Chapter 96
As soon as I thought about leaving Justice Town, I went into the office, leaving the writhing Sophia behind.
If I was going to leave this place and never return, I needed to pack any necessary items in advance.
But...
"...There's not much here."
No matter how much I looked, I couldn't see any precious items that I absolutely had to take.
Well, did I ever have anything I was attached to while living in this damn game?
The only thing precious to me was money.
Swish—swish.
So I roughly stuffed my clothes into a small travel bag.
And then...
"...Ah, I should pack guns too."
I went to the warehouse through the back door and packed weapons I would use in the future.
After packing simply like that, I ended up with two small travel bags.
To have only these things to pack after living here for 4 years.
With a somewhat empty feeling, I looked around the office interior one last time.
The most noticeable thing was still the bed.
"...Ugh, I'm so fucking tired."
If I could just lie there and sleep for 30 minutes, I'd have no regrets.
But if I laid on the bed, I probably wouldn't get up until tomorrow morning.
I clicked my tongue once and went out of the office.
"Ugh... uuugh..."
Even then, Sophia seemed to have trouble regaining her senses, groaning while holding her struck stomach.
I looked down at her pathetically once and then passed by.
As I ignored her and passed by, I heard a voice filled with resentment from behind.
"...I!!"
"..."
"I will definitely catch you...!! I will definitely catch you and... reveal all your crimes to the world! Definitely...!!"
After being treated like that by me... even getting hit, she still hadn't come to her senses.
No matter what I said now, Sophia wouldn't give up and would chase me.
The only way for me to escape from her was to run away.
To the world outside this game... where she could never follow.
[Unable to log out]
[Remaining amount until logout: $963,154 / $1,000,000]
Now I can really see the end.
With the $5,000 promissory note Jett gave me, the amount left until I could go home was only about $30,000.
With that much money... I should be able to fill it quickly even without Justice Town.
I left Sophia with final words, vowing never to meet her again until I return home.
"Try to catch me if you can."
"...K-Kid!!"
Thud.
"What are you doing making noise in the neighborhood?"
"...Ugh."
When I stepped on Sophia's back as she was shouting, she seemed to run out of strength and fainted.
She might freeze to death in the middle of winter like this.
I took out a small blanket from my travel bag, gently placed it on the fainted Sophia's face, and turned around.
It was farewell to the office I had lived in for the past 4 years.
***
"Hehihing."
"Hihing."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry for waking you up at night, guys."
One person, but two horses.
One was No Name and one was Bonnie.
As I was leaving the office, I thought about taking only No Name and leaving Bonnie behind, but...
How much is a horse worth, how can I just leave it behind.
It was too precious to just leave behind.
I decided to take both No Name and Bonnie.
"By the way, I think I need to rename you.... What's with Bonnie, Bonnie."
Most people call me Kid, but as you know, that was just a nickname and I had a separate real name.
Noah H. Bonnie Jr.
In other words, Bonnie was my last name.
It felt awkward that the horse's name was the same as my name.
So I was going to give him a new name, but...
"Let's give you a new name. What would be good?"
"Hihing-!"
"...What? You like your current name?"
"Hehihing."
Because Bonnie strongly protested, I couldn't.
"Haa, what was your owner thinking when she gave you such a name?"
"Hihing."
"Huh? You're asking where your owner is?"
"Hehihing."
Just as I was talking with Bonnie, we came to a fork in the road.
If one went left, one could go through the Deaf Man's Bar and out to the outskirts of town, and if one went right, one came to Emma's log cabin.
"..."
After hesitating for a moment...
Clop clop.
I turned the horse's head to the left path.
"Hihing-!"
"Hehihing!"
When I went left, the horses protested as if asking why we weren't going to Emma.
I smiled at the horses and said, "Sorry, but I don't plan on going to Emma."
"Hihing!"
There wasn’t much left until I could go home.
From now on, I planned to look only at money and quickly return home.
For me like that... I had a feeling Emma's existence would be a hindrance.
I don't want to leave any lingering attachments to this world anymore.
