Chapter 77
Chapter 77
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Do Androids Pray for an Electronic Paradise? (7)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Esty furrowed her brow and asked in return.
"You're asking why miracles don't work on androids?"
I murmured in an uncertain voice.
"Yeah... Is it really because they're not human? Because they're machines without life?"
It was a question I'd been pondering alone for so long. But no matter how much I agonized, I couldn't find the answer myself, so in the end, I had no choice but to ask someone close by.
Esty paused in thought for a moment before replying in her usual calm tone.
"As you know, my body is fully cybernetic. In terms of components, it's closer to a robot than a living being."
She raised both arms as if to show me. On her forearms, with sleeves rolled up, the implant joints were visible. She was right. The strength Esty had demonstrated so far was never that of an organic body.
"Since you perfectly repaired a body like mine, the 'miracle' clearly has the power to fix machines as well."
At those words, I hesitated before asking back.
"Then why... why didn't my power work on Clarice's wounds?"
"........."
Instead of answering, Esty raised her hand with a strange expression.
"Could you take a look at this?"
Click. Her wrist opened with a cool sound, and a straight blade extended sharply.
Shing—
A black blade without a hint of shine. Its distinctive hue brought a name to mind.
"Nano Blade...?"
"Yes, that's right."
It was one of the top-tier close-combat implants. Incredibly rare and expensive—I'd never seen one besides Esty's.
"Why show me this all of a sudden...?"
As I tilted my head, she explained.
"As you know, the Nano Blade is extremely costly, but the blade itself isn't made of particularly expensive materials. Its true value lies in the nanobots coating the surface."
A product of near-future science, they formed a nanoscale array only at the moment of striking a target. This granted unparalleled cutting power, slicing through any alloy at the molecular level.
But absolute performance came with a drawback: it was disposable gear, unworthy of its sky-high price.
A blade mere molecules thick would dull with even minor contact. Even if it held form for just an instant, slicing something consumed the nanobots.
Esty's gaze lingered on the black blade.
"When I was disposed of, these nanobots were nearly depleted. Yet your miracle restored them perfectly. You could say it created them anew."
Esty's golden eyes fixed straight on me.
"Eve. Do you think these nanobots have souls? What makes them different from androids?"
I was speechless. Nanobots were even further from humanity than androids. They couldn't possibly have souls. But my miracle had worked on them. Was it because they were deemed part of Esty? Or was there another reason?
I absentmindedly looked down at my hands, lost in thought.
"......"
To me in that state, Esty added,
"I've observed your abilities for a long time and experienced them firsthand. So, if I may venture a guess... I believe the miracle isn't bound by anything or limited in scope, just as the word implies."
Her golden eyes gazing directly at me gleamed faintly.
"So... maybe we can think of it a little differently?"
=============
I was briefly reminiscing about that conversation from a few days ago.
"......"
A voice from the communicator snapped me out of my reverie.
["Site suppression complete. Saintess."]
"Good work."
I replied curtly and stepped into the alley.
Throughout the site, the church guardians were pinning down the surviving mercenaries.
The mercenaries tried to look up at the approaching footsteps, but the priests mercilessly slammed their heads back down.
Thud—!
"Don't roll your eyes."
"Urk!"
"........."
I passed them and ventured deeper into the site.
Deeper in the alley, reeking of foul odors.
Several rough-looking men lay groaning on the ground, while Esty silently retracted her black blade.
Our eyes met, and she gave a small, wordless nod. That gaze reminded me of our previous talk.
"......"
I turned to her, then looked at the girl trembling slightly under the priests' care.
"...Clarice."
Hearing my voice, the child slowly raised her head. Her large eyes, filled with fear, began to well up with tears.
Recognizing me, she rushed over and hugged me tightly. I could feel her faint trembling in my arms. It seemed to speak of the terror she'd endured alone, so I gently stroked her back.
"It's okay... It's okay, Clarice... You're safe now."
"...Sis."
The girl called me in a cracked voice, clutching desperately at my clothes.
Her small shoulders heaved rapidly as she swallowed back sobs. I hugged her tighter and said,
"What were you thinking, running out alone without a word? I was worried."
"I'm sorry."
At my concerned rebuke, Clarice bowed her head. Her grip on my clothes tightened.
"But... I didn't want anyone else getting hurt because of me..."
