Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Fake Church (2)
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In this era, I mentioned that all religions were already extinct.
Actually, that statement was half right and half wrong.
Indeed, the major religions that had served as the spiritual pillars of human civilization for thousands of years had completely vanished from this society.
Pure faith, devotion, love, and philanthropy.
Traditional denominations that pursued invisible values and preached salvation in the afterlife or spiritual enlightenment were like that.
As science and technology advanced to an extreme degree, even the mysteries of the natural world—once called the domain of gods—were experimentally unraveled. In this age of materialism where the morals and virtues of the old era held no meaning, people who relied on such "irrational" beliefs naturally disappeared.
Religions stripped of believers lost the driving force to maintain their influence and faded into the dustbin of history like artifacts in a museum.
That was the "extinction of religion" that had taken place in the Neofront Cybercity worldview.
But as I said before, it was half right and half wrong.
Yes, even in this era, a few small-scale religions tenaciously survived, parasitizing in the shadows of the barren city and barely keeping their pulse going.
They were the cults.
Their purpose had always been far removed from faith. What they served wasn't God, but money, and what they pursued wasn't spiritual salvation, but worldly, material power. Faith was merely a nominal signboard to draw in people and extract donations and tithes—their essence was nothing more than multi-level scam organizations cunningly disguised in the form of religion.
That's why, paradoxically, they could survive in this era when most people no longer believed in God.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In a bustling corner of the streets of Omega Detroit, a bizarre and awkward scene was unfolding.
"Come on! Believe in Lord Radiance and receive salvation~! Lord Radiance will heal all your pains through miracles!"
"Radiance Heaven! Unbelief Hell!"
It was the sight of tattooed, muscle-bound thugs with menacing faces awkwardly waving flyers and raising their voices.
Anyone could see they were far from devout, yet the words coming from their mouths were strangely religious slogans.
The mismatch felt terribly awkward to anyone watching.
Passersby, too, deliberately averted their eyes from the incongruous spectacle.
They'd flinch in surprise at the mere sight and turn away, or hurry past without even glancing over for fear their eyes might meet.
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"Come to our gathering and see for yourselves! Witness Lord Radiance's astonishing miracles, opening the eyes of the blind and raising the lame!"
So their loud voices scattered emptily into the gray city's noise, drawing no attention at all.
A short while later, exhausted by the fruitless proselytizing, two men retreated to a dim alley corner where fewer passersby glanced their way.
The two rough-looking men lit cigarettes for a brief break.
"Whew—"
Exhaling long streams of smoke side by side, they were sworn brothers called "Double D" in the organization due to their similar names: Danny and Donny.
The younger one, Donny, spoke first, genuine puzzlement on his face.
"Bro, you think we'll actually get any believers like this? We've been at it for hours, and not one person's even glanced our way."
The bulkier Danny spat back curtly, puffing out a cloud of smoke.
"You think? Can't you tell just by looking? Miracles? Who in this day and age buys that crap? Even I can tell it's the same old cult bullshit."
He was right. Not a single person reacted to their shouts. No, beyond ignoring them, they were met with silent contempt.
In a world where belief in the supernatural had vanished.
Now, the only ones preaching invisible faith and invoking God's name were cultists.
So it was only natural that no one listened. Cults were just desperate types spouting any wild nonsense, luring in the vulnerable to squeeze out offerings. In this hyper-informed society, there weren't even any suckers left to fool.
That's why, no matter how loudly they shouted their slogans, passersby would only shoot them fleeting glances laced with familiar disdain before completely ignoring them as if they didn't exist.
If the proselytizers hadn't been such intimidating thugs, someone might have picked a fight or beaten them on the spot—the atmosphere was that cold.
Even the two men, just following orders, could see that their preaching was backfiring.
"So why are they making us do this? It seems pointless."
"Beats me. It's the new boss's orders. We do what we're told—it's not like we have any power."
Danny, flicking ash from his cigarette, added as something occurred to him.
"But seriously... that woman's no joke. Total monster. Just thinking about how the old boss went down still makes my legs shake."
