God’s Child Chapters 46-50
Chapter 46
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“I expect to hear a lot of interesting stories, hahaha. well, bring them back inside without being rude.”
When Captain Jumolan’s vehicle arrived at the spaceport, five disorganized people were waiting for him. Jumolan welcomed them into the car without so much as a hello. Few words were spoken in an atmosphere of suspicion, and the car soon arrived at the palace. Colonel Garalyan, who was waiting in the reception room, welcomed them with open arms.
“Welcome, guests, we’ve been waiting for you! I am Colonel Alruban Garalyan, chairman of the National Revolutionary Leadership Council of the United Nation of Tavtablay Nipni.”
After the colonel’s self-introduction, the five people each gave a proper greeting. The colonel and Saltio were old acquaintances, but they casually pretended to be meeting for the first time. After the greetings, the colonel clapped his hands. As usual, several waiters appeared from somewhere, carrying trays with all kinds of drinks.
“Drink whatever you like. If you’d prefer something else, just tell me and I’ll have it ready in ten seconds. I usually drink this, hahahaha.”
The colonel reached for a glass of Ganaha that had been poured to the brim. When everyone had their glass in hand, he said, “Welcome to the nation!”
With that, he dumped the glass of alcohol down his throat. As the waiter was about to pour more Ganaha into the empty glass, he snatched the bottle and poured it himself, then threw a second glass down without a moment’s hesitation.
“Delicious! Strong liquor should be served fresh. Hahaha, please, please, don’t be shy.”
After two or three more drinks, he called the waiter and finally returned the bottle and glass to the tray.
“It’s easier to talk when there’s alcohol involved.” He looked around at everyone. “Send a snake to find a snake! Or should I say, we’re all in the same boat? We all have the same scent. I think I roughly understand the reason for your visit, so let’s have a heart-to-heart talk.”
“Hmm…” Dr. Rochina snorted. The right corner of his mouth turned up slightly.
“As expected, those with real power speak quickly. That’s very helpful. So…where shall we start, Mr. Chairman?”
Rochina smoothed the bottom of his robe and sat down in a chair. The other four followed suit.
“First of all,” the Colonel began, “is he, Mettalia, the Child, the successor of God? Dr. Rochina, I would like to hear your opinion as an expert.”
Rochina got straight to the point. “I don’t know. I saw what happened on Nurgerant, and the Child was still an infant.”
“Hmm. It’s a miracle indeed. That infant reached boyhood and adolescence in less than a year. I’ve heard that he is unmatched in all abilities.”
The colonel looked up at Captain Jumolan, who was standing behind him.
“Captain! Tell the group what you saw.”
“Yes…”
The captain spoke in a way that got to the point and told the group exactly what he saw. “If Mettalia’s descent to this planet was Wiseman’s test,” he concluded, “then I believe that the battle and conduct at Brozan Hill was Mettalia’s response.”
Rochina restated what he thought the captain meant. “In other words, God summoned Mettalia into the centuries of stability he had created, and by exposing the inscription as his shadow, he stirred up anxiety and desire by creating the seeds of chaos. He then asked Mettalia what he would do. Mettalia successfully removed the seeds of chaos with a single A.T. and restored stability. In other words, he brilliantly proved that he was qualified to be a god. Well, that’s a perfect answer.”
“I see, that makes sense” the colonel replied.
The captain snorted at Rochina’s response.
“Hmm? Captain, are you unhappy about something?”
“No, it’s not that I’m unhappy, but…”
“They say that silence makes the belly growl,” Rochina said. “Tell me.”
Urged by Rochina, Jumolan glanced at the colonel’s face, wondering what to do, then snapped his fingers as if he had made up his mind. A waiter immediately appeared with a large tumbler on a tray.
“Ganaha isn’t bad, but I prefer this Wulu.”
The captain then took a sip of spirits, a famous drink in the Astragius galaxy.
“Well, since we’re all snakes together, I’ll be honest with you.”
The captain took another sip.
“Both the colonel and I were aiming for something a little higher. In other words, we wanted chaos over stability, Mayhem rather than peace. When the five kingdoms were agitated by the appearance of Mettalia and of the inscription, I thought our time had come, and my blood burned. But in an instant, Mettalia’s behavior calmed them down, and the previous stability and stagnation was restored. If God’s will is to rule and govern, and peace results from it, Mettalia has given a perfect answer, and proven himself a successor. Well, to me, that result is boring.”
After listening, Rochina had a look of superiority on his face. “I see, that’s interesting.”
“Interesting? What’s interesting about it? Perhaps Dr. Rochina has grown old enough to have forgotten what ambition is.”
