Pandora Unchained - a Cultivation Progression Fantasy

Elder Maric's office was in the Ancestral Manor's Intelligence Bureau instead of the Security Office, as one might expect. The Intelligence Bureau was a chaotic place filled with a loose assortment of papers and information jades, as well as communication devices, monitoring devices, and devices to block either communications or monitoring. Stealthy experts entered and left the Intelligence Bureau in a steady trickle, never staying long after relaying the fruits of their labor.

No one questioned Sorin as he passed through the room to arrive at Elder Maric's office, which was neighboring Elder Samson's office, making it clear that the security and intelligence departments often collaborated.

"Come in," said Elder Maric before Sorin could knock on the door. Sorin entered to find the elder studying an information slip. This continued for half a minute before the elder put down the slip and turned his chair towards Sorin. "How surprising. You're on time."

"I don't see what's so surprising about that, considering how badly Elder Simon berated me," said Sorin.

"It's not your behavior that's surprising, but the Lucian Branch's," said Elder Marik. "The Grand Elder instructed them to pull back, but there are typically delays in following such instructions. Either way, I'm pleased by the development, and I hope you can continue your activities in the clan without dealing with external strife.

"Now take a seat, Sorin. You've been here for two months now, but you spent most of that time with the apothecary division. If you have any questions about the clan or its situation, feel free to ask. I'll be happy to tell you anything you want to know."

Sorin had many questions to ask the man but few that he could breach without better rapport. "I don't suppose you can tell me about why the Lucian Branch has been trying to obstruct me. I heard they're allied with the Mockingjay Branch, but I want to hear your perspective."

"The Lucian Branch doesn't hate you," Elder Marik said delicately. There's no bad blood between you and them, or between the Abberjay Branch and their branch, for that matter. What matters is that the Mockingjay Branch desires to thoroughly suppress you. Officially, the Lucian branch is neutral, but in practice, it's aligned its interests with the Mockingjay Branch.

"The relationship is largely one of convenience. The Intelligence Bureau, which they oversee, often interacts with the Punishment Bureau, which the Mockingjay Branch manages. The Intelligence Bureau seldom interacts with the Abberjay Branch, which manages the physicians and apothecaries in the family."

"As for the Defensor branch, it's a lot more neutral, as security is required across all branches. It's the same with the Sovinger Branch and the Logistics Department."

"And why would the Grand Elder request that they pull back?" asked Sorin.

"I have no idea," said Elder Marik. "Which means that it's not something that I should be asking. But in this clan, the Grand Elder's words are law. That is his prerogative as the only Demigod in the family."

Sorin suspected that the protection was related to the Ten Thousand Poison Canon. Speaking with Elder Calvin, he'd discovered that inheriting the Ten Thousand Poison Canon was extremely difficult. Moreover, the Canon didn't just make one individual proficient at crafting high-level poisons. His presence in the Apothecary Division seemed to have a temporary bolstering effect on the clan's apothecaries, increasing their concoction success rate. This effect even lingered after he left.

"Aside from whatever plans the Grand Elder has, you should take note of your genealogy," Elder Marik added. You are the most direct bloodline descendant of Sirius Abberjay Kepler, our ancestral clan head. Those from the Abberjay Branch are most compatible with the clan's inheritance. As such, you would have been earmarked for high-level protection regardless of the Grand Elder's actions.

"Internal strife aside, there are many factions outside the clan who might wish you harm. The Grand Elder's warning to the Lucian Branch is likely aimed at preventing the confidential information they control from leaking out to outside sources.

"But you wouldn't know that. You know nothing about the clan's internal affairs and external relationships, which is why you ended up in such a sorry situation to begin with."

Sorin took a few seconds to digest this information before getting to the point. "Why am I here? You asked me to visit you when convenient?"

Elder Marik snorted loudly. "Impatient, are we? Let me tell you, boy, it's best not to rush about before figuring out the lay of the land. I invited you to relay some basic information and to leave the door open for you to approach me if you have any more questions. If you don't know something, ask. If I don't know the answer, I'll find someone who does."

He reached over to the far side of his desk and pulled out a piece of paper. "It also says here that you've signed up for the apothecary examination. That's a whole can of worms on its own. Now go ahead. I won't spoon-feed you. Ask your questions, and I will answer."

After much deliberation, Sorin settled on a simple question. "How much of the clan wants me dead?"

"Thirty percent, give or take."

Sorin's eyes widened. "So few? I thought it was closer to 70 percent."

Elder Marik shook his head. "My Defensor Branch is the most populous, and we're neutral. The next most populous branches are the Sovinger and the Lucian Branches. The Sovinger Branch is neutral and very self-interested, while the Lucian Branch, which is allied with the Mockingjay Branch, is meant to be neutral on paper. That means there's a split in their membership. The way they treat you will largely depend on who you interact with."

"Continuing, it's the same for the Rosair Branch in charge of records. They are technically neutral but unofficially allied with the Abberjay Branch since physicians read books and cultivate the clan's core techniques. Just to let you know, the Information Bureau and the Clan Record System operate independently. There is little overlap in information.

"That leaves the Mockingjay Branch. Officially, they're very happy at your return as the inheritor of the Ten Thousand Poison Canon. The clan leadership transfer has already been concluded, and their son, Reeves, cultivates the Divine Medical Art and is already a two-star physician at the peak of Bone-Forging.

"In theory, their branch is in charge of punishment, making them sticklers for the rules. In practice, however, your existence threatens their dominance. As many as 70% of their branch want you to harm. Their allies within the clan are many.

"I'll also offer you some statistics to incorporate my insights: Samson's intelligence bureau estimates that 25-35% of the clan strongly opposes your return to the cultivation world. I picked the average number and simply assumed that should you cease breathing, they'd all be a lot happier. But feel free to draw your conclusions."

