Meanwhile, at the Rush and Gold Gang camp.
“Boss, John and his crew have returned after collecting the dues from Rotio County.”
“Oh? It’s been a while since I’ve seen John. I should go out and greet him.”
In Justice Town, the Rush and Gold Gang was estimated to have around 40 members.
But…
In reality, the Rush and Gold Gang had far more than 40 members.
There were 40 gang members staying at the camp, plus 20 more who had just returned after collecting dues from other towns.
The Rush and Gold Gang was a massive organization with a whopping 60 members.
Since 10 members had gone to William’s mansion to help deal with Noah, about 50 tough guys were gathered at the rocky mountain where the camp was located.
“Hey, John! You’ve worked hard!”
“Boss! Haha, it’s been a while!”
The once quiet rocky mountain quickly became noisy.
Bert, the leader of the Rush and Gold Gang, welcomed the return of his right-hand man, John, and quietly asked him,
“…John, did the collection go well?”
“Haha, Boss! Who do you think I am? I handled it perfectly!”
John had just finished the final collection from Rotio County, a place the Rush and Gold Gang had thoroughly drained.
As John answered confidently, he pulled back the tarp of the wagon he had arrived in.
Inside were stacks of cash that ordinary people would rarely see in their lifetime.
“A clean 5,000 dollars! We sucked those Rotio County folks dry, down to their very souls!”
“Hahaha! John, you’ve outdone yourself! A day like this calls for drinks! I’ve got an expensive barrel of whiskey. Let’s crack it open and have some fun tonight!”
“Wahaha! Party time!”
With 50 rough men and alcohol added to the mix, the atmosphere quickly heated up.
The gang members, seeing the expensive whiskey they rarely got to taste, started drinking like crazy…
As the drinks kicked in, they began making bold requests to Bert.
“Hey… Boss…! Isn’t it a shame to have a day like this without women?”
“…Women?”
One of the already red-faced members pointed to a quiet warehouse at the corner of the camp.
“Why don’t we bring out the women from there…! I think there’s even a top-tier one among them, hehe…”
That warehouse was where the Rush and Gold Gang kept the village girls they had taken as collateral for debts.
The member, already losing his mind, was practically drooling.
But Bert stood firm.
“Hey, you idiot, get a grip! Those girls are worth more if we sell them untouched. Once they’re used, their value drops to nothing.”
“Tsk… But Boss…”
“And that top-tier girl is bait for a big catch, so don’t even think about touching her.”
The “big catch” Bert was referring to was Noah.
Hearing this, one of the underlings argued back,
“Come on, that guy’s probably dead by now. We sent 10 of our guys, and they said they’d bring 10 more, making it 20. How could he possibly still be alive?”
“…That’s true.”
Even Bert thought the guy was probably dead.
But for some reason…
‘Why do I feel so uneasy?’
His instincts kept sending him warning signals.
It felt like walking barefoot through a forest full of predators.
So Bert firmly rejected the underling’s request.
“…Still, don’t touch them. We’re selling them anyway, and used goods lose value.”
“Boss, you’re such a cheapskate!”
“Instead, drink as much as you want. I’ll give you unlimited drinks tonight.”
And so, the party continued without the women.
But then…
“B-Boss! Boss!!”
“Huh, what’s wrong?”
A gang member who had been on watch at the outskirts of the camp rushed over to Bert with a panicked expression.
“I told you to keep a good watch until the next shift. Did the guys we sent to the rich man’s mansion come back?”
“Well… it’s not our guys…”
As Bert asked while drinking, the underling replied with a face as if he’d seen a ghost.
“It’s… ‘that guy.’ He’s here.”
“…What?”
Bert immediately knew who “that guy” was.
But how…?
Could he really have survived against 20 gunslingers?
The news of Noah’s arrival doubled the unease that had been gnawing at him.
For an outlaw living on the edge, the most important skill was intuition.
Following his instincts, Bert put down his drink and shouted to the group,
“Everyone, stop!! Put down your drinks for now!”