“No, that’s not true, Captain. What I want to say is that God’s, or rather Wiseman’s test is not over yet.”
“Not over yet!?”
The Captain moved his lips away from the tumbler he was drinking.
Chapter 47
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“Yes, the test is not over. In fact, the real thing is about to begin.” Dr. Rochina said confidently.
Captain Jumolan remembered Chirico’s words, but didn’t say it aloud. (The test is not over! Come to think of it, he said the same thing.)
“What do you think the real test is going to be?” he asked the Doctor.
“I’ve known God for quite some time.”
The Colonel reinforced the Doctor’s words. “I’ve heard that the doctor was once Wiseman’s eyes and ears.”
“Well, I felt that I was of great service.” (though there was little to show for it in return…)
The doctor swallowed the rest of his words and continued. “God is cunning. He even uses his own mistakes to his advantage. God once had his eye on Chirico Cuvie as his successor.”
“Umm, you mean the Chirico Cuvie who’s currently here in the United Nation?” the colonel asked.
“Yes, the same Chirico Cuvie. A paranormal living being with a one in 25 billion genetic probability, the successor to God, Red Shoulder…there are many words to describe him. But none of them explains everything about him. After all, he declined the nomination to succeed Wiseman, the god who rules the Astragius Galaxy. On top of that, he killed God. Well, this was incomplete, and God barely survived. And then he was resurrected.”
“After being treated like that, why would God entrust Mettalia, or rather the upbringing of the Child, to him?” the Colonel’s question was one that everyone had.
“Well, that’s where God is so cunning. It takes one with unusual ability to nurture another with unusual ability.”
“I can understand that, but Chirico Cuvie is the man who rejected the nomination to be God’s successor and even plotted to eliminate him. In other words, he refused to rule and govern the Astragius Galaxy. And then again…ah!”
The colonel realized something and swallowed his words.
“That’s right,” Rochina explained. “If the Child is to become the successor, then the two of them will inevitably have to fight.”
“The man who raised him and the boy who was raised…!?”
“You could call this God’s revenge. If Chirico wins, he will have killed the child he raised with his own hands. And if Child wins, it will be victory for the successor, which means God has won. Either way, God will lose nothing.”
“Hmm!”
The colonel gasped at this profound contemplation of God.
Vanilla stood up and shouted in front of Rochina. “You’ve got to be kidding me! You can’t all just sit there and listen to this! You’ve always been a sicko, and now I know you’re still the same! Why the hell should Chirico fight the Child? And why should the Child fight Chirico, who’s like a father to him?”
“Exactly right, Dad!” Coconna added. “Why do the two of them have to fight? They’re father and son, so to speak. Aren’t they parent and child?”
Coconna’s words were continued by the hoarse voice of an old Goto.
“It’s ridiculous! You’ve been chasing Chirico all this time, and you still don’t understand him. Chirico has never fought willingly. And there’s no way he’d risk the life of his child!”
“Hmph.” Rochina snorted at the three of them, who were huffing and puffing. “It’s you who don’t understand. If you did, you wouldn’t be screaming so much.”
(What!?)
All three of them were at a rare loss for words.
“You seem to have hit the nail on the head. You all know Chirico well. It’s true that he never willingly went into battle. But has he ever been far away from the fight? Has the smell of gunpowder ever left him? He’s always in the midst of a struggle, whether he likes it or not. So…”
“So what!!”
It was unclear who shouted among the three. Perhaps it was all three at once. The scream-like voice echoed among the guests.
“So…they will fight. The two of them have no choice but to fight. You all know that.”
No voice spoke up.
“This is Chirico’s fate.”
Rochina was resolute in his deduction.
Three days had passed since the operation at Brozan Hill. The Child had returned to the arsenal with his mounted A.T. and holed himself up in the maintenance workshop.
What was he doing? First, he analyzed the operation data of the mounted A.T. during the operation.
(What actions did I take?)
He remembered every single one of his actions in detail. He paid particular attention to the analysis of the polymer Ringer’s fluid, including the effects on the machine: damage, wear, and fatigue, What kind of changes would those movements, maneuvers, and speed bring to the PR fluid? He predicted the deterioration curve that would result, the resulting changes in mobility, etc.
(It’s important to know your own basic physical strength.)
Yes, the Child saw the A.T. as a combat power-enhancing device that was an extension of the human body.
His next point of interest was how far he could increase its offensive capabilities. Surely the smallest unit of military power is the infantryman, and infantry is the foundation of military power. They must retain their capabilities to the fullest extent possible without losing sight of what it means to be an infantryman. If that is the value of an A.T., then how many and what types of firearms should it possess?
