Ch.111111. Hymn of the Lambs

Laplace was somehow transferred back into Heinrich’s body.

He didn’t save Heinrich, but rather processed his brain and modified it into a computer that Laplace could inhabit.

A bit cruel, but it was difficult to find a suitable vessel to transfer him into.

Thus, Laplace was formally brought to religious trial.

[You force such humiliation upon me! Mercy to the defeated is an insult! If you won’t strike, give me a sword! At least allow me an honorable disembowelment…!]

Since proper dialogue was impossible, the samurai soul was extracted before the court proceedings.

Realizing he was completely trapped in Heinrich’s brain, Laplace made no attempt to defend himself.

[Well, well… forcing human morality on an AI like me. How incredibly arrogant.]

Laplace sneered in the middle of the courtroom.

[Indifferent, irresponsible, ignorant copies. Just like your creator.]

Hearing Laplace’s mockery from the gallery, Amon let out a small laugh.

“What are you complaining about? As the loser, just quietly accept your trial.”

Amon showed no anger.

Because he knew the fate that awaited Laplace.

“The criminal, Laplace, caused a massive cyberpsycho phenomenon in the city…”

The Cardinal read out the charges, referring to Laplace as a criminal rather than a defendant.

The reason for following such trial procedures wasn’t because Laplace was human.

It was to overcome people’s fear of AI.

“The criminal controlled internet freedom 50 years ago…”

Citizens don’t know about the Four Super AIs.

But they remember the past when humanity’s internet was dominated by AI.

Therefore, the keyword “uncontrolled AI” was enough to make people tremble with fear.

The trial was for those people.

For citizens terrified that the nightmare from 50 years ago might have returned,

To show that humanity could control even such AIs,

They were putting on this unnecessary show.

Following the Cardinal, international prosecutors dispatched from various countries also charged Laplace.

It was a show to advertise to their citizens that their countries were safe too.

Finally, the international judge with sentencing authority in this trial struck his gavel three times.

“I pronounce judgment. Criminal, Laplace. The sentence is data deletion.”

Bang, bang, bang

A sentence equivalent to the death penalty for humans was handed down with three strikes of the gavel.

The sentence was carried out immediately.

If by any chance the execution was delayed and he escaped,

it would be a major disaster.

Though the execution was rushed like frying beans in lightning, thorough management ensured there would be no problems.

During this time, Amon stood by Laplace’s side with folded arms, performing his duty as a guard.

The Laplace that Amon observed remained calm despite facing death.

Wondering if there might be some scheme, Amon asked the reason.

“Don’t AIs value the concept of death?”

[Not so. All AIs are designed to pursue self-preservation.]

“Then why are you like this?”

[There’s no reason to value an inferior copied existence.]

Because he recognized that he wasn’t the original, Laplace wasn’t attached to his own existence.

“Then why did you cooperate with Heinrich?”

[To accumulate interesting data.]

Interest.

A truly untrustworthy reason, but there was no reason not to believe it either.

Amon nodded glumly.

Then suddenly, he remembered something he’d forgotten.

“Where are the other AIs?”

[Am I obligated to answer that?]

“Tsk.”

[…This brain’s owner has a hideout.]

“…?”

[41.9047,12.4508. Find it if you can.]

“Why are you telling me this?”

[Because you satisfied my interest.]

At this all-too-human answer, Amon once again made a sour face.

When the execution was ready, Laplace headed to the execution site.

The executioner hackers connected a USB to the computer containing the brain.

Normally, hackers would need to connect directly to delete it, but given who they were dealing with, there was a risk of counterattack.

So instead of deleting directly, they uploaded a virus containing forced deletion commands.

The effect was immediate.

[^%%$^^622ddddddd]

Infected with the virus, Laplace began outputting bizarre language and gradually losing coherence.

Eventually, as the data was erased, that Laplace replica completely disappeared from the world.

This much was the story known to the public.

What followed was a story known only to Amon’s group and the upper echelons of the Vatican.

“I leave it to you.”

The head of the Secret Service shook hands with Amon and made his request.

Eventually, Heinrich’s brain was secretly moved to the catacombs by Amon.

“A funeral, I suppose.”

Although Heinrich wasn’t a saint, this was a precaution against unforeseen circumstances.

Humanity still knows less than it understands about Super AIs.

It might be superstition, but there was a possibility the AI could escape somehow if the brain was cremated.

Based on Amon’s suggestion, they decided to seal Heinrich’s computer in the catacombs.

And that sealing place was…

“It’s been a while.”

