A fantastical journey across the heavens, beginning with the Witcher.

Accepting the commission is a risky move.

Ciri is the rightful heir to both Sintra and the Skellige Islands, as well as Princess Brug, Duchess Soden, and Lord of Atri and Aboyara.

When Sintra was powerful, these titles were her glory, but now that Sintra is on the verge of destruction and has no strong backing, these titles are just prey for wolves.

After all, as long as Ciri can be controlled, the entire Kingdom of Sintra and a large area of ​​surrounding territory can be legally controlled.

Nilfgaard needs this place as a bridgehead for conquering the North, and Temeria and Redania are also unwilling to let go of this tempting prize.

The three most powerful countries at present all want to control her.

Calanther had clearly anticipated this, which is why he entrusted Reed with sending Ciri to Skellige, rather than anywhere else.

That place is isolated overseas, and King Bran is a man of great loyalty and affection; he wouldn't let Ciri be in danger.

As for whether he could actually deliver the person, Li De didn't dare to make a guarantee. He hadn't forgotten that besides her long list of titles, Ciri also possessed unawakened ancient blood.

If the Wild Hunt discovers them, their situation will become even more dire; the Elven race is desperate for the Ancient Blood.

If Ciri's bloodline awakens and she is targeted by the Wild Hunt, the King of the Wild Hunt will surely lead his army across realms to personally lead the expedition.

……

Following the knight through several corridors, they arrived at Ciri's room.

The door was ajar, and a girl's clear voice came from inside, tinged with a childlike melancholy.

"Martha, can Grandma win?"

"It is possible, Your Highness."

"But I heard my grandmother crying yesterday."

Li De paused, and the knight gently pushed open the door, gesturing for him to enter.

Inside the room, a little girl in a fluffy princess dress was leaning on the windowsill, gazing intently at the knights hurrying by, her brows slightly furrowed, as if pondering some profound question.

Hearing the noise, Ciri turned her head sharply, her bright blue eyes curiously scrutinizing the people at the door, like a startled yet curious fawn.

She first saw the knight in silver armor, then caught a glimpse of Li De and Olivia behind him, and her eyes lit up instantly.

Who are you?

She tilted her head, her voice clear and sweet, with a childlike softness.

"My name is Li De, and I am a witcher hired by Her Majesty the Queen to protect Her Highness."

Li De stepped forward, trying to keep his tone gentle.

"The Witcher?"

This word seemed to ignite a fuse. Ciri's eyes widened, she lifted her cumbersome skirt, and ran over with small, quick steps. She circled around Li De twice, then stood on tiptoe, tilted her head up, and carefully examined his face, her eyes full of curiosity.

"You're really a Witcher? I overheard Grandma and Grandpa Mossack talking, and I heard the name Geralt. He was a Witcher too!"

"That damned witcher," Ciri mimicked Calanther's tone, "that's what Grandma always said about him."

The young maid whispered a reminder: "Your Highness, you mustn't use foul language."

Li De couldn't help but smile and nodded, saying, "I know you. We're very close. We meet in Kaer Morhen every year at the end of the year."

"Really?" Ciri clenched her little fist excitedly, then quickly lowered her voice and whispered to Li De, "What kind of person is he?"

"Yeah, he's a good guy, great at fighting monsters, but terrible at Gwent."

Ciri chuckled, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "What does he look like? Does he have golden eyes like you?"

"You'll meet him sooner or later," Li De said, without giving a direct answer.

The little girl was clearly dissatisfied with the answer, pouting, "Just like Grandpa Mossack said, why did I meet him?"

After uttering a complaint, her attention was drawn to something new again. She pointed with her little finger at the two swords at Li De's waist: "Why do you carry two swords? Isn't one enough?"

"Steel swords are used to fight humans and ordinary beasts, while silver swords are the bane of monsters."

Li De patiently explained.

She touched the patterns on the Witcher armor again: "Your armor is strange too."

"Witcher armor prioritizes lightness and functionality over defense; even the toughest armor is still at risk of being torn apart by monsters."

"Hey? Why are your eyes golden? Is it magic?"

Ciri's questions came one after another, like a machine gun.

Having finally encountered a stranger willing to patiently answer her questions, the girl, who had been holding back for so long, unleashed her curiosity and kept asking the Witcher questions.

Li De patiently responded to each question, even unsheathing his sword and handing it to her to play with.

Ciri carefully gripped the hilt of the sword. This was no ordinary wooden toy; it was a real weapon, the longsword standing almost as tall as her.

The two chatted for over an hour. The girl's questions ranged from the life of a witcher to monsters in the wild, and then to distant mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, her eyes filled with longing for the unknown world.

"I have actually met Geralt."

