Chapter 8
“Are we actually heading the right way?”
Jaei followed behind Libero with a gun tucked inside his jacket.
His fingertip rested precariously on the trigger.
The owner had taken Libero’s gun, but that didn’t mean he could let his guard down.
Libero leading the way was one thing, but what truly bothered Jaei were the drunken, half-naked people around them.
There were incoherent shouts, and he could feel the hostile gazes searching for trouble.
This was the back alley of back alleys—no one here looked sane.
“We’re here. How many times are you going to ask?”
“I’ve asked three times. You keep saying we’re here, yet there’s no sign of arriving. And suddenly you’re guiding me—of course it’s suspicious.”
Libero stopped walking and sharply turned his head.
“Are you planning to give back the 30 dollars?”
“No.”
“Exactly. As much as it pisses me off, there’s nothing I can do. It’s already past midnight, and Void will be tearing the place apart looking for me and my sisters. Meanwhile, you’re talking about taking them down with some insane plan.”
If something was going to happen anyway, it was better before Void found them.
If he got caught in a gang fight, he could easily end up as nothing more than a bullet sponge.
Libero stopped in front of a shabby wooden building and whispered.
“Besides, you’re young, and an outsider. You probably won’t be able to persuade Woodburn, so I’ll back you up. That whole crazy dog situation you wanted—I’ll help make it happen as much as possible—”
“Prioritize the safety of your sisters?”
“Yeah. Just make sure of that.”
“May I be honest?”
Jaei lowered his voice as well.
There were signs of movement inside the building.
“I can’t guarantee it, but I’ll try.”
“You’re seriously pissing me off.”
“This is the best I can do. I’m taking risks too, so I don’t have much else to say. But you don’t really have a choice either, do you? That’s why instead of borrowing 30 dollars elsewhere, you chose to follow me.”
“I need to hear exactly what kind of deal you’re making if my sisters are involved. And if I could’ve borrowed 30 dollars elsewhere, I wouldn’t have gone to Void in the first place.”
“I see.”
Clack!
At that moment, a small window on the door slid open.
A pair of yellowed, jaundiced eyes scanned the strangers warily.
“What do you want?”
“Ah! I’m Libero. I live on Middle Street, and my friend here has a request for Woodburn. Could we meet them?”
“······Libero?”
The man narrowed his eyes.
“Yeah, I know you. The stingy scammer from Middle Street. But you—you’re connected to Void.”
“Connected to Void? That’s dangerous talk! I did borrow money from them, but it’s not like that. In fact, it’s the opposite. My life’s in danger. Please pass this along to Woodburn. It’s a job worth at least 30 dollars.”
“······Hmm. Wait.”
Bang!
As the window slammed shut, Libero exhaled shakily and leaned against the wall.
Jaei, still keeping his finger on the trigger, looked up at the building.
No windows.
A sealed structure.
It seemed to be Woodburn’s last stronghold after their power had shrunk.
“Haa… I’m so nervous I could die.”
“You’re more famous than I thought, Mr. Libero. Even Woodburn recognized you immediately.”
“I don’t know. Those guys barely come outside—seriously.”
Jaei nodded slightly.
This was going better than expected.
If Woodburn were just a gang hiding and barely surviving, how would they know Libero was connected to Void?
It meant Woodburn was still active in their own way.
Creak—
Before long, the door swung open.
A foul, fishy stench hit them immediately.
Inside were piles of dried fish and stacks of unknown crates.
As Libero moved to enter while covering his nose with his sleeve, the man gestured for him to stop.
“Leave any guns or knives here before going up.”
“I’ve got nothing. Thanks to someone.”
As Libero glanced at Jaei, Jaei pulled out his revolver from inside his jacket and handed it over.
It couldn’t be helped if he wanted to meet Woodburn.
“This way.”
The interior was cramped with scattered goods.
Even if an attack came from outside, only one or two people could come up at a time, making defense easier.
Unless someone burned the entire building down, it would be difficult to suppress them from outside.
