Chapter 15 : Rifle and Horse
Jaei snapped his eyes open.
Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, along with the smell of food that, for some reason, stimulated his appetite.
It was a peace not much different from his life in South Korea.
If there was one difference—
Swish.
He had already developed the habit of sleeping with a gun placed on the bedside table.
Jaei brushed off his hair and picked up his revolver.
When he stepped outside, the innkeeper was serving breakfast.
The bounty hunters and the owner, nearly half of whom had already left Mollibay, were already out and had finished half their meals.
“Oh, Jaei. You’re up? You slept in today.”
“Hey, it’s the day the boss leaves, and you’re doing this?”
“Well, whatever. It happens.”
Still half-asleep, Jaei couldn’t even respond properly and sat at the table.
Two days had passed since the clash between the Void and Woodburn gangs ended.
Today was the day the owner returned to Turtle Rock, and also the day Jaei’s new identification would be issued.
With a groggy face, he bit into a piece of burnt toast.
This inn only had good stew—everything else was terrible.
“I think I didn’t ride properly yesterday, so I slept badly.”
“Ah, yesterday? How far did you go?”
“······Up to the railway tracks.”
As life became more relaxed, Jaei had been gradually learning how to ride a horse from the owner.
Right now, he was only slightly faster than walking, but he seemed to have some talent.
“The railway? How long were you riding?”
“About three hours round trip?”
“That’s insane. Jaei, you said you couldn’t ride a horse. The fact you’re even moving today is a miracle.”
“Yeah, eat more.”
The hunters clicked their tongues and pushed a bowl of stew in front of him.
Just as Jaei was about to take a spoonful, a man sat across from him and held out a rifle.
It was the shooting rifle Jaei had borrowed during the Void–Woodburn clash—the Sharps rifle.
“Jaei, you only have one revolver right now, right?”
“Yes.”
“Want to buy this?”
At the unexpected offer, Jaei raised an eyebrow, and the others burst into laughter as they explained.
“He lost everything in a card game yesterday! He’s about to sell even the soles of his shoes.”
“I seriously don’t get it. You got paid just the other day, and you blew it all already?”
“A man’s life is all about one big shot, you know?”
“And you went down in one shot. I kept telling you not to bet. Tsk tsk.”
Alcohol and gambling were widespread in the Wild West, regardless of the person.
Both could easily lead to pulling out a gun at the slightest provocation, so it was only natural they stayed close to their weapons.
Jaei scooped up some stew and asked,
“How much?”
“50 dollars!”
So he must’ve lost 50 dollars.
Jaei smirked and started bargaining.
He would’ve ignored it if it were another gun, but the Sharps felt the most comfortable in his hands among all he had used.
At the very least, he might need it for hunting someday.
“I only have 15 dollars right now. You know that. I couldn’t cash the bill, so I’m basically broke.”
“Well, still—”
Jaei tapped his chest and shrugged.
Whether sleeping, eating, or even washing, he never let the 2,400-dollar bill leave his body.
The man hesitated, and Jaei pointed outside with his spoon.
“Or you could consign it to a gun shop. But from what I saw last time, they’re pretty strict.”
He had probably already been there.
The man raised a finger desperately.
“16 dollars.”
“······This is good. One more bowl, please.”
“Fine! 15 dollars and 50 cents!”
Jaei accepted a new bowl and extended his hand.
“With bullets. And percussion caps for firing.”
“You’re insane!”
“Hahaha! See? Told you you picked the wrong guy!”
As the owner and others burst into laughter, the man reluctantly pulled out bullets and five caps from his pocket.
Jaei handed over the crumpled 15 dollars and 50 cents, and the man ran outside as soon as he received the money.
“Just wait! I’ll win my money back and buy that rifle again!”
“Yeah right. Idiot.”
“At this rate, he’ll sell his underwear when he comes back.”
Bang!
Gambling was the fastest way to ruin.
Jaei resolved once again never to get involved with it and emptied his bowl clean.
“Mister. Can I ride a horse to the mayor’s office? What’s your schedule like?”
“I couldn’t buy everything I needed yesterday. The townspeople bought up all the wooden planks and nails for Mollibay repairs. They said more would come in this afternoon, so once I get those, I’ll head straight to Turtle Rock.”
“Alright. I’ll stop by the general store on the way back from the mayor’s office.”
Jaei gave a light nod to the hunters and inn staff and stood up.
Then he mounted one of the two horses that pulled the owner’s wagon.
Neigh!
At first, even getting on felt awkward and uncomfortable, but now it was much more natural.
At the owner’s gesture, the horses turned their heads.
“Jaei, straighten your back a bit more, put strength in your legs, and pull the reins.”
“Like this?”
“That’s it, good.”
Jaei moved his lower body naturally with the motion of his legs and soon leaned forward as he cut through the wind.
Wasn’t there a saying?
That everyone had a talent that set them apart from others.
It just might or might not be discovered depending on the era.
Jaei, who had never ridden a horse before, hadn’t known he might have a knack for it.
“Good, Jaei! Keep going! Let’s pick up the speed today!”
Neigh!
Clop clop!
As a tree approached from ahead, Jaei loaded the Sharps rifle.
The long barrel bent downward in an L-shape, then snapped back with a metallic click.
Steadying himself, Jaei pulled the trigger, and the startled horse sped up even more.
