*Flick.*
Woke up automatically, feeling refreshed. Looked out the window, and the dawn was breaking. Guess I slept like a log from yesterday afternoon till this morning, probably because of the travel fatigue.
“…Slept like a damn king.”
Even after sleeping for almost a dozen hours, my body didn’t feel stiff at all—just fresh. It’s been a while since I’ve greeted the morning this refreshed.
Humming a tune, I got up from my spot. Then I opened the window and drank some coffee.
“…Drinking coffee makes me hungry.”
Well, it’s not exactly the coffee—it’s just that I’ve been fasting for hours, so of course, I’m starving.
I thought about cooking something, but then I got lazy and gave up.
“Emma won’t be here for a while… still plenty of time…”
Since the sun just rose, it’ll take a while for Emma to arrive. But I’m too lazy to cook… and I’m hungry…
‘Guess I’ll head to the Deaf Man’s Tavern for the first time in a while.’
I decided to go to the Deaf Man’s Tavern to check in with the owner, Bob, and grab a bite. The tavern operates from evening till noon, and if you’re hungry, they’ll serve you some snacks.
Since I often ate there, I figured I’d have breakfast at the Deaf Man’s Tavern this morning too.
*Hehe.*
*Hehehe.*
“Did you sleep well, you beasts?”
When I went to the stable, No Name and the new guy, Bonnie, greeted me.
I filled their troughs and pondered who to ride…
“Let’s take No Name for a run—it’s been a while.”
I hopped onto No Name’s back.
“Let’s go, No Name.”
*Hehe.*
No Name’s speed varies depending on his mood. If he’s in a good mood, he’s faster than any other horse; if not, he’s no better than a donkey.
*Clip-clop, clip-clop.*
Judging by the speed, No Name seemed to be in a great mood today.
“No Name, you’re in top form today, huh?”
*Hehehe.*
“Let’s hit top speed today.”
When people think of the Wild West, they imagine the setting sun first. The sunset painting the endless horizon yellow is indeed beautiful.
But…
The sight of the sun rising above the horizon, illuminating the land, is just as breathtaking as the sunset.
Back in the day, I used to find such scenery annoying, but today, I quite like it.
With the picturesque view as the backdrop, No Name and I galloped wildly across the rugged wilderness.
—
On the way to the Deaf Man’s Tavern, I ran into a familiar face.
“Oh, Sheriff.”
“Hey, Kid. Heard you were back. Long time no see.”
Sheriff Jet Gray of Justice Town.
The guy who gave me the nickname “Kid” and treated me like a thorn in his side.
But at the same time, he’s also the one who’s given me a lot of information and bounties, and helped me out.
So, since it’s been a while, I pulled out a cigarette from my pocket and asked him:
“Cigarette?”
“Sure.”
Jet’s face was full of worry, but he looked like he really needed a smoke.
We got off our horses and had a smoke together.
I had a cigarette, and Jet had his pipe.
*Phew…*
“Heard about it as soon as I got back. You ran into some real bastards, huh?”
“You mean the Rush and Gold Gang? …Haha, yeah, I really messed up.”
Jet puffed on his pipe and let out a hollow laugh.
But…
His expression soon turned to anger.
“Those sons of bitches are real scum. The way they take over towns is meticulous and skilled. They’ve probably done this to a few towns already.”
“Why don’t they have warrants or bounties yet?”
“I suspect someone higher up is covering for them.”
Hmm…
Jet’s reasoning made sense.
From what I remember, the reason the Rush and Gold Gang still doesn’t have bounties is probably because of a traveling judge in Utah who’s been bribed.
*Phew…*
“I’d rather just drive them out by force, but they’ve got too many men…”
Jet’s expression looked truly bitter.
“Being a sheriff and having to sit back and do nothing is just…”
Maybe that’s why.
Unlike my usual cheeky self, I tried to comfort him.
“Hey, it’s not your fault things turned out this way. The townsfolk just fell for those guys’ loan scams like idiots.”
“…Yeah, that’s true. I warned them to be cautious of that gang, but they didn’t listen, tsk…”
Jet truly loved the town.
He spat on the ground in frustration…
“…Ah, I’ve been too serious.”
Realizing the mood had gotten too heavy, he forced a smile and asked me:
“By the way, did you make it to San Francisco? Did the job go well?”
“Go well? More like I just ran in circles and came back.”
“Damn.”
Jet clicked his tongue at my response.
“If you failed, it must’ve been a tough job. I should’ve introduced you to my brother.”
“Your brother’s in San Francisco? What does he do?”
I asked while smoking, though I wasn’t that curious.
I just assumed he worked for the San Francisco Security Force or something.
But…
“Ah, my brother’s the branch manager of the Pinkerton San Francisco office.”
“…What?”
*Thud.*
I was so shocked by the unexpected answer that I dropped my cigarette.
I mean, come on.
Pinkerton branch manager? And of all places, the San Francisco branch?
