NOVEL NEXT Chapter 113
“The Indians? Why would the Indians…?”
“Well, I doubt it’s for a good reason.”
Peace Town has been established for decades now.
It’s unlikely that the Indians would suddenly attack this place.
Then…
“Our demolition target wasn’t just Peace Town, but also the Indian village.”
Their goal might be us.
Maybe the townspeople brought the Indians in to get rid of us.
Whatever the case, the Indians are definitely heading this way.
“…Emma, go wake up all the kids right now.”
“…Is it a fight?”
“I wish it weren’t.”
But we have to prepare for the worst.
“Wake the kids, set up barricades at the entrance, gather as many guns as you can, and bring them to me. Hurry, it’s urgent.”
“…Yes, understood.”
And so, our busy morning began.
—
Dudududu-.
Dudududu-.
The dozens of Indians didn’t enter the town directly but instead circled Peace Town once.
The sight of the Indians surrounding the town in a single line was both spectacular and deeply threatening.
“Ch-Chief… Is it really okay to let them into the village?”
“What choice do we have? If we want to protect the village, we need their help.”
While the village men and the chief whispered nervously among themselves, someone approached them.
“Chief…! What on earth are these Indians doing here…?”
It was Claire, the sheriff of Peace Town.
She had been badly injured in the last showdown with Noah, taking two bullets, and had been recuperating at home.
Because of that, she had no idea about the townspeople’s decision to bring in the Indians.
“We called them.”
“…What? You’re not planning to use them to deal with the gunslingers, are you?”
“That’s right.”
The chief answered calmly, but Claire knew better than anyone that this was a terrible idea.
“No, you can’t—!”
“Why not? You know Michael was killed just a few days ago, don’t you? If we don’t drive those bastards out now, we’ll all be dead!”
Claire agreed that the hired goons threatening the village needed to be dealt with.
But the problem was allying with the Indians to do it.
“Th-that’s true, but we should handle them on our own…! Don’t bring the Indians into this!”
Uncivilized Indians aren’t U.S. citizens.
Especially tribes like the Shoshone, who are uncooperative and disobedient to the government.
If word got out that we allied with such anti-national Indians, it would give the railroad company even more reason to come down hard on this town.
Next time, it might not be hired goons but state troops.
“I know what you’re worried about. But listen.”
The seasoned village chief had already considered that possibility.
“If we eliminate all the witnesses, no one will know we allied with the Indians, right?”
“…What? You mean…?”
Claire asked, though she knew exactly what the chief was implying.
“If we kill all the hired goons in the tavern, no one will know what happened in this town.”
“……”
“So no one outside the village will ever know we brought in the Indians.”
The chief wasn’t just talking about driving out the remaining six hired goons—he was talking about killing them.
Claire flinched at this.
Of course, in the West, people killing each other is common.
Claire herself had once made a living by killing others.
But…
The chief, who had always seemed kind and warm, was now casually talking about killing someone, and it felt deeply unsettling.
‘…Right, the chief has survived decades in the West. Why did I ever think he was naive?’
As Claire sighed briefly, the Indians surrounding the village began to slowly move in.
The townspeople, though uneasy, welcomed the Indians without showing hostility.
The Indians, too, carried their weapons on their backs and entered politely.
Their procession soon reached the chief.
The chief greeted them with his usual friendly smile.
“Welcome! I’m the chief of this village, the one who contacted you! Welcome to Peace Town!”
“I am Krikasen, son of the chief of the Shoshone Arahga tribe.”
“Krikasen?”
The name of the young Indian leading the warriors was as unique as the others.
“In your language, it would be something like ‘Guardian of the Blue Falcon.'”
Guardian of the Blue Falcon.
Krikasen lived up to his name, with a lean but sturdy build.
Behind him were an Indian-style bow, spear, and a Winchester rifle, and the other Indians with him were also heavily armed, ready for battle.
Indians are naturally skilled riders and marksmen.
With dozens of such warriors, the chief couldn’t help but feel reassured.
With them, even a few hired goons wouldn’t stand a chance against the village.
“We understand your intentions. You want to join forces with us?”
“That’s right. We heard your village, like ours, has been served a demolition notice by the railroad company. If two villages facing the same crisis join forces, we can overcome any threat, don’t you think?”
