Chapter 40: The Trolley Problem
“Does Mr. Fisher know that saintess from the choir?”
“Just a former student I taught.”
“I see. It’s almost time; let’s go inside.”
Seeing Fisher unwilling to speak further, Feilon did not press on. He gentlemanly led the way with his staff. The other audience members were watching in the hall on the first floor, only Feilon had the privilege of the City Lord to view the performance in a special area on the higher second floor.
The citizens below chatted noisily, their chaotic demeanor far removed from the quiet observation of the royal nobility, causing the black-robed priestess on stage to frown. She anxiously rubbed her brow but then let the girls who were already on stage prepare.
“Ladies and gentlemen.”
Seeing this, Feilon stood up and walked near the railing of the second floor, addressing the noisy audience below. As soon as he spoke, the crowd quieted down, turning to look at him.
“It’s the City Lord!”
“Mr. Feilon is up there!”
Feilon waved his hand and spoke to the audience below,
“Please remain quiet during the performance, thank you.”
“Okay!”
“No problem!”
Thus, after he spoke, the once noisy theater gradually quieted down. Just as the audience below was becoming quiet, a door to a special seating area opened behind him, and a soldier with no expression walked in.
He didn’t speak; Feilon simply raised his hand as if signaling for him to hold in place temporarily, then turned to Fisher, saying,
“Sorry, Mr. Fisher, he’s here to report on matters in the city. No rush; let’s watch the performance first.”
Fisher glanced at the expressionless soldier who saluted him before stepping back out through the door, silently turning his head to grip the staff in his hands; there, Raphael had not shattered the magic he had given her.
On the distant stage, a dozen pure girls spread out, beams of light like those from heaven shining upon them. Although they moved slowly, it gave the viewers a sense of dance. All the live audience held their breath, and as one of the girls began to sing, her beautiful voice was like an ethereal divine whisper.
They were singing about the first chapter of the church’s Genesis, the creation of man by the Mother.
The Mother, whom the Nali sect worshipped, resided in a heaven filled with the sounds of birds and fragrant flowers. Detached from desire, she encountered an injured rabbit there, which pleaded with her to save its life, promising the Mother the first apple of spring in return.
The moon and sun beside the Mother warned her not to save the rabbit, saying that doing so would bring disaster to other creatures of the world. Yet the kind Mother still saved the rabbit and consumed the apple given to her. After eating the apple, the Mother became pregnant, and after seven days, she gave birth to a baby boy, naming him Eya.
Eya is humanity, and just as the sun and moon warned the Mother, due to greed, he created the first instance of death, bringing the concept of death into the world. To punish her child, the Mother cast Eya down to the mortal realm, where he transformed into a man and a woman, and from them, more offspring were born, enduring the torments of death and disease for generations.
When the choir sang about the Mother, tears in her eyes, pushing Eya down from heaven, the lamenting and sorrowful song stirred the deepest empathy in humanity, causing the audience below to shed tears.
Feilon’s gaze flickered, and his fingers trembled slightly. After a second or two, he turned to Fisher, only to find him staring expressionlessly at the stage, seemingly unmoved.
Feilon watched Fisher for a long time before he smiled and asked,
“Mr. Fisher, do you believe that all humans have evolved from Eya?”
“Not at all. The church’s doctrine and the beliefs of the subhumans are not so different; they are merely an ancient method of interpreting the world. Old ecclesiastical thinkers believed humanity is a whole, with each person being just a tiny part of this colossal body.”
Suddenly, Feilon placed one hand on the table between him and Fisher, the overly close posture causing Fisher to glance at him slightly. However, from the corner of his eye, he saw the shadow of the soldier by the door, which was ajar.
Feilon looked directly at Fisher, then smiled, asking,
“I have a question that has been troubling me for a long time; I would like to consult you about it.”
“Please, go ahead.”
Fisher’s right hand silently tightened around the staff, waiting for the question. The shadow outside fidgeted a bit before gradually disappearing at the door.
“If you were a train track manager, and one day a runaway train appeared on the tracks you manage, with five people on the tracks ahead of the train, if you do nothing, those five people will die; however, you have an opportunity to switch the tracks, redirecting the train to another track where there is only one person. What would you choose?”
Fisher looked at Feilon, and after a moment of silence, he leaned back against the cushions and laughed,
“I would do nothing.”
The song outside reached its climax, a heavenly light illuminating the viewing room and lighting up Feilon’s shocked and blank expression.
“Hahaha… I see now.”
After waiting a long time, he finally broke free from his silence, slowly adjusting his body to lean back against the cushion. “This is the first time I’ve listened to the choir of saintesses; their singing is beautiful and always moves me.”
“Indeed, it is a wonderful opera.”
Fisher set down his staff, looking past the silent Feilon beside him. Behind them, the door to the room had been closed at some point.
“The opera today was wonderful, thank you for your invitation, Mr. Feilon.”
The carriage sped along the road, gradually entering the inner city. Along the way, many subhumans and their children waved at the City Lord’s carriage, catching Fisher’s attention.
“Not at all; if I were watching alone, it would likely lack a lot of charm.”
Feilon glanced at the time; the carriage stopped right at the door of the Lord’s Mansion, where Nana seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
After getting out of the carriage, Nana looked at Fisher for a long time before she averted her gaze, gently addressing Feilon again,
“Mr. Feilon, they have been waiting for you for a long time.”
“Ah,” Feilon turned to Fisher and said, “Sorry, Mr. Fisher, I have other guests to attend to and need to leave for a while. I haven’t forgotten the earlier matter; the training grounds are just outside from here, close to the city wall. If you can’t find your way, just let Fia guide you.”
“Alright, thank you, Mr. Feilon.”
Fisher took off his hat and, after bidding farewell to Feilon and the others, walked into the mansion.
Feilon then glanced at Nana and headed in another direction. The two walked side by side for quite a distance, and after confirming there was no one around, Nana looked at Feilon with some concern,
“Mr. Feilon, has something unexpected happened? Why is he back?”
“You didn’t disturb those dragon folks, did you?”
“No.”
“Then it’s good, let’s wait a bit longer.”
“But, in a few days…”
Nana, quite distressed, took hold of Feilon’s hand, but he gently covered her delicate palm with his other hand,
“Yesterday, Fisher inspired me a lot; if realized, I could succeed without the old methods.”
“Since you have gained what you wanted, you should resolve this quickly; what are you hesitating for?”
Steam poured out from beneath Feilon’s mask, and in a moment of silence, he recalled that man’s answer at the theater, shaking his head,
“No, I have not yet obtained what I want. Do not consider him and that red dragon for now; let’s recover the others first.”
“Alright, I will deliver this batch of goods to them first.”
“Thank you, Nana.”
Nana pursed her lips and then hugged Feilon, softly saying in his arms,
“Don’t say that; I will help you. No matter how you decide, I will always follow you.”
Feilon’s steam arm gently stroked Nana’s long hair, holding her completely in his embrace.
“It won’t be long; soon I will get my answer.”
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(End of Chapter)
