Chapter 10
California! (4)
'It's moving.'
It's the first building.
"It's not big, but it's a beautiful church."
"The inside is finished too, so let's go in together."
I went into the church with Father Raul, a young priest I brought with the pioneering expedition.
The two-story church was composed of a pastoral space, a community space, and a place for the priest to live.
"Your Highness, thank you for building such a beautiful church. Thanks to Your Highness's grace, those who came to this land have a place where they can hear the word of God. Thank you."
Father Raul expressed his gratitude, as if he liked the church.
"I hope you will preach the word of the Lord well to the pioneers, even though it will be hard work."
At that time, the church also served as a kind of community facility. Because of that, almost all the residents would go to church on weekends.
Since it was a church that could accommodate 150 people at a time, I might have to hold three services every weekend.
'I wanted to build it bigger at first, but it was the first construction, so I think it was good that I reduced the size. It took 10 weeks, even though it wasn't a big building.'
It took a long time because it was the first building, and since it wasn't a big building, I only put in about 30 workers at a time.
'The rest of the people, except for the gold miners, have been collecting and processing wood to gather materials, and the carpenters have fully understood lightweight wood construction, so now we can build several buildings in parallel.'
The first building was almost a one-man show. I explained the balloon frame construction method in detail to the 30 carpenters, but would they be able to build it just by listening to the explanation?
I had to demonstrate, and the carpenters would often watch from the side. They gradually picked up speed after they understood it to some extent.
"Master Carpenter Andres, are you confident?"
"Yes, I am confident."
Ten carpenters, including Master Carpenter Andres, were assigned to build the government office and the military barracks.
Five were assigned to build two warehouses, and the remaining carpenters were paired up in groups of three to build five houses.
My role was to continuously supervise the entire construction site, going around to each one.
All 320 people, except for the 30 carpenters and 100 miners, were scheduled to be deployed to the construction site.
'Government office, military barracks, two warehouses, and five houses, for a total of nine buildings. These buildings are also about the same size as the church, so it will take about 8-10 weeks.'
Gold mining was also progressing smoothly.
Starting with the placer gold of the American River, we began to mine the placer gold and open-pit mines of Sutter's Mill in Coloma, the starting point of the Gold Rush in the original history. Soon, we will start mining the open-pit mine at Angels Camp.
***
Julio Cervantes thought it was about time.
'This is quite dazzling.'
The 2nd company was guarding the pioneer village and the warehouse, so Julio Cervantes could see the refined gold coming in.
'Heh heh, it's like giving a fishmonger to a cat. Thanks, young Crown Prince.'
Slurp.
Julio swallowed and calculated the amount of gold.
'One gold bar is about 3 pounds (1.36 kg). 13 gold bars have been coming in every month for the past six months… 234 pounds (106.14 kg)! That's enough.'
It would be ridiculously small if divided among the participants, but Julio had no intention of dividing it fairly.
'It's enough to give the soldiers a little bit each. The pioneers, who don't have guns or decent weapons, are just pack animals, so I'll just kill them off when I'm done with them. The gold bars for this month will be coming in soon, so I'll do it then.'
Julio adjusted his duty shifts to coincide with the timing.
Two hours when all five soldiers on night duty at the 1st warehouse were replaced with soldiers he had recruited.
He had to seize that golden opportunity.
'This dreary countryside is finally over. I'm going to the city!'
The pioneer village had grown so much that every family had a house, with countless buildings built over the past six months. The building arrangement and road design were neat and tidy, but it was still a rural village.
There were only farms that had recently started being cultivated, and there weren't any decent shops or pubs.
Julio already felt like he was a rich man in the city, and everything in the pioneer village seemed boring to him.
***
Roman, one of the residents who had been recruited by Julio, was anxious as Julio waited for the day of action, dreaming of a bright future.
He had been persuaded by Julio's snake-like tongue and had agreed to join him, but he was anxious about whether the operation would succeed, and even if it did, he was worried that Julio would betray him.
They say that criminals recognize criminals. Julio had a strong scent of betrayal.
'I need to increase my allies if I don't want to be betrayed.'
Julio told him to never tell anyone, as it could be discovered, but it would be fine if he was careful, wouldn't it?
