Chapter 163- Blushy Astrid

The prison cell was cold. Damp.

Three figures hung against the wall.

Astrid. Aeliana. Seraphina.

Their hands were bound in heavy metal cuffs. Legs shackled with the same. Thick rope wrapped around their waists, securing them to stone poles.

All three were wounded. Exhausted. Their dresses torn from battle.

In front of them stood countless elves. Most wearing red robes. The syndicate.

Astrid glared at the elf stationed outside their cell.

"What do you want from us?!"

Her voice echoed through the cave.

"Release us immediately! If my father learns of this, he will hunt down every last one of you. He will find your families. Your friends. Everyone you’ve ever loved. And he will erase them from existence before sending you to a hell so deep that even demons would weep!"

The elf just smiled.

Then opened the gate. Stepped inside.

Astrid’s bravado cracked.

"E-Each of us is royalty here! Lay a single hand on us and you will be wiped from history! Your very name will be forgotten! Your bloodline will—"

He stepped closer.

Reached out.

Gently brushed the hair back from her ear.

His touch made her skin crawl.

"What do I want from you?" His voice was soft. Almost tender. "That’s something not possible. Well... at least not yet."

He hissed through his teeth.

"Those demons won’t let me touch you. Not until they’re done with whatever ritual they need."

His eyes traveled downward.

Lingering on her breasts.

"Otherwise..."

He licked his lips.

"These things would be in my mouth right now. My teeth pinching a royal nipple. Tasting that noble flesh."

Astrid wanted to vomit.

Aeliana spoke up. Her voice calm. Diplomatic.

"Tell us clearly what you want. We can negotiate. Our kingdoms have resources. Gold. Land. Whatever your demands, we can discuss them like civilized—"

The elf moved to her.

His hand shot out, grabbing her jaw. Forcing her face up to meet his eyes.

"So you want me to leak their plans?"

He clicked his tongue.

"How revolting. Trying to manipulate information out of me."

His grip tightened.

"But one thing is certain, princess. Those demons don’t care about your royal blood. When they’re finished with whatever they need from you..."

His smile turned cruel.

"I will have my fun."

He released her jaw.

"And remember you are at the TOP of my list. I personally hold a grudge. Not against you specifically."

His eyes darkened.

"Against your grandmother."

He turned to leave.

But Astrid wasn’t finished.

Her mouth moved before her brain could stop it.

"You’re all dead men walking!"

The elf paused.

"Our professor would have been notified by now! The villagers would have told him everything! And when he arrives—"

She laughed. A desperate, manic sound.

"—he will systematically dismantle every single one of you. He’ll sever your ears first. Then your manhoods. And when he’s finished, he’ll line them up side by side. And we’ll all have a wonderful time debating which pathetic stump is larger—your ears or what’s between your legs!"

She grinned wildly.

"My coin is on the ears, by the way!"

The words had left her mouth.

And immediately, she regretted them.

’Why did I say that?’

She didn’t even believe it herself.

Professor Jax? Coming to save them?

The man was the definition of selfish. Arrogant beyond measure. He cared about nothing and no one unless it benefited him directly.

He’d probably forgotten their names by now. Probably off somewhere chasing skirts while his students rotted in a cave.

’He’s not coming. Nobody is coming. I just made myself look like an idiot.’

The elf turned.

His face twisted with fury.

He stormed toward Astrid. Fist raised. Ready to shatter her jaw.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

’This is going to hurt.’

The punch never landed.

Instead—screams.

Dozens of them.

Echoing through the entire cave system.

The elf spun around.

His comrades. All of them. Standing headless.

One by one, their bodies crumpled to the ground. Lifeless.

Blood pooled beneath them, spreading across the stone floor in rivers of crimson.

And the heads?

Scattered. Rolling. Some still wearing expressions of confusion.

The elf’s eyes darted frantically.

Then he saw him.

One figure still standing.

A blade in his hand. Wearing a red shirt. Red shorts. Red-tinted glasses.

Everything red.

But this fool didn’t realize the truth.

Nothing had been red when the man arrived.

It was the blood of his comrades that had painted him this color.

Jax removed his glasses.

Examined them with mild annoyance.

Tried to clean the lenses with his shirt.

They got redder.

He tried again.

Even worse.

"This looked so perfect on me and costed—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Then laughed.

"—actually, I stole it from some poor so I guess his curse got me. Anyway No Wealth lose for me."

He tossed the ruined glasses aside.

The three girls stared at him.

Wide eyes. Glowing with something they hadn’t felt in hours.

Hope.

Their hope was walking toward them now. Stepping over corpses. Entering the prison gate.

One person, however, was not experiencing hope.

The elf captor stood frozen. Face pale. Body trembling.

Then—

Drip. Drip. Drip.

A puddle formed beneath him.

His pants darkened at the crotch.

He had pissed himself.

Astrid saw it. Smelled it.

"Eww! Get AWAY from me!"

She gathered every remaining ounce of strength.