“…!”
The chaotic Rush and Gold Gang immediately halted everything they were doing at their boss’s command.
“Everyone, grab your guns. It seems we have a guest.”
“……”
At Bert’s order, the underlings put down their drinks and picked up their weapons.
*Click, click.*
Revolvers, pistols, rifles, shotguns, and more.
The sight of 50 gang members smoothly arming themselves with metallic clinks was truly menacing.
“…Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir!!”
And so, they followed Boss Bert out…
With a dramatic air, he headed towards the camp entrance.
And there, at the camp entrance, the gang members, who seemed ready to jump into battle at any moment, were met with…
“Huh? What? It looked pretty lively earlier, weren’t you guys having a party?”
“……”
“Let me join the fun—! Haha—!”
It was a man, clearly drunk, waving his hands around like crazy.
“Hey! I just ran out of the booze I was drinking. Mind sharing some of yours?”
“……”
The only emotion Bert felt upon seeing Noah at the Rush and Gold Gang camp was sheer bewilderment.
‘What the hell is this guy?’
Twenty gunslingers should’ve taken him down. How is he still alive?
And why on earth did he come here on his own?
‘Is he bait? Are there security forces or other gunslingers around…?!’
Bert, suspecting a trap, scanned the surroundings.
But…
“……”
It was eerily quiet.
If someone were hiding, it wouldn’t be this silent.
Noah was definitely alone.
‘Should I just have my underlings shoot him dead right now?’
All Noah had in his hand was a single whiskey bottle.
And behind him? Just one horse.
Seeing Noah’s almost laughably vulnerable state, Bert couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘Is this guy drunk out of his mind?’
Assuming he could kill Noah anytime, Bert decided to shout at him first.
“Hey, Noah! Did you happen to see any of our gang members on your way here? You must’ve run into them!”
“Oh, those guys? I met them, but I killed them all!”
“What…?”
The gunslingers Bert had sent to kill Noah were among the elite of the Rush and Gold Gang.
Bert tried to dismiss Noah’s words as bravado, but…
“……!”
Seeing the bloodstains all over Noah’s clothes, Bert’s smile froze.
The thought that his underlings might’ve really been killed by this guy crossed Bert’s mind. Holding his gun, he asked again.
“…You’ve got a dark sense of humor. Forget my men. Why did you come to our camp?”
“My secretary got caught here because of some debt! I came to pay it off! I can’t eat without her!”
“…Oh, is that so?”
Even the toughest man can’t fight back when the woman he cares about is held hostage.
Feeling a bit relieved, Bert gestured for Noah to come closer.
He planned to capture Noah, torture him, and find out what happened to his missing men.
“If we’re going to talk business, we should do it face to face. It’s getting dark, so come over here.”
“Okay.”
Clomp, clomp.
At Bert’s call, Noah tied up his horse and walked into the Rush and Gold camp.
‘…Is this guy actually insane?’
Noah’s fearless stride towards them left Bert even more bewildered.
“…We’re a bit cautious. Mind handing over your gun for now?”
“Sure.”
Thud, thud.
Noah even handed over his revolver and knife.
Seeing Noah disarm so willingly, Bert, still suspicious, signaled to his underling.
But…
“He’s not hiding any weapons.”
After searching Noah, the underling shook his head.
Guns and knives are pretty bulky.
Even if he hid them in his underwear, it’d be obvious.
If they couldn’t find anything, it meant he really wasn’t hiding any weapons.
“……”
This was beyond asking to be killed—it was like offering his neck to the blade himself.
Completely baffled, Bert was left speechless as Noah spoke up first.
“Oh, before that, can I see Emma? I’m worried about her.”
“…Sure.”
Why not grant a dying man’s wish?
Bert chuckled and led Noah to the warehouse where Emma and the village girls were held.
Of course…
Click, click, click.
Even during that short walk, the Rush and Gold gang members kept their guns trained on Noah.
Dozens of gunslingers aiming at one man—it was quite the spectacle.
