Chapter 4
The dawn of Turtle Rock was bitterly cold and dark. As soon as the first light broke, the owner went out with a shovel, while his wife and Elen walked beside him, lighting the way with a lantern.
Thud.
As Harbor’s mangled corpse fell on top of Lux, Elen buried her face in her mother’s arms and let out a muffled groan. It wasn’t grief from losing Harbor, but sorrow from being betrayed. The owner spat on Harbor’s body and muttered.
“Rot in hell. Then maybe I’ll see you again someday. I’ll smash your head in again when that time comes.”
“Ptooey!”
The wife followed suit, spitting and even pouring spoiled food over the corpse. Jaei, wrapped in a blanket and half-asleep, watched the scene. A refreshing morning, starting with a warm cup of tea and corpse disposal. Truly brutal and unusual.
“Jaei, you’re awake. Were you cold?”
“No. Thanks to you. The stove stayed on until morning.”
“Wait a bit. Eat breakfast, then we’ll prepare to leave.”
“…Take your time.”
Jaei took a sip of tea and sat down. When he went to sleep last night, he had thought this might all be a dream. But now that he had woken up, his life in Korea felt distant instead. It had only been a day, but so much had happened like a storm.
“Jaei. Want some grilled rabbit for breakfast?”
“That sounds good.”
“You should eat well before a long journey.”
The wife gently patted Jaei’s back and went inside. Whether it was the nature of people here or just this family, his treatment had noticeably improved now that he was indebted to them. Even now—wasn’t the owner digging alone? They even prepared warm tea for him.
Slide.
Jaei took out the fragmented bullet from his pocket. The future was uncertain, but at least he had this ability. Auto-aim wasn’t limited to simply hitting targets—it could distinguish hostile individuals and even provide forward defense. With further exploration, its uses would be endless.
‘Then should I use dual pistols?’
More important than killing the enemy was not dying himself.
Wouldn’t it be safer to hold a defensive weapon in the left hand and an offensive one in the right? Jaei flicked the revolver hammer idly.
‘But the hammer’s too heavy. Pulling it with my thumb takes too much strength, and it’s slow. Isn’t there a gun that can fire continuously?’
“Excuse me—”
At Jaei’s call, the owner turned his head. Even in the cold morning air, digging always made one sweat. He wiped under his chin.
“What is it?”
“When we get to Mollibay, is there a gunsmith?”
“…Of course there is.”
“I see. Understood.”
“Hey. Don’t tell me you don’t know Mollibay either.”
“Sorry. I don’t.”
The owner set down his shovel in disbelief. He wished Jaei would stop with these absurd jokes, but Jaei looked completely serious. The owner took a breath and glanced down at Harbor’s corpse.
‘Fine. Even if he’s a fool, he saved my family. I’ll play along.’
“What do you want to know?”
“How big is Mollibay?”
“A circuit judge comes by twice a month. Enough?”
In the West, proper judicial institutions were scarce. So judges from the East traveled periodically to hold trials, and Mollibay, having a large population, hosted them twice a month. It was also the only nearby place receiving government subsidies. Because of that, bounty hunters all flocked to Mollibay. Without subsidies, sheriffs wouldn’t pay out rewards.
‘I don’t fully understand, but it’s a place where public services operate.’
Public institutions always drew people, no matter how remote the location. He might be able to get a gun, a place to stay, and even a job. If possible, he wanted an office job. Would he have to take an exam to become a civil servant? After enduring that life throughout his twenties—again here?
Click.
As Jaei frowned and fiddled with the revolver hammer, the owner lit a cigarette. He had been bothered for a while.
“Going to keep doing that?”
“Ah, sorry. It was bothering you.”
“Of course it was—”
In a world where even long acquaintances could suddenly point guns at each other, Jaei realized his carelessness and tried to put the revolver away—until the owner added something unexpected.
“Who cocks a hammer like that?”
“…What?”
“If you do it like that, you’ll die before you even fire.”
The owner approached, seemingly taking a break, and gestured for the gun. After a moment’s hesitation, Jaei handed it over. The owner slipped it into his pocket.
“Watch carefully.”
Slide—
Bang!
Jaei’s eyes widened. The moment the barrel emerged from the owner’s pocket, it fired. He struck the hammer with his other hand—cocking and firing in one motion. Instead of the usual ready stance, he kept the gun near his thigh and aimed at the opponent. It was incredibly fast.
“This is what you call a gunslinger.”
“H-How did you do that?”
“You don’t know fanning? Guess they don’t teach that in the army.”
The owner teased him, assuming he wasn’t actually from the army, but Jaei simply accepted it.
“No. They didn’t. Could you teach me?”
