Chapter 137

The sound of the bell interrupted our idle waiting for the Nilfs to appear in the fortress. According to the observers' reports, they were still four hours away from us, and we had planned to just wait for them. But the Wild Hunt made adjustments to our plans by once again opening portals, from which the cold creatures literally rushed out.

In general, the space around the fortress seemed to have died out in the intervening time. And all because the fierce cold that came from the portals, freezing everything around them, was replaced by heat from thermal grenades and spells of sorceresses who preferred to work either with fire or lightning. So now, for nearly five kilometers in front of Caer Morhen, there was lifeless land that the sorceresses had turned into a relatively flat area at my request.

I was immediately on the wall and slung my sniper rifle to my shoulder.

Shots fired!

"Who are the magicians on duty right now?"

I asked this question on the intercom by quickly contacting Panam. Since Sol had fully handed over the business and trained her, it would be foolish to call him with the question. Especially since he was now off with Vic to get the rest of the chrome out so he wouldn't be hung up on having a riper when he got to Nilfgaard.

Gunshot. Gunshot. Shot.

"Where's hi? And yes, Triss is on duty now... she's on her way to the gate with Vesemir and Exel as backup."

I hummed.

"Hey, hey, hey. We just broke up."

"And still..."

A slight sneer could be heard in Panam's voice.

"...decorum must be respected."

"Decency, huh?"

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

Panam sounded panicked. She realized from my nakedness that I was up to something, and now she should expect some very unpleasant retaliation.

"I was just thinking. I'm a very strict guy, but I make an exception for my girls."

Gunshot. Gunshot. Shot.

From the dead zone, well, not quite dead, but from my seat I can't see the gate very comfortably, so you could say that it was from the dead zone, Triss and the witches appeared, heading for the nearest portal.

Gunshot. Shot.

A couple of creatures that were hiding behind the trees and tearing towards the portal closing group immediately racked their brains.

"...and to do completely right opportunity was not possible, still in our world polygamy is not common, and in fact according to my upbringing, if I began to have sex with someone, it should be my fiancée, and in the future and wife ..."

I stopped talking for a moment and fired five more shots, I wasn't free-firing anymore, I was just covering the group that had already traveled a third of the way to the first portal.

"I'm a little confused... do you want to break up with me?"

Panam was clearly confused and somehow faded... at least her voice became much less vibrant.

"No, no..."

I hastened to restore her faith that I wasn't going to break up with her.

"...I wasn't going to do that. I couldn't even think of breaking up with my Cherry."

I took a few more shots.

"Then what did you mean?"

"All I meant was that it looks like I'll have to spend the next few nights without you... well, at least until we get the Wild Hunt sorted out."

"Why is that?"

"It's simple. if you insist that I be a well-mannered boy with you, then I'll wait until we've sorted things out, seized the throne for Ciri...

Two shots and I reload the rifle, doing it quickly, practiced, so that literally three seconds later I'm already firing.

"And what do you mean by that? What does this have to do with Ciri?"

"Well, she'll be able to marry into our family legally, so I can be a decent boy to you after that. But for now."

"Uh, uh. stop."

Panam, judging from her voice, tensed slightly.

"Are you really trying to deprive me of sex?"

"Well, not me...you asked me to do it..."

Triss came within throwing distance of the first portal and tossed a couple of thermal grenades inside, then walked over to the portal and while it was tentatively safe, as there were no creatures jumping out of it, began to recite a spell to close it.

Was it difficult for her?

Absolutely yes.

Could it have been worse?

Also yes.

"I?"

You could hear the shock and disbelief in Panam's voice.

"Well, not me."

I grinned as Triss closed the first portal and sighed heavily. It hadn't been easy, and more importantly, I had delayed my shot for a good reason, as the portal slammed down and a creature leapt toward Triss. The girl only had time to start raising her arms before my shot rang out. Well, not just mine, but a split second apart from two directions. So I wasn't the only one who decided to delay the shot a bit.

"But I, uh."

"What?"

There was the sound of another contact joining the conversation, or rather more than one, because judging by the display of the names that appeared, the whole of our crazy family had joined, and even Triss, who had her communicator attached as an earpiece.

"I'm about to... huh... a little... uh. busy."

Triss said while still coming to her senses.

"The girls want me away from my body!"

Panam's voice was full of panic.

"Oh, really?"

Becca was the first to react to Panam's words.

"So that's great..."

Kiwi kept up with her friend.

"Panam, what do you want us to do? If you are removed from the body, one of us will get a chance for an extra night with David. You already know that we are already in groups, as one night is not enough for us... and here it is, and this chance..."

Judy decided to participate in the conversation as well, rather than keep quiet. And she was right. She wasn't the only one teaming up with Becca anymore. Lucy was now teaming up with Kiwi, and Panam was on the defensive, as was Triss, who was in no hurry to pair up with anyone.

