The Victory Banquet
Opdyke, who had suffered a crushing defeat in the gamble he himself proposed and barely escaped with his life, kept his word. To be precise, it wasn't exactly "barely escaping with his life"—he had tumbled down a cliff, but since he ended up with only two broken legs, it was close enough.
My respectable master had already judged the outcome decided, and instead of further humiliating his opponent, he had claimed the title of a merciful victor. Even after the match, he didn't go out of his way to disparage the North.
"First of all, the Guardians of Liberty team likely wasn't in peak condition, as they were practicing according to the new rules I proposed. The secret to our training? That is a secret."
In truth, the results alone were enough for the Southerners to mock and chew out the North, so there was no need for my master to add fuel to the fire. Leo could roughly guess James's intentions; he had chosen to extract practical benefits rather than heap humiliation upon the North. Perhaps he also intended to leave the North a shred of mental victory so that the popularity of baseball wouldn't die out there.
Opdyke, as James had demanded, held a massive sponsorship party to promote the hospital, even inviting key figures from the Republican Party to ask for their cooperation.
"Are you asking about Mr. Opdyke? The pre-match interview was just a performance to liven up the atmosphere. He is a truly respectable man. To think he would cooperate this much for a hospital opened by a Southern planter like myself. Isn't this the very essence of our Union's unity?"
In reality, Opdyke's words had been nothing more than trash talk to hype up the match, and I didn't care in the slightest. Every time James gave an interview like this, sponsorship money flowed out of Opdyke's wallet, and fortunately for him, he was able to avoid being completely cast into the abyss of the Republican Party.
And today was the day of the long-awaited final sponsorship party.
The grand banquet hall of the Astor House, one of New York's finest hotels, was packed with VIPs Opdyke had gathered with all his might. Of course, the slaves from the plantation, including Leo, could not attend the banquet, so they waited in a large carriage parked outside the hotel for James to emerge.
Normally, they should have been in a separate waiting room in the basement, but by now, the slaves of James Sett were somewhat famous in New York. They had asked to stay in the carriage separately, just in case an uncomfortable situation arose.
Above all else:
"Heh heh, did you guys see it too? The look on those people's faces when we followed the master to the ballpark yesterday. They were trying to act like they didn't care, but they couldn't keep their bodies still because they were dying to know our secret."
"Why? Do they want to know how to throw a curveball?"
"That curveball must have looked like a magic trick to them. If we'd even shown them a slider, they might have actually foamed at the mouth and fainted."
"Can we consider this us leaving a legend in New York baseball history? From now on, no matter what baseball team wins here, they'll have to face the fate of being compared to us. Heh heh heh."
If we were mixed in with other people, we wouldn't be able to get high on this feeling while talking like this, would we? Ben, Henry, Peter, Sam, and even Leo—everyone's tension was several times higher than usual due to the results of this baseball match, and suppressing it was a torture in itself.
"Those bastards, they acted so high and mighty, but they just swung at the air like crazy. If you didn't know better, you'd think they came to practice their swings."
"But they really did need to practice their swings. Wasn't their swing speed dog-slow? Hahahaha."
"Seriously, they were just fucking terrible. Even if our plantation's third-string team had gone, it wouldn't have been any different, right?"
"Still, that's all thanks to our master..."
"Wait."
Realizing their voices were getting too loud, Leo raised a hand to stop his companions. All the party participants would be in the banquet hall, but there was no harm in being careful.
"We're too excited right now. Let's lower our voices a bit, and let's not talk about the master. We have to stick to our principles."
"Ah... right."
"My big mouth is the problem. I almost let the master's name slip."
The essential rule for the slaves of the Sett plantation: Never talk about James Sett outside the plantation. It was because the reverence and loyalty they held for James might inadvertently be revealed.
"Let's be careful. People are always most vulnerable when everything is going smoothly. And..."
The moment Leo was about to give a further warning—
Clack!
There was a sound of something moving outside.
"...What was that? Was someone outside?"
Leo momentarily opened the window to look outside, but there was no one there. Henry shook his head and muttered.
"...Did the window shake from the wind?"
"Who knows. Anyway, we cut it off in the middle, so even if they heard us, they wouldn't have felt anything was particularly strange. They probably just thought, 'Some noisy darkies are chattering because they're excited about winning a baseball game.'"
Regardless, incidents could pop up out of nowhere like this, so one must never let their guard down, anytime or anywhere. They suppressed their excitement again and waited quietly for the party to end.
* * *
No matter how much of a baseball amateur Opdyke was, he was a recognized tycoon in New York and a man with no small amount of connections in the Republican Party. Since he poured his heart and soul into spending money to make up for his mistake, people who carried some weight in various walks of life flocked to the event.
