Henry walked over to Pastor Philip. "Reverend," he said, "could I ask you to handle Barrett's arrangements? He was a war hero. He deserves a proper funeral. I will cover all the expenses."
"Of course, my son. I would be honored," the pastor replied with a solemn nod.
Mayor William approached them then, and Henry gave his report. "Mayor, they were all assassins and outlaws. I took the opportunity of the duel to draw them out and eliminate them all at once."
The Mayor looked at him with a kind expression. "You did an excellent job, Henry. But it was an incredible risk. Your own safety is more important."
"I understand," Henry said, "but I was confident." He paused, his voice firming with resolve. "I am the Sheriff of this town. It is my duty to eliminate these threats and ensure the safety of our people. There are many killers coming to Frisco. I will deal with each and every one of them. I suggest you take extra precautions as well, Mayor."
William nodded. "I will. After you've identified these gangs, I want a full report."
"Of course," Henry agreed. He gave a nod to both men and then turned and walked back toward the Sheriff's office. He still had a lot of work to do.
The townsfolk he passed on the way all greeted him with a newfound fervor, and he returned each greeting with a smile. The initial panic of the shootout had faded, leaving behind an ecstatic buzz. Only a few unlucky people had been hit by stray bullets, and all had suffered only minor injuries.
The main reason for the lack of casualties was Henry's pinpoint accuracy. The outlaws, on the other hand, had all been aiming for him, and only half of them had even had a chance to get a shot off.
Even so, he had lost four of his grey pearl husks in the exchange. The outlaws had been skilled. To stand their ground and trade fire with him amidst that chaos, without hitting the civilians, was a testament to their professionalism.
He checked his status. The progress bar was now at 60%. He had gained 3 green pearls, 10 white, and 8 grey. But only two of the green pearls pulsed with the light of a skill or talent. He knew that as his own abilities grew, finding new ones would become increasingly rare.
Back at his office, Henry walked past the deputies busy taking inventory of the outlaws' belongings, went into his private office, and locked the door.
He sat down and focused his mind. Use the two green pearls.
Instantly, the warm current enveloped him. His mind was flooded with a new, innate understanding. He felt his reaction speed was now far faster than any normal human's. It wasn't just a physical quickness, but a neurological one. If he concentrated, he could perceive the flight path of a fly, the individual beats of a dragonfly's wings. It was as if the world had slowed down, or like watching a video at one-fifth its normal speed.
For now, he could only maintain this state for a single second, and it had a cooldown of at least an hour. Each subsequent use would cut the duration in half. If he tried to push past the limit, he would be struck with vertigo, or even pass out.
The second infusion was a lifetime's worth of experience in brewing and blending whiskey and brandy.
When he came to his senses, two minutes had passed. A new skill had appeared on his panel: Distilling LV 3.
The super-reflexes, he realized, must have been Barrett's talent. It made sense. How else could a man build such a legendary reputation and survive over two hundred duels?
Henry offered a silent prayer of thanks to his fallen opponent. Thank you, Barrett. Rest assured, I will put your money and your talent to good use. You can rest in peace.
Then, another realization struck him. This new talent, combined with his ability to heal negative statuses with pearls, was a match made in heaven. If he could use a pearl to instantly negate the exhaustion and dizziness, he could potentially extend the duration of his super-reflexes ten, or even a hundredfold.
He fought down the urge to test the theory right then and there. It was better to save it for a real battle.
With this new talent, the only thing limiting his rate of fire was the mechanical action of the guns themselves. But for his knives, his fists, his sword… there would be no limit at all.
At the Sinclair manor, Janice came running the moment William walked through the door. "Grandpa, did Brother Henry win? Is he okay?"
William looked at her worried expression and smiled gently. "Yes, my dear. He won, beautifully. And he's perfectly fine. He even took care of the twenty outlaws who tried to ambush him."
The tension on Janice's face melted away, replaced by pure excitement. "That's wonderful! Grandpa, you have to tell me everything!" Seven-year-old Frank ran over as well, looking up at him with wide, expectant eyes.
William chuckled and sat down on the sofa, and like a storyteller reading from a favorite book, he recounted the tale of the duel. Mikayla sat down beside him, listening quietly.
When he had finished, both children's eyes were shining.
"Henry is so amazing," Janice said with unabashed admiration. "I love him."
Frank nodded vigorously, like a little chick pecking at corn. His one regret was not having gone to the cemetery with his grandfather to see Henry's first display of power.
After a servant had taken the children upstairs for their afternoon nap, Mikayla spoke. "I can't believe Henry is so skilled. I thought Barrett was the king of the duelists."
"I didn't expect it either," William said. "I was worried sick for him. You had to be there to truly feel the power Henry commands. It's incredible."
"It's good that he's strong," Mikayla said with a smile. "He's the last of his line, after all."
William nodded. "He's a truly exceptional young man. Not just powerful, but grateful, and very thoughtful."
Mikayla looked at him, confused.
"He went to Benjamin," William explained, "and commissioned him to buy Linda's house, anonymously. He insisted on paying her full asking price, and told Benjamin to be generous with the valuation. He's paying nearly double what it's worth, and Linda has no idea."
Mikayla's face lit up with admiration for such a gentlemanly act. "We should have him over for dinner again soon. I'd like to see him."
"Of course," William said. "But he's just taken over as Sheriff and hired twenty-four new men. I imagine he'll be quite busy for a while."