Gun of Ashes

”Do humans really possess what is known as... free will?”

Arthur’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was so clear. It seemed he wasn’t just asking Lorenzo, but also Anthony beside him.

It was a rather strange combination, three people of different identities, different positions, and differing interests, now discussing... something philosophical, for the overlapping purpose that brought them here. Just a few minutes ago, the three almost drew their blades against each other, nearly starting a battle on the streets of Old Dunling.

”In fact, putting aside our various stances, we at least have one common purpose, and that is to understand what the Demon truly is, right?”

Arthur continued.

”From a rational perspective, our Purification Mechanism has studied for a long time, and we found that the corruption of the Demon seems related to the so-called spirit, and you know this information too, Lorenzo.

They conducted an interesting experiment, probably derived from ’conditioned reflex’, called ’operant conditioning’. They put a mouse in a completely isolated box, training it that pressing the red button would result in food.

However, as the experiment progressed, they prolonged the feedback for pressing the button. It might take a dozen presses to get food, under such circumstances, the mouse gave up, it no longer pressed the button. Yet when food distribution became random, the experiment results changed, the mouse didn’t know how many presses would yield food, maybe a few, maybe dozens or hundreds, but it didn’t give up this time, tirelessly pressing the button.”

Apart from the pouring rain and the thundering of the Iron Serpent, only Arthur’s voice was left inside the Iron Serpent as he softly narrated the eerie experiment. Lorenzo remained expressionless, while Anthony showed a hint of curiosity. In the Florence under the guise of faith, rationality was considered heresy.

”The experiment’s result is intriguing, each press of the button by the mouse is a reinforcement, constantly reinforcing the belief that ’pressing will lead to food.’ Mice lack wisdom, only instinct, yet it attributed this power, conflicting with instinct, to instinct itself...

Mr. Lorenzo Holmes, don’t you find this quite similar to us humans?”

Within the enclosed Iron Serpent, the air turned oppressive and suffocating, it seemed since Arthur began recounting this experiment, the three of them had become mice in a box, trapped within.

”Why do we do many foolish things, knowing they won’t be rewarding, but still pursue them meaninglessly?”

Anthony’s expression turned solemn too. As the current Dean of the Order, he well understood that faith was nothing but a tool to control the ignorance of the masses. Yet in Arthur’s story, he heard something different.

”Indeed, such things can be swapped around. We became the mice in the box, with Iron Spears occasionally falling from outside the box to kill other mice. We were terrified, but as long as we continuously pressed the red button, the Iron Spears wouldn’t fall.

At this point, it shouldn’t even be called a button anymore; it should have more detailed distinctions. The pressing action is a form of worship, and the squeaking is reciting the holy scriptures. As long as we focus on the button called ’God’, the Iron Spears won’t fall...”

Silence, the carriage was filled with nothing but silence. No one understood why Arthur interpreted the so-called ”faith” this way. But after hearing this experiment, not only Lorenzo, even Anthony had no words to refute.

It was too similar, similar enough to invoke fear.

For mice trapped in the box, wasn’t that button their so-called God?

”Of course, the conclusion drawn from this experiment is that humans don’t have free will. We are all trapped in boxes, influenced by various things, including ourselves.

Do we truly crave food, or is it the hunger driving our actions? And what about power, wealth... ultimately, we are all prisoners of the box, controlled by different desires.”

Arthur said, and then, contrary to everything earlier, he smiled.

”But who knows about such things? We’ve lived in this world for so long, all the laws and rules depend on us to explore, to establish the known, and then, when cognition breaks the Boundary, all that was established before is overturned.”

This is human history—building nations, overthrowing them, then building new nations on the ruins. A perpetual cycle of destruction and rebirth.

”Good interpretation.”

In the silence, Anthony spoke.

”I thought your faith would collapse,” Arthur smiled.

”Why would it?”

Anthony retorted meaningfully.

His gaze then fell on Lorenzo, who had remained silent. It was an interesting story, Lorenzo said.

”So is this your defense, Arthur?”

People are sometimes so peculiar. Lorenzo could understand Arthur’s dilemma. He was, after all, under Queen Victoria’s command. But even understanding it didn’t mean Lorenzo wouldn’t feel anger.

”No, this isn’t my defense. I have no need to defend anything. In fact, this experiment was mainly told for you, Lorenzo.”

Arthur finally aimed the spear at Lorenzo, his murky eyes reflecting Lorenzo’s image, as chaos swirled and pulled Lorenzo’s image into a distorted form.