Chapter 69: Kieran
"Hey, John! Listen up, this is your first public appearance as John O'Driscoll!
Don't screw it up, remember to get your outfit ready in advance."
Johnny teased John with a playful grin, looking as if he were sizing him up from head to toe just to find something to criticize.
"Shut up, Johnny! I can see now that you and Arthur haven't learned a single good thing from each other.
Look at that mouth of yours; it's almost as foul as Arthur's himself, maybe even worse!"
John fired back, fuming with indignation.
"Besides, there are still six whole days before the operation, what's the rush?
Look at this intel; it clearly says this was originally the O'Driscoll Gang's prey.
At worst, we'll just pull a double-cross and do another big job!" John became more excited as he spoke, his words pouring out like a barrage of cannon fire.
Hearing this, Johnny couldn't help but see John in a new light. He muttered to himself:
"Could getting bitten by a wolf actually make someone smarter? How is this guy so eloquent today!"
After a heated discussion, Johnny finally made the call, stating that the mission was actually quite simple and didn't require many people—just three would easily get it done.
As for the candidates, besides John and himself, the two of them deliberated briefly and ultimately decided to bring along that temporary worker, Kieran.
After all, John desperately needed to prove his ability through a successful operation, and the other members of the Gang were either unsuitable or had combat power that was too high; only Kieran was somewhat passable for the job.
Although this man was formerly with the O'Driscoll Gang, he had been diligently doing chores every day since the Lucky Cabin incident.
Now, the ladies of the Gang no longer needed to feed or brush the horses every day.
"Hey! Kieran!"
Johnny walked with steady, slow steps toward Kieran, who was crouching on the ground feeding the horses.
He greeted him as he approached.
At this moment, Kieran was fully concentrated on the task at hand, with a pile of hay and various beans laid out before him.
He skillfully grabbed a handful of hay, scooped up a spoonful of beans, carefully mixed them together, and then gently poured them into the trough.
The food emitted a faint aroma, causing the tall, sturdy horse to happily swish its tail as it eagerly enjoyed the delicious meal.
Hearing Johnny's call, Kieran looked up and offered a slight smile, but his hands didn't slow down for a second.
As he continued to quickly stir the feed in his hands, he explained to Johnny:
"Mixing this hay and beans together for feeding provides the horses with more balanced nutrition, helping them maintain good stamina and health."
After speaking, he lowered his head to focus on his work again.
Seeing this, Johnny didn't rush him; he just stood quietly to the side, silently watching Kieran complete every step in an orderly fashion.
Taking advantage of this gap, Johnny discreetly opened the system interface and quickly browsed for Kieran's bond level and related perk information.
Unfortunately, the bond level was only 78, and Kieran currently only had two perks: one blue and one purple.
[Blue ☆ Fishing Mastery] (Level 1)
[You, who always liked to rely on brute force for miracles, have finally discovered the true essence of fishing. perk Effects: ① Lures made by your own hands are more attractive to fish. ② The fishing line is less likely to break when you are reeling in.]
[Conditions to upgrade to Level 2: Catch 10 different species of fish. Current progress: 0/10]
[Acquisition Condition: Bond level reaches 75]
——————————————
[Purple ☆ Western Bu La] (Level 1)
[Great horses are common, but a 'Bole' who recognizes them is rare. perk Effects: ① You can build rapport with horses more quickly. ② You can judge the quality of a horse at a single glance.]
[Upgrade Condition: Own 3 horses. Current progress: 5/3.]
[Acquisition Condition: Bond level reaches 90]
This scene was so shocking that Johnny was completely stunned, his mouth hanging wide open and his eyes staring straight at the two perks displayed before him.
Although they weren't directly related to combat, their practicality was beyond doubt.
Take the 'Fishing Mastery' perk first. For a fisherman like Johnny, this perk was like a dream-come-true treasure.
With it, it was as if he possessed a magical power; no matter how cunning the fish were, he no longer had to worry about whether they would take the bait.
From then on, every time he cast his rod, he would feel the joy and satisfaction of a bountiful catch.
And the other perk—'Western Bu La'—was even more significant.
It's important to understand that the real world isn't as simple as a virtual game; just saying 'good boy' to your beloved horse a few times won't immediately increase your mutual rapport.
To truly improve coordination with a horse, one must go through a long and arduous period of bonding and repeated professional training.
Because of this, whenever Johnny was out riding and unfortunately encountered a combat situation, his first thought was always to unhesitatingly drive his horse to flee the scene first.
After all, if his mount got spooked or refused to follow commands, it wouldn't just fail to help; it would very likely disrupt his combat rhythm and even bring unexpected danger.
Having obtained [Fishing Mastery], Johnny couldn't wait to go to a nearby creek and cast a few lines to test the effect.
But since he had things to do in the afternoon, he could only set it aside for now.
"Mr. Van der Linde, I've finished feeding the horses for today. Is there anything you need me to do?"
In the short time Johnny was dazed, Kieran had already finished all the work at a staggering speed!
Snapping back to his senses, Johnny immediately explained his next plan to Kieran.
He emphasized that the reason for bringing him along was that they desperately needed someone who could keenly observe the surroundings and was good at scavenging useful items, and Kieran was the perfect candidate.
Actually, Kieran thought there was another reason: the Van der Linde Gang needed his 'Letter of Allegiance' (a blood debt).
But clearly, he was overthinking it; in fact, from the day Colm went missing, it was no longer necessary.
Because as soon as he showed his face again, he would inevitably be kidnapped by the O'Driscoll Gang; after all, they also wanted to figure out why Colm had vanished without a trace.
And whether he had run off with the money?
Upon hearing these words, Kieran was so excited he could hardly contain himself; his face flushed red, his hands trembled incessantly, and he thanked Johnny repeatedly.
Facing such a tearfully grateful Kieran, Johnny naturally stepped into the role of an experienced Gang senior.
He spoke to Kieran with earnest words, every sentence overflowing with deep concern and affection for this junior.
He didn't look like a Gang newcomer at all.
Not only that, Johnny also enthusiastically took the initiative to suggest taking Kieran to Valentine to purchase a pistol, so he could better handle any dangerous situations they might encounter.
However, Kieran seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the favor; he repeatedly and politely declined, saying he didn't want to trouble Johnny. But...
Johnny was firm and exceptionally forceful, refusing to yield an inch.
And so, despite the lingering concerns in Kieran's heart, he ultimately couldn't win against Johnny's kindness.
In the end, the two of them set off together on the road to the Valentine Gun Shop.
Along the way, the two chatted quite a bit about their experiences with feeding horses, and their bond gradually deepened.
[ Hello fellas, hope you guys are enjoying the fic.
Just wanted to share a little info. Because a few of my benefactors asked, I made some changes to my Patreon and added a limited time tier. So go check it out if you can and maybe join. I refuse to believe every single one of my readers is as broke as me 🥀😔.
Also if you still haven't left a review on the fic, what are you doing bro. Go leave one. It really helps the story grow.
And don't forget the Powerstones. Flood the fic with them. They actually help a lot with motivation. Who knows, if the support is good I might even drop some extra chapters lol 😁.
Anyway please make sure to check the Patreon too.
P atreon.com/AnonymousWriter6. ]
---------