Chapter 135
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Is This for Real?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Exactly four days before Victoria and Killian arrived in Canada.
A group of burly men, armed with guns, ropes, and handcuffs, crossed the border under the cover of darkness, heading for a settlement in Ontario.
“This has to be the place up ahead, right?”
“That’s what I’m telling you. Word is it’s crawling with darkies.”
“But are you sure they’re the ones who ran from Virginia? You’re telling me those black bastards made it all the way to Canada without anyone catching them?”
“Once they successfully escape to the North, the chances of getting caught drop significantly. Honestly, you can’t check every darky on the street to see if they’re a runaway slave or a Northern-born.”
That was true.
Even Metz, the leader of the Hounds, who had been doing this for years, sometimes had trouble telling one darky from another when they were all gathered together.
So, what could you expect from ordinary people?
“Sigh. What a hell of a trip, all the way from Virginia to Canada. I need a break after this job.”
“There’s a good number of them this time, so the pay should be pretty sweet, don’t you think? We could probably live it up for a few months.”
“Yeah. Let’s eat and drink for at least a month. From now on, let’s not take any more long-distance jobs that require us to chase them across the border.”
With the North abolishing slavery, the number of Black slaves escaping from the South to the North was increasing daily.
However, to avoid conflict with the South, the North maintained the Fugitive Slave Act, which meant there was a steady demand for slave catchers like the Hounds, who captured runaway slaves and returned them.
Still, it was easier said than done. In a country as vast as the United States, bringing runaway slaves back to their original owners was no simple task.
It was a tough job that required not only professional tracking skills but also the ability to beat down any who resisted.
One might think using guns would make it easy, but their targets were the client’s valuable property.
If a slave was accidentally shot and killed, or left disabled, the promised payment would vanish along with them.
Therefore, guns were fired only as a threat or when the resistance was so fierce that their own lives were in danger.
“By the way, boss, don’t you think more and more darkies have been running away lately? It’s good for us, more work and all, but this doesn’t seem normal.”
“You think so too? I was just thinking the same thing. Lately, some of those abolitionist fanatics in the North have been demanding the emancipation of Blacks, so maybe they’re influenced by that? I heard some Northern congressmen have joined that movement, so the darkies must have heard the rumors.”
“The more darkies escape, the more our services will be worth, so that’s good, right? But doesn't that mean we should keep taking jobs even after this one?”
“No. Think about it. What if skilled hunters like us take a little break? The plantation owners, who’ve been losing slaves left and right, will get desperate. Naturally, the pay for our jobs will go up, right? And it’s important to take a little time off to figure out what’s going on.”
Though he didn’t show it, Metz had seen and experienced many things while returning countless darkies to their masters.
Some fought back desperately, not wanting to be dragged back; others cried and begged for mercy.
Without exception, he had handcuffed them, tied them up tightly with ropes, and returned them to where they belonged.
But even in his eyes, an unusually large number of slaves were escaping now.
‘There might be an organization encouraging this kind of atmosphere.’
If so, those darkies might have formed their own groups or be united under someone’s protection.
Sticking his nose in the wrong place could put his own life at risk, so taking a breather to assess the situation wasn’t a bad idea.
A man only has one life; it ought to be treated with care.
Unlike the darkies who were a dime a dozen, they were valuable, irreplaceable assets.
In any case, he could worry about that more after successfully completing this job.
The Hounds, led by Metz, advanced cautiously toward the settlement where the runaway slaves from Virginia were believed to be.
They were there to return the slaves to their rightful place, serving beneath the feet of the great white men until the day they died.
However, their plan evaporated without a trace the moment the entrance to the distant village came into view.
*Bang!*
*Rat-tat-tat!*
“Aaargh!”
“Ambush! It’s an ambush!”
“What the—! Where are the shots coming from!”
“To the side! The darkies are ambushing us from the woods to the side—Aaargh!”
They had approached through the forest path to remain hidden, but they never dreamed it would become a shortcut to hell.
“Have those black bastards lost their minds! Return fire!”
At this point, there was no choice but to kill as many as they had to and take back only the survivors.
But just as the slave catchers regained their composure and tried to fight back, the darkies, who had been firing wildly, vanished back into the depths of the forest as if they had never been there.
“B-Boss! What do we do? Should we chase them…?”
“No, are you crazy! We’re here to make money, not risk our lives fighting those bastards!”
“But we have to get through this forest to go back!”
“Dammit! No choice then. Everyone, stay alert and let’s get back the way we came as fast as possible!”
This wasn’t a war. They were just here to catch some runaway darkies. Why would they throw their lives away here?
Moreover, this wasn’t even United States territory; it was officially Canadian land.
If they were near the border, they could have made an excuse, but they were undeniably deep inside Ontario. A firefight here could get them reported to the authorities.
However, the retreat was far more difficult than Metz had anticipated.
“Where do you think you’re going, you bastards!”
“You came in as you pleased, but you won’t be leaving that way!”
“Die, you Dixie bastards!”
*Bang!*
Whenever they reached a thicket of bushes, shots invariably flew from the other side. Even those hiding in the trees opened fire.
He had brought his entire crew, ambitious because he’d heard there were dozens of slaves to be captured this time.
But the veteran hunters, who had numbered over several dozen, were reduced to less than ten before they were even halfway out of the forest.
*Rat-tat-tat-tat!*
“Aaargh! Boss! They’re over here too!”
“H-Help me!”
“Get down! Get down!”
Something was wrong. How on earth had these darkies, who had only ever been slaves, learned such tactics? They were actively using cover.
And how could one explain that they had set up traps and waited, as if they knew they were coming?
