“hmm.”
The conversation seems to be over, but Rain shows no intention of leaving.
Max sat on his chair, watching her pondering her thoughts.
His characteristically unkempt hair reminds me of a mad scientist from a movie who travels between the past and the future. Come to think of it, his facial features seem similar.
The only difference is that my hair isn’t as thick and it’s dark brown instead of white.
After a while.
“I guess I’ll be going now.”
Rain got up and shook off his seat.
I don’t think it’s time to talk about your worries.
Max watched Lane leave the office and made various guesses.
‘I guess you have a lot on your mind because of Chairman Charles.’
Could this be the beginning of a feud between the two who will become rivals and enemies in the future?
James Henry Lane is a man to watch closely, as he will likely remain important even after Bloody Kansas.
*
A week later.
“Is training over already?”
Holiday has arrived at the tent set up at the training ground.
He is currently the president of the Topeka Town Association, a member of the Kansas Legislature, a member of the Lawrence Town Council, and a founding committee chairman for a new political party.
“Why is the busiest person in the world in such a shabby place?”
“I came to watch you train. But I didn’t know it would end this quickly.”
“It’s over, everyone has climbed Mount Oreed.”
3.2 km from the center of Lawrence town.
It is a low mountain with an elevation of 316m.
“Why in the mountains?”
“Why? I just run.”
Holiday tilted his head and sank into the sofa, his face alternating between worry and joy.
“Did you take your medicine? Why do you look like that?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. My head feels like it’s going to explode.”
“Tell me in order. I’ll figure it out for you.”
Holiday turns his head at Max’s words.
“Really? I promised.”
Holiday got up from the sofa, pulled a chair over to Max’s desk, and poured himself a glass of water.
“You seem to have a lot to say.”
“Yes. There are many. First up is the Kansas Free State Party, which will be launched next month.”
The 5th of next month.
The founding convention of the Kansas Free-State Party was held at a convention in Big Springs, about halfway between Topeka and Lawrence.
Max, who had no interest in political parties, explained Holiday enthusiastically. But it was a party that could be understood by just hearing the last word.
“So it’s a party that was created to make Kansas a free state.”
“The political party won’t last long.”
“Why! Why!?”
“Once you become a free state, there’s nothing left to do.”
“…… That’s true. Well, that’s a problem for later.”
Next up is the question of the governor of the Kansas Territory.
Normally, the president would appoint a governor, but Lawrence elects his own.
Isn’t it a wonder the military didn’t invade right away?
“Chairman Charles and Congressman Lane are locked in a showdown right now.”
“The same goes for political party leaders?”
Holiday nodded.
Max could now see what was bothering Lane. And Holiday.
“Who do you think it will be?”
“I think Chairman Charles is a strong candidate.”
“I think so too. Lane was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, but his name recognition in Kansas is low.”
Holiday said after taking a sip of water.
“The problem is Rain’s reaction. What if we take the Jayhawks out?”
When Chairman Charles becomes governor, he becomes commander in chief of the Jayhawks, a militia.
From Rain’s perspective, it was like giving a dog a piece of meat.
But Max shook his head vigorously.
“Absolutely not. That will never happen.”
“Oh. Since you’re so sure, I guess there’s something there.”
Max looked at the holiday and poked his temple with his finger.
“I have a feeling. I have a feeling.”
“……Are you kidding me?”
“Think about it. The Indiana House of Representatives only lasts two years. And you’ve already lost a Senate bid. And that’s it!”
“It’s a surprise.”
Holiday rolled his eyes, and Max continued with a smile.
“What do you think a Democrat who is full of slaveholders would think when he comes here?”
“What were you thinking?”
“He is staking his political fortunes on Kansas. He sees possibilities and opportunities in the conflict between free and slave states. Doesn’t he know that he is still being overtaken by Chairman Charles? Would he give up just for the sake of a seat?”
Holiday said, tilting his head slightly.
“Is something missing?”
