Case 02: The Centaur with a Bruise

Case 02:
The Centaur with a Bruise

Tisalia Scythia, the centaur princess, was an early riser.

She rose from her bed—a luxurious, canopied affair, large enough for a centaur to lie down upon—at the break of dawn. Thanks to the achievements of Scythia Transportation, Tisalia, heir to the company, was able to live extravagantly.

“Ahhh…”

It was a sleepy morning. Tisalia stifled a yawn as she pulled herself out of bed. Two attendants, Kay and Lorna, awaited her. It was their job to wake up earlier than their employer. Tisalia’s morning ritual included wiping her face with a cloth, fixing her hair, and changing clothes. As the trueborn daughter of the house, Tisalia’s morning preparations were all performed by her attendants. But she kept it simple: Her hair was tied back, out of the way, and over her undergarments, she wore a cotton sweatshirt. That was the extent of it.

Once she was ready, she left the room with Kay and Lorna. The hallway was wide enough for several centaurs to walk abreast. They passed through the hall to the foyer and outside to the yard, where an especially tall centaur waited for them.

He was just past fifty years old, his expression stern under his mustache. He was bare-chested, muscular, and swinging a practice sword. A pool of sweat had formed on the ground around him, suggesting he had already been training for a significant amount of time that morning. Here was a veteran warrior who looked like he could take on a giant if the situation called for it. A closer look at his bare torso revealed multiple scars.

“Umph.” When the man saw Tisalia come out into the garden, he stopped swinging the sword.

“Good morning, Father.”

“Yeah.” Tisalia’s father, Hephthal, head of Scythia Transportation, gave a generous nod.

“I’m going to take my morning run.”

“Fine. Be careful.” Hephthal grinned.

If you only saw his smile, he may have seemed like a soft-spoken gentleman having a conversation with his daughter. But Tisalia could easily imagine him wearing the same smile while wielding a sword as long as he was tall and attacking an enemy camp.

“Kay, Lorna, take care of my daughter.”

“Yes, master.”

“Leave everything to us.”

Her father worried too much… At least, that’s what Tisalia thought. But she couldn’t say such a thing.

Tisalia felt pure joy whenever she trained with Kay and Lorna. For that reason, she always gave her all with her attendants.

“Heh.” She smiled despite herself. Behind her father’s swinging motions, the male employees were practicing under the instruction of the chief steward.

A sharp sound came from yet another direction. Tisalia looked over to see her mother cutting straw with a halberd. Her mother must have been feeling good that day, since she had brought out a real weapon. But Tisalia didn’t see the maids who were always by her mother’s side. If they weren’t in the yard, then perhaps they were meditating in the bathhouse.

The sight of centaurs lined up in training had to be quite a spectacle if you weren’t used to it. But such was the mansion where Tisalia Scythia lived.

The Scythia clan ran a transportation company these days, but they had originally been mercenaries. Only those employees who were strong and whose skills were recognized by Hephthal—the head of the family—were allowed to live in the mansion. Many had participated in the war ten years prior, and they never missed a morning training session.

Of course, Scythia Transportation’s business was expanding significantly now. They had recently added other species, such as harpies, for delivery of letters and small packages, and cyclops, who dealt in automobile maintenance, to the payroll. So this group wasn’t representative of the entire company.

“Kay, have you heard this joke?”

“Huh?”

“The other day, a burglar broke into the guardroom of a certain mansion. He went on and on about how he had come to steal things and screamed, ‘Arrest me!’ But he hadn’t stolen anything, not a single jewel. Do you know why?”

“Umm…” Kay cocked her head to the side.

Lorna answered for her instead. “It was because he broke into this mansion, right?”

“Yes. But once he broke in, even the maids and butlers looked tough! The attendants serving as security were the powerful Scythia! There were tons of expensive weapons and armor, not to mention the art and decorations, but he didn’t even notice any of them! He freaked out all on his own and ran away, then asked the guards to take him into custody!” Tisalia laughed out loud.

She would be telling this story at parties for a while. It was even funnier because it was true. On account of the owner transitioning from the mercenary business to the transport business, the employees were all skilled in martial arts. Well, that wasn’t quite true; it would be an exaggeration to say that all the household effects were weapons. Nevertheless, this was Tisalia’s home. It was the residence of a clan so famous for their strength that even burglars ran away, barefoot.

Morning training was a daily task for Tisalia. Her training was merciless—as one would expect of a warrior. And even though Tisalia was known as the centaur princess, there wasn’t a trace of princess-like elegance when she trained.

She started with an early morning run.

She ran through Lindworm’s main road. She galloped to the central square and back without stopping—her normal route. In the early morning, the roads were empty. Since she didn’t have to worry about an accident, she could run at full speed.

During this particular morning run, Tisalia saw Illy flying in the air, delivering newspapers. Illy served as a subcontractor from the harpy village, but she had already grown used to her role in sky delivery.

After her run, Tisalia returned to the mansion yard and began her weapons training with Kay and Lorna.

“Umph!”

“Atta!”

“Yaaah!”

Kay was acting as her opponent today. Lorna played the role of referee. Tisalia and Kay bellowed battle cries and crossed their practice swords. Even before the sweat from her morning run had dried, Tisalia was sweating anew from the swordplay. Centaurs had huge bodies, which called for great amounts of exercise and led to a large volume of sweat. This was exacerbated by their merciless training.

After the first round of weapons training, Tisalia went to the bathhouse. Her bath began with hot water running over her head. Then it was time to cleanse her body. This was also the job of her two attendants, as Tisalia just stood there. Cold drinking water was available in the bathhouse, and she gulped it down. In the summer, the water was prepared with lemon and salt. The attendants also drank their fill.

Once all the sweat had been rinsed from her body, the attendants dried her off, and she left the bathhouse.

Tisalia sat in front of the mirror in the dressing room. This was when she would get ready for the day and make herself presentable to others. Her hair was fixed nicely atop her head, and she wore just a hint of makeup. While warriors had to fight, it was also a glorious profession to the public eye. She couldn’t just go without prettying herself up.

