Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Holy Blood (5)
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Thanks to the massive profits from wine sales, the church's coffers—which had been nearly empty—were refilled in the blink of an eye.
It was almost embarrassing to think that just a few weeks ago, they'd been scraping by for cash. Now, they had more than enough to launch new charitable initiatives right away.
As such, the next target for the church's expansion was naturally set in the northern outskirts.
The southern outskirts were the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, with whom they'd recently formed a partnership. The western side was all the way on the opposite end of the city, leaving only the north—the area originally dominated by the Salvatore Family.
In truth, the church's influence had already begun seeping into that region bit by bit.
They were operating the businesses handed over in exchange for their mafia don hostage, steadily building a foundation for proselytizing.
Moreover, the remaining mafia remnants who once ruled there weren't in any position to counter it. With their leader suddenly vanished, they were fractured internally, clashing over the scraps of territory and spilling blood in the process. The stalemate was only growing more chaotic.
In the midst of that turmoil, the church—flush with fresh funds—finally rolled out its charitable efforts and began expanding its reach. The residents suffering in the crossfire of the mafia infighting flocked to the church without hesitation, seeking protection in the name of the divine.
Once things reached that point, a few who belatedly sensed the danger banded together in resistance, but they couldn't halt the church's momentum.
In fact, the church's combat strength was growing by the day. Building on their firm control of the eastern outskirts, they'd been steadily recruiting retired mercenaries, solidifying their ranks. The number of "Saved Ones" alone was nearing a hundred.
Thanks to that, they now had the heft to push back even against a fully unified mafia outfit, not just these scattered remnants.
With military might, funds, and popular support all firmly in hand, the church left no room for the remaining resistance forces to hold out—they crumbled rapidly.
And so, the northern outskirts smoothly became part of the church's domain.
The key item that had played a decisive role throughout this entire process...
Was this wine.
"........."
I lightly swirled the glass in front of me.
A delicate, rich fruity aroma wafted up, as if I'd just spritzed on perfume.
Inhaling that scent, I stared intently at the liquid rippling inside the glass.
I figured the quality would be decent enough...
But I never imagined it would receive such overwhelmingly rave reviews.
The rumors I'd heard were nothing but glowing praise—it was almost embarrassing to hear them.
Was it really that exceptional? I brought the glass back to my nose for another sniff.
As I tilted it unconsciously to get a closer whiff, just as the red liquid was about to touch my lips—
A low voice called out to stop me.
"Lady Eve."
I turned my head and saw Esty standing there, watching me intently. She'd approached without a sound.
For some reason, my face heated up. It felt like a kid who'd been caught red-handed trying to pull a prank.
You were so quiet, I didn't even realize you were here...
Meeting her gaze brought a certain memory bubbling up.
The last time, when I'd gotten blackout drunk off just one glass.
I still couldn't remember what kind of fool I'd made of myself that day.
And Esty hadn't breathed a word about it since.
If it was nothing much, she'd have told me straight away. The fact she's keeping quiet...
Whatever embarrassing black history I'd created, my cheeks burned anew at the thought.
I casually set the wine glass back on the table, pretending nothing was amiss.
And subtly pushed it farther away.
"........."
Her unwavering stare made me fidget with the approval documents on the table, forcing out some trivial small talk.
"Oh, uh, Esty. Nice weather today, huh?"
She replied without a change in expression, concise as ever.
"Current fine dust levels in the eastern outskirts exceed safety standards—extremely hazardous. Recommend wearing a dust mask and staying indoors, Lady Eve."
"Ah, yeah... really?......?"
My awkward response brought the conversation to a halt.
Silence. In the heavy quiet that followed, I busied myself shuffling papers on the desk.
Her stare's so intense... it's making me uncomfortable...
Then, a suitable topic to break the awkwardness popped into my head.
"Oh, right! Esty, it's been about four days now, hasn't it? Time for me to give you another check-up, yeah?"
She understood immediately and nodded quietly.
It was about our first promise.
In exchange for her protection, I'd agreed to heal her damaged internal implants.
And we'd been keeping that promise steadily. I'd been periodically channeling healing energy into her cyberware.
To be honest, I'd already poured in enough power to revive an ordinary person a hundred times over.
Yet Esty's damaged implants still hadn't fully mended—they kept devouring my healing energy.
It was more than miraculous; it bordered on the bizarre.
"Hmm... while I'm thinking of it, want to do it before you clock out today?"
Esty nodded silently once more.
