7 The Options

Victoria looked at the stack of papers that has been handed to her and unconsciously gulped. She had an inkling just as to what exactly is the 'task' that her father wants to give her.

"Since you wish to gain experience on managing a business and building connections, then consider this as your first job. Here's a list of invitations to various gatherings sent by different factions."

Lucas hands Victoria the small stack of invitations, and says. "Usually, people would have to work their way up from the bottom when joining such factions. But, since your father has quite a bit of money in his pockets, as well as the owner of the biggest pharmaceutical company in Arkhantia, I get the privilege of being invited instead."

"I'd like to know your opinion on which faction should our family align ourselves with. Read their invitations carefully. Read between the lines, consider the benefits they offer, and choose what's best. That report on your hands contains any information you might need about them."

Victoria stares at her father, shocked that she's being entrusted with such a huge matter right off the bat. She almost stuttered on her words as she said, "F-Forgive me, but I don't think I'm qualified to make such a huge decision on your behalf."

Lucas leans back on his chair and speaks, "I just said I wished to hear your opinion. Whether or not I'd actually consider it, is a different matter altogether."

Victoria is at a loss for words once she realized she got a bit too ahead of herself. Her father was talking a lot more today than he usually did, so she thought that something must be up. She actually thought that he'd entrust her with such a big decision!

"Understood." Victoria said, resolution forming in her eyes. She took the stack of invitation letters and started going through them one by one while sitting at the sofa.

Indeed, navigating the political scene is a skill that one needed to possess if they want to make it big in the business world. It just so happens that the political scene in Eldoria is so different from that of her home city's.

She carefully examined each invitation, her eyes darting across the words and subtext, trying to decipher the intentions and benefits presented by each faction. The report in her hands provided invaluable information, outlining the histories, influences, and potential advantages of aligning with each group. It was a task that required astute judgment, foresight, and an understanding of the intricate power dynamics at play.

Despite her father's assurance that he sought her opinion merely as a formality, Victoria felt the weight of her words. All this years, her father had never let her in into his work or had ever asked about her opinion regarding anything. This might very well be a test, an opportunity to prove herself, to demonstrate her intellect and decision making.

So for her, the opportunity to contribute to such a crucial decision both thrilled and terrified her.

'I didn't expect her to actually read all of that here.' Lucas looked at Victoria, engrossed in her reading, at the sofa in front of him.

He specifically called it an 'assignment' so that she could take it back to her room and think about it there instead. He thought she would take at least a day to think about it. But from the looks of it, she might not even need an hour.

'Tsk, I can't be as relaxed when she's around' he thought in his head. As long as she's here, he has to play the role of a cold, intelligent businessman.

Of course, Lucas planned on slowly breaking out of that character, by showing occasional fondness for his family here and there. But until then, he has to act like a neglectful dad who only lives for work.

Lucas went back to reading Montague Beaumont's journal. It provided crucial insights as to how the original Montague's mind worked, the reasoning behind his actions, and how his line of thinking works. It allowed him to understand him more and allowed him to play the role of 'Montague Beaumont' better.

Thus, both father and daughter become engrossed in their own readings. The dead silence of the room allowing both of them to concentrate rather than making the room awkward.

It's only about an hour later that Victoria finally speaks again, having made a decision after going through all the important details. "Father…" she calls out, telling that she's done with her task.

Lucas leaned forward in anticipation. "Tell me, Victoria, but remember, I'm not interested solely in the answer you arrived at. I want to understand your thought process, why you arrived at your conclusion, and the reasoning behind it."

Victoria nods, not finding her father's word in any way strange. Simply arriving at the correct answer isn't enough. After all, even a fool can stumble upon the correct answer every once in a while. It's the underlying logic and rationale behind it that would shape her ability to consistently make sound decisions, regardless of the circumstances.

Then she holds up the 15 invitations that Montague received. She picks out 6 invitations and immediately sets them apart from the rest.

"Immediately off the list are the small gangs and organizations that just wants father to finance their activities. They provide real no benefit, no security, and only promises future rewards that are ultimately based on nothing. They have no real foothold and only really wants your money. They're no different from the punks in the streets."

Then, to Lucas's surprise, Victoria takes out the three most exquisite looking letters and sets them aside as well.

"Then, the next ones I took out of consideration, are the noble houses of Eldoria – Baskerville, Rainsworth, and Nightray. It seemed tempting at first, joining the most powerful and illustrious factions in the city."

Victoria paused, her gaze fixed on her father, conveying a sense of caution. "However, they are too powerful. They already possess unimaginable wealth – they own gold mines, countless mansions and estates, they have several businesses under their name. Aligning ourselves with them would mean forfeiting one of our greatest assets, father's riches and Beaumont Pharmaceuticals. We wouldn't be able to leverage our advantage and we'd be just another 'mildly rich businessman' in their faction."

While on the outside, Lucas nods unimpressed, as if that much was obvious. Inside, however, he's actually sweating bullets! Because those three were actually the front runners in his mind.

Victoria continued, her voice steady and resolute. "By joining them, we risk being treated as mere disposable pawns in their grand chess game. Our family's business could be absorbed into their vast array of properties, diminishing our autonomy and reducing us to mere figureheads."

With those 9 gone, only 6 invitations were left – either the ones that came from mid-sized gangs looking to stamp their mark on Eldoria. Then there's the established syndicates who already has a foothold in Eldoria. The likes of La Familia, The Crows, and etc.

'To be honest, I'm surprised that Victoria did not immediately throw those syndicate's invitations away, considering that they're involved in all sorts of shady businesses. Well, I guess pretty much everyone that sent invitations are involved in shady businesses. But those 4 especially are known for heinous businesses that many women would consider abhorrent'

Prostitution rings, Human Trafficking, Slave Trade – Those are just the first three that came up in Lucas's mind. In reality, he couldn't even imagine the depth of the crime those people are involved in.

