Готовый перевод Страж Империи / Guardian of the Empire: Глава 4

Chapter 4
* * *

Lady Majery shuffled and dealt the cards much more skillfully than the rich man. I even admired the fluttering movements of her long fingers, unfortunately hiding their true beauty under thin silk gloves. But what was even more interesting was that already on the second round, all the cards dealt blindly were identified by the imp. And this turned a serious game into simple fun.

I should make a vow to myself never to sit down and play against imps.

//“Shall we pass?” I asked the horned one, seeing the ace of diamonds and three of hearts in my hands.

//“No, double it.” The imp ordered. “We need to bait the people!”

Lady Majery threw a couple of gold coins on the table. Playing it safe. With a winning nine. Tier Otis called with his seven. I doubled. And Sir Tyler and Tier Foss folded, deciding that it was better to lose a gold than to bluff with four and three.

“I will continue,” Lady Majery said softly, adding seven more gilded chips to the pile.

“And I will support too,” said Tier Otis without thinking for long.

And at the instigation of the imp, I blurted out again:

"Double it!" And sent a rectangular plate and four circles to the center of the table.

"I'll double that," Lady Majery said, glancing at me briefly, and I thought I saw a slight smile on her lips. Or maybe I didn't.

Tier Otis thought about it. But he decided to do it anyway and put twenty-eight gold pieces on the line. And I bit my lip, as if tormented by doubts, and passed.

Lady Majery, however, was not at all upset and doubled the stake again. Tier Otis, poor fellow, rubbed his instantly sweaty forehead and threw forty-eight gold pieces on the table.

"I'm opening it!" He declared in a hoarse voice. And he was left with nothing. The girl, smiling contentedly, raked in a nice pile of chips she had won.

“We started briskly,” said Tier Foss, snapping his fingers, and he was immediately served a glass of wine.

“Yes, it went well,” Sir Tyler said contentedly.

The third and fourth rounds flew by almost instantly. Everyone's cards were rubbish, and the players passed, leaving the initial bets to the dealers. It was not interesting at all, in general, even though I got hold of five gold-plated chips.

Sir Tyler dealt better. He got a nine, and Lady Majery and Tier Foss got a seven each. Otis and I passed at once, and the nobles and the rich raised the stakes to almost a hundred and then calmed down.

The sixth round brought me thirty-five coins. The imp and I slightly reined in the baron, who had gotten excited and was about to bluff with a six against our seven.

//“Look, we’re not the only ones who are so cunning here,” the imp suddenly blurted out on the next lap.

//“What do you mean?” I didn’t understand what he was talking about.

//"Don't you see? Otis threw away an eight. He didn't call the bet, but threw away a good card. Who would do that? Maybe we, who know that Tier Foss has a nine in his hand."

//“So it turns out there’s an imp inside him too?” I was puzzled.

//You are an idiot! The horned one got angry. "He's a cheat! He marked the cards and is now playing seriously."

//“He might leave us without a prize,” I worried.

//“Oh, come on, that’s nothing. The imp waved it off. “A new deck, and he’s out again for five or six laps.”

As if overhearing our conversation with the imp, Lady Madgery waved her hand to the club employee, and the deck was changed. And for one round, we were left without the necessary knowledge of our opponents' cards. Only the five of hearts and four of clubs that came later allowed us to play in the dark. It was impossible to lose with nine points anyway.

"I'm not having any luck today," said Tier Foss, throwing up his hands an hour later, having lost all his chips and six hundred gold on top of that. "I'm late for the auction, and I'm not having any luck in the game. I guess I won't tempt fate anymore." He got up from the table and grinned slyly. "I'll make it simpler. I'll wait until the winner is determined, and I'll offer him twice the value of this beauty's debt obligations.

//"Such an interesting proposal," The imp perked up. "Don't you think? Four thousand in gold for nothing."

//“Don’t get distracted,” I avoided answering. “We don’t have the prize yet.”

//"It'll all be over now," the horned one promised, rubbing his paws and looking around. "Well, let's get started! And let's start, perhaps, with the sharper!"

“And how will you cheat him?” I asked.

//"On your turn, we'll give him a corrected card." The imp explained his plan. "He's guided by the marks left on an object by contact with a person's aura." The imp showed me how the multi-colored prints left by the players' fingers glowed on the cards, highlighting the pink spots, as if specially placed either in the center or in the corners of the cards. And then he added with a grin: "And now we'll wipe something off..."

The horned one was not mistaken. Tier Otis, a businessman and high-class card sharper, took the bait. The imp dealt him a blind two of spades, which turned out to be without pink spots on the back, as a picture that did not give points, and he opened the nine of diamonds. I got the eight of clubs face down and the queen of spades.

And off we go. The satisfied cheater kept raising and raising the bet, and I supported him with my chips until they ran out.

"Two and a half hundred," Otis threw his last chips and the bank bills verified by the magistrate's adviser on the table. And he looked at me with a wry smile.

"Let's open up, perhaps," I said lazily, throwing the remains of my winnings from yesterday on the table. But I had a hard time keeping the mask of indifference on my face. It's not every day that you have to take such a risk.

"Nine and... two..." The card sharper's face instantly disappeared, and he stared at me with a completely bewildered look. "How is that possible?"

“And I have an eight!” I boasted, turning over the eight of clubs and, leaning forward, scooped up a pile of winning chips with both hands.

Otis, now looking like a dead fish, looked around in shock and quietly climbed out of his chair. It seemed that the sharper had no more money.

"You did him well, foreman," Sir Tyler approved of my actions. "But that won't work with me." And he began to unseal a new deck.

I chuckled and supported his bet, then calmly dropped my seven points, leaving the nobles to play among themselves.

Lady Majery was lucky. With a seven against a six, she won a jackpot of one hundred and fifty. Not bad for a fair game.

Having moved the winning chips towards herself, the noble lady looked at her friend with a smile, sharing her joy. And put her left hand on her thigh.

My jaw dropped. Well, well... Could they really be from that kind? And could all the gossip about Lady Majeri be true? Then it becomes clear why she needs such a prize...

"Is there a problem, guard?" Lady Majery asked coldly, noticing the surprise on my face.

And the vile imp fell on his back and, folding his paws on his belly, stared at me with a grin.

"No, none," I shook my head, struggling with the benevolent disposition I felt toward this stylish beauty. I so wanted to give her some good advice...

//“You promised to do whatever you wanted, without holding back your desires!” The grinning imp reminded me.

//“Yeah, I remember,” I grumbled and, looking sympathetically at the stylish baroness, said out loud:

"You need to find yourself a decent man, lady... You'll forget all about this nonsense in no time."

You said it right from the heart! Maybe she'll listen to me and live happily ever after, as a good girl should.

Sir Tyler snorted, barely holding back his laughter. And the Baroness, blushing, fixed her gaze on me, blazing with lightning. However, she restrained herself and, with a simple smile, completely out of keeping with the storm raging in her eyes, she seemed to complain:

"Where can you find them... decent men..." And she asked softly: "Or do you consider yourself one?"

"Yes.", I readily acknowledged the obvious fact.

"Is that so?" The lady raised her eyebrow and leaned forward slightly, cooing in a sensual voice: “And you're not afraid to prove your manhood?”

“Not afraid,” I replied, smiling. I began to find this exchange amusing.

“Let's see what you're capable of,” suggested the baroness with a sly smile. And, instantly removing the friendly expression from her face, she said coldly, “But just remember: if I don't like it, Caitlin will make you regret your insolence.” Until the day you die.“ And in conclusion, she added in the most ordinary tone, ”And your skin, you insolent fool, will be used to make boots for me."

"No problem, let's check it out!" I replied and said with a smirk: "But just explain one thing to me... What if I don't like it? Then what... will Caitlin take the credit for you?

"What?!" The black-haired lady jumped up from the armrest and grabbed the hilt of her skewer. "You… animal!"

//"I'm not an animal," I was a little offended. At the slightest thing, they immediately insult. This is the price to pay for a sincere desire to help with advice out of the kindness of your heart...

"Caite, calm down," the Baroness stopped her friend, looking at me unkindly. "Whoever leaves the table never returns to it. And we haven't finished the game."

Lady Caitlin, blazing with anger, stopped and, with a short nod, returned to her place. Not forgetting, however, to send a meaningful glance in my direction, in which it was easy to read a promise to settle the score soon.

All I could do was shrug my shoulders and mentally justify myself: //“What am I supposed to do? It's all the imp's doing with his bet. May his demons take him away, the bastard!”

"I respect your courage, foreman," Sir Tyler said quietly, leaning towards me and chuckling. "But to be honest, you're going a bit overboard..."

“Let’s continue the game,” the Baroness announced, not giving me a chance to answer the noble sir, as she began to deal the cards.

But the imp took the game seriously, and the sequel was very short. After twenty circles, the baroness was left at the virginally clean edge of the table. And all her chips migrated to me and Sir Tyler. As well as bank bills for almost five hundred gold.

//"Take a new deck." The imp demanded. "If we're going to deal now, let's deal!"

//“The cards will be unknown,” I reminded him of the obvious fact.

//"It doesn't matter now," he waved it off. "That's how you should play with one opponent. The cards in the deck are laid out in order, and shuffling them the way we need is no problem." And he gave a short laugh: "As they say, sleight of hand - and no cheating!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECmgwaB2_Ho

The imp didn't lie. Having seized control of my body, he shuffled the cards so skillfully that the deal was always in our favor. Before Sir Tyler could even come to his senses, he was left with a tiny pile of chips. And the horned one didn't want to calm down and dealt him the six of spades and the two of clubs, saving for us the trusty nine of hearts and the king of clubs.

