Chapter 78 - Second Victim

The reason Chapter 8 [Zodiac Serial Killings] of <Catch the Outlaws> was considered the trickiest episode in the game wasn't because of the annoyance of having to find a new Zodiac each time.

When the episode started, the randomly selected Zodiac was given the setting of being an incredibly skilled gunslinger.

Zodiac was the most powerful individual in terms of combat ability among all NPCs in <Catch the Outlaws>.

Zodiac probably had skills equal to or greater than Django, who put bullets in my body.

But that Liese just now...

Her small white hands were full of subtle calluses.

As if she had undergone intense gunslinger training for years.

Not knowing this fact, Bob, who hired Liese as an employee, asked a bit irritably, "Why are you saying not to leave Daisy with Liese? You have to tell me the reason for me to listen or not."

"Just don't leave them together if I say so. What kind of employee did you hire?"

"But... What's wrong with Liese...!? She may be physically weak, but she's so kind and capable! And Daisy already likes Liese a lot?"

Originally, Bob, like a Western bar owner, didn't trust outsiders well.

For such a Bob to say this after just one day... It meant he really liked that girl.

Thinking I couldn't persuade Bob with just moderate words, I approached him quietly and whispered, "Bob, that girl you hired is a gunslinger."

"...A gunslinger?"

"Yeah, and probably one with considerable skill."

"...How do you know that?"

"I can tell just by holding her hand."

For the past 17 years, I had held a gun every single day without exception.

Not relying on the trait [Best Gunslinger in the West], I didn't neglect practice even on days when there was no need to shoot.

But just now, Liese...

She had calluses in exactly the same places as the calluses on my hands.

This wasn't something that just came from doing a lot of work.

"It was a hand that had held a gun for at least 5 years. I'm certain."

When I said this seriously, Bob asked with an indifferent expression, "Liese said she's 15. So you're saying she's been holding a gun constantly since before she was 10? That's strange, it's not like she's a professional killer or something."

"There are many strange things in the world."

Bob's doubt was reasonable.

Indeed, as he said, it was strange for someone that young to be holding a gun, unless they were a professional killer.

That was why I suspected her even more of being Zodiac.

Zodiac was randomly determined by the system... and it didn't distinguish between men and women, old and young.

That girl Liese was chosen by the system to be Zodiac.

So the setting of being an incredibly skilled gunslinger was attached belatedly... that was why calluses inappropriate for her age were embedded in her hands.

...This was my deduction.

But I couldn't talk about games or systems to Bob, an NPC.

So I gave Bob a more realistic explanation.

"Bob, did you know Uncle Hector from the fabric shop died?"

"...What?! Hector died? He was drinking here until this morning!"

"What, he was drinking here?"

I knew Hector hadn't been dead long, but I didn't know he had been drinking at the Deaf Man's Bar until morning.

Anyway, well... setting that aside.

"The one who killed Hector is a crazy outlaw called Zodiac who's been causing a stir in Utah recently."

"...I-I think I heard about that too. A madman who kills people and announces who he'll kill next. That madman has appeared in our town?"

Bob seemed to have quick information as expected of a bar owner.

If he already knew about Zodiac, it would be easier to explain.

I immediately nodded and said, "Yeah, and that madman said he'd kill a young girl next."

"...Daisy."

Bob's daughter is 9? 10 years old this year?

She fit the conditions of Zodiac's murder prediction.

As Bob's face hardened, I patted his shoulder and continued my advice, "So don't make unnecessary trouble and keep a close eye on Daisy for a while."

"Ah, I got it."

Bob was the person I saw most often in Justice Town after Emma.

He was also the owner of my regular bar.

If such a guy lost his daughter and fell into grief, he probably wouldn't operate for a while.

I couldn't lose my favorite bar because of Zodiac.

Above all...

I didn't really want to see a girl I knew lying coldly dead like Hector I saw today.

So after giving Bob firm advice, I sat down, and Bob stared at the kitchen for a moment before approaching me and whispering, "Hey, Kid…. can you stay at our bar until tomorrow morning?"

"...What?"