That was why I would leave this town alone.
Without... leaving even a final greeting to Emma.
— ...It's not your fault, Boss.
But then I recalled the last words Emma said to me.
The warmth of her embrace when she hugged me seemed to come back, too.
At this, my body subtly turned towards Emma's log cabin, but...
"..."
I gritted my teeth and went on my way.
This is right.
The parting might be somewhat regrettable, but...
This was the right choice for both myself and Emma.
***
Even if I left without saying anything to Emma, I planned to say goodbye to others.
The NPCs I had built some connection with while living in Justice Town.
Jett and Bob.
Among them, the Deaf Man's Bar was closer than Jett's house on my route, so I headed to the Deaf Man's Bar first.
Creak.
But when I actually went inside the bar...
"Oh, Kid came?"
"Kid."
"Sheriff?"
Not only Bob, but Jett was there too.
Usually Jett doesn't like alcohol, so I couldn't help but be surprised to see him in the bar.
"What's this? Sheriff, you don't usually drink."
"Just.... I felt like drinking today."
"..."
"I thought you'd go to sleep since you looked tired, but you came to drink too? Come sit down. Let's have a drink for Joe."
So it was because of Joe after all.
Joe was on good terms with most of Justice Town's residents.
It was the same with Jett.
Jett was the sheriff but didn't have many close friends because of his hot-tempered personality.
From Jett's perspective, he must have been sad to see off one of his few friends.
"Aren't you coming? Hmm? Come to think of it... your attire... Kid, are you going somewhere?"
"Now that you mention it, that's right. Kid, where are you going?"
When I didn't sit down and just stood there, Jett and Bob tilted their heads and asked.
At this, I smiled and answered, "I'm planning to leave town."
"...Huh? For how long?"
"I probably won't come back again..."
"..."
At my sudden words, the two men opened their eyes wide.
But...
"...Oh, is that so?"
"Damn, lost one regular customer."
The two didn't seem that surprised.
Because of this, I had to feel somewhat wronged(?).
"No, but someone you've seen for 4 years is leaving, and that's all the reaction? You two are so cold-hearted."
"We were already thinking that someone who came like the wind would leave like the wind someday," Jett said that and downed the whiskey that filled his glass in one go.
"But still, now that you say you're leaving town..."
"..."
"I feel strangely sad."
Glug.
Jett, who disliked alcohol, filled his glass with whiskey again.
"I thought I'd feel relieved when you disappeared... I guess I built up a lot of affection for you after all."
And then he took another shot.
Meanwhile, Bob went into the kitchen and for a moment, Jett and I were left alone.
I took that opportunity to say what I wanted to say to Jett as a last word.
"Sheriff."
"...Yes?"
"You know the remaining bounty for catching Zodiac?"
"...Ah right. Come to think of it, there was that. What are you thinking of doing with it?"
"Just give it all to Jo's family. Or use some of it yourself, Sheriff."
"...!"
The remaining bounty would be over $5,000, at least.
Jett seemed surprised at the words that I would just give up such a large sum of money.
Well, for me... although it was a shame to give up that money, I had no choice.
I couldn't create money that didn't exist... I had to do this at least.
"But there's a condition."
"...Condition? What is it."
"You know that Zodiac I caught... that kid called Liese?"
"Yes, what about that vicious child's corpse?"
"Just... after all the checks are done, please bury her in the ground."
"...!"
Jett had a face that didn't understand why I was making such a request.
...Actually, I didn't know why I was making this request either.
It was just an NPC anyway.... It shouldn't matter to me what happened to an already dead corpse.
"...Alright, I don't know the reason, but I'll do as you say."
"Thank you."
Still, Jett readily agreed to my request.
That was when I bowed my head to Jett in gratitude.
"Kid."
Bob, who had gone into the kitchen for a moment, came out again and called me.
And in his hand was...
"What's this?"
"Water and food. I thought you probably didn't pack properly."
There was food packed in a sack even bigger than my travel bag.
This is almost a month's worth of food.
It was an excessive amount, but I accepted it without complaint.
