Chapter 29
Jaei turned back at regular intervals.
Through the shimmering heat haze on the horizon, he scanned for any sign of presence.
It had been quite some time since they left Mollibay, so rumors must have already spread in town.
He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling of being a fugitive.
‘There definitely is. Among those who know I left Mollibay, there’s bound to be someone who’ll follow into the wasteland. Even if there isn’t, it’s safer to assume there is.’
That was why he had left Mollibay suddenly and without warning.
If they kept moving without rest, they might shake off any pursuers, but he couldn’t afford to lower his guard.
The account worth thousands of dollars in his pocket was just a few sheets of paper, yet it weighed heavily on him.
“It’s so damn hot. Without any shade, I’m drying up.”
Beside him, Libero trudged along, half-limp, muttering.
There was still a long way to go, yet he already looked full of regret after just one day.
Even his ambition to become a legend of California meant nothing in this heat.
“The bridge ahead leads into the canyon, right?”
“Probably. If we came the right way.”
Jaei checked the compass as he replied.
He had worried they might get lost, but the path was clearer than expected—they only needed to follow it.
They had already passed the spot where they dealt with the Tomdiz, and a bit further—
“Huh?”
Libero suddenly stopped after noticing something.
He pulled out binoculars and stared ahead.
“What is it?”
“What’s wrong with that? The bridge is broken.”
Jaei frowned and lightly kicked Onyx’s side, quickly approaching the bridge.
Libero was right.
The bridge wasn’t just broken—it was completely destroyed.
“Jaei, did you hear anything about this? Because I didn’t.”
“······Neither did I. But I can guess.”
Below the bridge lay the wreckage of a fallen carriage, along with scattered corpses of people and horses.
It was clearly the work of the Tomdiz targeting the Wells Fargo stagecoach.
Since Jaei had encountered them near Mollibay, he hadn’t known the full details.
‘The security might’ve been informed by Pinkerton.’
But they had no obligation to share that information with him.
Libero kept glancing below and around, scratching his head.
The canyon entrance was right in front of them, yet they couldn’t cross.
“This is ridiculous. Is there anywhere else to cross? Jaei, give me the map.”
As Jaei handed over the map, Libero sat down and traced routes with his finger.
This way was blocked, that way was too long, going back made no sense…
“What should we do?”
“No choice. Even if it takes longer, we have to go around.”
“Yeah. If we follow the river, we won’t have to worry about water, and there should be animals nearby for food.”
“I have enough food.”
“I’m talking about me, you heartless bastard.”
Libero pouted.
“Then let’s move.”
Jaei grabbed Onyx’s reins and turned around—but hesitated for a while.
“What is it?”
“Well, it’s nothing, but… I heard there are Indians hiding near the detour route.”
“Ah, Indians. Those ‘crazy Indians’ you mentioned?”
Jaei’s tone was flat.
From the perspective of the natives, weren’t the Americans the crazy ones?
They were the ones carving up land that others had lived on peacefully.
Seeing the lack of reaction, Libero approached with a creepy expression.
“You don’t get it. Those Indians—”
Even as he spoke, he shuddered.
“They eat people!”
“······Oh.”
“You don’t believe me, do you?”
“No. I think it’s possible.”
The U.S. government had pushed native exclusion policies to develop the West.
Forced relocation, designated territories, and even cannibalism rumors to justify their actions.
With so many tribes, it couldn’t all be lies—but neither should it be blindly believed.
“Then should we go even farther around?”
There was no reason to deliberately pass through danger.
Jaei unfolded the map again and asked.
Libero wiped his nose and tried to act tough.
“Well, even if we meet Indians, we could handle them, but it’s annoying.”
“So we’re going around. Do you know exactly where they appear?”
“Rumor says north of here.”
“To make a bigger detour…”
“We’ll have to go along the forest.”
“Hmm. Got it.”
It would delay them over a week more than expected.
But that was far better than risking danger.
Jaei still remembered the lesson from his scabbed left arm.
In a world without proper medicine, getting injured in the wilderness meant death.
“Let’s go.”
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
Knowing they would avoid danger, Libero’s voice brightened instantly.
He jumped onto his donkey and whipped it excitedly.
Clop clop.
They turned their mounts away from the canyon entrance.
***
The forest they chose to avoid the northern danger zone had no name.
Hardly anyone traveling between California and Mollibay passed through it.
With a proper bridge available, why take such a detour?
Jaei and Libero had thought the same—until they saw the destroyed bridge.