Even now, it was technically morning.

I just came to the Deaf Man's Bar briefly to have a meal.

But he was asking me to stay until tomorrow morning?

"...No matter how much I like alcohol, that's a bit... 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?"

"Isn't the place where you are the safest place in the world?"

Bob was wise.

Well, if I was nearby, not just Zodiac but even Zodiac's grandfather couldn't do anything.

But this was a different matter from the well-intentioned advice I just gave.

"I like the flattery, but if you want to make a request, you have to pay. I'm expensive."

Asking me to stay at the bar all day was clearly a request.

I couldn't take on a request for free, even if it was Bob.

When I boldly demanded money, Bob hesitated for a moment and then headed to the kitchen.

And when he came back, in his arms was...

"I don't have enough money to hire you, but I do have good alcohol."

A familiar whiskey bottle was in his hands.

I had seen it before.

That was definitely...

The premium whiskey that was piled up like a mountain in William's mansion when I raided it 6 months ago.

"This isn't all. I'll provide this alcohol unlimited while you're at the bar. How about it?"

"...Deal."

Of course, I accepted the request.

"Fuck, you always serve cheap stuff, saying you don't have good alcohol."

"I was saving it in case of a day like this. Here, drink as much as you want."

I forgot about the hangover coming on from drinking a lot yesterday and opened the whiskey bottle Bob handed me.

Come to think of it, I was planning to hole up in a corner of town to avoid Sophia's eyes anyway, so it wasn't a bad choice.

***

"Whew, this is fucking delicious."

Unlike the cheap whiskey I usually drank, this premium whiskey really went down smoothly.

As I quickly emptied the whiskey...

"..."

On the other hand, I watched Liese, the Deaf Man's Bar's new employee, working.

On the surface, Liese was a quiet and capable girl as Bob said.

She already cleaned all the tables? She really works well.

I was a bit impressed seeing Liese making the cleaned tables sparkle.

That's made of solid wood, so it must be heavy.

Though she looked small and frail, seemingly constitutionally weak, she was surprisingly strong.

Her face still had some youthful features, but she would probably become quite a beauty when she grew older...

Above all...

Have I seen her before? Why does she seem so familiar?

That small face with a cold expressionless look seemed familiar somehow.

So I tried to recall if there was such a face among outlaws, but nothing particular came to mind.

That was when someone who could definitely confirm if Liese was an outlaw entered the bar.

Creak.

"Boss."

It was Emma.

She must have thought I was here and came looking since I wasn't at the office.

"Sister Emma!"

"Emma, it's been a while."

"Daisy and Mr. Bob, it's been a while."

Emma greeted Bob and Daisy who welcomed her, then approached me.

"Boss, you weren't at the office..."

"...Emma. Don't stare too much and first check if that employee organizing chairs in the corner is an outlaw."

"..."

Emma had memorized the montages of all the wanted posters I had.

If the familiarity I felt seeing Liese's face was because she was an outlaw... Emma would recognize her right away.

But...

"She's not."

"...She's not?"

"Yes, at least not in my memory."

"If you say she's not, then she's not."

It seemed to be a false lead.

Feeling deflated, I gestured to Emma.

"Emma, did you put the bounty received from Jett deep in my drawer as usual?"

"Yes."

"Then leave work early today. I have to take on Bob's request here."

"..."

Even at the words to leave work early beyond just on time, Emma didn't leave my side.

So I braced myself for shock, knowing she might act foxy again as she often did these days.

But...

"...Boss, I met a Pinkerton agent named Sophia at the sheriff's office earlier."

"...What?"

"...And I made a mistake."

"What are you talking about? Explain in detail."

"Actually..."

The shock Emma gave me was completely different from what I expected.

After hearing Emma's story, I was silent for a moment before speaking, "...So you were asking Jett for information about Jenny James and were overheard by a Pinkerton agent named Sophia, who seemed to know about me?"

"...I'm sorry."

"..."

Lately, Emma had been crossing the line often.

But it seemed it wasn't just limited to seducing me.

To think Emma had been looking into Jenny James.