After chatting for a while, the little girl, who was severely lacking in playmates, had come to regard Li De as a confidant and even revealed her little secrets.

"Last year, my grandmother wanted me to marry Prince Cordwin, but I had never even met him. That night, I secretly slipped out of the royal city, but I read the map wrong, got lost, and wandered into the forest, where I was captured by the tree spirits."

"They fed me a glass of water. The girl with me also turned into a tree spirit after drinking the water, but I didn't seem to be affected. Maybe I didn't drink enough. I secretly spat out the water. I do this every time my grandmother forces me to eat something I don't like, and she has never noticed."

Brochron Water is an important tool for the tree spirits to expand their population. If a woman drinks it, she will become a tree spirit and lose her past memories; if a man drinks it, he will be poisoned.

It doesn't matter how much you take; even a small bite can have an effect.

Ciri didn't become a dryad because the ancient blood within her, which hadn't yet awakened, was protecting her.

The little girl was very proud of this, and Li De didn't spoil the mood by pointing it out.

"Then Geralt came! The Dryad Queen gave me a choice: stay in the forest or go with the Witcher. I'm not stupid! Stay in the forest and wait to be captured by my grandmother's men? So I went with the Witcher."

"What a pity! That guy is completely unreasonable. Even after I told him I would be paid, he still handed me over to Grandpa Mossack, and I was taken back to the palace..."

The little girl gritted her teeth: "No wonder Grandma always scolds him, he's a bad boy! And he's not even as good-looking as you."

Li De beamed: "Good girl! When you turn eighteen, you must say this again to Geralt."

Ciri's eyes darted around. "Okay, but you have to promise to help me escape the palace before I marry Prince Cordwin. I don't want to marry a stranger."

Then her eyes lit up: "How about you elope with me?"

Olivia, who had been listening patiently, glared at the Witcher with a cold look, squinting at him as if he were a scumbag who had kidnapped a little girl.

"Cough cough cough!"

Li De couldn't hold it in and started coughing violently, waving his hands repeatedly: "This word can't be used casually. Where did you learn this word? Do court tutors still teach these things?"

"It's in the novel. I found it in my grandmother's study."

Ciri stood tall and proud, feeling proud of her erudition and courage.

"Do you know what that means?"

"It's just a man running away with a woman," the little girl said, pointing at the witcher and the elf, her words hitting the nail on the head. "And you two? Did you elope too?"

Now it was Olivia's turn to cough, and Li De nodded repeatedly: "Yes, we eloped."

The sorceress gritted her teeth, wanting to strangle him, but she couldn't do anything about the witcher's full armor.

Just then, the door was pushed open again, and an elderly man in a gray mage's robe strode in. He nodded slightly to Li De with a serious expression: "Witcher, may I speak with you in private?"

Ciri's smile vanished instantly, and she pouted in dissatisfaction, "Grandpa Mossack, I haven't finished asking my questions yet!"

"Your Highness, the Witcher and I have important matters to discuss."

Mossack's tone was gentle yet authoritative. He then looked at Olivia and asked, "If this elf lady doesn't mind, would she be willing to chat with Her Highness the Princess for a while?"

Ciri's attention was immediately drawn to the sorceress. Her eyes lit up, and she rushed to her side, tugging at her sleeve and asking, "You're so beautiful! Are all elves as pretty as you?"

Olivia was taken aback by this sudden enthusiasm, but she still responded to her questions gently.

Li De followed Mossack out of the room and into the corridor.

The druid's gentle expression vanished instantly, replaced by a chillingly grave look: "Prepare yourselves, witcher, the royal city cannot be defended."

Li De's heart sank, and he remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Skellige's reinforcements were all wiped out in the storm; not a single ship arrived. They were His Majesty's last hope."

Mossack closed his eyes in pain.

"The messengers sent to Temeria and Redania for help have yet to return with any news. Even if they were willing to send troops to assist, it would be too late. Scouts report that Nilfgaard's siege equipment is complete, and the general offensive will begin tomorrow."

"The Queen has ordered all entrances and exits to the capital to be sealed off. If we can hold out until reinforcements from the north arrive, we still have a chance to survive. If not... Her Highness is in your hands! You must get her out of here."

"Don't go to Skellige. King Bran is trustworthy, but the islands aren't just about him. Those pirates are especially adept at betrayal."

"I know you witchers have your own strongholds, and you took the princess there to hide her. That's dangerous... In return, I'm giving this to you."

As he spoke, he took out a green gem the size of a fist and handed it over.

At first glance, Li De was captivated. The crystal-clear gemstone shimmered with a brilliant yet gentle light, like flowing life force, as if one could see the vibrant vitality of nature within it.