The noble sir took the bait. He began to raise the stakes, and soon, in addition to the chips, there was a considerable sum in bank bills at stake. But I had won a lot earlier, and therefore had the advantage.

"Another five hundred on top," the noble sir laid out what seemed to be his last money.

“I accept,” I agreed, counting out fifty chips of lunar silver.

But Sir Tyler had nothing to cover my bet with... After puffing a bit, he took some paper out of the inside pocket of his suit and threw it on the table.

“A thousand more,” he smiled palely.

“What is this?” I asked curiously, nodding at the paper.

"My father's estate," the guy replied, smiling crookedly. "It costs twelve thousand..."

The hall was already quiet, but now there was a deathly silence.

//"This is how parents' fortunes are played out!" the amused imp remarked. "I told you we'd leave them all without pants!"

He's having fun... The horned bastard. But to be fair, this is too much. We didn't sit down at the table to drive people to poverty. The main thing is that I get the prize, and the rest is nonsense.

"I can't accept such a bet, your grace," I shook my head and declined Sir Tyler's offer. "I have the right. This isn't real money, after all."

"Why?" he frowned.

"And where will I get you eleven thousand in gold if you lose?" I wriggled out. "In the best-case scenario, I won't even have two thousand."

"This is in cash, without taking into account the prize," Tier Foss, who was waiting for the game to end, butted in and reminded: "And I am ready to buy out the young lady's promissory notes for four thousand. Then you will have six thousand on hand. That's already normal, considering the fact that the baron's fiefdom still needs to be sold for twelve. And you will have to try hard to find such a buyer. It is much more realistic to use the immediate cost of the fiefdom - the one for which it can be sold here and now. Well, or within a day. And this is not twelve thousand, but at best seven, seven and a half."

"All this is well, but it does not suit me," I shook my head, smiling good-naturedly. "Firstly, I do not want to leave the baron without the fiefdom he inherited from his glorious ancestors, and secondly, I do not intend to resell my prize to anyone. Under no circumstances."

"Foreman, you're simply drunk and don't know what you're saying! Just think what you could get! This is your own estate with a solid income!" Tier Foss began to admonish me.

"I don’t want to listen to anything," I insisted.

"Very well then..." the noble sir muttered, twitching his jaw muscles. "Let's accept the value of the estate as a paltry three thousand... Then, in case of loss, you will give me all the bank bills that are at stake and that you have, and the chips will remain with you." He slammed his clenched fist on the table: "I feel that I will be lucky!"

"If so, then fine," I shrugged. After all, I'm not his dad; he wants to spend his fortune on cards - his business. "I accept your bet, Baron."

“Excellent!” he smiled contentedly, leaning back in his chair.

"Of course, very well," I confirmed, throwing two thousand in chips and bills on the line. "Show up, Sir Tyler!"

The six of spades showed its black face and marked the defeat of the baron. As my hitherto hidden nine beats Tyler de Marco's eight points.

I turned the card over, too, and Sir Tyler could only gulp air with white lips.

"Congratulations!" Tier Foss jumped up to me and, shaking my hand with his plump fingers, conspiratorially whispered: "You guessed the baron's mood perfectly! And got a wonderful lot almost for nothing! I think five thousand in gold will allow you to finally turn your life into a carefree holiday!"

"Nope," I shook my head with a smile, understanding what the fat cat was getting at. "I won't agree to ten thousand in gold."

The Baron finally recovered from the blow of fate and signed a deed of gift in my name, attaching it to the papers confirming the right to own the estate. The document was immediately certified by respected people, and the magistrate's adviser attached a seal. That's it, now he can't be taken away from me. And all the existing bank bills were transferred to Baron de Marco. Having forced a crooked smile, he left.

Well, we've come to the most important thing. The imperturbable Heron handed me Lady Angel's debt obligations, and we signed the deed, which also had to be certified. And all the chips were returned to the gambling house.

"Wait," I calmed the people congratulating me and called the magistrate's adviser. "That's not all. Now we need to certify the freedom for this lady. I renounce the claims I have on her debt."

//"What are you doing, what are you doing?!" the indignant imp began running around the table. "Why did we win it then?!"

//“That’s what I wanted!” I sneered, extremely pleased with my prank.

//“Well then, why let her go?!” The ip calmed down a little and, lowering his tone, whispered heartfeltly: “Look at her. She is such a sweetheart… She’ll be lost without you… Don’t you feel sorry for this sweet girl?.. Who else but you can take care of her? Protect her and save her from the dangers of this cruel world? Forget about all the nonsense… Take her for yourself… Make her happy… And she’ll love you… Don’t doubt it, you’ll succeed…”

//"Go to hell, you tailed provocateur!" I cursed, almost tempted by the charm of the picture I was drawing. Who wouldn't want to be loved by such a beauty as Lady Angel!

"Karridan, do you realize what you're doing?" Lemas leaned toward my ear. "Of course, it's your right, but the mayor promised to recognize as his personal enemy whoever frees this girl."

"Let him go to the demons!" I blurted out, unable to restrain myself, already angry at the recent whispers of the insidious demon. "I do what I want!"

“It’s your business,” the magician raised his hands in a conciliatory tone. “I just wanted to warn you.”

And he went to the girl standing by the window to take off the bondage collar that had a magical component.

“Certify the papers,” I demanded of the magistrate’s councillor, when the release was signed by the disappointedly sighing Tier Foss and the surprised-looking Baroness Cantor.

Having climbed out of the chair, I approached the astonished golden-haired girl, who was blinking her eyes and rubbing her neck, freed from the unpleasant decoration, and handed her the papers.

“Take it, lady,” I said, and advised from the bottom of my heart: “And please don’t rob honest people anymore.”

She couldn't find anything to say. She just clutched the papers tightly. And for a moment, I was lost in her moist blue eyes.

Pulling myself together, I turned away and headed for the exit, wondering what was waiting for me ahead. The mood was excellent, and even a possible quarrel with angry noble ladies could not spoil it.

But nothing of the sort happened. The Baroness and her friend disappeared from the room. Apparently, they wisely decided not to mess with the uncouth boor. Good riddance to them.

"You're something, Kar!" Veld attacked me as soon as I walked out the door. He didn't even let Kaylee go first. And he started hugging me and slapping me on the back, the red-haired bastard. My eyesight went blurry from all the slapping.

“Calm down, everything is fine,” I tried to tear my friend away from me.

"Very fine!" Veld agreed with me happily. "We raised almost fifty in gold on your game! Just imagine – fifty in gold!"

"What does he care about this nonsense," Tim drawled with a hint of envy. "He won a whole estate."

“That’s right,” I supported Tim and, finally pushing Veld away from me, I put my arm around Kaylee, who instantly squeezed herself between us.

"Good game, Kar!" the beaming girl remarked, kissing me on the lips. "You did a great job of taking them apart."

"Well, yes," I was a little embarrassed under the gaze of admiring eyes. In fact, it was not me who won, but the imp.

"Let's celebrate this well!" suggested the restless Veld. "Let's party so that all of Kelm will talk about it!"

"How come you turned down such a tasty prize, Kar?" Kaylee asked with a sly smile.

"Why do I need her when I have you?" I answered.

The satisfied Malvian girl gave me a scorching, passionate, and promising kiss.

We went down to the first floor in a noisy crowd and occupied a large table. After all, we were all flush with cash now. It would be a sin not to have a good time in such a situation. True, no one got drunk to death. We are decent people, and with girls, too. We drank as much as our hearts desired, looked at the can-run dancers, and then calmed down.

"Maybe we should spend the night at my place tonight?" the Malvian girl whispered when everyone had calmed down a bit. "We'll be more comfortable there than in the rooms..."

"Agreed," I agreed easily. It's so tempting... Kaylee doesn't take men to her home. Although she doesn't have a mansion, but her own apartment in a tenement house.

"Roald!" I called.

"What?" He turned around.

"It's time for us to move," I said. "We won't stay at the club overnight."

"Well, that's right," the foreman approved of my decision. "Otherwise, something might happen." And he sent Tim to find a cab for us. No one wanted to go on foot.

The girls intervened. Isha and Lary didn't want to leave us, so two cabs were needed. And Veld supported them. Crazy. Oh well, he'll understand how screwed he is when they start dividing him up!

After about half an hour, we finally got out of the Silver Ringing. And went to the city hall. No, not to continue celebrating my victory in the Great Game by dancing on the square in front of the Magistrate and bathing naked in the city fountain, as some extravagant individuals do. We had an extremely important matter. Both banks were closed. So Roald advised us to put the deed of gift in the fireproof safe that the centurion had for now. So that no one would be tempted.

This move seemed very reasonable to me. Otherwise, suddenly today is not my last day of life. And tomorrow I will bite my elbows that such valuable papers have disappeared somewhere.

Having sorted out this little matter, we moved on. To the eastern quarter. To Green Jay Street, where one of the tenement houses belonging to the magistrate was located. And where the Malvian girl lived.

Having assured Roald that I would not get involved in any trouble, I convinced him to go home. His family was waiting, and he was here messing around with me. And I wasn't going to do anything criminal anyway, so his supervision was not required.

Kaylee's apartment was on the third floor. Small, but nice. It was furnished with taste and, therefore, cozy. I told the girl about it.

With a flattered smile, Kaylee deigned to show me the bedroom, which I liked even more. Especially the low bed with wide carved headboards, covered with a black velvet bedspread with golden tassels on the edges. I threw the girl on it.

And we didn't need anything else. If not love, then something similar flared up between us, making the closeness of the desired person especially pleasant. And we could not tear ourselves away from each other, starting games of sensual caresses.

Having rumpled the entire bed and even rolled onto the floor a couple of times, we calmed down. We frolicked to our heart's content and, tired, fell asleep.