Krikasen, swayed by the chief’s smooth words, nodded with satisfaction.
“You’re right! Though we were once at odds, if we unite and support each other, we can face any great threat. I hear there are scoundrels in your village?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Our warriors will kick those bad guys out right away. Where are they?”
“Over there. Let me guide you.”
Dozens of Indian warriors turned their horses around at the chief’s guidance.
It was such a rare sight that the villagers also followed behind them to watch.
With the villagers and Indian warriors combined, their numbers became overwhelming.
The massive crowd headed toward a Tavern Inn where the goons had set up camp at the village entrance.
Claire also followed the crowd for now.
The brave Indian warriors looked so strong that they could easily wage war against the gang controlling the area.
If those merciless hooves came crashing down, the six remaining goons would be turned to dust in no time.
But…
“……”
Claire couldn’t shake her unease.
It was because of a gunslinger she had faced in a duel a few days ago.
Claire was an enforcer for TKK.
Not just anyone could become an enforcer.
Only the elite gunslingers of TKK, those whose skills had been proven, could become enforcers.
Claire took pride in her marksmanship and combat abilities.
In reality, there were hardly any gunslingers who could match her.
But the gunslinger she had met a few days ago had easily subdued her as if it were nothing.
What bothered her most was his fighting style.
Fearlessly charging forward even as bullets flew, and shooting down bullets mid-air with unbelievable accuracy.
…He reminded her too much of someone she knew.
‘No way… It can’t be.’
She kept telling herself there was no way he could be here, but the anxiety in her heart wouldn’t go away.
‘Leah, I have a mission for you for the organization.’
If that gunslinger really was him…
Even with all these Indian warriors here, it wouldn’t mean a thing…
Thud.
While Claire trembled with anxiety, the procession arrived in front of the inn.
Swoosh-
As soon as they arrived, the Indian warriors began to surround the inn in a semicircle, as if they had planned it in advance.
Krikasen, watching the warriors encircle the inn, whispered secretly to the chief beside him.
“…Chief. If there’s something going out, there must be something coming in, right?”
“Of course. Do you need something?”
Krikasen, seeing the chief’s kind face that seemed willing to grant anything, replied with a determined expression.
“The invaders won’t leave us alone. If we keep holding out on this land, a big fight will break out someday.”
“……”
“We’re preparing for war. When that time comes, I hope this village will stand with us.”
“Of course, Krikasen.”
It was obviously a lie.
The chief was only using them for now and had no intention of maintaining a relationship with the Indians.
But the young and naive Krikasen didn’t notice the chief’s lie and only looked moved.
“…Thank you. In return, I’ll make sure to handle this matter properly.”
Soon, as the encirclement of the inn was completed, he rode forward on his horse.
The warriors made way for him.
Krikasen, standing at the front of the warriors, shouted at the inn.
“All you scoundrels who dared to disturb the peace of the village, come out and surrender!”
Ever since Krikasen was young, the history of the Indians had been one of constant invasion.
Because of this, he held a deep hatred for those who drove people out and stole land, and he had no intention of forgiving the scoundrels inside the inn.
Meanwhile, inside the inn, there was a flurry of activity.
The tavern owner and his wife were trembling in each other’s arms in the kitchen, while the other gunslingers prepared for the upcoming battle.
But…
“Damn it…! There are too many of them…!”
The number of people gathered outside was overwhelming enough to make them lose their will to fight.
“Ha, should we surrender…?”
“If we surrender, will they spare us? Those Indians…?”
“Damn it, we’re all going to die.”
It was only natural that Borg and the other gunslingers were gripped by fear.
But amidst all this, there was one person quietly and busily checking their weapons…
It was Noah.
Emma, who had finished her preparations like the others, approached Noah and asked.
“Boss. There are people gathered outside. At least dozens of Indians have surrounded this place. What do you plan to do?”
“……”
In response to Emma’s question, Noah opened the cylinder of his revolver to check it once…
“What else?”
Click.
Then he answered nonchalantly.
“What else can we do? If we want to live, we have to kill them all.”
“……”
If anyone else had said it, it would have sounded absurd, but Noah’s words carried a different weight.
Even though dozens of Indian warriors were outside ready to kill them, Emma, who had spent over four years with Noah, wasn’t the least bit afraid of the current situation.