Heroes and Machine Girls Looking at Profiles

35 – Orphans’ Mother

I no longer remembered how my parents died.

Rudy, an orphan girl, lost her parents and lived a crazy life, and before she knew it, she was part of a group of more than a dozen orphans.

The world that Rudy sees is never quiet due to the war that is sweeping the entire continent, and Rudy has to live a busy life in it.

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Fortunately, the city of Nevan where Rudy lived was quite far away from the front line, so there was no direct battle.

Is it just that adult men are taken to war, and wounded soldiers are brought to the city and treated only in a city where there are only old people and women?

There, her orphans, including Rudy, would earn food by helping her adults with chores.

It was always a busy time, so there was no chance of starving at that time.

Work was needed everywhere.

And as time passed, the long war ended.

The adults who had gone to war returned, and the city began to regain its vitality.

The orphans lost their jobs, but the atmosphere of restored peace made even the orphans excited.

Then one day, a stout man wearing nice clothes came to visit the orphans.

He said he came to rescue and support orphans born during this war.

At this time, I thought this life in the back alleys would end.

It was a mistake.

They ‘selected’ the orphans and took them with them.

Including leaders, mainly boys who seem to need some strength.

She didn’t want to send her children to them because something was suspicious, but it was impossible for Rudy, a little girl of only 12 years old.

After sending the children into the hands of men, the only children left with Rudy were now seven girls, including Rudy.

When the boys who mainly worked and earned money disappeared, the orphans, including Rudy, were in trouble.

The oldest, Rudy, is 12 years old, and the rest are not yet 10 years old.

It was impossible to make such children work.

And there was another problem.

Boys tended to have some power, so they also had the role of protecting the girls.

Now that those boys disappeared in an instant and only seven girls remained, the abandoned house they lived in was very dangerous.

The boys used to say that especially in the slums, there could be perverts who prey on young girls.

That day, Rudy left the abandoned house with her children.

But although it was good for her to leave the abandoned house, she didn’t have anywhere to go.

With nowhere to go, Rudy ended up trying to hide in an abandoned church on one side of the slums.

Before the end of the war, it was a place that temporarily housed the wounded, so it was a place that Rudy was also familiar with.

Like the abandoned house, I was anxious about protecting myself, but I decided to stay cautious for just one night and let the children go into the church.

Luckily, the old beds where the wounded rested still remained.

After gathering a few beds and putting her children to sleep, Rudy came out to the chapel.

I didn’t know who might break in, and most of all, I couldn’t sleep.

Sitting on a chair in the corner of the chapel, Rudy was troubled.

There is no older orphan boy who was the leader, and all the boys who were older than him have disappeared.

Although he is older now, he is still 12 years old and has to lead and protect his children.

Then, Rudy caught the eye of a large presence inside the chapel.

“Goddess…”

A stone statue of the goddess Erdiya.

Rudy approached the statue.

Rudy had never once prayed to the goddess, even when his parents were alive and even when he was busy living as a member of a group of orphans.

But now that her future was dark, she felt like she wanted to pray to the goddess at least once.

Rudy put his hands together and closed his eyes.

And she tried to pray.

It was that time.

Rudy opened his eyes at the sudden recognition.

What caught Rudy’s eyes was a person.

But she was not like the pervert who lusted after young girls that Rudy was wary of.

It was a woman.

A young woman with long, beautiful red hair.

Dressed in pure white clothes, she stood quietly next to the goddess statue as if she had been there from the beginning.

Seeing her beautiful and mysterious appearance, Rudy was momentarily distracted by her gaze.

Immediately, Rudy came to her senses and opened her mouth.

“Who…Who are you…?”

In response to Rudy’s question, the woman said nothing.

She simply turned her gaze from staring into space to Rudy in silence.

Feeling strange, Rudy took a step back without realizing it.

Thump

“Ah.”

Something caught on her foot.

Rudy lost consciousness as she felt her body fall backwards and hit her head.

“Ugh…”

When Rudy came to her senses, what caught her eye was the ceiling of the church chapel.

Moonlight was seeping in from the shattered ceiling here and there.

“…Huh?”

At that moment, Rudy felt that she was cutting something soft and tried to raise her body.

At that moment, something soft gently pressed her head.

And then, a voice was heard.

“Stay still. Even though you have been treated, you may still be in shock.”

It was a beautiful voice.

