Max stopped digging and straightened his back.
“How about bricks when you build again?”
“Well, if we had the budget, we could do that.”
“Well, there are a lot of places that need to be rebuilt.”
Grocery stores, lumber stores, and houses were burned down. Lane asked Max, who was looking around.
“By the way, take me with you sometime.”
“……Where are you talking about?”
“shipbuilding.”
When Max made a face of surprise, Lane crossed her arms and continued speaking.
“I tried to hold back as much as possible, but I can’t hold back anymore. Your performance today must have come from experience or knowledge. Given your age, it must have been knowledge, right?”
“Why are you even trying to deduce something again?”
“Anyway, I’ll definitely take you with me when I go.”
“You’re secretly trying to send me away.”
Rain said with shining eyes.
“Whatever it may be, if only I could get the secret weapon.”
“You have to be the one supporting the ship, not the one sending it on its way.”
Rain tapped Max on the shoulder.
“Why are you sending me away when you’re going together? Anyway, you worked hard today.”
“You too, Commander, have worked hard.”
“The word commander sounds a bit embarrassing today.”
“I am the commander in chief and this is what I have to say.”
Governor Charles belatedly joined the conversation. He was a more emotional man than Lane, so he shook Max’s hand, hugged him, and showered him with compliments.
Former Governor Andrew Leader, who had not been seen at all during the war, also appeared and grabbed Max’s hand.
“Do you know what the worst nightmare I ever had was? It was you becoming the sheriff of Lecompton. I sweated so much that day that the sheets were soaked.”
“I was wondering where you went, but you came back prepared with a comment.”
‘Or maybe you went to see the land?’
Other key figures in Lawrence also thanked Max one after another.
The words were more like a warm compliment than a thank you.
And at this time, editors from three of Lawrence’s newspapers came to see Max.
George Brown of the Herald of Freedom Kansas. His face was distorted.
“Bad guys! They managed to burn down three of our newspaper offices.”
The Kansas Territorial Supreme Court ordered the newspaper to be demolished. Samuel Jones was the first to attack the sheriff’s office and the newspaper.
“If Sheriff Max hadn’t told us in advance, the printer and everything would have been blown away.”
In the original story, Jones throws the printing press into the river, which causes two of Lawrence’s three newspapers to close, and it takes half a year for George Brown to reopen them.
“But, about the article that will be published in the future.”
“Hey, don’t worry. I’m going to make headlines about Sheriff Max’s activities.”
One of the editors nodded to George Brown’s words. But that was not what Marx wanted.
“Wouldn’t it be better to emphasize that the village was burned rather than focusing on winning?”
“hmm?”
“I know what you’re saying. Up until now, the Free State has supported Lawrence out of desperation and anger. You want to continue that. Right, Sheriff Max?”
Josiah Miller, editor of the Kansas Free State, understood Marks’ intentions precisely. Perhaps he, too, had the same idea in mind for the article.
“That’s true. Then let’s set the direction for this article like this. Let’s put the village buildings that were burned down to ashes on the front page.”
“If you’re going to do it, take a picture of what’s behind me and upload it.”
As Max pointed behind him, the editors nodded as if they had been given great inspiration.
“Right. If the sheriff’s office is like that, then that says it all. Just change the angles and go to the sheriff’s office.”
“Let’s do that.”
From Acheson’s point of view, despite the crushing defeat in the war, he was criticized for burning down a few buildings.
The newspaper editors are returning.
Next, Eldridge, the owner of the Free State Hotel, came to visit.
“The place I was sleeping was completely burned down.”
“You look happy.”
“Ahem, fun? What do you mean. I’ve already prepared a place for you to sleep, so come to the hotel when you’re done with work.”
“What about money?”
“I told you. People are going to swear at you.”
“Then I will not decline.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve prepared two rooms.”
Clap clap clap.
When Eldridge turns around at the sudden noise, Colin stops clapping and gives him a thumbs up.
Then he gave a signal to Alfredo next to him to hurry up.
The situation in the village is sorted out.
Max stared at the empty office.
‘Is it time for a change?’
I haven’t thought of a specific date, but it seems like it’s coming.
Max looked back.
Peach, Colin, and the young Jayhawks were looking at him.
‘How many people will join me?’
Peach, who had been glaring at Max’s face, suddenly raised her hand.
“Me!”
‘Is this a woman’s intuition!’
