Chapter 11

A month has passed since I took control of the tribe, there was no name for it but that was the least of my concerns. 

I spent the first week learning all I could about Vacuo. Small gatherings of people like these were common as were larger gatherings. There's a small town deeper in Vacuo but even that place is not so different from the rest. 

Here, they lived in tents. That was one of the first things to get rid of. With my semblance, trees are an endless supply of wood. It's just as easy to shape said wood. 

My initial worry of scaling up the manner of living was slightly alleviated. Being able to manipulate wood into all types of shapes saves weeks and probably months of work that would have been done even in the 21st century. 

The only real issue was the planning. I'm no architect so I simply stuck to simple wooden structures. I delegated the job of assembling the pieces to the men. 

Out of the forty eight people in the tribe, twenty are men, the rest being women and young children. There aren't many children but that isn't surprising after finding out that tribes don't prioritize bearing kids and are in fact advised against it. 

Children are temperamental and the negative emotions from a number of children could draw grimm to the settlers. 

That will have to change soon but that's not the main focus now. 

With Nezu on my shoulder, I watch as a group of men heave a large piece of wood over their heads. That's a part of the roof, I noted. 

For obvious reasons I'm the most knowledgeable about the sciences of construction so I have to supervise to avoid errors. Though they were disgruntled, it only lasted two weeks after I began my 'path to civilization' as I called it. 

I assigned the men to construction and development while the women are assigned to gathering fruits and food. 

I'm able to control the growth of trees and plants so there is an abundance of sustenance. There is no method of preservation other than wooden containers so it is imperative that they do not harvest too much. I can revitalize them but that would take away time from the construction efforts. 

In the single month since we started, twelve wood houses have been set up. That was how much my semblance sped it up. 

"Chief Corvus." A voice called out from behind me. 

Turning around, I'm faced with a brown haired woman with a cat tail. Another thing about Vacuo is that racism is much less common than in the other kingdoms. It's also another thing I spent the month drilling into their heads. 

We have a small number of five faunus among us and only two are male. 

"What is it, Shea?" I ask, taking note of the awkwardness on her face. 

A lot of them still found it weird calling me chief when I'm much younger than them. My display of power already puts me as a capable leader in their views, they are merely getting used to it. 

"The women are finished with today's harvest. They want to know if you have anything else for them to do." She said. 

Ah, that makes sense. Shea is the representative, the voice of the women in the tribe. It seemed that no matter the era, women are attracted to comfort, the thought made me laugh a bit. 

Though there was no scarcity before I arrived, it has never been so easy to gather food and resources.

Looking back at the men at work, I make a decision. 

"Tell them to prepare a feast for tonight. You've all worked hard thus far, it would be unfair of me not to reward that." I said, her eyes lighting up. 

"O-of course. Thank you." She sputtered out before scurrying away. 

Happy people are loyal people after all.

Xx-Xx-Xx

The sounds of laughter and merriment rang through the air. As I instructed earlier, a feast was prepared. 

The whole tribe was gathered around bonfires, eating, drinking and chattering to their content. It appears I underestimated how much they needed a break. 

I spy two men who were filling themselves with wine. Unsurprisingly, they already knew how to make wine so my help was barely needed for that. 

Another point of the feast is to foster connection between individuals. Internal conflict could easily break the progress I'm trying to achieve. 

My ears pick up someone making their way towards me. 

"Not going to join the fun, boss?" A male voice came from behind me before the speaker walked to my side. 

Omar, a dark haired man that slightly towered over me. He had a cup of wine in his hand. 

"Not today. There's still a lot to be done." I said, shaking my head. 

Our position is a bit distant from the ongoing celebration yet still in view. I slipped away earlier to think. 

"Youve done a lot already. Those creatures of yours are keeping the grimm away so people don't have to worry so much anymore. Food isn't an issue and the people have never been happier. That's a lot better than Moro ever did." He said, taking a gulp of the liquid in his hands. 

Moro is the former leader that I killed. 

"Still, it's not enough. We need larger numbers if things are going to move further." I said, turning to him. 

"You don't mean…" he trailed off with a look of understanding, his excitement barely hidden. 

Nodding, I move towards the ongoing celebration. As I got closer, one of the women poured me a cup of wine.

"Thank you." I said, continuing till I now stood in the center of the gathering. 

"I'd like to have your attention." My voice was loud and clear, the chattering lowering till there was silence. 

"I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your hard work. I know it hasn't been easy but each of you has put in your best to ensure the growth of our people." I pause for a moment to take in their expressions. 

"Some of you feel dissatisfied with my position as leader. I understand that, yet you can't deny the wonders of what we have achieved thus far. The rest of the world advances while we are left stagnating. No more."

"We will enjoy the benefits of nature that we are blessed with while creeping forward on the road to civilization. We are merely a tribe but I wish to elevate us until we are no lesser than the other kingdoms. Each of you is essential, we will grow and we will thrive." I found my voice growing louder with each word I spoke. 

The faces in the crowd grew anticipated and excited as well. The hunger in their eyes, I can see it. 

"Place your faith in me and I will bring you glory and comfort. The future is in our hands, what we do here will decide our legacy in years to come. I ask you to lay aside your disgruntlement with me and let me lead you to greatness! What say you all?" As I finished, there was silence for a moment. 

Then, one by one they rose to their feet until everyone was standing, cups raised in the air. There was no need for words, the looks on their faces gave me all the answers I needed. 

""We're with you!"" The chants and exclamations began, each meaning the same thing. We're in agreement. 

Wonderful. 

Raising my cup high, the cheers got even louder and the celebrations continued with even more excitement and joy. 

It brought a smile to my face. This isn't so bad.