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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Trolley Problem
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Terrorism.
Just hearing the word, it sounds like an easy task, something you could finish by just throwing a bomb.
But in reality, it's incredibly complex and requires a lot of design and planning. As someone who's orchestrated two major terrorist attacks, I'm probably right. Probably.
You tie people to train tracks.
It sounds easy, doesn't it?
Like you could just snatch someone and tie them up.
But when you actually do it, it's really not that easy.
First, I struggled just finding the people to tie up. How unsettling would it be if I tied up perfectly ordinary civilians and they accidentally died?
Even though I'm a genuine villain with plenty of blood on my hands already, doing something like that would keep me from sleeping at night. Until recently, I was just a law-abiding citizen of South Korea, you know.
So I went and found some people who had it coming. People who had committed serious crimes but got off with a slap on the wrist. They were still living like scoundrels, so they were relatively easy to abduct.
Even if I somehow managed the abduction, tying them to the tracks is another huge problem. It's actually similar to the abduction issue. There are too many CCTVs in South Korea. It's not like they're everywhere due to privacy invasion concerns, but when you really need them, they're always there, perfectly positioned.
Of course, I can bypass CCTVs somehow with my teleportation ability and Seoeun's hacking skills, but tying people to the tracks...
In South Korea, it's a huge problem if you get caught doing anything at night, all thanks to a hero called Shadow Walker, who's invincible after dark. It'd be better if all the villains just went all out with terrorism at night, since Shadow Walker couldn't handle it all alone, but all the villains are cowards, so they lay low at night. If I were to act alone, I'd be in deep trouble. Sigh.
So, I had to teleport around, tying people up in broad daylight. It's really embarrassing, and the feeling is just... weird. Even without CCTVs, doing this in broad daylight just feels... off.
And the train. This is mostly my fault, but after the cruise ship bombing and my followers' building bombings, explosives inspections have been tightened everywhere, so I can't plant bombs on trains anymore. So, I had no choice but to ask Soobin to go to the trouble. She anesthetized and knocked out the train conductor and took his place.
Soobin. She said she'd been home all her life with no friends since she was little, but apparently, there's nothing she can't drive: helicopters, trains, excavators, planes. I almost fainted when she said she learned it all through computer simulations.
Logically, it didn't make sense, but then she mentioned she started studying for the Suneung a week before the exam and still got into Seoul National University, so I decided to accept it. Right, geniuses must have something different about them compared to me.
She was so timid, I thought she was similar to me, but I forgot she was a genius who could communicate technically with Seoeun. Am I the only normal one here again? It's truly disheartening...
Anyway, Soobin was going to drive the train. It'd be a bit awkward if the conductor suddenly decided not to hit anyone and stopped or drifted. And if push came to shove, derailing the train could also be a "you die, I die" kind of threat.
Orchestrating a terrorist attack requires time, effort, and insurance. As I always say, I have a fragile body that could instantly die from one punch from Stardust. She might pull my spine instead of the lever, sending me off to the afterlife. I need to set up some insurance. Soobin, who can derail the train, is the first insurance. And just in case Stardust attacks the train, I placed bombs where the people are tied to the tracks – that's the second insurance. Nothing is easy.
Still, if I can just do this.
If I can just show the citizens how dangerous a villain I am!
If I can raise Stardust's favorability again!
I, Dain, can sacrifice myself for my favorite character.
And just in time, she's flying over there.
Stardust, her blonde hair flowing, wearing a red latex suit that I don't know when she changed into.
Every time I see her, I'm reminded of how beautiful she is.
Could I ever date a woman as beautiful as Stardust? Probably not.
Of course, if you just look at her beauty, Soobin could perhaps rival Stardust, but still...
Anyway, now, it's time to get back into character.
The more I do it, the more my hands and feet tremble, rather than getting used to it, but this is the character I chose! I'll stick to it with sheer will and determination.
"Ah, here comes our star of the day, Ms. Stardust!"
I clapped alone, welcoming Stardust.
She landed a little distance away from me.
"You fiend! What mischief are you up to now?!"
Hmm.
Actually, it's not just my character that's weird.
I didn't realize it when I read the comics, but hearing Stardust speak in person, well...
You and I. We both seem to have chosen the wrong character. Don't we?
