Pandora Unchained - a Cultivation Progression Fantasy

The questioning of Mr. Mercer proved not nearly as damning as Sorin expected. Though on paper, he had a pile of complaints, in practice, he was an insufferable individual who caused problems for anyone he interacted with. This included the Head Questioner, Mr. Mierau. Mr. Mercer's testimony proved so consistent and annoying that when asked if they'd like to question the witness, Elder Nolan declined, as doing so could easily erase the gains they'd made by remaining silent.

The next witness was someone Sorin had not seen in a great deal of time: Allan Marsh. The man wore more elaborate military epaulets than he had in Sorin's time at the Bloodwood Outpost, and judging by his aura, he'd already broken through to the third stage of Bone-Forging. Sorin was disappointed but not surprised to see him take the stand, though he did note that the man bore no hostility towards him and much hostility towards the councilors.

"How long have you known Sorin Kepler, Deputy Marsh?" asked Physician Mierau.

"I've known Sorin for around three years," answered Allan. "Though only as a passing acquaintance, it was my father, the governor of the Bloodwood Outpost, who facilitated the meeting when an elder of his family delivered him to the outpost."

"And was Sorin problematic while he lived in the outpost?" asked Physician Mierau.

"Quite the contrary," answered Allan. "He was quite helpful for most of his stay. He was a licensed physician at the time and greatly reduced the burden on Physician Lim."

Physician Mierau nodded and walked over to the other side of the stand. "But things changed, didn't they? Troubles cropped up. "

"In the last six months of his stay, yes," Allan confirmed.

"And that's around the time he began cultivating poison and also became an adventurer, " said Physician Mierau.

To Sorin's surprise, Allan smirked. "You're trying to make me dig a trap for the poor boy. He's had a hard enough time as it is." The formation continued to glow blue.

Physician Mierau frowned. It was clear from his expression that this wasn't according to plan. "Then let's move on to—"

"Sorin has caused me trouble in the past," interrupted Allan. "But he has more than made up for it by risking his life to defend the outpost against the demon tide on multiple occasions. Both in his capacity as an adventurer and an apothecary."

Physician Mierau was not doing well, and if Sorin was being completely honest, he looked like he was having a seizure on stage and required the attention of a physician, which was fortunate because there were probably quite a few hundred physicians in attendance. "Was he not involved in the deaths of five individuals, Lieutenant Marsh? Did he not kill them in cold blood, as you reported in your written testimony?"

"I don't recall using the words cold blood," said Allan, whose bright blue circle still hadn't changed colors since he began. "But yes, he did kill five hired killers who attempted to take his life."

"And who hired these killers?" snapped Physician Mierau.

"I'm afraid the matter was dropped at the request of the Adventurers Guild," said Allan with a shrug.

"But you clearly wrote in your written testimony that—"

"There's nothing on official legal record," said Allan, cutting him off. "As for who hired them, I do have my speculations, as whoever did it used an intermediary."

"And whom do you suspect tried to kill him?" asked Physician Mierau, having clearly given up on the matter.

"I believe it was the Kepler Clan," said Allan, surprising both the audience and Physician Mierau.

"You're saying the Kepler Clan ordered the assassination of one of their members?" pressed Physician Mierau.

"I'm saying that's my best guess given the circumstances," said Allan. "I caution you against using that as any sort of evidence."

"So, there you have it," said Physician Mierau, turning back to the audience. "What terrible clan. An unconscionable clan. They would dare kill one of their own to preserve their image. It makes one wonder what they wouldn't do for their own benefit."

Physician Mierau ended his line of questioning, and President Digory asked if Elder Nolan or Sorin would like to question the witness. Sorin was about to stand when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder pushing him down. "I don't believe we will," answered Elder Nolan, confusing Sorin.

"Then that ends the current witness's line of questioning," said President Digory. "I now call Sorin Abberjay Kepler to the stand."

Elder Nolan leaned down and whispered in Sorin's ear. "You need to stay calm in such situations. Keeper clear on the bigger picture. It's clear they don't have enough to go on with you, so they'll likely give up and switch to the Kepler Clan to preserve momentum. Their questions should be short and to the point. Don't rise to any bait."

