“It is indeed the great Spirit Chief who graces us with his presence. We extend our utmost gratitude for bestowing upon us the wisdom of the spirit world and for once again leading our warriors with your exceptional mind,” spoke the tribal elder.

“Hehe, what melancholic words are these?” replied the Spirit Chief.

“Melancholic, you say?”

“I, too, am a proud member of the Creek Tribe. Sharing our knowledge with our kin is only natural,” said the Spirit Chief with a chuckle.

“Wow!”

“That’s right! The Spirit Chief and I are kinfolk! Hahaha!” exclaimed the tribal elder.

As Kiwoo finished speaking, the uproar grew even louder. It had been over a year since he began laying the foundation to transform the tribe, and it all appeared quite impressive to the members.

He had brought down a new animal from the spirit world (a chicken), incorporated highly impressive crops as sacred offerings to the land’s spirits, and enabled the production of cotton for textile making and iron for tool crafting.

Thus, Kiwoo’s following had increased exponentially, with blind trust and devotion from his warriors.

“I, too, have been leading a busy life,” thought Kiwoo.

It had been a frantic time, with not a single day of rest. He had taught the language, instructed farming techniques, and even laid the groundwork for weaving and spinning before gathering and refining iron from the ironstone. Once it had been refined, he quickly fashioned various iron products such as hammers, shovels, hoes, sickles, arrowheads, spears, and knives.

Thanks to his efforts, the basic level of blacksmithing, weaving, and carpentry had been established, and they would eventually produce more skilled craftsmen with time.

“I’m finally starting to see the fruits of my labour,” thought Kiwoo.

Looking back on all that had been done, he began to feel a need for rest, even if it were just for a few days. However, Kiwoo believed there was still much to be done and that the rest could wait until the foundation had been established. Of course, he didn’t know when that time would come.

After organizing his thoughts, Kiwoo looked around and spoke, “There is a reason why I have called for this meeting today.”

“What can I do for you? Whatever you wish to speak about, I will listen,” spoke the tribal elder, showing respect to the Spirit Chief.

“Hehe, there’s no need to express such a resolute expression.”

Perhaps it was due to his responsibility for overseeing the tribal ceremonies?

The admiration for Kiwoo, the ceremonial chief, was gradually turning into blind faith. Kiwoo was aware of the chief’s state to some extent.

Blind faith.

In other words, the ceremonial chief would rarely betray him.

“I am planning to head to the Great Mountain.”

“Wow, is it finally time for a hunt?”

“A sacred hunt led by the spirit gods! I also want to participate!”

“Please take me along! I will fight until covered in blood!”

The Great Mountain. In other words, the Appalachian Mountains, he hadn’t even explained the reason why they were going there. However, the warriors were already getting excited at the mention of a hunt. But Kiwoo had no intention of going on a hunt unless it was a significant event. He wasn’t afraid of hunting, but he couldn’t afford to die.

He was a special being, not due to an inflated ego, but because he had a mission to advance civilization for the sake of humanity’s salvation. If Kiwoo were to die a meaningless death without achieving anything, humanity’s extinction would repeat itself in the 21st century. That’s why he had always prioritized safety, and he would continue to do so.

Before the atmosphere became more heated, Kiwoo opened his mouth to calm things down.

“The reason why we’re heading to the Great Mountain isn’t for a hunt.”

“Then why?”

“To obtain iron.”

“Iron… Do you mean it?”

They were already in the process of obtaining iron. Even now, the warriors were probably gathering ironstone.

Smoke was rising from the distance, indicating that they were in the process of refining it. But why did they need to go to the Great Mountain to obtain iron?

He didn’t say anything, but the warriors who participated in the tribal meeting had the same doubts.

“Gathering ironstone is difficult, and the iron obtained isn’t of good quality.”

“Are you saying we can obtain good iron from the mountain range?”

“Indeed, I am.”

“Hahaha! You never fail to live up to your name.”

“You flatter me.”

Kiwoo was delighted to receive praise. For the indigenous people, the highest form of praise was to say that someone is worth their name. Most warriors had great pride in their names, and thus this expression held significant weight.

“The Spirit Chief is right. There is a place near the foot of the great mountain where the quality of the iron ore is superior, and there is an abundance of it to be found.”

Kiwoo held up his pickaxe. Finally, they understood why the Spirit Chief had brought a pickaxe to the tribal meeting.

“So, then…”

“That’s right. If we dig up a specific part of the mountain with a pickaxe, we can find iron ore. We must go there to mine it.”

The warriors who had attended the meeting each displayed a look of agreement. They all understood the usefulness of iron tools and had faith that the Spirit Chief wouldn’t do anything that was pointless.

“I understand the plan, but is there a reason why you must go there yourself?” asked a fierce warrior, Wild Bull. Kiwoo had a lot on his plate at the moment. If the Spirit Chief were to leave, many tasks would undoubtedly suffer.

Wild Bull was expressing his concerns, but Kiwoo brushed them aside with a single sentence.

“Is there a warrior here who can develop the mine without me?”

Silence filled the room. It was highly unlikely. Most warriors didn’t even understand the concept of mining.

After a brief pause, Kiwoo spoke again, “I must go myself. I need someone to come with me…”

“I will go!”

“I’ll come with you!”

“Count me in!”

“Me too, covered in blood…”