The discussion had been going on for ten minutes now.

All the professors huddled together. Lysandra. Rowen. Gareth. Aerisya. Kessiri. Lucindra. Even Roxana and Sylvie had joined the circle.

Heated whispers. Occasional glances toward Jax. More whispers.

Meanwhile, Jax was facing his own interrogation.

Maya.

"Brother, are you okay? Does anything hurt? Should I call someone?"

"I'm fine."

"What just happened back there? With the guard? And those professors?"

He completely ignored.

"When did you get so good at acting?" She squinted at him suspiciously. "I've known you my whole life. I can always tell when you're lying just by your expression. But today?"

She poked his chest.

"Today was completely different. Even I couldn't figure it out."

Jax shrugged.

Her eyes widened with a sudden thought.

"Wait. Did you get some absurd skill? Like, whatever you lie about becomes real? Is that it? Because that would explain everything!"

Jax answered some questions. Ignored others.

His attention had shifted elsewhere.

The four girls standing at a distance. Watching him.

Thalia. Azara. Zinnia. Kiera.

Thalia's gang.

'Did they buy it?'

His act was strong. Convincing. But the foundation of their goddess was stronger. They knew her. Served her. Believed in her.

She wasn't anything like the Dark Lord he had described. And maybe their world had records of her from before ten centuries ago. Which would make all his Dark Lord bullshit obviously wrong to them.

'But they're not a threat. At least not now.'

They were hiding too. Concealing their champion status just like him. They couldn't expose him without exposing themselves.

Mutual destruction. The best kind of peace treaty.

Then he noticed movement.

A group approaching. Led by Lysandra.

Beside her was Sylvie. And she was smiling.

'Something good is coming.'

Lysandra stopped in front of him. Met his eyes directly.

"Professor Jax."

Her voice was professional. Controlled. Almost robotic.

"After consideration, we have come to a conclusion. Whatever steps you have taken were logical. You have contributed significantly to our first victory against this new threat."

She paused.

"We have lost many in the process. Our people. Our soldiers. Even the King of Veldora. Many other leaders of smaller territories."

Her jaw tightened.

"And these numbers would have been far greater without your interference."

She continued.

"You saved Queen Adelina. You saved Queen Sylvie. And the being you say gave you the vision was most probably the Goddess herself."

Her eyes studied him.

"She chose you. From all of us. There must be a reason."

She straightened.

"Well, Professor. We all salute your valor. And we request you to serve as our professor once again. Teach the future of this world. Carve the strength needed for them to protect its people from this new threat."

A slight pause.

"I'm sure learning from a hero of this battle will inspire them greatly."

Her voice remained flat. Professional. No emotion. Just a transaction.

Jax didn't like it.

"I'll get back in those shoes again." He crossed his arms. "But you have to accept my conditions first."

"Conditions?"

Her eyebrow raised.

"Very well. But they should be within limits."

Jax smiled. "Of course."

He pointed at Maya.

"I just want no one to harm her. She would be set free. Do whatever she wants. With no eyes watching her."

Lysandra thought for a few seconds.

"We can do that."

Jax's smile widened.

"But. Only if you guarantee she will not create another chaos. Even if she is possessed again by the Dark Lord, it will be your responsibility."

Her eyes turned cold.

"And you will be punished for that. Public execution."

Gareth stepped forward. "Headmistress, but we can't just let this girl—"

Lysandra raised her hand. Silenced him.

She knew exactly what she was doing. This condition would backfire on Jax. If anything went wrong, his head would roll.

A tactical move. Elegant. Ruthless.

Little did she know the Dark Lord was standing right in front of her bargaining with her.

"I accept."

Jax said it without hesitation. Without thinking.

Lysandra blinked.

"Are... are you okay with that?"

"Yup." He shrugged casually. "I don't have to worry about her. I'm pretty sure she won't create chaos."

He looked at Maya.

"Right?"

Maya tilted her head. Put a finger on her chin. Thought about it way too long.

"I will try."

Jax's eye twitched.

He gave her a glare. The kind that said 'why are you embarrassing me right now.'

She just smiled innocently.

"See?" Jax turned back to Lysandra. "Totally reliable."

