“Mom, Mom!” Sesha jumped into Ananta’s arms as soon as Ananta turned the corner into the village. 

Ananta stroked her daughter’s hair lovingly, saying, “Did you obediently listen to everyone while I was gone?”

“Of course! I am a good child…” Sesha started speaking confidently, but then her words trailed off as she looked in another direction. Ananta could see cold sweat beading on her forehead. 

‘What a horrible liar.’ Ananta barely held in her laughter and narrowed her eyes. She asked Sesha, “You must have caused some trouble, didn’t you?”

“N-No. Nothing.”

“Do you want to tell Mom?”

“I-It’s…”

“Yes?”

“I told the boys to stop breaking my rubber band, but they didn’t listen. And they kept on trying to lift the girls’ skirts too, so…”

“So you gave them a beating?”

“N-No.” Sesha fidgeted uncomfortably. 

Ananta slightly grinned. “Then?”

“Five beatings…”

“What? Hahaha!” Ananta burst out laughing. 

The One-horned tribe members traditionally started learning martial arts when they were children. There were many cases when “playing” among children were actual fights, and they nearly always won fights with children from outside the village… But since Sesha had disciplined such rough children,...