Chapter 12 - He Who Fights Monsters

"Mr. Noah! I can see the mine ahead!"

We had been excitedly rushing for about 15 minutes.

In the distance, the abandoned mine where the Red Beard Gang's camp was supposed to be located started to come into view.

Of course, just because we could see it didn't mean we could enter right away.

"Stop!"

As we approached, three sturdy men carrying rifles came out of the building and blocked our way.

"...Who are you? How did you get here?"

I got off the driver's seat and ran towards them with an urgent expression, speaking to those with bewildered voices.

"I was sent by Mr. Wild!"

"...What? The boss?"

"There's some crazy bounty hunter attacking up ahead! We're in the middle of a firefight!"

"What do you mean..."

Taking advantage of their confusion at my frantic words, I drew my gun.

"I'm that bounty hunter."

Bang—! Bang—! Bang—!!

The guys fell in an instant.

"Wow... Mr. Noah... what..."

My quick draw and fanning skills, which popped out like a macro, sometimes surprise even me, so how must it look to others?

I gestured casually to Joe, whose eyes had grown big like springs popping out, and said, "Joe, we don't have time for this. Those guys will be here soon, so let's quickly look around and see what's here."

Saying this, I tossed Joe one of the Sharps rifles the gang members had been carrying and a revolver.

"You know how to use these, right? We have 5 minutes at most before they arrive. Hurry!"

"Ah... yes sir...!"

I planned to check where the cash the gang stole from the bank was before they arrived.

In addition...

— You all!!! Think about what's behind us! And fight!! Whether it's 30 or 300 government dogs, we're fighting to protect what's precious to us!

I also intended to find whatever else they were hiding.

If it was something that could be a weakness for the Red Beard Gang, it could be advantageous in future battles.

So Joe and I split up and started looking around different parts of the camp.

Maybe because it used to be a mine site?

There were many buildings, like dormitories and dining halls that miners used to use.

From what I could hear, there didn't seem to be any gang members hiding to ambush us...

Still, I carefully scanned the surroundings as I examined the camp.

But then...

"Mr. Noah!!"

"...!"

As I was looking around a place with traces of the gang members' daily life, I heard Joe's loud shout.

When I hurriedly ran to Joe, what I saw was...

"You need to see this...!"

"What on earth is it…? Oh."

...It looked like their weapons storage.

"...Crazy."

There were dozens of Sharps rifles in sight, and countless revolvers.

And piled up in the corner was...

"Mr. Noah! These are dynamite...!"

A large quantity of dynamite.

"No way... They've set up an arms dealer in the camp..."

How could these gang members have so many weapons?

Did they raid a military base or something?

This level was something one would only see in a large weapons store in a city like San Francisco.

As I was marveling at this, that was when it happened.

Rustle.

"...!"

"What's wrong, Mr. Noah?"

"...There's someone else here besides us."

My keen ears picked up someone's presence.

"Could the guys have arrived already...!"

"Not yet. We didn't hear any hoofbeats, did we?"

Then...

It means there were people here even before we arrived, besides the guys who were on guard earlier.

Gang members?

One thing was certain: whoever was making those sounds wasn't on my side.

So, together with Joe...

Step—step.

We slowly moved towards where the presence was felt.

"...It's there."

The source of the sound was... the largest building at the very back of the camp.

Rustle—rustle—

Now that I listen again... it wasn’t just one person rustling about.

"Joe… just in case, draw your gun."

"...Yes."

Joe drew his pistol with a tense expression and took a shooting stance.

I, too, prepared for any situation, with a gun in my right hand...

Creak—!

I quickly opened the door and went inside.

And what we saw was...!

"Kyaaah—!"

"W-who are you, mister...?!"

It was several women and a few children.

"...Huh?"

"...Mr. Noah, what's this...?"

The identity of the people inside the building was so unexpected that Joe and I deflated and lowered our guns somewhat dejectedly.

Though disappointed, I accurately counted the number of women and children inside.

Seven women and nine children.

Meanwhile, Joe, tilting his head, asked me.

"Mr. Noah... who are these people? Did those guys kidnap them or something...?"

"No."

I shook my head at Joe's words and...

Swish—

I pointed at the girl who was fearlessly standing at the front, stretching out her arms as if trying to protect everyone.

"Ah...!"

Joe let out a sigh as if he realized something as soon as he saw that girl.

The girl had red hair; she was a ginger.

That red hair... was the same as Edward Wild's, the Red Beard we saw at the canyon entrance earlier.

"...The people here are the families of those gang members from earlier."

"...That's right."

...Why had I missed this?

Gangs on the run or moving in groups like the Red Beard Gang often bring not just their members but their families too.

— You all!!! Think about what's behind us! And fight!! Whether it's 30 or 300 government dogs, we're fighting to protect what's precious to us!

What Red Beard mentioned to his subordinates earlier and wanted to protect wasn't the bundles of cash stolen from the bank, but their families.

