How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 168: A Tractor in Virginia, A Letter From Florida (1)

A wooden crucifix hanging in a hut.

Under the tent spread in front of it, people are buzzing and intently watching something.

"Anthony Cage! Anthony Cage again! This time... Hugh Taylor!"

As someone pulls out notes one by one from a perforated barrel and calls out the names written on them, others mark a tally next to those names, recording the number of times the name was called.

It was an unremarkable election. The number of participants was a modest scale of only about 70 people, and those gathered around were not people with great power or wealth.

But they themselves were approaching the election procedure more seriously than ever before. Each time a slip with a name appeared, they clenched their fists, prayed, and concentrated.

"Currently, Anthony Cage has 53 votes, Edmund Grand has 11 votes, Hugh Taylor has 9 votes... Anthony, Anthony Cage, has been duly elected as our spiritual representative on March 12, 1603!"

And when the results came out, the winner climbs onto the platform and raises both arms. Then, all who participated in the voting welcome him with applause and cheers.

"Is there anyone who wishes to challenge the results?"

There was no one.

As the election results were confirmed, the winner humbly offers words of consolation for the losers and sings a hymn.

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Everyone followed his hymn.

As just mentioned, this was an unremarkable election in Virginia.

But not for Elizabeth, who was watching from afar.

"Anthony Cage has been elected as our church priest and pastor, and within three days, he will select deacons to assist him in his duties. Let us gather again next Sunday, amen."

That was it.

At this 'unremarkable election,' a 'priest' was elected.

Certainly, if Catholics saw this, they would foam at the mouth and set out to overthrow these heretics, and even Church of England adherents would express concerns about restraining these radicals.

But here, it was everyday life.

"...Good heavens."

Elizabeth chuckled and looked at the scene before her, then turned away. In her country, there were plenty of radicals who wanted to elect pastors by vote.

In this Virginia, there were so many things to see besides this that there was no need to spend more time here. She walked along with Raleigh, listening to various explanations.

"Roughly, when those who pledge allegiance to him send gifts..."

"He returns more gifts? Is that why there are no taxes?"

"Correct. It's a somewhat strange system, but it's working well enough."

Elizabeth was already experiencing countless amazing things while touring every corner of Chesapeake where 70,000 people live.

For example, there were no taxes to be paid to the Emperor in this land. Only 'gifts'.

The more she learned about this place, the stranger it became. It was like a fantastical country from Thomas More's work.

The Queen mounted a horse with Raleigh and looked around from the elevated view. Looking to the left, she saw the green-roofed houses clustered together that she had already seen.

"Roughly... I seem to have seen how people live, is there anything more?"

When Elizabeth asked Raleigh, he lightly kicked the belly of his horse to increase speed. Running ahead of the Queen, Raleigh shouted.

"How about viewing the farmlands? There are tobacco fields and many other sights!"

"Aren't I growing tobacco in my garden now? Is there nothing else?"

"Aren't you curious about how potatoes grow?"

"We eat potatoes every day here, what is there to be curious about?"

"...Hmm."

Raleigh, who was ahead, stops at a fork in the road, seeming to contemplate which direction to go. The two stood there for a moment, lost in thought, and then...

"...Ah! You wouldn't have seen that! You might faint when you see it directly. I nearly did."

"What great thing exists now that you're making such a fuss?"

"Rather than great, it's strange, and rather than strange, it's bizarre. It's certainly something Your Majesty hasn't seen before."

Elizabeth smiled at Raleigh's exaggerated reaction.

Of course, seeing priests elected by vote, techniques for long-term preservation of grapes and wood, these things were indeed fascinating. But that's it. She had mostly heard of similar things before.

Whatever it was, nothing in this American land could surprise her anymore...

WOOOOONG!

...or so she thought.

At that moment, a steel monster flashes past before her eyes.

Something larger than several cows combined, and taller than her height, though she was tall herself.

Continuously emitting vapor, it was rushing forward. Black smoke darkened the air wherever it passed.

At that sight... she approaches as if entranced. Though the horse was frightened, she gripped the reins tightly and urged it on.

"My goodness... What... what on earth is that?"

"Be careful! If you get too close, the horse will be startled...!"

"Oh, oh..."

"Whoa! Whoa! Your Majesty, grip the reins tightly!"

"Oh, ohhhh...! Stay still!"

She almost fell off the horse. There was no need to think about how dangerous a fall would be for an old woman approaching 70.

The Queen urgently calmed her heart and watched the rear of that monster that had just swept past her.

It was crushing and collapsing the soil like voracious teeth. Though not very fast, its size and thunderous noise were enough to frighten the horse.

"Are you alright? Whoa, whoa... Indeed, horses recently brought from England are easily startled by 'that.'"

"Th-that, that thing that looks like Satan's chariot, what on earth is it...?"

"Ah, didn't you ask before? How farming is done after distributing so much land. If everyone is a landowner, and there are no slaves or tenant farmers, who cultivates that vast land, you asked."

Raleigh pointed to where the monster had just passed and said.

"That... 'tractor' is the answer."

"..."

"One of those machines does the work of dozens, hundreds of people in a day."

That strange iron monster... performs hundreds of people's worth of farm work?

"Don't worry too much. There are great limitations to using them to harm people. They're slow and hard to steer."

"B-but..."

"Of course, without that fellow, our community would have collapsed from hunger long ago, and then we couldn't have sent wheat and potatoes to England struggling with food shortages."

"..."

Elizabeth, having dismounted, blankly watched the tractor pass by and then her legs gave way, causing her to sit down.

That... that thing is the foundation of Virginia agriculture? The driving force that feeds all these tens of thousands of settlers and still sends enough food for thousands or tens of thousands in England to eat?

That strange monster?

Seated, she endlessly watched the tractor plowing the field.

"...G-good heavens."

"Your Majesty? Are you alright?"

"Ah, no, I'm fine. Just a little surprised..."

"Let me help you up."

As the Queen staggered to her feet with Wally's help, the tractor had already disappeared as a dot on the horizon. Watching it, the Queen asked Raleigh.

"Is... there also ordinary cattle or horses here?"

"Yes, there are."

"Not with horns made of iron or anything..."

"..."

"...No. Foolish talk. I spoke nonsense, like talking about a beast that eats rocks."

"Ah, that machine does run on coal and water."

"..."

"Don't be too surprised."

Raleigh helped the Queen back onto her horse with a careful hand. Raleigh smiled gently and brushed off the soil from the Queen's skirt.

"There are countless things left that will surprise Your Majesty."

"...Good heavens!"

"Wait. I'll fetch you a glass of water."

"No, no. I just... want to rest... for a moment."