The mood in the room was divided into three main camps. The alchemists were naturally quite smug at Sorin's disqualification from the examination, as he was seen as a powerful competitor. Half of the apothecaries were satisfied, as his disqualification might mean an easing in the medical portion of the examination, while the other half was frustrated with the overall treatment of apothecaries.
By now, it was clear that it wasn't just Sorin being targeted. Instead, they were using him as an excuse to pass many alchemists and thereby erode the division between alchemists and apothecaries. This would lay the groundwork for the eventual expulsion of poison mana users from the poison crafting profession, much like what had happened in the medical profession around a century ago.
"May I ask you some questions, Alchemist Warner?" asked Sorin.
"You may," said Alchemist Warner. He was a little reluctant, but to maintain his gentle façade, he naturally had to accept such a simple request.
"Were spell catalysts permitted in the examination?" asked Sorin.
"They were."
"And were skill catalysts permitted?"
"That is the case," said Alchemist Warner.
"And what about familiars? Were they also permitted?" pressed Sorin.
Alchemist Warner was unable to forbid familiars because many of the alchemists in the room had used them in the concoction process. "Familiars were naturally permitted. But catalysts and familiars are different than added reagents. By their nature, these things are not consumed or added to the final product."
Sorin nodded. "Very good. Then I have one last question: Are mana and spiritual force infusion into the final product permitted?" These words provoked whispers from the many examinees.
Alchemist Warner frowned. "Infusion of mana and spiritual force into the final product is naturally permitted, as it is virtually impossible to concoct anything without infusing it with spiritual force or mana."
"I see," said Sorin, nodding. "Then it is permissible to infuse the product with things originating from one's body. It is also permissible to use skills, spells, focuses, and even familiars that aren't physically connected to the apothecary being examined.
"I find this curious because using skills, spells, and familiars also consumes mana and spiritual force. There seems to be a double standard, one made exclusively to target a single participant."
"Your accusation is as baseless as it is insulting," said Alchemist Warner. "Moreover, I fail to see your point. Why don't you just leave the room and save yourself a great deal of embarrassment? You are a cheating disgrace, one that should be perpetually banned from the Alchemists Guild and all its branches."
"My point, in case it wasn't clear, was that I was the only one who used blood infusion in the examination," said Sorin. "It also wasn't expressly forbidden and is considered as originating from my body, just like my mana and spiritual force."
"These things are different," said Alchemist Warner dismissively. "They are metaphysical, while blood is clearly physical."
"I'm afraid I don't see things that way," said Sorin.
"The way you see things hardly matters, does it?" said Alchemist Warner. "Since I am the examiner, I hold the final say."
"The way I see it is actually crucial," said Sorin with a smile. "Because it touches on a key component of this examination. You see, we are apothecaries, not alchemists. We must classify things in ways that are congruent both with alchemy and with medicine." He turned to Apothecary Hawthorn. "Chief Examiner Hawthorn, I request to consult with Physician Evans on the topic of Three State Harmonization as one of the four pillars of modern medicine. I believe that our discussion will enlighten Alchemist Warner on certain principles that he, as an alchemist, might be ignorant of."
Apothecary Hawthorn seemed bemused by what was occurring. In fact, he looked quite happy to see his colleague embarrassed. "I don't see why not," said Apothecary Hawthorn. "As long as Physician Evans is willing to play along, of course."
Physician Evans was a stern-looking woman with a face devoid of emotion. Clearly, her ability to emotionally disconnect herself from her patients had reached an astounding level. "I am willing, but if we are to do this, we won't proceed in the typical question-and-answer format. Instead, I will make an assertion. Examinee #37 will counter it. If Examinee #37 succeeds in convincing me that my assertion is incorrect and he is the better assertion, not only will I support his claim, but I will also allow him to forgo the third examination.
"But such opportunities must come at a cost. Should Examinee #337 fail to convince me, he will be barred from taking the apothecary examination for three years. Is this acceptable?"
"It is," answered Sorin.
"Very well," said Physician Evans. "My position is as follows: blood, mana, and spiritual force are completely separate entities that cannot be interchanged or influenced by one another."
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Sorin took some time to organize his thoughts based on the many textbooks he'd read. There were some things he couldn't speak of, as they were axiomatic facts from the Divine Medical Codex, but he could use cases and studies to substantiate some axiomatic claims.
"You argue that blood and mana are separate entities," said Sorin. "But you are doubtless in agreement that the incorporation of mana can amplify, thicken, and improve blood on a physical level. It's the same for forged bones and, eventually, sanctified flesh. Mana concentration in flesh and blood is the root of cultivation."
"Sanctified flesh is a different matter, one that you are not yet qualified to discuss," Physician Evans cut in. "But I will admit that mana can improve both a cultivator's blood and bones."
"It is also well-documented in dozens of sources, including Evans et al.—an ancestor, I presume—that in cases of crippled cultivation, an individual doesn't just lose the support of their mana. Their blood and bones regress over time and gradually unincorporated mana. This loss of mana has been directly correlated with physical losses in flesh and blood. The relationship is often expressed via the Evans Equation."
