Meanwhile, at William’s mansion.
Whoosh.
In the grand parlor, someone was sipping tea with William.
William, with a face full of dissatisfaction, nagged at the guy comfortably drinking tea in front of him.
“Hey, it’s been days since I requested you to take care of ‘that guy.’ Why is it still so quiet?”
“Just wait a little longer.”
In front of William was Bert, the leader of the Rush and Gold Gang.
And… of course, the ‘that guy’ William referred to earlier was Noah.
William, who was on the verge of being extorted by Noah, had requested the Rush and Gold Gang to eliminate Noah.
Given the nature of their loan business, the more cash they had, the better, so the Rush and Gold Gang naturally accepted William’s lucrative offer.
However, contrary to William’s expectation that they would act immediately, the Rush and Gold Gang was taking their time, showing a relaxed attitude.
This was understandably frustrating for William.
“What are we waiting for! Can’t you just go and kill him right now?”
“We may be a gang, but we still have to keep our boundaries. To leave no evidence or witnesses, we need to move discreetly.”
Bert, the leader of the Rush and Gold Gang, valued maintaining boundaries just as much as Noah did.
If they failed to keep their boundaries, the Rush and Gold Gang would quickly turn into a lawless group… and then they wouldn’t be able to operate as freely as they do now.
There was a limit to bribing the higher-ups.
The Rush and Gold Gang, already on the verge of becoming a lawless group after raiding several villages, couldn’t openly kill people.
And…
“Moreover, he’s not someone we can just kill on a whim.”
There was another reason why the Rush and Gold Gang found it difficult to touch Noah.
Thud.
Bert placed a newspaper from a few months ago in front of William.
The newspaper contained information that William was already aware of.
“This is…”
It was the same newspaper that had prompted William to entrust Noah with finding his daughter.
[Young Gunslinger of Justice Town! Single-handedly wipes out the Bank Robbery Gang of Lexio County!]
“Bank robbery isn’t something just anyone can do. Only the fearless and ruthless among the lawless can pull it off.”
Banks are the top priority for village security, and they are heavily guarded against lawless individuals.
The fact that they robbed a bank itself signifies their immense skill.
‘Redbeard Gang… I’ve heard of them. A gang made up of retired Irishmen, wasn’t it?’
Among the lawless, the strongest and most threatening were those with military backgrounds.
Even Bert had heard of the Redbeard Gang, a gang so skilled.
And he single-handedly wiped them out…?
Just how skilled is this gunslinger?
“Having met him in person, he has an incredible presence. I almost thought a hole was going to appear in my forehead.”
“I know he’s skilled! That’s why I asked you to handle it!”
If William had known that capturing Noah would be this difficult, he wouldn’t have offered such a large sum to Bert.
Bang.
As William slammed the table in anger, Bert smiled faintly and calmed him down.
“Ah, don’t worry too much. It just takes time. I have the know-how to quietly deal with such a beast.”
“…What is it?”
“Even bears that can tear people apart can’t move if you threaten their cubs.”
Many residents of Justice Town are already in debt to the Rush and Gold Gang.
Is there really no one among them who has a close relationship with Noah?
‘Come to think of it, he has a secretary too. It might be worth digging into that.’
Bert picked up a biscuit from the table and continued his explanation.
“We threaten the cub’s life in front of the bear. When the bear comes out of the cave, that’s when we strike!”
Crunch.
The biscuit crumbled into dust in Bert’s hand.
“If dozens of our gang members fire at once, even the most skilled gunslinger, being human, would die.”
“…So, you’re saying you’ll use his close ones to threaten him, lure him out, and kill him all at once?”
“Exactly.”
Hostages and threats.
It was the classic method for the weak to deal with the strong.
Bert’s face was filled with confidence, as if he was accustomed to such underhanded tactics.
But for some reason…
‘That heartless guy probably wouldn’t care about what happens to others…’
William couldn’t shake off a strange sense of unease as he thought of Noah.
**
Meanwhile, Emma, who had gone on Noah’s errand to fetch alcohol, quickly arrived at the Deaf Man’s Tavern on Bonnie.