(What weapons can it be equipped with, and how many?)
At this point, the Child suddenly found himself enjoying the idea. He asked a mechanic for support.
“Can you line up all the weapons you have?”
–GAT-22 heavy machine gun
–GAT-42 gatling gun
–SMAT-38 shoulder missile pod
–SAT-04 arm solid shooter
–X-SAT-06 hand solid shooter
–GAT-35 log gun
–FTAT-16 flamethrower
–HRAT-30 hand rocket gun
–HMAT-38 hand missile launcher
–SMAT-32 shoulder missile pod
There was seemingly no end to the list. The Child followed them with sparkling eyes.
“Are there any more? Line them all up!” he called out with glee.
Chapter 48
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After Vanilla, Rochina, and the others had left, Colonel Garalyan returned to his office and, after a short silence, turned to Captain Jumolan, who was standing next to him.
“Hey, Captain…”
“Sir?”
“I’m thinking about things now, too. Sometimes I rush ahead. And then I think again. Well, I guess that’s what most people do…”
“Yes…”
The captain had no idea what the colonel was trying to say.
“Well, you see, you and I are more or less the same type. We’ve come this far with ordinary ambition and a lot of luck. That’s a very trivial thing.”
“Trivial, you say. You acquired an entire country! You call that trivial?”
“It’s a trivial thing. And I’m already tired of it.”
“What are you talking about? You haven’t even stood at the threshhold!”
A sigh of laughter escaped from the colonel’s mouth. “I was at my best when I was your age. I thought I could use everything for my own benefit. Everything was my stepping stone. I thought I would go up and up, as high as I could. I wanted to take it all, dominate it, and…” he stopped talking and reached for the bottle of Ganaha on the table.
“When there is a wall in your path…” He filled a glass with Ganaha and shoved it down his throat. “…you knock it down and the way will open up.” The colonel put the empty glass down helplessly. “But it’s no use. I can see the future. I’ve figured out the trick.”
“Your Excellency…”
“Everything about this planet was in Wiseman’s mind. I’m sure Wiseman decided my role in this country. No, it didn’t have to be me, it could have been anyone. Anyone could have fulfilled the role in that inscription. If the time had been different, you would have been perfect for the role, hahahaha…”
Jumolan gritted his teeth as he listened.
“We took our posts, and then we waited. We waited for Mettalia, for the Child to appear. In other words, this planet itself is a giant experiment to determine the successor.”
“Is that so?”
“We’re just screws in the experimental machinery.”
“So, then!?”
The captain probably wanted to ask what they should do from now on, but before he could say anything, the colonel continued.
“Captain, what should we do? What’s next for us? Whatever you think, just tell me.”
The colonel was hoping the Captain’s young, immature mind would come up with a plan, but no words were forthcoming.
“You don’t need to worry about the consequences! Just tell me what you think!”
“Sir…” As always, the captain searched for opinions that would benefit him. The man before him was dejected and weak-willed at the moment, but he had snatched the nation with his own two hands. If Jumolan expressed an opinion the colonel didn’t like, he could be eliminated with a flick of a wrist.
“…In my humble opinion…”
“You don’t need to embellish your words.”
“I-if this planet itself is an experimental device created by Wiseman, the question is whether the experiment has ended or not. If maintaining order is the power of a god, Mettalia has easily cleared it. In other words, he can become the successor. But according to Dr. Rochina, God’s test is not over yet.”
“He said so. That’s true.”
“The real test is the battle between the successor and Chirico. If that’s true, then what we shouldn’t do is get in the way of that battle. Or, dare I say, we should assist in that confrontation. According to Dr. Rochina, the result will be a victory for God. And at the very least, revenge. We cannot go against a god who has ruled the galaxy for 3,000 years.”
“How can we help God?”
“For now, all we need to do is watch how the situation develops.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mettalia is holed up in the arsenal, tinkering with an A.T.”
“Are you saying that Mettalia and Chirico are going to fight with A.T.s?” The colonel was confused. It was incomprehensible that the test to choose the ruler of the galaxy would be decided by an A.T. battle. “You say that’s the last test?”
“I don’t know what God’s true intentions are, but it seems to me that everything is moving steadily toward that one point.”
“Hmm…” The colonel groaned and thought deeply.
Meanwhile, a special A.T. with firearms attached to its entire body like a hedgehog was hanging from a rack in the arsenal’s maintenance workshop. The Child was there, shaking his head slightly and nodding as he looked at the machine from every angle. From the whispers of the maintenance men watching, it became clear that he had not slept for three days and was completely devoted to this machine.
