Cooperation is cooperation, and negotiating terms is negotiating terms.
However, before discussing these, Guilliman, the sorceress Margarita, and he still had important business to attend to.
What is important business?
When doing business with men, it's usually at a drinking table; when doing business with women, it's best in bed.
Using a man's strengths to attack a woman's weaknesses can achieve better results.
"Margarita, have you noticed?"
"Now, whether it's sorcerers, witchers, or non-human races like elves and dwarves, they are becoming increasingly ostracized by mainstream society."
"Since the Thanedd Coup, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers has suffered a severe blow."
"The relationship between nobles and sorcerers is no longer like it was over a thousand years ago, when humans first arrived in this world and needed sorcerers to protect them and secure their living space."
"Sile de Tansarville was fired and exiled by Henselt of Kaedwen, and Sabrina Glevissig was burned alive by King Demavend of Aedirn, becoming a terrifying wraith."
"Those royal advisors we know can no longer persuade or change the kings' minds; sorcerers are almost becoming mere appendages of power."
"For our future, we must make plans early."
After their 'business' was done, Guilliman and Margarita lay naked together in the headmistress's private large bathtub, eyes closed, not wanting to move, enjoying the unique pleasure of the post-coital clarity.
Only then did the sorceress have time to recall what the witcher had just said.
Although she knew Guilliman must have something he wanted to discuss this time,
the words he spoke still made Margarita's expression somewhat annoyed.
In the past, Tissaia worried about these things, and she only needed to be a mascot-like vice-headmistress.
Now, these matters had to be bothered by her, someone with no political acumen, which was simply asking too much.
She swung her long legs, pondering for a few minutes, but still had no clue.
So, giving up on thinking, she pouted and said in a somewhat coquettish tone:
"Hmph, hmph, I knew it, you're a bad man. If you didn't need something from me, you wouldn't bother to see me."
"Alright, stop playing smart. Hurry up and tell me your thoughts, Guilliman."
"Anyway, I can't think of any good ideas, so let's hear yours first."
What's going on?
She was clearly a two-hundred-year-old hag, but her coquettish manner was still surprisingly cute.
He suddenly felt capable again.
He quickly swam to Margarita's side.
He explained in a gentle voice:
"Actually, it's nothing."
"Although the situation hasn't reached its most critical point yet,"
"you and I both know that the Third Nilfgaardian War will surely come. At that time, the North will fall into chaos, and the original order will be completely disrupted."
"I heard that the Nilfgaardian Empire hates sorcerers, almost rounding up all the sorcerers within the empire and using them as cannon fodder for the war."
"This is also an important reason why we in the North were able to defeat them at Sodden."
"And now, with the Brotherhood of Sorcerers severely weakened and the Thanedd Coup, the nobles of the North no longer trust sorcerers."
"We all know that among the hundreds of sorcerers in the North combined, less than one-tenth truly possess combat power."
"If we don't find a way to protect ourselves, it will be too late when the butcher's knife falls in the future."
Margarita lay on the edge of the bathtub, trying desperately to think about what the witcher had said.
But she still couldn't concentrate.
The sorceress said:
"I know all this. Just tell me your future plan."
"What do you want me to do?"
"You, you're really not a good person."
Guilliman chuckled.
"Actually, it's nothing, Margarita."
"You should know that I never like to get something for nothing. The solutions I come up with are often win-win."
"My Witcher school is one-third complete; the basement part is already built."
"And beneath my Black Seagull Island, in the grotto where the mermen used to be, there's also a huge space."
"I hope that Aretuza Academy and our Witcher school can establish a permanent portal between them, to facilitate our free movement and future cooperation."
"And once either of us faces danger, we can use the portal to protect each other and seek refuge."
"You can rest assured of this, Margarita."
"I love you so much; I will definitely protect you well in the future."
The witcher's voice seemed to carry a certain magic, and with a few sweet words, Margarita was quickly captivated.
She didn't answer whether she agreed to build a permanent portal, permanently linking the sorceress academy and the witcher school.
Instead, she immediately began to consider the feasibility of building a permanent portal.
When another round ended, and the two were once again embracing, washing themselves in the pool,
Margarita lazily slid her finger across the witcher's strong muscles and said:
"Guilliman, let's not talk about whether I have the right to represent Aretuza Academy and agree to your plan."
"But there is indeed a way to build a permanent portal. However, both the construction cost and maintenance cost are very high. It will cost at least 20,000 orens a year, and a sorcerer must maintain it long-term."
"Are you willing to pay this amount?"
A maintenance cost of 20,000 orens a year, not including construction costs, was indeed very high when one thought about it.
One should know that, apart from a large sum of money he got from the Prince of Maribor, an ordinary strong laborer's monthly income was only about a dozen orens.
An ordinary witcher, excluding food and lodging, would be lucky to save a hundred orens a month.
This meant that maintaining a permanent portal was almost equivalent to bearing the cost of over a thousand strong laborers annually.
However, Guilliman thought to himself, does he, a witcher who can roam through various worlds, really need to worry about money?
Not to mention in this world, he could easily kill a corrupt noble, plunder his family's treasury, and get a large sum of money.
Even if he had the opportunity to go to worlds where gold was abundant in the future, couldn't he still easily get money?
Having a permanent portal that connects to Aretuza Academy and can be teleported to Velen at any time would be a very useful feature for both future witchers and sorceresses.
As for the money problem, that was the least of his concerns.
After less than two or three seconds of thought, the witcher said seriously:
"Of course I can bear this cost."
"The permanent portal is the foundation of our cooperation and an important means of mutual protection."
"Please trust me, Margarita."
"I am constantly growing stronger, and I will become even stronger in the future, stronger than you can imagine."
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