Lucindra snorted. "Well, that doesn't look assuring at all."

Her vampiric grin was back. Enjoying the show.

Lysandra sighed deeply.

Defeated. Again. On the same day. How many times now?

"Fine. I accept."

"One more thing."

Lysandra's eye twitched.

"I need one month's salary in advance."

She stared at him.

"No, make it three months."

Still staring.

"Actually, one year would be better."

It was logical. Jax had used all his money this month. He was broke.

Lysandra just glared.

But Jax wasn't done.

"And one more. Give me access to that forbidden floor of the library."

The glare intensified.

"And let me think... umm... oh!"

He snapped his fingers.

"Change my maid. I want a beautiful vampire. One who's really good at sucking."

He paused dramatically.

"Blood, I mean. Obviously. What else would I mean?"

Dead silence.

He looked at Roxana.

"Also, change my assistant. The current one is a gooner. Totally useless."

Roxana's face went red.

"Give me an assistant with curves so huge she could kill me just by suffocating me between them."

He made a squeezing gesture with both hands.

"Death by titties. The dream."

Everyone stared at him.

Professors. Soldiers. Queen. Champions. All of them.

Just staring.

Maya's face turned bright red. She reached over and pinched his arm. Hard.

"Ow!"

He looked at her.

"What? I was joking. You know that."

He had completely forgotten she was standing right there.

Lysandra's voice cut through the silence.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I'm afraid we cannot do that."

She rubbed her temples.

"Giving you this post has been a rollercoaster ride from the very beginning. First, I chose you even when many were against it. Then you did something that got you rusticated from the academy. By me."

She took a breath.

"Then, knowing that you only did that to help the Queen of Veldora, I made up my mind to grant you the post again."

Her voice hardened.

"But then you opposed us here. Fought against us. For that girl. Which changed my mind again."

She gestured vaguely at the chaos around them.

"Then the Dark Lord situation happened. Disclosed the truth of your actions. After that, we mutually decided to grant you the responsibility once more."

She stared at him.

"But again, your immaturity is making me question myself."

Jax knew exactly where this was going.

"Oh, Headmistress." He put on his most innocent smile. "I was just joking. Trying to lighten the mood, you know? After everything that happened today."

Lysandra knew it wasn't a joke.

This bastard wanted all of that. Every single thing.

"I am very honored to have the position of professor." Jax bowed slightly. "Why would I want more than what I've been given?"

He straightened up.

"Therefore, I accept. With only one condition. Setting her free."

He gestured at Maya.

Done. Deal closed.

But Maya had heard everything.

Her mind was processing.

'He's choosing to be a professor. At the academy. That floating island where only selected people are allowed.'

Her eyes widened.

'He didn't ask to take me with him.'

She leaned close. Whispered in his ear.

"Brother, what about me? Add a condition where you take me in. Or aren't you thinking of that? Are you... leaving me?"

Jax whispered back.

"Stupid. I can't take you there. You have to earn it yourself."

She opened her mouth to protest.

"And about leaving you? Yes. Find your own path. Live as you want. Enjoy life or Fight to improve. I don't care."

She pulled back.

Made the poutiest face in existence.

"Meanie."

Jax thought about it logically.

'Cutting ties with her for now is the right move. I can't afford to lose this game. Not with those stakes.'

For her sake, he would try to eliminate the champions from that goddess's world. The one her god demanded they would come on top of them.

'Even if she dies in this game, I still have Harry. Keeping him alive means increasing their ranking.'

His eyes moved to Thalia's group.

"I thought you'd like the company of those heroines more than your boring brother."

Maya's head snapped toward the four girls.

"Wait."

Her eyes locked onto one specific person.

"That's Zinnia, right?"

Her voice rose with excitement.

"Tell me, brother. You're not kidding about accompanying them? Like, live with them? Fight with them? Right? Right?"

Her eyes were literally glowing with happiness.

Jax stared at her.

"At least have some shame. Am I that boring that you completely skipped the part where your brother is abandoning you?"

Maya just made an innocent face.

Blinked her eyelashes dramatically.

Said nothing.

Jax sighed.

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