.
***
Croatoan.
There, there is a forbidden place where no one can carelessly set foot. Inside a certain green-roofed mansion. People only guess that the angel’s secret, spiritual, and great daily life takes place there, but no one enters. For it would be a blasphemy against the divine.
In such a place.
Wheeeeeee!
Suddenly, a sound was heard after a long time. It was not the sound of a person, but of a machine. The sound from the computer, inside Kim Lee-sang’s most secret room.
…Flick!
It turned on without anyone’s command. The cooling fan spun, and various processors gave off heat, revealing something on the screen. Small phrases appeared there.
—‘O immortal, who will exist beyond the ages.’
—‘…Do not question thy immortality.’
—‘Thy flesh will not age… and thy spirit will have bright eyes that transcend the ages.’
And.
—‘…Thou shalt have eyes to avoid death.’
Flick.
It turned off again.