If he didn't want to be betrayed by Julio's gang after the operation succeeded, he needed to have more numbers on his side.
He went to Victor, who had been assigned to the neighboring farm and had become quite friendly with him, in the dark of evening when everyone was resting at home.
Victor welcomed Roman, who had come to see him unexpectedly in the evening, but the conversation didn't flow in the direction Roman had hoped.
Victor was a silent man, a type of person Roman couldn't understand.
Loyalty to the imperial family, who had only recently ascended to the throne, existed for Victor.
"Steal gold?! What are you talking about? That's a crime!"
"It's fine if we don't get caught! It's a plan that can't fail!"
Victor, hearing Roman's proposal, started to rant that he would report him.
'Damn it. He's talking about loyalty. Should I just kill him?'
Roman pondered.
It was the dark of dawn. Everyone had received a spacious piece of land, so their neighbors were far away. If I kill Victor's family, there will be no witnesses.
If I go back home and tell my family that I've been with them all evening, there will be no room for suspicion.
The hand holding the hidden knife was getting itchy.
"Father! Let's just turn a blind eye this time!"
"What? Diego! What are you saying?! Are you saying that you're going to betray His Highness the Crown Prince too?!"
Victor's son, who suddenly appeared, began to advocate for Roman's proposal.
'Oh? Did he say Diego? Is he a reasonable guy?'
Victor, hearing his son Diego's unexpected words, raised his voice in excitement, but he realized that it wasn't his true intention when Diego winked at Roman secretly.
"Father! I want to be educated in the city too! It's not like His Highness the Crown Prince will be in big trouble just because we stole some gold."
Victor thought that his son's sudden intervention had a reason.
"Hmm… I see."
'Is this working? I didn't think Victor was like this, but he's weaker to his son than I thought. Good, I have to strike now.'
"Yeah. You should educate your son and make him successful. Are you going to make your son live his whole life tilling the soil and digging with a pickaxe? And as your son said, stealing some gold is just pocket change for His Highness the Crown Prince."
"···Okay. I'll join you."
"It would have been better if you had come out so straightforwardly from the beginning. This guy is really something."
Roman, thinking that he had finally persuaded him, happily returned home.
***
Diego, watching Roman's retreating figure, said to his father after he was gone.
"That guy was hiding a knife behind his back."
"What? Is that true? We have to report him as soon as possible. Diego, you saved us. Thank you."
"Even if we report him now, it's hard to punish him because he didn't actually commit the crime. And his gang will deny it. We don't even know exactly who his accomplices are."
"Hmm… That's true."
"It would be better to pretend to cooperate with their plan, get information, and pass it on to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Victor, following his son's advice, pretended to cooperate and build trust.
Julio was angry that Roman had increased the number of people without his permission, but it had already happened, and since Victor was actively cooperating, he just let it go.
Roman kept the fact that Victor had ranted about reporting him a secret. There was no need to say anything that would lower his own position.
Julio, who planned a crime and betrayal, Roman, who joined but was anxious, and Victor, who pretended to join, all had their own agendas.
Victor, who pretended to actively participate in Julio's criminal plan, immediately secretly reported it to the crown prince and the major when he learned the day of the operation.
"Julio Cervantes. That guy… It's strange that he volunteered for the 2nd company to guard the 1st warehouse, where the gold is, even though it has the most night duty personnel… He's not that kind of guy… I'm sorry, Your Highness."
"It's okay, major. First, we need to make sure that he's actually going to commit the crime. I appreciate Victor's tip, but we can't punish him based on suspicion alone. Let's move soldiers secretly and have them lie in ambush around the warehouse."
"Yes, Your Highness."
***
Early morning on the day of the operation.
Julio Cervantes, five soldiers, and a total of 20 residents gathered at the 1st warehouse in the Sacramento pioneer village.
While the 20 residents stole the gold, the five soldiers on duty watched over the warehouse.
There was no one around. Who would be walking around in the early morning in this rural village, where there wasn't even a pub?
"No one will come at this time."
"Yeah. It's practically a success already."
"Heh heh. Did you see the gold bars gleaming? We're rich now."
It was a night with weak moonlight.
The pioneer village in the early morning was lit by the small light from two kerosene lamps hanging on the warehouse door.
