Who’s responsible for protecting this town?

They departed the endless rows of cornmeal, and went back out into the bright morning sun.

The mayor remained in exceptionally high spirits, which caused her to practically wiggle as she walked. “Our Village Council meets whenever something’s going on.”

“So,” The Captain interjected, “Rarely.”

“Yep,” Miss Mai admitted, rubbing the back of her head. “It’s a gathering of all the big families. Naturally, the Kasugais are our lifeline to the outside world, so they’re included. Normal procedure is to bring up stuff like this…”

“But you didn’t,” The Captain groaned. “So nobody knows.”

“It’s more fun this way!”

The store was in the middle of town, adjacent to the train station. Sasha made note of it yesterday. Presumably it was easier to unload shipments of cargo, and load bountiful farm crops going outwards to foreign markets. Sasha understood this quite readily at a glance; supply and logistics were a critical, and oft-underestimated, aspect of military planning.

In fact, while discipline was the hallmark of ancient warfare, it was often far more important to ensure a modern army was well provisioned than well trained or well led. Thinking of Lilisburgh like an army post, that was certainly the case here.

Material abundance. Food, supplies, the latest fancy household appliances and inventions, all off the shelf at a moment’s notice. While at the same time letting people live in such a… slipshod manner, doing whatever they pleased.

No esprit de corps.

“I told you! I knew I saw an outsider!”

“Congratulations, sheriff. Nothing gets past your eagle eyes.”

“... But I got cat eyes, same as you!”

Two nekomata emerged from a nearby bakery, its frosted glass shopfront windows full of treats. Both were women, but that was where all similarity ended.

Leading the way, bounding forward in great energetic leaps, was a girl with short fire-red hair and bright matching eyes. While her long, open black coat didn’t continue the red color scheme, and neither did baggy tactical pants belted and laden down with pouches and holsters… her bikini top, trying to hold back a massive pair of breasts that bounced right alongside the rest of her, did indeed feature flame-decals painted across its straining material.

“Stop right there, criminal scum! What do you think you’re doing, wandering in to Lilisburgh unannounced?!”

This was clearly, despite her informal manner and childish behavior, somebody vested with authority. She had the shining star of a sheriff's badge pinned to one of the hard-working triangles of cloth that protected her modesty.

Sasha kept his eyes level, with some difficulty, and snapped to attention.

“Ma’am! I’ve been assigned to rebuild this town’s population by participating in the breeding program.”

The Captain slapped her forehead for some reason. She did that a lot when he said things to women. Just one more Captain Mystery to pile with the ever-increasing mountain.

Speaking of mountains, the sheriff took a step closer, and those prominent breasts swayed, right out on the open on display. Covered at the nipples, sure, but was that really all there was to decency? Then again, considering the Mayor was right there, and still in a plunging sundress, this was nothing new.

Sasha could only assume bountiful, obscene cleavage was another Lilisburgh tradition.

“Is that right?! Well, I’ve never heard of such a lewd thing! I think you’re just trying to get in to our little slice of paradise and harass these lovely ladies! That’s my job, damnit!”

Sasha wasn’t sure how to handle this kind of woman, but the other one didn’t look any easier to talk to.

Holding back, manner cold and distant. She was blue instead of red; light-blue hair grown long and tied back into a ponytail that went down to her back. A pair of spectacles sat perched on a thin nose.

At least her occupation was equally apparent, from the labcoat and stethoscope hung around her neck, button-up shirt, and pencil-skirt on otherwise long, bare legs… along with a black studded leather choker. She had black eyeliner and nailpolish, which showed up well in contrast to her skin, which like most village residents was somewhat pale.

This gothic doctor regarded Sasha for a while, with the eyes one would use to size up prey. She watched the Sheriff grill him, and Captain and Mayor try to allay her concerns, with the faintest hint of a smile.

“Lily, calm down!” The Captain reached around, and whapped the sheriff on her forehead, leaving a little mark and causing the more aggressive cat to withdraw one pace in surprise. “If he was an intruder, do you think we’d be walking with him?!”

“...No…? Hey, Miki, when the hell did ya get back in town anyhow? Don’t you got a war to be fighting?”

“Nah, we won.”

“Oh, okay!”

The Mayor giggled, and hugged Sasha from behind, which at least meant he could breathe this time. Even if she felt comfortable leaning her full, considerable curves against him and letting the sturdy soldier boy support her poor back for a bit.

“Sasha Sokolov, formerly of the Alliance Rangers, please meet our town’s young, vigilant burning guardian, Lily Spellmeyer. And yes, the name ‘Lily’ is one of our most popular, why?”

“And the older woman hanging back like a vulture is the town’s doctor, believe it or not,” The Captain explained. “Dr. Pelletier, though they called her ‘the Black ****’ in Artoria, so you can do the same.”

“People do so love to exaggerate tales they hear,” The Black **** said, her voice deep and smooth. Violet eyes never for a second leaving Sasha. “Charmed, I’m sure.”

The Mayor, still holding on to Sasha from behind, prompted, “Aren’t you two forgetting something?”

Neither woman looked particularly thrilled to sink to their knees on the flagstones of the village square. Neither objected, though. They lowered themselves in this strange ritual, which Sasha was coming to appreciate for how well it showed off a girl’s ability to breed; her lower body and hips especially. Even with both ladies in long coats, that much was evident.

Once they’d folded themselves up into dogeza and touched foreheads to their fingers, they were quick back up to their feet, like this was just something to do.

“I’ll admit, it’s fun watching other girls do that,” The Captain said. “... Is that why you enforce this custom so hard, you scheming schemer?"

“If it was, then you wouldn’t still be on your feet now, my darling Miki. I’m just too soft.”

Sasha could confirm that.

“Oh, and I should mention… just like Misses Kasugai, these two are also enrolled in the breeding program. So it was fate that we should run into each other like this~ Saves us a trip out to the sheriff's office guarding the road into town. Sure, Lily's a little enthusiastic, but we always have a moron or two every season who wants to test the walls of our garden.”

"I tap em out, wring em dry, and send them on their way," The sheriff huffed pridefully, flexing bare thighs and demonstrating their power, and at the same time puffing out that huge bikini-clad chest.

“And my clinic’s right over there,” The doctor said, hooking a thumb towards a nearby building with a prominent, copyright-defying red cross. “As a matter of fact, as part of the program, I need to do an extensive physical workup on this man. In private. Now.”

The Captain was startled.

“Now hang on just a second, Doc! You can’t just abduct him!”

Pelletier’s gaze sharpened to a harsh point focused on the Captain. “He’s not actually your child, you know. I think you should know, of anyone, how adult he is. Physically, at least. Mentally he seems a little…”

The Captain blushed hard. “If you haven’t noticed, the things he’s been through… Sasha is functional in some ways, but yeah, he needs guidance. Since apparently this village is full of people who want to take advantage of him!”

“If you tell him not to go with me, I couldn’t make him,” The doctor sighed. “Not unless I had the element of surprise, and strong sedatives to hand.”

All the Captain did in reply was to was stomp off in a huff. Leaving him, aimless without further directives, to get pulled along by the arm into the clinic.

“Good luck!” Lily waved goodbye, and Sasha returned the gesture.

Click.

The doctor spun about on her high heel after locking the door to an examination room.

“Finally. Drop your pants and get on the bed.”

Sasha followed orders.