===========
She slowly removed her clothing, piece by piece.
She neatly folded her blazer and draped it over a nearby chair, then moved her fingers to the buttons of her white dress shirt.
Her expression remained impassive as she undid the buttons one by one.
Each time the shirt parted, glimpses of her pale skin peeked through, blending with her detached demeanor to create an oddly sensual atmosphere.
"........."
I averted my eyes without thinking.
>
For some reason... watching felt too embarrassing, and my face grew hot.
But Esty paid no mind to my gaze and fully removed the shirt.
Now, only a functional camisole covered her bare skin.
Her flawless, milky complexion looked like ordinary flesh. No one would guess that beneath it lay advanced armor plating capable of deflecting large-caliber rounds.
Gazing at her vulnerably exposed shoulders and the gentle curve of her back made me shy for no reason. I stammered without meeting her eyes.
"Today... which part was next?"
"Continuing from last time, the right shoulder, please."
Esty's voice was as calm as ever.
That helped me compose myself a bit. I placed my fingertips on the area she mentioned.
A familiar, soft glow bloomed forth.
Unlike usual, the light didn't flicker and fade quickly—it lingered, steadily spreading from my fingertips.
How much time passed like that? I finally exhaled a short, ragged breath and withdrew the light.
"Whew—done. How's it feel?"
Esty rolled her shoulder a few times, then gave a small, satisfied nod.
"Seems ready to move on to the next area. Thank you."
With that, she began dressing again.
This session was over.
As you can see, restoring Esty's body was especially draining, leaving me exhausted quickly. That's why we did it every few days, periodically. It was still unfinished business, too.
Curiosity struck, so I spoke first.
"Esty, any estimate on how much longer until your body's fully restored?"
"Internal diagnostics show 45 percent of implants functioning."
"....!"
I was genuinely shocked by her answer.
That meant she'd been operating at less than half capacity while achieving all that.
Looking back, it made sense. Compared to when we first met, Esty was far stronger now.
Then... what kind of level will she reach once fully recovered?
The thought weighed on my mind.
What kind of group had discarded such a capable agent? And for what reason? There had to be some dark, complicated backstory.
In a daze, I asked cautiously.
"Any luck with... recovering your old memories?"
Esty shook her head calmly.
"Nothing yet."
But before her words, I caught something off in her subtly stiffened expression.
It was the same blank face, but it carried a hint of unease.
"Was my question rude? Sorry if so."
"No. It's not that, Lady Eve."
Even her voice sounded strangely unlike her usual self.
I started to really worry.
"....Something's wrong, isn't it, Esty?"
"It's just... nothing to worry about."
"......"
I stared at her for a moment, then suddenly grabbed her hand.
She flinched in surprise at my abrupt move.
Not letting go, I met her eyes squarely and spoke firmly.
"We promised to be honest with each other."
This had happened before.
She'd shown anxiety about me abandoning her, and I'd reassured her it wouldn't happen.
Even if it did, we'd promised to tell each other straight.
"So tell me, Esty. What's troubling you?"
We locked eyes for a long while.
Finally, her golden eyes flicked away slightly.
"Maybe I don't deserve to stay by your side."
"What? What kind of nonsense is that?!"
I panicked, but Esty pressed on.
"As I said, I don't remember what happened in my past or what I did. But one thing's clear: this power I have... it wasn't given for no reason."
And despite possessing such strength, she'd been disposed of—which hinted at how her former group had treated her as a disposable tool.
Her unknown past might entangle her in dangers too great to handle.
So...
"The thought crossed my mind that my mere survival from that 'disposal'... might draw them to you, putting you in danger later."
"....."
There was only one reason she'd voice such late-blooming concerns now.
Her feelings for me had grown that deep and precious.
But mine were the same.
"You told me not to leave you alone, but now you're saying that?"
Esty slowly raised her head at my words.
"You said you might not deserve to stay by my side?"
Meeting her wavering golden gaze head-on, I stated firmly.
"Friends don't need qualifications like that."
"Friends... you mean?"
"Yes. No matter what anyone says, or who you were before, you're the Esty I know. The one I met first in this city, who's always protected me solidly. My precious friend."
I'd even helped total strangers at great risk.
How could I cast aside such a dear friend over mere 'possible' danger?
"So no matter if it's corporations or the military who come knocking..."
I gripped her hand tightly once more.
"Promise me we won't ever give up on each other?"
To my earnest plea, Esty finally met my eyes with unwavering resolve.
"....Yes. Gladly."