How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 167: Leading the Flock (2)

As the Queen walked off the gangway with a puzzled look, native soldiers pushed back the onlookers.

The English cheered and stretched out their hands toward her, while others blinked curiously as they looked at her.

The Queen and Raleigh walked along the path made by soldiers through those crowds.

After boarding a carriage and moving, the following crowd gradually diminished. The village of green-roofed houses gradually disappeared behind them, and neatly divided farmlands came into view.

Elizabeth asked Raleigh, who was sitting beside her.

"Did you say we're going to where the cathedral is?"

"More precisely, we're going to where the cathedral is being built."

"Is it still under construction?"

"Yes. We're building it by importing materials from England and France. Many others are also generously contributing donations and service. Look! Those farmlands over there belong to the English. All that vast land was given freely by him. The wheat and potatoes from there feed the poor in England!"

"It seems exactly as was advertised."

After hearing more explanations about this community, the carriage soon stops in front of the cathedral. Then, Raleigh quietly opens the carriage door to help her alight.

Through the open door, a corridor covered with fur pelts can be seen.

With long benches arranged on both sides, it looked like a chapel.

Though still small in scale and with the roof not properly built, leaving the sky exposed...

Inside, people were gathered densely.

Upon seeing Elizabeth, they all quickly rose and awkwardly bowed to her.

Recalling what she had just heard from Raleigh about the shoddiness of this ceremony, Elizabeth remembered that here, the right to become a member of parliament is given regardless of status.

Those gathered here were the 'members' and 'parliament' leading this community.

And beyond those members, at the end of the corridor, there was a platform. One person was standing on it. Her aged eyes could only show a blurry outline of that person standing in the distance.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth could guess who he was.

As she approached the platform with Raleigh's guidance, the previously blurry image gradually became clearer.

Slightly curly black hair.

Deep brown eyes.

Clean without a beard...

A boyish face.

Upon seeing that face, Elizabeth momentarily paused.

In his gaze, there was a mineral-like calmness. His firmly closed lips and straight nose solidified an impression of composure and firmness. A distinctive resilience of someone who has lived through long years emanated like a body scent.

...And all those elements created a perfect disharmony with his boyish face. Elizabeth was momentarily flustered by that strange sensation and looked around.

Looking closely, everyone here was holding bread and wine.

Come to think of it, today was Sunday. The Emperor distributed the bread and wine he was holding to everyone, then offered it to the Queen as well.

Of course, Elizabeth declined.

She is the head of the Church of England. She couldn't receive the Eucharist from someone who hadn't received the sacrament of ordination in the Church of England.

Fortunately, the Emperor didn't seem to feel any displeasure at being refused and after sharing bread and wine with everyone... he approached her.

During this time, Walter Raleigh stepped forward as the Queen's vassal and spoke.

"Elizabeth, the rightful Queen of England, France, and Ireland, and Defender of the Faith, has visited the territory of Nemo, the sovereign of the Virginia community."

To this, the Emperor smiled and slightly bowed his head. At his gesture, the woman beside him brought a notebook and handed it to him. She was a woman the Queen knew. Eleanor.

The Emperor scribbled something in the notebook and handed it to Eleanor. Then Eleanor spoke on behalf of the Emperor.

'Our community welcomes Your Majesty, the Queen of England, France, and Ireland.'

Then all the members gathered here simultaneously bowed to Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked around and... opened her mouth.

"Emperor, I hear that this is a cathedral still under construction. Is this a temporary chapel?"

At her words, the Emperor nodded and wrote down more sentences.

Reading those words, Eleanor stumblingly continued.

"That's right. The community plans to gradually expand the chapel from here and increase spaces for the choir to settle and so on... but it's still too humble to show you."

He looked around at the narrow space enclosed by brick walls and slightly bowed his head as if embarrassed, concluding his words.

He nodded and quietly gestured. Then the members all moved from their seats and bustled out of the chapel.

Suddenly, only four remained: the Emperor, Eleanor, the Queen, and Raleigh.

As the Emperor took a seat at an appropriate place, the Queen also sat down on one of the benches. The Emperor eagerly scribbled something and then tore off the page to hand it to the Queen.

'Queen of England, I heard you wanted to meet me. You must have had a hard time on Roanoke Island while I was unable to do anything due to illness.'

"...Not at all. I'm just grateful for the invitation, even if belated. It's quite... cozy here."

As Elizabeth looked around and spoke, the Emperor again smiled and wrote something down.

'I had no other suitable place to receive you. We don't have many dignified spaces.'

Meaning there are no larger palaces or mansions here than this.

Perplexed by this fact, Elizabeth asks.

"No, from what I've heard, your empire is vast and your wealth is almost infinite. You're saying you don't have a separate palace?"