I sighed and stroked her back.
"Why's a kid worrying about that? Adults are supposed to protect children."
At my words, the girl shook her head in my arms. A quieter voice came.
"But I'm... not even a real person."
"........."
Her words left me momentarily speechless.
But shaking off all hesitation, I looked into her eyes and asked softly,
"Is that... really such an important thing?"
"Huh?"
I gazed at her warmly. Human standards, human rights, legally guaranteed privileges. I'd agonized over it... but I wasn't a judge or a philosopher. I lacked the knowledge or qualification to rule on such weighty matters.
Come to think of it, it'd always been that way. I'd never used this power with grand beliefs or justifications.
I'd simply seen someone in distress before me and prayed with earnest desire to save them.
"Maybe what's truly important to people... isn't a body of flesh and blood or an invisible soul, but just the heart that wants to help others?"
I glanced down at my sleeve absentmindedly.
On it remained the stitching the girl had done a few days ago.
And that wasn't all.
The cookies she'd given without hesitation, despite being her own.
The kindness in forgiving peers who shunned her.
Even the resolve to flee the cathedral, trembling, just to avoid harming others.
Everything I'd witnessed in her was pure goodwill.
A chuckle escaped at the simplicity of it.
'Even if I can't tell if that heart is genuine or imitation...'
It didn't matter from the start. Humans couldn't fully understand each other's inner worlds anyway. We just inferred from actions and expressions.
So what meaning was there in questioning the authenticity of an unprovable heart?
There was only one thing I could be sure of.
Whether human or machine... if even one more being with goodwill existed, the world would be that much better.
With my resolve firm, I knelt carefully before the girl.
Her legs were filthy from wandering the alleys.
The bandage on her knee had fallen off somewhere, exposing the wound beneath the torn artificial skin.
"........."
It'd be a lie to say I'd never hesitated using miracles.
I'd waver until the last moment, anxious about the risks and future consequences.
But once resolved to help, I'd proceed without regret. My desire to save someone was always sincere.
That's why my miracles always manifested fully.
'Except that one time, facing this child...'
I'd constantly doubted if treating an android like a person was right.
Using it that way, it was no wonder the miracle hadn't manifested.
But now I knew.
'[Healing Power] is just the result. The essence of this ability is...'
With my newfound insight, I reached toward the girl's wound.
And without a shred of hesitation, I made a single wish and prayed.
To help this good child.
Then... there was light.
Flash—
In the glow pushing back the alley's darkness, the torn artificial skin on the child's knee began to heal.
Even the scratches beneath vanished without a trace.
"........."
".........."
I quietly withdrew my hand. A soft gasp rose from the priests guarding the perimeter.
The girl touched her now flawless knee, then looked up at me with wide eyes.
Her blue eyes trembled faintly.
"...It's warm."
I simply stroked her head and smiled silently.
No more words or excuses were needed.
==============
Back at the cathedral, Esty reported the results of interrogating the mercenaries.
"The ones who ordered the retrieval of the android that escaped to the outskirts are a city corporation called [Nexus Initiative]."
I murmured the familiar name.
"Nexus Initiative..."
A company I'd heard of before. Once a megacorp dominating android supply, it took heavy hits from rivals but lingered on. As the saying goes, even ruined wealth lasts three generations. Having nearly reached megacorp status, it still held 87th among the city's top 100 firms—above even Lumina Group.
"........."
"The mercenaries' target was definitely Clarice, but even they didn't know what they were retrieving. All they knew was a 'core code' implanted in a child-model android."
Esty added,
"The bad news is, the report that they've found the girl has already reached the corporation."
"Now we're the targets."
She nodded gravely. I'd expected it, but the thought of war with a megacorp weighed heavy.
And a few days later, that foreboding became reality. Clutching my comm terminal, I stiffened at Grandfather's voice from the receiver.
["The movements of that Nexus Initiative I mentioned before are getting suspicious. Not just HQ forces—their branches from other cities are converging here."]
His questioning tone held a hint of bewilderment.
["What exactly happened between you and them?"]
"I... just helped save a child."
["........."]
After a brief silence, Grandfather spoke gravely.
["Fine, I won't pry. Eve, what you're doing must be right. I trust you."]
A thoughtful pause, then he continued.
