For the next few weeks we had no rest, the attacks were daily, however, no elves or humans attacked us during that time, only portals opened to the very place where the cold was coming from. The same portals were being used by those dog-like creatures.
Fortunately, it was not difficult to cope with them and ordinary rifles were enough for that, as well as sorceresses who closed the portals. However, because of the portals the sorceresses have to sleep on a schedule...
"So?"
I looked around at everyone present. We sat around the dining table, the place had already become a sort of meeting place, and I lowered my gaze to the map.
"What can you say about our strengths and capabilities?"
"The fortress has been completely rebuilt, and the turrets that SUZI told you about have already been placed on two towers. I think by next week we'll collect and put them on the other towers as well."
"Why are you taking so long with the turrets?"
Saul only shrugged his shoulders at that question.
"That's my idea..."
SUZI's voice came from the speaker and her hologram appeared on the table.
"I felt that reinforcing the walls and gates was more important than equipping ALL the towers with turrets. We also prepared a quality moat, which now contains stakes and several dozen mines and other traps. But still it was the fortification of walls, towers and gates that took most of the time."
"Wasn't that enough? We made the walls thicker anyway..."
"I didn't say thicker, I suggested reinforcing the walls and tower, and reinforcing them very heavily, so now they can't just be taken apart."
The image of SUZI shrugged.
"Okay, you're more defense savvy than I am and if you thought two turrets were enough..."
"Yeah... I don't think we'll need more, by the way, we've also equipped the walls with fixed machine gun emplacements."
"Hopefully all the way around the wall?"
"Yeah..."
Saul took it upon himself to answer my question.
"Of course, we wanted to set up defenses only on the gate side at first, since that direction was the most dangerous. But then SUZI reminded me that the Wild Hunt had gotten our world's technology, so it could have gotten the means to fly."
I nodded in agreement.
"And that means also defending ..."
It was at this point that one of the radios came on.
"Riders on the horizon. Twenty in number, bearing the Nilfgaard crest. What do we do?"
I pressed the radio button and gave the order.
"To let you into the castle... But no further. Take him into custody and don't let him make a move."
"Copy that..."
"Looks like we're about to be interrupted."
I cast an attentive glance at Ciri.
"Are you ready?"
"Pfft. Don't worry, I'll deal with my dad somehow. I may not have any positive feelings for him, but I'm willing to talk to him."
Ciri's snort came out slightly dismissive, and the tone she used to talk about her father was clearly not benevolent.
"Okay..."
I nodded a couple times.
"...who are you taking with you?"
"Ian... Would have taken Triss, but Ian is clearly more respected in my father's court, as well as Sol as my future husband, if you let him go of course..."
I shifted my gaze to the named man and raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Come on, you knew, why are you arching an eyebrow now?"
"That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking if you've prepared a replacement. Otherwise, how can I let you go with Ciri?"
"Of course you did. Panam is fully aware of the case, so you can burden her like you burdened me. But with her, you'll have to pay for it. I'm the one who worked for the clan for an idea."
I only laughed quietly at such words from Solo, as did the others. We all knew that Sol was actually quite well off. Still, working for an idea, even if it was for the sake of one's clan, and working for a decent salary and for the sake of one's clan, are two different involvements in work.
"Good, then I'll let you go to Nilfgaard with a clear conscience. I won't tell you how to live your lives, just remember that we haven't dealt with the Wild Hunt yet."
"We remember."
Ciri twitched her cheek slightly.
"I was thinking of going in and out by portal... And maybe on the way back I'll bring a hundred warriors, because we have a clear lack of warriors who can stand up to elves in close combat."
"Do you think the Nilfs can do it?"
I grinned and shook my head.
"Ciri, Elves aren't human, their bodies are probably built differently, so it's silly to compare humans to them. Witches, they can resist. so can those who've passed our enhancement."
I shook my head again, as if to say that it couldn't be otherwise.
"There are probably ten people in my clan now who have undergone such a profound improvement in their bodies that they can stand up to a witch. And that means that they can stand against the elf, at least not for long. And Vesemir has generously shared his knowledge with us, and we are running them in the coffins."
"Are you saying my father's warriors are doomed?"
"Let's just say that they can only become useful in a wall-to-wall battle, if they outnumber the Elves by a factor of ten...
I shook my head.
"You should know that yourself."
"I understand, but you know, every time I think about how the Empire can help us at the moment, I realize that they are absolutely useless. And why do we need to get in touch with them now? Maybe it's better to wait until they break their teeth and then show up..."
Ciri covered her eyes dreamily.
"Just imagine, they have a fight for power, Emgyr is sitting in a dungeon and waiting for either execution or extradition to the winning side, and then I appear, all in a silver dress with a red cape..."
Tsiri stood up, and Triss snapped her fingers imperceptibly, and a wave of transformation passed through the girl. She continued to speak without noticing the change.
"I am a blood heir to your Emperor Emgyr and I have the power to stop the conflict you are losing..."