Tisalia rose so early every morning because of how much she had to do—from training to making herself presentable. It takes time for a princess to get ready.

With Kay and Lorna’s help, her morning tasks were complete.

Next, she moved to the dining hall.

When Tisalia entered the dining hall, her parents were already seated. No matter how busy they were, the family of three always sat down for breakfast together. That was Tisalia’s father’s policy.

“Sorry I’m late, Father, Mother.”

“Well then.” Tisalia’s father was the head of the company and the glue that held the clan together. No matter how busy he was—all day, every day—with work, he never missed breakfast.

Her father was no longer bare-chested, as he had been during training. He was now in a three-piece suit, the scars from his days as a mercenary hidden beneath his formal attire. He would be managing Lindworm’s transportation industry again today.

“Let’s eat then. We received a large delivery of tomatoes from Aluloona today. They’re in season now and absolutely delicious.”

“Yes, they’re wonderfully juicy,” her mother joined in.

Tisalia picked up her silverware. She enjoyed these moments with her family.

Centaurs were generally vegetarians. This morning’s meal included a salad featuring the tomatoes from Aluloona, cornbread, and a soup made from root vegetables. All meals eaten in the mansion were prepared by their contracted chef, so Tisalia never worried about what was in the food.

Biscuits served as garnish for the meal. However, these biscuits were extremely high in salt content. Due to their excessive exercise, centaurs needed that extra sodium. There was no salt to be harvested in Lindworm, but they could get sea salt from the human realm or rock salt from the monster realm, and they did.

“Lorna, today’s biscuits are delicious!” Tisalia praised Lorna, who stood by her side, this time serving as a waiter.

Lorna had made the salt biscuits herself. She made them because they were Tisalia’s favorite, but Tisalia’s parents were also reaching for them. Lorna, who was quite good in the kitchen, let out a modest giggle.

“It’s an honor, my lady.”

Once the main dish had been consumed, the family enjoyed cups of herbal tea. During meals, family conversations were light and happy, but these moments weren’t always just fun and games to Tisalia.

“I almost forgot,” Hephthal suddenly perked up, remembering something.

This is it… Tisalia braced herself.

The atmosphere at the table was suddenly tense. Tisalia’s father constantly tested her on her capabilities as the heir.

“Today is your promotion examination, right?”

“Yes, Father,” Tisalia nodded. She had been expecting this conversation.

“I hear you’ve already won three in a row. So, how about it? Kay, Lorna, what do you think?”

“Yes, master. This morning, the lady defeated me with ease.”

“The lady is full of energy and in high spirits. I am sure she will be promoted.”

Her father nodded, listening to Kay and Lorna. “If you win, then you’ll have reached the second rank. Make sure you succeed.”

Tisalia nodded meekly. “I will make you proud, Father.”

When playing the role of daughter in this house, Tisalia wasn’t in a commanding position. As a daughter, she was capable, obedient, and a proud member of her department.

The promotion examination took place in the arena, where fighters were separated into seven ranks based on their ability. To ensure an interesting match, and to keep the fights from becoming one-sided, fighters fought with others of the same rank. Rookies started at rank seven, the lowest, and moved up based on their results. The strongest fighters, who’d reached rank one, were the heroes of the arena. Those strong enough to win consecutively at rank one were publicly admitted into the hall of fame. When a hall of famer finally withdrew from fighting, their name was carved into the arena monument, preserving their honor for the ages.

Tisalia had her eye on the hall of fame.

Arena-ranking promotion was important. Selections were made based on the promotion examinations that took place in spring and autumn. Only fighters deemed likely to advance battled against each other. Only those who won four times in a row could be promoted to the next rank. Of course, sometimes, certain fighters who were clearly stronger than others were promoted with special speed—such as Kunai Zenow, who rose to rank one in less than six months.

“The lady has already won three matches,” said Kay.

“If she wins today, the news will spread all over Lindworm that she is now a rank-two fighter,” Lorna added.

“And I will be a proud father. Tisalia, don’t let your guard down.”

Tisalia dropped her head. She never let her guard down. She had been on fire for the past six months. She had won match after match and earned her spot as a candidate to be promoted. She couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste. She had to win.

She took a drink of her herbal tea to keep herself from getting worked up. If she were to make rank two, she would suddenly reach a new level of fame. People would bet on her matches, there would be a new level of excitement, and there would be more spectators. Tickets would be hard to come by. She would be the flower of the arena.

Even if she never made it to rank one, which was populated by only heroes and monsters, rank two was still a considerable honor.

She would acquire an appropriate amount of fame as the daughter of Scythia, and if—only if—she could win today, on the way home, she could stop by the clinic.

He would be there…

“Anyway.” This time, it was her mother who spoke. She narrowed her eyes at Tisalia as she drank her herbal tea and ate her biscuits.

Meeting Tisalia’s father’s expectations wasn’t difficult. She had always been a strong and skilled daughter, just as her father expected of her. The problem was her mother. Her father was the type to attack head-on. Her mother, on the other hand, planned schemes before going in for the attack.

“How did your marriage interview go, Tisalia? With the gentleman I arranged for you?”

“Madam…”

“Perhaps such a weak prospect is not appropriate for the lady.”

“Kay and Lorna, you will hold your tongues. This is an heir issue. You’re out of line speaking on this matter.”

“Er—” Kay and Lorna became silent. They were powerless when Tisalia’s mother took the offensive.

Her mother was about to turn forty, but she looked much younger. Perhaps daily training preserved her youthful looks. She was also active in the company’s business, assisting her husband and serving as the fabric holding Scythia Transportation together. But that was business…

For some reason, when she spoke to Tisalia, she became a mother who could speak of nothing but marriage. Tisalia’s mother was the only one who ever brought up the subject. She wanted to see her daughter married. She wanted grandchildren as soon as possible.

