"I understand," Adrian replies.
Life as a Dunirr is really hard. Their fate is worse than some refugees on Earth. It's no wonder they were so suspicious of an outsider.
"Adrian" Tombas called his name, "We are in dire need of a leader and I believe you can lead us."
"Chief?!!", Haja is surprised. He didn't expect Tombas to give up his leadership. Moreover, to Dunirr he just met.
"Huh?" The request is too sudden. "Why me? We only know each other for two hours. Are you crazy?"
"I believe there must be a reason for you to be here. This is the first time Dunirr came here from another world," said Tombas.
Adrian shouts in his head, 'No, it isn't. I just coincidentally transmigrated here because of an accident.' He didn't say it out loud.
Instead, he asks a question, "Why would you assume I will not betray your tribe? I might sell your tribe to humans. I can obtain wealth that way and I freaking love money."
"My guts told me you are the one." Tombas firmly said.
Adrian inwardly insults the chief. 'What the f*ck? Is he insane? He wants to jeopardize the tribe's future because of his guts.'
"Nah...I'm not gonna do it. The responsibility is too big for me to carry." Adrian refuse. He is but an ordinary young man from Earth. He is unsure if he can lead hundreds of people. It is different from leading a small group of freshmen in club activities.
"But if you do nothing, it will affect you too. I don't think that you will be able to go home," said Tombas. He continues, "We have lived the same lifestyle for hundreds of years. Our fate isn't improved by a bit. Perhaps your otherworldly knowledge is the missing piece that Dunirr is looking for."
Adrian shook his head. He is not a genius or possesses a photographic memory. His knowledge is limited in every field. He sighs. "Just how desperate you guys are? You want me to 'lead' you in what way?"
Tombas explain, "I want Dunirr to have their own kingdom and power to protect themselves. It's a wish of every Dunirr. We don't want to be displaced and keep running away without fighting. We are tired of it."
Tombas's request is a heavy one. To make a race that is oppressed for hundreds of years rise to the same height as another race is not easy. Back on Earth, they are some who are ashamed of their own cultural identity due to the scar of colonialism. He needs to build their confidence first.
Adrian sighs, 'If I refuse, they might kick me out of their camp and I need to survive alone.' After minutes of contemplation, he gave in to Tombas's request, "Fine. But you have to follow my instruction."
"Great! Let's announce this to the tribe. Haja, you go and gather all of them tomorrow. As for Adrian, you sleep in my tent tonight." Tombas happily said.
Haja reluctantly nods. He is still not fond of the idea of the chief transferring his authority to Adrian. For him, it is too hasty.
....
The next morning,
*Clank* *Clank*
The metallic sound echo through the camp. Everybody knows what that sound signalize. They wake up and gather at the chief tent.
"Why did the chief call us, Haja?" ask one of them.
"You will it know soon." Haja didn't want to spoil anything.
Afterwards, Tombas exit his tent. He looks down below, gazing at the sea of Dunirr he had led for decades. "My fellow tribe member, I know most of you are curious about the reason I gather all of you here this early morning. Today, I hereby announce that I'm going to step down from the chief's position."
Tombas stop and see the tribe's reaction. As expected, there are a lot of murmurs down there.
"Why, chief?"
"Great question." Tombas continues, "Everyone, may I have your attention, please? Allow me to introduce you to you, Adrian Brine."
Adrian exited the tent. He is trying his best to control his shivering. He couldn't stand the cold morning weather of the forest. He walks and stands beside Tombas, looking at the crowds and smiling. Occasionally, he will wave his hand.
Mature, respectful, approachable, level-headed and full of dignity. Those are the characteristic he tries to establish in the crowds. To assure them that he is a capable person. The first impression is important after all.
"Some of you have seen him last night. Yes, he is an outsider but he is an outsider from another world. As was told in legend, many races have their own otherworldly hero that increases their races' overall strength. Now, it is our turn. Our hero has arrived."
Tombas's speech is met with a roar of cheers and claps.
Inwardly, Adrian is continuously cursing Tombas. 'What the f*ck do you mean hero? This guy just spouts a lot of nonsense. I am not a selfless person. Aren't people going to cling to me if this continues?'
Adrian gives a short speech to the crowds. Right now, he is no different from politicians on Earth running for election. However, he keeps his mind calm and does not promise them a lot of things. On Earth, if politicians didn't fulfil their promises, they are still safe because the existence of the law keeps people in check. Here, he might die from their wrath.
Entering the Tombas's tent, Adrian said, "I know there's a lot of people in the tribe but I never know they're this many."
"Our tribe can be categorised as a large size tribe. There are 18,070 people in the tribe."
Adrian wears a deflated look on his face. 'Am I going to be alright? Let's pray that my corpse will still be intact when they kill me in the future.'
They pack all their stuff as they want to move a little bit to the north. The location there is suitable to establish a new settlement. The terrain there is relatively flat, free from tree roots and near a river. Furthermore, there is a giant tree that they can use as a shelter in case they get attacked.
Soon, they start to move. They pass by the strange monolith that brought Adrian to this world after two hours of walking. Adrian looks at the monolith, 'One day I am going to unravel the mystery behind it.'
"Chief, what are you thinking about? Let's go, we're almost there," said Moja. By now, everybody has started calling him 'chief'. His ascension to power doesn't meet any opposition from the populace, just some scepticism. They choose is to believe in the wise Tombas's decision.
After another hour, they finally arrive. Adrian looks at the location. "This place is really suitable for us. We can do farming, fishing, hunting and foraging."