"Beat me up?" Jack grinned so wide his mouth nearly split.

"Little girl, with you? Surrender quietly, and you’ll spare yourself some pain."

"Otherwise, don’t blame old Jack for not being gentle with pretty things!"

Though Jack’s face still ached faintly, swelling visibly, the thought of making this beautiful elf girl cry and beg for mercy made that slap seem trivial.

The two squad members’ eyes gleamed with amusement, their mockery at its peak.

That arrogant fool had been stunned by the first hit—he hadn’t even noticed Kaelxi materialize.

Jack still didn’t realize the elf girl before him was an Adventurer!

Filthy, violent thoughts flooded his mind.

Where to hit first? Maybe straight for her softest spot…

"Ah!" Another bright red handprint bloomed on Jack’s face—this time on the other cheek.

Kaelxi slapped him again, her speed blurring past Jack’s vision.

No surprise there—a gap as wide as a chasm separated untrained commoners from Adventurers.

Jack had already lost two teeth; both cheeks swelled symmetrically.

Clutching his face, he wailed, "Elf bitch! How can you be this fast?"

"Kid, you’ve clearly never met a real Adventurer!" Kaelxi punched his shoulder, forcing him to his knees.

"Bitch, how dare you—" Before he finished, two more slaps cracked across his face.

"I hate lecherous perverts like you!" Kaelxi glared, as if seeing another scumbag’s shadow in him.

"My own dad never hit me this hard!" Jack growled, suddenly shouting at her.

"Perfect! Let me give you the fatherly lesson he skipped!"

"Time to feel some ‘fatherly love’!" Kaelxi’s eyes lit up with glee, as if recalling something pleasant.

Jack was baffled—then a rain of slaps crashed onto his face.

Kaelxi figured that giving this spoiled brat some physical correction might boost her dwindling manliness.

Besides, she’d noticed the others didn’t seem to like this pig-faced kid much.

If she slowly vented her anger at Witt…

No, slowly punished this clueless punk, she could buy more time.

Enough to stall until that cheap bastard returned!

...............

Kaelxi lost count of the slaps; her palm burned fiercely.

Jack lay unconscious, his face unrecognizable—only his brown hair remained unchanged, even his freckles vanished under the swelling.

"I’m such a good person—I even gave him a free freckle-removal surgery!" Kaelxi thought smugly.

Just as she raised her hand again, the two squad members finally moved.

They feared Kaelxi might kill Jack if they waited longer.

"I’ve been watching you two!" Kaelxi had anticipated this, stealing glances at the pair by the door.

She drew a dagger from her waist, aiming for one member’s throat.

With no real combat experience, she wanted a quick win—taking out one would halve the pressure.

But even if she beat them, the sea of people outside the door looked hopeless.

Killing them one by one without resistance would take forever.

Predictably, her strike was easily blocked.

Kaelxi retreated two steps, putting distance between them.

Her face hardened, ready to fight both—but inside, she screamed: *Witt! You bastard, hurry back! I can’t beat them!*

The trained squad members flanked her, boxing her in. Kaelxi dodged a right hook, but a sweep kick from the left sent her sprawling, her dagger clattering away.

"Kaelxi!"

"Don’t hurt her!" Grandma Elisa tried to intervene but was restrained by two more members entering from outside.

She clutched her kicked waist, lowered her stance to jump—but a sweep kick knocked her down again.

Before Kaelxi could rise, a barrage of blows rained down. She barely blocked them.

Pain drowned out any counterattack. Though they held back—avoiding serious injury—the relentless hits drained her will to fight.

Worse, she feared for Grandma Elisa if this continued.

She raised her hands. "I surrender! I surrender!"

"I’ll go with you."

The two halted, eyes locked on her guardedly.

"I won’t resist anymore."

"Just don’t touch Grandma Elisa."

"We’re Buchert Kingdom soldiers—we’d never harm—" One member started sternly, but his partner tapped his shoulder, silencing him.

"Anyway, even if you refuse, we won’t hurt her."

Kaelxi’s eyes widened in shock. These Slave Catcher Squad members were Buchert Kingdom soldiers!

No wonder their coordination was flawless.

She believed their promise—kings and armies kept their word; they protected civilians.

"But why send soldiers after one elf slave?"

"Am I not just a slave, but a wanted criminal too?"

The more she thought, the likelier it seemed. She’d hoped to escape before signing a contract—but as a fugitive warranting military attention, escape was impossible.

Dungeons, chains, burly men… and worse things she couldn’t bear.

Anything but that!

Sticking with Witt was better!

At least that idiot would protect her, make her laugh—even if she ended up falling for him, it beat a dungeon ending by a hundred times! No, a thousand!

Watching ropes bind her wrists, Kaelxi felt tears well up.

Witt, you promised to protect me!

If you don’t come now, your newly claimed girlfriend will be gone!

This might be our last goodbye forever!

Hurry!

Witt!