It wasn't much of a slip, at least from Atem's perception. He had already spoken to no less than three time travelers, not that Ciri had anyway of knowing that. The question had in fact been an innocent one but he was still a stranger to her so her caution was understandable. There were some drawbacks to being a central figure in a society, you'd find no argument here. The attempts on his life alone, had been trying- and the lack of privacy could be a source of irritation. "Oh.... yes... of course." Sounding dubious but he didn't press her further, not at this juncture.

His lips dipped downward slightly as she laughed at was a very serious situation. Yes, it did sound a little ridiculous on the surface but it was very much a real concern. "If only it were that simple. I should think that the inhabitants would have managed that by now were it possible." They were outnumbered.

"I suppose I should also mention that you can choose not to assist in missions if you would rather not. No one would force you into it. I would just suggest gathering information from multiple sources, before making up your mind."