Sorin was a little surprised by how the numbers played out. He had indeed forgotten that, like his Abberjay Branch, the Mockingjay Branch wasn't very prolific. The main difference between their branches is that the Abberjay Branch had been heavily damaged a hundred years back because of a sudden revolt by members of the Medical Association.

"In your opinion, will the clan bide by the Grand Elder's directive?" asked Sorin.

"For the most part," said Elder Marik. "Very few would dare infringe on the dignity of a demigod."

Sorin nodded. "Then tell me about external threats."

"There are many external threats you should be wary of," said Elder Marik. "To my knowledge, roughly a third of the constituent members of the Medical Association are enemies of our clan. A third of the association members are our allies, while the other third is neutral.

"Much of this is related to our previous dominance in the Medical Association and our fall from grace. The sudden shift in the populace's opinion on poison users as physicians and the blanket prohibition against poison arts in the medical community was a dreadful blow to the family.

"Moving past the Medical Association, roughly half the big clans in the city would like nothing more than the demise of our clan."

"Half?" exclaimed Sorin. "Are you sure that figure isn't exaggerated?"

Elder Marik shrugged. "The Alchemists Association is keen on capturing the poison market. It's an influential organization with many allies.

"We also need to consider the clans who cultivate poison arts. There are many in Delphi. We typically don't conflict with the mage clans, but the apothecary clans have been plotting to harm us since ancient times. They're jealous of our superior heritage.

"Major powers aside, public sentiment with regards to our clan is at a moderate 35 percent, up from the devastating 15 percent low a hundred years back. Given that public sentiment towards us is so atrocious, isn't it more surprising that only half the big clans want us to be pulled out by the roots?"

It was a lot of information to digest, and in the end, it all boiled down to one thing: the clan had many enemies, few allies, and little public support. Though many might not openly attack them due to the large number of physicians they employed and educated, they wouldn't be against taking underhanded or secret actions against them.

"These are difficult times for our Kepler Clan," said Elder Marik, seeing that Sorin had no other questions. "The best thing you can do now is keep your guard up against tampering. This applies doubly to the Apothecary Examination. More likely than not, all three examiners will be heavily biased against you. They'll be adamant about not having our members examine you to prevent 'conflicts of interest.'"

"How convenient," said Sorin wryly.

"It's just the nature of the beast," said Elder Marik. "Therefore, you should expect the examination questions to be unusually tough. You should expect other examinees to cheat. In his report to me, Elder Calvin noted that you make a habit of not exposing your capabilities in public—that's good. I recommend you continue that practice."

Sorin was now feeling a lot better about Elder Marik; it was clear that his earlier hostility was a misunderstanding. "About the Shrine Descent," said Sorin. "I apologize for my rudeness when meeting with the Presiding Elders. It was uncalled for."

Elder Marik shook his head. "I may have been overzealous. Certain prior cases have made me wary of clan members adventuring. There are also the Grand Elder's directives to consider. The branches are to tone down their aggression towards you and refrain from interfering overly with your actions. The only thing I can do is make a few executive decisions that will make your life easier."

Elder Marik took out three items: a bundle containing ten black transmission devices, a ring, and a potion. "You already have an anti-scrying amulet of the highest quality. Any similar objects I can offer you will be useless. I did, however, notice that you don't have any rings.

"This ring is a two-star Ring of Mind Ward. It will protect you from spiritual and mental attacks. Slip it on and see how you like it."

Sorin did as instructed and felt very little change. Yet soon, he realized that a spiritual pressure was mounting in the room—the Elder's pressure. As it increased, Sorin felt a shield pop up outside of him. It was strong enough to cut the Flesh-Sanctification Elder's spiritual influence over him in half.

"There's an unwritten rule in the cultivation world," said the Elder. "Generally, Flesh-Sanctification cultivators will not directly interfere in the affairs of Bone-Forging cultivators. Elder Calvin and Elder Nolan will be in touch with you to make sure that this convention is followed. As for Bone-Forging level interference, you're on your own. The ring should give you ample protection, but please keep an eye on it.

"The next item is a bundle of encrypted communication devices. The level of encryption exceeds the standard of what violet-grade clan members are normally entitled to. I'm not sure how many members you'll be adventuring with in the future, but here are ten devices. Please make sure that you only give those to the permanent members of your team that you trust explicitly.

"Finally, there's the potion. This is a Life Spring Elixir."

Sorin's eyes narrowed at the casual mention of the famous potion. "That's a three-star potion, Elder Marik. One of the few that lower-level cultivators can consume. It's too precious for me to accept."

"Just take it, and let's hope you'll never need to use it," said Elder Marik. "Now, if that's all, I have a meeting with Elder Samson in a half hour that I need to prepare for." He looked away from Sorin and the items on the desk and placed his hand on an information jade.

Unsure of what to make of the Elder's actions, Sorin retrieved the communication devices and gently placed the Life Spring Elixir in his Hero Medallion. It wasn't just a famous potion—it was a second life. The pure life force it contained was potent enough to bring even a Flesh-Sanctification cultivator back from the verge of death.

More to the point, Life Spring Elixirs were priceless objects. It was unlikely that anyone outside the presiding elders had such a potion in the clan. In other words, that potion was likely the Elder's potion. And he had given it to Sorin.

Exactly what happened between him and my parents? Why would he disregard his own life to safeguard mine? The elder is typically a stickler for rules and protocols, but here he goes, defying those same rules to give me a potion I don't deserve.

Unfortunately, the Elder had already dismissed Sorin, and staying any longer was out of the question. He could only bury his unasked questions in his heart until their next meeting.