It was midday in Mango Oasis™—Hari's humble one-tree empire—when the sand began to shift.
The ground trembled ever so slightly.
Mango-chan, who was braiding mango peel into friendship bracelets, perked up. "Oho~ What's that rumble in the dunes?"
Hari squinted toward the horizon. A figure was emerging from the shimmering heatwaves. Tall, proud, and nobly chewing.
"…No way," Hari muttered.
It was him.The Camel Lord.Wearing his proud harness of mango-colored silk ribbons (which he definitely did not have last time), he approached with his head high and an entourage of eight camels behind him—each somehow more majestic than the last.
A Noble Return
The Camel Lord stopped just short of the mango sapling and looked at Hari.
Then at the tree.
Then… at the mango.
Hari, holding a freshly harvested mango, stepped forward cautiously.
"You came back," he said, like a man addressing a long-lost friend.
The Camel Lord grunted.
Mango-chan translated: "He says, I sensed the scent of destiny on the wind."
Hari blinked. "He talks now?"
"No, but I'm fluent in Camel. I downloaded it this morning."
Hari held out the mango. The Camel Lord leaned in, sniffed, and took a bite.
Time slowed.
The wind stopped. The other camels held their breath.
Then…
The Camel Lord's eyes widened. A single tear rolled down his majestic snout.
Mango-chan gasped. "He says, I believed mangoes were but myth… but you… you have brought them to the land of the sun."
The Camel Lord dropped to one knee. Then—so did the other camels.
The Mango Pledge
The Camel Lord nudged a scroll toward Hari with his nose.
Mango-chan unrolled it with flair. "It's a formal camel pledge. He offers his herd to your service… and titles you: Sheikh of Sweetness, Ruler of the Ripe, Sultan of Sap."
Hari choked on mango juice. "What?!"
"It's a very big deal. You basically outrank 40% of the local goat population now."
Just then, the System chimed in.
[System Notification: New Achievement – Lord of the Camels]Reward Unlocked: Mango Stables – Deluxe Edition (Self-cleaning, juice-scented)– Now accessible via Mango Building Menu™– Camels gain +20% Speed and +15% Swagger when parked inside
Behind them, a mango-shaped building sprouted from the sand—golden yellow walls, palm-leaf roofing, and a big juicy "M" logo above the arched entrance.
One of the camels immediately trotted inside and started drinking from the built-in mango smoothie trough.
Hari's Realization
Hari stood there, holding a mango, flanked by a bowing camel lord, a hyperactive fruit girl, and a self-building mango castle for camels.
He blinked slowly.
"…I was a businessman," he whispered to himself. "I wore suits. I balanced spreadsheets."
Mango-chan jumped into frame. "And now you balance camels on dreams and sugar!"
He sighed. "I don't know what's happening anymore."
The Camel Lord stood tall again and gave a respectful grunt.
"He says: The mango winds blow strong today, my liege."
Hari looked out over his weird, wonderful, mango-blessed future.
And, for once, he smiled. "…Let's build an empire."