Fast is fine,but accuracy is final.Speed was good,but accuracy was best.—— Wyatt Earp , _________________ Damascus, the capital of Syria, was in the thick of civil war.— “Hello, Jo Yookang.”A voice came from the other end of the receiver.It was the owner of a PMC (private military company) called Alpha Lidkov, a man who, for years, hadn’t managed to pronounce even a single name properly.— “I heard. Were you serious?”“Seven years was long enough—it was time to quit. What, you upset?”— “Of course. It feels like we went out on a mission together just yesterday. Who quits like this!”“What, you want me to take a bullet on my way out?”— “Don’t crack jokes like that, not even as a joke. Be honest. It’s because of Eric, right?”“Call it… part of it.”The death of his colleague Eric, with whom he had lived like brothers.More than anything, what had made Jo Yookang feel powerlesswas the fact that even after catching the brute who killed Eric, he hadn’t been able to deal with him properly.On the contrary, the bastard who had massacred Eric and dozens of civilians had been handed over to the Syrian government forces and had even laughed at Jo Yookang.At least a year would pass before a formal trial and a verdict. Judging by the situation, even that verdict was highly likely to favor him.PMC mercenaries killed on the battlefield weren’t even included in official death counts.‘That’s what it means to be a merc…’The limits of a mercenary who traded money for life.Even a comrade’s revenge had to be settled within the client’s and the law’s bounds. Things like that had made Jo Yookang depressed.— “I know how you feel, but there was nothing we could do. Killing him would’ve been beyond our mission.”“I know. That’s why the passion and the interest are gone.”— “Then I’ll send you wherever you want. Iraq, Sudan, Somalia. Name it. Other teams are clamoring to work with you.”“Told you. The place isn’t the problem.”A brief silence fell.— “Fine! Then work with me at headquarters.”“In an office, in a suit?”— “Humans are animals of adaptation. Picture yourself in a suit. Impossible as it may be, who knows—you might even get a girlfriend.”“Impossible, huh? Tch. If I stayed in a stuffy office, I’d start missing the field. Then I’d ask to be sent back out. That’s what you’re angling for, right?”— “Ahem. Thanks to you, our Alpha Lidkov grew this much. It’d be a waste to let that talent go. At least consider my offer.”Becoming an owner had made him rather sly.Letting out a light sigh, Jo Yookang said,“Sorry, but I made this decision after careful thought.”— “Tch. Then give me back the revolver I gave you.”“Seriously? Yanking back a gift is the worst thing you can do.”A small laugh came over the line.The revolver had been a present from him, an antique over 140 years old.Its official name was the M1873 Colt Single Action Army.Nicknamed the Peacemaker, it was the type where you had to pull the hammer back for every shot you fired.Even as an antique, if you just loaded bullets, it still worked fine now. On any mission where carrying a personal sidearm was allowed, Jo Yookang always wore it on his hip—a Glock on one side, a revolver on the other.He liked it that much, so he had absolutely no intention of giving it back.Enjoying Jo Yookang’s reaction, the owner went on with a laugh.— “Alright, alright. But if you come to the States, drop by the office. You’re traveling here anyway.”“News travels fast. How did you even find out I was traveling in America?”— “Because it was Eric’s last wish.”Right before he died, Eric had handed Jo Yookang the necklace he cherished.Along with the words asking him to go in his stead to a place called Vista in the American West that he had wanted to travel to.— “Anyway, look me up when the trip’s over. I’ll buy you a proper drink.”“Got it. Then I’ll see you then.”Once he set his mind, he didn’t change it easily.The owner knew Jo Yookang’s personality too, so he didn’t try to persuade him further.Quitting the job he had worked at for years had been easy to the point of emptiness. A few phone calls and it was over.But parting with comrades he’d grown attached to left a tightness and a lingering regret.Arms folded, Jo Yookang quietly watched his comrades gear up.That day’s mission was guarding ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ a VIP at the request of the Syrian government.“If you’re that reluctant, tag along, boss.”Merrick, a Black man with a massive build pushing 190 centimeters, glanced at Jo Yookang as he spoke.In Jo Yookang’s place, he had become the leader of an eight-man team.“I’m not reluctant at all.”“Your eyes say otherwise.”At Merrick’s words, the comrades snickered.“I thought it’d be a river of tears. Look at you punks laughing.”“We’ll cry when we can’t see you, boss. Hmph.”Out of proportion to his size, Merrick turned his head like he was sulking.Not cute in the least.“So, what are you going to do from here on?”This time it was Henry, a white guy next to Merrick, asking with a sour look.He was skilled, but with a shitty personality that made him hopeless as a leader.“I told you—I’m traveling in the States.”“I mean after that.”“Gotta make money. If I open a café in Korea, it’ll blow up.”