“Not sure if you’re honest or shameless.”
“Right now, I think it’s both.”
“You won’t learn it in a day. Do it wrong, and you’ll blow your thigh off.”
It made sense—drawing and firing at the same time meant even a slight mistake could be disastrous. But the reaction speed was incredible, and judging by the owner’s attitude, most gunslingers seemed to use this technique.
‘With auto-aim, it might actually work.’
“I’ll practice slowly and carefully. Please teach me.”
“Hm. Fine. First, hold the gun like this.”
The owner narrowed his eyes, then nodded. Facing a tree as their target, the two began practicing drawing their guns.
Clang clang clang!
“How long are you two going to take? Breakfast’s ready, and you’re still fooling around?”
The wife banged a pot from the window.
“We’re done!”
“Done with what? Harbor’s head is still sticking out over there! Finish it properly or we won’t leave today! Who knows what the weather will be like tomorrow? The place is full of holes letting wind in, and you’re dragging your feet!”
Scratching his head at her nagging, the owner picked up the shovel again. Jaei repeated the motions he had been taught, trying to get used to it—
Click.
Then he paused. Maybe it was his imagination, but even during fanning, the barrel felt firmly locked. As Jaei tilted the gun curiously, the owner called out. The pit had been neatly filled.
“Jaei, let’s head in. Eat, then we leave right away.”
“…Yes, understood.”
“Look forward to it. Since you’ve never been to Mollibay—it’s a whole different world.”
It was his first journey in this unfamiliar world. From the quiet Turtle Rock to Mollibay, where all kinds of people gathered. Jaei turned toward <Elens> after the owner.
He could feel it.
For some reason, this day might become a memory he’d look back on.
***
Mollibay Sheriff’s Office. A middle-aged man with a torn ear read the newspaper with a grim expression. News of gangs came in almost daily, giving him headaches. And now even bank robberies were rampant. As he rubbed his forehead, the deputy, Jimmy, spoke.
“Sheriff Charlie?”
“Another gang showed up in Ractover.”
“Just a few weeks ago, it was noisy because of bank robbers. That place has its share of problems.”
“Exactly. Idiots. With security like that, of course they keep coming.”
Sheriff Charlie threw the newspaper down irritably. Was he worried because it was near Mollibay? Not at all.
“I can hear the sound of their bounties rising from here, damn it. The government won’t increase subsidies, but they keep raising these bastards’ prices.”
Subsidies were rarely increased, and sometimes didn’t even arrive on time. Dealing with people demanding rewards, the sheriff hadn’t made any profit for months. Already a low-paying job—without some side gains, it wasn’t worth showing up.
“Horse upkeep, saddles, food—it costs about 10 dollars a day just to breathe.”
“Haha, bank robberies have been frequent lately, so subsidies have been draining.”
“How much do we have left?”
“Let me check.”
Deputy Jimmy flipped through the documents.
“500 dollars left. And the next subsidy arrives in about half a month.”
“Geez, that’ll be gone in a week. Close the office for now. Let the deputies patrol, but don’t take new requests.”
“Is that alright?”
“The circuit judge comes next week. We can’t greet him empty-handed.”
“Well… that’s true, but…”
Jimmy trailed off, but there was no alternative. What could he do? If the sheriff said to close the office, that was that. Hunters would complain, but residents might even welcome it—delays meant longer stays and more business.
“Understood.”
“Good. Then how about we go play some cards? I’ve been on a lucky streak lately.”
“Sounds good. It’s been a while.”
“You went last week.”
“Isn’t that long enough?”
“Hahaha! True enough!”
Creak.
As the sheriff laughed and stepped out, the deputies waiting outside stood and saluted—though with cigarette butts in their mouths, it hardly looked disciplined. The deputy gave them a subtle signal. The office was closing.
“Wrap things up and head home early.”
“Yes, sir.”
Thump!
Mollibay was somewhat developed, but still just a remote point in the West beyond the government’s reach. The sheriff’s authority was absolute, and his deputies were like soldiers. Even if they drank from midday, no one could stop them.
Creak.
At the end of the road they walked down laughing, a carriage slowly entered the town. It was Jaei and the owner, having traveled for three full days. Jaei stared at the sign reading ‘Mollibay.’
“So this is Mollibay?”
“That’s right. What do you think? Impressive, isn’t it?”
“Yes… well… it’s nice.”
The most bustling place nearby. Even if Jaei came from elsewhere, he likely hadn’t seen a town this large. The owner pulled the reins proudly.
Meanwhile, Jaei quietly sighed and pressed his temples.
‘What a complete backwater.’
He had planned to find a house and a job here…
Would things really go his way?