Chapter 60
Originally, I came to the Deaf Man's Bar just to have breakfast, but after experiencing several events, time was delayed.
So, contrary to my plan, I roughly finished lunch at the Deaf Man's Bar and returned to the office.
"I'm back."
"Boss, you're back."
"Emma, you're at work."
Emma was already at work in the office, cleaning.
"Where did you go?"
"Just ate at the Deaf Man's Bar."
I gave Emma a brief answer, threw my coat, and laid down on the sofa.
Then Emma tidied up my coat and asked with worried eyes, "...Did something happen outside?"
"...Hmm?"
"Your expression seems different from usual."
"..."
At Emma's sudden words, I felt my face.
"...My face looks the same as usual to me?"
"No. The corners of your mouth are slightly lower than usual. Your eyes are a bit sharper too."
"..."
...She's a ghost, a ghost.
Certainly, I was irritated this morning because of those Rush and Gold guys.
I was annoyed that NPCs I needed like Jett and Bob were in crisis because of those gang guys...
I was annoyed that the Rush and Gold gang guys were smarter than I thought...
I didn't know when the original protagonist would come to Justice Town to deal with them...
Honestly, I was annoyed that I had to face the protagonist bitch again.
Now that I said it, everything was annoying.
The source of all this irritation was the Rush and Gold gang.
So as I stared blankly at the ceiling, I muttered without realizing, "Rush and Gold... Should I just deal with those bastards?"
"...Pardon? Ah..."
I wasn't particularly asking Emma, but she heard my muttering and after thinking to herself for a moment, answered, "Honestly, I do wish you would deal with those guys."
"...Why?"
"I don't like Justice Town that much either, but... it's still my hometown. I don't want to see it trampled by outsiders."
"Hmm..."
...Well, I had only lived here for 3 years, but Emma has lived here her whole life.
She probably wouldn't be happy to see her hometown crumbling.
Emma continued cleaning and said in a meaningful tone, "...So I wish someone would save our village in crisis. Like a hero."
"Hero? Puhahah!"
A hero?
That was a word that really didn't suit me.
Wasn't a hero just someone who did volunteer work for free?
Thinking that way, the answer came quickly, "Okay, I've decided for sure. Let's just keep ignoring them."
"...You're not going to step up?"
"It doesn't make money, money."
There was no money to be made even if I beat up the Rush and Gold gang.
Did they say their size was about 40 people?
Dealing with one large-scale gang like that was quite bothersome even for me, and I didn't get paid even if I succeed?
There was no way I'd accept such a sucker quest.
"I might consider it if the villagers pooled money and gave me about $4,000. Otherwise, absolutely not."
"..."
"So Emma, you know that too."
My usual wake-up time was noon when the sun was high.
Even though I slept well, maybe because I woke up so early, drowsiness was coming over me.
So I closed my eyes on the sofa to take a short nap.
That was when Emma asked me a question, "Is money the only important value to you, Boss?"
"Huh? Yeah, of course."
It was an obvious question, so I answered roughly with my eyes closed.
Then...
"Why do you accumulate money so desperately, Boss?"
"..."
Emma asked a question she usually didn’t ask.
"...It's none of your business. What does it matter to you whether I accumulate money desperately or not?"
I need to gather $1 million to return home.
There's no way I could say such a thing.
So when I answered dismissively, Emma persistently asked, "I thought you had changed a bit after this San Francisco trip. But was I wrong? Is... money still the most important thing to you?"
"Yeah, money is the most important thing to me."
"Then why did you let Django and Josephine go?"
"...”
As soon as I heard those words, I opened my eyes and got up from the sofa.
"...What are you trying to do?"
There were several reasons why I fixed my secretary as just Emma.
Emma was pretty to look at, quick with work, and had a good memory to remember many outlaws' faces.
Besides that...
I liked her quiet and taciturn personality.
For the past 3 years, Emma hadn't been curious about me and hadn't touched my private life.
But suddenly what's this?
Emma trying to probe my inner thoughts now felt unfamiliar.
"Emma, are you still excited from traveling for the first time in 22 years?"
"..."
"Your character has changed. I liked you when you just worked silently like a rock."
Slightly irritated, I said sharp words I wouldn't usually say to Emma.
Then...
Bow.
...Hmm?
Emma lowered her head slightly.
Emma had definitely changed since returning from San Francisco.
