Section 49: The Great Debate (Part IV)

Warenheit stood up and walked toward the semicircular podium. A confident, warm smile remained on his face, one sufficient to evoke an involuntary sense of trust in all who beheld him.

Replacing Child at the podium, he placed his hands upon the round surface. "Ladies and gentlemen, before I begin addressing Bishop Child's questions and my own speech, I would like to ask you all a question. As we all know, the route from Herdasin to the Far East is arduous; storms and disease at sea constantly threaten the safety of trade. Yet, why do we persist in sailing there and strive to open routes to the New World?"

"Because there is money to be made," a councilor replied, perplexed; it was a simple truth.

"Exactly. Because it benefits us, we persevere despite the dangers, and ultimately, these routes bring us greater returns." Warenheit's voice suddenly rose. "Now, if someone tells us there is a new danger at sea—that pirates might seize all your ships and make them their own—does that mean we should never dare to sail again? Should we mothball our ships and remain trapped on land forever?"

"Of course not," the councilors chimed in from all sides. "Hasn't Councilor Kidd already reached a peace agreement with the Feshin people? Even with the threats of pirates and the Feshin, trade volume continues to increase significantly every year."

"Well said. Now, let us look back. You are all gathered here to represent the people in this vote because we firmly believe the system we have created is the true embodiment of democracy and freedom. Every individual's rights and protections, democracy and freedom itself, are upheld by the law. It protects everyone. Before I stepped into Parliament today, I was summoned by the First Tribunal because a miller accused me and Voltaire of signing an order that mistakenly demolished his home. What force supported him? It was the rule of law, gentlemen. The law is the cornerstone that guarantees everyone's rights. And now, are you wavering because you fear the unknown? Do you intend to be weak? Do you intend to retreat? Have you forgotten what was just said—that we would not abandon the seas and mothball our ships just because there are pirates?"

The councilors were struck silent, and Child, having retreated to his original spot, saw his expression shift.

"Even if the creatures Bishop Child speaks of truly exist, so what?" Warenheit spread his hands. "How is that fundamentally different from encountering a robber who steals everything you have and takes your life? Yes, when I represented the government in cataloging relics from the Tianlun Dynasty, I saw ancient records regarding 'transmigrators.' But I feel no fear, for the probability of such an encounter is much the same as being robbed. Since we do not fear the Feshin and continue to sail and trade, why should we halt our progress or alter our system for the sake of these 'transmigrators'? Can anyone tell me why?"

"It seems a bit different, Mr. Warenheit. Robbers can be clearly convicted; we can find charges for robbery in our current legal code. But how are we to view the behavior Bishop Child describes? Is it manslaughter or murder? Are the transmigrators acting voluntarily or involuntarily when they occupy our bodies? Most importantly, how do we prevent it?" someone asked.

"Prime Minister Warenheit, I think we understand your point. You believe the likelihood of transmigrators occupying bodies is no higher than encountering pirates at sea, so the law is fully capable of curbing such behavior, and we need not sign any treaty. Is that correct?" Councilor Kidd rose abruptly, regaining his sharp demeanor and casting aside the embarrassment of having been driven from the podium earlier. "However, I believe we lack the means to effectively detect and suppress these transmigrators."

"I actually agree with Prime Minister Warenheit. Everyone, consider this: what would happen if all of Landia fell into a panic over these creatures? I would fear that Mr. Kidd is a transmigrator, and Mr. Kidd would fear that I am one. Therefore, it is entirely unnecessary to amplify this threat. We need only wait for them to expose themselves and then deal with them according to the law. Of course, our current laws lack a charge for this act, but that does not matter. We can legislate against transmigrators immediately and let the Church's absurd treaty go to hell."

"Indeed. And what would be the consequence of signing this treaty? The Church may claim they will not interfere, but tomorrow they could claim Mr. Kidd is a transmigrator and arrest him. It is not as if they have not done so before; our great Mr. Hipparchus was monitored until he died in depression exactly like that. Tomorrow they might call Prime Minister Warenheit a transmigrator, and the day after, it might be my turn. This is terrifying. Gentlemen, listen to me: transmigrators may be frightening, but far more frightening are those who use the pretext of fighting them to achieve other ends."