Or maybe a detective’s intuition?
For a moment, Max’s hair stood on end.
The funny thing is, Joe Jim Jr. and the Jayhawks raised their hands without knowing anything.
Max looked at Colin with a smile.
“Why? What is it?”
Colin glanced around and raised his hand.
*
May 22nd, the day after the end of Lawrence’s War.
An incident occurred in Washington, D.C., 1,600 kilometers away from Lawrence.
Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner, a Republican, was assaulted by South Carolina House Democrats!
Charles Sumner, the nephew of Fort Leavenworth Commander Edwin Boss Sumner, was beaten to death that day by Congressman Preston Brooks, breaking his cane.
The reason was that Charles Sumner insulted Preston Brooks’ cousin during his speech.
But the speech received much attention because it criticized the slave state’s atrocities surrounding Kansas and because the slave state’s House of Representatives had assaulted the free state’s Senate.
The news spread across the United States and it didn’t take long for it to reach Lawrence.
As Governor Charles, Lane, and the legislators discussed the aftermath of the war, the assault on Senator Charles Sumner was naturally mentioned.
“It is clear that slave owners are born with a violent nature. So they think it is their right to force, beat, and kill their slaves.”
“Senator Sumner’s condition is so dire, how can something like this happen in the Congress?”
“Thank goodness, what happened in Lawrence was hushed up.”
The war was won, but the people of Lawrence were secretly worried about the aftermath.
The president could have given the order to mobilize the military.
But then a violent incident between members of Congress turns Washington upside down and Lawrence seems set to be pushed to the back burner.
“With the liberal senators and House of Representatives clamoring to impeach Rep. Brooks, how can the President afford to worry about Lawrence?”
“That’s right. Isn’t that a good thing for us?”
At this point Max intervened in the conversation.
At some point, I stopped raising my hand to get the right to speak.
“I am keeping an eye on the Election Fraud Investigation Committee, separate from this incident.”
All eyes in the room were focused on Max.
As the weight of each word increased day by day, the eyes looking at me sparkled.
“If the commission finds that the election was fraudulent, the president will have to decide which fake government is in Kansas. I think it’s likely that Lawrence will be declared the fake government.”
“Are you saying that you are ignoring the results of the investigation committee?”
“If that’s the case, then why on earth did the President accept the investigation?”
Max continued speaking.
“President Pierce himself declared Lawrence a rioter in January. The Senate assault has already clearly divided politics into free and slave states. There is no reason to side with the free states in this situation.”
“hmm.”
The lawmakers chewed on Max’s words, while those with a quick understanding nodded in agreement.
Charles looked at Max and asked.
“If it goes as you say, you’ll declare Lawrence a fake and mobilize the military?”
“That is very likely.”
Max’s words caused sighs to erupt in the conference room.
They say there are mountains beyond mountains. Now that Border Rufian is gone, I have to worry about the military.
“But don’t worry too much. The army will just be a passing shower.”
“What does that mean?”
“He has less than a year left in his term, and he is a president who has refused to accept the results of the investigation committee. And most importantly, he does not have support from his own party.”
“You’re talking about the Ostend Declaration.”
The core of the Ostend Declaration was that Cuba, which was a Spanish territory, should be bought from Spain, and if it refused, it should be taken away by war.
This proclamation came shortly after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
It was a declaration containing the desire of the slave owners to make Cuba a slave state in case the two places became free states.
The problem was that President Franklin Pierce was just wasting his time, unable to make a decision. Naturally, the Democratic Party, which had the support of slaveholders, could not help but dislike him.
‘In this context, it is possible that President Pearson was trying to appease the slave owners by using Lawrence as bait.’
Max continued speaking, looking around the room.
“As long as the rain is out, the President doesn’t have to worry about it. The problem is that the slave owners are the same. There may be more fights ahead than we’ve had.”
Max’s words made the atmosphere in the conference room heavy. However, it was necessary to awaken the sense of alarm that had been weakened by victory. There was a guerrilla war nearby and a civil war far away.
After the meeting, Max quietly went to Governor Charles’ office.
Sitting across from each other on the sofa, drinking coffee, Charles looked closely at Max’s unusual expression.
“It looks like you have something important to say.”
Max nodded and said.
“It’s time for me to step down as sheriff.”
“Pfft.”
Charles spit out his coffee.