“Mother, you don’t need to set up any more interviews. I already have someone in mind.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then bring him here. I assume you mean Dr. Glenn from the clinic.” Her mother’s reply was curt.

If it were so easy, then Tisalia would have already brought him to the mansion.

“Dr. Glenn… Well, he’s very busy.”

“Hmph. Falling in love with a weak human man. Are you sure you’re in the right mind? You are the daughter of the house of Scythia. You need a powerful suitor from your own species.”

“Er…” Tisalia felt her face getting hot.

If only her mother could catch a cold, just the once. Then she could visit the clinic and see with her own eyes what a man the doctor was. But her mother was someone who meditated in cold water in the middle of winter. She never so much as sneezed. What could Tisalia do? She could try to find a way to send her mother to the hospital herself… At this point, it was possible she had trained enough to defeat her mother with the spear.

Tisalia let her anger stew as she looked at her mother.

“Don’t look at me like that. If you have something to say, then say it.”

Tisalia saw the fighting spirit in her mother’s eyes. Her mother was just as ready to fight as she was. In the end, they were a family of warriors. The only way they knew how to settle things was with weapons. Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since Tisalia had faced her mother…

“Enough.” Her father interrupted the staring contest between mother and daughter with a single word, just before the explosion. “We are eating.”

“But, honey…”

“She can only take so much, Kimmeria. And any man who is going to marry into this family should be stronger than our daughter. When you were young, I seem to remember you were saying something along the lines of, ‘I’ll never marry a man weaker than me!’”

“Er… H-honey! We certainly don’t need to talk about when I was young… Not here!” Kimmeria’s face turned bright red, and she fell silent.

Tisalia’s father had been heir to the Scythia military family, and her mother was from another noble centaur family. Tisalia was eternally interested in that love story. Meanwhile, Kay and Lorna were stifling their laughter at the thought of Tisalia’s mother as a young and unruly horse.

But when it came to martial arts, Glenn knew nothing. No one could possibly mistake him for being stronger than Tisalia. If her father knew that, then he’d probably be even more against the match than her mother. Tisalia wasn’t sure how strong Glenn was mentally, but it wasn’t as if her parents would understand such a thing anyway.

“Well then, Father, I should get going.”

“Oh, yes. Kimmeria and I have company business to tend to, so we won’t be able to make it, but I’ll be waiting for good news. Give them a fight worthy of our name!”

“Yes, Father.”

Tisalia got up quickly from the table. Kay and Lorna followed her.

It wasn’t a lie that it was time to head to the arena, but it was also true that Tisalia wanted to get away from her mother’s marriage interview attack as soon as possible. Hephthal may have been against this particular suitor because he was weak, but even he was on the side of speeding up Tisalia’s marriage talks.

“It’s just…” She didn’t need this right before such an important match.

Tisalia couldn’t stop thinking about Glenn.

***

It was a fierce battle.

She knew because the cheers didn’t cease even after the match was over.

“Ahh… Ahh…”

Tisalia’s shoulders moved up and down as she breathed heavily. She was hot and sweating inside her body armor. Her final opponent, Marone Golghar—known as the Green Wind—was a mid-level fighter whom Tisalia had battled many times. Marone had good results, and thus had been selected for the promotion examination. They both had three consecutive wins, so this would be their last battle for the test.

Marone’s speed and accuracy had improved from what Tisalia remembered. She smoothly dodged Tisalia’s charge and aimed for the gap in her armor with the practice sword.

“Ugh…”

Her arm still hurt.

Marone was mixing in joint-lock techniques. Tisalia had been worried when Marone got hold of her arm, but she had been able to pull away with her natural physical strength and stab her with the spear the moment Marone was off balance.

“My Lady! My Lady!”

“You’re winning! You’re doing it!”

Kay and Lorna’s voices were audible above the crowd. The two normally graceful women were now grinning from ear to ear and clapping their hands.

“My Lady!”

“Princess!”

“You got this!”

Others from Scythia Transportation were also yelling “Princess! Princess!” almost too loudly. Illy was bouncing up and down and looked as if she would fly away. She had stopped by in the middle of her shift just to have a quick look.

Tisalia had…won? It hadn’t quite set in yet.

Marone, who had fallen, was being carried off by the arena staff. She was one of the tough lizardfolk, so she probably hadn’t been hurt badly, but Tisalia was still a bit worried.

“Ahh… Oof…”

Tisalia couldn’t lift the arm that held her spear. Instead, she lifted her right arm high in a sign of victory to the spectators. That’s when it happened.

“Amazing! It was just amazing!”

She heard a cool voice that sounded like a bell. But for some reason, that single, nonchalant comment silenced the entire booming arena.

“It could have gone either way. It was fierce. You should be proud, it was a great fight.”

A shadow fell across Tisalia.

It was Skadi Dragenfelt.

She must have flown down to the arena floor from the highest terrace seat. The promotion battles were important matches, so members of the Lindworm City Council often attended, but Tisalia never would have thought the head of the council would attend in person. Skadi was recovering from a major surgery that had had Lindworm up in arms and had just resumed her governmental duties. She had already removed her veil, and her cherubic face was visible.

“Th-thank you very much…”

“Yes, well, I’m bored of being a spectator by now.”

“Wh-what?”

Skadi’s bodyguard was yelling something from the terrace. It was too far to hear, but Tisalia could read her lips: Run away, now!

“Tisalia, how about a match?”

“W-with me?”

“It would certainly be exciting.”

For the first time ever, Skadi removed her robe in public, showing that she had completely recovered from her illness. She tossed the robe away, revealing the perfectly-fitted inner garments she was wearing. They were probably made of special fabrics from Loose Silk Sewing. They ensured easy movement without her wings and scales getting in the way. She had probably selected these clothes intentionally to make a scene.

“I’m often misunderstood. The truth is that I hate war, but I’m not opposed to a good battle.”