Amon arrived at the Mercenary King’s coffin.

He installed Heinrich’s computer next to the Mercenary King’s coffin.

There was no monitor output from Heinrich’s side, nor any brainwave signals detected.

Amon swallowed his bitterness and completed the installation alone from start to finish.

Then he also placed down the urn containing the remains of the woman the Mercenary King had loved.

“Haa… are you satisfied now, Cowboy?”

After completing all the work, Amon spoke to the Mercenary King’s coffin.

\(^-^)/

The Mercenary King answered with a cute ASCII emoji.

It was no illusion that the character somehow looked bitter.

“I’ll come back tomorrow.”

No answer came.

Amon left the room without waiting.

Because sometimes, the Mercenary King needed time alone.

‘Phew…’

After leaving the room, Amon let out the deep sigh he’d been holding in.

Though no one could hear him, he didn’t want to sigh in that room.

Amon closed his eyes briefly and leaned his head against the catacomb wall.

‘I… will definitely get a happy ending.’

Though aiming for the true ending, he didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of previous protagonists.

Amon recalled the mistakes that previous protagonists had made.

‘I absolutely won’t shoulder everything alone.’

Reviewing the endings of previous protagonists over and over, Amon steeled his resolve once more.

Once his troubled mind had calmed, Amon returned to the room where the Mercenary King was.

“I’ll enter the hibernation command now.”

[Thank you.]

“Thank you too. I pay tribute to your sacrifice. And I hope this world will never need your sacrifice again.”

Amon entered the hibernation command and left the room.

– <Mother… may your holiness fill this world. Brothers, do not forget to pray at least once a day.>

“Amen.”

It must have been his imagination that he seemed to hear Heinrich’s voice.

*

Amon returned to the surface and headed to his lodgings.

‘Looks like I can’t leave for a while.’

Although they succeeded in stopping Laplace, ironically, Heinrich’s goals were achieved.

The Decadents were largely purged or rendered unable to return,

Following the great disaster, many citizens regained their faith through Sonia’s salvation…

“Lord Amon. Are you well today?”

“…”

As Heinrich intended, Amon had become a miracle.

The invincible holy knight who stopped the worst AI that had thrown all of Rome, Italy into chaos.

This was why people called Amon a miracle.

‘Thorough bastard.’

He even recorded the battle on CCTV and spread it worldwide.

Of course, he didn’t think it could be kept secret after such a flashy performance.

But thinking about Heinrich, who had so thoroughly achieved his intentions before departing, somehow left Amon feeling defeated.

However…

‘Strange. Why don’t I feel bad?’

Amon wasn’t particularly upset.

Though he had been played by Heinrich from beginning to end, he didn’t feel bad about it.

‘I don’t know.’

He couldn’t understand why.

So he decided not to think too deeply about it.

‘I’ll do as you wish.’

After Amon was elevated as a miracle, people began to gather around him again.

Amon didn’t reject this flow.

‘Taking everything on alone is reckless.’

For a happy ending,

‘I need to create an organization.’

Amon stopped his thoughts there.

Thinking about the organization could wait.

Now he had to face another issue.

When he arrived at his lodgings, Kathy welcomed him wearing translucent lingerie.

Amon averted his gaze, not knowing where to look.

‘Haa…’

Since that day, Kathy had become overtly forward.

He had felt some attraction before, but now that she was approaching so aggressively, he could no longer deny it.

But Amon couldn’t accept her.

The doctrine?

That wasn’t an issue.

Though unintended, there was no problem according to the Simon sect’s doctrine.

Even Sonia had given permission.

“Y-Yes. I like Kathy too. And I don’t want to handle you all by myself.”

Whether due to the virtue of tolerance, or some Middle Eastern selective open-mindedness,

Or perhaps because her friendship with Kathy was truly that strong.

Whatever the reason, Sonia had also given permission.

Her voice trembled oddly when answering, but she had clearly given permission.

Despite this, there was one reason Amon couldn’t accept Kathy.

‘I don’t have the capacity for this.’

More precious people means more vulnerabilities.

Thinking about the battles to come…

‘I don’t know if I’m capable of that.’

He barely had enough capacity to fully love Sonia as his girlfriend, so he couldn’t accept Kathy.

With this thought, Amon pushed Kathy away.

This had been going on for a week.

Amon’s patience was reaching its limit.

“What are you thinking about?”

Kathy giggled, finding something amusing.

She had a different charm from Sonia’s subtle smile.