"A-are you perhaps sheriffs? T-then, our husbands..."

"...Mister, have you seen our dads?"

The families of the Red Beard Gang all looked vulnerable.

Worn-out clothes and dirty faces.

And even skinny, emaciated bodies.

They probably hadn't been able to eat, wash, or sleep well as they fled non-stop from Lexio County to here.

Maybe that was why.

"Somehow, I'm feeling soft-hearted..."

Joe's eyes looking at the Red Beard Gang's families somehow became pitiful.

Of course...

"Yeah, you might feel that way since you're an NPC too."

...I didn't.

Soft-hearted, my ass.

I was quite deflated after confirming that what the gang members were hiding was their families.

And here I thought there might be some other treasure besides the cash bundles.

But just families? Honestly, it was disappointing to no end.

As I was sighing in disappointment, that's when it happened.

"You!!! What did you do to our dads and uncles!!"

The red-haired girl, with her gang leader father's blood flowing properly through her, boldly shouted at us who were holding guns.

She looked about 10 to 12 years old.

She wasn’t at an age to be fearless, but she was quite brave.

Joe, with his kind nature, looked at the child as if she was cute and asked me, "By the way, Mr. Noah. What should we do now? Those guys will be here soon..."

"What do you mean what should we do? We need to find a position and prepare to fight."

I was about to say that the situation was more favorable than in the canyon because we had a better position.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

A way to defeat those guys more easily crossed my mind.

"Ah, that'll work."

Though I didn't particularly intend it, an expression like a third-rate villain from a cartoon bloomed on my face.

"...Mr. Noah. Your eyes look somewhat evil."

And this evil look in my eyes...

Swish—

Flinch.

Was directed at the red-haired girl right in front of me.

"Little one, what's your name?"

"...Ann."

Red hair and Ann... what a classic combination.

"You asked what we did to your dad, right? Let's go see your dad together."

"...What? Dad?"

I immediately wiped the evil expression from my face and instead, pretending to be kind, reached out to Ann.

***

"Boss! There's no one around! It seems those guys came alone!"

"Damn it...!"

Instead of chasing the wagon, the Red Beard Gang stayed in the canyon to prepare for an incoming attack.

But nothing came.

— There are 30 deputies from Justice Town and Lincoln County spread out in this area!

Realizing that statement was a lie, the Red Beard Gang belatedly started returning to their camp.

"Ride as fast as you can! We need to get back to the camp as soon as possible!"

"Yes sir!"

Red Beard Edward Wild, the leader of the Red Beard Gang, rode his horse as fast as possible, trying to suppress the anxiety rising in his heart.

Seeing the boss like this, an executive spoke to reassure him, "Boss. Don't worry too much. We have our guys guarding the camp, right? And we've hidden the money well underground, so they'll never find it."

"...Right."

Edward nodded at the executive's words, but he couldn't shake off his anxiety.

That bounty hunter from earlier...

He was very quick to judge the situation and bold.

Such guys were even more dangerous because one couldn't predict what actions they would take.

Above all, that vile fighting method of immediately using hostages when the situation turned unfavorable.

— Hey, you bastards! If you move even a little, I'll shoot your youngest kid dead!

Yes... what Edward was worried about now wasn't money or anything like that.

It was his daughter and the families of other gang members left at the camp.

Surely that crazy bastard wouldn't do something insane to overcome the numerical disadvantage... No, it can't be.

Red Beard considered the worst-case scenario but then shook his head.

He knew that they, as outlaws, were the villains.

That wasn’t to say bounty hunters and sheriffs were good, but at least they were on the side of justice.

Those who claimed to be just wouldn't do such vile things against outlaws.

But why?

Drip.

The uneasy feeling persisted, and the cold sweat wouldn't stop.

So Edward, unable to erase his anxious look, returned to the camp with his other subordinates.

And...

"Oh!"

The first thing they saw was their subordinates collapsed at the camp entrance.

"Looks like they've come to the camp!"

"Search quickly!"

At this, Edward and the gang members were startled and hurriedly went inside.

"Hey there!"

Noah greeted them.

Noah, wearing an extremely confident and relaxed expression just like before, had a gun in one hand and in the other...

"Daddyyyyy!!!!"

"Ann!!!!"

He was holding Edward's daughter Ann hostage.

It was the moment Edward's ominous premonition hit the mark.

***

Nietzsche once said, He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster.

And if one gazed long into an abyss, the abyss also gazed into you.

17 years had passed.

I was already the abyss itself.

"Hey, you bastards!! Drop your guns and kneel! Or I'll pull the trigger?!"

"You son of a bitch!!! Put the gun down right now!!" Red Beard, shocked at seeing his daughter taken hostage, cried out desperately.

"What, son of a bitch? Hey, you bastard, do you think I'm joking? Huh? Should we all just die together?!"

"I was wrong-! Please don't do this!!"

If a stranger had seen this, they probably would have thought I was the outlaw.