“Haha! You look surprised! Well, my brother’s pretty successful!”
“……”
This isn’t just “pretty successful.”
Pinkerton is a massive company, with more agents than the U.S. Army.
And he’s the branch manager of San Francisco, one of the major cities?
Suddenly, I remembered using Jet’s name on the train to San Francisco.
If the Pinkerton branch manager controls all the information in the city, what if…?
‘Oh shit, is this snowball about to roll into something crazy?’
Moreover, a high-ranking Pinkerton official of that caliber would probably know what the nickname “Kid” means in San Francisco.
First, I calmed my trembling hands and asked Jet in the most composed voice I could muster.
“…You haven’t told your brother about me, have you?”
“…Why would I tell my brother about you?”
“…That’s a relief.”
I thought he was just a grumpy old NPC, but turns out he’s a dangerous guy.
As soon as I finished my cigarette, I subtly inched away from Jet.
“…Well, I’ll be going then. …On my way to grab breakfast.”
“Oh, right. I should get going too.”
Just in case, I quickly hopped onto No Name to get away from Jet.
But then Jet called out to me in a low voice.
“Kid.”
“…Yeah?”
I turned around, wondering what he was going to say, and his expression was dead serious.
“You told the townsfolk, didn’t you? That you wouldn’t get involved in this matter.”
“Yeah, I did.”
What’s this about?
Is he going to ask me for help or something?
But what came out of Jet’s mouth was unexpected.
“Good thinking.”
“……”
“Honestly, even if you caught those guys, there’s no bounty… From your perspective, there’s no need to step up for townsfolk who’ve been ignoring you.”
Huh.
I tilted my head, wondering why Jet was being so nice, but there was a reason.
“After you left, at first it felt freeing… but then the outlaws started pouring in, and it’s been a real headache.”
“…Ah.”
“That’s when I realized. Just how much you were helping our town.”
Well, I did hunt down outlaws left and right in Justice Town to make money.
With me suddenly gone, it must’ve been hard to handle the flood of outlaws.
No wonder Jet’s gaze felt warmer today.
“So, we’ll handle this matter with the Justice Town security team. You just sit back and relax.”
“Ah… okay.”
“Alright then, I’ll be off. See you around, Kid.”
Come to think of it, the way he said “Kid” today felt softer too.
Jet waved at me once and then left.
I watched his retreating figure and fell into thought for a moment.
‘Is this guy gonna die or something?’
Man, why does he feel like he’s planting death flags left and right?
This is a game world.
Until the protagonist comes to solve it, Chapter 4’s main villain, the Rush and Gold Gang, can’t be defeated.
But Jet seemed determined to drive out the Rush and Gold Gang.
Looks like he’s planning to take them on by force…
“Eh… he’ll figure it out.”
I felt a moment of worry, but then I realized it was pointless and left.
After all, Jet’s just an NPC in the game.
It’s not my problem.
But…
‘Where am I supposed to get bounty posters if this guy dies?’
If I had to choose, I’d prefer Jet not to die.
**
“Hey, Bob. I’m here.”
“Huh? What? It’s the troublemaker Kid! Thought you were dead, but you’re still kicking!”
A bit rough, but that’s just Bob, the owner of Deaf Man’s Tavern, and his way of welcoming me.
I chuckled and walked into the tavern, but…
“…Huh? What’s this?”
I was startled by the changed interior.
“Where’d all the collectibles on the wall go?”
Bob used to decorate the walls with his collection.
Sure, they were just random trinkets he got from the Indians, but…
Now the walls were bare, making the place look empty and dull.
When I asked, Bob answered bitterly.
“…Where’d they go? The Rush and Gold Gang took them as interest.”
“Damn. You borrowed money too?”
“…Just a bit to expand the place.”
It might’ve been a little at first, but the interest must’ve snowballed.
Bob’s expression was stiff.
“…Those bastards. They come every day, making life hell. Business is crap because of them.”
“Why’d you borrow money, you idiot?”
“…I don’t know. I must’ve been out of my mind.”
Bob let out a deep sigh, then suddenly perked up and asked.
“Anyway, Kid. What brings you here so early? Here for a drink? What’ll you have?”
“Drinks later. I’m hungry, so get me something to eat.”
“Got it. Wait a bit.”
Bob said that and went into the kitchen.
But his back looked oddly haggard.
‘…Something’s off.’
I was in a good mood this morning, but after meeting Jet and Bob, it took a nosedive.
No, more than just a downer, I’m getting annoyed.
‘If this place goes under, where am I supposed to drink?’
Deaf Man’s Tavern is perfect for drinking, and I like Bob.
Outlaws frequent the place, so it’s good for making money too.
And now they’re messing with my favorite spot…
The Rush and Gold Gang.
I tried to ignore them, but they’re starting to get on my nerves.
Just then.
“Owner! Here to collect today’s interest!”
From behind me, a sharp, grating voice rang out.
It was the kind of voice that made you want to punch the guy for no reason.