"Then Tianyi Shixiong and Blackthorn are out because they're purist groups who hires members by either their bloodline or ethnicity. I'm not sure why they sent an invitation in the first place. Though in the case of Blackthorn, there seems to be subtle hints of them wanting to marry out one of their female members to you, Father." continued Victoria.

"After that, one can only assume what would happen after the union." she tactfully added.

Lucas thought of many possibilities: assassination, divorce, or maybe even just a loveless marriage, so long as they had access to his wealth and resources.

If these factions truly adhered to their purist beliefs, they would not entertain the idea of an "outsider" like him joining their ranks. He couldn't shake the suspicion that they were exploiting his foreign status, assuming he was ignorant of their internal affairs.

The complexity of the situation weighed heavily on Lucas. As a transmigrated soul, he had not anticipated the intricacies and dangers that awaited him in this new world. The decisions he made now would shape not only his own fate but also the future of his family.

With the elimination of several factions, only four remained: The Crows, La Familia, Clockwork Syndicate, and The Earth's Temple. Victoria confidently presented them as the most suitable options for her father's backing.

As he browsed through all of them, Lucas's eyebrows perked up as he read at the last option out of the 4 – The Earth's Temple. 'Isn't this a sex cult?' Lucas thought as he looked at Victoria.

She's actually saying that joining a sex cult is one of the best options for her father? Lucas found that notion wild. Are the other options really 'that' bad?

Victoria noticed Lucas's questioning gaze and felt the need to clarify her stance. "I want to emphasize that I don't condone or support the questionable morality associated with some of these groups," she began, her tone earnest.

"Personally, I have reservations about Father joining the Earth's Temple as well. However, when we consider the practical aspects of business and survival, these four factions offer substantial support, present a genuine opportunity, and more importantly they view us as valued members rather than mere pawns or sources of wealth."

Lucas is already more than impressed with Victoria's reasoning and understanding, at least better than his own. Her insight and discernment reassured him that she would be a trustworthy partner in navigating the treacherous landscape of Eldoria and that it'd be beneficial to keep her close, possibly repair the bond between them.

"Good," with that one word, Lucas sent Victoria off, leaving him alone in his study again. He looked at the 4 options in front of him again and began to seriously consider.

"Personally, joining the Earth's Temple is my first choice," Lucas muttered to himself, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and excitement. In this new world he found himself in, where he inhabited the body of a successful and affluent entrepreneur, he pondered the prospect of living out his fantasies within the confines of the Temple.

The Earth's Temple, known for its traditional values and hierarchical gender roles, appealed to Lucas in a way that he hadn't expected. It presented an opportunity to indulge in his desires, to experience the dynamics of a society that embraced a more traditional view of gender and relationships. The Temple's emphasis on a man's dedication to work and a woman's role in nurturing the family stirred a longing within him, evoking visions of a life he had only dreamed of.

They believe that girls shouldn't go to school, and must remain chaste before marriage. These concepts challenged the progressive ideals he had grown accustomed to. Yet, in this realm of transmigration, Lucas saw an opportunity to immerse himself in a world where such values were upheld and revered. Not only that, they were also cool with a man having more than one wife and placed strong emphasis on procreation and having children.

In his deepest thoughts, Lucas entertained the idea of embracing this alternative reality, one where he could truly embody the ideals and roles prescribed by the Earth's Temple. It was a chance to shed his previous identity and immerse himself in a society that promised to fulfill his long-held fantasies.

"However by joining this, I might as well kill any hope that I have of rekindling my relationship with Victoria. And she's probably the most crucial ally that I have, now that I'm not the astute businessman everyone thinks I am." pondered Lucas seriously.

He thought that even if he were to join the temple, once they find out that his abilities are actually lacking, then he might not even get an important position. So, not only did he lose his daughter's favor, he also didn't get anything meaningful out of it.

By taking the temple out, he's only left with La Familia, The Crows, and Clockwork Syndicate.

La Familia is one of, if not, the largest faction in the city. Most of their members are from the lower rings of society. They operate on the fringes of society, engaging in a wide range of illicit activities – drug trafficking, extortion, money laundering, prostitution, and many acts of violence. Though it could be said that most of their 'members' aren't actually members, the same way most people that participate in pyramid schemes don't actually make any money off of it.

Only the people at the top actually benefits from it. However, the people at the bottom are at least guaranteed some security, food rations, and if they have some merits, women. This allure often led individuals in the slums to default to La Familia as a means of survival.

The Crows on the other hand is much more organized and secretive. The report about them is the shortest and not much is really known about them. But the lack of information about them is not without reason, considering their motive – overthrowing Eldoria's great noble families! The Crows were a rebel group, audaciously challenging the dominance of the city's most powerful factions.

Aligning himself with this group had the potential for both great rewards and grave risks. It's also this group that is responsible for him rushing this important decision, because it's them that wants to meet him the earliest – at August 16th, 3 days from now.

Lastly, is the Clockwork Syndicate. An elitist group whose members comprised most of Clockwork Height's residents, hence the name. In regards to money, they're easily on par with the great noble families. Back on Earth, some people might call them as 'Nouveau riche'. Their disdain for being associated with the unruly "thugs" of the underworld led to them forming an exclusive group among themselves.

They often collude in business ventures and brutally suppress upstarts who are not part of their circle. It was an association that appealed to the original Montague Beaumont, driven by his ambitions as a shrewd businessman.

The original had actually already begun making plans to attend their banquet that is to be held 10 days from now. Unfortunately, he died and I'm now in possession of his body.

With the clock ticking, Lucas finally made his decision and started preparing.