The Child called out to the maintenance men. “I’d like to initiate a hanger test.”
“Would you like to go into the cockpit? Or use the control console?”
“I don’t have to get in, we’re just checking to see if it’s working perfectly. I’d also like to make a mission disc.”
The control console lay a few steps away from the platform, connected to the A.T. by several cables.
“We’re ready. Please come over.”
As he was directed to a chair in front of the console, the Child said with genuine joy, “I’m looking forward to it!”
He sat down, spread his arms in front of his chest like a pianist before a performance, and flexed his ten fingers.
Chapter 49
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The Child’s fingers, which had been running up and down the keyboard on the control panel, suddenly stopped.
“Perfect.”
He turned his chair around, and there stood Captain Jumolan.
“Captain…what is it?”
The captain looked up at the A.T. on the suspension platform and asked, “Is it finished?”
“Yes, this is probably the maximum combat power that this machine can have. I can’t imagine anything being superior to this. I’ll never lose to anyone. It’s the best in the Astragius Galaxy,” the Child said innocently.
“I see…” The captain looked at the machine closely, and then asked, “By the way, what is this for?”
“Hm?”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Hmm…well, if I have to answer that, I guess I just wanted to make it. Imagine every enemy, simulate every situation, and make it the strongest. Isn’t that appealing?”
“Is it the strongest?”
“It is the strongest.”
The captain ruminated on the Child’s words again, as if muttering. “The strongest, the strongest…the strongest?” A questioning tone was added to the last word.
“It’s the strongest!”
“Really?”
“We took into account the performance of other existing models, assumed every battle situation, ran simulations, and included the optimal mission disc. It’s definitely the strongest!”
The Child’s tone was filled with pride. The captain didn’t say anything, but tilted his head slightly.
“What, you doubt me!?”
“No, I just…”
“Just? Just what?”
“No, I don’t doubt you. I saw Mettalia’s battle at Brozan Hill, and this is a machine that Mettalia created, so I don’t doubt it. But I believe Mettalia is also a scientist, and this is what science calls a hypothesis. Or, rather, a working hypothesis.”
“Haha, you’re a cool empiricist, Captain. Unfortunately I can’t prove it. But there’s no need. According to my calculations, there’s no A.T. or pilot that can beat this machine. At least, none on this planet.”
“Is that so?” The Captain said, clapping his palms sharply twice. The steel door in a corner of the maintenance shop creaked open, and a group of men, along with one woman, came in. They surrounded the A.T. and the Child on the suspension platform and spoke up.
“Whoa! What the hell is this!?”
“They’re like twins!”
“I didn’t know father and son could look so alike!”
“It makes me want to paint the right shoulder red!”
“You’re the one Chirico raised?”
“Captain, who are these people?” the Child asked the Captain.
“Let me introduce you. This is Mettalia, or the Child. Sergeant Chirico calls him Lu. Allow me to introduce Dr. Jean Paul Rochina, Vanilla Vartla, Coconna, Goto, and Saltio.”
The Child instantly understood. “It’s you!” The scattered stories he had heard from Chirico were strung together, now given bones, muscles, and flesh.
“Why are you all here?”
“What’s up with Chirico? Where is he?”
“Chirico? He’s…” The Child realized that he hadn’t seen anyone else in days.
“My dear friends. You will be able to meet Sergeant Chirico shortly,” Jumolan said formally. “Tonight, His Excellency the Chairman has prepared a banquet to welcome you all, so you can renew your friendship to your heart’s content. But there’s not much time before the banquet begins. Please hurry and get ready.”
The captain hurried everyone to the exit. “Mettalia, we’ll be waiting for you later,” he said.
The invitation to the banquet had also been sent to Captain Dromzen Pasdard and his party.
“What kind of people are they?”
When asked, Major Dadot Kromzender tilted his head and said, “I don’t know…”
Professor Bob also shook his head. The captain’s question was cut off there, and was not answered by Chirico.
Of course, Chirico said nothing.
Chapter 50
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Colonel Garalyan started the banquet with his customary loud voice.
“Come on, enjoy to your heart’s content!”
There was no shortage of food, drink, or anything else. It didn’t matter if they were gourmets, big eaters, small eaters, or picky eaters, as long as it found its way to their stomachs.
Vanilla and Goto bumped elbows together.
“Just what I expected!”
“It’s all about showing off absolute power.”
Coconna lowered her voice and said, “But something doesn’t add up.” She furrowed her brow. “Isn’t it too extravagant for someone who grew up poor?”
“No, it’s not!” Vanilla responded. “That’s the whole point of this party. There’s something going on here!”
As he said this, Coconna looked around the banquet suspiciously. “Hmm?”