---

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There was an uproar in the crowd. Why wouldn’t there be? Such a battle wouldn’t be a sanctioned event, but it was a rare opportunity to see a dragon fight. And this was Skadi Dragenfelt. Years ago, she’d participated in an exhibition match with the fighters on a whim, but, to make a long story short, she was so far out of their league that all the challengers were beaten out of their senses. Thereafter, Skadi was banned from all fights, including exhibition matches, setting the precedent that someone could be banned without ever even becoming a fighter. The dragoness was legendary at the arena, so much so that she had been given the moniker “Draconess.”

There was no question that Tisalia would never be able to take her on.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you.” Skadi cocked her head to the side as if to ask, “Why the hesitation?” But, of course, when your opponent was a dragon, even if they were to pull their punches…the fight could be deadly.

“Er.” Tisalia glanced over at the official guest seating. Kay held up her arms in the shape of an X, and Lorna’s eyes were cast down as she shook her head vigorously. They were telling her that she needn’t take on this fight. Once the referee signaled that the match was over, that was it. Permission had not been granted for Skadi’s fight, so no matter how much the Draconess might complain, the fight was over.

But…

The crowd is in an uproar…

The cheers weren’t stopping.

After the titillating promotion match between Tisalia and Marone, in which Tisalia had been victorious, the strongest dragon in Lindworm had intruded, challenging the winner. This was the ultimate drama. It was only natural that the crowd would grow excited at such a surprise.

I am a warrior… Putting on a good fight and showing off my skills is my…

The hand that held her spear was shaking.

Tisalia was covered in wounds. Her right arm was hurt, and she was breathing hard. All she wanted to do was go home and get in the bath with an ice-cold fruit drink. But…

“How can I refuse? I accept your challenge. Let’s go, Draconess!”

Tisalia fixed her grip on the spear with her shaking hand and charged.

Her opponent may have been a dragon, but she looked like nothing more than a child. She had just recovered from an illness; Tisalia could find an advantage somewhere.

“Typical.” Skadi grinned.

“Ha!” Tisalia kicked the ground of the arena and broke into a gallop.

She still had a grip on her spear. She closed the distance between her and the dragon in an instant and prepared to deal a charging blow.

“Too slow.”

Skadi easily grabbed the tip of the spear with what felt like enough strength to crush it. Where did she hide all that power in such a tiny body?

“Did you think you could win just by surprising me?”

“No?” Tisalia smiled just a little. She let go of the spear.

“Eh?” Skadi was caught off guard and lost her balance.

“That was poor form! I’m sorry!” With her body free after letting go of the spear, Tisalia lifted her forelegs high into the air. She adjusted slightly and took aim…

Then she brought her hooves down Skadi while she was vulnerable, using her entire bodyweight.

“Oof!”

“Argh!”

This move was called the hoof drop. Tisalia figured it was the only way she could possibly cause any damage to an opponent as fierce as Skadi. The move was prohibited in normal matches. Depending on where you hit, it had the potential to crush internal organs or shatter bones. If someone were to kill their opponent, their reputation as a fighter would come into question. But Tisalia was sure that Skadi would be able to take a hoof drop without dying.

“You’re…good.”

That’s when Tisalia realized that she had been too optimistic. Skadi dodged Tisalia’s hoof drop with extraordinary reflexes. Tisalia, spear-less, fell to the ground. It seemed like the situation had been reversed. But Tisalia still had a trick up her sleeve.

Now!

There’d been resistance when she touched Skadi’s shoulder. She hadn’t been able to crush Skadi with her hooves, but she must have caused some damage. She picked up her spear and chased after Skadi.

“That’s it, Centaur Princess. I’m just getting started…” Skadi opened her palm to grab the spear again. “I said I’d go easy on you.”

Moments later, Tisalia’s world flipped upside down.

***

“What the hell were you thinking?”

“You had already been promoted!”

“How many times are you going to say it? Sometimes a woman has to stand up for herself!”

“My Lady, that’s every time with you.”

“You need to learn when to withdraw from a fight.”

“Ugh. I know! I’m just stubborn!”

In the end, Tisalia had succumbed to Skadi’s counterattack.

She hurt all over. She had already been battered from her fight with Marone, and on top of that were the new injuries from her encounter with Skadi. Her entire body was bruised and aching.

Skadi’s tactics were mainly composed of throwing moves. She’d eluded Tisalia’s charge, grabbed the spear, and thrown her.

“I thought she said she’d go easy on me…”

Tisalia saw through Skadi. Tisalia’s opening attack—the hoof drop—had caught Skadi completely off guard. Whether it was because she had just recovered from her illness, or because it had been too long since she last fought, it didn’t matter. She had let her guard down.

If Tisalia had only nailed the hoof drop, she probably would have won. Of course, she hadn’t nailed it because of the difference in their speed.

After that, Skadi threw Tisalia over and over, almost as if in revenge. Once she was in her groove, there was no stopping her. Was it an Aiki move? Whatever it was, Tisalia didn’t have the means to respond to it.

Using Kay and Lorna’s shoulders to prop herself up, Tisalia headed toward the arena medical office. She was just able to walk, so she didn’t need a stretcher—but, in any case, she had to get checked out. The arena doctor only specialized in humans. He did examine monsters in emergency cases, but patients with severe injuries were transported to the Central Hospital. The doctor was also passionate about examining human fighters, but was careless when it came to monsters, perhaps because it wasn’t his specialty.

It would be so much better if the doctor knew about monsters… Like Glenn.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Tisalia.”

Tisalia’s eyes opened wide at the sound of that voice. “Wha… D-Doctor?!”

“Yes, please have a seat. It seems you’ve suffered a full-body contusion. Let me make sure you don’t have any broken bones.”

“Er… Um…”

How? Why? She was trembling too much to articulate her question. She didn’t know why Glenn Litbeit was in the arena medical office. Of course, she had no qualms about being examined by Glenn.

