Koji Fights The World - Chapter 22 Mylia

The couple quickly returned to Koji’s room. He placed his writing pad on top of the other one, which he had already filled up with notes while reading The Art of Saber Defense during yesterday’s visit to the Royal Library. He had left the saber at the foot of his bed, and Koji bent over to retrieve it. Unfortunately, the sword case did not offer any hook to fasten to his belt. Thus, Koji had to hold the saber in his hand.

Frankly, this was the primary reason why he declined to carry the weapon with him because it was troublesome to do so. Koji did consider bringing the sword with him inside the palace. But he felt this was unnecessary. After all, there were many guards around him. Furthermore, as a discipline in Wing Chung and Dim-Mak martial arts, Koji specialized in unarmed combat. If hostilities broke out inside the castle, Koji would instead use his martial skills to defend himself. For all these reasons, Koji left the saber in his room.

Once Koji and Zelea left his bedroom, the two jogged through the palace. The princess decided this was a perfect opportunity to train her human legs; Zelea transformed into her human form and stubbornly kept pace with her husband.

The servants were startled by the unusual sight. Even the head servant, Hu Yijin, called out, “Stop~” before she realized who was running around. When she identified the dastardly perpetrators as Princess Zelea and her husband, Hu immediately hid in a nearby room. At first, she didn’t recognize the princess without her snake body. But then, Hu saw Zelea’s face. The head servant broke out in sweat because she had no right to admonish the Royal Family. If Hu displeased any of them, then her head will roll! Thankfully, the royal couple didn’t hear her.

Zelea stopped running and grabbed her husband’s arm, forcing him to stand still. She transformed back to her lamia form and slowly slithered when she entered the forecourt; Koji followed her. Often, King Aphraphus held official meetings in the interior court. Zelea noticed this was the case today when she saw all the guards stationed along the walls; this meant the court was in session. The two quietly hugged the walls as they passed the throne. They saw that the king was entertaining a group of foreigners.

When Koji looked at the guest standing closest to the throne, he was startled to discover the person was a centaur! It was an attractive looking female with olive colored skin and long brown hair. She carried a bow and quiver on her back and two saddlebags; a sword case peeked over one of the containers. Her boiled leather jacket enveloped an ample chest. Her long, brown tail swayed back and forth. Standing further behind her were a dozen more centaurs, but all of them were male.

The centaur felt a stare. She turned in Koji’s direction and snorted. “What’s up, kid? Never seen a Centurion before?” she smirked.

Koji stopped walking. He cupped his hands and bowed respectfully. “This one apologizes for his rudeness,” Koji replied diplomatically.

The centaur noticed the young man stood next to Princess Zelea, and she panicked for a moment. The visitor worried that she had inadvertently insulted the king’s son in front of the father! Thus, she quickly sought to make amends. “My name is Mylia, Ambassador from the Eastern Kingdom of Sinys,” she introduced herself and puffed her chest with pride.

“I am Koji Adalwin Becker, Bonder of Fourth Princess Zelea,” Koji replied.

Mylia became startled at the answer. “So you’re a Bonder, eh?” She heard about the northern kingdom’s practice of bonding lamias with human males for “mutual benefit.” And she realized King Aphraphus was a Bonder to Queen Herecia, the real ruler of Nephosia. But she was surprised to see such a young man become a Bonder, too.

Mylia turned back to the host. “King Aphraphus, may I spar with this kid?” she requested.

“Why?” the king was flabberghasted. Did his son-in-law insult her with a prolonged stare? Apraphus couldn’t blame Koji, though, since the young man was a newcomer to the land of the Four Winds and never met a centaur before.

“I wish to test the abilities of a Bonder,” the centurion replied.

Aphraphus frowned at the answer. A centaur was a powerful opponent, and he worried that Koji would be injured even if Mylia held back.

Suddenly, Koji spoke up. “This one accepts,” he said and bowed.

The king sucked his teeth while the centaur smiled with delight. Why did Koji have to butt in before King Aphraphus could think of a way to decline without losing face?

“Are we fighting barehanded?” Koji asked innocently.

Mylia’s face turned ugly. She saw that the young Bonder was holding a saber in his hand. By suggesting that the two fight barehanded, wasn’t he looking down on her? “Are you sure you can handle me unarmed?” she snorted derisively. Centaurs had tremendous pride, and Mylia was no different. Mylia heard the murmurs behind her, and she glared at him for making her lose face in front of her followers.

Koji spread his hands apologetically. “Perhaps. Please confirm that this is a friendly match to exchange pointers?” he asked politely.

His challenger chuckled. “Sure,” she nodded in confirmation.

“Let’s go,” Koji said and held out his arm in the direction of the exit.

The two walked side-by-side and left the forecourt.

Princess Zelea quietly approached her father and asked, “Why did the centurions visit us?”