< Should I build my office out of bricks? > End
< Is it because the salary is low? >
Chairman Charles raised his eyebrows and said.
“No, what are you talking about all of a sudden? Didn’t you just say that in the meeting?”
There will be more fights to come.
But I couldn’t help but be bewildered when he suddenly quit his job as sheriff.
“Is it because the salary is low?”
This question isn’t asked for nothing.
Despite Max’s impressive achievements, his salary is only $3 more than the $11 he initially signed with Holiday.
The townspeople also wondered how long Max would serve as sheriff.
Because Asians who don’t even have the right to vote have no reason to get involved in the fight between free and slave states.
So, the conclusion they came to among themselves was that it was money. But this created yet another anxiety.
– What if Missouri paid you more? If you’re a sheriff, you can get more than that.
– That’s why I’ve been having nightmares lately. Think of Sheriff Max, who was hired by Lecompton.
– Ow, shit!
They were deluding themselves like that.
Charles was no exception. He was seriously considering a pay raise with Mayor Lawrence Blood, especially during this war.
“Anyway, that’s what people think.”
“I know the general idea, but the reason I became sheriff wasn’t because of money.”
A place to lay the foundation as an Asian.
In the meantime, I had built up some connections, and after three months, I had acquired the right to live proudly in this land. So, I had achieved most of what I could gain as a sheriff.
“It’s not that I’m leaving Lawrence because I’m quitting. Rather, it’s a decision I made because I wanted to be actively involved.”
“That makes no sense.”
“For example, what would you do if Leavenworth were attacked, Governor?”
Charles couldn’t answer readily.
So far, the action has not extended beyond Topeka-Lawrence, and neither has Lane and other lawmakers.
“If the Border Rufians attack any town other than Lawrence, the office of sheriff will be nothing but a chain.”
It’s problematic when Sheriff Lawrence commits crimes in other towns.
It was a task that could have been burdensome to Charles and the already fragile legislature.
“I know what you mean.”
‘If you don’t leave Lawrence, that’s the end of it.’
Charles’ dark face regained its calm.
If you think about it, it’s not a bad situation.
Max was already doing something other than being sheriff.
“But can you live without a salary?”
“I guess I’ll have to look into it. Actually, the biggest problem is where I’ll live.”
“Ah, so far the office has been your home.”
According to Peach, the landless Max was no man, at least not in the West.
“I have to stay in Lawrence. I don’t have money to buy land. This is really difficult.”
Max stared intently at Governor Charles.
A look of longing in her eyes. It was so obvious that you could tell what it was without even saying a word.
“We’ll need land.”
“Because I can’t sleep well in water.”
“……There is some public land owned by the village.”
“Is that so?”
Max asked back, pretending to be surprised.
The land in the town of Lawrence was purchased by the New England Emigration Assistance Company (NEEAC).
Under the control of the village committee, the land was sold to settlers or used as public land.
This is exactly the kind of land that Max wants.
There is no need to purchase it, you can just use it as you are currently using it as a training ground.
“First of all, Mayor Blood will know about the land. It’s also his authority.”
“I only trust the governor.”
“……”
The mayor’s office.
“Welcome, Sheriff Max. I heard from Governor Charles.”
James Clinton House Blood, the first mayor of Lawrence, is a man of little significance, overshadowed by such notable figures as Charles, Lane, and John Brown.
Rather, what brought him to attention was his remarriage to the widow of the recently murdered Thomas Barber.
‘There was a reason I paid the bounty instead.’
Blood called in the development policy officer.
When he unfolded the map he had brought, it showed the land originally purchased by NEEAC and the additional expansion areas. It also marked areas that had been purchased by individuals.
“Do you have a place in mind?”
Max pointed south of the Kansas River, east of town.
“How about here?”
“The terrain is probably not that great. Half of it is hilly and there are quite a few rocks and stones.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Blood nodded and gave instructions to the officer in charge.
“Unless something special comes up, I’ll lease it to Sheriff Max without charge. The contract will be renewed every two years.”
Blood accepted the land use offer.
Aside from Governor Charles’ request, he also helped Thomas Barber in his quest for revenge.
After that incident, he became close to Barber’s widow and even remarried.
As the officer left, Blood spoke.
“You will remain in office until we elect a new sheriff. It will take some time for the candidates to be voted on. I wonder who will win.”
“There will be many people who will do it.”
