Chapter 24
Jaei let out a sigh as he watched the subtly moving gun barrel.
He had already lost count of how many times this had happened.
Every time he followed it, it led him to another dead end blocking his way.
In the wasteland, everything had been open, so he could simply walk wherever his feet took him.
But Mollibay had too many variables—alleys, walls, cargo, carriages.
The gun barrel wasn’t guiding him along a path, but pointing toward the fixed location of a target.
‘Should I climb over?’
There was a limit to circling around, and the wall’s height was manageable.
Besides, people had gathered toward Middle Street to deal with the fire, so no one was around.
Just as Jaei carefully stepped onto a scattered crate to climb—
“Jaei?”
“Ah.”
Someone called him from behind.
It was the bounty hunter who had sold him the Sharps rifle due to gambling debts.
He looked up at Jaei in disbelief, while Jaei awkwardly greeted him with one leg still raised.
“······Hello.”
“Forget hello—are you alright?”
“Pardon? Ah, I’m fine. Libero is safe too.”
“No—”
“And as you can see, the Sharps rifle is intact.”
“Not that! I was wondering if you ran into the Tomdis.”
“······Tomdi, who?”
Jaei slowly lowered his foot.
At the same time, the gun barrel had gone still.
The bounty hunter frowned, holding a cigarette between his teeth.
“You don’t know the Tomdis? Four dwarf brothers.”
“I’m not familiar with them. And I have even less idea what they have to do with me.”
“I was playing cards earlier and went into the inn, and the owner told me some dwarf came looking for you. And the way he described him was exactly…”
Thin hair but an unnaturally thick beard, a donkey, and a level of cleanliness far from settled life.
Hearing that description, the hunter had immediately thought of the Tomdis.
“I had a bad feeling, and when I heard something exploded and a fire broke out on Middle Street, I knew it. Good thing you’re safe. That bastard was lucky. If it had been a few days earlier, the place would’ve been crawling with hunters, and his head would’ve been taken immediately.”
The man clenched his fist regretfully.
To him, they were even more important.
Since the day he sold the Sharps rifle to Jaei, his debt had already tripled.
“They must be quite famous.”
“They’re the best when it comes to handling explosives. Infamous train robbers too. If a railway blows up, nine times out of ten, it’s their doing.”
Train robbers?
Jaei paused as realization struck him.
The ‘little brothers’ mentioned in Roldiori Max’s letter referred to the Tomdis!
“Little” had literally meant their small stature.
‘They must have come here looking for Max. Then they heard the news in Mollibay and blew up Libero’s house to get revenge on me?’
Or perhaps they had abandoned the train robbery plan and were preparing to target the stagecoach instead.
Usually, when attacking a stagecoach, they would ambush from the front.
But what if people from Mollibay came out to meet it?
They would be surrounded from both sides with nowhere to escape—certain death.
‘If the fire spreads, they can tie down the security forces without much effort. Blowing up the sheriff’s office would’ve been too risky for them.’
Only Libero ended up suffering for it.
Jaei felt briefly sorry, but the more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
Why was it so hard to receive money properly in this world?
He wasn’t demanding it blindly—just asking for what he rightfully deserved.
“Haah.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I’ve got more work to do.”
Now that he knew someone targeting the Wells Fargo stagecoach was in the wasteland, Jaei had to head out again.
His left arm hadn’t healed yet, but there was no helping it.
He had to protect his own money.
The man glanced at him and then sidled closer.
“Jaei. You’re going after the Tomdis, right?”
“Yes. That seems like the best option.”
“Right, you can’t just sit still after getting hit first! I’ll help too. In return, we split the bodies evenly, deal? There are four of them, so it works out perfectly.”
They were infamous wanted criminals.
The fact that someone like Roldiori had called them “little brothers” showed their level.
Even capturing just one would free him from his gambling debt.
The man’s eyes gleamed, and after a moment’s thought, Jaei agreed.
“Fine. But keep this from Libero for now. And you take the front position. I’ll provide cover from a distance.”
Due to the fire, fewer security officers would be available.
The side protecting the stagecoach needed as many people as possible.
And if someone stood in front as a buffer against stray bullets, it would also improve his safety.
The man nodded as if it was nothing.
“Libero? Sure, no problem. And I agree with the cover. Knowing your skills, what is there to fear?”
If Libero learned that his house was blown up because of Jaei, it was impossible to predict how he would react.
It would be best to capture the Tomdis and compensate him with the bounty.
Jaei could protect the stagecoach, and Libero could be repaid—a win-win.
“Do you have a gun?”
“Yeah, not a Sharps, but I’ve got a rifle. No bullets though. Spent them earlier on drinks.”
Just like using chips in a gambling house, some bars accepted bullets instead of money.
One drink per bullet—so-called one shot.
Judging by his flushed face, he had drunk quite a lot.
“I can lend you some.”
“Lend?”
“······Of course?”
“Haha! Okay! If I catch just one Tomdi, I’ll pay you back double.”
The man held out his fist for a handshake.
Jaei stared at it blankly before asking,
“By the way, what was your name?”
“Oh! James. Jesse James.”
“Yes. Let’s work well together.”
Tap.
Their fists lightly bumped.
The flames still hadn’t been extinguished, and the approaching night sky was unusually red.
***
Creak!
“Slow down, damn it.”
“Check if the wheel’s slipping up front!”