"Mr. Russell, your words are too malicious; please be careful," Councilor Kidd cautioned, his face darkening. Councilor Russell, who had just spoken, realized for the first time that not everyone present was from Landia—there were two Church envoys in attendance.

"Hahaha, would anyone suspect Prime Minister Warenheit of being a transmigrator? That is hilarious. If it were true, then these transmigrators are nothing to fear—perhaps we should have more of them?" A councilor laughed, and many joined in. It was well known that Warenheit came from a wealthy and prestigious family and could have been part of the ruling class of the Tianlun Dynasty. Instead, he rose up against it, personally overthrew it, and became one of the founders of the Republic. In the eyes of many, if such a man were a transmigrator, the only one who lost out was the original, unlucky 'Warenheit,' while the majority had benefited.

"No, no, I oppose your view. Even if a transmigrator could bring us benefits, the act of transmigration itself is a crime—an unforgivable offense! It erases a life!" a short, stout councilor said excitedly. This was Mr. Aubrey, another prominent member of the Democratic Party. From a legalistic standpoint, Aubrey firmly believed that transmigrators were inherently evil because their arrival meant the irreparable loss of a human life.

Yet, whether this should be considered manslaughter or murder led to a shouting match between Councilor Aubrey and others, with neither side convincing the other. The parliamentary hall became as noisy as a marketplace, with councilors splitting into small factions to argue. Achilles, seeing that he could no longer control the situation, simply gave up. No one cared about the increasingly grim expressions of the two Church envoys.

"Gentlemen, although I do not have a vote, I would like to say that what you are here to decide today is this treaty," Warenheit stated. "As for the transmigrators, even if we deem every one of them a criminal, an executioner, or a murderer, it has nothing to do with whether we should sign this treaty. We can legislate to sanction them ourselves; we do not need power outside the rule of law to punish them in our stead. Under no circumstances should there be a privilege that transcends the law, and this treaty represents exactly that kind of privilege. I have said what I wished to say. Thank you all for giving me the opportunity."

"Wait, Prime Minister Warenheit, we lack the means to detect and suppress them," Councilor Kidd insisted, unwilling to concede.

Warenheit, who had turned to walk away, paused. "Yes, we currently lack effective means. But, Councilor Kidd, I do not believe we will lack them forever. Previously, we could only build ships for coastal navigation, but now our carracks can cross the ocean to reach the Far East; in the future, we will build even larger ships. Finding effective methods requires our effort. Furthermore, the Church also lacks these means. Signing this treaty will not significantly help in dealing with transmigrators. As Bishop Child himself just said, even their God can only offer vague hints. God is not omnipotent."

"Warenheit, the Lord of Radiance is omnipotent! If He does not give us clear hints, perhaps He is testing our abilities or intentionally granting us trials so that people may cherish what is hard-won. We must have a heart of gratitude; God will ultimately have mercy on the world and guide us." Mentioning transmigrators often invited questions about divine omnipotence, so Child was not entirely unprepared. He rallied his spirit, attempting to grasp at this final straw.

Warenheit smiled faintly. "Archbishop Child, I think the greatest difference between you and me is that you are sentimental, while I am rational. If God is truly omnipotent, then please tell me: can the Lord of Radiance create a demon that even He cannot destroy?"

"This..." Child was momentarily stunned. Whatever contingencies he had prepared to defend the omnipotence of God against the threat of transmigrators, he had never anticipated this hypothetical question.

"I hope that the people of Landia will always be an indomitable people. To have an unyielding heart when abused by others; to have a heart that does not succumb when struck by disaster; to have no fear of correcting wrongs when injustice occurs; and to never fawn upon the wolf or the tiger..." After finishing these words, Warenheit walked directly toward the hall's doors. The Crow opened them for him, and he stepped out.