The Confused, Lovesick Young Gentleman

[Part 1 · Convincing Himself]

He said goodbye to his family, to his inheritance, and to everything familiar from his past—the longest goodbye of all.

Jack Martin was about to embark on a rough, arduous, and unsettled road.

"Mr. Vincent, when the sun rises again, everyone in town will see the walls of my house."

Little Jack pointed at the restaurant's crumbling walls. In the dead of night, he had sent his uncle, aunt, and little sister Anna off in a carriage drawn by four swift horses, bound for the East Coast. From there, they would board a passenger ship and return to their homeland across the Atlantic, England.

"The bandits of the Perfume Bottle Gang will definitely hear about this. They can find me, and they won't let me get away."

Vincent was disposing of Sullivan's remains. In the dead of night, he had built a bonfire and used the ogre's body for firewood. He grilled a fresh beef shank, served it with lettuce, then chewed and swallowed it.

The broken, shattered human bones were very damp, crackling in the woodpile.

To Little Jack, Mr. Vincent's expression at that moment was shockingly similar to that of Sullivan, the cannibal demon. The crisp sound of his teeth grinding sent shivers down Jack's spine.

Suppressing his fear, Little Jack continued, "Mr. Vincent, I'm a lawful officer under the jurisdiction of Arizona, United States of America. I've decided to help you."

Vincent: "Why?"

Little Jack: "Because I owe you my life."

Vincent: "No, Jack. Without your help, I couldn't have defeated that formidable enemy."

Little Jack: "But..."

Vincent: "Besides, my reason for killing Sullivan Okopela had nothing to do with you."

Little Jack was bewildered and frightened. "Nothing to do with me... Nothing?!"

Vincent: "That's right. Nothing at all. I killed Sullivan