At those words, the Emperor shook his head.

He had no separate palace.

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"Isn't that dangerous? If there were someone threatening you..."

At those words, the Emperor again just smiled slightly and wrote something.

'Our community is safe.'

"..."

Such unconditional faith. Suddenly, the Queen had to suppress a bitter smile that was about to emerge.

After all, hadn't someone fled across the Atlantic, chased by rebellion, despite possessing one of the grandest palaces in Europe?

Perhaps, if one trusted one's people sufficiently and if one's authority wasn't low, palaces and guards might not be necessary.

'Of course, this is our story. Rest assured that separate accommodations have been prepared for you in the community. It's been set up right next door.'

"Right, next door?"

"This way."

When the Queen asked, Raleigh stood up and guided her. The Queen, somewhat bewildered, followed him, concluding the early meeting with the Emperor.

Following Raleigh, there was indeed a quite large mansion built of brick right near the cathedral.

"As I mentioned, the cathedral is still under construction. For now, since Your Majesty was coming, we completed just a part of it to serve as a mansion."

"Is that so? Truly... the Emperor doesn't have a separate palace or something?"

"Yes, that's right. When he stays in Chesapeake, he lives in a house similar to those of other citizens."

"...Like a benevolent king from an old tale."

Elizabeth delivered those words like a jest and laughed... Raleigh also laughed in response and said.

"I... think so too."

Raleigh quietly looked around at the doorway and smiled.

"If there's anything uncomfortable, please ring the bell here. Those waiting nearby will bring whatever Your Majesty needs."

"Thank you, Walter."

Creeeeak.

Thud.

So the door closed.

Elizabeth threw her old and tired body onto the bed and fell into thought.

...It was a strange meeting.

Meeting in the cathedral was probably to emphasize that he is a Christian monarch. Gathering members at the seat was to display his influence.

There wasn't anything else particularly noticeable.

And yet... the Queen frowned and kept repeating the same thought.

'It feels like... I'm missing something.'

I don't know. The Queen shook her head and looked around the room.

In contrast to the crude and simple exterior, the interior was filled with all sorts of luxurious furniture and items. The Queen absent-mindedly approached a table made of ebony and picked up the wine on it.

She was thirsty. As she opened the lid and was about to pour it into a glass to drink...

'Wine'.

...She felt something chilling crawl up her spine. The Queen quickly put down the glass and rang the bell that Raleigh had mentioned.

Then, just a few minutes later, an attendant appeared, opening the door. The Queen urgently asked the attendant.

"Answer me according to what you know."

"What is it that you want to know..."

"Were those people gathered with the Emperor just now in the chapel, the members of parliament?"

"Y-yes, but..."

At that, the Queen's face hardened. The Queen sent the attendant outside again, closed the door, and retraced the scene just now.

In the cathedral, the members who govern Virginia were gathered.

And among the chatter, there were clearly...

English and Spanish mixed.

English people and Spanish people were mixed as members.

To them, Nemo distributed bread and wine to 'all of them.' Even to Raleigh.

Some didn't drink the wine, some ate both, but the conclusion was the same.

Everyone performed the Eucharist with the wine and bread distributed by Nemo.

For a moment, a possibility flashes through the Queen's mind. She opens the door again, grabs the attendant, and asks.

"Is the Emperor here a Church of England adherent? Why does he personally distribute the holy blood and body to Catholics and Puritans? Even though he's not a priest? Is he perhaps a Puritan?"

Then, the attendant who clearly appeared to be English...

"Pardon? If you mean the 'Emperor,' Nemo..."

After tilting his head as if wondering what she was saying, he soon seemed to realize and said, clapping his hands.

"...Ah, he doesn't belong to any denomination!"

"...What?"

"Sometimes he distributes the holy blood and body to community members as a priest, and if that's what you're referring to, since it's an event where everyone participates, whether Catholic or Church of England..."

...Nonsense.

Catholics would rather die than choose to receive the Eucharist through someone who is not a Catholic priest.

Puritans would choose to be burned at the stake rather than acknowledge the Emperor as a 'priest' while taking the Eucharist together with Catholics.

How can they...

The boyish face of the Emperor flickers before her eyes.

The mineral-like calmness in that gaze, the composed yet firm impression flowing from those firmly closed lips and straight nose, the distinctive resilience that emanates from those who have lived through long years.

That united the Catholics, Puritans, and Church of England adherents of this community.

English people heeded his voice, and African Catholic adherents followed his gestures.

She had met numerous monarchs. She had met numerous priests and bishops.

But he was neither like a monarch nor like a priest. Though it was a very brief meeting, she could be certain.

Like Abraham or Moses, he led his people.

He... like... yes.

He was like a shepherd leading the flock of Virginia.