Chapter 77: Do Androids Pray for Cybernetic Heaven? (7)

ST narrowed her brow and asked back.

“Are you referring to the reason why the miracle didn’t work on the android?”

I mumbled in an uncertain voice.

“Yes…. Is it really because she’s not a person?

Because she’s a machine, not a living being?”

It was a problem I had been thinking about by myself for a long time.

But no matter how much I agonized over it, I couldn’t find the answer myself, so in the end, I had no choice but to ask someone close to me.

ST seemed lost in thought for a moment, then answered in her usual calm voice.

“As you know, my body is a full-body prosthesis.

In terms of composition, it is closer to a robot than a living organism.”

She held up both arms as if to show me.

The implant joints visible on her forearms where the sleeves were rolled up.

It was as she said.

The strength ST had shown until now was by no means that of an organism.

“You perfectly restored my body, so the ‘miracle’ itself has enough power to repair machines.”

At those words, I hesitated and asked back.

“Then why on earth… didn’t my power work on Clarice’s wound?”

“……..”

Instead of answering, ST raised her hand with a strange expression.

“Would you please look at this?”

Click.

The wrist part of her hand opened, and with a cool sound, a straight blade shot out.

Shwing-

A black blade without a single glint of light.

Its unique color brought a name to mind.

“Nano blade…?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

A weapon considered top-tier among close-combat implants.

Because it was so incredibly rare and expensive, I had never seen one other than ST’s.

“Why are you suddenly showing me this….?”

When I tilted my head, she explained.

“As you know, the nano blade is a very expensive implant, but surprisingly, the blade itself is not made of such a high-priced material.
What holds the real value are the nanobots coating its surface.”

A product of near-future science that forms the blade’s edge into a nano-scale array only at the moment of cutting a target.

This creates an extreme cutting power that slices through any alloy at the molecular level.

However, there was a drawback that followed its absolute performance.

The fact that it was a consumable item, unbecoming of its enormous price.

Because a blade with a molecular-level thickness would have its edge damaged even by a slight contact.

No matter how momentarily it maintained its form, the nanobots were worn away as much as it cut something.

ST’s gaze rested on the black blade.

“And when I was disposed of, the remaining amount of these nanobots was almost depleted.

But Lady Eve’s miracle restored even that perfectly.

It’s fair to say it was practically recreated.”

ST’s eyes turned directly to me.

“Lady Eve.
Do you think these nanobots have a soul?
What do you think is the difference between this and an android?”

I was at a loss for words.

When you think about it, nanobots were beings far more distant from humans than androids.

There was no way they could have a soul.

But my miracle worked on them.

Was it simply because they were judged to be a part of ST?

Or was there some other reason?

I inadvertently looked down at my own hands and fell into thought.

“……”

To me, who was like this, ST added.

“I have watched Lady Eve’s ability for a long time and have experienced it myself.

So if I may dare to guess… I judge that the miracle, as its name suggests, is not a power bound by something or having limits.”

The golden eyes looking directly at me shone strangely.

“So… couldn’t we think about it a little differently?”

==========

It was just as I was briefly retracing the conversation from a few days ago.

“……”

The voice coming from over the communicator awakened me from my reverie.

[“The scene has been suppressed, Saintess.”]

“Good work.”

I answered briefly and entered the back alley.

Here and there, the guardians of the church were pressing the surviving mercenaries to the ground.

The mercenaries tried to lift their heads at the approaching presence, but the priests mercilessly slammed their heads back down.

Thwack-!

“Don’t roll your eyes.”

“Kuhk!”

“……..”

I passed them and went deeper into the scene.

Inside the back alley, which reeked of a foul smell.

Several men with fierce appearances lay groaning, while ST was silently retracting her black blade.

As our eyes met, she gave me a small, silent nod.

That silent gaze reminded me of the conversation we had the other day.

“……”

I turned my head from her and looked at the girl who was trembling slightly while being cared for by the priests.

“….Clarice.”

The child who heard my voice slowly raised her head.