Rustle.
“Jaei. It’s about to get dark.”
“Should we find a place to settle?”
“I’ll start the fire.”
Finding a flat area, they decided to rest for the night.
As Jaei stretched and relaxed, Libero gathered branches to start a fire.
“Uh······.”
Then he froze.
He had spotted something faint in the darkness.
Without moving his gaze, he called Jaei.
“J-Jaei.”
“What is it?”
“C-can you come here? Isn’t that… a person?”
At Libero’s trembling voice, Jaei drew his revolver and approached.
Just as he said, a human body lay not far away.
Jaei gestured.
“Go check.”
“Me?”
“Should I go?”
“Ah, seriously…”
Libero loaded his gun and cautiously stepped forward.
The rustling leaves sounded unnaturally loud.
He nudged the body’s shoulder with his foot and turned back.
“Dead. There’s an arrow in the back.”
“······An arrow?”
“Looks like a woman. What is this?”
“Turn her face.”
“Whose face? The corpse’s face?”
“What would I do looking at yours?”
Grumbling, Libero complied.
As the body turned, Jaei confirmed his suspicion.
‘The Ractover bank robbery gang… that woman.’
Priscilla.
The one who had fallen off the cliff after being hit by Jaei’s arrow.
How had she ended up dead here?
Libero stepped back slowly, shaking his hands.
“Someone you know?”
“······No. Not at all.”
Explaining would be complicated, and the situation wasn’t good.
Jaei scanned the surroundings, his gun moving constantly.
Searching for any threat.
Rustle! Rustle!
Then—movement beyond the bushes.
This wasn’t an animal.
Libero clung tightly to Jaei’s back, horrified.
Jaei bit his lip as his gun kept shifting directions.
‘······More than one.’
The gun couldn’t settle on a target.
That meant multiple enemies, constantly moving.
Whoosh!
An arrow flew.
Not at them—but at Onyx and the donkey.
A skilled hunter’s choice—eliminate escape first.
Jaei whistled.
“Onyx!”
Neigh!
Clatter!
Onyx bolted away with all its strength.
Like before in the wasteland, it would retreat and return at the right moment.
Jaei hid behind a large rock, with Libero quickly following.
“You idiot! You follow Onyx too!”
Libero’s donkey, Donkey, kept chewing grass cluelessly.
Libero waved frantically.
But it only bared its gums in a foolish grin.
Awooo! Awoo!
Ooh! Ooh!
Jaei frowned.
Even without knowing, it was clearly a native war cry.
He glanced at Libero.
“You said this wasn’t their area.”
“I’m telling you, it shouldn’t be!”
“Then what is that?”
“How would I know? Damn it, it’s almost dark too. Donkey! Come here!”
Libero’s hands trembled as he loaded his gun.
Puhiiing?
“That idiot—who does he take after? Get over here!”
They needed to pull it into cover.
And more importantly—the spare bullets were on its back.
Jaei took a breath, then peeked from the rock and fired.
Bang!
The bullet struck the center of a tree.
Good. One there.
Rustle! Rustle!
He couldn’t tell how many there were just by sound.
He fired several more shots, estimating at least three positions.
Ooh! Ooh!
Sensing something, one native moved between trees.
In that instant, Jaei noticed something familiar.
The jacket.
Bang!
“······Did you see that?”
“See what?”
“The Indian behind the big tree. He was wearing a jacket.”
“A jacket? Where’d they get that? So what?”
“······It looked like something one of the Pinkerton agents was wearing.”
“What? Who?”
“Pinkerton. The ones who came to <Maktanota>—Hartman and his group. I think it was one of theirs.”
“N-no way.”
“That’s what I remember. Not certain.”
Not certain—but if it was true?
If the spoils the natives wore belonged to Pinkerton—
‘Didn’t expect this.’
The destroyed bridge.
And someone else leaving Mollibay before them.
On that day, Hartman had led the remaining agents back toward California.
Like Jaei and Libero, they must have encountered the broken bridge and chosen a new route.
‘They must’ve gone toward the area where natives were said to hide.’
If Libero hadn’t mentioned it, Jaei might’ve gone that way too.
There would’ve been no need to detour this far into the forest.
But the Pinkerton group operated around California—and perhaps they had been overconfident.
‘Even if we meet Indians, we could handle them.’
Just like Libero had boasted.
Jaei clicked his tongue and looked at him.
Libero wiped his runny nose and forced a grin.
His teeth were chattering from tension.