‘A protection detail for the governor.’Andrew Horatio Reeder, Governor of the Kansas Territory.If he’s asking for personal protection, that means he knows he’s cornered.‘And yet he’s all fired up about land speculation—he’s not exactly ordinary either.’I don’t particularly feel like guarding him, but he is someone we need to make Kansas a free state.Besides, the reason a wavering governor took the liberal side is also because the legislature will soon be convened at Pawnee.‘Maybe this is for the best.’If I leave Lawrence to protect the governor, the town will have no choice but to hurry its armament to fill the gap.With that decision made, Max spoke to Lane.“While I’m guarding the governor, Lawrence should pre-select a unilateral legislature, and you ought to hurry the concentration of forces.”“We were going to gather people in town before you left anyway. And five of them will support you.”“Understood. Then let’s do that.”Jayhawkers.Among the abolitionists who had been scattered like grassroots, those who led with force gathered around Lane.Their rushing into Lawrence is earlier than in the original timeline. That was the result of Max pulling the card called rebellion.Charles stroked his beard and asked Max,“When would be a good time to make it public?”The timing for Lawrence to announce to the outside world that it will make a rebellion—no, a unilateral legislature.Max answered without hesitation.“The day they convene at Pawnee is the right moment.”Charles, Lane, and Holliday nodded.“You’re all thinking the same. By the way, when can we move to Topeka?”This time Charles asked Holliday.Lawrence is only a temporary place; making Topeka the seat of government is their long-cherished goal.“The assembly building is in its final stage of construction. It’ll take a bit more time to get the surrounding conveniences in place, but everyone’s working hard, so it should be finished before long.”At Holliday’s words, a smile drew across Max’s lips.‘He really loves Topeka.’The future of a city he poured his passion into.It would never happen, but Max wanted to tell Holliday about the Topeka he’d seen in his former life. Tell him he has every right to be proud. ****“Guarding the governor!? Wow, our sheriff’s moving up in the world.”Fitch widened her eyes in surprise.Max shrugged, as if it were nothing.“What’s so special about a governor.”“True, compared to our sheriff, a governor is nothing. But you’re not taking me, right?”“Want to come along?”“No. I have to guard the town.”Fitch spoke while suppressing a laugh.“Go and come back safe. Don’t worry about the town.”“You almost sound happy about it.”“As if.”The smile stayed at the corner of her eyes.Fitch was reacting this way because of training we did recently.After seeing that kick last time, she said she wanted to learn, so I decided to teach her steadily from the basics.The start was splits.The basics of kicking.Really?First, spread your legs as far as you can. Okay. Now I press on the shoulders. Like this.W-wait. Aaaagh!After forcing her legs into splits day after day, I guess she can’t stand it anymore.“Don’t slack off just because I’m gone—work hard.”“Sure, sure. It’s the basis of kicking.”I wasn’t expecting much, but if Fitch learns even close-quarters striking and grappling, the spectrum of what we can employ on missions widens. Someday I might even be able to count on her in the Civil War.‘Maybe I should raise her into a Mata Hari.’Mata Hari, who made a name for herself doing espionage between Germany and France during the First World War.‘Maybe not.’Remembering her execution by firing squad, I immediately shook my head.Max spoke to Fitch, who was only pretending to do splits while bracing against the wall.“Call up the militia tomorrow.”“Because you’re worried about leaving the town empty?”“That, and I have something to announce.”“Got it.”“And at this rate of splits, when are you ever going to throw a kick. I’ll help.”“I’m fine, Sheriff! Do not approach!”The next day.For the first time in a while, Max called up the militia.Ten including Fitch. Max gathered them and began to speak.“Soon, many people will come to Lawrence.”“What is it now, Sheriff?”“Who’s coming?”Some of them were plainly tense.“People gathered to protect the town of Lawrence from the slave states.”“Oooh! Then that’s good, isn’t it?”Who would dislike someone saying they’ll guard the town. But Max felt like meddling pointlessly.“Guarding the town is the militia’s job. There’s no need to flaunt the conflict over slavery outside the town. Understood?”“We’re just ordinary settlers anyway.”“Exactly. You need to remain as you are. Carve my words into your hearts.”“Don’t worry, Sheriff! We’re the eternal Lawrence Militia!”Whether she knew what she was saying or not, Fitch shouted.Then the others nodded along.On the way back to the office after the muster,Fitch, turning over Max’s words in her head, asked,“What are those people like that you say are coming?”“Think of them as soldiers armed with conviction.”“Mm. Then they’re the exact opposite of the Border Ruffians.”“Well. Their conviction is the opposite, but whether the rest is too—we’ll have to see.”What Max worried about was militia members assimilating into the Jayhawkers and being stained by violence.One reason he proposed forming a militia to Lane, and seized initiative, was this. ****Three days before the convening of the legislature at Pawnee.Armed men entered the town of Lawrence.Their number was roughly fifty.Lane led them at the front.The Jayhawkers’ reactions upon seeing Max were as varied as their ages.Some with rifles slung on their shoulders spat instead of greeting, others wordlessly puffed cigar smoke.Most were soldiers who had fought in the Mexican War or had records fighting Indians. Among them would be those who had joined the crowd in search of blood.Only their conviction regarding slavery was different; otherwise they were no different from any other white men of the time.“Five of these men will follow you to protect the governor.”Perhaps out of consideration for Max, the men Representative Lane brought were on the relatively younger side.“I’m Max Jo.”“Never thought I’d see an Oriental in my life.”“So how old are you?”“Nineteen.”“A greenhorn.”