“You know, I was trying to imagine what it could be when the arena staff burst into my clinic. I had heard there someone was fighting with Skadi, so I knew there would be injuries. I hurried over as fast as I could.”

“Oh… I see.”

“It seems Dr. Cthulhy was here too, so I didn’t really need to come, but…” Dr. Cthulhy was sometimes asked to be present for important matches, just in case an accident happened. But this time, she was probably just a spectator. Or maybe she was there to keep an eye on Skadi, as her primary physician. There was no other explanation for why the arena staff would be unaware of Cthulhy’s presence and call Glenn instead.

Just then, as if to substantiate Tisalia’s conjecture, the sounds of an argument emerged from the neighboring room.

“Skadi, you get zero points. Who gave you permission to fight?”

“But it just had been so long …”

“So what? Forget the fact that you’re banned from fighting. I gave strict orders to the arena considering the state of your heart. Who lifted that ban?”

“The surgery’s over, so I thought it would be fine.”

“You thought it would be fine?! Ha! What do you think the phrase ‘doctor’s orders’ even means?! You were recovering well, but now, who knows? There is no way you’re ready for such an intense fight! You just do whatever you want and never listen to anyone… I know you’ve been sneaking snacks, too!”

“Wh-who told you that? No one knows about my midnight snacks… Have you been paying off Kunai, Cthulhy?”

“Shut up! You need to wake up and recognize that you’re still recovering!”

“Stop it. I don’t need a doctor who just nags me all the time. I’m going back to watch the rest of the fights.”

“Idiot! You need to be examined to make sure all that moving around hasn’t affected your recovery. We’re going home now!”

“Nooo…”

“As your primary physician, from now on, I’m going to watch your every move. You’d better know that Kunai is on my side! We’re going home now!”

“But I don’t want to-o-o.” Skadi dragged out every syllable.

The City Council representative was stamping her feet and having a tantrum. It was as if she had left her dignity somewhere and lost track of it. Tisalia had heard that Skadi worked harder than ever at her governmental duties after her surgery, and had, in turn, become more impulsive in her private life.

Tisalia had never dreamed she would be pulled into that impulsiveness, though.

Skadi’s screams grew quieter and quieter. Cthulhy must have been dragging her away.

“Right, so that’s the situation…” Dr. Glenn spoke.

“Well…I think I’ve gotten a glimpse into the daily struggles of a doctor.”

“I’m sorry you had to hear that… Let’s start the exam.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Kay and Lorna hurried to remove Tisalia’s armor.

In normal matches, the fighters used weapons, so Tisalia wore armor to protect herself from unnecessary scratches. Centaurs were so powerful that heavy iron armor didn’t hinder their movements at all. Of course, this only applied to normal matches. Skadi probably chose throwing moves as a way of going easy on Tisalia, but they had the opposite effect. Each time Tisalia hit the ground or a wall, the force of her own bodyweight and the weight of her armor worked against her. Even though she was wearing pads between the armor and her bare skin, pain was pain. Today, she’d gotten a taste of that in a very literal sense.

“Hmm…”

To be stared at in such a way—even by the man she loved—made Tisalia uncomfortable. Her bruising was centered on her torso, and most of her armor was on the top part of her body, from the waist up, where she resembled a human. Glenn examined Tisalia’s body as if he were intent on licking it clean. No, that’s a poor way to put it—there was nothing strange or sexual about the way this doctor examined his patient.

“There is no internal bleeding… I see. That’s amazing, Tisalia. You are good at taking blows!”

“Of… Of course.”

“Hmm. What’s this…”

Glenn picked up Tisalia’s right arm. She couldn’t help but feel some excitement. Her elbow fell just below Glenn’s line of vision. He took her hand and started rubbing her arm gently.

“Ouch!”

“Ahh, that’s what I was afraid of. Your joint has locked. Probably from one of Marone’s moves. I just saw her.”

“Y-you examined Marone?”

“Yes, of course. I had some extra time.”

What a workaholic.

No offense to Marone, but, for some reason, Tisalia was disappointed that she wasn’t his first examination.

“Let’s put a compress on it. I don’t think it’s serious, but it may start to hurt more later.”

He stuck the compress on and patted the wrapping with his hand. He executed this treatment without hesitation.

“It looks like…everything else is fine. Do you feel pain anywhere else?”

“N-no. Not anywhere specific.”

That was a lie. In truth, it wasn’t just her right arm; her entire body was in pain. But this degree of soreness was a daily occurrence at the arena. It was nothing she considered severe enough to report to a doctor.

Glenn looked Tisalia closely in the eye. “Your neck?”

“Wh-what?”

“In the fight. There was just one blow that you didn’t take well. Luckily, you weren’t thrown directly on your head, but… Tisalia, you’re not turning your head at all. Does your neck hurt?”

“You noticed that?!” If he had been watching the fight, then maybe she should have tried harder… But that wasn’t the point.

Glenn didn’t know anything about martial arts, but he could tell that she failed to take a blow? Right in the middle of a violent offensive and defensive battle between dragon and centaur? Still, even if he didn’t know anything about fighting, when it came to monsters, he never missed injuries or illnesses. Glenn had opened his clinic while he was still young, and with his observant eye, he probably had the skills of a veteran fighter.

“Let me take a look… Ah, but I’m not tall enough.”

Glenn only stood as tall as Tisalia’s chest. It would be hard for him to examine her neck, even if he were to stand on his toes. Tisalia had no choice but to bend her legs and crouch down, but then…

“Here, Doctor.”

“How is this?”

“Hey! Whoa!” Glenn was lifted into the air.

Kay and Lorna each took a side and lifted him in their arms. Lifting a single human man was an easy feat for a centaur. They watched to see what he would do.

“Hey, you guys!”

“You can see her neck much better from here.”

“Th-that’s not what I meant…” Glenn stammered.

“My Lady, don’t move.”