Somewhere towards morning, judging by the darkness dissipating outside the window, I woke up. After lying there for a while, without disturbing Kaylee, who had wrapped her arms around me and buried her nose in my neck, I carefully freed myself from her embrace. Everything was fine, but if I accidentally died here, Kaylee would hardly appreciate such a surprise.

"Where are you going, Kar?" asked a sleepy girl, who had discovered my absence while I was dressing.

“I’m going home,” I replied, and, going up to Kaylee, I kissed her. “And you sleep, sleep.”

“Or maybe you’ll stay?” the Malvian girl said, turning over onto her back. “Let’s have breakfast together…”

"Sorry, I can't," I shook my head regretfully. "I really have to go. I have some things to take care of before noon. Then I'll be free as the wind."

I walked quickly home in the cool morning air, went up to my room, collapsed on my bed, and began to wait for my time. But I overestimated my own endurance. The night's entertainment had taken its toll, and I fell asleep without waiting for anything.

From the report of As-Tarkh Covan to the head of the Security Board, Count de Noel, dated the fifth day of the sixteenth decade of the year four hundred and fifty-seven

…Between three thirty and four o’clock in the morning, taking advantage of the irreparable damage to the security complex of the mayor’s mansion, Lady Angel de Sameri secretly entered the house and carried out her plan, which had failed the day before, by executing Count de Seyt by beheading. At the same time, the Count’s guards demonstrated their complete incompetence, discovering the criminal only after she had murdered a high-ranking person.

I would like to note that my assumption that Lady Angel is working for our Aquitaine friends has been confirmed. Thus, the head of the Kelm mayor has disappeared from the crime scene, which deprives us of the opportunity to extract the information we need from the deceased.

At present, the forces of the unit entrusted to me and the attached forces from other city departments are implementing the "Trap" directive. The capture of the criminal and her accomplices will be carried out within 24 hours.
* * *

An unforgettable morning. It is truly unforgettable when the stimulus for awakening is a blow to the chest with a club studded with nails. Although it must be admitted, the sweetest dreams are instantly dispelled by such a wake-up call. Such a morning surprise…

I didn't even have the strength to scream from the unbearable pain that pierced my entire body. My chest was burning with a furious flame, not allowing me to breathe properly, and only convulsive sobs came out of my mouth.

Blindly groping in front of me with my stiff arms, I leaned to the right and reached for the jacket thrown on the chair. Clutching it like a drowning man clutching a stick, I pulled it toward me and, having caught my breath, began to rummage through my pockets in search of the box of dope. Having poured the golden balls into my palm, I threw two or three into my mouth without looking and, without wasting a moment, chewed through the foil.

It got easier... Carefully wiping away the tears that had appeared, I blinked and looked around. There was no one around. There were no uninvited guests nearby who had decided to make fun of me. Only imp was sitting on the windowsill and grinning.

//“Good morning!” he greeted.

//"...", I answered him with a selection of the most indecent words. On such a good morning, nothing else would have entered my head.

//“You are rude and ill-mannered,” the vile demon clicked his tongue regretfully. “I am, you see, trying, helping him...”

//"It's noticeable!" I said, barely holding back from using foul language, which is the only way to appreciate the efforts of this assistant. "You lost the bet, but you don't want to pay?"

\\“What?” The imp looked at me in surprise. “I did everything according to the agreement.”

//“Then why am I dying of pain if you healed me from this otherworldly infection of yours?” I asked sarcastically.

\\"If you had tumbled around even faster with your guts bruised and your ribs cracked, I wouldn't have needed to rid you of the Lamma! You would have died sooner yourself!" The imp answered sarcastically. Moving from the windowsill to the bed, he came closer to me and said in a heartfelt voice: "But, of course, I can also rid you of the pain. All you have to do is sign this standard contract - and that's it!"

A large sheet of parchment instantly materialized in front of the imp, and the tailed scoundrel immediately thrust it into my hands.

//"What is this?" I asked, looking at the incomprehensible document in surprise. Everything was written legibly from the beginning - a contract for the provision of free imp services for my healing, but then the font was so small that no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't make out what was scribbled there.

//“It’s just an empty formality, really,” the imp assured me and began poking his fingers at the parchment: “You only need to sign here and here, and from now on the pain won’t bother you.”

//“Really?” I chuckled incredulously and asked, “What’s that written so small at the bottom that you can’t even make it out?”

//"These are unimportant details," the imp waved his paw dismissively. "See how small they are written? This is so that their insignificance would be immediately apparent." And, leaning towards me, he confidentially said: "We do not usually draw up complicated documents, and the most important things always come first and are highlighted in capital letters. So don't hesitate - sign."

The imp's heartfelt speech vividly reminded me of a meeting with a sleek runt in a moneylender's office belonging to the Order of the Light Bearers. The same ingratiatingly flattering tone... And exorbitant interest on the loan. And if you miss a payment even once, all your property will be auctioned off in an instant.

//"I won't sign anything," I said to the imp, frozen in anticipation. "I don't feel that bad. And after the 'ice', the pain is practically non-existent."

//“Well, as you wish...” The imp sighed in disappointment and scattered the parchment into a grey haze.

//"You better tell me this," I suggested, returning to the main point. "Did you really deal with this mold? Did you remove it from my body?"

//“Well, yes, as we agreed,” the horned one confirmed.

I sighed with incredible relief and leaned back on the pillow. Saved! How little is needed for happiness... And the imp continued with a grin: //"You wouldn't have died anyway, so it didn't cost me anything."

//“What?!” I gaped in amazement. “How could I not have died?!”

//"That's it!" The imp chuckled, openly grinning. "Lamma is only mortally dangerous for humans. But you are not a human! Your body quickly cut off this parasite from the energy flows, and it was doomed to a slow death!"

//"What do you mean, not a human?" I stared in amazement at the obviously crazy imp who was talking complete nonsense. "Then who am I?"

The imp scratched his head in confusion and ran around me, looking at me as if I were some kind of curiosity. Stopping, he hesitantly suggested: //“Maybe… an animal?”

I was shaking all over, so strong was the desire to grab this vile beast, mocking the poor man, and skin it. And sprinkle salt on top! And then drag the little bastard to the temple and put him in a bowl of holy water!

What a pity that the demon is immaterial... The beast fooled me, and now he's still mocking me!

Gritting my teeth with anger, I nevertheless pulled myself together and promised the demon, who was rolling with laughter: //“It’s okay, we’ll get even with you later… Let’s see how you’ll have fun in the temple!”

//"Oh, you scared me!" The horned one laughed even harder. "It's still unknown who will be worse off, you or me! I won't be too sad when they send me home, but the inquisitors will send you to the stake in no time! No one will feel sorry for the inhuman!"

//"We'll see about that, you filthy scum!" I hissed angrily, but only so that the demon wouldn't have the last word. Somehow, my confidence in getting even with this scoundrel with the help of the Creator's clergy quickly melted away. It's all too complicated... If the demon isn't lying, then you really could end up at the stake.

//“We’ll see, we’ll see!” the imp grinned a little too happily.

Looking at him suspiciously, I asked: //“Aren’t you lying, you filthy scum, that I’m not quite human?”

//“Honest impish word!” the imp swore, folding his paws at his chest.

//“I don’t believe in your honesty,” I shook my head in disbelief. “And it looks like you’re just mess with me.”

/"Why do I need this?" the horned one was surprised and advised: "You'd better ask your parents, maybe you'll find out where you came from." And with no small amount of malice, he added: "But if you don't believe them either, then you can, of course, find out from the holy fathers who you are. They certainly won't deceive you!"

//"I never had any problems going to church before," I noted, remembering this important fact. I can't ask my parents, as the imp advises...

//“And it won’t be a problem,” the horned one shrugged and threatened: “But during the exorcism ceremony, I will not fail to show everyone your true essence, which is so well hidden under the shell of an ordinary human.”

//“You’re a vile beast, an imp!” I cursed with feeling, clutching my head with my hands, which was swelling from a host of guesses and assumptions.

It is unclear whether the imp is lying or whether it is true... Inhuman nature would easily explain the strange gift I have... And the reason why my parents threw me out on the street. But you can't trust imps. They are lying and malicious creatures. They like to do nasty things more than bread. So, undoubtedly, the horned scoundrel is fooling me, making me doubt my human origin. It would be stupid to play along with him. I have no reason to doubt myself. The presence of a defective gift can be explained differently. And I have never noticed any other differences in myself. An ordinary person, like everyone else. Both externally and internally. I don't have an inexplicable desire to bite someone to death, lying in wait for them on a dark street, or something like that... Everything is like everyone else - to earn some money, get ahead a little in life, and start a family... Normal human needs...

Shaking my head, I glanced sideways at the imp, who had fallen on his back and was intently looking at the ceiling, and grinned wryly. No matter, you're out of luck anyway, you horned spawn. One way or another, I'm alive, and you'll soon be heading to that hole cursed by the Creator from which Sir Roderick pulled you out. And I'll even end up in the black.

//"Okay, imp, let's forget it," I generously suggested. "You may have cheated me with the expulsion of this very Lamma, but you won the estate. So let's consider that you did a good deed."

“It wouldn’t have cost me anything either,” The imp squinted slyly, glancing at me. “I would have played to win anyway.”

//“Why is that?” I asked, puzzled.

//"Because gambling houses are not meant for just anyone to win money in!" The imp laughed like a horse. "Because of this winning, you'll have more problems than you can handle!"

At that very moment, the front door slammed. Roald must have found out from Kayley that I had gone home and came to check on me, whether I was alive or dead already.

Getting out of bed, I rubbed my forehead and took a shirt from the chair. And I grinned, looking at the grinning demon. Still, this malicious creature couldn't ruin my mood. I'm alive, almost healthy, and have money. What else do you need? And problems... When do they not happen? And it's okay, people live.

