"Humans really have that ...... Free will?"

Arthur's voice wasn't high, but it was so clear that he didn't seem to be just asking Lorenzo, but Anthony next to him.

It's a strange combination, three people with different identities, different positions, and different interests, now discussing the ...... for that overlapping purpose Philosophical stuff, and a few minutes ago, the three of them almost drew their swords and started a battle in the streets of Old Dunling.

"Actually, regardless of our various positions, we all have at least the same purpose, and that is to find out what a demon is, right?"

Arthur continued.

"We've been studying the purification mechanism for a long time from a rational point of view, and we've found that the demonic erosion seems to be related to the so-called spirit, and you know this information Lorenzo.

They did an interesting experiment, probably an extension of the 'conditioning', which is called the 'operant conditioning', where they put a mouse in a box that was completely undisturbed from the outside world, and trained it to press the red button to get food.

But as the experiment progressed, they made the feedback of pressing the button become long, maybe a dozen presses, it would only give out food once, in this case the mouse gave up these, it no longer pressed the button, but when the food was distributed, the result of the experiment changed, the mouse did not know how many times the press before the food appeared, maybe a few times, or maybe dozens of times hundreds of times, but this time it did not give up, but continued to press the button persistently. ”

Except for the pouring rain and the roar of the Iron Serpent, only Arthur's voice was left in the Iron Serpent, and he whispered about the strange experiment, Lorenzo was still expressionless, and Anthony had a somewhat curious look, in the name of faith, the so-called reason is heresy.

"The results of the experiment are interesting, every time the mouse presses the button, it is a kind of reinforcement, constantly reinforcing the belief that 'as long as you press there will be food', the mouse has no intelligence, some are just instinct, and it attributes this power of completion to instinct that is contrary to instinct......

Mr. Lorenzo Holmes, don't you think it's very similar to us humans?"

Inside the enclosed iron serpent, the air became dull and oppressive, and it seemed that the three of them had become rats in a box since Arthur told about the experiment, trapped in it.

"Why do we do so many stupid things, knowing that we won't be rewarded, but still cling to them meaninglessly?"

Anthony's expression also became serious, as the current patriarch of the Order, he knew very well that the so-called faith was just a tool to control the ignorance of the lower classes, but in Arthur's story, he heard something different.

"Yes, in fact, this kind of thing can also be reversed, we become rats in the box, from time to time there will be iron spears falling from outside the box to kill other rats, we are very scared, but as long as we keep pressing the red button, the iron spear will not fall.

In fact, at this time it should no longer be called a button, it should have a more detailed distinction, the action we press is worship, the squeak is the recitation of the sacred text, as long as we look at the button called 'God', the iron spear will not fall......"

Dead silence, there is only dead silence in the carriage, no one understands that Arthur would interpret the so-called "faith" in this way, but after listening to this experiment, not only Lorenzo, but even Anthony has no words to refute.

It's too similar, it's frightening.

Isn't that button a god to the rat trapped in the box?

Of course, the conclusion of this experiment is that human beings have no free will, and that we are all trapped in boxes, affected by different things, even ourselves.

Do we really crave food, or is it the hunger of our bodies that drives our actions, and all the power, the wealth...... At the end of the day, we are all prisoners of the box, controlled by different desires. ”

Arthur said halfway, but instead smiled, and vetoed everything before.

We have lived in this world for so long, and all the laws and regulations have to be explored by ourselves, to establish what is known, and then to overturn everything that came before when we break through the boundaries of cognition. ”

This is the history of mankind, the establishment of kingdoms, the overthrow of kingdoms, and the establishment of new kingdoms on the ruins of kingdoms, and the cycle of destruction and rebirth continues.

"Good interpretation. ”

Anthony said in the silence.

"I thought you'd have some kind of faith collapse. Arthur smiled.

"How so?"

Anthony said meaningfully.

Then the eyes fell on Lorenzo, who had been silent, and it was an interesting story, Lorenzo said.

"So, are you justifying yourself? Arthur. ”

Sometimes people are so strange, Lorenzo can understand Arthur's dilemma, he is subordinate to Queen Victoria after all, but even if he understands, it does not mean that Lorenzo will not be angry.

"No, it's not my justification, I don't need to defend anything, in fact this experiment is mainly for you, Lorenzo. ”

Arthur finally pointed the finger at Lorenzo, and his cloudy gaze reflected Lorenzo's appearance, and then rolled up a chaotic storm, pulling Lorenzo's appearance into chaos.

