Pandora Unchained - a Cultivation Progression Fantasy

The South Delphi Military Complex was one of the oldest places in Delphi. In terms of age, it ranked alongside The Kepler Clan's Ancestral Manor and the residences of other major cultivation organizations.

Though the general style hadn't changed in over two hundred years, the place carried a faint aura of time that was unmistakable. It was also filled with antiques, such as the enchanted mahogany Allan Marsh occupied and the grandfather clock that loudly ticked away the minutes Sorin was kept waiting.

Sorin was alone in Allan's office. Though Elder Marik's status greatly exceeded Allan's, he'd opted to remain outside to give the two Bone-Forging cultivators some privacy.

Not that they needed much privacy. Allan was ignoring Sorin, and Sorin, refusing to be outdone, had been spending his time balancing golden needles on his fingers to build a miniature replica of Allan's home in the Bloodwood Outpost.

Eventually, it was Allan who gave in. He sighed as he pushed away a hefty pile of paperwork and interlinked his fingers. "What are you doing here, Sorin? You must be aware by now that your presence will cause me a great deal of trouble. I've already upset a great number of people with my antics at the inquiry and am teetering on the edge of a demotion."

Sorin didn't immediately reply and instead twirled a few more needles into place to complete a hundred-stick replica. He attempted to add needles from the bottom, but this proved too much for even Sorin's potent spirituality. The tiny golden needles vanished before they hit the floor and rejoined with their progenitor, Nemesis.

"Delphi's political structure is a lot more nuanced than I'd originally suspected," Sorin finally said. "It's layered much like the catacombs beneath it. There are schemes within schemes within schemes. For example, your antics at the inquiry. Though I'm sure you upset a great many people by going back on whatever deals were brokered you were an important part of why Elder Nolan was able to break the spell on the crowd. I can only guess which important figure instructed you to act in such a fashion.

"AI have no idea what remuneration or future benefits you were promised. Quite frankly, I don't care. I benefited greatly from your intervention and have come to pay back the favor. I also have a few questions I'd like to ask. Questions only someone in your unique position would be able to answer."

Allan had not remained idle while Sorin spoke. By the time Sorin finished his explanation, a fresh pot of tea was already done brewing. Allan poured two cups and served them in what appeared to be very expensive porcelainware.

"I don't see a problem with answering a few mundane questions," said Allan. "Though please bear in mind that I am under certain restrictions. For example, my behavior at the inquiry or any deals that may or may not have been broken can't be spoken of. Cream and sugar?"

"Please," said Sorin, accepting his cup. He poured a generous amount of cream, but only a little sugar into his teacup, then took a sip. "What an interesting flavor. Reminiscent of gunpowder."

"It's called gunpowder tea for a reason," said Allan. "As for paying back the favor, there's no need. Being in the good graces of a God Seed is reward enough. I'd also like to avoid getting further entangled with you—additional transactions would run counter to this objective."

Sorin smiled and took another sip before placing two vials on the table. One was a deep blue, while the other glowed with a deep red light. "Sapphire Unsealing and Ruby Unsealing Tinctures, along with a voucher that can be exchanged for treatment from the Kepler Clan. I can also apply these tinctures here and now and guarantee successful breakthroughs.

"Unfortunately, your foundation is not deep enough; you didn't unblock a sufficient number of meridians in the Blood Thickening Stage. As such, you don't qualify for a bronze unsealing."

Allan licked his lips. "This could be construed as bribery."

Sorin shrugged. "I'm just paying back a favor owed by offering you power at a time where it's most needed.

"I assure you that there are no strings attached to these gifts. Your father showed me grace in the Bloodwood Outpost, and I am simply returning the favor. As for your 'help' at the inquiry, I understand that our relationship would never warrant such intervention on your part. I imagine this was a large part of why you were chosen to testify, to begin with."

"Let me think about it," said Allan, looking away from the vials. "And tell me what questions you have. I'll share what I can but will say nothing that endangers my comrades, Delphi, or its citizens."

Sorin looked around the room and found a rolled-up piece of paper. He used his mana to drag the non-magical map to the table and unfurled it on Allan's desk.

Sorin then summoned a hundred needles and stabbed them into key locations on the map. Some needles turned black, and others turned red and blue. Spirit threads of various colors appeared between them, indicating enmity, friendship, and alliance.

"This is my current understanding of Delphi's political climate," said Sorin. "Once upon a time, I would have considered this complete, but now, I realize that it's likely only one layer deep. I won't ask about the third layer as this layer likely exceeds your qualifications, but I believe the second layer is something you'll be able to help me flesh out."

Allan took a sip of his tea before placing the cup down and standing up. He flicked his hand multiple times, placing tiny swords on the map to complement Sorin's needles along with other threads.

"Your picture is amazingly accurate," said Allan. "Especially when dealing with enmity. I think you've got a good grasp on why the various powers hate each other and how likely they are to act on it."

