How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony

219: Missionary (1) 219: Missionary (1) Oitotan thus departed for the north with Vicente.

“Now, let me speak again about this thing called [grape juice].

Ah, was it not difficult to understand?

Let me explain how it is good for the body…” “…” “…” “No, wait.

Before that, let me check if there are people who want to take this thing called [soap] I talked about earlier.” “Y-yes, I’ll take it…!

Give me all of it!” “I need to leave some for other tribes…” “Sell all of it to our tribe, you damned bastard!” And he displayed his genius to the fullest.

“Did I mention that this soap is good to use when our kitty gets covered in mud?” “No.

Nemo said cats should not use this thing called [soap].” “…” “So, this thing called [soap]…” “There’s no need to emphasize soap like that.” “…What do you mean?

I’ve never emphasized anything unimportant.

If I emphasized [soap] by calling it [soap], it’s because this thing called [soap] was as important as [raisins] or [grape enzyme] or [grape jam], so I emphasized this thing called [soap]…” “S-stop it already!” The most frightening part was that this “genius” was not intentional.

Just as honey emits a sweet scent that attracts insects, as dogs and cats leave their scent and fur clumps where they pass, as flower pollen sticks to your fingers when you touch flowers.

His “genius” lay in how naturally it flowed out.

“Ch-Chief Elder!

Calm down!

Calm down!

Damn it (Mierda)!

Sir Oitotan!

What did you say again to make him so angry!” “Hmm?

I merely explained what he didn’t know well.

Look.

This is a thing called [glass bottle], and to open it requires an action called [turning the lid]…” “Aaaargh!

Let me punch that man just once!” “Oitotan!

Sh-shut your mouth first!” There were minor conflicts, misunderstandings, and emotional rifts, but.

Anyway.

It was a sellout.

Wherever Oitotan went, people clamored for more items he had brought for exchange, and some even threatened him with force to steal the new products.

“E-everyone, please calm down!

Please calm down!

Are we strangers who have just met once or twice?

Aren’t we all members of the same ‘community’?” “That’s right.

Although you don’t know [soap], don’t know [grape jam], don’t know [raisins], don’t know [supplements], we all…” “Oitotan, please shut up!” Of course, Vicente managed to resolve the situation with great difficulty by restraining them and making Oitotan close his hellish mouth.

…This happened many times.

And every time Oitotan flew around and Vicente became exhausted…

Vitality spread throughout the community’s territories they passed through.

New products flowed in all directions along the intricately connected gift exchange network of Bronze, Platinum, Emerald grades, and so on.

Even as an unprecedented cold wave arrived and they shivered in the cold, they did not hesitate to hand over fur for new products.

And.

“This is a guest who has come to see our chief, so I’ll bring it out.

This is the thing called [supplements].” “Hahaha, welcome!

Before enjoying the feast, let’s all wash our hands with this thing called [soap]!” Naturally, Oitotan-style deception and showing off spread among the American tribes.

They didn’t use the new products just for showing off.

They used them to recruit other tribes who had refused to join the community, who had responded with silence to thousands of membership solicitation messages.

And slowly…

“This [grape juice] is really good for marital harmony…” “Look.

Isn’t it more enjoyable to put [grape enzyme] in [herbal tea]?” A peaceful and elegant conquest began once again.

“We…

will accept your proposal.

We will join.” The gift exchange network finally crosses the Appalachian Mountains.

A barrier that in the original history would only be crossed after American independence.

The tribes under the Shawnee Confederation dwelling in southern Ohio were slowly absorbed into the ‘community’ and established themselves as Gold and Silver grades.

The day would come when Emeralds and Diamonds would bloom among them again.

And, to the north.

The merchants and missionaries of the Virginia community moved across the frozen Great Lakes by boat and sleigh until April, reaching northern Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and other areas.

There were those who would later be known to Europeans as the Iroquois Confederation.

“We…

need to consider.

Whether to end our long-standing hostility with them and join a larger community.” “I heard the Shawnee from the south have also joined.

What more is there to say?

Their laws prohibit war and plunder both within and outside the community.

Even if we join, there will be no retaliation.” “And they also bring ways to defeat disease!

See how healthy our old enemies still are!

Even to survive, we must choose!” “…” “…” “…” The leaders and councilors of each tribe gathered to hold an exceptional meeting to determine the fate of the entire confederation.

After days of arguing, they finally reached a conclusion.

“…For now, let’s allow in their so-called ‘missionaries’.” And so.

“Brother Richard!

They’re lowering their guard!

We can enter!” “Ah, finally!

May the angel watch over us!” The community’s priest and missionary, Richard, was able to safely enter the territory of the Mohawk tribe.

“Be careful.

Since you were ordained as a priest not long ago, I must tell you to be careful not to dismiss them as barbarians or rashly consider their customs as devil worship…” “You are not a missionary.

Am I not the missionary?” “…” “And, I prefer to be called a pastor rather than a priest, so please call me that.” “…Understood.” “Then, I will call you if I need help.” “Understood…” Young and confident Richard thus proceeded alone, dismissing the English and Algonquin merchants who had visited this area several times.

The Mohawk people approached him with tilted heads, curious about his strange appearance.

Richard showed them a kind smile and walked toward them as well.

He was a Scottish person, a Presbyterian pastor, and in this strange new continent, he had found true faith.

He would now convert them.

== …Oh.

I blinked for a moment and looked at the list.

I doubted my eyesight, but the tablet in front of me confirmed that the numbers I saw were accurate.

Right.

I, people may make mistakes, but Excel doesn’t.

Twenty thousand refugees had reached our settlement.

I recall the words the queen had shared with me.

“How is it?

I tried my best to do as you wanted.” “Since you said you wanted to save as many people as possible, I gathered refugees from all over England.” “That resulted in enough people to build a small city.” “It wasn’t difficult.

When I beckoned to the refugees with news of new land and homes, they all followed as if enchanted.” “I was lucky.” That couldn’t be…

true.

I wondered what on earth the queen had done in England.

What had she done that made the English follow her “as if enchanted” when she beckoned?

No, and I was curious what kind of commotion would have occurred in England if there had been a population movement of tens of thousands nationwide in just a few months.

When I asked about that…

“Don’t worry.

I suppressed that level of commotion before I left.” “I just played a small ‘prank’ while I was at it, hehehe…” …Somehow I became afraid to find out more.

Anyway, well, if the results were good, then all is well.