I'm the Only Totem in Another World - Chapter 55

Chapter 55: How to Manage a Barbarian City （2）

Let’s think positively.

Barbarians are a warrior race. The proportion of warrior occupations is high and their level is also high, so they were able to quickly conquer Symphony.

What does it matter if they can’t manage a territory? It’s a good thing that they’ve received territory status now.

Now that the number of civilized people has increased to the same level as the barbarians, things will get better and better.

The barbarians can fight, and the civilized people can rebuild civilization. It’s a kind of division of labor.

━ Good work, Administrator Rachel.

First, I acknowledged Rachel’s contribution for working hard to make the territory look like a territory for a week.

She should be able to understand just by being called this. I removed the ‘temporary’ title, after all.

Rachel, who subtly raised the corners of her mouth with dignity, bowed her head.

“It’s an honor. As a follower of Loa-nim, and as the administrator of Symphony, I will carry out my mission.”

━ Excellent.

Rachel left the altar. She’s a friend who still has a lot to do, so I shouldn’t hold her back for long.

“It’s a bit late to say this now, but haven’t you given too much authority to the civilized people?”

Harry asked cautiously. What’s he saying? He’s a civilized person too.

━ It doesn’t matter. They are all my followers.

I understand Harry’s concern.

It’s as if I’ve given strong power to the representative of refugees who have a similar population size to his own country.

If this were 21st century Earth, there would have been a great division, and if things went wrong, there could even be a rebellion.

But this is not the 21st century, nor Earth.

It’s a world where gods exist and a demonic apocalypse is taking place.

In that world, I am a being that transcends laws, ethics, and political interests, and I am the only savior who can end this apocalypse.

Could a ‘civilized’ ruler emerge who has the ability and followers to confront the only god who has descended to Earth?

It would be difficult, but let’s say it happened.

Rachel, who has gained the support of both the civilized people and the barbarians, becomes a ‘superpower’ and attacks me?

What’s she going to do even if she attacks? Will she break the totem?

It’s ‘Rake Punch’ that will cut her off in the first place.

Still, preparing for unexpected situations is also a wise choice.

━ However, barbarians can’t just keep fighting forever. Select a barbarian talent to serve as the administrator’s assistant.

Barbarian.

At first, I tried not to use the word ‘barbarian’ because it contained the word ‘barbaric’, but the barbarians didn’t seem to care much about this name.

Just as Native Americans don’t feel much aversion to the incorrect term ‘Indian’ that refers to them, maybe they’ve come to accept it naturally after hearing it so much.

So I decided to just use the word barbarian.

In the first place, since they refer to themselves by their ‘ethnicity’ or tribe name, there was no other word to collectively call them except for barbarians.

“Understood.”

Paya, Kanto, and Muri, who could be considered representatives of the barbarians, nodded.

Rake is just standing next to my （Totem No. 1）, looking down at them. This woman doesn’t seem to realize that she’s a barbarian representative.

Strictly speaking, Rake is a hybrid of Loa and a civilized person.

She took the position of chief not because of a sense of responsibility or belonging, but because she is the strongest and it’s an emergency situation.

From the beginning, Rake is more concerned about the position of ‘Malak-nim’s guardian’ than the position of ‘Chieftain of the Brown Rock Tribe’.

‘I am Rake, the guardian of Loa Malak-nim.’

Now she introduces herself like this.

Strictly speaking, this is also a ‘Totem Guardian’.

Sigh.

Let’s just move on, it’s a hassle.

Anyway, if we appoint a smart barbarian as Rachel’s assistant, we can prevent the worst-case scenario that might happen.

In order not to be pushed around by the civilized people who ruled the world before the apocalypse, barbarians must eventually learn civilization.

I hope they mix well without being divided.

━ Any other business?

“I will conquer all the villages in Symphony by today!”

Kanto shouted confidently.

If we go out to conquer just one more time, all the land in Symphony will be ours.

━ Let’s stop here for today.

I dismissed the leadership gathered in front of the altar.

━ Rake.

“Understood.”

I used the Bond Totem to move to Totem No. 3, which Rake is holding.

“Shall we go to a nearby village?”

━ Yes.

I’m going to help with farming now.

[Power of the Wind and Rain God: Loa Malak is a being who governs the weather. Nothing affects plants more than the weather. When used, it can rapidly grow crops.]

Shouldn’t I try out the new blessing I got?

▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄

Rake and I arrived at a village near the city. It’s ‘Wheat Field Village’.

