The reason why Chapter 8 [The Zodiac Serial Killings] of <Lawless> is considered the most challenging episode in the game isn’t because you have to find a new Zodiac every time, which is annoying enough.
When the episode starts, the randomly selected Zodiac is actually set up to be an insanely skilled gunslinger.
Out of all the NPCs in <Lawless>, Zodiac is the one with the most formidable personal combat skills.
I bet Zodiac is on par with or even better than Django, who once shot me.
But that Rize girl just now…
Her small, pale hands had subtle but hardened calluses.
As if she had undergone intense gunslinger training for years.
Bob, who hired Rize as an employee, seemed a bit nervous and asked, not sure if he knew about this.
“Why are you telling me not to leave Daisy with Rize? You gotta give me a reason, whether I listen or not.”
“Just don’t leave them together. Why’d you hire someone like that as an employee?”
“What’s wrong with Rize…! She’s weak but so kind and capable! And Daisy already really likes her!”
Originally, Bob, being a tavern owner in the West, didn’t trust outsiders much.
For Bob to say this after just one day… means he really took a liking to her.
Thinking that I couldn’t convince Bob with just any excuse, I quietly approached him and whispered.
“Bob, that kid you hired is a gunslinger.”
“…A gunslinger?”
“Yeah, and I suspect she’s pretty skilled.”
“…How do you know that?”
“I can tell just by holding her hand.”
For the past 17 years, I’ve held a gun every single day.
I never rested on my title of <The Best Gunslinger in the West>, practicing even on days when I didn’t need to shoot.
But that Rize just now…
Her hands had calluses in the exact same spots as mine.
This wasn’t something you’d get from just hard work.
“She’s held a gun for at least five years. I’m sure of it.”
When I said this seriously, Bob asked with a skeptical look.
“Rize is 15. So she’s been holding a gun since she was 10? That’s weird, unless she’s some kind of professional killer.”
“The world is full of weird things.”
Bob’s doubt was valid.
It was strange for someone so young to have been handling guns unless they were a professional killer.
Which made me even more suspicious that she was Zodiac.
Zodiac is randomly chosen by the system… and it doesn’t discriminate between men, women, old, or young.
That kid Rize was chosen by the system to be Zodiac.
So the setting that she’s an insanely skilled gunslinger was added later… which is why her hands have calluses that don’t match her age.
…That was my theory.
But I couldn’t explain all this game and system stuff to Bob, an NPC.
So I gave him a more realistic explanation.
“Bob, you know Hector from the fabric store died?”
“…What?! Hector’s dead? He was drinking here just this morning!”
“Wait, he was drinking here?”
I knew Hector hadn’t been dead for long, but I didn’t know he was drinking at the Deaf Man’s Tavern until this morning.
Anyway, never mind that.
“The guy who killed Hector is Zodiac, that crazy outlaw who’s been causing chaos in Utah lately.”
“…I think I’ve heard of him. That lunatic who kills people and then announces who he’s gonna kill next. That psycho’s in our town?”
Bob, being a tavern owner, was quick with information.
Since he already knew about Zodiac, it was easier to explain.
I nodded immediately and said.
“Yeah, and that lunatic said his next target is a young girl.”
“…Daisy.”
Bob’s daughter is what, 9? 10 this year?
She fits Zodiac’s murder announcement criteria.
Seeing Bob’s face harden, I patted his shoulder and added.
“So, don’t stir up trouble unnecessarily and keep Daisy safe for now.”
“Alright, got it.”
Bob was someone I saw often in Justice Town, second only to Emma.
He was also my regular tavern owner.
If he lost his daughter and fell into grief, he’d probably stop running the place for a while.
I couldn’t lose my favorite tavern because of Zodiac.
And more importantly…
I didn’t want to see a girl I knew lying cold and dead like Hector earlier.
After giving Bob a firm warning and sitting down, Bob stared at the kitchen for a moment before coming over and whispering to me.
“Hey, Kid. …Can you stay at our tavern until tomorrow morning?”
“…What?”
It’s technically morning already.