"Then the effectiveness of this oral rehydration solution is as good as proven. But is it really necessary to manage the hospital's cleanliness to this extent?"
"I have already organized the reasons for that in the data. Our James Clinic in Mississippi has patient outcomes that are incomparably superior to other hospitals."
"...But it is a method that costs more money, after all..."
"In the long run, that is not the case. This is the profit margin of my plantation; you can see in the figures that the time it takes for patients to receive treatment and return to work is drastically reduced, which in turn contributes more to productivity."
In particular, since diseases are often contagious, maintaining a clean environment brings immense social benefits in itself. While this might not be very noticeable to individuals, when compared as a large group, one can see the difference widening significantly.
"Mr. Sett, unlike other Southern planters, you seem to be a man who is very easy to talk to."
"Hahaha, thank you. I, too, feel like I am learning the dignity of the North anew as I see all of you so willingly cooperating in the work of saving lives."
"By the way, Mr. Sett, how on earth did you train that baseball team? Actually, a relative of mine is an official at the Baseball Association, and he asked me to please ask you for the secret."
"I would like to tell you, but it's a matter of intuition, so it's difficult to explain in words. If there's an opportunity next time, I'll try holding a seminar."
"Ohhh! That's great! Then please be sure to invite me!"
I toured the party hall like that, promoting the advanced system of the James Clinic and steadily recruiting sponsors.
"Mr. Sett, do you have a moment? There is someone who would like to meet you."
"Yes? I am always welcoming."
"I see. Then would you mind coming with me for a moment?"
If they are asking me to come and go even at a party like this, is the person quite high-ranking? Nine times out of ten, it's a politician, and I suspect it might be some member of the House of Representatives. Either way, it wouldn't be a bad thing to create a link with a Republican lawmaker.
"Then I shall return."
"Yes, thank you for your kind guidance."
After bowing my head lightly, I walked toward the man and woman waiting in front of me.
"I heard you were looking for me. I am James Sett."
As I greeted them and glanced at their faces, the woman was quite a beauty and appeared a bit younger than me. Conversely, the man appeared to be a middle-aged person around 50, and I wondered if they were a father-daughter relationship. The middle-aged man in a luxurious suit approached me and greeted me with a bright smile.
"Nice to meet you. I am Salmon Portland Chase, the Governor of Ohio. This is my daughter, Catherine Jane Chase."
If it's the Governor of Ohio, Salmon Chase, he is one of the bigwigs of the Republican Party that I know of as well. Most people in the Southern Democratic Party would likely know his name, too. It's only natural, as he was famous as an extreme abolitionist who was also an extreme realist who didn't hesitate to join hands with Democratic figures when doing politics.
"I came to participate in an event held in New York, and I heard there was a charity event held for a good cause, so I came to show my face briefly. My daughter came along to help me. Since I lost my wife, this child is effectively acting as my housekeeper."
"You have a truly wonderful and mature daughter."
"Indeed. But you are no less mature than her. I heard about the baseball game with Opdyke. It was very impressive that you finished the incident so moderately when you could have appealed yourself even more to the South there."
It seems it was the right choice that I didn't act out more than necessary. Isn't even a bigwig like this viewing my response positively right now? The result of smashing the Northern representative to pieces hadn't changed, and articles praising me were likely still coming out in the South.
"But, what do you intend to do by widely distributing hospitals in the North?"
"Is there a reason for saving people's lives?"
"That is certainly a noble goal. However, the more I see you, the more I feel that you are different from the information that is known. I feel like you could be a good collaborator if you entered the political arena... what do you think?"
He's quick-witted. As expected of a realist who cooperates with the Democrats without hesitation while being a Republican, is his eye for people different?
"I am a big planter who is notorious even in the South. I am not a vessel worthy of such an evaluation by the Governor."
"Hmm... child, do you think so too?"
"Father always said so. That one should hate the system of slavery, but there is no need to hate the people within it. At least from what I can see, Mr. Sett does not seem to be a person with such a small vessel."
Just as I was wondering why this young lady was building me up, she brought up a story I hadn't even thought of.
"Mr. Sett's slaves probably aren't that afraid of Mr. Sett, are they?"
"...That is a very novel remark. Why do you think so?"
"I was curious while the party was in full swing earlier, so I went out for a moment. I put my ear to where the carriage was, and even while they were chattering noisily, they were saying not to talk about Mr. Sett outside. It might be my misunderstanding, but it felt like loyal servants. Ah, of course, I apologize for eavesdropping. I was just so curious that it was hard to hold back."
A girl of an age who should be obsessed with high society or parties went to a carriage where black people were, without enjoying the party, and even eavesdropped by putting her ear to it?
"Ha... hahaha, I am just managing my assets efficiently, after all."
"Heh heh, I'm sure you are. You notorious big planter."
