Chapter 114
Were Indians people or not?
From a modern perspective, of course Indians were people.
No, the word "Indian" itself was wrong to begin with.
Indian = person from India.
It was common knowledge now, but the term "Indian" originated from Columbus mistaking America for India.
In modern times, even the word "Indian" was considered incorrect and they were called Native Americans.
But in the current era of 1875, Indians were just Indians.
Of course, people of this era also saw Indians as people.
Indians were people.
People who were not yet fully civilized.
Barbaric people.
People unnecessary for America's development.
People who plundered travelers and occasionally attack edcivilization.
People no different from wild animals.
That was right.
To the current American people... that was, to white people, Indians were people on the level of wild animals.
Then what were Indians to me?
What do you mean what are they?
They were just NPCs.
I had an extremely egalitarian set of values when viewed by this world's standards.
Whether white, black, or Indian.
To me, they were all the same NPCs.
"Y-Youngest...! What do we do!? Those bastards are all on horseback!"
"It looks like we're already surrounded from behind too! Those Indian bastards not only have bows but they all have guns too, what should we do!"
Ah, come to think of it, Indians did have some differences from other NPCs.
They were extremely skilled in fighting and not very friendly towards me, a white gunslinger.
In this game, Indians were tricky enemy NPCs for me to deal with.
Now that such Indians had come to the village, there was no way they'd let us live.
We had to kill them before they killed us.
"What else? We have to fight. Everyone come to me. I'll give you the strategy."
Now that I thought about it, this might actually be a good thing.
After clearing Peace Town, we would have had to clean out the Indians living where the railroad was going to be built, anyway.
If we swept away the Indians here once, it'd be easier later.
So thinking that what was good was good, I explained to the gunslingers in front of me and Emma how we would fight them.
And after hearing my explanation, the gunslingers...
"W-what?! That's impossible! There's no way that could work!"
Naturally, they showed reluctance.
Well, from their perspective, the simple strategy I just described must have seemed quite far-fetched.
But Emma, who had already been following me for 4 years...
"...So we just need to defend this place?"
As if she knew my strategy would work, she just nodded.
"Oh, actually Emma, you don't even need to step up. If you wait in the inn..."
"No. I'll defend this place too."
"Alright, if that's what you want."
After finishing our conversation, Emma and I calmly gathered our guns.
But this behavior of ours must have seemed very strange to the other gunslingers.
"N-no, is this really it?"
"We're going with that impossible strategy?"
"If we provoke them, we'll surely die. We need to think of another way even now..."
They showed reluctance to me with hardened faces.
Judging by their expressions, they looked like they wanted to escape from here alone if they could.
It couldn’t be helped.
Gunslingers were that kind of bunch originally.
But there was already no way to escape from here.
"What other way?"
"..."
"If you want to live, don't do anything unnecessary and do as I say."
"...Damn it."
The other gunslingers must have felt this too, as they picked up their guns while their hands trembled.
It was then.
"You ruffians who dared to disturb the peace of the village, all come out and surrender!"
A young man's booming voice with a distinctive Indian accent was heard from outside.
That guy must be the leader of the Indian group.
They were calling for us.
If we stalled any longer, they would surely try to force their way in.
"Well then, everyone go to your positions quickly. And don't get shot and die unnecessarily."
"...Kugh, alright Youngest. Good luck."
Still worried about me, the other gunslingers wished me luck and went to their positions.
Emma also...
"Boss, don't get hurt."
Her calm appearance from just now was gone, and she worried about me with a pitiful expression.
"..."
I stared blankly at Emma's expression and then...
Pat.
"Of course."
After patting her head once, I headed for the main entrance.
The main entrance was firmly sealed with the barricade we had built.
I created a gap where only one person could pass through and opened the door.
Creak.
When I opened the door and went out, Indians on horseback and Peace Town residents who had come to see the rare sight greeted me.
Their numbers were so great that it felt overwhelming.
If one added up the number of Indians and villagers, it might be more than the bullets we have?
Seeing the sight of so many people, Emma's expression and pitiful voice from just now circled in my mind.
— Boss, don't get hurt.
