Chapter 147
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: The Whole World
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The whole world.
Once Parliament officially approved the creation of a new title bearing the name of a colony, nothing stood in my way.
Victoria created the title of Duke of Canada on Canadian soil and heavily promoted the ceremony where she would bestow it upon me.
The authority and responsibilities of the Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Canada were more clearly defined by law, and the position was subsumed under my dukedom.
It was less a position of direct power and more akin to a constitutional monarch watching over the entire colony from above the Governor-General, but that was merely a facade.
The Governor-General of Canada?
The mid-level officials appointed locally on the recommendation of the ruling and opposition parties?
How could they possibly handle the affairs of mainland Canada as they pleased without my permission or support?
As long as I was the one who implemented the large-scale immigration policy, purchased territories in the west, north, and south, and became the symbol uniting all immigrants, I was now Canada, and Canada was me.
Of course, I had no intention of sidelining them to handle trivial administrative tasks or meddle in every detail of governance myself.
After all, once Victoria's child was born and I was confident the baby could safely endure a long voyage, I would have to return to the mainland anyway.
However, this land had to remain more under my influence than the British Empire's, and the work to ensure that was steadily underway.
The most pressing issue for now was bolstering Canada's population, and thanks to the Mexican-American War, the influx of Black people from the south was proving quite beneficial.
I shall repay the kindness of our benevolent American neighbors, who so generously give us not only land but people, with Canada's progress.
Now that I had acquired California and the Oregon region, I was also considering ways to accept a large number of Asian immigrants there.
The best option would be to draw immigrants from Joseon, Japan, and the Qing Dynasty, but of course, their governments would never allow it.
What mad country in the world would acquiesce to a demand like, ‘We need to take some of your people, so hand them over quietly’?
But I had already sown some seeds, so if things went well, an opening might appear.
It depended on how Russia and France acted, but while they were weaker than the British Empire, weren't they still nations vying for the second and third strongest military powers in the world at this time?
Though they had their unreliable aspects, they were the type to get things done when they committed, so I had no choice but to trust them.
For now, I would simply prepare for the unpredictable Asian front and focus on siphoning off as many Black people as I could before the United States stabilized.
[The Dominion of Canada, a true land of freedom under the British Empire, welcomes all good people who have suffered under the oppression of the lawless and violent United States.]
[Settle in Canada, and you will no longer be harassed by wretched slave catchers. The doors of the Dominion of Canada, the land of freedom, are always open.]
Even if Black slaves escaped to the North, the moment they were discovered by slave catchers, they would be immediately dragged back to the South under the Fugitive Slave Act.
However, Black slaves who entered Canada under the Treaty of Kingston became Canadians, so slave catchers couldn't touch them.
If they were caught doing so, the slave catchers would not be returning a slave but would become human traffickers, making them criminals even within the United States.
As these facts were spread throughout the South and North by our operatives, the number of Black people crossing the border began to explode.
“Surprisingly, a huge number of Black people are coming not just from the South, but from the North as well.”
“The North may have abolished slavery, but they don't treat Black people as equals.”
“Not only that, but it seems there were a considerable number of slaves from the South living in hiding in the North. Now that they know they won't have to live in fear if they come to Canada, they're all flocking over.”
“Aren't the Southern states protesting?”
“They are reportedly protesting to the North, demanding stricter border control. The North is formally blocking the routes to Ontario, but haven't we recently gained a long new border in the west? Moreover, that area includes the Rocky Mountains, and they claim that blocking the entire mountain range is unreasonable, so they're responding passively.”
Though led by a double, the fake James's National Black Association, or NBA, had already set up several secret escape routes from the North into Canada.
Black people were continuously crossing over through these routes towards Utah and Idaho, and the reality was that the United States had no means to stop it.
Just as the North claimed, they couldn't possibly blockade the Rocky Mountains, so what could they do?
“If I had my way, I'd bring over every single Black person from the South, but that's realistically impossible. I'd be happy with about a million from both the North and South, no more, no less.”
“The South is cracking down with increasing vigilance, making it harder to escape. It seems the recent riots were the decisive factor.”
Currently, Black slaves made up a large portion of the South's population, with nearly forty percent of the total population being Black.
In places like South Carolina and Mississippi, where the slave population was high, Black slaves constituted more than half the population.
That meant there were many people who could be incorporated into our population, but of course, there were limits.
“How much of the Southern rebellion has been suppressed? With the soldiers dispatched to the war with Mexico returning, it can't be easy to hold out.”
“As it happens, as soon as the war ended, the majority of the Black rebels came to Canada via the promised routes. However, there were also quite a few who chose to resist to the end, hoping to inspire a spirit of resistance in other slaves who hadn't yet heard the news.”
“Nine times out of ten, they'll be caught and killed, won't they?”
“That's likely. By the way... do you remember the report we received about a man named Stewart?”
“Stewart? The agent we sent from the southern Ontario pioneer village down to the United States?”
