The next day, Johnny woke up before dawn.
The room was quiet, with only the old wooden bed beneath him occasionally creaking, as if afraid of waking someone.
Johnny carefully pulled back the covers, moving as slowly as if defusing a bomb, afraid of making the slightest sound.
He stepped onto the floor barefoot; the cold floor woke him up a bit, and then he started to get dressed.
The clothes he pulled from the wooden chest were thick winter wear, as The Great Glacier was cold enough to freeze one's ears off, and he didn't want to freeze into a popsicle on the way.
As he dressed, the rustling of the fabric sounded particularly harsh in the quiet room, making Johnny hold his breath.
After getting dressed, he reached under his pillow, his fingertips touching the lemat revolver. The gun was cold and heavy in his hand.
He skillfully tucked the gun into its holster, checked it again to make sure it was secure, and then fastened his bullet pouch.
With everything ready, Johnny gently pushed open the door and tiptoed out.
Moonlight spilled onto the ground, elongating his shadow. He walked straight to the stable, pushed open the door, and was met with the smell of hay and horse manure.
The old horse heard the movement, raised its head to look at him, and snorted, as if greeting him.
Johnny smiled, walked over, and stroked the old horse's mane, whispering:
"Old Attendant, hungry? Come, have some feed and water." He grabbed a handful of feed and placed it by the old horse's mouth, then carried a bucket of water to pour into the trough.
The old horse lowered its head to chew the feed, and Johnny stood by for a while, feeling much more at ease.
After feeding the horse, Johnny returned to the house and pulled out a wool coat from his satchel.
It was his mother's old coat, thick and warm. He walked to Jenny's door, knocked softly, and whispered:
"Little Jenny, it's time to go, are you awake?"
In fact, Jenny hadn't slept much all night. First, the pursuit by the Pinkerton Detectives had terrified her, and then meeting Johnny, a stranger, made her emotions rollercoaster from fear to relief, and then to worry.
Every time she thought the Pinkerton Detectives might show up in the middle of the night, her heart tightened.
Hearing Johnny's knock, Jenny took a deep breath and sat up in bed.
The wound on her leg still throbbed, but she ignored it, quickly got dressed, and walked to the door.
Opening the door, she saw Johnny standing there, a faint smile on his face: "Mr. Johnny, I'm ready, let's go!"
Johnny nodded and handed her the wool coat: "Little Jenny, I forgot to tell you earlier, your clothes are too thin, wear this. Where we're going is very cold, don't freeze."
Jenny took the coat, felt the thick wool, and her heart warmed: "Thank you, Mr. Johnny."
Johnny waved his hand: "Don't mention it, put it on quickly, we need to hurry."
Jenny nodded, draped the coat over herself, and followed Johnny out of the room.
Outside, it was still dark, and the wind was a bit chilly, but with the coat, she felt much more secure. The two walked one after another towards the stable, ready to embark on their journey to The Great Glacier.
While Jenny was changing, Johnny took the opportunity to open his system to check her information and panel updates.
With a series of ding! Johnny's head ached. He couldn't figure out why his bond with Jenny kept fluctuating. Fortunately, it finally settled steadily at 75, just within the range he could view. (Initial bond value 50, maximum 100, minimum 0. So 75 being viewable is reasonable.)
[Jenny Kirk]
[Bond Value: 75]
[Green ☆ Harmless]
[How could someone as Harmless as me be a ruthless bandit? Entry effect: When others communicate with you, they will unconsciously lower their guard.]
[Upgrade Condition: Cannot be upgraded]
[Acquisition Condition: Bond value reaches 80]
Johnny pressed lightly, and the transparent panel in front of him disappeared.
He calmly walked out of the room into the yard. The packhorse stood quietly in the corral, and seeing him approach, it gently flicked its tail.
Johnny walked over, patted its neck, and skillfully placed the wagon's harness on its back.
Then, he turned and went back into the room to start moving things.
There were two large wooden chests and a satchel in the room, containing his parents' belongings.
Johnny moved them onto the cart one by one, very slowly, as if afraid of damaging something. After finishing, he stood by the cart, looked at the piled-up luggage, and sighed softly.