Hearing a normal college student like Shin Haru speak in such an archaic way in modern times sounds incredibly awkward.
Though I'm no less guilty.
"Hahahaha! What mischief, you ask? I merely wished to observe what 'moral' choice you would make!"
"You wretch! Do you truly believe you can get away with massacring civilians like this?"
*
[Civilian (No)]
[Massacre (Never happened)]
[Why is Stardust slandering our Mango Stick?]
[Fr, do they think Mango's a joke?]
[I kinda like him....]
[Who likes who?]
[I like Stardust. It's irony. Means I hate her.]
[??? Didn't you say Egostick was likable earlier?]
[That one was genuine.]
[WTF, why does 'likable' have two meanings?]
[Figure it out from context.]
[This guy just experienced internet slang for the first time and can't handle it lolol]
[Free Kim Sunwoo! Free Kim Sunwoo! Free Kim Sunwoo! Free Kim Sunwoo! Free Kim Sunwoo! Free Kim Sunwoo! Free Kim Sunwoo! Free Kim Sunwoo!]
[Stop the spam!]
[Stardust is annoying to watch.]
*
...I checked the chat window one more time while speaking, and even in this situation, the atmosphere was still more anti-Stardust. No, I need to turn this around quickly!
I opened my mouth, my voice dramatically loud.
"Alright! That's not the problem! The problem is that even now, the train is coming, and if it continues like this, it's going to run over five people! Why don't you hurry up and decide whether to pull that lever or not?"
As I spoke mockingly, I could see a vein throbbing on Stardust's forehead.
"...Is there any reason I shouldn't just finish you off right here?"
"What? Of course, there's a reason! Look, you know what this is, don't you?"
I quickly pulled out a detonator from my robe. Oh, did I not explain this? I guess I didn't.
"See this? If I press it, all six of them over there are dead, a total massacre. And if I die, my subordinate who's driving the train right now wouldn't just sit idly by, would she? You'd do well to calm down."
Stardust looked very displeased but seemed to understand. Whew, that was close.
But now, there's no time. The train seems to be almost here.
"Alright! Breaking news: the train is almost here!"
As soon as I finished speaking, I teleported to where the lever was, at the bottom of the cliff. Looking up at the cliff from below, Stardust, who had been looking around for me, belatedly flew towards the lever.
"Alright, alright! Now is the moment of choice. What will you do? If you don't pull the lever, those five people tied up there will die. Whoa, don't go that way! The train might just derail. Yes, the lever. If you pull the lever, only one person dies. Will you sacrifice one person to save five? Make your decision quickly."
After saying all that rapidly, I went back up to the top of the cliff.
From the top of the cliff, I filmed Stardust, who was agonizing in front of the lever. And then, immediately, the sound of the approaching train.
"Alright, alright! The train to Pentakill is arriving. What choice will our Stardust make?"
*
[Gotta pull the lever, no question.]
[If she pulls the lever, won't Stardust be the one who killed that one person? If she does nothing, she's innocent, but pulling the lever means she kills someone with her own hands.]
[From a utilitarian perspective, pulling it saves 4, so it's the right thing to do, yeah...]
*
Conflicting opinions in the chat window.
Still, everyone seems to expect Stardust to pull the lever.
Yeah, I figured everyone would think that.
But I know.
The Stardust I know isn't that kind of person!
The train was now right in front of them.
Stardust, who had been agonizing in front of the lever, ultimately did not pull it.
And then she clenched her fist,
and began running towards the train.
[Kyaaaaaa! Dain! She's running straight at me, what do I dooooo!!!]
Soobin's scream came through the in-ear earphone I had plugged in. She must be seeing Stardust rushing straight towards the train from the conductor's cabin.
I quickly muted the camera and spoke to her.
"Don't worry, she's probably not coming to harm you, Soobin."
She's probably trying to stop the train with her body.
Yes.
The Stardust I know, Shin Haru, who is more righteous than anyone.
I knew she'd choose the path where no one gets hurt.
Now, I need to make her shine.
After unmuting the camera, I yelled, making an expression of disbelief.
"No!!! This can't be, what is Stardust doing?!"
My throat immediately hurt after making that pterodactyl-like sound.
Stardust, are you watching?
Look how much I'm ruining myself for you...