Davey had never deliberately interfered with or altered the game's original storyline from his previous life.
Because he was familiar with how events unfolded, he could plan ahead in many areas and make use of the Van der Linde Gang's strength.
Of course, the most important person in all of this was Arthur.
In the original storyline, Arthur's redemption was something he achieved on his own. But now—whether out of personal feelings or the need for Arthur's combat ability—that redemption naturally became something Davey intended to help complete.
"Oh, Davey, are you joking?" Arthur said. "Sure, Dutch is a little… self-important, but you know I trust him."
"Maybe you should have a bit more faith in him too. I won't deny that your plans are often more reliable than his—at least for now."
"Still, maybe one day, Davey—maybe a few years from now—you could go to Tahiti. Yeah, the place Dutch always talks about."
"They say it's a paradise of freedom, perfect for growing mangoes. When that happens, you can try our mangoes."
At this point, Arthur was still far from being disappointed in Dutch. From his perspective, the plans involving the two major families were progressing smoothly, and Dutch had also gained Hosea's support.
Over the past twenty years, almost everything Dutch had worked on together with Hosea had succeeded. That was Arthur's recognition of, and trust in, Hosea's wisdom.
Davey wasn't surprised by this at all. He smiled and said, "Alright, Arthur. I was just talking about a possibility. You know I'd like you to stay here, don't you?"
"Of course, maybe not now. But I have a feeling you'll come back one day."
"When that time comes, I'll find a way to clear your wanted status. You'll be able to live as a normal person in the United States. Civilization isn't always so unpleasant—it has its good sides too, especially when it comes to everyday life, right?"
Arthur nodded.
Living at Land Farm during this time, he had been enjoying a standard of living reserved for the upper class. It felt unfamiliar at first, but after two weeks, he had grown used to it and no longer resisted it the way he once had.
Because of that, he also found himself looking forward even more to the mango-growing life in Tahiti that Dutch often talked about. To Arthur, it sounded like it would feel much the same as his current life on the farm.
After saying goodbye to John, Uncle, Abigail, and little Jack, Arthur left Land Farm and headed back toward the camp at Clemens Point.
...
Davey, meanwhile, was preparing to expand his workforce once again.
Thanks to Bronte's involvement, it might not be long before he could completely shed his status as a wanted man.
When it came to recruiting new employees, Davey still strongly preferred Germans—they were simply too reliable. The German friends Emin had introduced last time were clearly superior to other workers in terms of overall ability. More importantly, the soldierly loyalty etched into their bones left Davey extremely satisfied.
Davey's influence was steadily and methodically growing. It could be said that all of New Hanover was now under his control.
On the third day, a prison wagon departed from Saint Denis and arrived in Valentine.
Inside were the Whiskey Zone manager Caris, the Brandy Zone manager Seymour , as well as the managers of rum, Kentucky bourbon, and gin.
...
Inside the Land Farm mansion.
Davey sat on the sofa, looking at the five men standing before him. He let out a soft chuckle.
"Gentlemen, I'm very sorry. I never imagined we'd meet under these circumstances. It's truly regrettable."
"Perhaps we could have been friends, don't you think? But your actions filled me with anger. You've probably already seen the news in the papers."
"The Laramie Gang—the people you hired to deal with me—have been wiped out. Laramie himself was hanged on Valentine's gallows."
"You're all respectable men. I can offer you a choice: a dignified death. How does that sound?"
"You should understand—those who offend me never meet a good end. Back at Emerald Ranch, you caused me a great loss."
These five managers had been captured by Bronte and delivered to Davey—one of the conditions of their cooperation. For Bronte, abducting people in Saint Denis was a trivial matter. Now that he was working with Davey, he had no reason to care about these men.
As they listened to Davey's words, the five men trembled uncontrollably, fear filling their hearts.
Whiskey manager Caris forced himself to stay calm.
"Mr. Callander, please forgive the sins we once committed. We are willing to pay a sufficient amount of money to redeem our lives."
"And Mr. Callander should know that behind us stand major distilleries. We have deep connections across the country, including with many government legislators."
"As long as you're willing to forgive us, Mr. Callander, we'll be friends from now on."
Encouraged by Caris, the other managers quickly echoed similar pleas, each one explaining his background and influence.
The Guarma rum manager added, "Mr. Callander, you may have heard of Mr. Alberto Fussar. He is the owner of Guarma and has connections with the military."
"I believe you wouldn't want to offend Mr. Fosar either."
Facing these veiled threats, Davey merely smiled faintly and accepted the black tea Elisa handed him.
He then turned his gaze toward the brandy manager, Seymour —the only one who had yet to speak.
"Mr. Seymour , if I'm remembering your name correctly."
"Why are you staying silent? Is there nothing you'd like to say to me?"