Looking at the heavily armored dwarf warriors and human lumberjacks surrounding him, Guilliman could understand.
In a monster-infested, dangerous swamp area like this, a fully armed person suddenly walking up usually doesn't bode well.
It's normal to be vigilant.
He didn't get angry; instead, he crossed his arms, didn't draw his weapon, and said calmly, "Don't be nervous, everyone. I am a Witcher."
"I have something I'd like to discuss with you. Please send your supervisor to speak with me."
The leading dwarf had a long beard hanging down to his chest. Although his body was muscular, wrinkles remained on his face, indicating he was quite old and experienced.
He gestured to stop the lumberjacks behind him from continuing their encirclement.
Picking up the battle-axe in front of him, he took a few steps closer to Guilliman. Only after seeing the Witcher's characteristic vertical beast-like pupils in his eyes did he nod and say, "You are indeed a Witcher. I've seen your kind before."
"Alright, Witcher, I'm the foreman of these lumberjacks. They all call me Iron Axe Black."
"What do you want with us?"
The foreman was the leader of these lumberjacks.
For a dwarf lumberjack to become the foreman of a group of human lumberjacks, it was clear this dwarf had some abilities.
When you're out and about, your status is what you make it.
A noble status might not be very useful against monsters or reclusive hermits who have left society, but for ordinary commoners, it is extremely useful.
Guilliman was well aware of this, so he spoke, "Greetings, Mr. Iron Axe Black."
"I am Guilliman Gelman, a Witcher currently serving the Temeria Royal Family."
"I am currently entrusted by His Majesty King Foltest to cure Princess Adda's curse."
"The area where you are currently logging belongs to Mr. Samoyeg, the Great Druid you met before."
"He is a very powerful spellcaster."
"The princess's curse requires the help of this Great Druid."
"Therefore, I hope you will withdraw from this area and log elsewhere. This is the condition proposed by the old Druid."
At this point, Guilliman's expression became serious, and the aura of a strong man, enhanced by his identity as a so-called Royal Witcher, was indeed quite intimidating.
Legitimate lumberjacks are different from the bandits and robbers in the wilderness. Most of them are commoners with families, wives, and children, living near the city of Vizima, considered respectable citizens.
Hearing Guilliman's speech filled with words like "King," "Princess," and "Royal," they were greatly shocked, even if they didn't fully understand it.
In feudal society, royal matters were of utmost importance; common people dared not provoke such trouble.
And the matter of Princess Adda's curse was indeed true. No Temerian was unaware of King Foltest's deep affection for his daughter.
There was no doubt that if anyone dared to obstruct the King from saving his princess, a group of soldiers would send them to the gallows and hang them alive the next day.
Some lumberjacks were so frightened they were at a loss, looking around nervously, while others trembled with fear, trying to appear calm.
They were just laborers. If they encountered wild beasts or bandits, they would still dare to pick up weapons and resist for their families and for money.
But if it was truly the King's command, they clearly wouldn't dare to disobey.
However, Foreman Iron Axe Black wasn't so easily fooled. There were many tricksters in this world, and no shortage of people who would use the King's name to deceive others.
Moreover, dwarfs didn't hold such respect and fear for human kings and princesses. These dwarfs, who had come down from the Mahakam Mountains, had lived in human society for many years, and what they valued most was money.
Iron Axe Black looked at the Witcher in front of him with suspicion and said gruffly, "Hmph!"
"I heard that Witchers always maintain neutrality and do not participate in any political actions."
"Why should I believe you, Mr. Guilliman Gelman?"
"I have a logging permit issued by the city hall, which allows me to log anywhere in this forest."
"We all need to earn money to support our families. We finally cleared this logging area, and we can't leave because of your groundless reasons."
Seeing this, Guilliman was a bit troubled.
The lumberjacks opposite him hadn't really done anything wrong. Felling forests for survival is something every race does.
He couldn't possibly kill a dozen lumberjacks over such a small matter. They also had children, and doing so would be no different from so-called demons or evil gods.
However, this commission had to be completed.
Guilliman decided to use a combination of monetary persuasion and leveraging connections, also giving the other side a chance.
If this didn't work, then the only option was to resolve it by force and drive them away.
He reached into his storage space and pulled out a money pouch, containing one hundred orens, enough for half a month's wages for these lumberjacks.
Under the dwarf's surprised gaze, Guilliman tossed the money pouch to him and said, "My dwarf friend, don't make this difficult for me. This money is for your losses."
"Actually, Zoltan, Yarpen, and I are all good friends."
"A month ago, I even hunted two giant wyverns with their dragon-hunting team and made a good sum of money."
"Do me a favor and log somewhere else. When we return to the city, I'll buy you a drink."
"King Foltest granted me an island, Black Tern Island. You should know where it is."
"Before long, I'll be hiring a large group of stonemasons, carpenters, and blacksmiths to build me a castle."
"When that time comes, I'll patronize your business."
In the world, there aren't so many fights and killings; it's all about human relations.
This carrot-and-stick approach, using both benefits and threats, immediately made the dwarf foreman hesitate.
After a few seconds, he sighed and said, "So you are that Witcher!"
"Last month, when Yarpen and his group passed through Vizima and invited us for a drink, they did mention this."
"They all said you are indeed a powerful Witcher, that you personally slew both wyverns, cutting off their heads with just one sword."
"Alright, since you're a friend of Zoltan and Yarpen, then you're a friend of Iron Axe Black."
"Tomorrow, I'll take my logging team to find another logging site and won't stay in this area any longer."
The number of dwarfs in human society wasn't too large. Besides the unknown dwarf commoners, most prominent dwarfs knew each other and had good connections.
When Guilliman brought up Zoltan and Yarpen's names, the other side wisely compromised.
This outcome also made the Witcher quite satisfied.
It was only a loss of one hundred orens, and what he gained from the Great Druid far exceeded that value.
Moreover, dwarfs are excellent craftsmen. When he starts extensive construction on Black Tern Island in the future, getting to know more dwarf connections will also be helpful.
After the matter was resolved, Iron Axe Black enthusiastically invited him into the lumberjack camp and offered him his dwarf strong liquor to drink freely.
However, in the lumberjack camp, Guilliman saw something that greatly surprised him.
Three mobile ballistas and over a dozen crossbows were arranged in the center of the camp.
This was probably why the lumberjacks dared to venture deep into the swamp, unafraid of the monsters.