I only came to the Deaf Man’s Tavern to grab a quick meal.
But now he’s asking me to stay until tomorrow morning?
“…Even though I love drinking, that’s a bit much. Why?”
“…Just. After hearing what you said, I want to leave Daisy in the safest place in the world.”
“The safest place in the world?”
“Wherever you are is the safest place, isn’t it?”
Bob was wise.
If I’m around, not even Zodiac’s grandpa could do anything.
But this was different from the friendly advice I just gave.
“I like the flattery, but if you want to hire me, you gotta pay up. I’m expensive.”
Asking me to sit in the tavern all day was clearly a request.
Even if it’s Bob, I can’t take requests for free.
When I boldly asked for money, Bob hesitated for a moment before heading to the kitchen.
And when he came back, in his arms was…
“I don’t have enough money to hire you, but I’ve got good booze.”
A familiar whiskey bottle was in his hands.
I’d seen it before.
That’s definitely…
The premium whiskey that was piled up like a mountain in William’s mansion when I robbed it six months ago.
“This isn’t all. I’ll provide this whiskey unlimitedly while you’re at the tavern. How about it?”
“…Deal.”
Of course, I accepted the request.
“Damn, you’ve been serving me cheap stuff all this time.”
“I saved it for a day like this. Drink up.”
I forgot about the hangover from drinking too much yesterday and grabbed the whiskey bottle Bob handed me.
Thinking about it, I was planning to hide in a corner of the town to avoid Sophia’s eyes anyway, so this wasn’t a bad choice.
**
“Damn, this is good.”
Unlike the cheap whiskey I usually drink, this premium stuff went down smooth.
I quickly emptied the whiskey while…
“……”
On the other hand, I kept an eye on Rize, the new employee at the Deaf Man’s Tavern.
At first glance, Rize was just as Bob described—quiet and capable.
‘She’s already wiped all the tables? She’s really good at this.’
I was a bit impressed watching Rize lift the freshly wiped tables with ease.
‘Those are solid wood, so they must be heavy.’
She looked small and fragile, but she was surprisingly strong.
Her face still had a youthful charm, but she’d grow into quite a beauty…
And more importantly…
‘Have I seen her before? Why does she look so familiar.’
That cold, expressionless face seemed familiar somehow.
I tried to recall if I’d seen her among the outlaws, but nothing came to mind.
Just then, someone who could confirm if Rize was really an outlaw entered the tavern.
Creak.
“Boss.”
It was Emma.
Since I wasn’t in the office, she must’ve thought I was here and came looking.
“Emma unnie!”
“Emma, long time no see.”
“Daisy and Mr. Bob, it’s been a while.”
Emma greeted Bob and Daisy, who welcomed her, and then approached me.
“Boss, you weren’t in the office…”
“…Emma. Stop staring and check if that employee cleaning the chairs in the corner is an outlaw.”
“……”
Emma had memorized all the composite sketches on the wanted posters I had.
If the familiarity I felt when I saw Rize’s face was because she was an outlaw… Emma would’ve figured it out right away.
But…
“No.”
“…No?”
“Yes, at least not in my memory.”
“If you say so, then it’s not.”
Seemed like a dead end.
Feeling a bit annoyed, I gestured to Emma.
“Emma, did you put the bounty money from Jet deep in my drawer like usual?”
“Yes.”
“Then leave early today. I need to handle Bob’s request here.”
“……”
Even though I told her to leave early, Emma didn’t leave my side.
I braced myself, thinking she might pull one of her usual tricks like she’s been doing lately.
But…
“…Boss, earlier at the Sheriff’s office, I met a Pinkerton agent named Sophia.”
“…What?”
“…And I made a mistake.”
“What are you talking about? Explain in detail.”
“Well…”
The shock Emma delivered was completely different from what I expected.
After hearing Emma’s story, I stayed silent for a moment before speaking.
“…So, while asking Jet about Jenny James, you got caught by a Pinkerton agent named Sophia, and she seemed to know about me?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“……”
Lately, Emma had been crossing the line often.
But it seemed like it wasn’t just about trying to flirt with me.