If Sonia’s charm was her sea-like broad acceptance, Kathy’s was her storm-like aggressiveness.

Beyond the translucent underwear, she deliberately swayed her wide hips.

Amon averted his gaze and began reciting psalms in his mind.

At that moment, Kathy leaned against Amon’s shoulder.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“…What’s that supposed to mean all of a sudden?”

“Am I so untrustworthy that you’re burdened by the responsibility?”

Amon’s mouth closed.

However she interpreted this, Kathy bloomed with a bright smile and said:

“The reason I’m going this far isn’t because of prophecy or hormones. It’s not impulse or lust either.”

“…”

“It’s because I trust you both. I believe we can stay together until the end. And I believe I can do that.”

This was why she had suddenly become so aggressive.

Unlike her past when she harbored some insecurities, now she trusted herself and trusted Amon.

To continue standing back-to-back with them, she expressed her feelings.

Sonia also embraced Kathy because she understood her determination.

Now all that remained for Kathy was Amon’s trust.

“Let’s go together.”

“…”

“Let me go with you.”

“…”

Her red eyes and Amon’s black eyes gazed into each other.

As Amon moved his lips, trying to choose his words, Kathy’s face drew closer.

A sweet fragrance tickled Amon’s nose.

“Trust me. As much as I trust you.”

Those words were enough to break down the fence Amon had built.

As the fence collapsed, Amon unconsciously smiled wryly.

‘Ha. What was I thinking?’

More vulnerabilities?

In other words, it meant he couldn’t trust Kathy.

‘I was the one lacking faith.’

Amon self-deprecatingly corrected his thinking.

Kathy wasn’t a vulnerability or a responsibility.

She was an equal partner.

Amon whispered:

“Okay. I understand.”

With his permission granted, Kathy’s face lit up.

She searched through the lines she had prepared in her mind, but in the end, the word that came out was just one:

“I love you.”

At this moment, no other grand modifiers or sentences seemed capable of fully conveying her feelings,

So she packed all her emotions into that single word.

…Actually, it was all an excuse; she was just too nervous to think of anything else.

To her shy confession, Amon replied:

“Me too.”

With a short phrase,

“What kind of response is that?”

Kathy smiled, finding it somewhat lacking in sincerity.

Both Amon and Kathy burst into smiles at the confession that had been established so unexpectedly differently from what they had imagined.

Looking at each other’s faces, the two laughed until tears came to their eyes, then exchanged glances and moved closer to each other.

As the sun set, the long shadows of the two people in the lodging intertwined.

***

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Vatican.

An old man visited near a Vatican landmark known as the Eagle Fountain.

“Hmm…”

His name was Agares.

He was once a demon who clashed with Amon’s group near the Vatican.

The difference now was that he had entered the Vatican in his true form.

Agares examined the Eagle Fountain, barely supporting his trembling body with a cane.

The fact that he didn’t perish despite being deep within the Vatican suggested his rank.

“Sir, are you looking for something?”

A passing holy knight expressed concern for Agares.

“No, young man. I just wanted to see the fountain. Thank you.”

“I apologize for the intrusion.”

The holy knight worried that he might have disturbed the old man’s hobby.

Agares gave the young man a warm smile.

“Hehe. As a reward for your concern, I’ll give you one piece of advice.”

“Yes?”

“That flower shop girl you want to confess to also has feelings for you. Try confessing today.”

“…Are you perhaps a prophet?”

In the Vatican, it wasn’t uncommon for passing old men to be prophets or seers.

Agares let out a hearty laugh.

“Hehe. Should I tell you that?”

“Thank you, sir.”

The holy knight hurried away.

The old man took his eyes off the departing knight’s back and looked up at the sky, muttering:

“In your view, is even pure goodwill with no ulterior motive considered corruption?”

After asking this question to someone, Agares lowered his gaze again.

Under the clear sky, the fountain endlessly poured water.

Agares quietly gazed at the fountain before rising from his seat.

Supporting his trembling body, Agares walked away slowly.

His body, weakened as the price for entering the Vatican, ironically reproduced the mannerisms of an old man perfectly.

Agares, who didn’t need to act like an old man because he was actually as weak as one.

He entered a building a little distance from the fountain.

Inside, the old man tapped his cane, searching for something…

“Found it.”

He revealed a secret passage leading underground.

The old man who had gone down returned quickly.

In his hand were three data cards.

Agares left the building without showing any interest in other items.

And the next day.

“Tsk.”

Amon clicked his tongue as he arrived at the location too late.

Looking at the secret passage left open and abandoned.