Heels clicked on the stairs, and I frowned in confusion. Could it really be Kaylee? But only Roald and Veld barge in without asking…

“This is how a wonderful vision visited us this morning,” I said, as if in extreme surprise, when the door to the room swung open. The true embodiment of temptation had invaded my home… Lady Caitlin herself. Who, even in the light of day, was still as defiantly effective in this outrageous black and silver suit. And so attractively beautiful that looking at her makes your head spin. Involuntarily licking my lips at the amazingly seductive image that appeared before me, I glanced suspiciously at the grinning imp.

//"And what about me?" The horned one immediately became indignant. "I have nothing to do with this!"

//"So this isn't an illusion you created?" I asked just in case. It was just that the appearance of this noble lady in my house was incredible.

//"What are you talking about? What illusion?" The imp snorted resentfully. "I can't create them without your permission."

I rubbed my forehead furiously, looking at the stunningly charming guest. But, as expected, it didn't help at all. And all because of the lethal dose of 'ice'... It must be because of it that the suede-clad beauty drives me into a state of delight that takes my breath away. And my soul is squeezed by the clawed paw of the thirst for possession...

It's just madness... Unimaginable before. But is the whole problem really in the 'ice'? Or maybe the girl herself has a lot to do with the madness that has overtaken me? It's not for nothing that the holy fathers warn that the demons of seduction are monstrously dangerous... If a half-breed leads a person into such temptation, then they should not only be avoided, but avoided like the plague.

"Are you awake, guard?" Lady Caitlin inquired, stopping in the doorway. She nodded with satisfaction. "That's good."

Leaning slightly to the left, the noble maiden leaned her shoulder against the doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest. Looking me over carefully, she thoughtfully remarked:

"Well, your skin is good... not spoiled at all... It was a shame that Majery gave up the idea of ​​making boots out of it..."

"Yeah," I nodded, grinning stupidly, not even catching the meaning of the phrase. I only understood that they praised me. Well, it's impossible to concentrate on a conversation when there's such a stunning girl in front of you. And what legs she has... So long... slender...

Having forgotten myself a little, I also gave the lady a compliment:

"You too have everything very... and very..." And, a little embarrassed, I twisted my free hand, drawing her amazing image. True, I am a terrible artist, and something incomprehensible came out with the curves. And so I wanted to draw her amazingly slender figure...

"What do you mean, very, very?!" The lady flared up indignantly and asked suspiciously: "Are you drunk or something, guard?"

"Not at all." I shook my head. But, remembering one important fact, I added sheepishly: "I just took some ice…"

"And this is a normal man!" The girl rolled her eyes.

"Yeah," I nodded smugly, smiling broadly. Overcoming my delighted stupefaction, I nevertheless inquired: "And... what do I owe your visit to, lady?" And, remembering the shirt in my hands, I quickly threw it on. Otherwise, I felt somewhat awkward in front of the noble person.

"Well, I was passing by and decided to visit this impudent fellow," Lady Caitlin explained her appearance at my house. "I thought I'd go in and see how he is... Is he still alive..."

“Yeah,” I scratched my head. And I was puzzled. What nonsense? Noble ladies have never visited our street! We don’t live in the central district. And if such stunning beauties went horseback riding here in the morning, I would have definitely known about it. I couldn’t miss such a breathtaking spectacle…

And what are these incomprehensible hints for? You can't tell if she's worried about my life or if she's hinting at its imminent end... What does she want from me anyway? Her eyes are sparkling, as if she's anticipating something...

"Since you are alive and well, nothing prevents me from demanding satisfaction from you!" the girl concluded contentedly.

"What?!" I almost fell over, hearing such an unambiguous offer from the mouth of a noble girl. And then I slapped my forehead with my palm. I talked a lot yesterday... Giving out loud promises left and right to prove my own masculine worth in bed. And now they demand that I answer for my words... I jumped so much that a seductive creature, who brings death to men, paid attention to me. After all, I have no strength to refuse, and I still want to live...

Looking at the frowning girl, who apparently interpreted my long silence as a hint at her unattractiveness, I hastened to calm her down, and at the same time get out of the threatening situation:

"No, well, I can, of course, I can... But I have a girlfriend..."

"What?!" The noble maiden flared up and, clenching her fists as if she was going to fight, stared at me with evil, wicked eyes.

“Ah…” I blinked my eyes in amazement and blushed, realizing that I had blurted out the wrong thing. What a disaster… But Lady Caitlin is to blame for herself. She talks all sorts of nonsense – try to figure out what she means. I couldn’t even think of such nonsense as a challenge from a girl. Old books mention cases when representatives of the weaker sex participated in duels, but those are just funny legends, and in life, there is no such thing. Well, maybe somewhere in Aquitaine… There, they can think of even more stupidity.

"That was the last straw, guard," Lady Caitlin hissed, her eyes darkened with anger. "You will pay for your defiant insolence!"

“I’m sorry, lady, if I offended you by accident... I didn’t mean to be mean...” I said in a hoarse voice, unable to tear myself away from the amazingly beautiful emerald eyes.

"Not out of malice?" the lady asked indignantly. "And your vile remark about Majery yesterday was not out of malice either?"

“Well, I advised her out of the kindness of my heart,” I tried to explain. “I wanted to bring her to her senses… So that she would give up the vicious pleasures of girlish fun…” And I became embarrassed, realizing what nonsense I had blurted out. I was too late with my advice. I should have reasoned with Lady Majery before she met the demon of seduction. Now, any words are useless and stupid… No one refuses a relationship with a succubus when rice is cooked.

"Oh, you... animal!" the young lady blushed, almost jumping to the ceiling. Apparently, she thought that no one noticed the obvious in her relationship with Majery, and that's why she got angry.

"And I'm not an animal." This remark hurt me. Although what was I expecting - words of gratitude? Nobody likes the truth...

"Oh, you will curse your too-long tongue more than once, guard!" The girl promised, narrowing her eyes angrily.

“It could be,” I didn’t argue with my angry guest.

"This will be such a lesson for you that you will never forget it for the rest of your life!" She continued, as if she had not heard my words.

“Or maybe we shouldn’t?” I suggested peacefully.

“We must, we must,” Lady Caitlin assured, smiling very unkindly.

"And what are you going to do?" I asked cautiously, mentally praying that she would not even think of approaching me. I would not be able to withstand the temptation and would pounce on this embodiment of seduction.

"Well... First of all, the option with a little mutilation is being considered," Lady Caitlin willingly shared her plans.

“Somehow this option doesn’t inspire me at all!” I snorted, unable to restrain myself.

"Who cares?" The noble lady raised an eyebrow questioningly and confidently said, "It will be as I want it!"

"There's no harm in dreaming!" I remarked with a sly grin, deciding to put the impudent guest in his place. "But you don't have the strength to actually implement your 'I want'!"

"Are you sure?" the lady smiled coldly, tapping the hilt of her skewer with the fingers of her left hand. "Do you want proof?"

"And do you need it?" I drawled lazily, retreating to the chair, on the back of which hung a belt with a falchion. Who knows what might pop into this fool's head? What if she really does rush at me with her toothpick? Then I'll have to twist her arms and escort her to the police station... She'll hardly be able to cut me. This isn't a tournament ground for her, but a small room, and you won't have much room to turn around. It's precisely in fights in such places that the emphasis in guard training is placed.

“Oh, I see you don’t believe in my powers,” the girl sighed in disappointment. “But in vain…”

"No, not in vain," I shook my head. "I have not been taught the noble art of fighting according to the rules, so you don't have a single chance with that toothpick of yours."

"Really?" The girl seemed not to believe it and laughed maliciously. "And who said that I was going to use noble steel against you?" With these words, she raised her left hand and turned her open palm towards me.

Before I could even twitch, a circle of bluish haze formed in front of me. My glorious "Shield of Light" only blinked, and I was slammed into the wall by "Air Clot"...

The blow blurred my vision, and I lost control of my body. But I didn't fall, as I should have expected. The thin, bluish disk continued to press on my chest, pressing me against the wall.

The demon knows what's going on... Either my protective amulet is dead, or there are too many powerful Gifted in our city...

"That's it!" the girl said with satisfaction, coming up almost right up to me. And, tilting her head slightly to the side, she said: "All men are so predictable... It's so easy to mislead you, just by hanging a sword on the belt..."

"Okay, you beat me, lady, I admit it," I said, having recovered a little after hitting the wall. "Now let me go."

"Why should I let you go?" Lady Caitlin was surprised. "We haven't figured out your punishment yet. So since you're caught, stand still and keep quiet."

“Well, I got caught,” I admitted with annoyance, ceasing my useless attempts to free myself. The damned dope had clouded my consciousness so much that merging with the element of Air was not working. Besides, if I gain freedom, it could get even worse. Caitlin has not lost her magnetic attraction... And she came too close... I will fall right on her... And she is so charming... And she smells so nice...

"You have nowhere to go now. It's good that you understand that," Lady Caitlin said approvingly. "It will be easier to talk."

"And now what?" With the last of my strength, suppressing the desire for carnal pleasures that the half-breed evoked in me, I tried to reason with the girl, who was obsessed with a thirst for revenge: "A crime against a guard of the crown city is a crime against the state. Do you need it? Do you want to go to hard labor?"

"And now we'll get to what we've planned..." Caitlin purred, taking a short dagger out of its sheath. After letting me take a good look at the sharp blade, she said with a gentle smile on her lips: "And about the crime... You're not on duty right now, and therefore, you're just as much of an ordinary citizen of the Empire as everyone else."

“You don’t understand the laws very well,” I said as convincingly as I could, cursing under my breath and casting an angry glance at the laughing demon.

