Honestly, it makes no sense that families living in remote western areas would let strangers into their homes without much suspicion.
Above all, the faint scent of blood piercing through the cold wind and reaching my nose.
It probably hasn’t been long since that young couple in the photo lost this house.
“Since we’re all professionals here, let’s not waste time and settle this quickly. The winner sleeps inside, and the loser sleeps outside.”
Of course, the loser will sleep outside as a corpse.
Yawn.
As I yawned and urged him, John, who had been frozen stiff, forced a laugh and spoke.
“…Right, I figured you’d catch on. But don’t you think it’s already too late?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I only drugged your drink. Didn’t you notice? The effects should be kicking in soon.”
No wonder I felt tipsy after just that drink.
I actually knew something was mixed in the alcohol. I saw John’s family subtly drinking from a different bottle.
But still… It was my first drink in a while, and since it didn’t seem poisoned, I gulped it down.
Turns out there was a drug in it.
“Actually, that’s great. I’ll sleep really well tonight.”
“…You’re full of bravado. Even though your gun is already in my hands.”
“Oops.”
Click.
I didn’t notice, but when I came to my senses, the two revolvers in my holster were already in John’s hands.
Dizzy.
Maybe the drug was stronger than I thought because my mind was foggy, and I felt dizzy.
John’s movements were also much faster than I expected.
Spin.
John spun my revolver on his finger and asked me.
“So, what’s your plan now? I think you’re already checkmated.”
Swish, click.
Before John could finish speaking, his wife and father pulled out guns from somewhere.
I also saw John’s sons slowly reaching out to Emma.
Did I let my guard down?
I thought they were easy targets since they weren’t bounty-worthy, but it seems they’re a skilled family of bandits.
I let out a small sigh and replied.
And then…
“This is quite ironic.”
“I have no ill will toward you. So if you hand over anything valuable, I might let you live…”
“I also have no ill will.”
“What?”
Slash.
Before John could finish speaking, I pulled out the knife hidden in my coat and slit his throat.
Splat!
Thud.
John fell backward, blood gushing from his neck like a fountain.
“I was grateful for the food and drinks you offered, so I wanted to make it quick with a bullet.”
The chicken soup and wine John’s family served were truly delicious.
So, out of gratitude, I wanted to kill John painlessly with a gun, but since he took my revolver, I couldn’t.
“Honey—!!”
“…John!!!”
As soon as John fell, his wife and father screamed and drew their guns.
John’s sons also pulled out their guns and aimed at Emma.
But from here, I didn’t even need to step in.
Bang bang bang bang!
Taking my killing of John as a signal, Emma immediately drew her gun and mercilessly shot all four of them with rapid fanning shots.
“Guh—!”
“Ugh—!”
John’s remaining family members, each hit in vital spots like the forehead and between the eyes, died with a single scream.
“Emma, well done. That was a clean quick draw and fanning shot.”
“…Thank you, Boss.”
Emma, who had skillfully dealt with John’s family, blew the gunpowder smoke from the barrel and holstered her gun.
I remember the first time Emma shot and killed someone.
It was 7-8 months ago, on our way to San Francisco, when we encountered a gang of train robbers.
Back then, Emma trembled with guilt even as she killed those ruthless outlaws.
But now, Emma shot and killed these bandits, who were pretending to be a warm family, without a second thought.
While working as my secretary… Emma has adapted to life in the West.
“Alright, Emma. Let’s handle the cleanup.”
“Yes.”
I threw John’s family’s bodies into the woods outside, and Emma found a rag to wipe away the bloodstains.
After roughly tidying up the house, we headed to the barn.
“Boss, is it here?”
“Yeah.”
The barn, now empty since they must have sold all the livestock.
But there’s a suspiciously protruding pile of straw in the corner.
I dug through it as if I knew what I was doing…
“Found it.”
Soon, I found the faces of the couple from the photo inside the house.
The two bodies, seemingly shot to death, were frozen solid, preserved by the winter cold.
Though they now lay in a pitiful state, these two were likely the original owners of the house.