I remembered sending him to bring discriminated Black people from the Boston area to Canada, and I recalled a report that he had gone down to the South, wanting to save more of his brethren.
James gave a bitter smile and nodded.
“Yes, that's him. He was instrumental in helping a great number of slaves escape to Canada this time as well... but he chose to stay behind and continue fighting to the end, wanting to sound a warning to American society. Then, he went north, confessed, and stood trial.”
“...A shame. A man with such conviction could have done so much more here.”
“Still, Stewart's final statement seems to have caused quite a stir in the North. Of course, that was only possible because our organization spread the news far and wide.”
James unfolded a newspaper he had brought from the United States and showed it to me.
[The Plea of the Free Slave, Stewart. ‘If we are beasts and not men, then are you who use the same language as us speaking the tongue of beasts? I understand there was a congressman who said he would treat a Black man as a person if he could speak Greek. After escaping slavery, I studied and learned basic Greek and geometry. I have only just begun to grasp the Cartesian coordinate system, but I have taken my first step. What, then, am I? Have I evolved from something not human into a pseudo-human who can now be considered a person?’
Senator Calhoun of South Carolina, who was clearly the target of this slave's final statement, refused to comment.]
Those who are cornered tend to fall silent.
The more incidents like this occur, the harder it becomes to gloss over the conflict within the United States.
If I had my way, I'd have them split into North and South forever, but since slavery can't last for a thousand years, that's probably asking too much.
Even so, this buys me more than enough time to stabilize the newly acquired territories.
As I diligently spent the remaining time laying the foundations of this country, time flew by like a bullet from a gun.
But as a few more months passed, I came to keenly understand what it felt like to be unable to focus on work.
It was because I had to constantly stay by Victoria's side, helping her move more comfortably as her due date approached.
And then, finally.
When the Queen's labor began, the doctors and royal attendants all went on high alert, rushing through preparations as the entire residence where she was staying trembled with tension and anticipation.
They said it wasn't customary in this era for a man to be by his wife's side during childbirth, but what did I care about that?
She was already going through more difficulty giving birth to twins; I believed this was precisely when a husband should be present, so I stayed by her side throughout the entire delivery.
The contractions must have been intense, for my heart sank every time she squeezed my hand and let out a pained moan, but I did my best not to show it and kept whispering that everything would be all right.
I never dreamed that my ability to maintain a poker face at all times would be helpful in a situation like this, but I suppose it was a blessing.
How much longer did we endure that long, arduous time?
Just as the pain in my left hand, which Victoria was gripping tightly, faded into near numbness.
“He's here! Your Majesty, Your Highness! A healthy prince!”
The first baby's lusty cry pierced the silence of the delivery room, and the overjoyed attendants breathed a sigh of relief after confirming the child's gender.
Immediately after, the second child was born, and the midwife who confirmed the baby's gender exclaimed in delight.
“It's a princess! They're fraternal twins!”
The babies, whom I was seeing for the first time, could hardly be called cute, even as an empty compliment, but that didn't matter in the face of the overwhelming emotion they brought me.
How could such lovely creatures exist?
And not just one, but two.
I didn't know how to describe this feeling I'd never once experienced in my life, but I gently placed a hand on the back of Victoria, who was holding a swaddled baby.
“You did so well.”
I wanted to say more, but a mixture of relief, joy, and emotion kept rising in my throat, making it difficult to speak.
Victoria, looking incredibly gaunt after just one day, smiled faintly and passed the baby in her arms to me.
“Our child. Why don't you be the first to call him by his name?”
“Not you?”
“Of course. You were with me from the very beginning to the end as our child came into the world. I want you to be the first to call our son, at least, by his name.”
“...Then shall I?”
Looking at the face of our firstborn, passed to me by Victoria, I was struck by a different kind of emotion and was momentarily lost for words.
My goodness, just being cleaned up for a moment had made him so adorable.
But he looked so small and fragile. What if I was holding him too tightly?
As I fretted about what I would do if I hurt him, the baby gently opened his eyes, and our gazes met.
“Killian Edward.”
Was it because he understood that was his name?
Logically, that was impossible, but for some reason, I felt as though the baby had given me a small smile.
The eldest son's name was Killian Edward, and the eldest daughter's was Victoria Adelaide.
It had already been decided that our first son and daughter would be named after Victoria and me, so everyone already knew their names.
The firstborn son of this house, destined to be the first king of the Gore-Hanover dynasty and inherit everything I have built.
Did you know? On the day you were born, all of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, and all of Canada beyond, whispered your name.
Muttering the words I had always wanted to say to myself, I felt an inexplicable sense of elation welling up inside me.
For this child to inherit everything from me and rise to glory, I must first stand taller than I do now.
Yes. Canada alone, North America alone, is not enough.
Beyond the Pacific, all the way to Asia.
I will seize it all.
I promise you, my son. This father will give you the whole world.