Max opened his mouth with a deep smile.
“Why are free states being pushed aside? It is because they have no center of gravity. On the other hand, slave states have a definite center of gravity.”
“The President.”
“That is it. If the President is taken away and Kansas is declared a free state, the slave states will be extremely anxious.”
Certainly, if these two events occurred simultaneously, the positions of free and slave states would be completely reversed.
A cornered mouse will bite even a cat.
The slave owners who had what they had taken away would desperately try to get it back, while the free states, which had gained a focal point, would not just take it.
‘The more I look at it, the more surprising it is.’
A gasp of exclamation burst from John Brown’s lips.
Max, feeling burdened by his gaze, took a step back.
“This is just my guess. Who knows the future?”
“It’s too late to back out now. What you said is the perfect picture leading to war!”
John Brown was very inspired.
Max’s words were deeply engraved in his mind.
War, the final destination for the liberation of slaves.
A way to make this happen is starting to appear.
Max, who had been observing the changes on her face, decided that this was the moment to speak up.
“The problem is after the war starts. Isn’t it money and weapons, not beliefs, that decide wars? That’s why.”
Max suggested to John Brown that they split the roles.
“I’ll make money and weapons here, and John, how about you finish the picture? We’ll make Kansas a free state and the next president.”
In fact, it was not much different from what John Brown had intended to do. It only made clear a blind and vague purpose.
But this difference was by no means small.
“If we join hands and work together properly, it will become a battlefield.”
In the original history, John Brown was hanged just before the Civil War. It was due to his violent actions, but it was a major event that influenced the presidential election and the outbreak of the Civil War.
But what if John Brown didn’t die?
‘I bet my entire life on this: ‘But war will still happen.’
*
Max and John Brown left the office and headed to the blacksmith shop.
“I guess you plan to make war materials in this forge.”
“It’s a secret.”
John Brown laughed. Max led him to the storeroom next to the blacksmith shop.
There were so many strange things there that John Brown’s eyes widened.
“What is this?”
“A hammer and nails to make a sturdy camp in the field. Amazing.”
“What is this?”
“A barbecue grill that will fill the stomachs of soldiers and boost their morale in the field. Isn’t that great?”
John Brown pointed to a pedal trash can.
“……That was made to make money.”
“Where on earth do these ideas come from? Are they all things you used back home?”
“Well, I guess that’s what it is.”
“I really have to go to Joseon before I die. Congressman Lane said the same thing. I should go there with him.”
“……”
Ulysses appeared midway through the warehouse.
When I introduced him to John Brown, his eyes grew wide.
“Ulysses S. Grant?”
“You remember? My father is Jess Grant.”
“What a coincidence.”
‘What, does this guy know?’
There are many people who are secretly connected to Ulysses.
John Brown’s father ran a tannery, and Ulysses’ father was a supervisor at the tannery.
America is a vast country, but it is also a narrow city.
As they had a long relationship, a long conversation between John Brown and Ulysses followed.
“I was wondering why a Mexican War hero was in a blacksmith shop, and that’s why.”
“Yes. Living with my in-laws is a bit···.”
“I understand. By the way, isn’t your father-in-law a pro-slavery advocate?”
“……You know a lot.”
“Well, if it’s not you, then that’s fine.”
After talking with Ulysses, John Brown looked around the blacksmith shop a bit more and then said hello to Max.
“I’ll think about what I have to do some more. I’ll come back with good news next time.”
“Then I’ll see you then.”
After breaking up with John Brown, Max headed to the training grounds where Cody and Hickok were.
But on the way there, he ran into Nathan Lore, his face swollen. He hunched his shoulders and lowered his head, avoiding Max’s gaze.
“What’s that face?”
“……I lost.”
‘?’
Max quickly frowned as he thought of a man. Lore, the best fighter among the young Jayhawks. If anyone could beat him.
“You lost to Hickok?”
But Lore shakes his head in confusion.