With that, Glenn was suddenly riding on Tisalia’s back, placed there by Kay and Lorna. More accurately, he was sitting astride on the trunk of her body—the space between her front and back legs, which resembled a horse. The heat and weight of Glenn made Tisalia feel uneasy.

“He doesn’t need to be on my back…”

“Oh, but I can certainly examine you easily from here. I’m sorry, Tisalia.”

“Mmm?! Doctor, that’s too…”

This wasn’t good. Ethically…this was a problem.

“Ah, mmm!”

“I’m sorry, let me just take a look at your neck.”

Tisalia whinnied. She shuddered as Glenn stroked the back of her neck.

Kay and Lorna, like Tisalia, wore protective equipment that resembled a horse’s saddle. It was a traditional protective piece that could transform into a shield in a pinch.

However, the saddle shape was only decorative, and it wasn’t actually designed for anyone to ride on. Furthermore, centaurs had high backs, so it wasn’t easy for humans to sit astride. Unless, of course, they had the help of other centaurs.

“Mmm. Ah!”

“Tisalia, I’m sorry, please hold still,” said Glenn.

“I-I’m trying… But you’re on my back…” She was uncomfortable. Tisalia never had anyone ride on her back before.

“Oh, am I too heavy?”

“You’re not heavy! You’re not heavy at all!”

With their nearly upright torsos and long lower bodies, centaurs looked perfect for riding to humans, just like horses. But they resented being treated like horses. They were a proud species. It was said that in ancient times they had been ridden as slaves but used their knowledge of martial arts to fight for their freedom.

However, centaurs had one weakness.

“Mm. Ahh!”

Glenn’s face was close. Tisalia could feel his breath and his fingers on her neck. She folded her arms across her chest to stay still as she endured his touch. The way centaurs were built, their hands couldn’t reach their own back. She would never let someone else ride her, but this wasn’t just anyone. This was the man she loved. She could easily cause a big fuss and shake him off her back—but she couldn’t let Glenn get hurt. Her only choice was to let him conduct the exam from where he was perched.

“Ooooh!”

Glenn continued with the examination. He was thorough. Damage to cervical vertebra could be a matter of life and death. Tisalia endured her embarrassment and stayed still, counting the seconds until the ordeal was over.

Kay and Lorna were smiling—no, they were smirking as they watched their employer.

“Mmm… Oh, ooh.”

Centaurs’ backs were their weak points. They couldn’t counterattack from there. Once someone got on them, they were stuck. For example, if Glenn had been an enemy in battle, he could have easily stabbed her in her unprotected back once he was riding her. To put it another way, centaurs only let those they trusted most onto their backs.

“Hmm. Tisalia, can you turn your head this way?”

“H-huh?”

She looked behind her, turning only her neck. Glenn’s face was right next to hers. Even the battle-hardened Tisalia was powerless when it came to the man she loved, and she succumbed.

“It doesn’t look like you’re in pain. I don’t think we need to worry about whiplash.” Glenn wore the same professional expression as always. It was likely he hadn’t even noticed. For a centaur to let a man around the same age as her sit on her back was like confessing that she loved and respected him more than anyone else in the world.

“Mmm!” Tisalia went weak in the knees at the thought and fought the feeling off with all her might.

Glenn continued to palpate her around the neck and shoulders until he had finished the exam, seemingly satisfied. Tisalia’s sense of shame from the fact that she was being ridden was more intense than the feeling of being touched by Glenn.

---

---

Her only choice now would be to marry him.

Perhaps it was finally time to start thinking seriously about introducing him to her parents.

“Um, Tisalia…”

“Y-yes?”

“The exam is finished. It looks like your neck will be fine. Also… It’s a bit too high for me to jump. Can you let me down?”

The saddle-shaped protective piece on her back didn’t have stirrups. Of course he couldn’t get down on his own.

“Y-yes. Just a moment…”

She bent her four legs to a more appropriate height for Glenn to dismount from. Even though she had been embarrassed, Tisalia felt somewhat sad as Glenn moved away from her.

Although she had bumps and bruises all over her body, she didn’t have any broken bones or sprains. Tisalia breathed a sigh of relief at Glenn’s final diagnosis. The fact that she’d gotten away with only a few bruises was proof that she had excellent defensive techniques. Considering she’d battled a dragon, she had essentially gotten away scot-free. So long as she applied compresses and soaked in the bath as necessary, she would recover quickly. At the Scythia mansion, they had medicinal bath herbs that worked well on bruises.

“That’s all then. Take care of yourself.”

“U-umm, Doctor?” Tisalia called after Glenn as he was about to leave. “Well, I… Actually, today was my promotion battle.”

“Promotion battle? Oh, is that right? No wonder Skadi was there to watch.”

Glenn had supposedly been watching as well, but he hadn’t realized what the fight was for. Whether a fighter would move up or not was their own business, and it didn’t really have anything to do with the spectators, so that made sense.

“And… Well, I moved up to rank two today.”

“Really! Rank two? That’s amazing! I heard promotion battles were tough, but… To reach rank two, you really must be a top-notch fighter. Congratulations, Tisalia!” Glenn said this with a genuine smile on his face.

He may be delicate, but Glenn was still a man. He didn’t have strength or a ranking, but he could admire these qualities in others. And so…

“Yes, that’s right! I worked so hard! I think a reward may be in order?”

“Absolutely! Let’s celebrate! Where would be a good place to go…”

He took the words right out of her mouth, perplexing Tisalia. She knew he was incredibly busy, but to think that he would still make time for her… Her heart leaped with delight. Before she could ask if he was sure, Kay and Lorna spoke up.

“Perfect! We will arrange a celebration.”

“We will set it up at a time that’s convenient for you, Doctor.”

“Oh, really? That would be great.”

“I think the Giant Squid’s Inn will be fine…”

“It will be a wonderful celebration.”

The plans were already being made. Tisalia relaxed. Glenn had turned her down for marriage interviews many times. She suspected that he disliked her for some reason. But he certainly wasn’t acting like he disliked her right now. She should change her approach.

