The Survivor Becomes a Dungeon

Ferodias POV

"-ness? Please pay attention; you're the one who asked me to read you this month's summary." Regan admonished light-heartedly, flashing a smirk at the man as he tapped the stack of papers into his other hand.

Ferodias sighed a bit, his ash-gray feline ears twitching with annoyance before yawning loudly and leaning back into his seat. "I know, I know, Regan, I just can't help it… All this paperwork is soul-draining. I'm half tempted to knock it off the desk." He mused mischievously as he glanced over to his right hand and friend.

Regan shares Ferodias' mischievous mood for a moment before shaking his head and sitting on the edge of the desk. "In any case, the new fertilizer and farming techniques we implemented earlier this year have more than tripled our yields compared to previous years. Our stores are full, and the abundance has driven a healthy jolt into the average populace."

Ferodias flashes a fanged half-smile and glances over at Regan. "Who knew just adding some extra stuff to the dirt and changing how we plant them would do so much? The answer was simple, and I wonder how we missed it."

Regan nodded intently at that. "With that in mind, reports show that with less of a need to work for sustenance, we have seen a higher attendance to the school that was implemented last year. Outside of that, we're also seeing more people showing up to the public training yards, increasing the combat effectiveness of the average commoner and raising the overall quality of the mercenaries and guards that join or are recruited into their respective guilds and barracks."

Ferodias listened intently, his left ear twitching thoughtfully before glancing at Regan. "But are they happy?" He asked with a surprising amount of somberness.

Regan quirked a brow curiously, glancing back at Ferodias before standing up off the desk and turning to face him. "Yes, Milord, they're happy." He offered Ferodias a half smile before flipping through a few pages of the report until he found something. "With what I mentioned earlier in mind, the average commoner is more confident in themselves and more willing to try new things like schooling or other forms of education to better themselves. Crime is lower than average as crimes of desperation are curtailed by the abundance which keeps even the remaining few slums contently fed. Neighborhood watches have been formed by commoners and have served to prevent and stop active crime, often before the guards show up to intervene. All in all, national pride is high as people are happy to call this Empire their home." Regan explained with a grin, though he realized something and continued. "As for the recently annexed lands, I will admit there is tension. But between beneficial policies and the previously mentioned abundance, things are going remarkably smoother than predicted."

Ferodias nodded intently, his tail distinctly lashing behind him through the hole in his comfortably padded work chair. "Alright, that's enough of the summary; I'll look it over later tonight after dinner." He said, waving a hand dismissively as he massaged his temple with his other hand.

Regan nodded intently, a pointed ear seemingly twitching randomly, though he glanced at the door moments before a knock sounded out. Looking at Ferodias for a moment, he looks back to the door again. "Enter."

In stepped one of the imperial messengers, the harpy man taking a knee and lowering his head before offering an envelope in one hand out before him. "Pardon the intrusion, your Highness. I bring a letter from the Mage, Reyvyre."

Once Regan took up the letter, the messenger stood, bowed, and hurried out as professionally as possible to get back to work. Looking over the letter, he held it over to Ferodias, who took it up, seemingly forgetting about his headache for the moment. "Well, she's not dead; that's good news." Regan mused lightly.

"Oh, stop." Ferodias snickered a toothy grin as he cut the letter open with a claw before looking it over. "Huh…"

Regan had been reviewing the summary for himself when he glanced over at Ferodias curiously. "Something the matter?"

Ferodias was silent for a bit as he considered the letter's contents before holding it out for Regan to read as well, which he did. "A new dungeon core, young but powerful with sentient intelligence."

Regan studied the letter intently before speaking up again. "Brutal but benevolent. He seems willing and open to cooperate with us against the Theocracy and the Hegemony." Regan stroked his chin as he looked over the letter once more before setting it down on the desk. "What are you thinking?"

Ferodias' tail went still in contemplation before letting out a heavy sigh as he shook his head. "I'm still thinking. For now, let's just wait for Reyvyre to return to us." Regan nodded sagely at Ferodias' words. Just then, both of their ears twitched as they heard a familiar set of steps approach, Ferodias flashing a bit of a smile in anticipation. A gentle knock sounded out from the door as Ferodias spoke up, this time with a smile evident in his voice. "Come in, darling."

A good-looking young woman stepped inside, carrying a tray with a steaming mug and some sort of treat. "Good afternoon Milord." She enthused cheerfully, being all formal for only a moment before dropping the act behind closed doors as she came over to Ferodias' side, setting the tray down as the feline Emperor took a deep breath of the scent of what his beloved brought.

Regan flashed a grin as he looked between the two and saw a chance to leave them alone. "If you'll excuse me, Empress Historietta, Milord, I have other matters to tend to." With that, he lowered his head before making his exit.

Ferodias grinned as he nodded at Regan while he made his exit. He then looked over to Historietta and chuckled a bit. "You're never going to stop going into the kitchen, hm? You're going to give Elena even more grey hairs." He mused mischievously to her.

She snickered softly as she leaned in and kissed his forehead before looking down into his eyes with her chestnut gaze. "She can try and stop me all she wants. As long as the other maids keep coming to me for treats, I'll always have a way in." She mused affectionately while sitting on the arm of his chair.

Ferodias ears twitch with delight at the kiss before he looked down at the tray she brought. "Now, what have you made for me? Is this that matcha you've been talking about?"

She beamed enthusiastically. "Yes! I finally found a good blend of green tea and made a satisfying matcha." She mentioned while setting the mug before him. "And these are some dark chocolate brownies made with crumbled bacon pieces. I know sweets aren't your thing, but I do believe you'll enjoy the bitter, savory taste of this treat." She explained, setting down the small plate before him as she used her other hand to run her fingers through his head fur gently and massaged one of his ears.

He shuddered under her touch and glanced up at her. "It smells fantastic." He gingerly takes up the mug, slowly taking a sip of the warm drink as it traveled through his body. He then took a bite of the treat, the bitter edge complimented by the savory surprise of the bacon, which was then completed by a follow-up swig of tea. His tail curling as he enjoys the treat. "Another perfect delight, Tori." He practically purred to her as he busied himself with what was in front of him.

She beamed some more as he savored her cooking. "By the way, green tea also works wonders for hair… A special blend with some oils can enrich your fur, making it even glossier and healthier. It's also good for skin, so all in all, a good cosmetic treatment for men and women of many races." She explained while continuing to toy with his head fur. Her eyes wandered as she spotted a distinct letter amongst all the paperwork.

His ears twitched under her touch as he chewed on another bite of brownie. "I see; well if you say so, I'll give it a try." He enthused warmly. Though he glanced at her again, having noticed that she was murmuring under her breath. "What's the matter, my darling?"

She blinked a few times as if shaking something away before smiling a little at him and gesturing at the letter. "Is.. Well, does that word mean anything to you?"

Ferodias looked up at her curiously before licking his lips as he looked at the letter again. "What word? Vitmori? It's just the name of a newly discovered core." He answered as he looked at her again.

She hummed thoughtfully for a moment before deciding to confess. "Well… The reason I ask is because that sounds rather similar to some words in a dead language I'm aware of…" She explained as Ferodias listened intently. "Essentially, the two words that make up that name are life and death." She said as Ferodias nodded slowly, sipping at the mug before looking over the letter with new appreciation.