Somehow I couldn't help but smile.
Maybe because I heard those words, I felt like I absolutely shouldn't get hurt.
So I quickly wiped the smile off my face and...
"Surrender! We surrender!"
I raised my hands high in front of the Indians while making a crying face.
***
Creak—
Soon the inn door opened and the one who came out alone was a young man.
A man who looked unmanly and cowardly by Indian standards.
But...
"That guy...! It's that guy, Mr. Krigasen!"
As soon as he came out, the village chief, who had only shown a calm and composed appearance until now, shouted excitedly, "If it's that guy... What do you…?"
"Didn't I tell you? That there's a gunslinger with tremendous skills among the ruffians! It's that guy!"
"...What? That guy?"
At the chief's words, Krigasen examined the young gunslinger in front of him once again.
But no matter how many times he looked, he couldn't feel anything particularly great about the man.
He looks like a weakling no matter how I look at him...
As Krigasen was scrutinizing the gunslinger closely, it happened.
Smirk.
...Hmm?
The gunslinger smiled.
Dozens of Indians were surrounding him, and at least over a hundred villagers were gathered behind.
Probably there were more heads here than bullets that guy had.
All the Indians here were skilled warriors of the Aranga branch too.
Why is he smiling? Has he lost his mind?
Not understanding at all, Krigasen tilted his head and...
Swish.
The gunslinger quickly raised his hands and shouted loudly.
"Surrender! We surrender!"
The smile had disappeared from his face and it was now full of only fear and despair.
Did I see wrong just now...?
He was definitely smiling earlier, but now he's making a crying face.
Right, I must have seen wrong.
Anyone could see there was no chance of winning for them.
The gunslinger also raised his hands high as if he had no intention to attack and shouted surrender.
Although he didn't know why he came out alone, Krigasen, feeling the situation had ended for now, called the gunslinger towards him.
"Keep your hands up and come this way! We'll leave your punishment to the villagers here!"
He had no intention of forgiving the ruffians, but Krigasen wasn't a merciless person who would brutally kill an enemy who surrendered first.
Krigasen called him closer with the intention of capturing him alive for now.
"Yes... yes...! I-I'll come that way!!"
As if he was very scared, the young gunslinger slowly approached Krigasen with his hands up.
One step, two steps.
Ah, come to think of it, we'll need a rope to tie him up.
As the gunslinger approached close, Krigasen turned his head to order his subordinate to prepare a rope, with a somewhat careless thought.
But it was then.
"No!!!!"
"...Hmm?"
A woman's desperate cry was heard from among the villagers.
No?
What does she mean by no?
The woman shouted to warn, but because of her voice, Krigasen rather lost his attention.
So he didn't see.
...The gunslinger's expression, which had been making only a crying face, instantly turning so cold it seemed cruel.
And...
Swish.
That he secretly gave a hand signal behind his back while pretending to surrender with his hands up.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang—!!
"Guhuckkk!!"
"It's an ambus—!"
Soon several gunshots rang out and a few Indian warriors fell.
Other gunslingers had ambushed from the second floor of the inn behind the young gunslinger.
Oh no...!
Krigasen belatedly realized that the gunslinger in front of him was bait.
He was flustered at first but soon regained his senses and ordered his subordinates.
"Everyone aim for the second floor!"
Click.
Saying that, Krigasen also took out his Winchester rifle from behind.
While his subordinates dealt with the other gunslingers on the second floor, he intended to kill the one who acted as bait.
But...
Whoosh.
...He's coming forward instead?
Instead of immediately drawing his gun, the young gunslinger charged towards Krigasen.
And then...
Swish.
"...Huh!"
He passed through the Indian warriors and jumped in among the villagers behind.
Krigasen belatedly aimed at the gunslinger and tried to shoot, but...
Swish—
Because the gunslinger skillfully hid behind the villagers, he couldn't pull the trigger.
"That cowardly bastard!"
Using the uninvolved villagers as a shield was truly a despicable way of fighting.
But Krigasen had no time to be angry.
Whoosh.
The young gunslinger... was already taking action, weaving through the villagers serving as his shield.