I carried the couple’s bodies outside along with the straw.
Then, I poured oil over them and set them on fire.
After about an hour, the two bodies turned into white ash.
Since the ground was too frozen to dig deep, Emma and I made a small hole and buried the white ash.
Emma knelt there and offered a brief prayer.
“Rest in peace.”
If it were the usual me, I wouldn’t have bothered with such a hassle.
But…
Since Emma wanted to honor their spirits, I followed her lead.
“Boss, let’s go inside now.”
“Yeah. Emma, are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I’m fine.”
After leaving Justice Town, the relationship between Emma and me changed.
I no longer play mean pranks on her or go against her wishes.
I always humbly follow her lead and try my best to treat her well.
The reason I treat her so well is because of guilt.
Guilt for taking her out of Justice Town without being able to take responsibility for her.
Guilt for making her expect something from me that I can’t fulfill.
…Guilt for ultimately abandoning her and leaving this game alone.
Maybe I’m thinking that if I treat her well, even just for a little while before going home, I can escape this guilt.
Whether she knows my feelings or not, Emma has cautiously but steadily approached me, who doesn’t stop her.
“Boss, you should sleep now.”
“Yeah, Emma. Aren’t you tired? There are two rooms. You can choose the one you like. I’ll take the other…”
“…It’s cold. How about we share a bed?”
“…….”
Now, Emma naturally asks to sleep with me.
“…Alright.”
I didn’t refuse her bold request.
“I’ll boil some water. You go ahead and wash up, Boss.”
“Okay.”
Since we hadn’t properly washed in the past week, we decided to indulge in the luxury of a bath.
Fortunately, the log cabin had plenty of water, and Emma skillfully boiled water to prepare the bath.
Pouring water over my body for the first time in a week felt incredibly refreshing.
After a satisfying bath, I lay down on the bed.
Emma finished her bath shortly after and came to lie down beside me.
Emma was wearing a thin slip as usual, and the bed wasn’t big enough for both of us to lie down comfortably.
Emma and I had to press our bodies close to fit on the bed together.
“Boss, I’ll turn off the light now.”
“…Okay.”
In the dark room.
The small bed and the pleasant scent from Emma.
Warmth and smooth skin.
But…
“…….”
“…….”
Perhaps because of my guilt toward Emma, I didn’t feel the same lustful desire as before.
Thump.
Of course, my heart still raced.
My heart was racing, but I managed to resist touching Emma.
Emma, too, didn’t seem to have any intention of forcing herself on me. She just stuck close to me without making any further demands.
“Boss.”
“Huh?”
“Can I use your arm as a pillow?”
“……”
…Nope.
Emma soon made a somewhat out-of-place but cute request for an arm pillow.
After a moment of hesitation…
“……”
I silently stretched out my arm to her.
Emma hesitated for a moment before snuggling into my arm.
In the darkness, I could see Emma smiling faintly.
It seemed like she was genuinely happy just because I didn’t push her away.
Seeing her like that made my chest feel heavy again.
Guilt.
After killing thousands, tens of thousands of NPCs over the past 17 years, why was I feeling such overwhelming guilt now?
‘…This is annoying.’
There wasn’t much time left before I could go home.
But I hated myself for feeling this way now.
The quickest way out of this annoying situation was to gather $30,000 as fast as possible and return home.
But there was a problem.
[Logout unavailable]
[Amount remaining until logout: $963,154 / $1,000,000]
Ever since leaving Justice Town, the money-making hotspot, I hadn’t been able to earn much.
While Emma and I had been moving westward, we’d caught a few small-time outlaws, but their bounties weren’t even worth exchanging.
The outlaws we just took down, John and his family, weren’t even on the updated wanted posters yet.
I thought I’d easily make $30,000 outside Justice Town, but… at this rate, it’s going to take way longer.
Then, as if sensing my impatience, Emma, who was resting her head on my arm, opened her eyes and asked softly.
“Boss, shouldn’t we decide on a clear destination?”
“……Why?”