I noticed Ian smiling as if casually waving her hand in a way that made it look like she was asking Ciri to continue. Except she'd created demonic wings and horns behind her back.
And now they're on their knees, and I extend my hand over them, and...
Ciri froze noticing that she was wearing some other garment...
"This is..."
Tsiri touched her "dress" or rather tried to do so, as her fingers went through it, and then Triss and Ian couldn't stand it and laughed.
"So that's it, huh?! I come to you with all my heart, and you--
Tsiri's righteous anger was accompanied by the appearance of a tail with a heart at the end, which flapped furiously from side to side, and her wings spread out as if she were about to take off. And that set off another fit of laughter.
"What now?"
She fiercely put her arms at her sides, making her look even more comical.
"You're my demoness..."
Saul shook his head.
"What?! What demoness?!"
Ciri looked angrily at Saul.
"The realest..."
Vesemir decided to join in the fun.
"...I'd be wary of even going out hunting like that..."
He shook his head.
"Uncle Vesemir, you too?"
"Attention to detail, Ciri... attention. I told you that many times in training. They're right, at least when you were a kid, you were a fidgety little devil."
"Heralt!"
"But he's right..."
"Excel!"
Ciri's indignation was increasingly causing us to laugh, however, the girl herself was smiling and didn't look offended.
"Okay, okay, uh."
Keira snapped her fingers and a mirror appeared in front of Ciri and she stared into it...
Half a minute of silence and Ciri fixes her hair and turns sideways, then sideways, then sideways, then sideways, then sideways, then sideways, then sideways, then sideways.
"It looks good on me!"
"What are we talking about?"
Lambert joined the conversation, but I could already see that Ciri was up to something. And I was getting ready...
"Vic, can you make me horns, tail and wings like that?"
"Huh?!"
I noticed Vic's questioning look and just shrugged my shoulders. It was up to him to answer such a question. And he grinned with one eye and looked away from me.
"Well. I've done more incredible body modifications, so a tail, horns, and wings are easy, but don't expect to be able to fly on wings."
"Can I move them?"
"Not right away... like a tail... and maybe you won't be able to do it at all. New muscles, new signals that your brain has to learn to give them..."
Vic shook his head.
"It will only depend on your diligence."
"О... I'll do my best."
"Wait, you're not serious, are you?"
Geralt jumped into the conversation with a look of shock, shifting his gaze from Ciri to Vic and back again.
"What do you mean, not serious?"
Vic looked at Geralt questioningly, and there wasn't the slightest hint in his voice that he was joking.
"Yeah, what do you mean? Vic, when he talks about medicine, he's always serious... I, by the way, have already thought out what I need to give him, so that he can quietly work on implanting what he needs into Ciri's body, instead of running around his office looking for everything he needs."
Misty squeezed Vic's hand.
"Thank you."
He turned slightly toward her and with a nod of his head he smiled with the tip of his lips.
"Vic, shall we go? I want to get in front of these Nilfs in a new look..."
"Let's go..."
Vic stood up, followed by Misty and they and Ciri headed towards the exit of the hall.
"Ciri, have you thought this through?"
Forcing a smile Sol called out to his girlfriend, who paused and half-turned to look at him with a mute question.
"Well... how can I build a relationship with a demoness? They are the spawn of hell, pure evil, creatures of the underworld, liars, and they hate people... And every time I see you, I'm gonna think of something like that."
He shook his head.
"Uh..."
Ciri was slightly confused.
"Maybe you should be an angel."
"А?"
Now everyone's confused.
"But angels are forbidden to commit adultery..."
She looked at Saul doubtfully, and he frowned thoughtfully.
"And really... what do we do then?"
Saul hesitated, and Ciri tried to show her thoughtfulness with all her might, but eventually they couldn't stand it and laughed.
"Of course we were joking..."
"Uh-huh...
They nodded their heads together.
"What do you mean, joking?"
I looked at them in surprise.
"Misty already sent me a list of drugs and synthetic parts they'll need for approval. Vic has authorized the list, and I've agreed to it..."
I even rose from my seat, trying to show my own indignation, as did Vic, who turned around and looked at Ciri with contrived anger.
"Come on, you were just kidding, too!"
Ciri confidently shifted her gaze from me to Vic and Misty and back again.
"Actually, no..."
I shook my head.
"We're really already on the intercom..."
I tapped my temple hinting at the remnants of chromium in our bodies.
"...it's already been agreed upon. And then it turns out you were just kidding? That's not how things are done. And I think our future empress needs to be taught to watch her mouth."
"I agree..."
Smirking Triss raised her hand.
"I agree."
Ian followed suit, and then everyone present began to raise their hands in agreement that Ciri needed to be taught a lesson.
"So... Heralt knocks her and Saul out, Vic performs an operation turning one into an angel and the other into a demon..."
I nodded to my thoughts, and as panic began to show on Saul and Ciri's faces, we all laughed, causing them to curse softly but still join in the fun.