"That's unlikely," the lady shook her head. Looking up, she said thoughtfully: "How is it?.. "...for harm that does not result in loss of ability to work, inflicted on a commoner by a person of noble birth, the latter is punishable by a fine of one to five gold roldos..." And, after thinking for a moment, she noted: "I think I can afford such expenses."

"Maybe we shouldn't after all?" I shuddered and glanced sideways at the dagger, which was right at my waist level. The situation no longer seemed as cheerful and funny as it had looked under the influence of dope. This charming bitch might actually cut off something I needed...

“Maybe,” Lady Caitlin agreed with a mysterious smile. “But in that case you’ll have to do something…”

“So what?” I immediately asked, since the option of mutilation was not at all appealing.

"Well, they say you're a hero," the noble lady teased me. "So today you'll announce to everyone that you're going to perform a new feat in honor of the infinitely beautiful Lady Majery de Orlar, Baroness Cantor."

"What feat?!" I stared at the crazy girl in amazement and shook my head. I don’t understand a thing. Here, perhaps, one can recall the beautiful tradition of the upper class, when an ordinary engagement turns into a whole ritual. And it all begins with the performance of a heroic deed in honor of the lady of the heart. But I am not noble, and with such applications for the hand and heart of the baroness, I will look at least stupid. And she will never accept such encroachments from my side.

After thinking it over, I said:

"It's not even funny, lady. I'm not a noble sir to make a public proposal of marriage to Baroness Cantor."

"No big deal," the girl assured, smiling broadly. "For accomplishing this feat, you will immediately be granted hereditary nobility!"

"What am I supposed to do?" I was distrustful of such a statement.

“You’ll kill a fire-breathing or ice dragon,” the lady informed with a sweet smile.

"A dragon?!" My jaw dropped. And when I finally closed my mouth, I jerked my right hand. I wanted so badly to put my index finger to my temple and twist it. It was a very appropriate gesture for the situation. The noble maiden had definitely lost her mind. Entire military units fight ordinary dragons, and she was suggesting that I take down a virtually invulnerable magical creature all by myself. She might as well have asked for the head of a twilight dragon. That would have ensured I had no chance at all. The archmages are passing on this one, and here I am, showing up as some kind of... hero... only good for a light snack for flying lizards. Although she is right about one thing — there is an imperial edict on elevating to nobility those who prevail in battle against magical dragons. However, only two Gifted of the highest levels of initiation have been able to obtain a noble title in this way. And even then, according to rumors, they joined forces to do so, rather than acting alone.

"You heard right, guard, a dragon," Lady Caitilin confirmed her words. "And by this afternoon, you must announce to everyone that you have accomplished such a feat in honor of Majery.

"Lady, are you out of your mind?! " I couldn’t stand it. "Even a fight with an ordinary dragon is certain death for any hero, even the craziest one!"

"And I'm not forcing you to fight him," Caitlin chuckled. "Your public promise is enough. And its fulfillment will remain on your conscience."

It finally dawned on me. The essence of the cunning plan of the noble girl who was angry with me became clear. Apparently, she had already been introduced to our Kelms landmark — Bun the Shark. He was once a glorious fisherman... Until one day, a visiting sailor told him about an unusual way of catching sharks. He said that in the distant southern islands, fishermen don't bother with nets or longlines. They take a simple knife, sail away from the shore in a boat, and when they spot a shark, they jump into the water and cut it like a pig. That's all there is to it. Then, being heavily intoxicated, Bun declared that he could do the same. And he promised everyone that he would prove it in practice. But our sharks are no match for the southern ones, which are only three or four feet long. We have such huge ones that it's scary to look at them from the deck of a ship — a six-oared boat could fit into their open mouths... With a simple knife, you could only tickle such a shark to death... Once he went out to sea and saw our monsters, Boon immediately sobered up. Well, he chickened out and didn't try to tease the sharks with a knife. From then on, they called him Boon the Shark. And to this day, everyone tries to tease him when they meet him and ask how things are going with catching the toothy monsters.

And with the dragon it will be even worse... I won't be able to walk down the street without someone teasing me and asking how things are going with the promised feat. They teased Buna the Shark quite good-naturedly, but even then, he drank himself...

“So what?” the lady asked demandingly.

"And for you, by any chance, there is no dragon to kill?" Having torn myself away from my sad thoughts, I decided to try to confuse the noble maiden's head. "It would be somehow impolite to decide such matters for Lady Majery."

"Well, after what you told me here, I would only agree to accept a Twilight Dragon from you!" the indignant girl flared up.

"Do you promise to accept such a feat in your honor? Killing a twilight dragon?" I continued with a sly grin. I don't care which magical lizard I have to kill. I don't stand a chance anyway. But if by some miracle I succeed... someone's going to be dancing for me! A prior commitment to accept a feat is effectively a vow to marry the hero, according to the ritual of the nobility.

"I give you my word," Caitlin nodded without thinking. "But let's get back to business, guard. What do you choose: a small but very painful mutilation or an optional promise to perform a feat?"

“Uh…” I drawled, watching in amazement as the Loim vase rose into the air, which until then had been standing quietly on the pedestal and had not shown any inclination to fly.

"What, 'uh'?" Lady Caitlin mimicked me and threatened me with a dagger: "Choose already, quickly!"

But I didn't bother to answer. I was more interested in the flying vase that had circled the bed and was approaching us. Caitlin noticed something in my eyes and tried to turn around. But it was too late. The vase rose sharply to the ceiling and immediately fell on the noble girl's head. So hard that her eyes rolled back, her legs gave way, and she fell to the floor as if she had been mown down. And after the impact, the vase shattered into a hundred small ceramic fragments...

I blinked my eyes in amazement, looked closer, and made out a shaky, transparent figure, barely noticeable against the white-painted wall. However, I didn’t have time to figure out what the unknown ghost needed in my house. The “Air Clot” dissipated, and I fell to the floor, hitting my forehead pretty hard on the wooden floorboards. And when I jumped to my feet, shaking my head in disbelief, I saw in front of me no longer a transparent figure, but a man in a long-skirted gray cloak with a deep hood. Frankly, a suspicious character, and he was hiding the lower part of his face under a silk bandage. Only very beautiful light blue eyes were visible…

"Lady Angel?!" I gasped.

The girl nodded briefly and, throwing a small backpack off her left shoulder, leaned over the unconscious Caitlin. Pulling off her thin leather gloves, she put her hand to the dark-haired bitch's neck. And then, stepping back, she straightened up sharply, standing up to her full height, and said soothingly:

"It's okay, she'll wake up in about fifteen minutes."

“That’s good,” I sighed with relief and stared at the angelic beauty of the girl, who pulled the bandage off her face and threw back her hood.

"I hope I wasn't wrong to jump right into your fight?" the charming golden-haired girl asked cautiously and blushed just a little. "What happened between you... it wasn't a love play, was it?!

"God save me from such plays!" I said with feeling.

Angel sighed with relief and smiled charmingly. I moved back a little. Just in case. Of course, this lady has nothing to do with succubi and does not cause a crazy desire to immediately grab her and drag her into bed in order to indulge in vice and debauchery, but she is so beautiful... She shines with such an extraordinary, pure, and innocent beauty that it takes your breath away.

Realizing what had happened, I looked away from the young lady before I went completely crazy from the rapturous affection that had overwhelmed me. And to distract myself a little, I picked up the unconscious Caitlin from the floor and laid her on my bed. She would be more comfortable there than on the rug. Although perhaps I was being too kind to this bitch. It was just nice to hold her in my arms... Veld would be jealous.

“So, I came in at the right time,” Angel continued our conversation.

“Yes, that’s true,” I nodded, smiling. “Thank you for your help.”

“It’s nothing, Karridan,” the girl waved it off. “I’m in your debt forever.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” I assured the noble lady.

"You are a good person, Karridan Steini," Angel smiled warmly and sighed: "Yesterday I was so confused that I didn’t even say thank you... That’s what I came to fix." Stepping towards me, she impulsively kissed me on the cheek and, moving away a little, whispered: "Thank you..."

“You’re welcome,” I muttered, trying to control myself.

“No, there is a reason,” the lady disagreed with me and shook her head sadly: “It’s such a pity that I can’t reward you properly… I have nothing…”

“I don’t need anything,” I assured Lady Angel. “Don’t worry about it.”

//"What are you babbling about, empty-headed?!" The imp, who had kept silent until now, was indignant. "You're throwing away such a wonderful opportunity to drag this sweet little cutie into bed. And she'll even be grateful that you allowed her to thank you!"

//“Shut up, you horned beast!” I was seriously angry at the imp who was inciting me to commit an abomination against a pure and innocent girl who was looking at me trustingly.

"You're a good person, Kar, a really good person," Angel repeated, and her eyes began to shine suspiciously, as if she was about to cry. Having restrained herself, the girl put a smile on her face and sighed sadly: "It's a pity we didn't meet earlier... Now there's nothing to count on..." And she said with exaggerated cheerfulness: "And what am I talking about? It can't be that such a nice guy doesn't have a girlfriend, or even a fiancée!"

"Well…" I was confused, and my thoughts were racing around in my head. What should I answer?!! Should I say that I don’t have a girlfriend? It would mean that I’m not a nice guy at all. Should I blurt out that I do? It would be even worse…

But I didn't have time to come up with a clever answer that would make it clear that nothing would stop Angel and me from becoming friends. The front door slammed, and a rather familiar voice reached me:

"Tier Steini! Tier Steini, are you at home?" And before I could answer, Tier Cowan said loudly to someone: "Search everything here!"

Angel suddenly turned pale and began feverishly pulling the hood of her cloak over her head. She rushed to the window, but immediately recoiled from it.