"Me?"

"Daystar. ”

Arthur asked precisely, as if he had seen through Lorenzo.

"That name, the name Lorenzo Holmes...... "Arthur continued to explain the strange experiment, "that every press of the button by the rat is an reinforcement, reinforcing the act and increasing the desire to get the result." ”

"Every time you say that name, isn't it a cognitive reinforcement for you? you are like self-hypnosis, making yourself 'Lorenzo Holmes' instead of the so-called Medanzo, 047. ”

"What do you want to say?"

The name is a wish, a belief, and every time it comes to this, Lorenzo is furious.

"You're not free, Lorenzo, you've been under influence, you've been under the influence of the pseudo-chalice, like a mouse in a box, in which it doesn't realize its ridiculousness at all.

Haven't you noticed your strangeness? Man cannot be resurrected from the dead, nor can he ...... An almost bizarre way to manipulate the Armor of Original Sin. ”

A long silence followed, and Lorenzo spoke slowly.

"You don't trust me anymore, do you?"

"Perhaps, I'm starting to believe the stuff that Merlin keeps chattering, what...... Cursed knowledge, this thing is really damned, after learning about this, I sometimes doubt everything that exists, and feel that everything is not credible, which bothers me for a long time.

But who cares?"

Arthur gave a smile that was not good, and in Lorenzo's eyes he was like a man imprisoned by layers of chains, which were called Arthur, Duke of Phoenix, and Father.

No, it wasn't just Arthur, everyone was bound by different chains, they were so heavy that it was difficult for the bearer to walk, and now the chains were wrapped around Lorenzo's body, holding him almost breathless.

"I suspect that you are being eroded by the False Grail, and the so-called name of Lorenzo Holmes is the reason, and under the influence of the Pseudo-Grail, it has been distorting your perception, turning you from 047 to the non-existent 042, the so-called Lorenzo Holmes. ”

Anthony intervened in the conversation, and as Lorenzo's antagonist, he didn't have Arthur's previous hesitation, and said directly and coldly.

"And the pseudo-chalices are still eating away at those around you, Lorenzo. ”

Lorenzo was keenly aware of the uneasiness, which was Anthony's purpose, some damn experiment or some strange story, all of which was a foreshadowing for all of this now.

The script for the hunt had already been set, and Lorenzo was forced to march on it, unable to find a respite for resistance.

Killing the innocents and the Queen's orders is not what really makes Arthur so tough, what really makes Arthur like this is his own threat, or rather, Moriarty's deception......

"You also saw your roommate, who was eroded...... Corrupted by you. Anthony said.

"But you didn't even see him just now, why do you know this?"

Lorenzo looked at Anthony, he left Higg in the alley when the witchers attacked, Anthony had never seen Higg at all, how could he be sure of Higg's state?

But soon Lorenzo was laughed at by his sluggishness, that this was not a war of words at the negotiating table, but a premeditated hunt, and Antony must have had his own reasonable arguments.

"Because we had our eye on your roommate long before that, he was eroded, and according to the data of the purifier, there has been no erosion in this area of Cork Street in the past few days, only you, the unknowable erosion of the pseudo-grail, maybe we are now shrouded in your erosion, maybe we can't say.

Higg was eroded and went into madness, and he killed all the members of the mutual aid society, as well as the poor psychiatrist...... The Purifier detected the erosion anomaly and, after dealing with the Chapel, decided to contain you urgently. ”

In the face of Anthony's words, Lorenzo was not surprised, this is what Moriarty did, presumably he caught an unlucky ghost somewhere to replace him, and fell into suspended animation, as long as he continued to hide in the shadows, Lorenzo could not prove this, after all, in the eyes of the purification agency, "Moriarty" does not exist, even if there is really this person named Moriarty, he has already died in the Whitechapel.

"Emergency containment? mobilized all the witchers, and even the original sin armor...... I even thought you were going to start a local war in the old Dunling. ”

Lorenzo thought Anthony's words were ridiculous, the Purifier had a rapid response team to deal with emergencies, but they couldn't do it to block the entire neighborhood in such a short time, and there were only Lorenzo and those enemies on the entire street.

"Because Joey has been corrupted by you, too, Lorenzo. Arthur said slowly.

Lorenzo was stunned, then incredulous.

"What did you say?"

"Joey, he was detected for erosion a few days ago, but he has been staying in the old Dunling recently, stationed in the stronghold, he has not been in contact with any demons, nor has he been pulled by the perpetual pump to do any experiments, and he is the contact we have set for you, and the thing he usually comes into contact with the most and closest to demons is you.