Tisalia was used to attacking head-on, but that strategy didn’t work on all opponents. Sometimes, even though it wasn’t her specialty, she would have to switch to an attack with feints and smokescreens woven in.

Love was the same.

“Oh, about the celebration.”

“Yes?”

“Um… Well, if possible, I’d like it to be just the two—”

Just the two of us.

She wanted to celebrate alone with Glenn. Perhaps it was a selfish thing to say. If she finished her sentence, would he think her self-centered? Even though she was ruthless in the arena, when it came to love, she could never make headway. Tisalia couldn’t even say the words, “Just the two of us.”

Just when she was trying to muster up the courage—

“Intruder!” Lorna suddenly cried out. She was facing the door to the medical office and waving her arms frantically.

The walls of the arena were made of stone. A dagger was currently protruding from it. Since even a direct hit with such a dagger wouldn’t be life-threatening, it had to be just a diversion.

“L-Lorna! What has gotten into you?!”

“I’m sorry, My Lady. It looks like they ran away.”

While Lorna was apologizing, Kay flew out of the room to chase after the intruder. There weren’t many beings that could outrun a healthy centaur.

But Tisalia was confused. An intruder in the arena? Only authorized personnel were allowed in this area, and the security was tight. This was where the arena operations took place. How could an intruder get in? Furthermore, Tisalia hadn’t sensed anyone else present.

“How could anyone possibly get past security?”

“I don’t know. But when I saw them, I got sort of a bad feeling. Just slightly.”

Tisalia felt a wave of admiration. Lorna’s direct fighting ability was inferior to her partner Kay’s. In this bout of promotions, Kay had moved up to rank three, while Lorna remained at rank four. Even though they were twins, they didn’t have the same exact fighting capabilities. But, almost as compensation for that weakness, Lorna had sharpened what could only be called a sixth sense. She was especially sensitive to bloodlust and the presence of other people.

Maybe one of Dr. Glenn’s procedures—a treatment that included a blindfold and restraints—had had an effect on her. Perhaps she would mature as a warrior someday soon.

“Did you see what they looked like? Did you see their face?”

“It was only a moment, and it was through the door since they were just peeking in, so I couldn’t get a clear look. But…”

“But what?”

Lorna cut herself off. She was hesitant, as if she shouldn’t say what she was thinking.

“It’s fine. Keep going.”

“Y-yes. Well, um…” Her trustworthy attendant looked extremely apologetic. “The presence of the intruder seemed… Well, it seemed very similar to your presence.”

A chill seemed to fill the air.

It went without saying that even if there had been an intruder, there was no way that it could have been Tisalia.

But the ominous atmosphere lingered.

In the back of Tisalia’s mind—actually, in the back of everyone’s minds—a disturbing thought remained. They were all thinking the same thing, but no one dared say it.

Doppelgänger. Something that took on the form of others.

“Er.”

Just when Tisalia should have been basking in her victory and promotion, things became creepy.

Kay came back and said she was unable to find a trace of the intruder. Everyone had grown quiet at the creepy thought of something unidentifiable.

“It’s fine,” Tisalia said to Glenn, who was looking queasy. “Even if it were a doppelgänger, if it shows up wanting trouble, I’ll introduce her to my spear! Hohoho!”

Half of what she said was just tough talk, to make herself feel better. A doppelgänger was supposed to be some type of spirit, right? Would a spear even do anything to them? But Glenn looked relieved to hear Tisalia’s loud laughter. She felt so happy to put someone else’s mind at ease.

Especially a man she was in love with.

***

“To think someone is impersonating me on such a glorious day! I didn’t even get the chance to ask Glenn if we could celebrate alone, just the two of us!”

They were on their way home from the arena. Tisalia clip-clopped down the main road. She was listing her complaints on the road to the mansion. Kay and Lorna giggled as they listened to Tisalia. They weren’t making fun of her, of course. She had been distracted by the doppelgänger and unable to say something really important.

She wanted to celebrate over a meal alone, with Glenn.

“No… Not really. That’s just an excuse,” Tisalia said self-deprecatingly.

She knew the doppelgänger wasn’t the issue. Even after the fuss, there had been ample opportunity to talk to Glenn, if she’d really wanted to. She just couldn’t bring herself to say it because she lacked the courage. She was afraid that if she were to invite him to spend time with her alone, he would decline. She never lost her nerve in the arena, even against the Draconess. But with Glenn, she couldn’t muster up enough courage. Why was it that she could never overcome her cowardice when it came to love, no matter how much she trained?

“Don’t give up quite yet, My Lady.” Lorna was giggling.

Peculiar…

Tisalia knew that, of all her attendants, Lorna was the one who was the fullest of mischief. She only pretended to be a proper lady. When she had that look on her face, Lorna was dangerous in more ways than one.

“B-but, now the celebration is going to be a big party at the inn, isn’t it? There will be no chance for me to be alone with the doctor!”

“Don’t think about it like that.”

“This is your chance to cross that line in an open setting. You’ll be the guest of honor!”

“Cross the line?! Just what do you have in mind, Lorna, Kay?”

“It doesn’t matter who else is there.”

“Don’t worry, My Lady, you won’t need to lift a finger.”

“Y-you expect me to be that bold?”

Kay and Lorna laughed as they cantered away.

Tisalia’s attendants were more enthusiastic about her interests than Tisalia was herself. At this rate, she’d be getting into something completely different than what she had hoped for. For example, they would order something from Loose Silk Sewing that barely covered her, then make her stand in front of Glenn while wearing it.

“Hey, wait up, you guys!”

Kay and Lorna were cantering at a fair speed down the main road.

Perhaps they were only teasing, but Tisalia was beside herself. When those two said they would do something, they did it. Then again, Tisalia would do anything if it would bring her and Glenn together. She was still too shy to expose her body to him. Actually, the way he’d sat on her back today was even more embarrassing, but that was different.