An unexpected name came out of his mouth.
“Charles Hart. I lost to him.”
“….. teacher?”
“….. yes.”
He asked, placing a hand on Roar’s shoulder.
“But where are you going?”
“Time alone···.”
“You’re crazy.”
Max took Lore to the training grounds.
And I witnessed an amazing sight.
Two men fighting until blood bursts out.
It was Hickok and Charles Hart.
What’s interesting is that they don’t avoid each other’s punches but rather cross counters.
At this time, Hickok’s fist was so strong that Charles Hart’s body gradually began to stagger.
A decisive blow to the stomach during this gap caused Charles Hart’s back to break and he fell to his knees on the floor.
Hickok took a deep breath.
“Hoooo.”
He lets out a loud noise and turns his head to look at Max.
And then he said something surprising.
“Let’s rest for 10 minutes and then come back.”
‘!’
< After a 10 minute break > End
< There's something weird about that kid >
The commotion at the training grounds began when Charles Hart assaulted another trainee.
Nathan Rohr is angry.
– Are you that good at fighting? Then come at me!
So Charles Hart really jumped in.
The result was Lore’s defeat.
At this time, Hickok, who had been watching from one side, suddenly jumped out and challenged Charles Hart to a fight.
That’s how the fight just started.
10 minutes···.
Under the watchful eyes of over a hundred new recruits.
Hickok, who had flopped down on his seat, munched on the bread Cody had handed him.
His face was cold from having been hit by Charles Hart, so he spat out some bloody saliva and put the bread back in his mouth.
And then I had a leisurely chat with Cody.
Max looked like a traveler taking a break to fill his stomach.
A smile appeared on Colin’s lips as he watched Hickok from afar.
“It’s a thing, it’s a thing. If you train in that condition, there’s no one who can handle it.”
“Do you think Colin will lose too?”
Colin snorted at Peach’s words.
“Are you kidding me? … Why am I fighting?”
“Huh. Anyway, I knew you’d say that.”
Peach, who had been pouting, turned her gaze to Max, who was taking off his shoes. A smile spread across Peach’s lips, as if it was nice to see him again after such a long time.
“Are you going to do this with your feet today?”
Peach asked, kicking her feet.
“……But who on earth is that teacher?”
Peach’s gaze soon turned to Charles Hart.
He was half-lying with his head turned towards the sky, his face covered with a towel.
“I don’t know. One thing for sure is that he’s the best among the trainees. He lacks endurance, but he excels in strength, speed, reaction speed, and judgment. He’s also curious like a student. He was especially interested in you, Max.”
‘Did the teacher go out and play?’
Max recalled the time he shook hands with Charles Hart.
Rough palms and grip strength. Even the short fight with Hickok aroused curiosity.
‘Charles Hart. I don’t know for sure.’
No matter how much I search through my memories, I can’t remember.
Of course, I don’t know all the people recorded in history, and there are probably many outstanding people whose names were not left behind.
Hickok, who seemed to be counting the time in his head or not, slowly got up.
Hickok, walking toward the center of the parade ground, looks at Max as if telling him to come out.
How do you get a guy like Hickok as your colleague?
Max calmly stepped into the center, thinking about the meaning of this match.
Charles Hart removed the towel from his face and fixed his gaze on the two.
‘Let’s check if the rumors are true.’
Charles Hart’s calm eyes were filled with intense curiosity.
Meanwhile, Max faced Hickok with a strange expression on his face.
A man who lived his short life like the wind until he was shot to death at a poker table.
He guarded James Henry Lane as a Jayhawk, served as a Union scout during the American Civil War, and later opened the era of the rugged cowboy as a sheriff. Who would have thought that this day would come with the legendary gunslinger Hickok?
“Why are you barefoot?”
“Because this is comfortable.”
Hickok looked at Max’s feet and laughed.
“You’re the type that thinks a lot. Fighting isn’t done with the head. It’s all about blocking, avoiding, and striking when you see an opening.”
