How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony

I created this community to survive.

And I will probably live for at least a few hundred years. Looking at how not a single wrinkle has appeared even though I've been here for almost 10 years.

What that means is...

"..."

"..."

"..."

...unless it collapses for a special reason, this community will continue for hundreds of years.

And the story of a community that originally didn't exist continuing for hundreds of years means, in other words, changing history.

"I am opposed."

Each decision I make will remain in history.

I couldn't shake off that thought.

"...We cannot accept them."

Manteo, who came during mealtime, said to me.

"Too much hatred is entangled all at once. No matter how I think about it, I can't come up with a way to prevent conflicts after accepting them!"

"Then."

I said, picking up lentils with my fork.

"Can you think of a way to avoid war without accepting them?"

"...That's."

"They are people who are starving to death. They will do anything for survival. So, have you thought about what they might do if we don't accept them?"

"..."

"Of course, Manteo, I believe you've thought about it well. Nevertheless, you thought it would be better not to accept them.

But my opinion is different."

"Even if war breaks out... no."

"..."

"...My thinking was narrow."

Manteo bowed his head deeply as he said this.

I knew well what Manteo was trying to say.

"Even if war breaks out, we can win."

Yes.

We can win.

The opponent is just a coalition of various tribes who are starving and don't know how to use metals. Moreover, it's a defensive war.

If we fortify some points and place cannons and muskets well, we can win 'easily'.

We can achieve an overwhelming victory.

In other words.

We can easily massacre starving refugees.

That wasn't our option.

After dinner, as I went outside, this time Hewett approached me and hesitated.

"Mr. Hewett? Why are you like that?"

"...I heard stories about the war waged by the Catawba and Tutelo tribes. I'm not sure if it's right to accept them."

"..."

"When I think about how they tortured and tormented the defeated..."

"Mr. Hewett, at times like this, we must stay focused."

"...I'm sorry."

"Remember. Oitotan tried to gather survivors from the Roanoke colony to plunder the Powhatan Confederation. Consider what would have happened if that plan had succeeded."

"That's..."

"We must make decisions for the community. Our emotions shouldn't dwell in just one place."

Moreover, such conflicts, wars, and plundering between tribes have always existed. Even the residents near Croatoan have done so.

If we start to judge rights and wrongs about this, it would be endless.

Therefore, there was no justification for their complete expulsion.

And if such unjustified decisions accumulate, eventually the community itself will collapse.

So I accepted them. It had to be done for the Virginia community.

Of course... my personal feelings were also heavily involved.

"...Thank you. I, truly, thank you."

The man with snake tattoos on both shoulders who is crying in front of me now was the great chief of the Catawba tribe.

And behind him, refugees from the Catawba and Tutelo tribes pour in.

Their numbers... were roughly more than the number of our settlers.

The number of newly arrived Algonquian natives pushed by them also well exceeded 10,000.

The Algonquians glared at the Catawba and Tutelo refugees and growled, and also sang songs softly with mixed meanings of mockery and threat.

All the residents who were originally gathered in our settlement whispered.

Everyone expected that there would be fighting among the newcomers.

They expected that at least hundreds would die and be injured.

...Naturally, we couldn't just watch.

"Does the defendant admit to senselessly burying and killing 15 people of the Chowanoke tribe?"

"What is there to admit or not? It was during a war!"

"They were all under 15 years old! You cruel...!"

First, we held trials. We defined so-called 'war crimes' and determined whether they were sufficiently 'senseless' acts.

And we punished those who fell under that category. We didn't kill them if possible, and instead confined them to appropriate places and had them do high-intensity labor.

"Here! Everyone gather here! This way!"

Next, we began the work of carefully placing the newly arrived residents.

If we recklessly divided and accommodated them by tribal confederations, the conflict would likely only grow.

If they gather their feelings of anger among themselves and suddenly ignite at one moment? Then no one can stop it.

Instead, we divided them into small tribal units and accommodated them among the English and other tribes that were already staying.

If we drop them among heterogeneous people, they would be too busy adapting to the new living environment to pay attention to revenge.

Indeed, these policies showed some effect.

There was no armed conflict for a month or two after accepting them.

At least for now.

But no one felt at ease.

"Pe-people... my family died..."

No one was optimistic that this situation would last long.

I could feel the atmosphere of this settlement becoming heavier.

Whenever residents of Catawba-Tutelo lineage and Algonquian lineage encountered each other, an unusual gaze froze the atmosphere of the area.

...Still, I didn't regret it.

I had to accept them.

==

"Achak, Achak! Wake up! We have to go check the field!"

"..."

"Wh-what? Why is your expression like that? Suddenly like a corpse..."

"I dreamed of when my family died."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The surroundings immediately fall silent at Achak's words. Achak speaks as if chanting.

"I dreamed of when my family died. When my mother and father, and other siblings died..."

"Ca-calm down. You..."

"Can you be calm? When those enemies live just a few steps outside?"

"..."

Achak suddenly rises and rustles in the corner of the hut. As others watch what he's doing, an unpleasant smell soon rises from there.

He takes out a jar and presents the black liquid inside it.

"It's kerosene I received as a pottery craftsman. I've been saving it without using it every time I received rations."

"...Surely you're not."

