There's Curse Kings and family names?

¦ Days till the minotaurs attack ~ 2 ¦

As I arrived in the center of the village, I looked around at the grygans, hoping to catch their attention. I couldn't help but smirk at their curious stares. I knew they were aware of the impending war and I needed to address them.

I took a deep breath and began, "My fellow grygans, as you all know, we are on the brink of war. However, I'm doing all I can to bring it to an end as soon as possible." The people started murmuring amongst themselves, unsure of what was going to happen.

Just as I was about to continue, I heard Serena's polite request for silence coming from the crowd. I rolled my eyes at the numerous grygans fawning over her.

"(They're unlucky... she's already spoken for..)" (Lumiere)

I nodded at her and turned back to the crowd "I appreciate your concern, Serena. Now, let's focus on the matter at hand."

Suddenly, a voice from the crowd shouted, "Lord Lumiere, you're a King of Curses, we'll win easily!" The statement made sense, but I laughed at the absurdity of it all.

The people started cheering and promising their support. I smiled at them, grateful for their faith in me.

"(Last night, Fasit and I discussed two important topics..)" (Lumiere)

They were:

1. What the title of Curse King truly meant.

2. Assigning a family name to the Grygan tribe.

「Apparently,

Each King of Curses is unique in their abilities and the domains they rule over, but they all share a common thirst for power and control.

The first King of Curses was believed to have been born over a thousand years ago, when a great sorcerer angered the gods by using forbidden magic. As punishment, the gods cursed him with a terrible power that would bring destruction and chaos wherever he went. This curse was passed down to his descendants, creating a bloodline of powerful sorcerers who wielded the power of curses.

Like me, one can also become a King of Curses by breaking a curse afflicted by one of these kings.

Over the years, more Kings of Curses emerged, each with their own unique abilities and domains. Some were known for their ability to control the weather, while others could sap the life force from their enemies. Some ruled over the dead, while others could twist reality to their will.

All Kings of Curses share a common trait - their ability to destroy and enslave entire populations with a single curse. They are feared and reviled by most, and many believe that their power is too great for any mortal to wield. 

Whether I officially become a Curse King or not ultimately depends on my choices and actions.」

<Last Night>

I remember the night well, Fasit and I found ourselves deep in discussion about the infamous Curse Kings. We were both sitting comfortably in the confines of my private quarters, surrounded by a warm fire, as she spoke in her usual serious tone.

"As long as you don't constantly embrace the use of those powers, you have nothing to worry about," she said.

"Why would I worry about using the powers of the Curse Kings? I can handle it." I replied confidently with a hint of arrogance.

Fasit regarded me with a critical gaze. "The more you use it, the more likely you'll embrace just how powerful it is. Falling from grace can be incredibly dangerous, Lumiere. You could become impure."

I had to agree with her on that one. Falling from grace was a fate worse than death.

"What would be even worse is if the other Curse Kings find out about you" Fasit continued.

I raised an eyebrow at that and asked who the other Curse Kings were.

Fasit sighed softly. "Zoltar the Vengeful, Kieran the Betrayer, Morgan the Enchanter, Malakar the Deathless and Ravenna the Eternal. Remember those names, Lumiere," she warned.

I couldn't help but admire the power behind those names. "Those are cool names," I commented.

She didn't mention Balrog, as I already knew of him.

Fasit scoffed at my compliment. "You should take them seriously. Each Curse King holds power beyond measure and can threaten entire kingdoms or even empires. You must be careful, Lumiere."

I nodded, but deep down, I was feeling jaded. The sheer power of these Curse Kings was unbelievable. It was hard to imagine that anyone, let alone myself, could handle that kind of power.

<Presently>

I stopped reminiscing and turned to the Grygans.

Today, I planned to give them a family name, granting them access to some of my affinities.

"By having the same family name as mine, you'll have the potential to unlock my elemental affinities, and perhaps even my [Plant Magic]. Though you are all naturally inclined towards [Lightning Magic], you never had the potential to unlock it before. But with my name, I can grant you abilities through [Skill Benefaction] that I will gain." (Lumiere)

As I mentioned the name triggering the unlocking of [Skill Benefaction] and [Skill Store], I added, "But remember, this only works in tandem with [Flyndor's second law], which is 'He who names you, owns you.' Alright?"

The Grygans asked what name I had chosen for them, and a smile crept across my face.

"It's a name I dedicated to Serena," I said, causing her to blush. "Your family name will be - 'Del Silva'." The moment I spoke those words, every single one of them began emanating a bright light, excluding Serena.

As the Grygans glowed with a bright light, I could see the excitement in their eyes. "Del Silva, hmm?" Mojito said, testing out the name on his tongue. "I like it. It has a nice ring to it."

Another Grygan stepped forward, a curious expression on their face. "What does it mean?" they asked.

"Well," I replied, "it's a name that I came up with as a tribute to Serena. 'Del' means 'of the woods' in the old tongue, and 'Silva' means 'forest' in the language of the elves. So 'Del Silva' roughly translates to 'of the forest'."

The Grygans nodded, clearly pleased with the name. "We like it," one of them said, grinning. "We feel honored to bear your family name."

I smiled back at them, feeling a sense of pride and affection for these Grygans who had become like family to me. "I'm honored to have you bear it," I said. "And remember, with this name comes the opportunity to unlock some of my magic affinities. But it also comes with a responsibility to uphold the honor of the Del Silva name."

The Grygans nodded solemnly, and I could see that they understood the weight of this responsibility. But they were also eager to see what new abilities they would gain. "When can we start unlocking these new powers?" one of them asked excitedly.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Careful there, don't get too ahead of yourself. We'll start training as soon as we all recover from this little ceremony. And remember, this is a process that takes time and dedication. But I have faith that you will all do well."

At that moment, I felt drained of all my mana, and I saw that Serena had passed out next to me. "Looks like I went a little overboard," I muttered with a chuckle before blacking out myself.

- - - - - - - - - - -

[POV: Omniscient Akashic Records]

<Andarbani Territory>

In the Andarbani territory belonging to the minotaurs, Fenghis Rhan sat on his crude, monstrous throne, his expression set into a scowl. Skarz stood at his side, his own face a mask of tension and concern.

"The Grygan village chief is strong," Fenghis growled, his voice low and deadly. "But failure is not an option. We must succeed in this war. Our people are counting on us."

Skarz nodded, his gaze fixed firmly on his father. "The army is ready, then?"

Fenghis nodded, a small smirk crossing his lips. "Yes. We have about seven hundred minotaurs that will be going."

Skarz frowned. "Shouldn't we bring more? Just to be safe?"

But Fenghis dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. "No need. We must conserve our resources. We cannot afford to waste them on the insignificant."

Skarz bristled at his father's words, but before he could respond, a loud commotion outside caught their attention.

Fenghis and Skarz made their way to the entrance of the throne room and pushed open the giant doors. Outside, they saw the roughly seven hundred minotaurs they had gathered, all arrayed for battle.

The minotaurs were heavily armed, with axes and clubs glinting in the afternoon sun. They wore crude armor, fashioned from leather and bits of metal, and their expressions were fierce and determined.

The tension in the air was palpable, and Fenghis couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at the sight of his warriors ready for battle. But there was also an edge of fear and uncertainty lurking beneath the surface.

This would not be an easy fight. But they were ready. They had to be. Failure was not an option.