Was that why Void hadn’t wiped them out completely?
“Boss.”
“Guests. It’s been a while.”
A man playing cards with his subordinates on the second floor turned with a grin.
The gang leader—Woodburn.
Short red hair, green eyes, unusually pale skin, and black teeth that contrasted sharply with it.
Jaei unconsciously swallowed.
‘He looks dangerous at a glance.’
What on earth had he done for his teeth to be completely black?
Woodburn, a cigarette hanging from his lips, scanned Jaei.
“What’s your name?”
“Jaei.”
“An outsider? First time seeing you.”
“That’s right.”
“And how did you end up being friends with a scammer? If it were me, I’d rather keep a murderer by my side. Come sit here.”
At the table where the card game was happening, only one seat remained.
Libero awkwardly smiled and gestured for him to go.
“So. This scammer says it’s a job worth over 30 dollars. Is that true? Hard to trust.”
At his words, Jaei took out the bills from his inner pocket and held them out.
Only then did Woodburn put down his cards and focus.
“30 dollars as an advance.”
“Advance! I like that word. Not a hand I’d fold for dying, but I can’t ignore a customer. Go on. What’s the job?”
“Libero’s sisters are being threatened by the Void gang. I want you to protect them.”
The moment Void was mentioned, the atmosphere froze.
Gang members frowned and glared at Jaei and Libero.
Woodburn licked his black teeth with his tongue, thinking.
Click.
He naturally pulled out a gun and loaded it.
Then he pointed it at the 30 dollars.
“Seems like this isn’t an advance, but travel money for the afterlife.”
“No. It’s an advance.”
“Libero. Didn’t you explain to your friend what kind of relationship Void and Woodburn have? Or did you explain it, and he still came here spouting nonsense? If it’s the former, you deserve to die. If it’s the latter, I’ll kill both of you.”
Just as Libero was about to force a smile, Jaei spoke first.
“I know the relationship. That’s exactly why I came to Woodburn. There’s no one more suitable.”
“What?”
“30 dollars as an advance. But if the job is completed successfully, the reward will be at least 100 dollars. And on top of that, Woodburn will take Void’s place in Mollibay.”
Woodburn was dumbfounded, then burst into laughter.
Taking on Void for just 30 dollars was like throwing yourself into flames.
There was no chance of victory.
No meaning.
Only death at the end.
And yet, taking Void’s place?
“Hahaha! A beggar pulls out 30 dollars, talks about 100, and keeps a scammer as a friend—makes sense!”
Jaei waited for his laughter to subside before continuing.
“Publicly, the job is to guard Libero’s sisters. But the longer the confrontation with Void lasts, the better.”
Thunk.
“You talk too much. When I kill you, I’ll cut out that tongue and bury it.”
As Woodburn pressed the gun against Jaei’s head, Libero shouted.
“Wait! Jaei is a bounty hunter! If he dies, his colleagues won’t stay quiet!”
“A bounty hunter? This brat? Libero, I’ll cut your nose off. You Pinocchio bastard.”
“It’s true! That’s why I brought him here. Otherwise, do you think I’d come here with him? This is a real opportunity for Woodburn—just hear him out!”
Woodburn narrowed his eyes, and Jaei revealed his purpose.
“The sheriff’s office isn’t accepting corpses. They say they’ve run out of funds, but that’s not my problem. I need to process them somehow.”
“So? What does that have to do with us?”
“If Void and Woodburn stir up trouble, the mayor will pressure the sheriff. The Security Force will try to suppress both gangs immediately—but it won’t be easy.”
“This is where it stops making sense. We’re not even half as strong as Void. Before the Security Force even intervenes, we’ll be crushed—while chewing on your 30 dollars!”
“That won’t happen.”
“Who will stop it!?”
“Bounty hunters whose corpses are about to rot. ‘We’ will stand with Woodburn against Void before the Security Force intervenes. That’s why the nature of the request matters.”
Saving Libero’s sisters.
With that justification, gathering bounty hunters would be easier.