"It is lacking, however, when it comes friendships, interests, and the bigger picture. Enmity is only a small part of what decides interactions, and benefits will often prevail in the face of political fallout and blood feuds.

"Take these two pins, for example. The Hargrave Clan and the Pollen Clan. On the surface, they have a slight enmity. Officially, they have no friendship to speak of. They do, however, share a common interest in suppressing the Kepler Clan. The Pollen Clan has a disproportionate say in the Medical Association and stands to gain much from your clan's losses. As for the Hargrave Clan, they also stand to gain much from the alienation of poison-cultivating clans from the Medical Association.

"But that's only a small part of the equation. While the Hargrave Clan supports the Pollen Clan in the Medical Association, the rest of the Mages Guild seeks to curb the Hargrave Clan's power. They are, therefore, aligned with the Kepler Clan in this regard.

"Though mages have no direct influence on the association, think about how much crossover the Mages Guild has with the association. There are plenty of Life Mages who become physicians. Spell breaking and curse removal are both areas of interest for physicians."

Sorin frowned. "But Life Mages are often opposed to our clan. In fact, they have great enmity with the Abberjay Branch."

Allan chuckled. "But what about the Mockingjay Branch? What about your clan's Life Faction? It's all a balancing act, and each organization weighs the pros and cons of each of their actions. You can't just look at one or two factors—you need to take as much information into account as you can before making decisions. And most importantly, you need to consider the bigger picture."

Sorin made slight adjustments to his web, then gave Allan an appraising look. "I came here because you seemed politically well-connected, but it seems I underestimated you."

"I wouldn't call myself well-connected," said Allan. "Managing this precarious balance is a large part of maintaining the peace in Delphi. Tell me, Sorin—who is more politically savvy, Elder Samson or Elder Marik?"

"Good point," said Sorin. Elder Marik seemed to be the most politically savvy despite not having any specific interests beyond keeping the clan safe.

"My position naturally makes me privy to more information than the average citizen," said Allan. "But even so, I need to constantly question and reevaluate my assumptions. Benefits are only one part of the question. Another part is grudges and enmities. Are they truly irreconcilable, or can they be managed? Where did they originate? Can anything be done to resolve them?

"I never understood these matters when I was younger, but my father always made sure to ask me these three questions when mediating conflict:

"Who are the people involved in the conflict and why are they fighting right now?

"What other conflicts do they have, and what are their causes?

"What can be done to enhance the benefit of both parties and what can be done to mediate their existing conflicts?

"It's a three-layered structure, just like Delphi's three-layered seal. The first layer involves current and real time interactions. The second layer involves long-term conflicts and history.

"Finally, there's the third layer. The bigger picture. The web that ties everything together and the threads that are being pulled at a higher level to manipulate all the parties on the board.

"This is the game Administrator Pollen is playing. This is the game the Grand Marshal of the Delphi, the Oracle of Delphi, and all the clan leaders, including your clan's Elder Simon, are playing. There even exists a fourth level, though that level transcends the city and takes place in Olympia. Suffice it to say that each big decision is made strategically and with multiple goals and mind. At the higher levels, there are no short-sighted individuals.

Something clicked in Sorin's mind as he heard these words. My thinking has been too one-dimensional, he thought, thinking back to his original analysis. In many respects, political interactions are like alchemical and poison interactions. Poisons often have dozens of interactions even between two entities. Moreover, you have to consider their interactions as part of a multi-part cocktail.

It's the same in medicine. Many parts of a body might be conflict, but they will rarely do anything that endangers the whole. When that happens, it's called a disease, an affliction, or a disorder.

"When looking at Delphi as a whole, the corruption infecting it is like a poison or a disease. Its presence has gradually altered the board, slowly guiding it towards a situation that can only be resolved through an outbreak of catastrophic conflicts.

"Your words have been most enlightening," Sorin finally said. "I shouldn't let my thoughts be overly skewed by enmity. Some rare problems are insurmountable. Most, however, are just inconvenient." He pushed the two vials towards Allan. "You should take these. In fact, you should have me apply them right away."

Allan hesitated but took the vials. "I'll seek you out at a later time, Sorin. Things aren't looking good right now, and every single cultivator with a military rank is currently on standby."

"How long would you say we have?" asked Sorin.

"It could be days," said Allan. "It could be hours. It won't be weeks. Civil unrest has been winding down these past few days, giving us the impression that this is the calm before a major storm—one that will shake the foundation of this city."

"Then I'll get out of your hair," said Sorin, standing up. He held out his hand, and Allan took it. "Take care and stay safe."

"It's not me you should be worried about," said Allan. "Your Kepler Clan always gets it hard during times like these."

"Don't worry about me," said Sorin, walking towards the door. "I've got Elder Marik tagging along as my bodyguard. Besides—I dare a bunch of early Flesh-Sanctification cultivators to try ambushing me."