"But he can wean you from your body too!!!!"

"Hmm. that's a serious threat."

Triss responded to the "drowning man's cry" from Panam's side.

"...I wouldn't want the guy I just recently started a relationship with to decide to influence me in this way."

"I don't influence anyone."

I shook my head.

"...just fulfilling the request of Panam herself."

"А?"

It sounded surprisingly synchronized.

"Okay, I don't get it..."

Lucy's voice was not very pleased.

"...if you asked for this, then why are you calling us? Have you decided to leave David?"

"I didn't ask for it! I just told him he didn't say hello when he called me! I told him to be a decent boy."

"Pha... a boy?"

Triss snickered a little, well it's understandable, I'm not a boy anymore, I'm a young man.

"And you didn't say hello to us when you called. So whatever the hell you're saying."

Becca was clearly in a very good mood.

"That's not the point, it's that he's determined to keep me away from my body!"

"Uh, David?"

Triss was clearly tired of this conversation and decided to redirect the question to me so I could clarify the point.

"What, David? I just Told Panam that if she needs me to be decent, I'll remove her from the body until we get things sorted out, put Ciri on the throne, and then she'll marry our family, after which..."

"I'm in favor! Let's get Panam off David's body!"

Becca was the first to voice her opinion on the matter.

"Hmmm... can't say I don't like the idea, so I'm okay with it too. If a similar price for you David, finally taking responsibility, then I'm fine with it."

I snorted at those words from Kiwi.

"Okay, I didn't say I was refusing to take responsibility. It's just that in Knight City, we're a loose-knit family, but marriage was impossible. That's why I didn't formally propose to you. Hmm.

I hummed thoughtfully as an interesting idea popped into my head.

"What is it?"

Judy was surprised at my hum.

"I was just thinking. I've got one hand, one heart, and I've got a lot of you. I should probably get an axe ready."

"Huh, you don't have to worry about that one..."

Triss reached another portal and mumbled a spell, so she couldn't continue her thought, and we didn't say anything. It would be wrong of us to interrupt her. So we were silent for about five minutes, until Triss came back on the air.

"We'll make a deal sometime and pass your hand and heart around like a passing trophy."

"Well... I generally don't mind having my hand and heart given away as a trophy."

I grinned at such a suggestion.

"By the way..."

Kiwi once again decided to intervene in the conversation.

"...can your words be considered an offer of marriage?"

You could hear the interest and hope in his voice.

"No of course not..."

You could easily hear the outrage in my voice. And I really was outraged by such an assumption from one of my girls.

"...I'm not pathetic enough to propose to the girls I love like that. You can take it from me, though, because I think when I get out of trouble, I'm gonna officially ask. Hmm."

"And what again?"

"I was just thinking... why on earth would you have my hand and heart?"

The girls started giggling.

"After all, a man asks for a girl's hand and heart, not proposes..."

"Well, you offered, so we didn't refuse."

There was a slight sneer in Panam's voice.

"Okay. Well, as soon as I get things sorted out, I'll propose, or ask you to marry me. And in the meantime."

"I get it..."

Lucy cut me short.

"...better tell me, do you forgive the Panamas, or do we have to re-schedule?

"I forgive you."

Triss walked over to another portal and we fell silent again.

"So, uh. okay, I'd like to say this is all interesting, but I still have to work..."

Panam disconnected herself from the conversation.

"She passed out pretty fast."

My voice was full of sneer.

"I can see why..."

Triss's voice was very tired.

"Triss, are you okay?"

"It's okay... I guess another week or two of this siege and I'll get used to doing a lot of the powerful effects required to close the portal. But I'm already feeling pretty good. As for your question... she's just afraid to say anything unnecessary again. She just got a pardon, and then she got a pardon."

Despite her fatigue, Triss spoke the last words with a mockery of the absent Panam on the comms.

"I see... By the way, how come you're so tired? I thought you were in the war, and you'd find this kind of thing. easy for you."

"David, you don't understand magic, so I'll just say that creating a fireball and closing a portal are two completely different energies. If I had to throw battle magic right now, it wouldn't be a problem, my energy already knows what it's like... but closing portals... and between worlds."

"I see. send you someone."

"No. David, you just have to believe in me..."

The redhead's voice sounded adamant.

"I do. But I also don't want you to overextend yourself..."

"I don't overstretch myself..."

"All right, well, you get to work. and we'll stay in touch with you and support you."

And while Triss moved from portal to portal and closed them, I continued to shoot the creatures, which were getting smaller and smaller with each closed portal. And that was a good thing...

After two hours, the last portal was closed, and Triss headed toward the castle gates. I was still tracking her movements and those of the two witches, who were exhausted from fighting off the creatures.