“Mr. Bob, I’m here.”
“Oh, Emma. What’s up?”
“The boss said to pick up some alcohol…”
“Ah, that? Got it. I’ll bring it right away. Just wait a moment.”
“Emma, why don’t you chat with us while you wait?”
The Deaf Man’s Tavern was still preparing to open, but Bob’s wife, Mari, and Joe, who supplied alcohol to the tavern, were sitting down for a break.
“Yes, then I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”
Having lived in Justice Town all her life, Emma was friends with Bob, Mari, and Joe. She sat down while waiting for the alcohol.
As she sat down, Joe noticed Bonnie tied up outside and asked excitedly.
“By the way, Emma. Didn’t you not have a horse before? What’s with that amazing white horse outside?”
Joe, being a coachman, quickly noticed that Emma’s horse, Bonnie, was extraordinary.
“Ah… The boss happened to get it and lent it to me for a while.”
“Wow… That looks like a horse worth hundreds of dollars, and that stingy Noah gave it to you? …Amazing.”
“Don’t be surprised, Joe. Noah has always been special to Emma.”
Noah being special to Emma…
Emma found it ridiculous but still pleasant to hear.
“…Well, even I would do that. Emma is beautiful and handles things well. …Haha.”
“Noah has eyes, so of course he’d see Emma in a good light.”
“……”
Although Joe and Mari were always friendly with Emma, today they seemed a bit excessive.
Quick-witted Emma could tell they had something to ask of her.
Sure enough, Mari quickly got to the point.
“Sigh… It’s really hard to make a living these days. The gangsters come every day causing trouble because of debts…”
“Me too… Yesterday, they threatened to take my horse… If they take my horse, how am I supposed to live…”
“If Noah stepped in, things would be a bit easier…”
Mari said this while subtly glancing at Emma.
Joe also chimed in to help.
“Y-yeah…! Noah is an excellent gunslinger… I saw him when he went to take down the bank robbers. He pulled the trigger once, and six bullets came out at once.”
“……”
As expected, the two were trying to seek Noah’s help through Emma, his secretary.
Knowing that simply asking wouldn’t work, Emma sincerely advised her friends.
“…The boss isn’t someone who helps just because you ask. You’ll need money.”
“Are you saying we need to gather 4000 dollars, Emma? …But I don’t even have 4 dollars in my pocket…”
“Right, Emma. Neither Joe nor I have any money. Probably everyone in the village is the same.”
“Then you’ll have to pay later.”
“…Later?”
As Mari and Joe widened their eyes, Emma slowly explained.
“When you have money, everyone in the village will be the same…”
“Write a promissory note saying you’ll save up this money and give $4,000 to the Boss. To move the Boss, you’ll at least need to do that.”
“……”
$4,000.
It was a large sum, but not an impossible amount for the entire village to save up if they tightened their belts for a few months.
“…Alright.”
“Miss Mari…!”
“We have to survive first. I’ll try to convince the villagers. Now, Emma. If we just sign that promissory note, can we get Noah to move?”
“Well… not exactly.”
“…What?”
From Emma’s perspective, who knew Noah better than anyone, a mere $4,000 promissory note wouldn’t be enough to move him.
Noah wouldn’t trust a promissory note from poor people.
Besides, $4,000 was just the basic upfront fee.
Taking down a massive gang with over 40 members?
If it were the usual Noah, he’d take $4,000 upfront and then demand several thousand more as a success fee.
From Noah’s perspective, $4,000 for dealing with a massive gang clearly didn’t add up.
“…Then what do we do, Emma? The money we borrowed from them was already taken as interest… Our villagers are practically beggars. We can’t gather more money…”
“Hmm…”
Emma thought that both the two people in front of her and the villagers were reaping what they sowed.
It was absurd for them to borrow money and then throw a tantrum asking Noah to solve their problems.
But…
‘What if I also borrowed money from them?’
‘Then I’d have to hire a new secretary.’
…Right now, Emma had one burning curiosity she desperately wanted to satisfy.
