Whispers of a Dead Empire

I ran my fingers across the cover of the books, thinking about what I now had at my disposal. In a way, it was like my ticket out of here, without having to leave the safety of my domain. I was still super tempted to venture out and explore the rest of the world, but right now, it was just infeasible for me.

"Mistress, we have a few things to discuss regarding the domain." Kharons' words broke through my thoughts like a sledgehammer and drug me back to reality.

"What's up?" I asked as I pushed the books to the side and turned my attention to him. My eyes drifted to the side and saw that Nyx was curled up on Alessia's lap and was out cold.

"With how your domain is set up and considering that the domain is in its second expansion phase, you may find it difficult to administer everything yourself." His words, though monotonous, carried a sense of urgency.

It made sense. It was already a lot of work making sure that everything was in order, not to mention that I constantly needed to micromanage a few things to ensure they were done. I couldn't even imagine how things would be once this domain grew even more extensive. "What do you suggest I do then?"

"Perhaps increase the government capacity to some extent. So far, it's just you and I." His teeth clacked together, sending a loud crack that echoed through the room.

I bobbed my head and thought about it. It would remove a lot of the stress off of me and would allow me to function a bit more autonomously than I usually do. I could now focus my efforts more on specific areas than focusing on general areas. I bit my lip and tried to sift through some of my ideas. "How about a council then, or a cabinet?"

He ground his teeth together as his eyes fluctuated. "That would be for the best. What do you have in mind?"

As my mind quickly threw together the idea, I spitballed my idea towards him. "Well, where I come from, the government has a cabinet function. I can appoint specific people to places and let them micromanage from there."

"I see. I already oversee the interior. The question is who wants to oversee the military." He replied as he smashed his teeth together thoughtfully.

That was very true. Right off the bat, that discounted Rikard and Flint, mostly since I needed them in the stronghold. They had a presence there that was irreplaceable for all intents and purposes. "Alessia, would you like that spot?" If I was going to be honest, I really didn't want her to take it. It would mean that she would be away more, and a part of me really didn't like the idea of that.

Relief flooded my body when I saw her shake her head. "I'm afraid not. My duty is for you. Above that, I oversee the praetorians, so I am unable and unwilling to interact with the military outside of an advisor role."

I juggled her words as she threw them at me. At least she was being honest. It made sense, though. Her entire job title was to act as my right hand. Not to mention that my bodyguards are more akin to an actual military than a small protection force now. Not that I was complaining about it. I needed to get an updated headcount from Alessia after this meeting, so I know what I was working with. "I see. In that case, I will need to create someone to oversee the military then. That way, I can mass create and then allow them to deploy the troops as needed." I highly doubt I could give my mob creation ability, but I didn't want to even if I did.

"Very well. That would give us the interior, and military. Alessia, would you mind filling the role of internal security then? You do have an entire order of assassins at your command, no?"

Alessia's gaze drifted back to us as if she were lost in the sea of her own thoughts. Her arms were wrapped around Nyx, who was still out cold and looked as peaceful as could be. "What do you mean by that, Lord Kharon?"

"Well, you would essentially build a massive network of spies and informants through Asteria, with the sole purpose of gathering information and deterring threats against the land and her people." Kharon's eyes seemed to vary in the faint light while I watched on. I didn't realize that we had an entire order of assassins. Perhaps a meeting with Alessia was in order after all. Maybe I'll bring it up during the meeting later.

"While I agree with what you said, I still do not wish to leave the Empress's side, as that is not something that I am comfortable with. However, I will second Amari to it since that is what she is in charge of." She ran her fingers through Nyx's hair, and the sight made me melt. I was so happy that she and Nyx got along. It was the cutest thing I've seen in a while.

"So Amari, will function as the head of interior security? That works for me. We just have to settle on a better name for the title then. Perhaps, spymaster, or something of the sort. But let me write this all down real quick." I reached out and swiped my notebook up along with a pen and flipped through the pages, trying to find a blank one. I was burning through each page, like firewood, and it was getting harder to keep track of everything.

"So, more than likely, I will create a boss that will function as the head of the armed forces. That way, they will have some sort of intelligence and will act autonomously. Speaking of which, can we allow Amari to function freely then?" Not that I didn't trust her, but I haven't really interacted with her recently, so I wasn't sure of her mental state.

"She is close to sentience. I'm sure if you give her a soft nudge, she will awaken. Double so if you make her a boss."

I thought it over and nixed the idea of making her a boss. I only had three more slots to work with at the moment, and one was going to be tied up to make a character that would preside over the military. "Perhaps after this, we will see what can be done. If you think that this is best for her, I will consider it. However, I want to see if she wants that before we push further ahead. Now, we have filled out four roles. I want a fifth that focuses on technology and pushing Asteria forward. What would you recommend, Kharon?"

"You know, most domains are content in living in a cycle of death and expansion. So this is mostly uncharted territory. I'll speak to Redrick next time I see him and see if he can start procuring more information from the outside world, and we can see what can be done. What exactly do you have in mind?" He fidgeted with his robe and sat forward in his chair.

"Well, there are many concepts that I want to explore. There are things from where I come from that I took for granted and that I want to see here. While I may not know how to recreate many things, I still have the desire to see what I can do here, especially in a world of magic. This isn't just a domain filled with magical beasts at the end of the day. This is my home, and I want to see it become the best version of itself possible." I placed my pen on the notebook and interlaced my fingers as I stared at Kharon. I refused to see anyone in this domain as a mindless monster. These were all living beings, and they deserve to have a life that they can live to the fullest. I won't be just another run-of-the-mill domain.

"That is admirable. I will do my best to see that your wish is made, mistress."

"Thank you, Kharon. Onto the next topic at hand, how is the overall domain functioning?" I sat back and stretched my legs out under the desk a bit. Sitting here for long periods really did a number on my legs. Honestly, I much rather be standing, but I still had an image I was in the middle of crafting.

"Fairly well. The overall mob strength is decent for the level. There have been a few outliers, but the captain does a good job of holding them back. The only interesting thing is that the adventurers have converted an outpost into a small living area. If left alone, we project it could evolve into a small town." The skeleton clicked his teeth together once more thoughtfully.

That was interesting. It adds a dynamic that I'm sure I could put to good use. "What do you suppose we do about it, Kharon?"

"Well, two things, really. The first is that we could kill them overnight and take the essence and all of their gear. The second is that we can leave them be, collect essence from them over time, and collect various resources from them. Especially if they keep growing. Really, both benefit us in the end."

Those were really the only two options? Either kill them off or let them stay and use them as a farm. Both didn't sit well with me, but I still had to place Asteria's needs above my own desire. If I let them live, then in a way, it could provide peace of mind to the outside world that I pose no threat to them. It would give me much-needed resources, and on top of that crafted gear, I could use. I could even afford to outfit my military correctly, rather than just the hodgepodge of equipment that they currently now.

I mindlessly grabbed my pen and messed with it as I weighed all my options. I neither desired to kill them off nor did I want to use them like cattle. But at the same time, the benefits were just too good for letting them do nothing but stick around. But I know what needs to be done. With a heavy heart, I set my pen down. "Kharon, I propose we let them remain as they are. I'll stretch the land between them and the stronghold, so the tensions stay somewhat low. We can also use them as a buffer and a sign of goodwill to the outside world that we mean no immediate harm. The question is, do we want to reveal ourselves and strike a deal with them, or do we stay quiet and let them live their lives?" As the words left my mouth, a bitter feeling set in. This all felt so wrong, yet it had to be done.