"What's the matter?" I asked in a whisper. "Are you having some kind of trouble with the Third Department?"

"Yes," Angel admitted quietly, lowering her head. She realized that she had nowhere to run, and fixed her gaze on me, full of repentance: "I shouldn't have come... Now you'll get into trouble for nothing..."

"We'll see about that," I encouraged the lady, looking around. But there's nowhere to hide her... But we can't allow such a wonderful girl to perish in the dungeons of the third district council. Fortunately, when I caught sight of Caitlin resting on my bed, I realized what I could do to save the innocent golden-haired girl.

"Help me undress her!" I said in an abrupt whisper as I ran towards the bed.

"Why?" The young lady asked in a whisper, looking around with eyes wide with surprise.

"It's needed!"

The girl nodded slightly and began to help take off Caitlin's clothes.

"Tier Steini, are you home?" Cowan's loud question reached us.

Angel and I exchanged glances and began to struggle even faster with the buttons and laces, freeing the dark-haired beauty from the suede captivity. A terribly exciting activity, if not for the wild rush

"Cover her a little with a blanket and hide under the bed!" I ordered Angel, hearing the creaking of the steps. I, throwing off my shirt on the go, rushed to the door.

"Oh, Tier Steini, are you home after all?!" Covan stopped halfway up the stairs.

"I'm home," I nodded, quickly closing the door behind me. Seeing four more employees of the third department in the living room downstairs, I portrayed an indescribable surprise on my face: "What's going on here?"

"This?" Covan looked around and cleared his throat to attract the attention of his assistants, who were scurrying around the first floor. "This is an unavoidable necessity, Tier Steini. My apologies for the sudden intrusion, but such is the service."

“So, have they signed me up as a rebel?” I asked, hoping to engage Covan in conversation and give Angel time to carry out my plan in the best possible way.

"No, Tier Steini," Covan shook his head, smiling. "Alas, but everything is much more prosaic. Count di Seyt was killed last night, and we are on the trail of the criminal. The lady Angel de Sameri, whom you are undoubtedly familiar with."

"So she killed our mayor?! Well, well..." I was amazed, although I immediately suspected something like that. The Count dug his own grave, mortally offending a noble girl who possessed magic.

"Beheaded," Covan clarified for some reason and spread his hands with what seemed like regret, although his eyes remained indifferently cold. "Unfortunately, Tier Steini, I am forced to conduct a search of your house."

“Why?” I asked. “Lady Angel did drop in on me today… But I have another girl visiting…” And I shrugged my shoulders, as if embarrassed. “So you understand… I had no time for her…”

"When did she come to see you?" Covan demanded, immediately standing at attention.

“Yes, just shortly before you,” I replied.

"Neil, Simon, run and look around the alley!" Covan called to his companions and turned to me: "Excuse me, Tier Steini, but I must make sure that your words correspond to reality." Having climbed to the landing on the second floor, he stopped in front of me and nodded towards the door: "Will you allow me?"

"Just don’t make noise, otherwise you’ll wake up my girlfriend,” I asked and, opening the door, entered the room.

And then I saw Angel's backpack lying on the floor. Taking a sharp step forward, I pushed it into the corner behind the door and turned around, praying to the Creator that Covan wouldn't have time to notice anything. But he didn't see anything except the girl lying in my bed, her black curls scattered across the pillow. Well, he probably also managed to notice the clothes scattered around the room.

“It’s Lady Caitlin!” Covan croaked in a half-strangled voice and stepped back.

Which I took advantage of, quickly throwing him out of the room and closing the door behind me.

"Well, is the check complete?" I asked Covan. He stared at me with a bewildered look, instantly losing all his composure.

"Yes, yes," he said quickly in a whisper. Shaking himself, the grey-coated man made a sign to his men, and they immediately moved towards the exit. And then, shaking his head, he said: "However, now I understand your action yesterday, Tier Steini... You played beautifully... So you impressed Lady Caitlin with your nobility? Not a bad move, not a bad move..."

“Yeah!” I chuckled.

"Well, good luck to you..." Cowan drawled and walked down the stairs. Only at the very end did he suddenly stop and, turning around, said: "Oh yes, I almost forgot. Try to find time and drop in on me today, Tier Steini. We have a lot to talk about..."

“Okay,” I promised, frowning. When did I start having topics to talk about with the Third Department?..

The grey-uniformed men left the house. I, sighing with relief, returned to my room.

“They’ve left,” I told the girl who was hiding the good news, and, picking up the suede pants lying under my feet from the floor, I threw them on the table.

A young lady immediately crawled out from under the bed, clutching the bolt thrower my fellow soldiers had given me. She wrinkled her nose and sneezed loudly.

"Be healthy," I wished.

"Thank you," Angel said sheepishly, carefully looking away and twirling the expensive toy in her hands. "Why do you have such a serious weapon lying under your bed? Are you a demon hunter?"

"Well, no, it's just a gift," I replied, looking at Angel. She didn't know what to say.

“I’m sorry I got you involved in this story with the Security Service…” she asked, finally daring to look me in the eye. “It turned out so badly…”

“Oh, nothing, it’s not scary,” I said and added from the bottom of my heart: “I would feel more sorry if you were caught… Penal servitude is not at all a suitable place for a girl like you.”

"And yet I cannot abuse your kindness, Karridan," said Angel, looking at me with gratitude. "I will leave immediately before the bloodhounds return."

"But how will you get out of the city?" I asked. Lady Angel's plan seemed too risky to me. Of course, my house wasn't much of a refuge. The bloodhounds would definitely return, but she can't hide in the street either.

"There are ways," the lady answered vaguely. Putting the bolt thrower on the bedside table, she picked up her backpack and rushed to the window. She looked out and, not noticing anything suspicious in the alley, turned around.

I gaped at her backpack, from the corner of which viscous dark red drops were falling. Angel was about to say something goodbye, but seeing my face and following the direction of my gaze, she seemed a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, I got something dirty here..." she said, embarrassed. Worriedly frowning, she ran her hand over the blood-stained bottom of her backpack, and it immediately became covered with a thin layer of frost. Then she cast a short, grateful glance at me and said: "Thank you, Kar. For everything. And goodbye."

Without waiting for my response, Angel jumped out the window and instantly disappeared from my sight. Only a blue glow flashed from the magic used, related to the Air sphere.

I rushed to the window and looked outside, but I didn't see Angel. It seemed as if a faintly discernible transparent figure flashed by the neighboring house, but maybe it was just my imagination. An unusual girl... Very unusual...

Rubbing my cheek and sighing regretfully, I walked away from the window. And turned my gaze to the unusually peaceful, and therefore even more attractive, girl lying in my bed. That's where the problem is... When I was planning this whole undertaking to hide Angel, I somehow didn't expect that she would disappear so quickly and not help me put Caitlin's outfit back.

I sat down on the bed, pulled the bedspread off the girl, and immediately, covering my eyes with my hand, swallowed my saliva. What a liar the imp was! What kind of half-breed is this? This is a purebred succubus! The embodiment of tempting, inhumanly perfect beauty! Spreading my fingers, I took another look at Caitlin and groaned briefly in despair. How am I supposed to dress you?! I can't stand such torture!

Getting out of bed, I paced back and forth across the room and tried to pull myself together. But before my eyes was the haunting, tempting image of an insanely attractive girl with a stunning figure. Realizing that I would be walking around aimlessly for an hour, I made up my mind to do what I had planned and returned to Caitlin. And, sitting down next to her again, I bit my lip. True, it didn't help to drive away sinful thoughts... This beauty is driving me crazy... If she were dressed, it would be fine, but in these tight-fitting, um... panties made of thin, delicate pink satin, barely two palms wide... and with a ribbon of the same material barely covering her breasts, the girl might as well be naked... Truly a demonic temptation...

//"I'd rather die this morning than go through this ordeal," I thought, closing my eyes in complete despair. I moved away from Caitlin.

//“Are you scared?” The imp asked mockingly.

//“I’d like to see how you would solve this problem under such a dose of ice,” I quipped.

//"What's there to solve?" The horned one was surprised, and I looked at him in the hope that he would suggest a way out of the difficult situation. "You're not going to live anyway!"

//“If Caitlin wakes up and finds herself without clothes on, then the fact is – I won’t live,” I admitted the obvious.

//“But you can't dress her?” The imp inquired ingratiatingly.

//“I can’t,” I agreed.

//"But if they're going to charge you the highest price anyway, then why are you just sitting next to this pussy and swallowing drool?!" the horned one blurted out indignantly, jumping from the table onto the bed. "Use the moment! Then at least you'll die happy! Knowing what you paid for with your life!"

//“Go to hell with such advice!” I got angry at the scoundrel who was egging me on.

//"Well, you're an idiot, then!" The imp muttered. Putting his paws behind his back, he walked around the bed, looking at Caitlin, and, glancing sideways at me, repeated: "You're an idiot! And why am I helping you?.." He shook his awkwardly large head. Scratching his horn for some reason, the imp squinted slyly and said: "Well, don't be so thick-headed, huh? I'm telling you the surest way to appease a succubus!"

I rubbed my forehead, thinking about the imp's words that sounded so tempting, but I was distracted by the front door slamming shut.

"What the hell is this! Is this a walk-through yard or something?" I muttered irritably, listening to the sounds of footsteps.

The uninvited guests behaved like hosts – without saying a word, they stomped through the living room and began to climb the stairs to the second floor. As if they knew where to look for the inhabitants.

I immediately had a bad feeling that it was Covan and his henchmen. I suspected something was wrong and decided to return for a serious investigation. Perhaps this is not a bad thing: I will be able to hide for a while in the underground casemates of the third district. Because when Lady Caitlin wakes up, it would be better for me to be far, far away from her.

