The Two Leaders

“That’s correct. We’re all loyal to Ane-san from the bottom of our hearts.”

“Then, there’s the goblins you helped. From what Agu’s told me, they also see you as the boss.”

Enri’s mouth turned into the shape of a ‘Λ’. It might be true that the goblins were that way, but what would the villagers think? They would never accept this.

“I can guess at what you’re thinking. The villagers will object, is that it? I’ve already spoken with everyone and gotten their approval. Last night, we had a meeting of the villagers and got their opinions. And it was unanimous — they all wanted you to be the new chief.”

“But, but how?!”

“…That attack was a huge shock for all of us, Enri. Everybody is hoping for a strong ruler.”

“How am I strong? I’m just a simple village girl!”

Although there was some muscle on her arms, she was still a village girl who could barely use a weapon. If they wanted strength, they should have asked the self-defense force, shouldn’t they?

“Strength is not measured by one’s muscle alone. Don’t you think being able to order the goblins around is a form of strength too? The Bareare boy said that while putting your name forward.”

“Enfi!”

Enri let out a sound like someone strangling a chicken to death.

“That, and this old man is getting on in years. I need to find a successor soon.”

“What do you mean, ‘old man’? Chief isn’t anywhere near old. Is that why you’ve been talking like an old man?”

The chief was around his mid-forties, so it was still a bit early to be calling him old. After all, he was still at an age where he could contribute to the village’s work.

“Leaving aside the matter of talking like an old man, you should have noticed by now, but the forest around the village is undergoing a number of changes. Since the Virtuous King of the Forest is gone, there’s a higher chance of monsters coming out of the forest to attack. Under these circumstances, I’m not suitable to be the chief.”

“Chief, this may be rude, but I need to ask. I can’t get out of this, can I?”

“…Frankly? Even if you refused, I couldn’t do much about it.”

What Enri saw was the eyes of a man who was honestly speaking his mind.

“I still remember that day even now. That horrible day when my friends in the village were killed. I knew the Emmots well. If we hadn’t lived idly, if we had built a wall, if we had been on guard, maybe we wouldn’t have suffered so much… maybe we could have held out until Gown-sama came to help us.”

That would be tough, Enri thought. This village also had a lot of immigrants who were survivors from the other destroyed villagers. Their villages had sturdy walls ― though not as strong as Carne Village’s at the present ― but they had still been attacked and slaughtered. But those walls could have delayed the attackers by just a little bit and allowed more people to be saved. Enri agreed on that part.

“The old way of thinking I had isn’t going to work anymore. We need to reorganize and protect the village’s safety with our own hands. The only ones who can do this… are the flexible, the young, and along with this they need strength as well.”

The chief had said his piece. He looked calmly at Enri.

As the chief spoke, Enri had listened seriously to him. At first, she wanted to refuse because the burden was too heavy. If they were attacked again, she wasn’t sure she could bear responsibility for the lives of her fellow villagers. However, like the chief said, she couldn’t just run away from it.

“I don’t know if I can accept this responsibility.”

“That’s a natural reaction. The goblins and I can help with the administration of the village. Even if I say that, though, it’s always scary to have to make the big decisions.”

“What about a council formed from the villagers?”

“To be frank, I’d thought of that myself. However, the bigger the problem, the more likely something will come up that will split up the group and leave them paralyzed by indecision. In the end, without one person calling the shots, we won’t be able to solve problems effectively.”

“What if we had two systems, one for dealing with things in normal situations and the other for emergencies?”

“That won’t work. It won’t nurture our leaders. The people will follow their leaders in emergencies and work together because they know those leaders are also capable in peacetime.”

The chief’s will was firm and he had explained his reasons. With a sour expression, Enri asked her final question.

“…When do you need my answer?”

“I won’t rush you for it. Take your time and consider it.”

“I understand.”

After Enri said this, she stood and left.

♦ ♦ ♦

As she left the Chief’s house, Gokoh followed behind Enri.

“Say, I want to think about this by myself, could I have some space?”

“Got it, Ane-san. Then, take your time and think about it. The rest of us will back you up, Ane-san.

If you need anything at all, just let us know.”

“Yeah, I’ll be counting on you then.”

After watching Gokoh leave, Enri returned to her own home.

Can I be a good chief?