“A café? You, who looks for war zones like a madman? You, the PMC’s ultimate weapon?”Henry sneered as he buckled on his combat vest.‘How many beatings will it take to set him straight.’He’d pick fights, get his ass handed to him by Jo Yookang every time, and still his personality hadn’t been easy to fix.“Since I’m gone, you’re the top dog now.”Henry snorted at Jo Yookang’s words.“Well, that part’s nice at least. Anyway, you’ve got no family and no one waiting for you. This job’s a perfect fit for guys like us.”“We’ll see. If it really doesn’t feel right, I’ll call you.”“Tch. So you’re going all the way with this? At least I won’t have to see your Che Guevara act anymore.”Che Guevara of the 21st century. He wasn’t a revolutionary, but the nickname had stuck because he always had a book in hand.Most of them weren’t philosophy or politics—mostly history and economics—and the foundation of it all was preparation for life after being a mercenary.“We’ll see who eats well and lives well!”Henry shouted as he irritably wound a scarf around his neck.The other comrades who met Jo Yookang’s eyes just shrugged. And Merrick, as leader, checked their gear status and said,“Time’s up. Don’t know when we’ll see each other again, but let’s keep in touch, boss.”With M4 rifles and Glock pistols, the team’s arming was complete.Starting with Merrick, Jo Yookang shook hands with each man as they filed out of the hotel room.Smack.Henry slapped his palm instead of shaking.“If you change your number, I’ll track you down to the ends.”“Stalker much?”“Whatever. I’m out…”When Henry disappeared, things went quiet.Left alone in the suddenly empty room, Jo Yookang looked around.The room was so neat you couldn’t find a trace of anyone having stayed.He would be coming back anyway, but it was a habit born of thinking about the times he might not.“Take care, all of you.”Clunk.He closed the hotel door and shouldered his pack.As of today, he was a civilian, not a mercenary.Seven years in the Republic of Korea Special Forces.Seven years as a mercenary for Alpha Lidkov.It was the first time in a full fourteen years. ****California, in the American West.Vrrrrrrrrm.With wind slapping his face, the motorcycle roared like a hunting beast and tore down the road.The trip that had started in the American West had continued along the old westward routes—the California Trail and the Oregon Trail. He mapped his route around ghost mining towns from the frontier era and boldly skipped the big cities.It began near Sutter’s Mill on the Sacramento River in California.“So this town was the starting point of the Gold Rush.”The amusing thing was that the very men who sparked America’s 1848 Gold Rush hadn’t actually gotten ownership of the mines.The ones who discovered gold first had ended their lives poor.What an irony.They must have felt wronged, but on the other hand, maybe it was lucky they didn’t get killed—since outlaws had swarmed in to get gold.He looked around a mining town that had become a ghost town and dropped by several museums as well.“At the time there were tons of gangs after gold. Among the early ones, the Five Joaquins gang was famous. They were Hispanic…”There were actual photographs, wanted posters, and the revolvers they’d used on display.As he visited museums and historic sites, his outfit gradually shifted to match the people of the era.Before he knew it he had on a cowboy hat, a vest, a red scarf—and even a holster with an unloaded revolver at his hip.‘What kind of nerding-out is this…’It had started because of a comrade’s last wish, but Jo Yookang was definitely enjoying himself.For all its short history, looking around the United States—the strongest country in the world—was interesting in its own way.“What was Joseon doing around this time?”Like a historian, he studied in snatches on his tablet, looking things up.Maybe it didn’t mean much, but his creed was that travel became twice as fun when you had knowledge. He’d liked reading to begin with.Passing through seventeen states like that, Jo Yookang was traveling across America per the late Eric’s will.‘Kansas isn’t something I can just pass by.’A hotbed of the free-state versus slave-state clash. Kansas, which formed the direct backdrop to the Civil War, was a pretty fascinating place.“This place used to be called Pawnee. Andrew Reeder, governor of the Kansas Territory, tried to make it the capital. Funny thing is, the capital changed again in just five days, and at the time Governor Reeder’s land in Pawnee…”To learn the history of the American West in detail, he followed the Kansas River rather than the transcontinental railroad.“Welcome to Topeka, capital of Kansas!”He spent two days in the capital with its respectably tall buildings, then passed through a nearly uninhabited town called Lecompton. And the place he arrived at was Lawrence City.