["Don't worry about ODPD. I'll handle them. But mobilizing our group's forces on a large scale requires convincing the board—it'll take time. Hold out for a day... no, half a day. They won't expect full war with another corp, no matter what they want."]
"...Thank you so much, Grandfather."
["Their finances aren't flush, so I'll pressure them from all angles, including capital. Don't worry too much."]
Grandfather promised to block them somehow, but my gut said they wouldn't back down easily.
Then, softly, he added,
["Remember this, Eve. Leading a group means facing endless tests like this. If you believe your choice is right, sacrifices in pursuit are necessary. Never think them wasted."]
Before disconnecting, his final comfort—or advice—settled heavily in my ears.
My choice to help a girl with selfless goodwill could turn yet another corporation into an enemy.
A dangerous decision that might sacrifice those who trusted and followed me. Responsibility weighed down.
I knew righteous acts didn't always yield good results.
The world was unfair.
So perhaps... compromise was needed at times. Bend a little, look away—like everyone did.
"........."
But this choice wasn't mere recklessness. There was a reason.
Again, the world is unfair.
And humans have always relied on gods to overcome that unfairness.
All religions promise an afterlife: the good saved, the wicked punished. People believed, prayed, and faced incomprehensible injustices.
The gods of history never answered... but
"........."
I quietly closed my eyes and clasped my hands.
After days of reflection, I'd glimpsed the essence of the miracles I wielded.
Healing was merely a result. Of desiring to help someone in that moment.
It worked the same for 'repair' or 'restoration' beyond healing's name—that was proof.
Purifying leaked toxic gas outside the city was similar. No game saintess had that power. Realizing it happened purely from desperate wish...
I suddenly understood.
This power's essence was the prayer... the earnest wish itself.
Mindful of that, I focused on prayer.
In the silence, an old memory surfaced.
Long ago—but once—I'd used 'prayer' not to directly help someone.
Turning water to wine.
Then, it seemed random, but that connection led to Grandfather.
As I founded the church, my subconscious desire for stronger protection manifested as that 'prayer'.
Realizing that, I understood how to wield this power.
'Be careful. It's not omnipotence—it's prayer.'
As such, healing was manageable... but greater wishes? Their process and outcome eluded even me. Who could've predicted water-to-wine forging such vast bonds?
Even indirect 'prayers' required amassed belief from many over time for one chance. My gut said so.
This use might bar it for months, years.
'But it has to be now.'
Full war meant countless sacrifices.
No matter how righteous, I couldn't just watch the horror.
So, hands clasped tight, I wished earnestly.
May all the goodwill in this story be rewarded, not end in tragedy...!
I prayed without hesitation.
Flash—!
A flash burst in my mind.
The world seemed to hush.
Much later, I slowly opened my eyes.
"........."
The empty chapel looked unchanged.
Seeming nothing happened, worry crept in.
Was my insight, my earnestness, mere delusion?
Cold anxiety trickled down my spine.
Then, the chapel door burst open as someone rushed in.
A priest's urgent voice shattered the silence.
"S-Saintess! You have to see this!"
📰 Breaking News With the emergency broadcast alert, the conference room's large monitor switched feeds. The church executives, including me, watched breathlessly. The anchor delivered unbelievable news in a slightly trembling voice. ["Breaking news. Moments ago, Omega Detroit corporation 'Nexus Initiative' confirmed under simultaneous terror attacks from unidentified groups. Production plants across cities heavily damaged; HQ building hit by armed forces—damage assessment ongoing. Shares closed at all-time low. Chairman Adrian Croft's whereabouts unknown."] "........."
I barely held my reeling mind. Was this truly the 'prayer's' aftermath?
But my instincts said no. My god-given miracles had never been so direct or destructive.
'No, this is something a bit different...'
The anchor continued.
["The group claiming responsibility: an armed faction calling themselves 'Zion' natives. Self-proclaimed android citizens of free cities... They've just issued a new statement on their basic rights."]
Another unbelievable tale.
Just androids. Tin cans rolling in streets to everyone.
Such rabble toppled a top-100 corp.
Before that shock, I recalled what we'd all forgotten.
Before legal production bans, what job replaced most humans with androids?
Maids? Waitstaff? Service workers? Construction?
'No...'
All wrong.
Overwhelmingly, the largest procurer and operator of androids...
["Suspected lost federal military androids..."]
The military.