Chapter 85 - Identity Gradually Revealed

"Zodiac's next target is said to be the most beautiful woman in this town."

"..."

"That's you, isn't it?"

"..."

"..."

After that, silence continued for a long time.

What the hell did I just say?

Just confess your love outright, you idiot, especially after what happened yesterday...

I berated myself for saying something stupid due to being flustered, but...

But wait. It's not like I said something wrong.

Soon I accepted what I had said.

Honestly, Emma was the prettiest in this town.

The few village girls were ugly, and I couldn't find any pretty women among the newly settled immigrants.

The only one comparable might be Sophia? But she wasn’t my type.

Liese? She was pretty but just a kid.

Indeed, Emma was the most certain to be Zodiac's next target.

As I was thinking that and nodding to myself while sitting in front of Emma's log cabin door, that was when it happened.

"...Pfft."

Whether she was pleased or found it ridiculous.

A small laugh from Emma was heard through the door.

Usually when someone laughed while angry, it was all over.

At this, sensing that Emma's mood had lightened a bit, I was silent for a moment and then said, "...I'm sorry."

"...For what?"

"I still can't accept your feelings."

I will definitely go home.

That thought hadn't changed even once since entering this damn Western world.

If I had held Emma last night and truly made love to her... I would no longer see her as an NPC.

Then I wouldn't be able to forget her and would think about her for the rest of my life after returning to reality.

...I didn't like that.

If that happened, it felt like the ghost of this damn Western game would follow and torment me until I died, even after I got out.

So I couldn't accept her feelings.

...I couldn't embrace her.

"I told you before. That I have a place I need to go. You said you'd follow, but... you can't go there. Never."

"..."

"So you see. I can't embrace you… I feel like I'd keep thinking about you even after I leave later."

With this, I had essentially told Emma all my true feelings.

Emma seemed to feel that too, as she stayed quiet for a while and then spoke as if talking to herself, "...It was my first time yesterday. Did you know?"

"What? The kiss?"

"...If you put it so bluntly... Haa... yes… That was my first."

"It seemed like it was your first. The way you licked like a puppy was really cute."

"...You trash."

"I said that to turn you off, but did it work a little?"

"No."

There were two reasons why I had acted like a brat in this world.

First, because the people here were NPCs.

There was no need to be polite to those who weren't human, I could act recklessly without any problems.

Second...

If I acted like an immature brat, I wouldn't build up affection with the people here.

To avoid having regrets when I eventually left this place, I shouldn't build deep relationships with anyone.

But an NPC woman I thoughtlessly hired as a secretary in this town 4 years ago kept saying she liked me.

No matter how much I acted like a brat... and pushed her away into my life and said she liked me.

Creak.

Then the door opened and she, who had only allowed her voice until now, revealed herself.

An NPC who liked me no matter what I did... the most beautiful woman in this town.

"...Emma."

But today her attire was a bit different.

Not the stuffy outdoor clothes covering her whole body as usual, but...

An off-shoulder revealing her fair shoulders and sophisticated women's trousers.

Just with a slight change in style, Emma exuded both nobility and boldness, as if a rich young lady had come out for a brief escape.

But the person herself seemed a bit embarrassed, as if this kind of clothes was a first for her, and asked, "...How is it? Does it... suit me a little?"

Yeah.

You're so pretty.

I can't take my eyes off you.

...I was about to say that, but I barely came to my senses and asked jokingly, "...Why are you wearing clothes with your shoulders exposed in this midwinter? Tryna freeze to death?"

"...I bought these clothes from a merchant who stopped by Justice Town 6 months ago. I wanted to look good for you, Boss, but my usual clothes are too drab... Does it not suit me?"

"...No, it suits you well."

I couldn't say it didn't suit her, even as a joke.

"But wear a coat. I don't like other bastards seeing your bare shoulders."

Ah.

I'm not even accepting Emma's feelings, was that unnecessary meddling?

But hearing those words from me, Emma smiled as if pleased and put on a coat.

Then she reached out her hand and naturally stroked my cheek, saying, "Boss, do you know what my dream is?"

"...Was it traveling around the world?"

"It's changed a bit… Now I want to travel around the world with someone, not just by myself."

I could tell who that someone was without her saying it.

"You said you couldn't accept my feelings... 6 months ago too, right?"

"I did."

6 months ago, after dealing with the Rush and Gold gang, I rejected Emma's feelings on our way back.

From Emma's perspective, this was the second time I had rejected her.

Moreover, yesterday she only had her lips(?) taken, and the main game didn't even start before stopping.