Vanilla looked around again. “I see.”
Goto also looked suspicious. “Yeah…”
According to the colonel who had invited them, the purpose of the party was “friendship,” but none of the attendees treated them that way. As they ate the food, everyone had an air of looking for something.
Vanilla jerked his chin at Chirico, who was silent across the table. “Who’s that guy?”
“I haven’t even spoken to him.”
Coconna and Goto both shook their heads.
“We were forced to take a seat on this side of the table. That was on purpose. There’s something fishy about this.” As soon as Vanilla finished speaking, it started. A sudden, booming voice rose from a corner of the banquet.
“It’s magnificent! The strongest in the Astragius galaxy!”
“You say that the strongest A.T. is here in our Tavtablay Nipni United Nation? Where is it?”
The second voice came from a uniformed aide who was sitting next to the colonel.
“On the suspension platform of your arsenal’s mobile infantry maintenance center,” Major Dadot Kromzender said proudly as if it were his own business. “And there’s no doubt about it,” he confirmed to the Child, who was sitting next to him.
“That’s right, Major,” he answered without hesitation.
The aide asked Child for a response. “Oh! It’s guaranteed by Mettalia! There’s no doubt about that! But if you don’t mind, could you please provide evidence for future study?”
“I myself added the maximum possible armament to the unit’s basic performance. And a hanger test confirmed that it was fully functional.”
“What do you mean?”
“It can handle any battle imaginable.”
“Wow!” The aide exclaimed in admiration, “If Mettalia says so, it must be the real deal! Your Excellency!” The aide looked up at his master, Colonel Garalyan. “It seems that the strongest A.T. in the galaxy exists here, worthy of the name of our United Nation. What an honor!”
“Yes.” The colonel nodded with satisfaction.
Then a questioning voice with a hint of ridicule reached his ears. “I don’t understand, what do you mean?” The owner of that arrogant voice was Captain Jumolan.
“Hmm? Captain, what don’t you understand?” the colonel asked.
The captain stood up and looked around the group. “It’s just an A.T.!”
The aide spoke up as if offended. “Just an A.T.? I don’t think that’s what Mettalia is saying. I’m sure everyone here understands exactly what Mettalia is.”
The group was agitated, but no one offered a clear answer. As if to confirm this, the captain continued.
“On this planet, Mettalia is the word for ‘transcendent.’ Furthermore…” The captain turned his gaze to Captain Pasdard. “Captain Dromzen Pasdard is on duty to transport ‘the Child’ by military order of the Gilgameth General Headquarters. ‘The Child’ is their code name for Wiseman’s successor who will rule the Astragius Galaxy. Is that not so, Captain?”
Captain Pasdard didn’t reply.
“Hmmm.” Jumolan shifted his gaze to Chirico. “Sergeant Chirico Cuvie. You have accepted Wiseman’s wishes and taken on the task of raising His successor. That’s for sure.”
Chirico didn’t reply either.
“Hmmm.” The captain snorted again and cast his gaze around the group with a look of disdain. “For both the Captain and the Sergeant, a lack of response is a positive. As for me…”
Jumolan paused, basking in the attention he had worked to acquire.
“…I was amazed and convinced when I witnessed Mettalia’s conduct on Brozan Hill the other day. He is the true successor to Wiseman, the god who rules the Astragius Galaxy!”
The whole room was silent.
“He is the successor to that god, the omnipotent one who rules and governs as he pleases. Where is the pride in being a soldier playing childish games?”
The whole room was silent. Then a young, bright, carefree laugh rang out. It was the Child.
“Captain, I think you’re talking about me, but you’re making some assumptions I can’t accept.”
The Child stood up. The captain glared at him as if to say, “What is it?” (Not convinced?)
“One, is Wiseman the god who rules this galaxy? It seems that the test hasn’t finished yet. In other words, I’m a candidate for succession, but I don’t know if I’m the real thing or not. Another thing…you say it’s like child’s play, but an A.T. isn’t as trifling as you make it out to be.”
“Huh?”
“The god who has ruled and governed this world seems to use various techniques. But in the end…he thinks that the most effective way is to control through war.”
“But even so, something like an A.T…”
“What about it?”
“It’s nothing more than a foot soldier crawling around the battlefields of hell, the smallest unit of the gigantic machine known as war, the lowest of the low, choking on fire and gunpowder.”
“Hahahahaha, that’s right!”
“Well then, if that’s the case…”
“God’s will is in the details, captain.”
It wasn’t just the captain, but everyone gathered there failed to understand what the Child was saying. Except for one. Who remained silent.
To Be Continued