Whispers of a Dead Empire

I walked over to the dining room area and motioned them to follow me in. I quickly cleaned off the table and sat down in the chair at the end of the table. Alessia was close behind me, choosing to stand to my side at the right, while the others came to sit down. At the moment, there was only Gunther and Redrick, while the other two were elsewhere. Not that I was too concerned about it.

I placed the paper I had the contract written on the table and slid it over. "Here is the contract that we previously discussed. Within it is are all the conditions that we talked about. I've slightly amended the contract, to include the fact that adventurers are allowed in. The only thing expressly forbidden is the intent to destroy my realm. Read it and let me know if there is anything that you would like to be changed."

Redrick took the paper and looked it over, and Gunther's gaze traveled over to me. His jaw was clenched as he looked me over. "What is it you really want?" His voice was coarse and gravelly like he smoked a lot. It wasn't really a trait that I noticed when I listened in on their conversations, but that was because I didn't really understand them at first.

"I want to be left well enough alone and to be able to focus only on this realm. I have no desire to take over the outside world if that is what you are worried about." As I replied, I crossed my arms and settled into my seat. I was heavily thankful for the translation ability I created with my essence points. Otherwise, I would sit here none the wiser. I would have to see if I could imbue this contract with magic after they left, so at least it could be ready by whoever looked at it.

"Don't you need the bodies of the living to replenish your undead? What about the adventurers that come here and die? What happens to them?" He sat forward and interlaced his fingers, talking with a slow and measured cadence. It felt like a storm was brewing, but he was keeping it contained. I would be terrified if it wasn't for Alessia standing behind me. It reminded me too much of my father.

"I do not need anyone's bodies to create more. As for them, well, it was their choice to come here, and if they died, it was their fault. Though if it appeases you, I will grant them mercy and allow them to rest instead of becoming undead." As bad as it sounded, it was the only way. People would die if they came here. I understood that now, and if I kept rejecting that fact, It would drive me mad.

"I see. But tell me, what is your purpose. Why do you let the undead roam around if your version of mercy is granting them rest?" His grey eyes locked onto me, and his words gnawed at thoughts I have long since locked away.

But it made me think, why don't I let them rest? What is my purpose here? Perhaps I should be honest, but I feel like honesty here would only bite me in the ass later, so how about I mix in some honesty with some lies? I thought it over for a moment before I came up with my reply. "The undead here are restless because they wish to serve me. When they finally pass, we grant them freedom. Everything they do is by choice and nothing more." I felt a small wave of relief wash over me as I said that. It felt so freeing to voice what I've always thought since it felt so wrong. But now, I have realized just how true those words are to everyone around me.

"What about your purpose? What drives you here, Empress?"

His words hung in my head as I thought it over. What does drive me? Is it the desire to go home? Or is it something far more profound than that? To be honest with myself, I was afraid of failure. I didn't want to let anyone down. The shame of that thought alone haunted me, more so now than ever before. Everyone in this domain looks up to me, and I can't stand the thought of being a failure in their eyes. I've been called a failure so many times. I can still hear it in the back of my mind, each word coated with disdain. The reality is, the desire to prove myself is my purpose here. Getting home would just be the consequence. But how could I phrase that in a way that it wouldn't make me sound weak?

"All my life, I've been called weak. I've been called worthless. But I resent that. The desire to prove them wrong drives me. I wish for nothing more than to see the pride in my parents' eyes. Though it's far too late for that." My mind lingered on the thoughts of my parents. I so desperately wanted to see them proud of me. It's all I've ever wanted. But that was unattainable, more so now than ever.

Redrick's eyes glanced from the paper, and towards me, for a second; the emotion in his eyes danced around for a second before it vanished, and he cleared his throat. "Anyway, Gunther enough harassing the lady. Calixa.." As he spoke, Alessia cut him off.

"That's Empress to you." Her words were quiet, yet the whispers filled the room, and so did the lingering threat that her words carried. As much as I knew I should correct her, it felt good seeing him squirm. It gave me a sense of power that I relished.

He froze for a moment before he nodded his head. "Yes, forgive me. Empress, I agree with this contract. What's the next step to ensuring that it is valid."

"Now, there are three bars on the bottom. We need one witness to prove the validity of the contract, and then for us to each sign it and date it, stating that we agree to the terms."

He glanced at the paper and scrunched up his face, and thought it over. It was almost like he was hesitating, but he sighed and muttered something to himself before he spoke again. "So be it. Is the date in this realm agreeable? Won't it interfere with the outside world?"

Shit, I didn't think about that. The contract should technically be valid here but outside since the world is in a different time zone, judging by what he said. Time to wing it again. "While I hold the contract here, it will remain valid, as long as you respect it." It felt like a bit of a cop-out, but it would be for the best. Especially since I didn't plan on venturing out for quite a while.

He nodded his head and slid it over to Gunther. The older gentleman scrunched up his eyebrows and started to read it over. I, however, wasn't interested in the silence, so I messed around with my menus. There were still had stat points to distribute. I would not do that here, though, since I didn't know what would happen. But I could still get an idea of what I wanted. At that moment, I knew for sure I wanted to increase my willpower and intelligence. Maybe throw some points into strength and health as well. What I really wanted to see was what I unlocked class and skill-wise, but I was holding off on that since I wanted to put a lot of thought into it.

"Empress, we both agree to the contract." Redrick's voice tore me from my hazy thoughts.

I glanced at them and saw that Redrick had produced a quill with a small ink capsule on end and fiddled with the end before he and signed away on the first bar. Then passed it over to Gunther, who did the same. I reached into my pocket, drew my handy pen, took the paper from them, and quickly signed away my name and date. "Empress, what is that?" Redrick asked as he eyed what I was writing with.

"This is a pen. It's much like that quill you carry around." I quickly explained as I showed it off. I didn't think it was anything too special. It was just your traditional metal pen, though the only thing fancy about it was the fine tip point. I was a bit OCD about how my handwriting looked, and this pen did wonders in making it better. "May I see it?"

I shrugged and slid it over to him. He took it and marveled at it under the torchlight. "It's so light, but how does it work? Won't the ink dry out if you let sit out at the tip like this?"

"No, you see that button on the top? Just click it, and it retracts the tip." I was so thankful that I was wearing this mask. I didn't want them to know that I was amused by this.

The sound of the pen clicking shut filled the room, and they both looked with clearly shaken faces. It took everything I had to suppress a laugh. It was just a pen! "How much did it cost to make something like this? The craftsmanship is superb! The way the metal bends around itself is amazing. Including the fact that the ink is self-contained and can be used with such a simple click!"

As he said that, something clicked in the back of my mind, and before I knew it, money signs passed through my mind. "Well, the price is irrelevant. However, if you want, we can add a trade deal into the mix." Sweetness dripped from my words like honey as the two made eye contact as the gravity of what I just said hit them. It didn't take them long to understand what I was getting at.

"I think we can work something out Empress, what do you have in mind?" Redrick as he sat forward and interlaced his fingers. He seemed ever more interested than Gunther did. He was probably someone of affluence, which was good. I could establish myself as something more than just a place where people come and die. I can be a trade power, on top of just a regular domain. Hell, I can create things with a thought, so as long as I have resources, the sky is the limit. I could feel a grin creeping across my face as I had already planned out exactly what I wanted to do.