"Thanks, Bob."
"I should be thanking you. Thanks to you, I almost lost my business many times and felt like shit every time you ate free drinks, but..."
"...You had a lot built up against me, huh?"
"Still, it was fun. I mean it."
"...I see."
I, too, wouldn't have been able to soothe my lonely heart if the Deaf Man's Bar hadn't been there.
Although it was a bit embarrassing... I shook hands with Bob's outstretched hand.
After finishing my greetings like that and going out, the two came out of the bar to see me off for the last time.
Among them, Jett looked at Bonnie next to No Name and asked, "...But wasn't that Miss Emma's horse? Did you get permission from Miss Emma?"
"This was originally my horse. I don't need permission."
"Wait... That means.... Did you not tell Miss Emma that you're leaving town?"
"..."
When I didn't answer, both men clicked their tongues at the same time.
"Aing, tsk tsk."
"This bastard looks fine on the outside, but why is he like this?"
"...Ah, what should I do?"
At my words asking what I should do, both men answered at once as if they had planned it, "What do you mean what should you do, you should run there right now!"
"..."
"Hey, Kid. Don't be stubborn and go to Emma's house quickly. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life, you know?"
Regret...
No.
Rather, if I went to meet Emma now, I was sure I'd regret it later.
But...
"...Maybe it's polite to say goodbye before leaving."
The small temptation that had been in my heart from before... combined with Jett and Bob's advice to make me turn my horse's head.
"...Okay, fine. I'll say goodbye to Emma too before I leave, as you two said."
"Yeah, you thought well. Of course you should say goodbye. Emma worked with you for years."
"Then I'll say my final goodbye to Emma and leave… Both of you take care."
"You take care, too."
"Kid, come back anytime if you want to return."
Come back my ass.
I will soon leave not only Justice Town but this damn West too.
I will absolutely never return to this damn world.
But...
Still... it is a bit regrettable.
No matter if they were NPCs, parting with people I had seen for years was somehow an unsettling thing.
I waved my hand big once to the two men and rode my horse.
Even when I looked back after coming quite far...
"Take care—!"
The two were still waving their hands at me.
***
It didn't take long to get from the Deaf Man's Bar to Emma's log cabin.
In the meantime, I pondered how to say my final goodbye to Emma.
It's probably better to keep it short. If I make it long, it'll just make my heart unsettled.
After parting today, I would never meet Emma again.
I decided to finish my relationship with Emma with a short greeting so as not to leave any unnecessary lingering feelings.
Like that, I arrived in front of Emma's house.
Knock knock.
"Emma."
I knocked on Emma's door with a somewhat trembling hand.
"...Boss?"
She wasn't sleeping, as Emma came out quickly.
Instead, Emma was wearing a jacket over the thin slip I saw last time to ward off the cold, as if she had been about to go to sleep.
"What brings you here at this hour..."
"..."
Seeing Emma's attire like that, I felt something erotic for a moment, but soon came to my senses and said what I had been thinking.
"I'm leaving town today."
"...Pardon?"
"It's sudden, but that's how it turned out. I probably won't ever return to Justice Town again."
"...Ah."
My leaving Justice Town was really a suddenly decided thing.
Emma's eyes immediately widened as if she had heard something unimaginable.
That look is... pretty.
Actually, Emma was the most special existence to me in Justice Town.
Thanks to Emma, working in Justice Town was so comfortable... and I was comforted many times thanks to her.
...There were even times when I almost fell for her temptation.
But now it was time to say goodbye.
I tried to smile for the last time and reached out my hand to Emma.
And...
Take care. I'm going.
...I should say that, but…
"..."
"..."
Strangely, my mouth wouldn't open.
I was a person who would leave this world someday.
Emma was an NPC.
No matter what our feelings were, Emma and I couldn't be together.
...Our end could only be tragic.
That was why it was right to end the relationship between me and Emma here.
It was right, but...
"Do you want to... come with me?"
"...!"
I ended up saying those words.
Words that I would surely regret over and over someday...
Words that would leave a painfully torn wound in both our hearts later.