“Are you nervous? Why are you talking so much?”
At Max’s words, the corners of Hickok’s mouth rose.
“For your information, I don’t discriminate between people based on skin color. Don’t be upset if something happens to me.”
“You must be really nervous.”
“How cheeky. I won’t fall for such a foolish provocation. A fight is won with coolness, strength, and speed. These three things.”
As soon as Hickok finished speaking, he raised both hands and put a guard on his face.
Then he moved his head from side to side as if he was waiting for an opportunity.
His feet were planted on the ground, and his upper body was shaking like a reed.
Wheezing.
Hickok approaches quickly and swings his left hand.
A simple fist, yet packed with power and speed.
The sound of the air being cut was quite threatening.
‘It’ll hurt if I get hit, right?’
Max avoided Hickok’s punches with boxing footwork, focusing only on defense to gauge his skills.
Hickok was starting to get annoyed.
‘Why doesn’t it fit!’
But that doesn’t mean I lost my cool.
When he swung his sword but couldn’t reach it, Hickok’s gaze turned to Max’s feet.
‘There was a reason I was barefoot.’
Hickok, realizing the power of light footwork, opened up some distance. And then.
“Just a moment!”
“……”
Hickok suddenly stepped back and took off his calf-length boots.
And then I did a few jumping jacks.
As his body became lighter, he opened his mouth with a grin.
“So this is why I took off my shoes.”
“Well, I don’t think so.”
“No, what is it? No!”
Hickok closed the distance and swung his fist.
In the meantime, he studied Max’s steps and imitated his movements. Although it was quite awkward, Hickok seemed satisfied with that alone.
‘It’s definitely easy to control the distance.’
A new realization. A confidence that anyone could win welled up from the soles of Hickok’s feet.
His confidence was clearly evident on his face.
Max snorted and moved differently than before. Max, who had been avoiding, narrowed the distance and lightly extended his left hand.
Light jabs struck Hickok in the nose and struck his left eye.
Hickok belatedly raised his guard and stepped back,
Max followed him persistently.
‘Damn, why is there such a difference?!’
He hit the guard, but the impact on his arm was not easy. As he felt the pain, Hickok began to lose his cool. Furious, he finally ignored the defense and swung his right hand sharply.
Wheezing.
A mighty fist cuts through the wind.
Max parried Hickok’s attack with his left hand and deflected it to the side, aka parrying.
Immediately afterwards, he shifted his weight to his left foot and twisted his waist and shoulders. Soon, Max’s free right fist drew a beautiful trajectory.
Wheezing. Boom.
A right hook followed by a left hook. Max’s fist, full of power and speed, landed on Hickok’s face as soon as he swung it.
Hickok staggered back. His half-open eyes caught the image of Max raising his feet high into the sky.
When I was wondering what that was, my heel was hitting the crown of my head.
Crack.
The strong shock even blew away my confidence.
Hickok’s knees bent of their own accord.
Max, standing in front of him, opened his mouth calmly.
“Aside from coolness, strength and speed.”
“……”
“It takes a lot to fight, Hickok.”
When I tapped his forehead with my finger, Hickok’s body fell down like a piece of wood.
Cheers erupted in the hall, and the eyes of the new Jayhawks filled with new enthusiasm.
A strong desire to learn from Max.
So did Charles Hart.
Even if the rumors about the Orientals were exaggerated, the skills I just saw were real.
‘What the Jayhawks are doing is fucking shit, but I have to put up with it.’
Abolitionist Charles Hart was dismayed by the violent actions of the Jayhawks in their attacks on civilian villages.
This was also the reason he assaulted his colleagues and challenged the instructor to a confrontation.
‘It’s disgusting, but I guess I’ll have to stay in Lawrence for a while.’
The presence of Max gave him a reason to stay here. Charles Hart’s gaze turned to Hickok, who was lying on the floor.