Finally, with only five men left, Metz realized there was no hope. He threw his gun to the ground and raised his hands high.
“I-I surrender! We surrender! We’ll give you all our money and weapons! Just spare our lives!”
Seeing their leader surrender, the other hunters also dropped their weapons and raised their hands. Only then did the hidden Black men slowly approach, their guns still aimed.
Just as Metz was about to open his mouth, hoping there was room for negotiation…
“Bang!”
“Kuhuk!”
As his body buckled from the sharp impact in his abdomen, Metz could clearly see the hatred and venom in the darkies’ eyes.
“Surrender? What surrender, you sons of bitches. Have you ever once let go of anyone who begged for their lives?”
Of course not. If he had, he never would have grown into a massive slave-catching organization.
The hunters belatedly tried to grab their weapons again, but it was too late.
Riddled with bullets that were fired first, the hunters collapsed to the ground like heaps of trash. As his consciousness slowly faded, Metz clearly saw someone walking out from behind the darkies.
A white man, just like them, not with dark skin like the men before him.
To his astonishment, he heard one of the darkies who had been fighting them just moments ago bow respectfully to the white man and speak.
“Thank you! Thanks to all of you, I feel like some of the resentment we’ve built up has been washed away.”
“Hahaha, I’ve only done what was necessary. No need for thanks. As long as you put down roots and live here in Canada, you are not slaves of the United States, but proud citizens of British Canada. It’s only natural that trash who tries to harm our citizens should be punished like this. Ah, but.”
The white man, who had been speaking, picked up one of the hunters’ guns and began firing it here and there, diligently creating evidence.
“If it looks like you unilaterally shot and killed them, their fault becomes a little less clear. Let’s make it look as if our side also suffered damages. Use their weapons to put some holes in the village walls, and if anyone was injured in a fall, wrap them up in bandages to make it look like they were seriously hurt.”
“Understood!”
“From now on, the story is that those slave catchers suddenly ambushed your village, and you fought back. They were killed by you as you pursued them after their failed ambush and they tried to escape through the forest.”
His guess had been right after all. The great escape of the darkies had clearly been orchestrated by them.
And the one behind it all was none other than…
“Thank you, Mr. Pinkerton!”
“Don’t mention it. I was merely following orders from above. Oh, what’s this? Looks like there’s one still alive.”
The man called Pinkerton grinned and approached, pistol in hand.
“You… you bastard… aren’t you ashamed, as a fellow white man…”
*Bang!*
With one final gunshot ringing out…
The Hounds, a slave-catching organization that had reigned as a symbol of terror for runaway slaves in the South, completely vanished in Ontario, Canada.
***
“Is it certain that the men found dead were from the United States?”
“It has been verified several times. They were undoubtedly from the United States, having crossed the border. They reportedly attacked a settlement where our citizens live, only to be wiped out in a counterattack.”
“How disconcerting. For such an incident to occur the moment I arrive.”
Victoria stirred her milk tea with a spoon, her expression displeased.
I, too, turned to the governor with a feigned look of anger and said,
“How little must the United States think of us to cause such a commotion at a time like this, when Her Majesty herself has arrived. Do they think they’re our overlords just because we’ve been lenient with them lately?”
“I agree, it is an unthinkable act. I will summon the American ambassador immediately and demand an explanation.”
“Please do so. They couldn’t have been unaware that Her Majesty the Queen was coming to Canada. If so, they should have been extremely careful to avoid any unfortunate incidents for the time being. Please also have them prepare a response plan for how they will handle this in the future and inform us.”
“Yes! Right away…”
“No, no, you don’t need to leave in the middle of a meal. You can do it after the banquet is over. For now, this is a joyous occasion, so please don’t worry too much, Governor-General. This was their wrongdoing, not ours. No one will blame you.”
In truth, the United States was likely being unfairly blamed, as they probably hadn’t encouraged the slave catchers to cross the border.
But what could be done?
There was clear evidence everywhere that the ones who had crossed the border and opened fire were Dixies from the United States of America.
“Ah, and this incident isn’t just about slave catchers crossing the border; it’s a major event where they openly attacked one of our settlements. Please add that Her Majesty the Queen was very alarmed and could not contain her sorrow at the fact that such things are being carried out so brazenly.”
“I understand.”
And what else?
As they say, you have to strike while the iron is hot. Now that we had a reason to tear into them, we couldn’t let up the pressure.
Victoria, who had been staring at me as I pondered, let out a small smile and cut a piece of steak, bringing it to her lips.
“We can decide what to do next after seeing their reaction, can’t we? Don’t be so anxious… ugh!”
In the middle of chewing the meat, she suddenly covered her mouth, gagged, and looked around with a bewildered expression.
What was that? Was the meat spoiled?
Unless the chefs had lost their minds, there was no way they wouldn’t have checked the meat being served to the Queen.
Wait, then.
In that brief moment, as my head spun with confusion…
The governor-general, who had been dining beside us, shot up from his seat as if spring-loaded and bowed his head alternately to Victoria and me.
“Congratulations! Your Majesty, Your Highness! Congratulations!”
“…Congratulations?”
What in the world was there to congratulate when she just gagged in the middle of her meal?
Just as I was wondering what on earth this man was talking about…
The servants who had been watching from a distance rushed over in a fuss, and soon after, a doctor who had been summoned came running into the room. A single possibility flashed through my mind.
So, this…
Could it be that I’m going to be a father?
So suddenly?
Completely forgetting about the letter of protest I was composing for the United States, I stared blankly at Victoria’s back as she went into another room with the doctor.
It seemed… this was for real.