Emma was a woman, too.

She must have had a huge scratch to her pride after yesterday's incident too.

But...

"It was me who kept saying I like you and trying to seduce you even after being rejected."

"..."

Emma charged at my heart as if she didn't care about such things.

"...I won't give up until you finally choose me, Boss."

Until I finally choose Emma...

[Unable to log out]

[Unable to log out]

[Remaining amount until logout: $952,123 / $1,000,000]

Does that mean until I give up on returning to my original world and choose to stay by Emma's side?

...That will absolutely never happen.

But Emma's expression now contained confidence that she would definitely make me choose her someday.

Emma smiled slightly and removed her hand stroking my cheek, placing it right in front of me.

Like a princess receiving an escort.

"Then let's go catch Zodiac. We have to protect the most beautiful woman in this town from him, right?"

"...Puhah."

At Emma's cute words and actions, I played along and took her hand like a knight escorting her.

"...Right, I have to protect the most beautiful woman in this town."

Normally, I wouldn't do such cringeworthy acts even if it was Emma, but...

Today was a service containing an apology for yesterday's incident.

So I escorted Emma excessively gently and helped her onto the horse.

Fortunately... yesterday's accident(?) was quickly erased from both our minds.

***

As Sophia had said when I left, when we went to the sheriff's office, all the deputies were gathered.

But...

"What? These guys just!"

Hearing Jett's angry voice from outside, it seemed something was wrong.

"Sheriff."

"...Ah, Kid and Miss Emma have come too."

"What's going on?"

"Well... Haa..."

When I asked, Sophia answered instead of Jett, "Many of the deputies weren't in pairs of two yesterday."

"...Is that so?"

As Sophia looked at them as if they were pathetic and spoke, the deputies answered as if they were wronged, "Many of us are single, and if two men sleep in the same house, rumors spread that we're gay...!"

"We drank with our partners until late at night and only separated when sleeping, isn't that okay?"

It wasn't okay.

Most murders usually happened late at night.

If the deputies weren't in pairs of two yesterday, they couldn't confirm each other's alibis.

"You guys call that an excuse... Haa..."

Jett looked at his subordinates with a sigh as if finding them frustrating, but Sophia wasn't like that.

Even if they didn't have particular alibis... Sophia didn't seem to suspect the deputies much.

It was the same for me.

Zodiac isn't among the deputies.

That was because the Zodiac serial killings happened not just in Justice Town but throughout Utah.

Deputies who rarely left town were excluded from suspicion from the start.

Sophia probably knew that, too, but gathered the deputies to check just in case.

I should... properly check too.

In <Catch the Outlaws> Chapter 8 [Zodiac Serial Killings], Zodiac changed and the case clues changed with each playthrough.

But there was only one thing.

One clue that overlapped in every [Zodiac Serial Killings] episode.

I was thinking of checking that now.

"Mira eso detrás de mí."

"Hm?"

When I used a language other than English, everyone here looked only at me.

"What's he saying?"

"Sounds like Spanish?"

"But why suddenly?"

I just said "Look at that behind me" in Spanish.

But everyone here looked only at me in front without flinching at all.

With that, I could be certain.

...That Zodiac definitely wasn't among the people in front of me.

At this, I closed my eyes and fell into thought for a moment.

Who on earth could Zodiac be?

If he was acquainted even with the stuttering deputy Aiden, there was a high chance Zodiac knew me too.

He knew me too... could roam all of Utah... took guns from my warehouse.

...It felt like my head was covered in fog.

But there was one silhouette in that fog.

That silhouette spoke to me.

Do you not know who I am? Or are you pretending not to know?

“…”

What woke me from closing my eyes then was Sophia's voice.

"...It seems Zodiac isn't among the deputies."

"...!"

"And... I think I know what kind of person Zodiac is."

There have been three murders so far.

This was the fourth...

In the original <Catch the Outlaws>, even if one weren't a newbie, one could guess who Zodiac was from the fourth murder.

Judging by Sophia's expression, it wasn't a bluff, and she seemed to have found someone she definitely suspected of being Zodiac.

At this, everyone's gaze gathered on Sophia, but...

"I'm sorry. From now on I'll discuss only with the sheriff. Could everyone please step out for a moment?"

Unfortunately, she sent all of us out except the sheriff.

Swish.

The moment I left the sheriff's office, her gaze was directed at me.

Thud.

As the door closed like that and a little time passed...

"...What…? That's… absolutely not!"

Jett, who had heard Zodiac's identity from Sophia, shouted as if it made no sense.