Aran's high-end venues typically do not hire Tiger-men as waiters, as thieves are more numerous than the air in a chip bag, given their reputation, with all its ups and downs.
But that was then, and this is now.
Nowadays, the very highest-end places definitely have Tiger-men waiters, representing a stance of the Royal Court; otherwise, when financiers from Aisnor Province come to play, there are insiders everywhere in the Royal Court. Any slight clue revealed would reach the Emperor's ear immediately, and you can forget about doing business.
Even so, Cloud Palace's Tiger-man waiters were few, just five or six to make a gesture.
The person who received Zahak and others was a human, and Swan had no choice but, when he left the private room, to deliver a neat punch.
Using a hand chop on the back of the neck could cause the blood vessels to temporarily collapse, leading to fainting from insufficient blood supply to the brain, and potentially life-threatening.