Physician Evans nodded. "You have convinced me that blood and mana are indeed connected and interdependent."
"Likewise, there is an unsubtle connection between mana and spirituality," continued Sorin. "It is a recorded fact that spirituality is influenced by the characteristics of one's mana and vice versa. Further, mana isn't just controlled by spirituality. Every cultivator's mana is actually in part spirit."
"You'll need to prove that assertion," said Physician Evans.
"I have one study and one policy to draw on," said Sorin. "The first relates to the nature of one's spirit and the effects on patient treatment.
"In their opinion paper on the benefits and merits of using poison mana to treat patients 106 years ago, the Medical Association cited several studies to assert that a life mana user's spirituality was nurturing and accommodating, and therefore risk-free when diagnosing and treating patients. Conversely, a poison user's spirituality was aggressive and predatory and, therefore, unsuitable for practicing medicine.
"In most cases, proper training allowed poison users to rein in this aggression. Moreover, it was admitted as a beneficial trait when used to treat diseases and other poisons.
"There were, however, a few cases where doctors without the appropriate training damaged their patients or caused flare-ups in conditions. It was therefore recommended that strict training and evaluation be performed on poison-cultivating physicians. Poison-using physicians were instructed to limit their interactions with patients until they received sufficient training and were certified as competent.
"This was a controversial paper at the time, but it was ultimately used as the basis for the current blanket ban on poison users practicing medicine.
"My second source is a study from the Mages Guild by Sigward and Fry that asserted the personal nature of mana. It's often quoted in the medical community. They carefully measured the mana manipulation abilities of various users using mana crystals as a benchmark and subsequently evaluated their ability to manipulate mana originating from other individuals. In these experiments, they confirmed that a cultivator's mana contained spirituality not just in a metaphorical sense but physically on the same level as mana exists. As a result, foreign mana-originating cultivators could only be manipulated with difficulty. That same mana, once purified of spirituality, was much easier to manipulate."
Physician Evans nodded once again. "You've convinced me that mana and spirituality are deeply interlinked and exist on a similar level."
"Then I'll finish off by referring to three medical papers. The first is titled Use of Black-Faced Widow Poison in Treatment of Invasive Blood Corruption. The second is titled Hemolytic Treatment Methods and Their Application to Spiritual Injuries. The third is titled Mana Crystal Therapy as a Treatment for Spirit Drain Anemia.
"All three of these medical papers link establish that there is substantial overlap between all three energies, a fact that was later labeled a pillar of modern medicine by Bryce et Al. The pillar states that ailments to body, spirit, and mana often overlap and must be treated in unison. It also states that when treating afflictions is impossible by similar means, it is often possible to treat the application by treating the body, spirit, and mana as a single entity.
"Therefore," he looked to Alchemist Warner, whose smile had long since been wiped away, "Mana, spirit, and blood should be treated as similar and overlapping entities in the medical field. Afflictions that affect one of these three will likely affect the others, and treatment methods that affect one of these three will likely affect the others as well. Spirit, blood, and mana can, therefore, not be considered separate entities. Have I convinced you, Physician Evans?"
Physician Evans nodded once again. "You have changed my opinion, Examinee #37. Blood, mana, and spirit are highly interlinked, dependent, and inseparable entities that can often be substituted. It, therefore, makes no sense to treat your blood differently than your spiritual force and your mana as it concerns medical applications. I also declare that you have passed the third examination."
By now, Alchemist Warner's smile had twisted into a snarl. His hostility towards Sorin was now at an all-time high. "It seems I can only reluctantly accept Physician Evans' judgment on this matter. Examinee #37, pass."
Apothecary Hawthorn also seemed pleased, but in the interest of dispelling the awkward atmosphere, he directly addressed Sorin's situation. "Since you have passed all three examinations, I officially bestow upon you the status of a two-star apothecary. Congratulations, Apothecary Kepler. Please bring these examination results to the membership desk to retrieve your two-star medallion."
It was clear that he wanted Sorin gone, and Sorin had no desire to stay behind. He left the examination room, and the remaining apothecaries sighed in relief.
Shortly after exiting, Sorin spotted Elder Calvin exiting a side door. "That was a pretty bold move, openly challenging Alchemist Warner and bringing Physician Evans into the mix. Are you sure it won't backfire, given the upcoming inquiry?"
"It might," admitted Sorin. "Biasing a Flesh-Sanctification Alchemist against me probably isn't a good idea. But to be fair, he already had it out for me. And for apothecaries, for that matter."
Elder Calvin frowned. "You sensed that too, huh? What a troublesome development. They've done things like this before, but never so blatantly. I wonder if this examination and the inquiry are connected."
Sorin shrugged. "The only way to find out is to attend. At least this way, we have a bit of extra information to go off. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to retrieve a two-star medallion that they definitely didn't expect to give out. Can you back me up now that we're out of the examination room?"
"With pleasure," said Elder Calvin. "Now, where did I put that stupid three-star medallion?"