After finding out Jasmine's actual age, I couldn't, in my right conscious, let her go, so with a deep sigh that contained untold frustration that was soon to come in the following days, I grabbed her hand and forced her to walk back towards the beach, where we had set up camp.
"A-Alex, w-what are you doing? P-Please, let me go." Said Jasmine lightly with a faint frown as she attempted to resist Alexander, who practically dragged her through the forest, yet her efforts were to no avail.
"Listen, Jasmine, I'm not letting you go alone, alright? I'll come with you and make sure you return home alive." Stated Alexander firmly as he glanced at Jasmine before yanking her into the air and catching her in a princess carry while he jogged through the forest.
"T-That's dangerous, Alex! Y-You could die!" "Yes, I COULD die, but you WILL die. That's the difference, and I'm willing to bet on that difference." Said Jasmine and Alexander, respectively, as the former firmly shook her head before staring into the latter's eyes while he glanced at her with confidence and determination, shocking her.
"W-Why would you go that far for me? W-We've just met; y-you don't even know who I am. W-What dummy would risk their life for a stranger?" Muttered Jasmine softly in confusion as she turned and gazed at Alexander with moist eyes while he shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know. That's just how I've always been." Replied Alexander blandly as he glanced at Jasmine before shaking his head, causing her to slightly widen her eyes, only for her to close them and gently lean against his shoulder.
"Besides, I'm not doing it for free; I'm an Adventure, so think of this as if you're hiring me." Added Alexander with a faint smirk as he glanced at Jasmine, who softly smiled while opening a single eye.
"We haven't even discussed payment. What if I have no money to give?" "Oh, you can't fool me; you're definitely part of an extremely wealthy family. And if for some reason you're poor, well, I'm sure we could figure something else out." Said Jasmine and Alexander, respectively, as the former faintly smiled with a raised eyebrow while the latter smirked before shrugging his shoulders, seemingly unconcerned whether he received payment.
With a soft chuckle, Jasmine rested her head against my shoulder while we descended into the silence; only my footsteps crunching against leaves and sticks were heard as I jogged through the forest, nearing our camp.
"You're very warm, Alex." Muttered Jasmine subconsciously, her voice quieter than a whisper as she wrapped her arms around Alexander's neck for support while he remained silent.
Exiting the forest a few moments later, I set Jasmine down on her two feet while pointing to her earth tent Lazuli had quickly built.
"We'll leave in the morning, but for now, just get some rest." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he patted Jasmine's shoulder before turning around and approaching his earth tent, where Lazuli could be seen peeking her head out.
"What happened?" "Haa, I'll tell you in the morning; for now, let's resume where we left off." Remarked Lazuli and Alexander, respectively, as the former curiously glanced at the latter, who removed his clothes, freeing his large erection, which caused her to lick her lips. ___ ___
"You look pregnant, Lazuli." Said Alexander with a playful smirk as she glanced at Lazuli's bulging stomach full of his semen, causing her to lower her head before nodding.
"Yes, it does look that way." Said Lazuli lightly, only to flash a small smile when Alexander turned around as she tenderly rubbed her stomach before shaking her head.
Putting my clothes on, I exited the earth tent with a yawn, only to notice Jasmine was the first one awake, though the bags under her eyes made it apparent she didn't get much sleep.
"Hmm, didn't sleep well, Jasmine?" Asked Alexander with a raised eyebrow as he sat opposite of Jasmine, whose face twitched.
"N-No." Replied Jasmine with a shake of her head while glancing between Lazuli and Alexander, only to blush before lowering her head.
Shrugging my shoulders at her weird behavior, Lazuli sat on my lap while we waited for everyone to wake up, which took some time, nearly an hour, with the final person being Vanye leaving her earth tent, though similar to Jasmine; she also had bags under her eyes.
"Alright, I've got something to say!" Said Alexander loudly with a few claps, grabbing everyone's attention while Talis and Vanimo separated their lips.
I spent the next few minutes informing everyone of my plan to safely return Jasmine to her home, something that annoyed Vanye and Lazuli, even if the latter didn't externally show it; the only person on my side was Vanimo.