“It’s okay! Just keep your balance!”
Whoosh!
They sped past the tree.
Without confirming that the bullet had struck the exact center knot.
Clatter!
“Whoa, whoa.”
After running for a while, they arrived at the Mollibay mayor’s office.
It was near the lakeside, not far from the mayor’s residence.
As soon as Jaei set his feet on the ground, he felt his strength drain slightly.
“Haha, it’s because it’s your first time riding like that. You’ll get used to it.”
“I don’t notice it while riding, but the moment I get off, it’s like this. My muscles hurt too.”
“Hey, Jaei!”
As Jaei was about to tie the reins to a post, the mayor rushed out first.
He warmly embraced him in welcome.
Not for any particular reason—just welcoming the ‘fee for identity registration.’
“You came early?”
“I have a lot to do today.”
“Right, right. Come inside. Is he your guarantor?”
“Yes.”
Following the mayor inside, the documents were already prepared.
“Write the name you’ll use from now on here. It might be better to choose something new instead of Kim Jaei, but—”
Before he could finish, Jaei had already written ‘Kim Jaei.’
His age was set to 17, as the owner had suggested.
And his place of birth and registration was <Elens> in Turtle Rock.
“Guarantor, sign here.”
“Done.”
“Here too, and here as well.”
“There’s quite a lot.”
“Oh, and don’t forget the back page.”
The owner muttered but carefully signed everything.
Registering <Elens> as his address was purely out of goodwill.
After filling out dozens of documents, Jaei finally stamped his fingerprint.
“This is a promissory note stating you’ll pay 100 dollars once you receive the bill.”
Taking a cut like this was a skill in itself.
Jaei clicked his tongue inwardly but agreed.
To survive in the West, having identification was essential.
“Alright, that’s done! Here!”
What the mayor handed him was a card-sized registration certificate.
From now on, whenever he needed to prove his identity legally, he could show this.
He had truly become part of this world.
Jaei let out a small sigh at the strange feeling and left the mayor’s office.
“······Mister, thank you.”
“For what? It didn’t cost me anything.”
The owner smirked and tapped his shoulder, urging him to move.
It was time to part.
Was it just his imagination, or did the return journey feel faster than when they came?
The owner entered the marketplace, bought the remaining supplies, then returned to the inn and loaded them onto the wagon.
“Jaei. If you’re going to live here, you should at least have a horse.”
“Yes. I plan to get one once I have money.”
“Good. Don’t trust people too much.”
The owner frowned as he looked down at Jaei.
Perhaps because he was the same age as his daughter Ellen, it felt heavy leaving him behind.
“Get along with Libero too, but not too much.”
“You travel safely too. Thank you for everything. I hope you have a pleasant and safe journey. Please give my regards to your wife and Ellen.”
“······And this is just between us.”
After a moment of hesitation, the owner whispered to Jaei.
“The key to <Elens> is under the green flowerpot. If you need a place to stay while we’re gone, you can use it. It’d be nice if you take customers, but don’t feel pressured.”
Jaei smiled softly at those words.
Could someone’s impression really change this much since their first meeting?
He nodded, and the two shook hands.
“Then, I’m off.”
“Yes. Take care.”
“You too, kid.”
The owner connected the wagon to the horses and climbed onto the seat.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but compared to when they arrived, the wagon felt much lighter.
“Let’s go!”
Crack!
Neigh!
At the light flick of the whip, the horses began to move.
He crossed the main road and soon disappeared from sight.
Jaei watched his back until the very end.
Now he was truly alone.
The first step to continuing his life.
“Hey, Jaei. The boss left?”
“Yes. Just now.”
“Cold guy. Didn’t even say a proper goodbye. Won’t see him for a while. Going back inside? They kicked us out for cleaning.”
“Really?”
“Your ID?”
“Here.”
“Man! I told you to change your name. Something like ‘Roble Antics’—that sounds cool.”
Jaei just smiled and looked toward the inn.
Now that the owner was gone, he could stay at Libero’s house starting tomorrow.
“So where now? If you’ve got no plans, want to play cards?”
“No. I’m going to look at horses.”
“Horses? Ah, the one you were practicing on was the boss’s, right?”
“Yes. I want to see if there’s a decent one.”
“Mollibay horses aren’t great. This is a trade route, so people swap horses often.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.”
Jaei said that and walked toward the town center.
To properly inspect horses, he’d have to go to farms on the outskirts, but that wasn’t within walking distance.
So it seemed better to check what was available in the market first.
“Welcome! Cheap prices!”
“Special sale today! So good you won’t even notice if a third person dies while two are eating!”
“How much is this? I bought it for 12 cents last time.”
“Move aside! Wagon coming through!”
Jaei wandered through the bustling market, looking for a place that sold horses.
Then he spotted a stable in the distance with a sign that read ‘sale.’
It didn’t look like a specialized seller—more like they were getting rid of old or problematic horses.
“······.”
He was about to pass by, thinking it was just one of those places.
But then Jaei felt something strange.
Among them, a black horse in the center was staring straight at him.
‘What is this?’
Was it his imagination?
When he moved right, its head turned right.
When he moved left, it turned left.
Like the barrel of a gun tracking its target.
“······Me? Why?”
As Jaei cautiously spoke, the horse pawed the ground and pranced.
As if telling him to come closer.