“Decisively. What has Jayhawks done so far? They need to have something to show for us to hold on to. And Lane hasn’t taken control of Jayhawks yet.”
“This sounds pretty plausible.”
“A governor who hasn’t even received the president’s approval, a leader of a new political party that just got its start. What’s the point? Especially politicians like Lane, who are moving forward with their eyes set on the future.”
“I was an idiot for worrying. Why didn’t I think of that?”
Lane, who has been pulling together the Jayhawks across several states, is underestimating him to say he is leaving just for a position.
“Then there’s nothing wrong?”
“It’s a useless worry.”
“Okay. Then what’s next?”
It was a Topeka story.
It was not a problem, but something to be proud of and happy about.
“Next month, the state legislative session will be held in Topeka at the state capitol. That’s when we will be declared the state capital.”
“It’s a little slower than Recompton.”
The fake legislature in Shawnee was moved back to Lecompton, which was declared the state capital.
Pawnee, Shawnee, Lawrence, Topeka, Lecompton.
It is questionable whether people will remember the way the two camps moved their regions to select their leaders.
“Oh, right. Did you know that the Douglas County Sheriff was appointed a few days ago?”
“You said you were Samuel Jefferson Jones.”
“I heard he’s been going around towns in the county. Saying hello and getting to know the area.”
“is it so?”
“What if I come to Lawrence Village? Things will get awkward between us.”
Is it that rough?
It’s a good thing they don’t shoot the moment they see you.
But there’s no need to worry.
“Jones can’t come here.”
“Why? Because of you?”
“No. I’d be crazy to come to Lawrence, where the Jayhawks are gathered and the state has its own legislature. There are enemies everywhere.”
Things were different when Samuel Jones came a few months ago. Even if it wasn’t Max, there was someone in town who would kill him.
But he can’t come right away, because when he comes to Lawrence, he’ll be leading an army.
That’s how significant Samuel’s appointment as sheriff was.
The specific date and place are unknown, but the first murder that sparked the Bloody Kansas Incident will occur soon.
At the center of it all is Douglas County Sheriff Samuel Jefferson Jones.
‘I wonder if your arm is better.’
-Wow!
As Max thought about this, a loud shout was heard from afar.
“What, what is that sound?”
“What is it? It’s the sound of the trainees coming back.”
Holiday followed Max out of the tent.
“Awesome! Jayhawks! There are so many!”
Max stepped forward, leaving Holiday with a blank expression on his face. He shouted, putting on a red, sharp-pointed hat that he had gotten from somewhere.
“Look at the voices of these kids!”
‘!’
Holiday took a step back as he saw Max suddenly change.
“You’re just going to jump and make your voice heard! Huh? Everyone, get down on the floor. Execute.”
“practice!”
“I for one. Jayhawks for two.”
‘….. This guy is really not normal either.’
Holiday stuck out his tongue at Max.
Then he looked at the Jayhawks.
Among them, he could see two pairs of tearful eyes looking at him.
‘Peach, Joe Jim Jr.?’
Why do you have to go through all that trouble to buy it?
Holiday didn’t make sense at first.
Once again, Max’s voice resonates loudly throughout the room.
“With that kind of physical strength, you can’t even stop the spit from the Border Rufians. Do you understand?”
“yep···!”
“Listen to the voice. PT exercise 8 full body twists.”
“Ugh. That one!”
“The guy who just said that, come out!”
“Private #18 Nathan Rohr!”
“18. Do 20 full-body twists by yourself.”
‘Shit, let’s try again.’
Lying on the ground, Lore trembled all over, cursing his uselessly heavy limbs with his snout and muscles.
A total of 82 trainees.
An independent company of two platoons in eight squads. Or so it is supposed to be.
‘I guess I’ll start preparing for round 2 with Samuel Jones.’
Max’s eyes sparkled and he spurred the trainees on even more fiercely.
The beginning of the Kansas bloodshed
Lately I’ve been spending more time in the training barracks than in the sheriff’s office.
