[POV: Omniscient Akashic Records]
In the northernmost region of the mountains, the minotaurs of the Andarbani territory resided. The village, rough and seemingly primitive, held a treasure trove of natural resources: iron ore, meat from their livestock, fish from nearby streams and dense animal furs made into clothing. All of their goods were highly sought-after and it was a well-known fact that anyone who dared to cross these grounds without permission from the Minotaur Lord would suffer a gruesome fate.
Fenghis Rhan, the Lord of the Andarbani territory was in the midst of his carnal pleasures with a group of female minotaurs called minotinas. They had sizable breasts and shapely backsides that could make anyone drool in lust.
Fenghis was in charge of everything in the village, and apparently this included their minotinas.
Suddenly, two scouts from his security division interrupted them with some distressing news. The minotinas scattered like leaves, sensing their Lord's rage.
Fenghis stood up, his massive form towering over his scouts. He was a sight to behold. He had horns that curved in a majestic fashion and long fur on his chest that resembled a lion's mane. His body was a mass of battle-scarred muscles, each one bulging with veins and raw power. "What news do you have for me?" he bellowed.
"Lord Fenghis, we have seen grygans taking herbs from our territory. We wanted to stop them, but we sensed that a girl was with them who had incredible amounts of mana," one of the scouts reported.
Fenghis's eyes widened in disbelief. "Mana above forty thousand?" he asked.
"Yes, Lord. We couldn't stop them because we sensed something monstrous about her. The grygans keep calling her 'Serena,'" the scout replied, his voice shaking with fear.
Fenghis' muscles bulged and twitched as his anger boiled over. "And you let them go? How could you let them escape?!" he roared, his voice shaking the entire village.
"My Lord, we were outnumbered and outmatched. We tried to stop her but her aura was so overwhelming that we couldn't even confront her, we couldn't do anything. Please forgive us," the scout pleaded, dropping to his knees.
Fenghis glared down at him, his eyes blazing with fury. "Weaklings. You are all weaklings," he growled. He then turned to the other scout. "Did you hear anything from the grygans, any clue as to why they're taking herbs from our territory?"
The other scout stepped forward, trying to regain Fenghis's favor. "My Lord, they mentioned something about a rare herb that grows only in this region, and how it could help their tribe. They seemed desperate," he explained.
Fenghis's expression softened slightly. He knew the importance of rare and powerful herbs from their region. It was a source of pride for their village, and nobody else had access to it. But the fact that a girl (who he thought to be grygan) with enormous amounts of mana was involved roused his suspicions.
"Summon the council," he ordered. "I need to discuss this with them. And get me Skarz, the chief of security. This cannot happen again."
The two scouts scrambled to carry out their Lord's orders, descending into the village below.
Fenghis stood alone atop a cliff, overlooking the vast expanse of his territory. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something bigger was happening, something that threatened everything he held dear. And he was determined to get to the bottom of it, no matter what it took.
As Fenghis waited for Skarz to arrive, his mind raced with possibilities. He knew the grygan situation was not a mere coincidence, not when it involved a someone with such impressive mana.
When Skarz finally appeared, Fenghis took note of his appearance. Unlike the other minotaurs in their village, Skarz had a more human-like appearance and only had the horns to indicate his minotaur heritage. But what he lacked in physical characteristics, he made up for in pride, good looks and wit.
"Father," Skarz greeted him with a nod.
"Son, what's this about a grygan girl?" (Fenghis)
Skarz wasted no time in sharing what he knew, including the fact that it was a human posing as a grygan and that she was from the goddess clan.
Fenghis' expression turned grave as he absorbed the information.
"That could mean trouble," Skarz said, his tone serious. "But we don't know for sure if the goddess clan is involved. They are known to keep to themselves."
"True," Fenghis agreed, "but we can't ignore the possibility. What bothers me more is the fact that nobody knows who the village head is."
Skarz nodded, understanding the implications. "That means they're hiding something, or someone. But I have something that might interest you."
