I stared at the man and bit back my tongue. How dare he pull the savior card to get something he wants. I mentally calmed myself as I started to try and work a plan to try and counter him. "Well, you have something that I want as well. I need outside resources and an envoy. If you get me that, then we can talk about your arrangement."

The redhead gazed at me. His blue eyes were a little hazy, and his face was still covered in a multitude of cuts that had yet to heal fully. He looked a little perturbed that I had laid a counter offer at his feet, but he wasn't the only one that needed something. "Fine. What do you need?"

I could feel a grin spreading my lips under my mask. Good, maybe I could still turn this situation back in my favor. "Stone, gold, metal, and tools. Whatever you can get your hands on."

"Why do you need those things?" He gazed at me cautiously, though I could understand what he was thinking.

"Because I want to rebuild. As you can probably gather, a lot has happened in my realm. Though, if you are worried, I'm amassing an attack on the outside world; you don't have to worry. I have no interest in getting dragged into a pointless conflict." Don't get me wrong, I do want to visit the world outside, but at the moment, I need to tread carefully so I can keep the situation under control.

"Can I have your word on the matter?" He asked as he regarded me with his eyes as he scrutinized me, attempting to figure out how serious I was.

"I suppose. Will a written contract do?" I wasn't sure how the world operated outside of here, but if there is magic, there were probably magical contracts or something of the sort. But I didn't have any experience of the sort in that department. So, for the time being, I am content with using good ole paper.

"Written? You don't have magical contracts here?" He rose an eyebrow at me, clearly shocked at the fact. But it did serve to further reinforce what I thought. So magical contracts are a thing here.

Now, all I had to do was throw something together that would make sense and give me wiggle room on the matter. "Here in Asteria, contracts are binding. We don't need magic to enforce them. As long as it is a valid contract, then they can be enforced by the law here." Not quite a lie, but also not the whole truth, since I'm technically the law here.

He mused it over before he gave me, he replied. "I can agree with that. Draft me up a contract, and then we can go from there. But on a side note, where are my companions?"

"They are in the safe area, with my troops guarding them. We killed the last assassin just before you woke up." I felt a little numb to their deaths. I realized while I was watching them fight that if I were to worry about every single person who died in here, then I would kill myself with guilt. But they made their choice, and they paid for it with their lives. Not that they are still dead. They ended up joining the ranks of my soldiers as undead assassins, though I was unsure of where their loyalty lies, so they remained locked up, and only Amari deals with them.

"Thank you for saving them. Words could never express what that means to me. I am forever in your debt." He bowed his head towards me, but really it irritated me. I saved your friends, and this is how you repay me?

But I held back the irritation that seemed to swell within me. "Of course," I replied, trying to keep my tone even and diplomatic. "However, I do ask that you leave now. I have a few things to attend to. But I will send a few of my honor guards with you, just in case there is something that we missed."

I still had to take care of some of the stat points I got from the four assassins being killed. In fact, I got such a swell in experience that I jumped ten levels alone from it all, and I was sitting on a class milestone. I'm happy that I got it, but at the same time, I wanted a little more time to jam a few more things in there to maximize my returns; but what can I do. That boat has long since sailed.

I motioned for one of the phantoms lurking in the room to show the man the way out. He looked as if he wanted to say something more, but that wasn't important right now. I had to cut the conversation short while I still had the upper hand. He stood up and gave me a nod before he vanished through the doorway, leaving me alone in Rikard's office. I released the deep breath I held and stared out across the courtyard. That was far more intense than I thought it would have been, especially with Alessia's evolution. My eyes wandered over to the notification that appeared a few hours ago.

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Ashtel: tier (?): A very rare variant of the undead, born of an idea. They are closely related to the Onryo and the Revenant. This creature can alter its body to become incorporeal at will, allowing to flicker in and out of reality as it pleases. The hallmarks of this creature are its extreme regeneration, which overshadows even that of a revenant, and its prowess which is akin to vengeance-driven undead.

Alessia was furious when she saw I was taken away. I could feel her rage bubbling in the corner of my mind. So it didn't surprise me when she appeared. What did surprise me was how she killed those assassins without the slightest hesitation. The way she turned off any semblance of emotion as she cut them down. But the second she was finished, she turned back towards me with visible adoration in her eyes. I didn't quite know how to feel about it yet. But it gave me goosebumps to think about. She was a wolf wearing sheep's clothing, yet I knew she would do nothing to hurt me.

