Oriana Thomson's family members were all Christians.
Every Sunday, when they head out to Church, the elderly and kind priest would look at this young girl, and in a simple manner, repeat the same words over and over again.
He said that she must be a useful person.
She was always wondering: what is a useful person?
Of course, Oriana was normally a very kind person. For example, she would pick up an empty can on the ground, guide lost people who were standing in front of a subway map, work hard to deliver things that people really wanted to deliver to the destination.
But—
Such kind actions might not be 'helpful to people'.
What if Oriana picked up an empty can that was on the road, and someone who wanted to get some money and a home by cleaning the area would be troubled because there was nothing for him to do?
What if Oriana helped that someone go back home safely and that person might end up killing his own family?
What if the thing that the person wanted Oriana to deliver was a cursed item?
Even if she didn't want to do this, even if she really wanted to be helpful to others, it would still cause a tragedy. This world was filled with many people with many different thoughts. Like the time when Oriana helped someone with corrupted values, each action she did to help someone may end up hurting someone else. It might end up pushing the poor, helpless, defenseless soul that Oriana wanted to protect into the depths of hell.
The difficult thing was that she couldn't predict whether her acts would betray her own good intentions. If she had only known that such actions would betray her good intentions, she just didn't need to do it. On the contrary, once she knew that this action would lead to success, she would choose to take this action without hesitation.
Of course,
Oriana knew that it was just plain stubbornness. This logic was like gambling: even if Oriana chose red a hundred times, and even when it was unrelated to Oriana's own thoughts and words, the ball would always end up in different positions, and with differing luck and conditions, decide her victory or loss. Whether it was a guaranteed win when she chose red, or whether she would get the same number after a hundred times, there was no simple way to win. This was reality.
But—
What if this game involved human lives?
Even if she had to win this,
Which side should she bet on?
Was there anyone who could simply decide the outcome?
Just as she was being asked to help,
Her wounded heart was too afraid to extend out her hand. In the end, when she was unable to help, the person who requested help really got hurt in the end.
Because of this, she wanted a benchmark.
She wanted to use a benchmark for her to not suspect anyone.
The sure-win method of roulette—it'd be great if there was a benchmark. Because everyone's stand was different, the bickering would lead to tragedy. Like scooping up water with both hands, no matter how hard she tried, the water would flow out from the gaps between her intertwined fingers.
(It doesn't matter, even if it's the Emperor.)
Oriana Thomson hoped.
(It doesn't matter whether it's the king, pope, president, ministers, no matter the title, no matter who's on the throne, I'll fight for others. Whether it's science or magic, these things don't matter—)
She gritted her teeth as she thought,
(—I beg you, decide on a rule. Please grant my wish, allow me to have a clear benchmark and make everyone happy. A world that runs on this best rule that won't let anyone get involved in any discord, that may lead to tragedy.)
She thought about this, but she was unable to say it.
The reason was simple.
Though she said that she wanted to help others…
She had ended up harming others this time.