Having quickly covered the girl with a blanket, I got up from the bed. But I didn't have time to leave the room and meet the guests. They themselves, without knocking, brazenly barged into my bedroom.

The first to show up was not Tier Covan at all, but a big hulk. Looking at him, the thought immediately came to mind that such a hulk would be hired as a bouncer in any establishment without any discussion. He lacks a good leather-covered truncheon in his hands... And the short cord hanging from his belt does not inspire respect at all and looks like a child's toy, for some reason picked up by an adult.

"Hee-hee!" this fruit of a vicious relationship between a man and a non-human neighed, grinning, looking towards the bed. And, turning around, he roared contentedly: "Gus, we are at the wrong time! Our friend is busy!"

"Oh, how bad it turned out!" The man who came in after me, a man of quite normal build, clicked his tongue regretfully, but judging by his wide grin, he didn't care one bit about the problems he had caused me.

"Well, I told you, he's not home alone," said some weakling who, unlike his buddies in good leather armor, was wearing a regular travel suit. "The spell for detecting the living doesn't fail."

But it wasn't even the impudence of the uninvited guests that struck me most. I've seen worse freaks. Only they didn't have thick steel chains with plaques on their necks, on which a stylized image of a pack of hounds appears. The distinctive sign of bounty hunters... These people live on rewards for catching wanted criminals. However, they say that when the opportunity arises, they don't disdain to hunt law-abiding citizens. And it's completely unclear what they needed from me...

"Wow, what a chick our friend has!" the giant remarked, licking his lips greedily at Caitlin.

"Since when did we become friends?" I frowned and asked, moving back. I had to do something... I had never dealt with bounty hunters before, but according to rumors, they were all complete scumbags. No one in their right mind would mess with them. Because you never know what trouble it will lead to. And, as luck would have it, I'm not prepared for situations like this... Of course, my crossbow is almost at hand, but it still needs to be cocked, and a falchion is a weak weapon against a short mage. My protective amulet seems to have died, and I can't rely on it.

"You don't want to be friends with me?!" the big guy snorted resentfully and, wiping the drool from his muzzle with his paw, looked at me menacingly.

“He wants to,” Gus assured him and grinned: “If he’s not an enemy to his health…”

"What are you doing in my house, my friends?" I asked angrily, retreating to the pedestal where the bolt thrower lay. I really wanted to wipe the insolent grins off those nasty mugs. They broke into someone else's house and even threatened me. Okay, Lady Caitlin showed up – it's hard to deal with her properly, she's a girl after all, but these guys… Even scary bounty hunters sometimes disappear without a trace. When they behave too insolently. I put the Dark Master to rest, and nothing… And he's no match for some blockheads.

"We came here on business!" Gus explained eagerly, scratching his neck. "We need a thread that will lead us to Tyler de Marco's trail."

"What does this have to do with me?" I was so surprised that I even stopped. "How should I know where Sir Tyler is?"

"Well, who got hold of the Clobré estate yesterday – the fiefdom of the di Marco family?"

"So what?" I shrugged. "An ordinary win at cards, albeit a very large one."

“No, Bambo, our friend still doesn’t want it the easy way,” Gus said with feigned sadness.

Bambo rushed towards me with incredible speed for such a giant. He jumped up and suddenly punched me in the chest. I didn't even have time to dodge. And I flew back a couple of yards, almost losing consciousness from the pain that exploded in my chest. But they didn't give me time to really come to my senses. They grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to my feet.

"He's tenacious!" the grinning brute remarked with satisfaction. "You can hit him a lot!"

"Wait, Bambo," Gus stopped the new swing of his hand. "Maybe our friend has come to his senses and won't feed us bullshit anymore.

"What bullshit?" I wheezed and shook my head, trying to disperse the darkness that had thickened before my eyes.

"About all sorts of winnings," Gus explained kindly. "I know Tyler a little. He's an unrivaled player. Even the gamblers are afraid to sit down at the table with him. He exposes them in a flash. And then, bam, he's lost his family estate." And he drawled thoughtfully: "It's all suspicious... Don't you think? Unless, of course, he was paying someone off this way for helping him disappear from the Empire."

"This is nonsense!" I laughed hoarsely. "How can an ordinary guard help disappear from the Empire?"

"Nobody's saying you started this," Gus replied. "You're probably just a small fry. A middleman in this scheme... So don't be stubborn - tell us how to find de Marco. Otherwise, we'll have to use other methods, and you won't like them..."

"I don't know where Sir Tyler is!" I cried out, trying to figure out how to convince the bounty hunters that I had no connection with de Marco. "We just happened to cross paths at the gaming table, and we hadn't even met before."

"What a stubborn fellow!" Gus said with annoyance and turned to the weakling: "Jerod, throw a sound-absorbing curtain over the house; otherwise, when we start gutting this fool, the whole neighborhood will come running to his screams.

"I don't know anything!" I repeated, sighing tiredly, looking to the left. In principle, I could break free, roll over the bed, and grab the falchion...

"I don't believe you, boy," Gus said earnestly. "I just don't believe you, that's all."

“Shall we beat him?” Bambo asked in a businesslike tone.

"Well, it’s hard to decide…" Gus pretended to think, looking at Caitlin. "What if we start the execution with his girlfriend, he’ll be more accommodating?"

"Hee-hee!" The brute laughed at the leader's joke.

Or maybe he wasn’t joking at all... Because he picked up Caitlin’s dagger, which was still lying on the floor, and walked over to the bed.

"Are you crazy?" I said loudly, shifting my weight to my left leg to make it easier to break free from the giant's grip on my neck. "After such things, you yourselves will be hunted down like mad dogs!"

"We'll take a risk," Gus grinned, turning to me. "After all, Count Tirlen is a figure... The main thing is to find de Marco, and then no one will remember the death of a dozen or so of his accomplices, of which you undoubtedly are one. And perhaps your girlfriend is in cahoots with you..."

And there is nothing to object to. Count Tierlen is a real figure. All the Empire's money flows through the treasury he heads. Such an influential person can really cover up the atrocities of the bounty hunters he hires.

In general, the conclusion is simple: the matter cannot be resolved peacefully. These thugs will really cut us into pieces, asking God knows what. And this is not at all what I dreamed about this morning...

Seeing that I was still stubborn, Gus shrugged and leaned over the bed. He reached for the bedspread, but pulled his hand back when Caitlin suddenly groaned and opened her eyes... only to open them wide and look around the room with a stunned gaze.

"Look how she woke up just in time!" Bambo laughed.

“Yeah,” Gus replied condescendingly, staring at the girl.

Caitlin, pressing her palm to her forehead, tried to stand up. And froze for a moment when the blanket slid off her...

Her eyes instantly became like saucers. And then very quickly changed color from gray-green to bright emerald. A transformation completely impossible for human eyes…

"And our friend has a nice chick!" the thick-headed thug praised.

Caitlin immediately turned her blazing rage gaze on me. And in the noble lady's eyes, I clearly saw the thirst for my immediate and unbearably cruel murder.

“Yes, she’s a good wench,” Gus nodded in agreement, looking at the girl with a grin.

"Who are you calling a wench?!" the lady hissed, instantly becoming furious.

"Well, who are you, a noble lady, or what?" Gus asked mockingly and made a thoughtful face: "Then what are you doing in the bed of a simple guard?" And grinning, he shook his head: "No, you are a wench. Although a pretty one."

"I'll crush you!" exclaimed Caitlin, trembling with rage.

And she didn't put off fulfilling her promise. Her hands were instantly enveloped in a blue haze, and the "Air Clot" struck Gus. But the bluish-transparent air clot, shaped like a flattened pumpkin, ran into the light-silver bubble of personal protection that had formed around the bounty hunter, and powerlessly crumbled into tiny droplets of water.

At that very moment, I twisted and slammed my elbow into Bambo's throat. Breaking free of his grip, I jumped across my bed to the chair, rolled over, and, grabbing the falchion, jumped to my feet, turning to face my opponents.

Gus didn't hesitate for long either. Without further ado, he grabbed the dagger and threw it at Caitlin. But it was reflected by the golden film of the kinetic shield.

And then Gus barked, seeing a new transparent-blue lump forming in front of Caitlin:

"Calm down, you fool! Or you'll definitely get hurt! Calm down before Master Jerod flattens you like a pancake!"

Damn! Is this weakling really a master of magic?

And Caitlin seemed not to hear Gus. Only the glow around her hands darkened, and tiny sparks began to flicker in it. The "Air Clot" she was creating thickened and instantly transformed into a "Lightning Sphere". This spell is a higher rank than the previous one, but still not powerful enough to overcome the protection imposed by the master of magic.

But I didn't have time to tell Caitlin that she needed something stronger. The sparkling ball hit Gus in the chest, and the bounty hunter was literally blown away and slammed into the wall. There he fell to the floor as a limp heap of meat, and the transparent silver bubble around him didn't go anywhere and fought with the network of sparkling lightning for some time.

I lowered the falchion in surprise and stared at Caitlin. Who do you have to be to create a two-tier spell in a couple of moments?! After all, that's exactly what happened: the "Lightning Bolts" suppressed the shield's resistance, and Gus was immediately caressed by the "Air Clot" hidden under the shell.

The lady, meanwhile, did not calm down. The "Lightning Ram" flew at the bounty hunters, this time not disguised as a sphere, but taking its usual form - a wedge-shaped air clot of transparent blue color with white sparks flickering in it.

The weakling reacted immediately. The bounty hunters were blocked by the hastily erected “Wall of Talos,” which resembled a vague, transparent layer of ice a couple of feet thick that had appeared out of nowhere. Although, of course, this was only a visible image of an enchantment, not real ice.