I ran my fingers across the point where the arrow slammed into me, and I thought about the pain that came along with it. It hurt far more than I thought it would, and it was even worse trying to pull it out. Thankfully, those health potions healed it up quickly. I took a deep breath, walked out of the room, and quietly went down the hallway. A few of the phantom's lurked behind me in the shadows, clearly agitated at what happened yesterday. I don't blame them. I also didn't expect the entire domain to rush to my aid at the drop of a dime.

A few shadows danced around me as I walked further through the stronghold. It was a bit empty without Alessia here, but I sent her away to guard the Adventurers. Mostly a sign of good faith from me and to get some space to think about things. I knew she hated it, but she wouldn't reject an order. I already sent a missive out with Kharon to collect the undead that perished, which sadly was far greater than I initially thought. The assassins picked apart a lot of the feral and a few of the soldiers, though it took them a bit to realize how to do it.

Perhaps my undead were a bit too strong for the starting area, but no one ever progressed without trial. I glanced around and motioned for my guard to join me as I started to get my thoughts in order. I still needed to get a contract drafted and think a few things over. Might as well get it over with then, I guess. I teleported out of the stronghold without a second thought, ready to knock out this contract. My class and stat distribution can wait until I finish this. I much rather approach it with a clear head than be burdened by all of this going on.

Once I finished the contract, I teleported to the safe area. A large formation of undead was patrolling the area, led by the captain. His cape danced on the wind, and he was clearly agitated. All the undead were. After pushing a few of the phantoms, I saw they felt responsible for me getting attacked. Perhaps I would keep the undead assassins locked up for a while, at least until the tension faded; strife in my domain wouldn't do after all.

As I walked, I ran my fingers across the notebook's cover and thought about the contract that I had written. Essentially, I just wrote that I wouldn't attack the outside as long as I wasn't attacked and left some space in there, so I could continue to try and bring things back into my favor. I would have happily tried to work out a deal that would benefit us both without the extra steps, but this man annoyed me when he pulled that crap earlier. But sadly, we were both in a bad spot.

What happened was an eye-opener. If anyone else had a stone like that, then I wouldn't be safe. I needed to train more and be able to defend myself. I was barely holding my own against the three assassins, which was by sheer luck. Never again would I allow something like that to happen. Which was why I needed to make this deal as much in my favor as possible, and to ensure that whatever problems this man has, do not become my own. I clenched my gloved hands before reaching up and adjusting my mask a bit. This thing was so light that I forgot it existed. I cleared my throat and stood up straight and walked down the road, flanked by my hoplites, who marched in lockstep with each other.

The fog was thinner today. In fact, it was almost nonexistent. I was curious about why it was like that, though it may be a question for Kharon than anybody else. As I walked closer to the safe zone, I could feel the anxiety creeping into my heart. This was the first time interacting with people outside of that redhead. I would have to make sure I keep my image up. I was an Empress, so I needed to act like one.

I quickly shoved the feelings down and walked closer to the door. Two knights stood at the ready with blades in hand, and they gave me a slight bow before the one on the right opened the door for me.

Well, it was now or never, I guess. I took a deep breath and strode into the house with my head held high. The soles of my thick boots slammed into the wood, creating a fierce echo that assaulted my eardrums. I needed to set the tone and craft an image of myself. Whatever they thought of me would hang with them a while, and if there was anything that my dad taught me, it was that first impressions were almost impossible to override.

Another knight who stood in the hallway gave me a bow and opened the door, and I stepped into the main living area. Alessia stood near a window with her hands crossed behind her back. Her halberd was resting against the wall within her hand's reach, and her hair was down. Her long silvery locks hung down to her shoulders in gentle waves that seemed to sway on the motionless air. She stiffened for a second before she turned around. Her golden eyes met mine, and she gave me a slight bow. "My lady." She whispered quietly.

Her eyes looked sad as if she was a puppy that was recently scorned, and I had to suppress a small laugh. It was adorable. Though I had to set a precedent. "Alessia," I replied curtly as I walked into the room. Seated on the couch was the redhead. He was passed out and as limp as a doll. Though I didn't blame him, he did have quite the ordeal after all.

Across from him was an older gentleman with a shaved head. The way he carried himself told me he was a veteran of some sort. His jaw was clenched, and a vein looked as if it were about to pop. This was going to be a pain in my ass; I could feel it.