One of those changes was that her expressions became richer.
Emma's face now... looked as if she was hurt by my words just now.
"You're right, I've changed. But you know. I thought you had changed a little too, Boss."
"Changed? As if."
Startled by Emma's change in expression, I turned around and laid back down on the sofa.
And as I laid facing the inside of the sofa to signal I wouldn't talk anymore, Emma asked as if it was her last question, "Um... then Boss."
"..."
"What would you do if I borrowed money from those guys too?"
...Emma borrowing money from those Rush and Gold guys? For what?
At that nonsensical assumption, I answered with a smirk:
"I guess I'd have to hire a new secretary."
"..."
After that, Emma didn't ask me anything more and just did the backed-up housework.
Is it delayed puberty?
I knew Emma had changed, but today's behavior was a bit unfamiliar.
Well, she'll probably return to normal soon.
I didn't know then.
What Emma was thinking inside.
***
For the next few days, Emma treated Noah as usual.
She came to work at his office as usual, did housework as usual, and organized wanted posters as usual.
But unlike the seemingly peaceful daily life, a huge whirlwind was raging in her heart.
It was because of Noah.
Emma, who had become aware of her feelings for Noah, gradually began to be tainted by desire.
The desire to become a special person to Noah... just as Noah had become a special person to her.
For that to happen, Noah himself had to change.
For the past 3 years in Justice Town, Noah had acted like a person who didn't care about any values other than money.
But in San Francisco, Noah made the choice to let Django and Josephine go.
Emma thought Noah had changed after seeing that.
She thought a gap had formed in his heart for things other than money.
But...
— Okay, I've decided for sure. Let's just keep ignoring them.
— It doesn't make money, money.
Noah who returned to Justice Town showed the same behavior as before.
This made Emma impatient.
Above all...
Watching Noah always looking west while desperately accumulating money made her anxious.
The anxiety that Noah, after accumulating all the money he could—no—would someday...
Go to that unreachable western end kept shaking Emma.
Clatter.
Thud.
"...Ah."
Maybe because she had many distracting thoughts.
Emma, who usually made no mistakes, dropped a dish while washing up.
It didn't break because it was a wooden bowl, but water splashed on the floor.
As Emma was about to get a towel to wipe the floor, that was when it happened.
"Ah, Emma. Leave that for now and go to the Deaf Man's Bar."
"...Bob's store?"
Noah, who was rolling around on the sofa as usual, ordered Emma.
"I helped Bob out last time, and he said he'd give me a bottle of good liquor that came in as thanks."
"Ah..."
"I was going to go, but... as you can see, I'm busy."
"..."
After their not-quite-argument, Noah treated Emma as usual.
So Emma also treated Noah as usual.
"Yes, understood."
Emma left the dishes for now and went out wearing her outdoor clothes.
"Bonnie, let's go."
"Neigh."
It was a good opportunity to ride Bonnie.
Emma took Bonnie out of the stable, got on the saddle, and grabbed the reins.
Whoosh.
Bonnie was agile.
Above all, he was smart.
Although Emma had only ridden with Noah a few times, Bonnie seemed to already recognize Emma as her owner and moved his legs cheerfully without resistance.
It's refreshing...
Riding a horse excitedly through this rough wilderness was a more pleasant thing than expected.
But... even this didn't erase Emma's distracting thoughts.
Justice Town? Rush and Gold gang?
...Honestly, she didn't care what happened to them.
What was important to her now was her relationship with Noah.
At that moment, Emma suddenly recalled something she heard in San Francisco.
The words Luke, the mayor of the big western city of San Francisco and leader of that vicious South Brotherhood, said to Noah as he got off the carriage.
— You still don't see people as people.
...Emma sometimes felt that too.
The person I like doesn't even see me as a person...
It was a horrible thing just to imagine.
...What does the boss think of me?
She wanted to enter Noah's heart.
She wanted to confirm his feelings.
— What would you do if I borrowed money from those guys too?
— I guess I'd have to hire a new secretary.
...By any means necessary.
Emma knew the thought in her head now was foolish, but she couldn't help being drawn to it.
Everyone was clumsy with their first love.
People had their first love at a young age, experience pain from clumsy love, and grow.
The problem was that this growing pain came too late for Emma.
Emma, who was curious about how much value she had to Noah, had her eyes momentarily clouded by that sinister desire.