“She’s seeking permission to enter the mountain and gather some special herbs. I was going to ask you to accompany Mylia’s group as a herbalist,” the king answered.

“I see,” Zelea nodded. She studied herbology from her deceased mother, Zuxia, and Zelea was as knowledgeable as any herbalist in the kingdom.

Father and daughter left the building and joined the crowd which had already formed a circle around Koji and Mylia.

Koji saw Prince Heretrios among the onlookers and tossed his saber to the prince. “Hold this for me.”

The bewildered brother-in-law reacted quick enough to catch the sword case. He was baffled. Why were the centurions here inside the palace? And why was Koji fighting one of them?

Mylia cracked her knuckles. “Are you ready, little boy?” she taunted.

Koji cupped his hands and bowed politely. “Please guide me,” he said.

She snorted. Why did this Bonder insist on acting so polite? Weren’t Northerners supposedly rude, loud, and obnoxious? Mylia felt that Koji was performing in front of the crowd, and she was very displeased with him. Now angry, the centaur raised her two forelegs in the air, and she charged at him!

The onlookers standing behind Koji jumped to the side to avoid Mylia’s charge!

Koji dove to his right and rolled on the ground. He felt the floor shake from her powerful charge. He grinned with delight at facing such a fearsome opponent! Koji’s eyes examined Mylia’s body to determine her weak points. He soon realized that the three Dantians of a centaur should still be in the same spots as a human.

Koji returned to his feet. However, he crouched as he turned to face the charging centaur again. He waited until the last possible moment to sidestep to his left. Koji immediately turned around, placed his hands on her back, and used them as leverage to jump onto her back.

“Get off me!” Mylia yelled in embarrassment. Within the centurion culture, only a male lover could sit on a female centaur’s back!

However, Koji ignored her demand. He leaned forward, pressed against her back, and wrapped his arms around her neck in a headlock!

The centaur panicked and rose on her hind legs to kick him off her.

He responded by wrapping his legs around her waist and locking his ankles together. Koji moved his left hand to cover her mouth; he squeezed her nostrils between his thumb and forefinger. He pressed his right arm even tighter around her neck.

Mylia’s wild, unruly bucking failed to knock her assailant off. Instead, she burned up the little oxygen remaining within her body even faster. Soon, her knees buckled, and she lost consciousness.

Her followers quickly approached and prevented their leader from dropping to the ground. “Get off Mylia now!” they yelled at Koji, who obeyed and released her.

Koji landed on the floor with a “plop” and respectfully backed away.

The centurions were very upset with him. None of them expected an unarmed boy to defeat their leader in such a humiliating fashion!

Someone patted her face lightly until she awoke. “What happened?” Mylia moaned.

“That human bastard choked you and made you lose consciousness!” a follower replied angrily.

“Give us the order for a Great Hunt!” another centurion requested. The Great Hunt was a form of punishment where the hunting centurions chased after an evildoer and trampled him to death!

“Yes! Order the Great Hunt!” the others joined the demand while glaring at the offender.

Mylia massaged her neck, which felt raw. She took a deep breath and then calmly raised her hand. “I lost the match fair and square to a mighty human warrior. Do not humiliate Sinys further by unjustly provoking a Great Hunt against him,” she said and stared at them.

The centurions winced, and their eyes dropped to the ground. If the injured party refused to order a Great Hunt, then they couldn’t ignore her desire for leniency. Thus, the followers could not touch Koji under Sinysian law.

“Now, step aside!” Mylia ordered, and her followers quickly obeyed. She looked around until she found her target. The defeated centaur slowly approached the victor. She saw the calm expression on his face and felt a stir in her heart. Mylia was a tomboy and always viewed men as lesser than women. Until now.

When Mylia reached Koji, he craned his head and looked up. She saw the concern and gentleness in his eyes and became smitten by him. She grabbed his cheeks, lowered her head, and kissed him right on the lips! “That’s your reward for giving me helpful pointers. Let’s ride together sometime,” she winked at him mischievously in a flirty tone of voice.

Mylia saw the angry look on Princess Zelea’s face and dipped her head. “I apologize for being so forward with your husband. He is worthy of being your Bonder,” she praised. The centaur turned toward the king. “About my request?” she asked politely.

King Aphraphus pointed at his daughter. “Zelea is a herbalist. If she’s willing to assist you, then you have my permission to continue your mission,” he answered.

The centaur winced as she faced the princess again. “Will you help me on my quest?” Mylia asked meekly.

Princess Zelea stared at the centaur for several seconds and made Mylia sweat. Finally, the lamia relented. “Yes. My husband and I will accompany you. We will meet back here tomorrow after breakfast,” she answered.

Mylia and her centurions saluted in unison, by stomping with their left hind legs, to express their appreciation. They were happy to learn that Zelea won’t hold a grudge against Mylia and thereby place the mission in jeopardy.