Hmm, fortunately, it seems Leo handled himself well this time, but if they had been chattering without any sense, it was a dangerous situation where they could have been caught immediately.
"The reason my slaves keep their mouths shut is because I have educated them well. My nickname is..."
"Did you say the best slave trainer in the Union? However, I think it would be better to be careful. Because there will definitely be people in the South who suspect you. People are originally like that, aren't they? Most of those who kill the protagonist of a heroic epic are not gods or monsters, but other people."
"Thank you for your valuable advice. I will take it to heart."
Even if they praise me as a hero of the South or whatever, she was saying that people who envy me and try to drag me down will definitely emerge from within. I knew that well enough, but I never expected to hear such advice from the mouth of a Northerner.
I thought I was lucky this time, and I'll definitely need to be more careful in the future. As I expressed my gratitude politely, Salmon nodded with a hearty laugh.
"I wonder if I've just created anxiety for no reason. Still, since the current situation is what it is, isn't everyone becoming sharp-edged? It wouldn't hurt to be careful."
"Of course. I am just grateful that someone like the Governor would take such care. If there is ever anything you need my help with, please let me know at any time."
"If the hospital is a great success in New York, then build the next one in our Ohio. Hahaha!"
"That is something I should be asking of you."
I finished the pleasant conversation and turned around. If it's a bigwig like Salmon Chase, he's definitely aiming for the next presidential candidacy, and I got the feeling that he was looking for a useful collaborator in the South in preparation for that time. Even so, if I cooperate with a bigwig of the Democratic Party, it won't sound good within the Republican Party, so perhaps he has picked me as a candidate who is laundering his image through the hospital business?
It wouldn't be a bad thing to have a good relationship with an influential politician in the North, but I knew one significant fact. No matter how ambitious Salmon Chase is and aiming for the presidency, the matchup for the next Republican primary is too unfavorable. This is because he has to face Lincoln, who grew into a giant by eating up the public sentiment that Buchanan had shredded to pieces, and who will be counted as the greatest president in American history.
However, even if he doesn't become the next presidential candidate, becoming a secret friend with someone who has a sufficient foothold in the Republican Party might not be bad. Whether to save or kill this unexpected connection... I decided to seriously weigh the current situation and the other party's intentions.
* * *
As James expected, this meeting was not a coincidence but a perfectly intentional approach. Salmon, who was watching his retreating back, turned his gaze to his daughter and asked.
"How was it?"
"I think it was worth coming all the way to the Astor House to see his face. I can't be sure, though."
"In my view, that young man is certainly preparing in his own way for some future he is convinced of. I don't know what kind of future that is, though."
It is understandable that a big planter of the South would build a hospital because he needed facilities to treat the slaves of his family, just as he said. However, there was no guessing why he would expand the hospital to the North and even draw in government funds to carry out a large-scale business. For his image?
But what would a Southern planter use a refreshed perception in the North for? He was even continuing his move of trying not to be directly entangled with politics.
"Anyway, isn't he the most suitable person for the target Father was looking for?"
"Since I don't know what he's hiding behind his back, I can't make a decision right away, but it's true that he's a strong candidate."
Just as Buchanan was elected as the Democratic presidential candidate by being recognized for the peculiarity of being from the North, Salmon planned to seize the next presidency by appealing to the fact that he was a candidate who could influence the South. However, since the public sentiment in the North was too bad for key Southern politicians, if he said he would cooperate with such people, there was a high possibility that the votes within the Republican Party would rather be cut down. Therefore, he needed someone who was more moderate and had some influence in the South, and James Sett was the person who fit that condition perfectly.
Even though he had the notoriety of being a vicious slave exploiter, that point was being diluted a lot by his recent actions, and because he was a person who felt quite good when actually meeting him.
"But the problem is that there is still a long time left until the presidential election, and there is no guarantee that that young man will have such excellent conditions as he does now."
"Father, that won't be a problem. If you really have thoughts, we can cover up trivial problems. In that sense, I have something I'm curious about."
"Hmm? Something you're curious about?"
"There were quite a few bigwigs in the Republican Party who married Southern figures, right?"
"There were. Starting with Fremont, who was our party's presidential candidate, he married the daughter of a Democratic bigwig. But, don't tell me..."
Watching her father flustered, Catherine shook her head with a smile whose inner thoughts could not be known.
"No way. I was just curious."
What is the goal aimed at by a person born and raised as the Cotton King of Mississippi, acting even to that extent? Is it true that he is squeezing slaves to raise profits? She found it hard to control her surging curiosity.
***
Salmon P. Chase, who appeared in this episode, is a real historical figure who was a passionate abolitionist to the extent of defending black slaves in court, but also a figure who pursued a flexible method of joining hands with other parties to achieve political goals.