Would Noah save her if she were in danger?
What kind of existence was Emma to Noah?
Was she the only one who thought of Noah as special?
Maybe he too…
……
Her heart grew restless, and she felt a burning thirst in her throat.
Emma wanted to quench this intense longing quickly.
“…I’ll give it a try.”
Under the pretext of saving the villagers… she made a choice to fulfill her own desires.
**
“What the hell, why isn’t she back yet?”
I had sent Emma on an errand to get alcohol earlier in the day, but even as the sun set and evening came, she hadn’t returned.
“…No, is she brewing the alcohol herself? Why is it taking so… finally, she’s here.”
Just as I was starting to worry and got up from the sofa, I heard the sound of horse hooves approaching.
After waiting a bit, Emma finally came in.
“…Boss, I’m back.”
“Why are you so late? I had something to tell you.”
I spoke to Emma while lying on the sofa.
“Tomorrow, we have to meet William, remember? About that…”
“……”
Tomorrow was finally the day the week-long promise with William would end.
To get the money from William, I needed to be fully prepared, so I was explaining the plan to Emma when…
“…Huh?”
“……”
I stopped, noticing something was off about her demeanor.
“…What? Do you have something to say?”
“Boss.”
“Go ahead.”
With my permission, Emma hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“If you solve this problem, the villagers have promised to gather $4,000 within six months and pay you.”
“……”
“They’re willing to write a promissory note if you want. What do you think?”
The Emma I knew wasn’t the type to bring up requests like this.
And she definitely wasn’t stupid enough to not see how ridiculous this request was.
It seemed like she had some ulterior motive, but I answered seriously.
“Emma. How many members does the Rush and Gold Gang have? That $4,000 is obviously just the upfront fee. If we’re really going to do this, we’d need more money.”
“……”
“And the villagers are all broke. What makes you think they’ll pay later? Why are you acting like an amateur today?”
When I spoke firmly, Emma’s face filled with unease as she mumbled.
“Well, Boss… If I asked for your help, would you help me?”
“…Are you bringing up that conversation again? If it’s about that…”
“I borrowed money from the Rush and Gold Gang.”
“…What?”
Emma handed me a piece of paper.
It was… a promissory note proving she had borrowed $200 from the Rush and Gold Gang.
“What is this…?”
“Boss, please… help me.”
The moment I saw the promissory note, I was dumbfounded.
I wondered if Emma had suddenly lost her mind or what could have driven her to do something like this.
And when I looked up from the note and saw her face…
“……”
A memory I could never forget unfolded in my mind like a panorama.
Her lips, tightly pressed in tension.
Her anxious expression, fearing rejection.
‘Kid, I actually…’
‘I liked you. Maybe from the moment we first met…’
‘…What about you?’
‘Answer me.’
Emma’s current appearance was so similar to her past self.
“……”
I knew Emma had changed since our trip to San Francisco.
But I never dreamed it would be like this.
“……”
“…Boss.”
In the uncomfortable silence, Emma…
Always expressionless and cold, she blushed like a teenage girl and urged for an answer.
For her, this was probably the best way to indirectly express her feelings.
‘Why is this so relentless?’
Going into debt to express her feelings…
I thought Emma was the only sane one in this savage Wild West, but she turned out to be the biggest fool.
And… I had to respond to this fool’s confession.
Honestly, there was nothing to think about.
‘What was I to you…?’
‘…I can never forgive you.’
‘Traitor.’
I knew how this relationship would end.
After all, Emma was just one of the countless NPCs who would disappear when I left this world.
“…Hah, I’m speechless.”
“……”
So, I laughed at Emma, who had probably shown her truest self more than ever before.
“If you want to make a request, bring the money, Emma.”
“…!”
“What? Did you think you were something special to me?”
I was the type to finish what I started.
“Playing around with you a few times out of boredom, and now you’re being annoying. …I’ve got enough work to kill me, and now this nuisance.”
I made sure to crush Emma’s tender, naive heart thoroughly, so she wouldn’t get any foolish ideas.