A dry canyon without a single blade of grass.
A large carriage moved precariously.
The driver shouted irritably, while the Pinkerton agents escorting the front and rear gestured, estimating the width.
“Come through! You’re good!”
“Easy, slow!”
“If we get stuck here, we’re done! Move aside!”
Hiiiing!
As the horses cried out, the Wells Fargo personnel inside the carriage shrank back.
Sweat dripped from their hands and necks due to tension.
Bandits were one concern, but carriage accidents in canyons were also common, so they clasped their hands like in prayer.
“W-will we be alright? We shouldn’t stay in a place like this for long. People die from falling rocks all the time.”
“Don’t say such ominous things. Once we pass here, it’s flat land. Cross one river, and Mollibay is just a few hours away.”
Under the seats were thousands of dollars in crisp banknotes.
They had been sealed in double-layered boxes and locked.
Even the Pinkerton agents escorting them didn’t know who held the keys.
“Mr. Hartman, any issues?”
A Wells Fargo employee knocked on the small window leading to the driver’s seat.
The man sitting beside the driver leaned in and nodded reassuringly.
“No problems. Everyone’s just being cautious. Don’t worry too much.”
Pinkerton wasn’t a company that could be defined in a single word.
Private investigation, security, mercenary support—they followed money wherever it flowed and lurked wherever shadows fell.
Similar to bounty hunters, but operating as an organization, they wielded influence beyond individuals.
“Okay, you’re clear! The wheel’s through!”
“Good work. Keep moving.”
“Move! From here on, we don’t stop!”
Hartman, leading this Wells Fargo escort, was highly respected within the organization.
There were rumors he survived a guerrilla battle in the Civil War alone, and others that he had personally traveled to China to obtain opium.
When asked directly while drunk, he only smiled without confirming or denying anything.
Clatter, clatter!
Once they exited the narrow canyon, the carriage picked up speed.
Alongside the real carriage carrying money, two decoy carriages ran at a distance on either side.
Forty Pinkerton agents escorted them.
A scale befitting thousands of dollars.
“I see the bridge!”
At the report, Hartman raised his telescope.
The river wasn’t deep, but the bridge itself was quite high.
Hartman raised a flag and waved it, and they reorganized into a single line.
“One carriage at a time!”
“Yes, sir!”
First, a decoy crossed.
Then the real carriage carrying Hartman followed.
Pinkerton agents on horseback crossed in sequence.
Just as the last carriage reached the middle—
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
The Pinkerton agents reacted instinctively, but it was too late.
“Aaah!”
“Argh!”
BOOM! BOOM!
Crash! Hiiiing!
“Ambush! It’s an ambush!”
“Damn it, run!”
“Keep moving!”
The bridge exploded.
Carriages, horses, and a third of the Pinkerton agents either fell below or were unable to cross.
Hartman stood abruptly and looked around.
“Can you see where?”
“N-no—! East, four o’clock!”
“East, four o’clock!”
Bang! Bang!
A donkey?
Hartman aimed at the lone donkey running ahead, then stopped.
“It’s the Tomdis! Not just the east—check all directions!”
“Hahahahaha!”
Sure enough, two Tomdi brothers appeared on donkeys from the side.
The Pinkerton agents fired, but they moved quickly, closing in and pulling away.
“What the—”
Bang!
BOOOOM! BOOM!
Hiiiing!
They were being lured toward pre-planted explosives.
With the second explosion, horses were thrown into the air, and agents were scattered.
As the driver whipped the horses frantically, Hartman steadied himself atop the carriage and aimed at the Tomdis.
Bang! Bang!
Bang!
But it wasn’t easy.
The carriage shook violently, and the enemies were too small.
While Hartman reloaded, other agents fired wildly and tried to close the distance.
“Don’t! Keep your distance!”
Hartman warned, but the excited agents didn’t listen.
At that moment, the other two Tomdis appeared from the opposite side and easily took down the exposed agents.
Hartman tried to provide covering fire—
Clatter!
Hiiiing!
The carriage jolted violently over a rock, causing his shot to go off uselessly.
Inside, the Wells Fargo employees lay flat, muttering hymns.
Damn fools. At least pretend to shoot with the guns you have.
Sss—
One of the Tomdis clenched flint between his teeth and struck the fuse.
Then he waved a lit stick of dynamite playfully and shouted,
“The carriage up front is the real one! The wheels are new!”
“Yeah! And that guy—isn’t that Hartman?”
“If you stop the horses now, we’ll spare the driver!”
“Don’t listen! Keep going!”
“Ugh—!”
“I’ll count to three!”
BOOM!
“Just kidding! Hahahaha!”
As the thrown dynamite exploded midair, the driver flinched.
His pants were already wet—he was clearly overwhelmed by fear.
With four enemies, attacks were coming from left, right, and behind.
Just as Hartman steadied himself again to fire—
Bang!
Splatter—!
“······!”
“······!?”
A bullet from somewhere blew apart the second Tomdi’s head.
Without even a scream, the body fell and disappeared into the dust.
The startled Tomdis looked around, unable to tell where the shot had come from.
Hartman was no different.
Click.
“······One down.”
Jaei muttered as he aimed from atop a rocky hill.
At his signal, James rode down on horseback, followed by three supporting security officers.
It was a pitifully small reception force, but it didn’t matter.
Jaei closed one eye again and placed his finger on the trigger.
Bang!