Her large eyes, which had been filled with fear, began to well up with tears.

Recognizing me, the child immediately came over and hugged me tightly.

The faint trembling was transmitted through her embrace.

As if telling of the fear she must have felt alone until now, I gently patted her back.

“It’s okay…. It’s okay, Clarice…. It’s okay now.”

“….Unni.”

The girl called me in a cracked voice and desperately clung to my clothes.

Her small shoulders heaved as if trying to swallow back her bursting tears.

I held the child tighter in my arms and said.

“What were you thinking, leaving by yourself without a word?

I was worried.”

“I’m sorry.”

At the concerned scolding, Clarice hung her head low.

Her grip on my clothes tightened.

“But… I can’t let other people get hurt because of me….”

I sighed and stroked the girl’s back.

“Why is a child worrying about such things?
Of course, adults should protect children.”

At those words, the girl shook her head in my arms.

An even smaller voice was heard.

“But I’m… not even a real person.”

“……”

At the child’s words, I was momentarily at a loss.

But I soon shook off all my thoughts and looked into the girl’s eyes, asking softly.

“Is that… such an important issue?”

“Huh?”

I just looked at the child with a warm gaze.

The standards of humanity, human rights, rights guaranteed by law.

These were topics I had been pondering… but I was neither a judge nor a philosopher.

I had neither the knowledge nor the qualification to judge such heavy topics in the first place.

Come to think of it, it had been like that from the beginning.

I had never used this ability with any grand belief or justification.

There was just someone in trouble before my eyes, and I had only prayed with a desperate desire to save them.

“Perhaps what’s important to a person is not a body made of flesh and blood, or an invisible soul, but just the heart to help others?”

I inadvertently looked down at my sleeve.

There, the stitches the girl had sewn a few days ago remained.

That wasn’t all.

The cookie she had given me without hesitation, even though it was her own.

The kindness with which she forgave her peers who had ostracized her.

Even the determination with which she had run out of the cathedral, trembling like this, so as not to hurt others.

Everything I had observed from the girl so far was clearly a good will.

A small laugh escaped me at the simple answer.

‘Even if I can’t distinguish whether that heart is real or an imitation…..’

It didn’t matter in the first place.

Even humans can’t fully understand each other’s inner worlds.

We can only guess at their inner thoughts from their actions and expressions, can’t we?

Then what is the meaning of questioning the authenticity of a heart that cannot be proven?

There was only one thing I could be sure of.

Whether human or machine, it doesn’t matter… if there is one more being with good will, this world will become that much better to live in.

Having made my decision, I carefully lowered myself in front of the girl.

Her legs were grimy from wandering around the back alleys.

The bandage on her knee must have fallen off somewhere, as the wound under the torn artificial skin was fully exposed.

“……”

It would be a lie to say I had never hesitated while using the miracle until now.

Because of the worries about the risks and future that the choice would bring, I would often hesitate until the last moment.

But once I decided to help, I moved forward without regret.

Because the desire to save someone itself was sincere.

That’s why my miracle always manifested in its complete form.

‘Except for that one time, when I faced this child….’

I had constantly doubted myself whether it was truly right to help an android like a person.

Having used it in that way, it was perhaps a natural result that the miracle did not manifest.

But now I knew.

‘[Healing Power] is just the result, the essence of this ability is…..’

With a new, refined realization, I reached out my hand over the girl’s wound.

And without a moment’s hesitation, I ‘prayed’ with only one wish.

That I wanted to help this good child.

And then… there was light.

Paaaat-

In the radiance that pushed back the darkness of the back alley, the artificial skin on the child’s torn knee began to slowly heal.

Even the scratches underneath disappeared completely without a trace.

“……”

“……….”

I quietly withdrew my hand.

A low gasp erupted from among the priests who were guarding the surroundings.

And the girl, after touching her now smooth knee without a single wound, looked up at me with wide eyes.

Her blue eyes were trembling slightly.

“….It’s warm.”