Joey is the upper knight of the purification mechanism, after spiritual specialization, although not as good as the knight chiefs, he also has a certain resistance to erosion, but just like that, he is still eroded, in the core of the purification mechanism, the old Dunling. ”

Arthur whispered about the invisible fear.

"The False Grail is using you as a source to corrupt those around you. ”

For a moment, it was as if countless invisible hands had seized Lorenzo, imprisoned his limbs, and choked his throat, the Protestant Order had planned it all a long, long time ago, and now all the conspiracies had overlapped to make him what he is today.

What to say? The words of the Protestant Order are not credible? Lorenzo felt that such an argument was weak, and now Anthony continued to pursue, the hideous scar slowly writhing with the wriggling of his muscles, like a living centipede.

Anthony looked at Lorenzo with a smile and spouted devilish words.

"Isn't that enough, or do you want to see more 'evidence'?"

Evidence......

It was a sense of powerlessness, self-blame, and anger.

The gray-blue eyes locked Antony's face tightly in that abyssal pupil, and Lorenzo knew very well that Antony's words were a threat and a provocation.

Moriarty hides in the shadows, as long as Lorenzo continues to resist him, he will create one "evidence" after another, this is Lorenzo's dereliction of duty, he is too carried away, after killing Lawrence, he thought that he could live a more or less normal human life, with a seemingly normal social interaction, but he is a fire, a fire that burns in the darkness of death, his light illuminates the people around him, and makes those who Lorenzo loves to be found by terrible weirdness.

Those who know well......

The time came to decide whether to draw a knife and kill everyone and flee the place, or to just get caught up in the plot of the Protestant Order and keep them alive.

Whether to incarnate as a human or to become a monster.

The dreary air almost condensed into heavy lead stones, piling up the carriages of the Iron Serpent, which squeezed everyone wantonly, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

"I accept...... I accept your containment, Arthur. ”

Under extreme pressure, the voice became blurred, but after hearing this, Arthur exhaled a long breath and exhaled all the turbid air in his lungs, he really felt it, just now the murderous aura that reached the extreme, it seemed that the next second Lorenzo would ignite the rising pure flame, desperate to start a war in this old Dunling, but what he didn't expect was that such an unruly Lorenzo also had a time to bow his head, he accepted it, but then he said again.

"Father Anthony. ”

The voice rang out.

"You are my enemy, Father Anthony. ”

The voice was calm, without the slightest fluctuation or violent, and if you didn't listen carefully, it would even be muffled by the roar of the iron serpent and the sound of the rain.

This should be a cruel word that threatens others, but it is so ordinary to be said like this, people don't care, and then the voice starts again.

Arthur looked at Lorenzo, and for a moment it seemed as if someone had grasped his heart, and the emotion of fear spread throughout his body along the ups and downs of his heart.

Lorenzo was normal, his expression was calm without the slightest anger, just as before, his eyes were cold, but this time Arthur felt a little familiar, and at that moment he suddenly remembered what he looked like when he first saw Lorenzo.

In fact, Arthur had seen Lorenzo seven years earlier, and it was a memorable scene during the Red River massacre, where the Thames were dyed red, limbs and entrails rose with the ups and downs of the rapids, and some were even washed into the streets, and the gangs that were ravaging the lower town were all cleared, and the Shrike's empire rose up here to take full control of the lower city.

Arthur saw Lorenzo in the information provided by the shrike, on a black and white photo, if it wasn't for the shrike's intercession at the time, Arthur was going to kill Lorenzo, but in the later contact with Lorenzo, Arthur gradually forgot what he thought at the time, and now he suddenly remembered.

Remembering why he wanted to kill Lorenzo at that time.

At that time, the Duke of Phoenix was "Arthur", leading the purification mechanism to fight against the demons, and when he saw Lorenzo, he suddenly had a strange illusion, obviously the people in the photo were so normal, but Arthur could feel the nameless violence and madness from it, as if he would use his sword to penetrate the shackles of the photo in the next second, swinging his sword and killing everyone......

It's a demon-like human, no, a human-like demon to be exact.

"You are my enemies. ”

The demon's gaze was hollow, as if he were looking at an unknowable nothingness.

"The Protestant Order. ”

The bright light pierced the rain curtain, and the armored iron serpent scurried along the railroad tracks, towards the black silhouette that rose behind the rain curt.