Her bound legs swung upward.

Both feet connected with his back.

THWACK.

The elf stumbled forward. Directly toward Jax.

Jax’s hand flew to his nose. Pinching it shut.

’Absolutely fucking not.’

He maintained maximum distance. Arm fully extended. Blade angled as far from his body as possible.

One clean swipe.

The head flew.

The body dropped.

Jax kicked the corpse aside with obvious revulsion.

"Even barnyard animals have better bladder discipline."

He approached Aeliana first.

Cut the rope binding her waist.

Then hoisted her onto his shoulder without warning.

He walked toward the back of the room—a grass mat with some cloaks spread over it. A resting area, probably for the guards.

"What—! How DARE you touch me again!"

She thrashed against him. Kicked. Squirmed.

Jax’s patience evaporated.

He released her.

Just... let go.

"AHHHHH—!"

She screamed as gravity claimed her.

But before she could hit the ground, his hands shot out. Caught her at thigh height.

Barely.

She went silent.

Very, very silent.

Her eyes met his.

There was no playfulness in his gaze. No amusement. No mercy.

He had genuinely been about to let her fall.

This wasn’t an act.

’Fuck.’

Reality crashed into Jax’s mind.

’This whole situation is MY fault. I sent them here alone. Abandoned them for pussy. If they report this to the academy—that Professor Jax left his students to die while he was busy fucking the King’s mother—I’m finished.’

His career would be over.

His reputation destroyed.

Possibly imprisoned. Or worse.

’I need to fix this. Now.’

The plan he had formulated on his way here resurfaced.

’Kind professor mode. Activate.’

His expression softened.

He gently placed Aeliana on the mat. Carefully positioned her against the wall for support.

Then returned for the others.

He cut Seraphina’s ropes. Then Astrid’s.

Hoisted them both onto his shoulders. One on each side.

He glanced at Astrid on his left.

"Do you have any complaints about being carried? Like our beloved elven princess?"

She shook her head rapidly.

"Good. That makes everything easier."

He placed them both beside Aeliana.

Then examined their restraints.

The metal cuffs had keyholes. His blade couldn’t cut through without slicing into their flesh.

"Where’s the key?"

Seraphina gestured weakly.

Toward the piss-soaked elf he’d just beheaded.

Keys dangled from the corpse’s belt.

Jax’s expression soured.

’I am NOT getting close to that biological hazard.’

He pulled out his stolen dagger. Flipped it in his hand. Held it by the blade tip.

Aimed.

Threw.

THUNK.

The dagger struck with surgical precision. The blade hooked through the key ring, wrapping around the metal, and embedded itself in the stone floor inches away from the spreading yellow puddle.

He retrieved the keys—stepping carefully around contaminated zones and returned to the girls.

Click. Click.

Seraphina’s cuffs fell away.

Click. Click.

Aeliana’s followed.

He moved to Astrid.

Unlocked her hands first.

Then knelt to work on her leg restraints.

That’s when he noticed it.

Blood.

Dark. Spreading. Soaking through her white stockings on the right leg.

Without thinking, he reached for her calf.

His fingers hooked under the fabric.

Slowly rolled the stocking down.

Astrid’s face erupted blushing.

"W-What are you DOING, Professor?!"

She squirmed. Tried to pull away.

But Jax’s eyes were locked on the wound beneath.

A deep gash. Jagged edges. Still bleeding sluggishly.

He pulled out his handkerchief. White. Clean.

Had been clean, anyway.

He wrapped it carefully around the wound. Applied pressure. Tied it secure.

"All done."

His voice was surprisingly gentle.

"When we return, I’ll arrange a healer for you immediately."

Astrid stared at him.

This wasn’t the same professor.

This wasn’t the arrogant bastard who had abandoned them. Who had threatened Aeliana with a knife. Who had leered at their bodies without shame.

This person was... caring?

Seraphina and Aeliana watched with equal disbelief.

’Who IS this?’

Little did they know, every action was calculated. Every gentle touch. Every concerned word.

All performance.

’Mission: Rehabilitate image before they snitch to the academy. Status: Proceeding smoothly.’

Jax stood. Stretched his back.

"Everything’s handled here. Let’s head back to the village. Find some food. Maybe celebrate our victory."

He turned toward the exit.

"Professor."

Seraphina’s voice stopped him.

"You’re forgetting someone."

Jax frowned. "What? Who else is there to kill?"

She gestured toward the far corner of the prison.

Jax followed her gaze.

There, hanging unconscious from a pole this entire time, was a figure he had completely—utterly erased from his memory.

Victor Osmond.

His fourth student.

Still bound. Still out cold. Still very much present throughout this entire rescue.

Jax hadn’t noticed him. Not once. Not even a glance.

Aeliana’s voice dripped with acid.

"Of course. Males simply don’t register in his vision."

Astrid crossed her arms pouting and closed her legs leading to her skirt not allowing any of her skin.

"Pervert."