It’s difficult to farm within the city, so we secured a nearby village based on Rachel’s suggestion. It’s the land we newly expanded this time.

It’s said that it was a village managed by the lord who sent soldiers before the apocalypse, and as the name of the village suggests, there’s a very large wheat field.

The demons and their damn followers didn’t manage it well, so it was a mess, but the land itself wasn’t dead, so they said we could use it again if we did it right.

“Guardian-nim! Please come in!”

A young civilized man who was standing guard at the fence surrounding the village guided us.

He’s the friend who’s in charge of interpretation today.

“This way!”

A wheat field, the first I’ve seen since coming to this world, unfolded before my eyes.

I didn’t feel anything special. A field is a field, what’s so different.

“We have to pull out all the weeds first! Look here! Don’t you see the weeds? They’re hiding!”

“Young man! That’s not how you sow the seeds!”

“Oh my, what good is it if you plant it like that!”

“Look at the spacing! A person could fit in the middle!”

Civilized people who had been engaged in agriculture for over 20 years were in charge of the overall command and were diligently working the people.

“One for civilized people to build! Two for barbarians to protect! Start!”

“One!”

“Civilized people build!”

“Two!”

“Barbarians protect!”

The words those people just shouted are propaganda slogans devised by Rachel.

She said that to make the civilized people work harder, we need to give them a sense of duty, mission, and some pride, and that can be easily instilled through slogans.

I think it’s a groundbreaking idea.

Aren’t the civilized people sweating profusely as if they’re working on their own land?

Who was it that said the way to make people work passionately is to give them a sense of ownership?

It’s a common saying in companies that make people work overtime every day but only give them a pittance of a salary, but I don’t think it’s entirely wrong.

I waited until they finished sowing all the seeds.

“Guardian-nim, it’s all done! Now if you go this way…”

“Don’t block the way and get out of the way.”

Rake pushed the young civilized man who was approaching with a hehe laugh.

She must have hated even touching him, so she just lightly tapped his shoulder with her fingertip, but…

“Whoa!”

The young man is flung away as if he’s been hit by some kind of energy blast.

I can feel the difference in power.

“What are you all doing! Get back to work!”

Even while listening to the farmer’s scolding, the civilized people working steal glances at Rake.

She does have a striking appearance. If Rake didn’t have the eyes of a beast and a trained body, she might have been bombarded with proposals all day long.

With the title of ‘God’s Guardian’ attached to her, she must seem like a very high and sacred being to them.

“…”

Rake glared at the men who were staring at her blankly.

“Gasp!”

They immediately lower their heads. How scary must her glare have been?

“Malak-nim has come in person to help you with your trivial tasks.”

Rake, having finished establishing dominance, raised Totem No. 3.

The young civilized man who followed behind began to interpret.

“That… is Malak-nim?”

“Isn’t it just an ordinary wooden statue? The one that emits light?”

“You idiot, how can it be an ordinary statue if it emits light?”

“That’s, uh, called a totem, and the god is watching us through that statue.”

Unlike the crazy, passionate reactions of the barbarians I’ve met so far, the reactions of the civilized people were generally lukewarm.

Well, it’s probably because I haven’t shown them much yet.

“Malak-nim…”

The civilized people, roughly understanding the situation, kneel before Totem No. 3 and clasp their hands together.

At least they pray well.

The prayer time of about 5 minutes ended.

“Is it going well?”

“We’ve finished cleaning up. Sowing is also done. Now it’s just a matter of time.”

The middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader of the farmers answered Rake’s question.

He looks like the kind of guy who would manage workers well at a construction site. A total construction foreman.

“Malak-nim will take care of that.”

“W-well, Guardian-nim, you may not know this, but farming is not an easy task. Of course, it’s not as difficult as war, but it has its own hardships…”

I used ‘Power of the Wind and Rain God’ on the wheat field.

A blue aura enveloped the wheat field, and white powder began to fall from the sky.

…The wheat is growing rapidly.

What kind of drug did they use to make it grow so fast?

“Wh-whoa! What’s this!”

The eyes of the foreman farmer, who was answering with a hehe laugh, popped out.

This blessing, it’s really effective, isn’t it?

“The, the seeds?!”

“What’s going on…”

It was while I was enjoying the surprised reactions of the farmers.

[Kanto’s blessing ‘Berserker’s Aura’ blooms into ‘Berserker Soul’!]

What is this?