In the past, I would have been furiously angry, and I actually tried to get angry.

But...

"..."

Seeing Emma's face bowed deeply with a hardened expression, I strangely couldn't get angry.

Damn it.

Feeling slight irritation, I asked Emma, "...So?"

"...Pardon?"

"So what did that Sophia answer?"

"...Ah."

Hearing my somewhat irritable question, Emma bowed her head again and answered, "...She said she didn't know Jenny James, but knew TKK Deputy Leader Jamie James."

"..."

She didn't know Jenny James but knew Jamie James…?

As expected, she doesn't have perfect information about us.

Realizing Sophia's intelligence wasn't that perfect, I gestured to Emma again, "...I've heard what I wanted to hear, so go now."

"..."

Knowing she had done wrong, Emma quietly bowed to me.

I took a sip of whiskey and left final words for Emma, "And Emma. If this happens one more time, I really won't let it slide then."

"...Yes."

Our relationship had been reversed for the past 6 months...

I had a feeling Emma wouldn't be able to climb up for a while after this incident.

Feeling some inexplicable regret at that, I turned away.

Emma left the Deaf Man's Bar with such a dejected appearance.

Swish.

As soon as Emma left the bar, I turned around to check her retreating figure once and then drank again.

After Emma left, somehow the alcohol went down better.

...No, it wasn't because of Emma.

Jenny James.

And...

Jamie James.

Recalling those names, no matter how much I drank, it couldn't wet my heart, which was like cracks in a drought.

Nevertheless, I kept drinking like a person infected with a horsehair worm.

The sun set... and until deep into the night.

When I came to my senses, Liese had gone home and Bob's daughter Daisy was sleeping in the seat next to me.

Needless to say, even though I had been drinking, I hadn't forgotten the request to protect Bob's daughter, Daisy.

However...

Seeing Daisy nodding off, I felt sleepy too.

So I dozed off for a moment.

In that brief moment, I had a dream.

A dream containing old memories I didn't particularly want to recall.

***

— How about TKK for our organization name?

— TKK? What's that an acronym for?

— Both of you try guessing. I'll give you a hint... the last K is for Klan!

— ...You silly sister. The spelling for Clan isn't Klan with a k, it's Clan with a c.

— ...Oops. But TKK sounds prettier than TKC...

— Then just go with TKK. So what's it an acronym for?

— What TKK stands for is...

Flash.

"Boss-!"

"...Hmm?"

"Wake up, Boss!"

Waking up to a sudden shout, my surroundings were bright.

I must have passed out completely instead of just dozing off for a bit.

"Mmm..., huh?"

Of course, even though I dozed off while heavily drunk, I was confident there was no problem with the request due to my [Superhuman Senses] trait.

But... Bob's daughter Daisy was gone.

Bob wasn't in front either.

Moreover, the one who woke me up was...

"...Emma? Why are you…?"

It was Emma, who had gone home early yesterday with a dejected look.

It still seems to be morning looking outside, but why is Emma here at this time...

"...That's not important right now. I think you need to go out for a moment."

"...Why? Did something happ…"

"..."

At that moment, seeing Emma's grief-stricken expression, I sensed something ominous had happened and went outside.

Murmur murmur.

People were gathered in a circle about 100 yards away from the Deaf Man's Bar.

...Just like yesterday.

Step.

So I approached the people and...

"...Huuu, huuuung."

I saw a familiar back sobbing bitterly while holding a small corpse in the middle of the people.

"...Kid."

"...Uncle Kid."

Bob, who had been clicking his tongue among the people, greeted me as I approached.

His daughter Daisy was beside him too.

"...Huuuuung! Laura!"

The one holding the corpse and crying was Joe, Justice Town's friendly neighbor.

Joe, the coachman who always diligently traveled Utah...

Today, instead of horse reins, he was holding his young sister Laura in his arms.

I approached Joe and found a letter tucked in Laura's hand, which I took out and read.

[This is the Zodiac speaking.]

"...This really feels like shit."

The second victim of the Zodiac serial killings was Laura, the younger sister of Hispanic Joe, with whom I had quite a deep friendship.