"I'm going to set fire with this. With this, if I set fire to where the great chief of those damn people lives! They will also clearly realize something."

"..."

"..."

"You all."

Azak says, his eyes gleaming.

"For me... will you stand watch?"

He puts a knife on his waist, takes a jar full of kerosene, and quietly leaves the hut.

Then others followed Azak as if bewitched. They pretended to go hunting, lingering around the nearby forest to kill time, and set out as the sun set and people fell asleep.

They stealthily reached the large hut where the chief of the Catawba tribe lived.

Tap. Tap tap!

Someone threw a jar full of oil along with a spark.

Then flames rose.

As everyone was about to leave, suppressing shouts of joy...

"Azak, what are you doing?"

"...What if he escapes?"

Azak closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, recalling his mother with an arrow in her neck. He hid in a suitable corner and said, placing his hand on the hilt of his knife.

"I must kill him in the midst of confusion."

==

When we heard the news, we were having a late dinner after finishing the chart work.

"Eleanor, which direction was the house of the Catawba tribe's great chief?"

"If you go out of the building, turn left, and go straight... it would take more than 5 minutes..."

Whoosh!

I immediately pulled the tablecloth covering the long table and soaked it in water. I rolled it up and gauged the direction.

"Yes, Nemo!"

Without further hesitation, I ran out of the church building. Coming outside, far away, as if the sunset were happening, one corner of the sky was gradually turning orange.

It was now 9 PM. That meant it was long after sunset.

Without needing to separately identify the building's location, I ran like a madman. This can't happen. If the great chief of the Catawba tribe dies here now... everything goes wrong.

Even if this were a random accident, problems would arise, but what if it's not an accident, what if it's an incident caused by someone's arson?

If it's someone who hates and is angry at the Catawba tribe, expressing that hatred and anger.

Then this domino of violence and conflict that has begun will continue to collapse endlessly. Until the tens of thousands belonging to this community take up arms and try to kill each other.

If that happens, everything is over.

With that thought, strength enters my legs. A voice passes through my mind that maybe I shouldn't have accepted them.

...Yes. Maybe I shouldn't have accepted them.

Immoral? Why would that be immoral?

Haven't I already killed Spanish people with a chainsaw? This is 'war'. If it's not even a war we started, why should I feel moral responsibility?

If I had said I wouldn't accept them, everything would have been clean. Because they were the ones who attacked our allied tribes first. Because they are the villains.

As Manteo was about to say, we can 'overwhelm' them with force. We can subdue those who use at most slingshots and stone axes as weapons with various gunpowder weapons and steel swords.

That's still fine.

Because they attacked first.

If they get scared and flee elsewhere, we'd be even more grateful that the troublesome problem is completely solved. We can live peacefully that way.

After repelling all the 'bad guys'.

After abandoning all those who came to us for help.

Just, like that.

...

...

...

'This community originally started by distributing convenience food to 30 English people.'

Because I unnecessarily gave food and drink to those who might kill me.

"What? Impossible! We cannot let those cruel ones into this land!"

"That's right. They are... devils. Devils, I say! Great Chief, please destroy them! Please kill them!"

Devils? They're villains so it's okay to abandon them? Can I really get away with that?

They just did it to survive?

I recall the Catawba tribe's great chief crying and thanking me. I recall the Catawba people who arrived on this land, hugging me with tears.

Are they all villains?

In extreme situations, human nature is revealed, or when survival is threatened, a person's true self is revealed...

I dislike such sayings.

Humans face numerous moments in life, and numerous emotions and thoughts pass through them.

There will be happy moments, depressing moments, and moments filled with anger.

In all those moments, people reveal their own nature.

Of course, sometimes people can be more cruel to others than anything else.

If their own survival depends on it, and the survival of those dear to them depends on it.

Can we say that the appearance at such times is a revelation of their nature?

Is it really just to judge and stigmatize a person based on actions taken when pushed to the most extreme situations?

I don't think so.

We are not gods.

We cannot determine someone's good and evil.

"Fi-fire! Oh my goodness, fi-fire!"

"Instead of shouting, hurry up and carry water! Hu-hurry... Huh?"

"Great Chief? Why are you here... No, you can't! You can't go in!"

Therefore, for us, for humans, there are more urgent things to do than distinguishing between good and evil and stigmatizing someone.

Helping each other to the best of our abilities.

And saving each other.

Yes.

This community was built that way.

If we forget that fact, this community will collapse.

Therefore, this was the best choice.

As those who recognized my face shouted, Catawba people urgently began to grab me. I shook off their arms and.

Entered into the flames.

Pillars, walls, and the ceiling were burning. Within that, I inhale smoke and find a half-unconscious man with snake tattoos.

He was the great chief. He had lost one leg. They say he lost his leg when he was defeated and driven out in a battle with the Muscogee tribe that invaded from the south.

"Ugh... Gr-Great... Chief?"

"Take my hand. Quick!"

I hurriedly strike away a burning heap of charcoal that was about to fall on his head. Instantly, the pain of flesh cooking devours my brain.

"Grrugh! Hu-hurry!"

"Wh-why are you here?"

I covered his body with the water-soaked tablecloth and then supported him as I walked. Flames blocked the entrance, and sparks fell like rain above it.

But I will go.

Because the lives of countless people depend on my shoulders, I will go.

I save this community.