As she chased after Kay and Lorna, Tisalia felt a strong sense of impending crisis. She, who had achieved the amazing feat of being promoted to rank two, who was the heir of Scythia, who had brought honor to her name… She wasn’t worried about the expectations her parents had for her, her future opponents, who would be even stronger, or even the doppelgängers that had the entire city talking.

She was worrying over Glenn and her runaway attendants.

***

Several days had passed since the Draconess intruded and created such a dramatic scene.

“What did the doctor say?”

“He said he’s free on the Day of the Golden Urn at the end of the month. What about the orchestra?”

“I booked them. They’re free on that day as well.”

“Good. Now that the date of the celebration is decided, we just need to send out invitations…”

“Wait… On the Day of the Golden Urn, won’t the master and mistress be accompanying a caravan transport?”

“Hmm. Is that right? Well, perhaps Lady Tisalia will be more at ease if they don’t attend anyway.”

“You’re terrible.”

The couple—no, the girls—laughed out loud. They were the centaur ladies, Kay and Lorna.

For some reason, when they were alone, they assumed a strange dialogue. Normally, they looked exactly alike, but when their employer wasn’t present, the graceful Lorna softened the commanding Kay, and they looked more like lovers, so to speak.

“Well, the lady will be satisfied so long as the doctor is there.”

“That’s true. Let’s make sure he comes, even if that means tying him up,” Kay said, without hesitation.

It wasn’t a joke. She was dead serious.

In the central plaza, the two of them planned the celebration as they listened to Lulala sing. In their hands was a sheepskin they used instead of a notepad. There were many people who had to be invited. One woman in particular was an important guest.

***

“No problem!”

Lulala Heine was answering two questions that Kay and Lorna had asked her. She just happened to be on a break. She was a bit out of breath, but Lulala was as cheerful as always.

“Where will it be held? The Giant Squid’s Inn?”

“Yes, the madam already gave us her permission.”

“We would love to have you sing.”

“Heh… You’re making me blush!”

Even to Kay, Lulala looked like a cute little girl.

The audience gathered around the fountain was made up of both men and women. Her smile was so enchanting that it appealed to everyone, regardless of gender. Apparently, the Draconess had discovered the girl’s talent herself, but Kay found it more surprising that the girl, with her beautiful voice, had never left the canals until then.

“Okay, I’ll see you at the Inn at the end of the month.”

“Thank you. We’ll make sure there’s a little something extra with your fee.”

“Yay!”

Lulala splashed the water with her tail as the fountain rained down upon her. She looked like an innocent child. She was younger than Kay and Lorna, but she was also a friend of their employer, and needed to be treated with respect.

“Oh, and who will be attending?”

Kay and Lorna involuntarily looked at each other. They couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey! Don’t laugh at me!”

“W-we’re sorry. Hehe.”

“We have invited Dr. Glenn.”

“What?! Oh, I mean, I don’t care about Dr. Glenn, but…” Lulala looked all around, worried. She was easy to read.

As attendants, it wasn’t their place to say it, but if Lulala’s desires were fulfilled, it would make Tisalia cry. They couldn’t overlook that. Tisalia’s happiness was everything to Kay and Lorna. Wasn’t it also their job to urge their employer to make sure that Lulala didn’t beat her to the punch?

“That’s all for now.”

“We’ll let you know when the rehearsal date is set.”

There were other preparations to be made. They needed to prepare Tisalia’s dress and accessories and decide the menu to be served at the inn. It would be rude to ask Lulala to just get up and sing on the day of the event, so they needed to arrange a rehearsal with the musicians. While they were contemplating what arrangements to move on to next, Lulala called out and stopped them.

“Oh, wait…umm, Lorna?”

“Yes?”

“You’re good at baking, right?”

“Well, yes, I do what I can.”

Kay figured that the girl just wanted Lorna to teach her how to bake. It was true that Lorna’s baked goods were superb. Unlike Kay, who was only skilled with a sword, Lorna was also good at housekeeping tasks.

“I’m feeling a bit hungry… Do you happen to have anything to eat?”

“Something to eat? This is all I have with me right now…” Lorna took a biscuit out of her satchel. It was probably leftover from the ones she made for Tisalia.

“Can I have it?”

“Of course. Help yourself.”

Lulala thanked Lorna and put the biscuit in her waterproof satchel. Then, with a splash, she submerged herself in the water. Lorna was a bit worried about the biscuit in the water, even if the satchel was waterproof.

“What’s wrong, Kay?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Liar. Something is wrong.”

Lorna leaned in closer to Kay’s face. In times like these, the ever-sensitive Lorna was keen to know Kay’s feelings. Kay and Lorna weren’t actually related by blood, but there were moments when they knew each other even better than real twins. They had a connection deeper than siblings, deeper than lovers.

For example, right now.

“I was just thinking that Lulala didn’t eat the biscuit. It seems a bit strange.”

“Maybe she’ll take it home to eat it.”

“But she said she was hungry. Why would she wait and take it home? She could have eaten it here.”

“So, maybe she was going to share with her siblings? She has a ton of little brothers and sisters.”

“Wouldn’t she say so if she was going to give it to her siblings? Plus, it was only one biscuit. Would she be able to split that up between all of them?”

“Then what?” Lorna stared into Kay’s face.

“I don’t know.”

“That’s it?”

“I’m not very smart. I just thought that Lulala wasn’t going to eat that biscuit. That’s all I know.” Kay spread out her hands and threw them in the air with a sigh.

She tried not to think about things she couldn’t know the answer to. It was as plain as that. For better or worse, it was Kay’s policy not to dwell on things.

“Let’s go, Lorna. We still have much to do.”

“I know… Ugh.”

Kay and Lorna continued to the plaza. So long as these two capable attendants were there, the celebration preparations would go off without a hitch. But it meant that they were too busy to dwell on their uneasy feelings about Lulala.

Who was the biscuit for?

Kay wouldn’t learn the answer to that question until the celebration was over.