I couldn't believe it. Me, Lumiere Venrite, an eighteen-year-old high mage, had just become the village head of these evolved grygans. What was even more surprising was how much they had changed. Some still looked the same, but others had undergone drastic transformations.
"Wow, they look different," I muttered to Serena, who stood by my side.
"Yeah, some of them almost scared me," she giggled, her eyes scanning the crowd.
She'd already gotten used to their appearances over the five days I was unconscious.
As I looked over the sea of grygans, my eyes landed on the little girl who had led us to the village. Except now, she was taller and had become quite the looker.
"(Life is cruel...)" (Lumiere)
I was 150cm and now, she was 160cm.
"Hey Serena, what do you think of her?" I nudged her.
She rolled her eyes, "My lord, focus. You're the village head now, remember?"
I took a deep breath and tried to gather my bearings. "Right. Let's get down to business."
I called for a village meeting, and the chattering grew louder by the minute. Fasit, the chieftess of the evolved grygans, tried to shush them, but it was of no use.
"Cut the chatter, everyone," I spoke firmly.
To my surprise, the crowd immediately silenced. A small smile tugged at my lips. I didn't think that would work.
"Sorry, go ahead, Lord Lumiere," Fasit gestured towards me.
I cleared my throat, still a bit nervous. "Thank you. As your new village head, I want us to work together. Together we can make this village great and-"
I was interrupted by Serena nudging me. "Come on, my love, give us some passion."
My love? Ahem.
I took another deep breath and tried again, this time with more enthusiasm. "Together we can make this village the best it's ever been! And I promise to do everything in my power to help you all succeed."
The crowd cheered, and I felt a sense of accomplishment. I may have been wearing a tattered blanket over my body and knee-length pants, but I was still the village head, nonetheless.
Apparently, my attire was being cleaned by some grygans. Perks of being the chief, you didn't need to do laundry.
"Thank you, everyone. Now let's get to work!" I raised my fist in the air, and the crowd cheered again.
As we dispersed, Serena lingered by my side. "You did great, my lord. I'm proud of you."
I grinned at her. "Thanks for the support, Serena. I really appreciate it."
"So, what do we do next?" (Serena)
I was about to respond to Serena when Fasit's voice interrupted us. "Excuse me, Lord Lumiere, but you may have prematurely dismissed the grygans."
I furrowed my brows, confused. "What do you mean, Fasit?"
"Some of the grygans don't have names," she explained. "And now that [Flyndor's Law] is no longer in play, you, as their lord and village head, are the best person to give them identities."
Serena nodded in agreement. "And it'll make identification and job distribution easier."
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "I see... well, that does make sense."
I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed as I called all the grygans back. I had just given a speech dismissing them, and now I was calling them back.
It was unbearably awkward, and I could hear Serena and Fasit trying to hide their amusement behind me.
"Uh, sorry about that, everyone," I said, feeling my face heat up. "I actually called you back because we need to talk about something important."
There was a brief silence before one of the grygans spoke up. "What's on your mind, village head?"
I took a deep breath. "Well, it's about your names, or lack thereof. You all deserve to have an identity, and I want to give you that. It'll make things easier for all of us."
There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
"But how will we come up with names? There are so many of us," another grygan asked.
I pondered for a moment before a humorous idea came to me. "How about we name you all after desserts? Like, that grygan over there can be named Tiramisu, and that one can be called Cheesecake."
There were some chuckles from the crowd, and I couldn't help but grin at my own joke. "Okay, okay, maybe not desserts. But we'll find a way to give you all names, I promise."
With that, the meeting was dismissed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Being a village head was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
- - - - - - - - - - -
A few days later...
I sat with the grygans, racking my brain for ideas on what names to give them. "How about we base your names on fancy colors?" I suggested.
There were nods of approval as we bounced off ideas such as Crimson, Aqua, and Lavender.
I decided to name the little (now big) grygan girl who led us to the village, Magenta. It was a colour similar to her eyes and mine.
But then, I had a flash of inspiration. "Actually, why don't we make it more fun? What about naming everyone after types of drinks?"
The gryngars looked at each other, intrigued. "For example, you could be Mojito," I said, pointing at a grygan. "And you could be Mai Tai," I said, pointing to another.
Everyone burst into laughter at my suggestion, and soon we had named every grygan in the village.
"(If they knew I got these names from random drinks I saw or heard off in my previous incarnation, they won't be laughing as much.)" (Lumiere)
I assigned Mojito's (Gryganard) team the task of watching over the village, while Mai Tai's (Gryganri) team was responsible for gathering fruit.
I also assigned a team of grygans skilled in archery to hunt for meat in the Great Forest. After some consideration, I named their leader Sangria.
Serena was given a small squad of grygans to assist her in harvesting medicinal herbs, which she would then give to Fasit to transform into medicine. The team responsible for processing the herbs would be led by a grygan named Mimosa.
Mimosa was an outspoken and cheerful gryganri, driving the team members to work faster, while Sangria was disciplined and resourceful, ensuring that her team was always on target.
Gryganard = Male
Gryganri = Female
In no time at all, the grygans had incorporated their new names into their everyday lives. I even heard Sangria and Mimosa teasing each other during a hunt in the Great Forest.
As for their work, everything was becoming easier to manage, and the village was running smoothly. Almost quickly, they had built themselves a thriving little community.
....
Over the course of the week, the grygans had been tirelessly working to maintain and improve their village. Each team had made great progress in their assigned tasks, and the results were evident.
Mojito's team had constructed new homes, that didn't look so new for some of the villagers and had ensured that every dwelling was clean, safe, and partially well-maintained. They had also set up a watchtower made of crude materials at the entrance to the village, keeping a lookout for any signs of danger.
Mai Tai's team had brought in a bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables, including juicy pineapples, sweet strawberries, and succulent watermelons. They had also discovered a patch of wild blueberries, which they had carefully picked and brought back to the village.
Sangria's team had hunted and killed several deer, providing the village with a much-needed source of protein. Mimosa's team had been busy processing the medicinal herbs, making them into various tonics and remedies, which Fasit used to heal the sick and injured.
Serena and I watched from a distance, impressed by the hard work and dedication displayed by each team. "They've come a long way," I said to her.
Serena nodded in agreement. "They have. It's amazing how much progress they have made in just a week."
I smiled. "Indeed. It's all thanks to their hard work and willingness to adapt. I'm proud of the grygans."
Serena then turned to me, a serious look on her face. "How long do you plan on staying here, Lord Lumiere?"
I thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure. As long as it takes, I suppose. There's still much to be done before the villagers can be completely self-sufficient."
Serena nodded. "I understand. I just worry about how much longer we can stay before we leave."
I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Serena. We'll figure something out. We'll make sure the village is self-sufficient before we leave."
She smiled, relieved. "Thank you, my lord. I trust your judgment."
I grinned. "I won't let you down."
--- Grygan Village Status ---
[Positions]
Lumiere = Village Head.
Serena = Village Head's "Wife," also helps provide protection for teams going to uncharted territories.
Fasit = Chieftess of the evolved Grygans. Teaches Mimosa and her team the procedures of herbology.
Sangria = Skilled female archer in charge of the hunting team. Provides source of protein required for growth.
Mimosa = Leader of the herb team for making medicines and furthering herbology studies.
Mojito = Handles watch over the village with his team, they also handle the heavy lifting.
Mai Tai = She and her team handles gathering fruits.
[Acquired Items]
Food = Proteins, Fruits and Vegetables.
Materials = Mud, Clay, Tree bark, Branches, Thatch. {All equipped for poor house construction}