A masterpiece, no doubt. Such an action done in such a short time is within the power of a mage of at least the fourth level of initiation. Or higher… It seems Gus was not lying when he called Jerod a master…

Only Caitlin didn't care. The first "Lightning Ram", crashing into the icy barrier, scattered chains of sparks across the entire surface of the protective barrier and instantly thinned it by a good third.

"Bambo, grab Gus and let's run away!" the weakling squealed, returning the magical barrier to its original appearance, and flew out of the room like an arrow.

The thick-headed brute, hearing a clear call to action, stopped stamping his feet, rubbing his neck. He grabbed Gus under his arm and ran out after the skinny mage. And the enraged Caitlin, having destroyed the Wall of Talos with Lightning Rams in four heartbeats, rushed after the fleeing bounty hunters.

Unfortunately, already at the door, she came to her senses and stopped abruptly. She hissed:

"No way, you won't get far anyway." And three dark purple stars fell from her hand and rushed after the bounty hunters who had already run out of the house.

True, I didn't care about their fate at all. Caitlin turned to me and clapped her hands. The "Shield of Light" barely gleamed, and I suddenly found myself in the center of a translucent sphere. Its walls began to shrink quickly. An unenviable fate awaited me - turning into a bun... A rather painful death, which is caused by the effect of the "Shrinking Sphere" spell. Although quite fast.

"No, no," Caitlin suddenly dispelled her spell. "No... You won't get off that easy..." And, forming an "Air Clot," she slammed it into me, not caring at all about my health.

While I was coming to my senses after colliding with the not-so-soft wall where my short flight had ended, the lady had thought of something else. I was pulled upward. There, above, I hung with my head against the ceiling. And under my feet, two small spheres about a foot in diameter had formed. The sides of one, crimson-red, shone with tongues of flame, and the other, icy-blue, was covered in frost.

//“What a sadist!” My indignation knew no bounds when my heels began to burn with fire and scorch with cold.

//“I warned you not to mess with that bitch!” The imp sneered, a satisfied grin never leaving his face.

"Well, you bastard, do you like it?" asked Caitlin, seething with anger, and came closer.

“I don’t like it at all,” I assured the bitch, trying to pull my legs higher and move them away from the balls hanging below.

"It's okay, it's just the beginning," Caitlin consoled. "It's going to get much more interesting."

“I doubt it.” I did not support the lady’s enthusiasm, since it was simply stupid to expect anything good from a demoness.

"And in vain," the lady said, grinning like some predator. "I'll make you bitterly regret your misdeeds. And your friends will get theirs too. A little later."

"They are my friends, just like they are yours," I blurted out, barely holding back a cry of pain. It became hard to concentrate on the conversation. Too many incredible sensations tormented my flesh. And you can’t immediately understand what is worse – the scorching flame or the burning cold.

"Then who is it if not your friends?"

"Bounty hunters," I croaked. "They're looking for Sir Tyler..."

"Don't lie to me, you bastard!" demanded the angry girl. "Why did they hit me on the head? And why, pray tell, did I wake up to find myself naked?! You vile animal!"

"Take these balls away, and I will explain everything to you!" I begged, seeing the futility of my attempts to put my legs somewhere. I am not some kind of turtle, to pull my paws into myself…

No!" The lady snapped categorically. "Don’t expect mercy!"

"Well, go to hell!" I blurted out. How can I explain anything when my eyes are popping out of my head from pain? It would be better to let him kill me right away than to endure this...

I overestimated my torment. That was nothing... But when the balls soared up and stuck to my feet... That's when I felt the full charm of torture by fire and cold. I immediately began to scream wildly. True, almost soundlessly, since I could not force myself to unclench my clenched teeth.

The terrible pain made me shake all over, like someone who was having an attack of seizures. Yes, a glorious continuation of the morning that had begun so nicely…

"How do you like it?" Caitlin asked affectionately, removing her villainous balls from my feet. "Incomparable pleasure, isn't it?"

"Go to the demons!" I repeated and prepared to continue the execution.

"Or maybe I should send you to the demons?" Caitlin thought.

I broke out in a cold sweat. All I needed was to end up in the Underworld for complete happiness.

"Do whatever you want." I tried to sound indifferent. "I can't expect anything good from such a spiteful bitch anyway."

"Am I the evil bitch?!" Caitlin hissed just like a real snake and slashed me with a furious look. "How can you even say such a thing after what you did?!"

“But I didn’t do anything!” I objected. “I didn’t invite anyone over, and I didn’t threaten anyone!”

“And who hit me on the head?” the lady asked immediately, apparently wanting to get even with the culprit of her inglorious defeat.

"A friend of mine came to visit. Seeing that they wanted to deprive me of the necessary parts of my body, she resisted the lawlessness that was happening. She took a vase and hit you on the head," I explained.

"And where is this friend of yours?" Lady Caitlin asked the logical question. "I don't see her here!"

"She had to leave immediately," I explained.

"Why all of a sudden?" Caitlin didn't believe a single word I said and flared up with a new flash of anger: "So that you could calmly undress me with your friends?!"

"No, they were just chasing her," I answered. "She literally ran in for a minute and ran away. Until the grey uniforms caught her."

Caitlin frowned and looked at me suspiciously.

"The Third Department is catching her? What, you want to say it was Angel de Sameri? Nonsense!" With a decisive wave of her hand, she dismissed all explanations.

“This is not nonsense,” I objected. “She just came to thank me for yesterday.”

"Well, let's say it," the girl nodded slowly. "She came and hit me on the head with a vase. But in any case, she had no reason to undress me!"

"It was my initiative," I admitted. "The grey uniforms broke into the house. I couldn't think of anything better than to hide Angel under the bed, having first laid you on it to divert attention."

"What?!" Caitlin shook, barely containing her anger. "You also showed me naked to everyone who wanted to see me?!"

"There was no such thing," I immediately refused. "We immediately covered you with a blanket."

“Then why did you take off the clothes?!” The lady was not going to calm down, falling into a rage again.

“Well, I didn’t think about it…” I confessed. “Everything happened so quickly…”

"It's okay, now you'll have plenty of time to regret your stupidity," Caitlin promised in an angry whisper. "You won't live, you bastard!"

"That was clear even before Angel intervened in our argument,” I noted with a wry smile.

"What are you talking about?" The girl stared at me in bewilderment.

"About the dragon hunt you wanted to send me on," I explained. "What chance did I have? None. I'm not a mage, and in a fight with a dragon, I would have met certain death."

"Are you completely sick, huh?" Caitlin asked hopefully. "I told you, idiot: I only want your promise, not its actual fulfillment!"

"Ah, yes, I remember something like that," I drawled sarcastically, feeling much better thanks to the 'ice' that gradually drove the pain out of my body. "Someone wanted to make me look like an empty talker, that's understandable, but why do you think that you're the only one with pride? Even though I'm not one of the nobles, I still think that it's better to die fulfilling my promise than to be known as an empty talker for the rest of my life." And I laughed maliciously: "Besides, you offered too tempting a prize, having promised to accept the head of the twilight dragon from me."

The lady opened her mouth slightly, looking at her victim in amazement, and again asked cautiously:

"Are you completely out of your mind, guard?"

"No more than you," I quipped. "In any case, I haven't yet reached such madness as challenging a girl to a duel."

"Okay, let's get back to the main point," the lady winced. "So, in order to hide Angel, you suggested putting me to bed. What next? Angel undressed me alone?"

"No, I also took direct part in this fascinating event," I didn’t lie and sighed: “But I couldn’t dress you…”

"Why?" The girl asked coldly, narrowing her eyes.

"I was afraid I would choke on my own saliva," I replied. "You are very attractive... And under the 'ice' you are absolutely irresistible..."

Caitlin snorted indignantly, but at least she didn’t resume the torture.

"What next?"

"Then the grey-uniformed men left, and Angel ran away. And while I was thinking about how to deal with you, the bounty hunters showed up. That's when you woke up..."

Caitlin rubbed her forehead, thinking about the explanations that had been given. I began to hope that the conflict would be settled peacefully. The demoness's eyes had become quite human - gray-green. She seemed to have calmed down a little... Then she finally remembered that she was showing off naked in front of me, and rushed to gather her clothes.

The front door slammed. And then Roald's voice rang out:

"Kar?! Kar, are you here?"

"Yes, he's here, he's here," the commandant's voice reached me. It seemed he showed up with the foreman. "I put a magic mark on him when I was treating him. So don't worry, he won't go anywhere from us."

Without waiting for an answer, Roald said:

"He's probably catching up on sleep after all these ordeals."

“Probably,” Sir Roderick agreed with him and asked in a worried voice: “You'd better tell me this, foreman: why is Caitlin’s horse tied up at the porch?”

"Perhaps you've made a mistake?" Roald suggested uncertainly. "Why would Lady Caitlin be at Kar's house?"

"I recognize Proof anywhere?" Sir Roderick was indignant. "I gave him to Caitlin when she came of age."

Caitlin, frozen, stared at me with wide eyes. And then she began rushing around the room with redoubled energy, trying to pull on her clothes as she went. But her wonderful suede suit was not going to help her in this matter at all, and resisted in every way. The girl even jumped, trying to pull on her tight, incredibly tight pants. But, whatever one might say, she did not have an hour or two to get dressed, as is customary with noble girls.

The stairs creaked under the weight of people climbing them. Realizing the futility of trying to get dressed in such a short time, Caitlin stopped fussing and turned all her attention to me. The lady dispelled the "Air Clot" and lowered me to the floor, and then, jumping almost close, hissed in my ear:

"Hold them back, you hear me?!"
* * *

Внимание! Этот перевод, возможно, ещё не готов.
Его статус: идёт перевод

Переведено на Нотабеноиде
http://notabenoid.org/book/88185/590609

Переводчики: Camrad_RIP