Danny shuddered involuntarily.
The memory of the "new boss" who had appeared out of nowhere and seized the organization overnight was still a vivid terror.
The scene from that day was chilling even in retrospect. Rebellion was now unthinkable.
"That's the kind of person giving orders. If you don't like it, leave... or die. One or the other."
"Ha... should we just bail, bro?"
Danny let out a bitter laugh at Donny's words.
"Easier said than done. You think another outfit would take us in? We've clashed with so many while working here. We've been marked by them plenty. And starting from scratch as bottom-rung gofers in some unfamiliar turf? No thanks."
Danny smiled wryly and took a deep drag.
In the end, nothing changed for grunts like them. They had no choice but to follow orders from above.
But Donny still looked unconvinced.
"Still... what's the point of this crap?"
"Beats me."
Danny replied indifferently to his grumbling little brother.
"Salvation for scum like us? What a joke."
Honestly, even he felt the same doubt, despite following orders.
Why make them do this meaningless, humiliating work?
No one would take it seriously when they were dismissed as cultists, no matter how loud they shouted.
The only thing holding them in place was a vague fear of the consequences of defying those orders.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "That's exactly the perception we're going to use."
Esty began her explanation.
"If we disguise ourselves as a fictional religious group and actively spread rumors of a 'miraculous cure' already circulating on the streets, claiming it's the power of God, and use it as bait for proselytizing... what do you think people would make of it?"
Only then did her intention become clear.
Rather than suppressing the rumors by force, she planned to amplify them while cleverly twisting the truth.
"People will recognize the rumors so far as lies spread by a new cult to recruit believers. Naturally, public interest will wane. Even those tempted by the mysterious medical tech will turn away once they realize it's a cult lure."
It was a counterfire operation. Cover the information you want to hide by inflating it into a bigger, more obvious lie that fits familiar patterns.
The audacity of the scheme left me momentarily speechless.
"...D-Do you think that'll actually work?"
Esty's response was filled with conviction.
"It's possible. Because 'miracles' that cure incurable diseases are one of the most common scams used by religious groups in this city. With countless precedents already in existence, if we just follow suit, the public is highly likely to dismiss it without suspicion."
An era where faith was a laughingstock. A world where miracles and fraud were synonymous. She intended to turn that cold reality against itself. Perhaps the best way to hide a secret was to disguise it in the most implausible form and toss it into the public's contempt and indifference.
Esty summed it up herself.
"To hide a tree, put it in the forest."
"......"
As admiration mixed with a twinge of unease, she added in a low voice.
"Actually, there's one thing to be careful about with this plan, Eve."
"Yes? What is it?"
"The core of the plan relies on people's distrust of religion. So if anyone actually witnesses a 'miracle'... it'll be unbelievable."
"....."
A chill laced her voice.
"If even once someone sees you using your powers, our 'fake rumor' will instantly turn into 'real evidence.' I won't be able to contain it then. So please think and act carefully."
Esty was absolutely right.
The 'counterfire operation' was a double-edged sword. It used public distrust as a shield, but if that distrust shattered, not only would everything fall apart, but we'd face far greater danger than before. Feeling the weight of her advice, I slowly nodded.
"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."
Even if this power could help others, now was the time to hide it thoroughly.
The plan proceeded under Esty's lead.
After several days of effort, it actually bore fruit. No, it produced tremendous results beyond expectation.
As the mysterious group calling itself the Radiance Church began preaching God's miracles, people's reactions cooled astonishingly fast. The sight of rough gangsters clumsily proselytizing only drew tacit contempt and ridicule—no one took it seriously.
Word spread that the street rumors had clearly died down, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It was around then, as talk turned to gradually winding down activities after a few days' grace period.
One of the men returning from proselytizing spoke up hesitantly, shuffling his feet.
"Uh, boss..."
He flinched under Esty's gaze and continued awkwardly with difficulty.
"Well, during today's preaching... some people came looking for us. They want to join. Said they'd come on their own, and I couldn't just chase them off, so I brought them along..."
The ones who followed him in were a mother and her daughter.