When she looked up a little more, she saw the face of the woman from earlier looking down at her.

Her hand was gently stroking Rudy’s head.

At her warm and soft touch, Rudy felt like his eyes would close without even realizing it.

‘Mom…’

Even though you may have already forgotten her mother’s face.

It was as if she had returned to years ago, when her parents were still alive.

How many minutes can I wait to lie down and experience that comfortable feeling?

Rudy was startled by the sudden loud sound and opened her eyes.

“Wow, you guys, come here.”

“hahahaha, I thought I heard a strange noise in the ruins when no one was there, and this turned out to be quite a windfall today.”

It was three or four men.

These were the people in Rudy’s memories.

They were mainly gangsters who made their base around the slums.

I remembered how I was always careful to avoid them.

“Hey, sister. It’s dangerous to be in a place like this?”

“Okay, okay, what are you going to do if you get noticed by really bad guys?”

“We’ll guide you to a safe place…Huh?”

Men approaching with genuine smiles.

When Rudy tried to raise her body to let her know that she was in danger, the woman moved her hand.

Then, she raised her index finger and put it in front of her mouth and said.

“Quiet, the child is resting.”

And with her other hand, she covered her face as if covering Rudy’s eyes.

Rudy could feel her consciousness fading away.

She is dangerous… She wanted to make it known, but she couldn’t hold on to her consciousness as it drifted away.

When Rudy opened her eyes, it was already daylight.

She was still lending her knee to Rudy, and there was not even a trace of the men who came at night.

It felt like she was dreaming.

After that day, she came to live with Rudy and his group.

She dismantled old items left behind in the abandoned church, repaired the building, and strengthened the door.

She went out with Rudy and did odd jobs to earn money, buy food, and cook meals for her children.

When the children were sick, they took care of them with the utmost care, and when the children were in danger, they rushed to help.

Just like parents.

In fact, her children, including her Rudy, thought of her as their mother, and she treated her children as if they were her mother.

As her life continued for several months, everyone now called her mom.

However, something still bothered Rudy.

One day, she asked her mother if Rudy was there.

“Mom.”

“Huh? Why are you doing that?”

As her mother looked at her with her smile, Rudy was silent for a moment and then opened her mouth.

“…Mom always looks into the distance.”

“Did you do that…?”

“Yeah, is there anything you’re worried about?”

As Rudy spoke worriedly, her mother had a smile on her face.

“No, I’m not worried.”

“Really?”

“Of course, let alone worry, I’m looking forward to it.”

What are you expecting?

Rudy was curious about that, but her mother’s face looked so happy that she didn’t think it was okay to ask, so she stopped.

The church, our new home, became a better place to live, and it was enough to make a living.

She picked up discarded books for the children to study with, and Rudy felt like she would be fine as long as it was like this.

But that thought did not last long for her.

Her mother suddenly collapsed.

The mother collapsed on the spot and stopped moving, as if she had fallen asleep.

After somehow soothing her crying children and putting her mother to her bed, Rudy rushed to the doctor.

But…

“Do you have any money?”

“Do…Money?”

“It looks like he’s a child from the slums…I have no way of helping him without money.”

I didn’t have money to call a doctor.

I needed money right now to feed my children, but there was no way I would have money to call a doctor.

In the end, without being able to see the doctor, Rudy had to go out and make money again.

By saving money for her own food, she wanted to save money to treat her mother.

For a few days like that, Rudy went out to earn money again, even though he was struggling with hunger.

That day, he subtracted the cost of food to buy for the children from the money he earned and counted the money he had saved.

…I still haven’t even gotten half the money to call a doctor.

It’s already been a few days.

Her mother shows no sign of waking up.

She didn’t even have enough money to call a doctor.

If things continue like this, something might happen to her mother.

Although she has only been with Rudy for a few months, she is like a real mother to Rudy and her children.

If he could save her, Rudy could do anything.

A man came into Rudy’s eyes.

He had a strange mask on his face, but the clothes he was wearing were travel clothes often worn by wealthy merchants.

In fact, he had a heavy baggage on his back.

Next to him, a beautiful woman who seemed to be his lover…Or his wife was walking with her arms crossed.

I thought about it for a bit, but there was no way left for Rudy.

‘I’m sorry…I will definitely pay you back!!’

Apologizing inwardly, Rudy ran towards the merchant.