CHAPTER 1031: CHAPTER 157 - THE CENTAUR KINGDOM (7)

"I haven’t had a fight like that in a long time," she said, chuckling softly. "That was... fun."

"Glad to hear that," I replied, smiling faintly. "You’re strong, Kali. I can see why your father’s proud of you."

She tilted her head, still catching her breath. "And you’re every bit as dangerous as they say, Leon. No wonder all those women fell for you."

I scratched my cheek awkwardly. "You make it sound like I’m collecting them."

"Well, aren’t you?" she teased, her grin playful now.

Reilhahand approached then, his booming laughter breaking through the silence. "Hah! That was a damn good fight! Haven’t seen something that intense in years!" His eyes sparkled as he looked at both of us. "Looks like I made the right call, huh, Kali?"

Kali smirked, still looking at me. "Yeah, you did." She raised a brow at me. "Guess I lost, but... maybe I don’t mind that."

Her tone carried something mischievous, that playful challenge lingering even after defeat.

The crowd erupted into applause, stomping their hooves in approval. The duel had ended, and although she lost, there wasn’t a single trace of shame in her posture. If anything, she seemed proud, and so was I.

Both of us knew we’d given it our all. Neither of us had struggled, neither had faltered. It was simply a matter of timing, of instinct.

And in the end, my blade rested against her neck. It was a victory earned not through power, but through precision.

As she met my gaze one last time, her lips curled into that familiar smile. "Next time," she said softly, "I’ll win."

I chuckled. "I’ll be looking forward to that."

***

Reilhahand said that we should spend more time together so that we could get to know each other better. Honestly, I thought that was actually a good idea. I mean, it made sense. Spending time with her didn’t sound bad at all—though I wouldn’t exactly say it was easy either.

The two of us were walking side by side through a wide, open clearing, with the wind brushing against the grass and the faint chirping of insects echoing somewhere far off. The air smelled fresh—clean, like the kind that fills your lungs and makes you forget for a second that the world’s a mess. Still, even with all that peace around, I couldn’t shake off how overwhelming her presence felt next to me.

For one, she was tall—like, really tall. It wasn’t surprising, considering she was a centaur, but standing beside her made me feel like some kid tagging along with his teacher. And it wasn’t just her height. She had this aura—calm, composed, but heavy. The kind of presence that makes you straighten your back without even realizing it. There was something majestic about her, yet it also made my chest feel tight.

"What is it, Sir Leon?" she suddenly asked, her voice soft but steady.

I blinked. She must’ve noticed me staring at her longer than I should have because now she was looking back at me with those sharp yet gentle eyes of hers.

"Uh, nothing," I said quickly, scratching the back of my neck. "You could say I’m just... a little overwhelmed by how much taller you are than me."

She smiled faintly, her lips curving with a trace of amusement. "Ah, I see. I’m sorry about that. Males do prefer women who are shorter than them, don’t they?"

"It’s not really like that," I replied. "Well, I guess some guys do, but not me. I don’t really care much about height or body type. I like all shapes of women, to be honest. So, I’m not complaining about you being taller than me."

"I see..." she murmured, her tail swishing lightly behind her.

"I guess what I meant," I continued, "is that your presence just feels... heavier than others. You have this kind of energy that’s hard to ignore. It’s... kind of overwhelming, but not in a bad way."

"Fufufu~ I suppose I can be a bit overwhelming, huh?" she said, letting out a soft laugh. Her tone turned playful as she looked toward the open field ahead. "Sir Leon, why don’t you try riding me?"

"Riding you?" I repeated, almost choking on my words.

Now that caught me off guard. I’d ridden horses before, sure, but a centaur? That was a different story entirely. My mind was already spinning with curiosity—how would that even feel? Would it be like riding a horse while hugging a woman from behind? Or would it feel completely different? Either way, it was something I never thought I’d be doing in my life.

"Fufufu, don’t worry," she said, giving me a teasing smile. "I’m not going to run that fast."

"I wasn’t really worried about that," I said, trying to sound casual, though my heart was starting to thump a little faster than normal.

"Come," she said softly, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Or are you afraid I might bite instead?" she added, winking at me.

I froze for a second. So, she did have a playful side. Up until now, I’d only seen her calm, graceful demeanor, but this sudden teasing energy made her feel... different. More alive. More human, even.

"Well, since you’re offering..." I muttered under my breath.

She nodded slightly, then bent her front legs down and lowered her body gracefully to make it easier for me to climb onto her back. The way her muscles moved beneath her skin was mesmerizing—strong yet elegant.

I climbed up carefully, placing my hands against her back for balance. Her body was warm—surprisingly warm—and when I finally settled in, she straightened up slowly, standing tall again.

"Fufufufu," she giggled softly. "I’ve never been ridden by someone before, so this is quite a new feeling. It’s... refreshing, in a way."

I couldn’t help but smile a little. That made sense, though. Centaurs were a conservative race. They didn’t like outsiders, and they rarely let anyone close enough to even touch them, let alone ride them. So yeah, this was probably her first time.

"How is it? Riding a centaur for the first time?" she asked, glancing back at me with a curious smile.

"Well," I said, thinking about it, "it’s not that different from riding a horse, I guess. But at the same time... it’s completely different. It’s like I’m not just riding with someone—I’m literally riding you."

She chuckled, clearly amused. "Fufufu, I think I can tell what you’re thinking," she said, giving me that teasing smile again. "Well then, why don’t you hold on to me?"