Woodburn clicked his black teeth as he thought.
So the situation would become…
“If the stalemate continues, the Security Force will try to find the cause, and they’ll discover bounty hunters are involved. Then naturally, they’ll ask the hunters—especially you—to withdraw.”
“That’s correct.”
Legally, there was no issue.
In truth, there wasn’t much law in the West anyway.
Libero closed his eyes in relief as the tension eased.
“So in exchange, you demand they accept the corpses? But you said they have no funds.”
“That’s their problem to solve.”
“Well, that’s true.”
The bounty hunters would deliberately maintain the stalemate.
Then, when things concluded, they would wipe out Void and leave.
And the empty seat of Void would belong to Woodburn.
“So what’s the reward? You said over 100 dollars—how much can I expect?”
“I can’t say exactly yet. Each participating hunter will contribute at least 10 dollars. If you risk your life and run wild, that much should be appropriate compensation.”
It cost 3 dollars per day to store a corpse in the basement.
Wouldn’t it be more reasonable to invest 10 dollars to resolve the matter?
Woodburn’s lips twitched.
‘How many hunters are in town right now? At least ten? Twenty?’
It was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
A chance to take revenge on Void—and earn money.
Woodburn pointed at Jaei, impressed.
“Impressive. Even as an outsider, you’ve got decisiveness. Are all the bounty hunters in agreement?”
“Of course.”
It was a lie.
But for now, it was the smart move.
He needed to secure one side first to gather the hunters.
Wasn’t it best to anchor one side before starting?
“Good. Then we need to plan carefully. I’d love to put a bullet in Void’s head right now, but the chaos needs to be big—and long.”
“Handle it well. And if possible, ensure the safety of Libero’s sisters.”
That should do it, right?
At Jaei’s addition, Libero quietly winked.
“Then we’ll be off. Wait until we contact you again.”
“I won’t wait long. My fingers are itching.”
As Jaei stood, the gang members parted to make way.
Libero awkwardly smiled and followed him out.
After retrieving his gun and turning the corner, Jaei took a deep breath.
He was tense, sure—but more than that, the smell had been unbearable.
“Jaei, what if you can’t gather the bounty hunters?”
“······I can. These are people who kill for money—if that money gets taken from them, do you think they’ll stay sane?”
“But collecting 10 dollars each could be a variable.”
“That’s just how it’s phrased. They don’t actually have to pay.”
“What? Then what about the money for Woodburn?”
“Even if we don’t give it, they won’t be able to cause chaos like before. The Security Force will be watching closely. If they want Void’s position, they’ll have to act quietly. It’s better if we pay—but even if we don’t, they won’t be able to do anything about it.”
“You’ll get shot like that.”
“It’s fine.”
If necessary, he could cover the 100 dollars himself.
To gain 2000 dollars, that much investment was unavoidable.
***
After leaving Woodburn’s territory, Jaei spotted his lodging in the distance.
Through the wide-open window, he saw the owner.
His nose was red—he seemed tipsy.
Jaei and Libero looked at him in confusion.
“Oh, Jaei! Scammer!”
“Sir, what are you doing? I told you to gather people.”
“I did! Look! Hey, everyone—this is the guy I told you about!”
“Oh, he’s younger than I thought. So you’re Jaei!”
“Can we really trust a kid like that?”
“Then what—want to keep hugging your rotting corpses?”
Beside the owner, bounty hunters began sticking their heads out one by one.
Why did they all seem so friendly?
“Jaei, most of the hunters staying here have been to <Elens> at least once. Thanks to that, things went smoothly. I don’t know what it is, but they’re all eager to join.”
“Ah, I see.”
The drunken hunters leaned out the window, shouting.
Passersby glanced over but paid little attention—it was a common nighttime scene.
“Bastards, we dragged corpses all the way here—why won’t they accept them!”
“If there’s money, I’ll do anything!”
“Yeah! Me too! Urp.”
Jaei nodded toward Libero.
Things were going more smoothly than expected.