Sorin confirmed with the Elder and was about to go up when Physician Mierau stood up. "President Digory, we would like to forgo questioning Sorin Kepler as we believe we have enough information."

President Digory raised an eyebrow. "Though it is the questioner's prerogative not to interrogate the accused, this is highly unusual and not recommended. Moreover, the accused must be allowed the right to speak."

Sorin once again tried to stand up, only to find that same hand pressed down on his shoulder. "Sorin will not be adding anything to the inquiry and respects the questioner's decision not to have him stand."

Sorin once again tried to stand, but this time, he hit a mental wall. No, a physical wall. Mana and spirituality were pouring into his body and preventing him from moving.

And that wasn't all. The haze was transforming, raging, and threatening to tear open the veil that had been pulled over the audience's eyes.

"You're a good lad," whispered Elder Nolan in Sorin's ear. "You want the truth heard out. You want logic to prevail.

"But look at these people. Look at this stage. It's all a performance, a distorted amalgamation of things that don't logically belong together.

"The people here know it. The president knows it. Physician Mierau knows it. Even Allan Marsh, a Bone-Forging cultivator who's not even a hero, can see it.

"Nothing good will come of using logic to convince the audience; what they need is a shock. I don't know who advised Allan to do so—perhaps he just has good instincts—but what he did was the equivalent of sticking a knife into a seam.

"That saves me a lot of work. I originally had many more moves planned, but it seems that won't be necessary. Still, I'll need to pay a price to see you out safely. That, in turn, means putting you in danger. For that, I apologize. I also apologize for what I'll be doing."

Sorin tried to speak but discovered that his body was filled to the brim with life energy. It had infiltrated his bones and flesh and made it impossible for him to move. Sorin tried to get Gareth's attention but saw the archer whispering with Elder Nolan and nodding.

Frustrated by the turn of events, Sorin activated drew on his God Light and attempted to break through the shackles placed on him. Unfortunately, the God Light barely shook the 206 life-infused needles that had been stuck into every bone in his body without him noticing.

If it were an enemy, I would have noticed, thought Sorin as he worked to dismantle the needles keeping him in place. But Elder Nolan must be convinced he's doing this for my own good, which is why Violence didn't get triggered, why Nemesis didn't notice.

He could only watch with horror as the trial moved forward and the animosity in the audience grew.

Physician Mierau started the next phase by calling up dozens of witnesses, each one offering first-hand testimony on the corruption in the Kepler Clan and the favoritism shown by the Kepler Medical Institute to its members.

Sorin found it most frustrating that many facts were exaggerated. For example, a woman claimed the Kepler Clan had bribed her into silence after botching a medical treatment. While this could be construed in such a manner, settlements and non-disclosure agreements were common practice in the medical community, as they avoided overburdening the malpractice courts and typically netted the patient better compensation.

These misrepresented facts only continued to stoke the audience until Sorin could see a tangible net connecting them all. The people were angry at the Kepler Clan now, violently so. It was as though logic and reasoning only had a tenuous grasp on these people, and they were moments away from rioting.

This trial was obviously a sham to begin with, but now, the cracks are starting to show, thought Sorin, analyzing the web. They're not nearly as united as they seem, as the logical conflicts and incongruity of the trial are at odds with their current before. Still, the audience seems ignorant about what's going on. Perhaps it's as Elder Nolan says. A good shock is what they need to snap them back into reality.

Finally, Elder Nolan was called to the stage. The trial had reached its most critical phase, and the net holding the audience together was vibrating intensely. "It's time for me to leave," said Elder Nolan. Please don't blame me for sharing our plan; you're not a very trusting person, and rightly so, so it was decided to keep this plan a secret.

He then addressed the retinue and Gareth. "Guard him with your life and retreat to the Ancestral Manor as soon as possible. I have friends in high places, so my life won't be in danger. Don't bother trying to protect me."

"I'm sorry," said Gareth as Elder Nolan walked towards the stand. "I wanted to tell you, but that would have ruined Elder Nolan's plan. I'm not sure I fully trust him, but he means well and wants to see you out of this alive—my top priority."

Sorin once again lashed out against the needles of life energy, this time using corruption. Yet, despite his best efforts, they were only slowly wearing away and would take hours to dissolve. Ultimately, he could only give up and wait for Elder Nolan to dispel them.