Emma had been looking into Jenny James.
In the past, I would’ve been furious, and I was about to get mad.
But…
“……”
Seeing Emma’s face, bowed down with guilt, strangely, I didn’t feel angry.
‘Damn it.’
Feeling a slight irritation, I asked Emma.
“…So?”
“…Huh?”
“So, what did Sophia say?”
“…Ah.”
Hearing my slightly annoyed question, Emma bowed her head again and answered.
“…She said she doesn’t know Jenny James, but she knows Jamie James, the vice-leader of TKK.”
“……”
She doesn’t know Jenny James but knows Jamie James…
‘So, she doesn’t have perfect intel on us after all.’
Realizing Sophia’s intel wasn’t flawless, I gestured to Emma again.
“…You’ve heard enough. Now go.”
“……”
Knowing she messed up, Emma quietly bowed her head to me.
I took a sip of whiskey and left her with one last remark.
“And Emma. If this happens again, I won’t let it slide.”
“…Yes.”
For the past six months, our relationship had been flipped…
But after this incident, I had a feeling Emma wouldn’t be climbing back up anytime soon.
I felt an inexplicable sense of regret as I turned away.
Emma left the Deaf Man’s Tavern, looking completely deflated.
Swish.
As soon as Emma left, I turned around to catch a glimpse of her back before drinking again.
Somehow, the alcohol went down smoother after she left.
…No, it wasn’t because of Emma.
Jenny James.
And…
Jamie James.
Recalling those names, no matter how much I drank, it couldn’t quench the dryness in my heart.
Still, I kept drinking like someone infected by a parasite.
Until the sun set… and the night deepened.
When I came to my senses, Rize had already left, and Bob’s daughter Daisy was sleeping next to me.
Of course, no matter how much I drank, I hadn’t forgotten the request to protect Bob’s daughter Daisy.
But…
Watching Daisy doze off made me sleepy too.
So, I dozed off for a bit.
In that short nap, I had a dream.
A dream filled with memories I didn’t want to recall.
**
‘How about TKK for our organization’s name?’
‘TKK? What does that stand for?’
‘Both of you, take a guess. Here’s a hint… the last K stands for Clan!’
‘…You idiot. Clan is spelled with a C, not a K.’
‘…Oops. But TKK sounds better than TKC…’
‘Then just go with TKK. So, what does it stand for?’
‘TKK stands for…’
Flash.
“Boss-!”
“…Huh?”
“Wake up, Boss-!”
A sudden shout woke me up, and the surroundings were bright.
I must’ve been completely knocked out.
“Ugh…, huh?”
Even though I was drunk and sleepy, my [Superhuman Senses] trait gave me confidence that the request was still under control.
But… Bob’s daughter Daisy was gone.
Bob wasn’t in front either.
And the one who woke me up was…
“…Emma? Why are you…”
It was Emma, who had left early yesterday, looking dejected.
It was still morning, judging by the window, so why was Emma here at this hour…
“…That’s not important right now. You need to come outside.”
“…Why? What’s going on…”
“……”
At that moment, seeing Emma’s distressed expression, I sensed something was wrong and went outside.
Murmur.
About 100 yards away from the Deaf Man’s Tavern, a crowd had gathered in a circle.
…Just like yesterday.
Thud.
As I approached the crowd…
“…Huuu, huuuuu.”
I spotted a familiar figure, sobbing while holding a small body.
“…Kid.”
“…Uncle Kid.”
Bob, who had been clicking his tongue among the crowd, greeted me as I approached.
His daughter Daisy was beside him.
“…Waaaah! Laura-!”
The one holding the body and crying was Joe, the friendly neighbor from Justice Town.
Joe, who always diligently traveled between Utah as a coachman…
Today, instead of holding horse reins, he was holding his younger sister Laura in his arms.
As I approached Joe, I noticed a letter in Laura’s hand and pulled it out to read.
[This is the Zodiac speaking.]
“…This is seriously messed up.”
The second victim of the Zodiac serial killings was Laura, the younger sister of Joe, a Hispanic man I was quite close to.