I just stroked the child’s head and smiled silently.

No more words, no more excuses were needed.

=========

After returning to the cathedral, ST reported the results of the interrogation of the mercenaries.

“The one who ordered the recovery of the androids that escaped to the suburbs is the city’s corporation, [Nexus Initiative].”

I muttered the familiar name.

“Nexus Initiative….”

It was a company name I had heard once before.

The conglomerate that once monopolized the supply of androids.

Although they had taken a big hit from the attacks of other megacorps, as the saying goes, a rich family doesn’t fall even after three generations.

As a company that had once been on the threshold of megacorp status, they still maintained their position in the city’s top 100 corporations.

And even at that, at a position higher than the Lumina Group, at 87th place.

“…….”

“The mercenaries’ target was definitely Clarice, but they too did not know the identity of what they were trying to recover.
The only information they had was the name ‘core code,’ embedded inside the child-type android.”

ST added.

“The bad news is, the report that they found the girl has already been transmitted to the corporation.”

“So now we’ve become the target.”

She nodded gravely.

It was something I had prepared for, but the thought that we might have to go to war with a conglomerate weighed heavily on my mind.

And a few days later, that bad premonition became a reality.

I gripped the communication terminal, my expression hardening at the voice of the Godfather coming from the receiver.

[“The movements of Nexus Initiative that I mentioned before are unusual.
Not only their headquarters’ forces, but also the forces from their branches in other cities are gathering here.”]

There was even a hint of bewilderment in his voice as he asked back.

[“What on earth happened with them?”]

“That is…. I saved a child.”

[“…….”]

After a moment of silence at my answer, the Godfather spoke in a serious voice.

[“Alright, I won’t ask any more.
Eve, I’m sure what you’re doing is the right thing.
I believe in you.”]

After a moment that seemed like he was thinking, he continued.

[“First, don’t worry about the ODPD.
I’ll take responsibility for holding them back.
But to mobilize our group’s forces on a large scale, I need time to persuade the board of directors.
So somehow, hold out for just one day… no, just half a day.
No matter what they want, they wouldn’t have considered an all-out war with another conglomerate.”]

“….Thank you so much, Godfather.”

[“Their financial structure isn’t very flexible, so I’ll try various methods, including capital pressure.
Don’t worry too much.”]

Although the Godfather promised to stop them somehow, I had a feeling they wouldn’t give up easily.

Then, the Godfather added softly.

[“Remember, Eve.
Leading a group means constantly facing questions that test yourself like this.
If you believe your choice is right, sacrifices in the process of achieving it are necessary.
Never think of them as in vain.”]

Before hanging up, the kind of comfort, or advice, he left me settled heavily in my ears.

My choice to help a girl with an altruistic good will eventually led to the result of potentially turning another conglomerate into an enemy.

A dangerous decision that could lead to the sacrifice of the people who believe in and follow me.

The responsibility weighed heavily on my mind.

I already knew that the right thing doesn’t always lead to a good result.

Because this world is unreasonable.

So perhaps… at some point, a compromise might be necessary.

To bend a little, to look away, because that’s how everyone lives.

“……”

But this choice was by no means just recklessness.

There was a reason for it.

To say it again, this world is unreasonable.

And humans have always relied on God to overcome such unreasonableness.

All religions describe and promise an afterlife.

That the good will be saved, and the sinners will be punished.

People believed in those stories, prayed, and confronted the absurdities of a world they couldn’t understand.

The gods of all religions that have existed throughout history never gave that answer in the end, but….

“…..”

I quietly closed my eyes and clasped my hands together.

After several days of contemplation, I had come to vaguely understand the essence of the miracle I had been using.

Healing is just a result.

The result of thinking I wanted to help someone at the moment of use.

The fact that it worked the same even when it was in the realm of ‘repair’ or ‘restoration,’ which transcended the name ‘healing,’ was the proof.

The incident where I purified the toxic gas that had once leaked into the suburbs was the same.

It was an ability that was not given to the Saintess in the game at all.