Just then, Jenny came out of the room, almost bumping into Johnny. Johnny paused, then suddenly thought of something and said to Jenny:
"Wait, I need to get a few more things." He quickly walked back into the room and began to pack the bedding from the bed.
The Van der Linde Gang might encounter severe cold weather later, and these thick beddings would definitely come in handy.
He quickly bundled the bedding and moved it onto the cart. The already full cart was now completely packed, without an inch of space left.
Jenny stood by, watching Johnny busy himself, and couldn't help but ask:
"Do we really need to bring so many things?" Johnny nodded: "They'll be useful, don't worry."
With everything ready, Johnny and Jenny walked to the door. Johnny took out a heavy brass lock and, with a click, locked the door.
The two got into the cart, Johnny flicked the reins, and the horse immediately started moving, its hooves clattering, kicking up a cloud of dust, as the cart slowly drove out of the yard.
On the way, Johnny, while driving the cart, turned to Jenny and said:
"Little Jenny, we're going to Adler Ranch in The Great Glacier next. That place is like a second home to me." He paused, his tone becoming a bit more serious,
"But there's something I need to make clear to you beforehand. The Pinkerton Detectives have some misunderstandings about you. To avoid trouble, if anyone asks about our relationship, just say you're my wife.
We'll just say we're moving, and they shouldn't ask too many questions."
Jenny's face immediately flushed upon hearing this. She lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes with her fingers, and after a moment of hesitation, she nodded softly: "Okay, I'll listen to you."
On the rest of the journey, Jenny started chatting with Johnny. She talked about her childhood, the places she had lived, and even a kitten she once had.
However, whenever the topic approached the Van der Linde Gang, she always skillfully steered away, as if deliberately avoiding it.
Because there were no goods on the cart, only some light clothing, the horse ran much faster than usual.
In just over five days, they reached the territory of The Great Glacier.
On the way, they indeed encountered several Pinkerton Detectives. Those men stopped the cart and inspected it carefully.
But when they saw the cart piled with clothes and food, and heard Johnny say they were moving, they didn't ask further and waved them on their way.
Johnny breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Jenny with a smile: "It seems our plan worked." Jenny also smiled, the blush on her face not yet completely faded.
If there were a narration at this point, it would certainly be: In 1899, the era of gunmen and outlaws had come to an end... Johnny's heart was burning with impatience, wishing the packhorse beneath him would suddenly transform into a train, thundering him towards Adler Ranch.
But reality was not so kind. He could only fret, watching the packhorse slowly tread through the snow, inching forward step by step.
The sky seemed to have ripped open, and heavy snow fell like it was free. Snowflakes drifted down, bitterly cold, as if to freeze the entire world.
Johnny looked up at the sky, the cold weather made him shrink his neck, and he pulled his worn scarf tighter, but the chill still seeped in through his collar, making him shiver.
The path beneath his feet was already completely buried by heavy snow, a vast expanse of white, making it impossible to distinguish between road and pit.
Johnny knew well that countless traps lurked in the snow; a moment of carelessness could mean stepping into a bottomless snow pit, never to climb out again.
He gritted his teeth, trying to recall the paths he had taken before, attempting to find a safe route from his Vague memories.
The packhorse also seemed to sense its owner's anxiety, snorting heavily, its hooves crunching on the snow with a "creak, creak" sound.
Johnny gently patted the horse's neck, comforting it in a low voice: "Old Attendant, push a little harder, we need to get to Adler Ranch quickly."
The packhorse shook its head, exhaling a puff of white mist, as if it understood, and its pace quickened slightly.
Even so, their speed was still as slow as a crawling snail.
Johnny was fuming with impatience, but he didn't dare push too hard, fearing the packhorse would collapse, which would truly be the end.
He could only be patient, carefully controlling the reins, inching forward little by little.
The snow fell harder, and the wind blew more fiercely; Johnny's eyebrows and beard were covered with a layer of white frost.
Just as Johnny was fully focused on navigating forward, suddenly, a solitary figure appeared not far ahead. The person stood silently in the snow, draped in a dark blue wool coat, wearing a typical gambler's hat, and carrying a dim oil lamp in his hand. Illuminated by the faint lamplight, a mottled horse could be seen beneath him, stopped at a fork in the road ahead, seemingly observing something carefully.