“Isn’t your goal to make a lot of money? But if we keep wandering like this, we won’t be able to earn properly.”
“……”
After a moment of hesitation, I answered.
“…You’re right. I need $30,000 right now. To earn that, I need a plan.”
“……”
Even after hearing the specific amount of $30,000, Emma didn’t ask why I needed it.
She just pondered along with me.
“Is there… a good way?”
“There is… a good way.”
I then told Emma the plan I’d been thinking about.
“You can’t make big money in these rural areas… so first, we head to a big city in California.”
“A big city in California…? Don’t tell me….”
Emma’s eyes widened as if she thought I was crazy.
I chuckled and replied.
“Oh, obviously not San Francisco.”
“…Oh, phew, that’s a relief.”
“Do you think I’m crazy enough to crawl back to San Francisco?”
If I went back to San Francisco, I’d definitely get a very enthusiastic (?) welcome from a lot of people.
I had absolutely no intention of returning to San Francisco until this game was over.
“Emma, you’re a country girl, so you might not know, but California has many cities besides San Francisco.”
“Yes, even in this country girl’s head, some famous city names come to mind. So, how do you plan to make money in those cities?”
“One easy way to make money is to latch onto someone rich. I know someone who’s really loaded. You know them too.”
“Someone both you and I know who’s rich…, …don’t tell me?”
Emma’s eyes widened as if she’d just thought of someone.
I gently patted her head and said.
“The railroad tycoon’s house is in Sacramento, right? Let’s go, to Sacramento.”
If you were to name the three major cities in California, what would they be?
First, San Francisco, the center of logistics and economy in the West.
Second, Los Angeles, where many people live due to the early discovery of gold.
Third, Sacramento, the state capital with the greatest administrative power.
Though overshadowed by San Francisco, Sacramento is still one of California’s representative cities, home to many residents and companies.
Among the companies based in Sacramento is Lloyd Railroad Company, which owns the most railroads in the West.
Lloyd Railroad Company, which is even eyeing railroads in the East and North.
But today, a cold wind blew through the usually thriving Lloyd Railroad Company…
“What do you mean—! You can’t hire more gunslingers!?”
Upon hearing his secretary’s report that they couldn’t hire more gunslingers, Lloyd, the president of the railroad company, was furious.
Seeing the usually mild-mannered Lloyd so angry, the secretary was at a loss.
“You know… recently, San Francisco has been recruiting a lot of gunslingers, so there’s a shortage in California.”
“If we offer more money than San Francisco, it should work, right!?”
“It seems the South Brotherhood has been applying pressure…”
“Those damn gang bastards.”
Building railroads isn’t as simple as just laying tracks.
You have to buy the rights from the government and clear any ‘obstacles’ in the way.
Currently, many squatters and Indians are blocking Lloyd Railroad Company’s construction.
The company needed gunslingers to drive them out, but due to the South Brotherhood, hiring gunslingers in California was restricted.
Lloyd sighed deeply, knowing that the company could suffer huge losses if things went wrong.
“Sigh…, is there no skilled gunslinger out there?”
Lloyd suddenly remembered a young gunslinger he’d briefly met in San Francisco.
The guy who took down dozens of train robbers with a single gun and toyed with the South Brotherhood in San Francisco.
Impressed, Lloyd had even gifted him his prized horse when they parted ways.
‘His name was Jet, right? I wonder how he’s doing.’
If that guy were here, he could sweep away those damn squatters and Indians in one go.
‘But I think he lives in Utah. Damn, it’ll be hard to get him.’
Feeling a deep regret, Lloyd pressed his secretary.
“You know the situation, right? The company’s fate is at stake here. Hire gunslingers by any means necessary. Money is no object.”
“…Yes, understood!”
At Lloyd’s command, the secretary nodded hesitantly and headed out to find gunslingers.
“…Sigh, what we need is someone utterly ruthless.”
To the railroad company, the squatters and Indians blocking the tracks were nothing but wild animals.
Lloyd could only hope for a rising star in the mercenary world to appear and drive them out in one fell swoop.