Completely unrelated to that, the fact that it was a miracle that was granted simply because I had desperately wished for it… made me suddenly realize.

The essence of this ability was the prayer… the earnest wish itself.

I kept that fact in mind and began to concentrate on my prayer.

In the silence, a memory from long ago suddenly came to mind.

It was quite a long time ago, but just once… I had used a ‘prayer’ in a form that wasn’t a direct way of helping someone.

The phenomenon of turning water into wine.

At the time, I thought it was a completely random ability, but that connection eventually led me to meet the Godfather.

Just as I was newly establishing the church, my unconscious desperation to further develop the fold that would protect me must have manifested in the form of a ‘prayer.’

Thinking about that, I felt like I understood a little about how to handle this power.

‘I have to be careful. It’s not a perfect ability.’

Indeed, this was not omnipotence, but a prayer.

I could easily handle it up to the level of healing someone… but the process and result of a wish greater than that was something I couldn’t grasp myself.

In fact, how could I have predicted that the strange power of turning water into wine would lead to such a huge connection?

Moreover, I had a feeling that even such an indirect form of ‘prayer’ was only given a chance once in a long while, when the faith of many people had gathered over a long period of time.

Perhaps if I use it this time, I won’t be able to use it again for months, or even years.

‘But it has to be now.’

If a full-scale war breaks out, many people will be sacrificed.

No matter how right the cause, I couldn’t just watch the tragedy unfold.

That’s why I clasped my hands tightly and wished earnestly.

That the good will of everyone involved in this story would not end in a tragic conclusion, but would be rewarded…!

Praying to someone, I used the ‘prayer’ without hesitation.

Paaaat-!

In that moment, a flash erupted in my consciousness.

A sensation as if the world had momentarily become quiet.

A long while later, I slowly opened my eyes.

“…..”

But the scenery of the empty chapel was the same.

In the atmosphere that seemed as if nothing had happened at first glance… I started to worry a little on the inside.

Wondering if my realization was just a delusion created by desperation.

A chilling anxiety gradually flowed down my spine.

Right at that moment, the chapel door was thrown open violently, and someone rushed in.

The priest’s urgent voice broke the silence.

“S-Saintess! You have to see this!”

========

With the sound of a breaking news report, the large monitor screen in the conference room switched.

The executives of the church, including myself, held our breath and watched the screen.

The anchor on the monitor, in a slightly trembling voice, was reporting the unbelievable news.

[“This is a breaking news report.
A short while ago, it has been confirmed that the Omega Detroit corporation ‘Nexus Initiative’ has been subjected to simultaneous terrorist attacks from an unidentified group.
Their production factories located in various cities have suffered great damage, and it has been reported that the headquarters building is also currently assessing the extent of the damage from an armed group’s attack.
As a result of this, Nexus Inc.’s stock price closed at its largest drop since its opening, and the whereabouts of Chairman Andrian Croft have also not been confirmed so far.”]

“…….”

I barely held onto my fading consciousness.

Was this really the aftermath of the ‘prayer’?

But my intuition was telling me it wasn’t.

From my experience so far, the divine miracle given to me had never accomplished something in such a direct and destructive way.

‘Yes, this is something a little different….’

Then the anchor’s voice continued.

[“The armed group that claimed responsibility for this terrorist incident called themselves from ‘Zion.’
They are androids who call themselves citizens of the Free City… and have just released a new statement regarding their basic rights.”]

Once again, an unbelievable story flowed out.

They were just androids.

Robots treated like tin cans rolling on the street by everyone.

And such beings had suddenly brought down one of the city’s top 100 corporations.

In the face of that amazing result, a fact that everyone had suddenly forgotten came to mind.

Before production was legally regulated, what was the occupation in this world where humans were most replaced by androids?

‘No….’

It was all wrong.

The place that had ordered and operated the largest number of androids in this world on an overwhelming scale since the past was….

[“They are presumed to be military androids lost from the federal army….”]

It was the army.