"I can tell you both aren't exactly excited, but I will do it anyway. I can't leave a little gi- y-young woman like her alone to die. I simply can't." Stated Alexander firmly as he looked between Vanye and Lazuli while Jasmine silently lowered her head, refraining from speaking.
"No, I'm not happy about this sudden change of events, but as much as I reprimand you for being too nice, it's one of the things I like about you… If it weren't for your personality, Vanimo would still be cursed, and I would still be chained to the Yemen Mercenaries." Remarked Vanye as she looked at Alexander in slight annoyance before softening her voice while a faint blush adorned her cheeks, causing Vanimo to chuckle.
"Hehe, someone's blushing." Said Vanimo with a teasing smirk, his words causing Vanye's blush to deepen while she scoffed in annoyance before pulling down her helmet and hiding her face.
Smirking at Vanye's words, I glanced at Lazuli, who merely nodded, not bothering to elaborate.
"My thoughts are the same as Vanye's. Though, I love that personality of yours. Not just like." Stated Lazuli softly as she kissed Alexander's cheek, causing him to nod while smiling.
"Now, here comes the annoying part: we could all go together, but if that happens, Vanimo and Vanye will probably need to pretend to be our slaves." Said Alexander gently as he glanced between Vanye and Vanimo, the former clenching the hilt of her sword while the latter wryly smiling.
"Please, let us all go." Said Lazuli with a faint smile as she glanced at Vanye, who clicked her tongue at her obvious intentions.
"Um, while I don't mind, I know Vanye hates it, and I wouldn't want to put her through that. What if we all stay behind?" Said Vanimo with a wry expression as he shook his head while glancing at Alexander.
"The second option was for everyone to stay here, away from any civilization; however, Lazuli will need to stay behind in case someone finds you guys." Said Alexander, his words causing Lazuli to frown slightly before softly sighing with a nod.
"We'll stay behind. You will be faster by yourself anyway." Said Lazuli lightly as she glanced at Alexander, who faintly nodded, only to clap his hands.
"Alright, let's eat breakfast, and then Jasmine and I will hit the road." "I'll go hunt for food!" Said Alexander and Talis, respectively, as the latter opened her mouth for the first time this morning while she flapped her wings, flying into the air. ___ ___
Once I finished cooking breakfast, Jasmine and I quickly left the camp as I wanted to swiftly get her home, though before leaving, Lazuli and I engaged in another round of passionate love-making.
"Here, wear this." Said Alexander lightly as he handed Jasmine a large cloak covering her entire body.
"What is it?" Asked Jasmine curiously while donning the cloak, causing her figure to nearly vanish from sight as she blended into her surroundings.
"It's one of the cloaks your attackers wore; with this, you should be able to hide if things go south." Said Alexander lightly as he yawned before using [Heroes Gaze], observing the nearby dirt road, only for him to suddenly stop.
Looking through several trees, I stared at the tipped-over carriage and numerous corpses, the same place where Jasmine narrowly managed to escape from, only to see two assassins searching the premises.
"I-Is something wrong?" Asked Jasmine in confusion as she looked at Alexander, who suddenly stopped her with his arm.
"You should probably hide." Said Alexander lightly, his words scaring Jasmine as she nervously gulped before quickly doing as he said.
Watching Jasmine conceal herself seamlessly into a bush, I nodded, noting it would be incredibly difficult for anyone to spot her unless she made a mistake.
"Listen, Jasmine, no matter what happens, never reveal yourself." Stated Alexander firmly as he stared directly at Jasmine, who nodded behind her concealment.
With Jasmine properly hidden, I ensured it was only those two assassins before making my way to them; I would've preferred to leave them alive, but they were too close to our camp.
As I exited from the forest, the duo of assassins quickly noticed me.
"Woah, what the hell!?" Exclaimed Alexander in confusion as he gazed at the two assassins while quickly raising his arms.
Luckily for me, the assassins didn't hesitate to lunge at me as they brandished their weird-looking daggers, yet just as they were about to stab me, two grunts were heard as they were hoisted into the air.
"Yeah, you two didn't see that coming, did you?" Asked Alexander lightly as he lifted the two assassins with his swords, which were skewered through their torso.