In the pitch-black darkness where you could barely see 10 meters away, the soldiers were waiting for the residents to quickly take out the gold.
"Hmm? Hey, didn't I hear something?"
"Hear what? I don't hear anything."
Click.
"Huh? I heard it this time too?"
"I'll check it out."
The soldier on duty guarding the front door picked up a kerosene lamp hanging on the warehouse wall.
He had only walked about 10 meters.
"Huh? Oh oh?"
Dozens of people were waiting in the darkness, aiming their guns.
"Shh!"
Major Manuel put his finger to his lips, looking at the soldier on duty. It meant to be quiet.
"P..Please spare my life."
The soldier dropped his gun.
***
Julio urged the residents.
"Move quickly. I've counted all the gold bars here, so don't even think about taking any extra!"
Julio didn't trust the residents. He had counted each gold bar himself before the residents came in, and he was watching them to make sure they only took the amount of gold bars they were assigned.
'I want to take it all for myself, but I can't carry a total of 274 pounds (124.28 kg), including this month's haul, by myself.'
He was planning to leave the pioneer village completely, so everyone already had quite a lot of luggage.
They had to pack the minimum amount of clothing and food, and the most valuable items.
The soldiers also had to take their guns and bullets, so they had no choice but to mobilize the residents.
'That's until we reach America. I'll kill that bastard Roman first. How dare that poor bastard leak the operation plan to someone without my permission? It's fortunate that Victor is a good listener, or things would have been bad.'
"Okay, everyone, let's go quickly after you've packed everything."
Julio happily opened the warehouse door and went out.
Click.
'Huh?'
Dozens of muzzles greeted Julio in the darkness. The crown prince and Major Manuel were glaring at him.
"What!"
Julio's mind went blank for a moment, but he soon grasped the situation.
"Damn it! There was a rat!"
Julio instinctively turned around.
He saw Victor's expression.
It was a relieved expression, unlike the others who were terrified.
Julio was certain at that moment that Victor was the informant.
"Roman! You bastard!! You ruined the plan because of your pathetic greed!!"
Julio pointed his gun at Roman.
"Stop!!"
"Don't move!!"
Major Manuel and the captain of the 1st company of bodyguards shouted at Julio to stop when he made a sudden move, but Julio didn't listen.
"I didn't report it!! It was Victor!!"
Roman sold Victor out, begging for his life, but Julio didn't stop.
"I know! You idiot!! It's all your fault, so just die!!"
"Fire!!"
Bang!… Bangbangbangbangbang!!
As Julio fired at Roman, dozens of soldiers fired at Julio.
"Don't move anyone!!!"
***
The residents, who had been startled awake by the sound of gunfire in the early morning, cursed Julio and his accomplices who had been seduced by his instigation after hearing what had happened.
"Ugh. Ungrateful bastards. Tsk tsk tsk."
"If we just work hard like this, we can live a good life. Stupid bastards."
The criminals involved were Julio Cervantes, five soldiers, and 20 pioneers. Among them, Julio and Roman were dead, and Victor's family of five had pretended to participate.
Therefore, 14 pioneers and 5 soldiers survived among the criminals.
I confiscated their property, but I didn't take any further action and offered them lenient conditions.
The condition was that they would be forgiven if they worked as miners for four years, receiving only food and no wages.
'It's more of a hassle to tie up 19 people and bring them all the way to Mexico City just to put them on trial.'
It was much more lenient than the sentence they would receive in a formal trial in this era, so it was much better for both sides.
'By the way, this was really dangerous. If Victor hadn't reported it, I would have been caught completely. I have to be careful from now on. I have to be more vigilant.'
I realized that it was an era where you would be caught if you let your guard down.
After dealing with the issue of the criminals, I started preparing to return to Mexico City.
'The wages for the miners are also running low. It's about time to go back.'
The captain of the 1st company and 15 soldiers stayed behind to guard the pioneer village. They were the ones who decided to settle in Sacramento, and I promised to find their families and send them to Sacramento.
My party, consisting of me, Major Manuel, 30 soldiers, five carpenters, two boys, and one guide, set off for Mexico City.
The wagon we had brought with grain and farm implements when we left was now loaded with gold bars.
It had been eight months since we arrived in Sacramento.
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