Max’s focus was on establishing an organizational structure.
And it was a matter of understanding the individual’s characteristics and abilities.
Just then, Peach and a man named John Dudley came to the barracks carrying a bundle of papers.
“Where should I put this?”
“Bring it here. We need to look at it together.”
“Three of us?”
Dudley silently placed his papers on the table, ignoring Peach and Max’s conversation.
The documents contain the trainees’ personal information.
In addition, the results of various recently completed tests and personal special hobbies were also written down.
“But why did it take so long?”
“There were a lot of illiterate people, so I explained everything to them. I also wrote for them.”
“As expected, the teacher is different.”
“Teaching children is a hundred times better.”
Dudley shuffled through his papers with his bare arms while Peach shook her head.
‘It feels like I’m seeing Mt. Imak a year ago.’
Max asked Dudley, who had fainted twice during training, a body that looked like it could collapse at any moment because its bones were touching.
– Is that because you can’t eat, or is that how it is normally?
– ……It’s just my constitution.
– I think it would be better to go home.
– No! I can do it. I don’t want to live a cowardly life…
– Are you a coward if you go home?
– Oh. Yes, for me.
It seemed like there were complicated circumstances, but it was difficult to drag Dudley along, who fainted every time he trained.
– What were you doing before coming here?
– I went to college in Illinois.
-What’s your major?
– Medical school···.
– Oh.
Becoming a doctor in the Wild West was not difficult. As soon as you said you were a doctor, you became one.
There were many quacks without degrees, and even the first doctor to perform a successful cesarean section in the West was a janitor at a medical school.
Max had to filter Dudley’s words once.
– My arm is shot. What do I do?
– I have to cut it…
– Okay. How many years have you been learning?
– 2 years.
– Is the doctor suitable for your constitution?
Dudley nodded. If you listen closely, it was all about money. After their father died, the eight brothers each found their own way to survive.
Dudley also gave up his studies and worked to earn a living. It is said that he ended up here after being caught up in the abolitionist instigation.
– I want to fight with a gun. I absolutely refuse to do anything else.
– The President is going to fight with a gun? The Surgeon? The Supply Officer? Don’t say anything, just stay by my side and help me for the time being.
Max hates paperwork, but now he has no choice but to do it.
To make things easier, we needed someone who could read and think on their own.
So, he made Peach, who was his teacher, and Dudley, a medical student, temporary administrative soldiers.
Of course, we train the same way during the day.
Max opened his mouth and handed out several pieces of paper.
“The purpose of today’s task is to assign suitable positions based on physical strength, shooting, weapon maintenance, and the knowledge held in one’s head.”
After working like that for several hours, Max looked at Peach in surprise.
“What the heck? Is this real?”
“How old are you?”
“There’s only a two-year age difference between us. I feel like I’m in my late twenties.”
“You want to die? Does that make sense?”
To be honest, the peach looks a bit worn out.
Western women look particularly mature, and their fashion is no different when they are young.
Anyway, it was a shock.
There was no need to go to the extent of being polite···.
‘By the way, Peach wrote detective as her special skill and desired position.’
In the current organization, detectives are suited to intelligence and information management. It was necessary to prepare in advance for this type of incident that would occur soon.
Max started sorting through his papers and categorizing the Jayhawks.
*
As the young Jayhawks were training around Mark, the Free State Party was founded and Topeka was declared the state capital.
Charles Lawrence Robinson was elected governor and party leader without any legitimacy.
James Henry Lane remained second in command.
But more than these issues, the conflict between the two arose over the creation of the Kansas Constitution.
The crux of the debate was the issue of black and women’s suffrage.
Although he agreed with the abolition of slavery, Lane argued against granting blacks the right to vote.
Charismatic and determined, Lane won significant support, leading to factions forming within the Liberal Party from its inception.
“This is driving me crazy, really. If we start like this, what are we going to do?”
“Holiday, who came to the tent, said, clutching his head.
