Guilliman was not a man of many words; he preferred to speak directly, which sometimes made him less likable.
Hearing his blunt, almost transactional request, the Lady of the Lake frowned, a troubled expression appearing on her exquisite face.
She probably rarely encountered mortals who actively bargained with her.
However, as a deity with a long lifespan, she had experienced many things and met all sorts of people, so she wasn't easily surprised.
She gazed at the witcher with her clear, sapphire-like eyes, parted her red lips, and said in a beautiful and melodious voice:
"Thank you for your righteous act, traveler from another world."
"The Evil God Dagon is an enemy of the creatures on land."
"For a long time, he and his evil creatures have been trying to encroach upon the land, occupying all rivers, lakes, and clean water sources."
"They breed in darkness, multiply in foul mud, and have an inseparable connection with the God of Calamity and Chaos. All living beings are their prey."
"Once these evil underwater creatures occupy the water sources on land, they will continuously crawl out from the seabed, constantly eroding the living space of land creatures."
"If that were to happen, whether humans or elves, or any other race, all would suffer a great catastrophe, a world-encompassing war between the underwater races and the land races."
"If a powerful warrior like you is willing to join this righteous cause, it would be a fortune for all living beings on land."
As expected of a long-existing deity.
The Lady of the Lake was quite skilled in her discourse, immediately launching into a spiel about universal justice, saving the common people, and fighting for world peace.
If it were an upright and noble knight, or a chivalrous witcher like Geralt, they might have been easily swayed by such a beautiful and sacred goddess, becoming cannon fodder for justice and choosing to fight for her.
However, Guilliman had been through countless movies, novels, and various epic games.
He had long been immune to the idea of'saving the world' or 'fighting for the common people'.
As a qualified witcher, even fighting for justice required sufficient reward.
He couldn't be taken advantage of, not even by a goddess.
Guilliman's expression remained unchanged, seemingly unaffected by the Lady of the Lake's grand pronouncements.
After the goddess finished speaking, he was silent for two seconds before saying in a calm voice:
"That is precisely my purpose in coming here, Your Ladyship."
"As a witcher, my duty is to slay monsters and protect those who trust me."
"The Evil God Dagon and his merman subordinates will certainly be my enemies."
"However, you must have heard."
"Witchers never undertake contracts without payment. This is a creed I have always believed in."
"I have performed many righteous deeds, but I have never been a free hero."
"I hope you understand, Your Ladyship."
"This is why I came to visit, to seek your blessing."
Guilliman's meaning was very straightforward, so straightforward that even the dryad maiden kneeling beside him could understand.
She couldn't help but look up at the witcher, her face showing a mixture of shock and surprise.
She probably hadn't expected that a mere witcher would dare to so righteously demand payment from a goddess who had existed for thousands of years.
It was beyond her imagination, making her little head buzz.
And the respected Lady of the Lake was also very surprised.
She tilted her head slightly, unable to resist seriously scrutinizing this visitor from another world once more.
If she hadn't known beforehand that the God of Destiny, who possessed a very high divine rank, had a special favor for the man before her.
And even prophesied that he might be the destined one to save this world in the future and defeat the God of Calamity and Chaos.
She wouldn't have revealed her true form for this sudden visit.
However, after all, she was a deity who had existed for thousands of years, and her emotions were quite stable.
The Lady of the Lake maintained her serene and beautiful smile, and said in her melodious, poetic voice:
"Of course, Mr. Witcher."
"Rewarding warriors is only natural."
"However, I do not know what you seek."
"And as a spirit of nature, I am not omnipotent; there are many things I cannot do."
"So, please tell me, what reward do you desire?"
"I want to take you down! But you probably wouldn't agree."
Guilliman muttered inwardly, but his mind fell into a brief thought.
From their recent conversation, the Lady of the Lake mentioned that all the lakes, rivers, and water sources on the continent seemed to be under her protection.
And the Evil God Dagon involved a war between the underwater races and the land races, as well as the support of the so-called God of Calamity and Chaos.
As an enthusiast of various fantasy games, he immediately surmised.
The Lady of the Lake before him should be of a very high rank, most likely a goddess of water—of lakes, rivers, and water sources—who protected life on land, representing the so-called side of justice.
Her adversary, the Evil God Dagon of the Sea, likely commanded rules related to the ocean, with his followers being the marine races living in the dark depths of the sea, influenced by the power of the God of Calamity and Chaos.
The conflict between them concerned a war between the underwater races and the land races.
The quest Geralt completed in the game might have been just a small interlude in their countless struggles, far from as simple as it appeared on the surface.
And judging by the goddess's high emotional intelligence, remaining unperturbed and smiling professionally even when faced with his impudent attitude.
The Lady of the Lake should not be some naive, sweet goddess; she must possess extremely high wisdom.
Trying to directly proposition her would most likely result in rejection.
He wasn't a chivalrous witcher like Geralt, loved by everyone, and this goddess was also very different from the ugly goddess in the game.
After a brief consideration, Guilliman decided to abandon his fantasies and set his reward on more practical benefits.
As for how to bed this goddess later, that could be considered after they understood each other better and he had achieved greater power and status.
So, he spoke directly and to the point:
"Your Ladyship, the reward I seek is not difficult to obtain."
"It is simply money and power."
"The number of mermen here is vast, almost an entire army; eliminating them alone would be very difficult for me."
"I need a lot of money to recruit more helpers to complete this commission."
"As for the Evil God Dagon, I am not sure of his power, but I also know a few experts who are powerful spellcasters."
"If I can offer them treasures that would entice them, it would surely help in dealing with this Evil God's power."
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