“The ground you’re standing on is the very heart of Free-State ideology. An historic city kept by the blood of abolitionists.”Listening to the guide’s spiel, Jo Yookang dove into the era with keen interest.The start of a frontier town. Then the conflict between pro-slavery and abolitionist forces. And in the end, the grand trunk of history that ran on into the Civil War.Piercing through it all, Lawrence was worth the time. Jo Yookang spent a few days here at the Eldridge Hotel and toured the surroundings.Thus the trip that had started in California in the far West turned in Missouri and headed back down into New Mexico.While he was driving the road, taking in the wide-open prairie,he happened to pull into a gas station to top up.“Fucking Asian! This isn’t a place for you people.”“Beat it, assholes.”“Kyah!”Three white guys were shoving an Asian family and spewing slurs.It was the first time he’d seen such a scene on the trip.‘Korean family, maybe.’Put-put-put-put.Psshht.The motorcycle’s engine cut off.All eyes on the scene shifted to Jo Yookang.The white guys looked to be in their early twenties.One of them glanced at Jo Yookang and let out a snort of disbelief.“What kind of cowboy cosplay is this, you fucking asshole.”A reek of booze wafted from the mouth of the one coming closer.Just then, Jo Yookang spread his legs a touch and swept his jacket aside.“!”But when they saw it was an antique gun, the white guys burst into incredulous laughter.Jo Yookang’s lips also curled in a sly grin.“Hey, bro. That bastard’s laughing.”“Psycho piece of shit. You really picked the wrong day, you motherfucker!”One of them came running, throwing a punch first.Jo Yookang took off his hat and wrapped it around the guy’s fist, turning the blow aside.Whoa—He brought his elbow into the face of the bastard who’d lost his balance.With a crack and a short scream, the guy clutched his face with both hands.While the other two flinched, Jo Yookang grabbed the just-hit bastard by the collar and yanked him in.With punks like this, you only had to wreck one.Not that it mattered if all three piled on.When he clamped his hand on the throat, the guy’s face went beet-red in an instant. He slapped at Jo Yookang’s arm to break free, but it didn’t budge.“Kh—ghk…”His face went past red to a mottled purple.Jo Yookang glared at the two who were about to come in.“Take one more step and I snap his neck.”“!”His voice dripped with killing intent.They froze like they’d turned to stone.With a mocking lift of one corner of his mouth, Jo Yookang flung the one he held down onto the ground.Then he stepped in and pressed his head lightly under his boot.“Be grateful you were born in a good era. If this were the Old West, you’d be dead already.”He snorted and took his foot off the face.The terrified punk didn’t get up right away.His buddies shuffled over and hauled him up.Jo Yookang didn’t take his eyes off them until they headed back to their car.If it had been him, he would’ve rammed the car straight in.They didn’t have it in them.They pulled out of the gas station and were gone.‘Scary…’The family who’d just been subjected to racism found Jo Yookang even scarier. They ought to thank him, but fear lay in their eyes.Turning his back on the stares, Jo Yookang stuck to his original purpose.He slid in his card and filled the motorcycle’s belly.Put-put-put-put.He left the gas station at an easy, unhurried pace.A little girl in the family—she looked elementary-school age—blinked and said,“He really looked like a cowboy…”Fwoooooosh.The warm wind of New Mexico tossed the child’s hair. ****The Bisti Badlands.He finally arrived at the place Eric had talked about.“Wow, there really are places like this in the world.”He’d been to this country and that during his mercenary years, but it was the first time he’d come somewhere this unusual. It felt like arriving not on Earth but on an alien planet.A barren plain.Rocks thrust up in eerie shapes.As if bewitched by the exotic, uncanny landscape, he walked deeper in.“I’ll camp here tonight.”It was such a mysterious place you could doubt it was Earth at all. What would the night sky look like?From just after sunset, he lay on the ground and stared up at the sky.As he’d expected, the Bisti he saw at night was a place that held the mystery of the universe rather than Earth.Maybe he’d picked the right day.Stars shone all the brighter for the darkness and crowded the heavens, and the Milky Way stitched patterns across the sky.In his left hand was a cigar; in his right, he raised a necklace high.A metal pendant of unknown material.Through the hole in its middle and the border engraved with strange markings, the Milky Way showed through, making a curious harmony.“You seeing this, Eric? I came in your place.”— When I’m done being a merc… I’ll live wide-open, doing whatever I want.“So you wanted to be a cowboy, huh? Anyway, the life you dreamed of—I’ll live it for you.”If it hadn’t been for Eric, would he have had any reason to come here?His memories with the man.Images of the frontier days he’d learned about on the trip rose up, and he let himself think of romance.And before he knew it he fell asleep.When he opened his eyes again—someone was nudging him with a foot.“An Oriental slave bastard won’t get far even if he runs. Heh-heh.”‘—!’Somewhere in the American West, mid-19th century.Jo Yookang had possessed the body of a twenty-year-old Joseon man named Lee Maksan.

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