“You all look like greenhorns.”“Shit, we’re different.”Lane’s face was set, but he neither scolded them nor gave them a look.An unfinished organization has no system.They had gathered under Representative Lane’s initiative, but it was too early to say he had them in hand.Perhaps Lane wanted Max to straighten out at least the younger Jayhawkers.‘Something we’d have to go through anyway.’From the moment he chose Kansas, meeting the Jayhawkers was a set sequence.Max was already plotting how to swallow the Jayhawkers whole.“Then let’s see each other here tomorrow morning.”Max gave them a short greeting and returned to the office.“Aren’t they here to loot, not to guard the town? They all look like they’ve got bounties on their heads.”“As if they’d do that. Still, be careful. If an argument starts, hold back on drawing guns.”“Ha, suddenly I want to follow our sheriff. Too late?”“Sure. The wagon’s gone.” ****The next day. Max headed for Lecompton with the five men Lane had assigned.And a little later.“This is the rendezvous point.”“What’s with setting up a rendezvous point and all.”Max looked back.Their faces were all equally indifferent. They weren’t exactly picking fights or nitpicking either.A slightly different mood than yesterday, you might say.While they waited for the governor, the awkward atmosphere dragged on. Among them, a man a year younger than Max named Tucker broke the silence and spoke to him.“So. Is it true?”“If you ask like that out of the blue, I’ll just answer that it is.”“..... No, I mean, they said you killed more than ten?”At Tucker’s words, everyone looked at Max.Most of these were from the North, not from Kansas.They knew nothing about Max and must have heard something from Lane last night.“Not true, right? Shit, I knew it was a tall tale.”Killing people isn’t something to brag about, so Max didn’t answer. Then they snorted as if to say, figures.‘Little punk greenhorns.’While Max was sneering inwardly, the sound of hooves came from afar.Of the three approaching, one even waved his hand.‘Smell of a speculator—no, the governor—reaches all the way over here.’Before the horse even stopped.A man whose sideburns looked like they’d reach the corners of his mouth if he let them grow a bit more laughed and said,“Oriental gunman! Sheriff of Lawrence! Pleased to meet you!”Andrew Horatio Reeder.Current governor of the Kansas Territory, lawyer, and politician. Coming right up close, he offered Max a handshake from the saddle.“You never know when a bullet will fly—make it quick.”“...... It’s an honor to meet you.”“What honor. The honor’s mine!”Laughing, the governor nodded as he looked over Max’s party.“You’ve made subordinates already.”The Jayhawkers, who had been bristling, couldn’t bring themselves to spit out the words on their tongues. They couldn’t exactly curse at the governor.“Let’s talk slowly as we go.”Mounting up, Max and his party matched pace with the governor and moved forward.The speed was fairly leisurely.“You said Max Jo, right? I did some digging on you. They say a buffalo leaves its hide when it’s dead—men who die to you leave bullet and knife marks.”“......”With that, he held up eight fingers.“Counting the recent murderers you killed, you’ve killed eighteen. That’s how much interest I have in you.”“!”The party following behind wore blank expressions,and Max counted along involuntarily but the number didn’t match at all.‘How does he get that number.’Factoring in things not covered in the papers, let’s leave it for now. Max looked at the two men beside the governor and asked,“Are they coming along?”“My secretary and my treasurer. Men I can trust.”“I see. Then who is threatening you, Governor?”The governor turned his head and looked at Max.“Enemies on all sides—pardon me for not naming just one. Everyone’s dying to eat me alive. Especially the slave-state bastards; they have the most numbers.”“You don’t seem to feel any particular danger.”“What are you talking about. I’m even taking medicine for nervous exhaustion.”I was thinking it’s because of his land speculation when the governor let out a long sigh.“I’ve worked tirelessly to make Kansas a free state, and yet it’s all so hollow and infuriating.”“If you have worked hard, I’m sure it is.”The governor glanced at Max and let out an even deeper sigh.“You condemn me too. Well, everyone must think of me that way. But I have something to say for myself.”As if he wanted to persuade Max, the governor rambled on about what he’d done.Hearing it, it did stir a bit of pity.He had been forced by the current president to become governor of the Kansas Territory and conducted a census to make the voting fair.“Who could have known the slave states would go as far as using force. Damn bastards. Truth is, even if Representative Lane hadn’t asked me, I was going to actively support a free state.”‘He didn’t ask; he went to threaten you.’While Max was shaking his head, the governor spoke with a grim look.“I’ll end this conflict. Help me so I can fulfill my duty.”“Understood.”Even after that the governor talked quite a lot.He showed the face of a speculator too, going on about how it still wouldn’t be too late to buy land in Topeka and Lawrence. ****After riding three hours with the governor, the Pawnee they reached was worse than early Lawrence.Except for the capitol building, everything around it was tents.As I showed shock and bewilderment, the governor said,“Places for the legislators to stay.”“Aren’t there any separate lodging facilities?”“There wasn’t enough time to [N O V E L I G H T] build them. Well, as long as the place they meet is in good shape, isn’t that enough?”Considering when he bought the land, I can understand.“Instead, the place we’ll stay is already finished.”The place the governor led us to, hidden behind the assembly building, was a modern two-story brick house.On the second day staying at the governor’s house.The day before the legislature’s convening, a group appeared and occupied the Pawnee assembly hall.Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow.Leading Border Ruffians, he shouted toward the governor’s house.“Until the legislative session is over! Governor, do not step outside this house!”

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