Fenghis looked at him expectantly, waiting for Skarz to continue.
"While the grygans were picking herbs, they were praising their village head," Skarz revealed.
"And?" Fenghis prompted.
"And they never mentioned a name," Skarz said, shrugging. "But there's more. The village head apparently broke the fire demon's curse that plagued the grygans for years."
Fenghis's eyes widened in disbelief. "Only a [King of Curses] has what it takes to break that kind of curse," he said.
Skarz smirked proudly. "That's what I thought too," he said. "And if that's the case, we may be seeing the rise of a very huge threat."
Fenghis's mind raced with possibilities. He knew what a [King of Curses] was capable of, and the thought of dealing with one terrified him. He had heard stories of their devastating powers and their abilities to enslave entire villages with a single curse. If the village head was indeed a [King of Curses], then their village could be in grave danger.
"We need to investigate this further," Fenghis said, his voice grave. "We can't let a [King of Curses] take control of the grygan village."
Skarz nodded in agreement. "I'll keep my ear to the ground and see if I can dig up any more information," he said.
"But we need to be careful. You know how dangerous someone like that can be." (Fenghis)
Skarz nodded, his mind already thinking of strategies to take down the potential threat. "I'll gather some of our best fighters and we'll head to the grygan village under the pretense of seeking assistance with a monster problem. That should give us the chance to observe the village head and gather intel."
Fenghis nodded in approval. "Good thinking."
"You honour me, father." Skarz was surprised his father would say such.
Fenghis stood up, ready to move into action. "Let's move quickly, son," he said with a determined expression. "We need to find out who this village head is and what they're planning before it's too late."
Skarz nodded in agreement, and the two minotaurs left the meeting spot, heading in opposite directions to begin their respective tasks.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
On an early day, Mimosa with long black hair and pointy ears and deep blue eyes, dressed in a plain dress, walked into the herb storage room and was surprised to see Mojito doing push-ups.
"Whoa, Mojito! What are you doing here? And why are you sweating so much?" Mimosa asked.
Mojito stopped his exercise routine and realized he had been caught. "Uh, well, I'm on a day off and I just wanted to... um... work out a little bit."
Mimosa raised an eyebrow. "Why work out on your day off?"
Mojito hesitated, not wanting to admit that he was trying to impress her. Instead, he stood up and started flexing his muscles while assuming several comic poses.
"I must discipline myself and get stronger even on my day of rest. I want to polish my skills and become the strongest I can to protect everyone in the village, including our great leader, Lumiere," Mojito said, trying to sound serious but coming across as silly.
Mimosa couldn't help but laugh a little at his antics. "Okay, okay, I get it. But you're making the storage room smell like a gym. You should step outside and let me sort these herbs in peace."
Mojito comically cried and pretended to faint against the wall upon rejection. Lumiere came out of the corner, "What's happening here?"
Mojito tried to explain the situation, but Lumiere interrupted him, "Ah, I see. I'm glad you're taking your training seriously, Mojito. But perhaps our attention should turn to helping you win over Mimosa?"
Mojito's eyes widened, "Wait, what?"
Lumiere then proceeded to unveil his plan called 'Operation Get Mimosa and Mojito Together.' It involved Mojito bringing Mimosa flowers and asking her on a date.
Mojito looked hesitant, "I don't know, Lord Lumiere. What if she says no?"
Lumiere patted him on the back reassuringly. "You won't know unless you try. Besides, it's a perfect plan. What could go wrong?"
After this, Lumiere used his [Plant Magic] to create sunflowers. Then, he offered them to Mojito.
It was a basic Rank E spell.
Mojito nodded, deciding to give it a try.
When Mimosa left the herb storage room, he approached her with flowers and low and behold, asked her on a date.
Unfortunately, the results of the operation were not successful as Mimosa turned him down.
Lumiere was disappointed but not discouraged.
"You'll get her next time.." (Lumiere)
Still crying, Mojito then said: "Thank you, Lord Lumiere!"
"Atta boy.." (Lumiere)