Guilliman truly hadn't expected the person walking out from the opposite side to be a fellow Witcher.
He looked somewhat thin, with an ordinary appearance, brown hair, and brown eyes. He wore only a worn-out gray leather armor, looking impoverished and down on his luck.
Compared to himself, who was tall and burly, clearly a strong individual.
If it weren't for the other person also having the vertical beast pupils of a Witcher, and multiple scars on his face and body, it would probably be more believable to say he was a country farmer or a down-and-out mercenary.
After his hidden position was called out, the other party was clearly quite wary, walking out of the woods with a cautious expression, gripping his weapon tightly, and his gaze repeatedly scanning the Viper School medallion on Guilliman's chest and the old priest's corpse behind him.
After a few seconds of silence, the other party spoke in a somewhat hoarse voice:
"You're from the Viper School. I heard most of your people are in the south. Why are you here?"
Guilliman immediately noticed the metal wolf head medallion hanging on the other's chest, just like in the game.
It was actually a Witcher from the Wolf School.
Connecting this to the game's plot development, he roughly guessed the other's identity.
Berengar, a Witcher who wanted to escape his identity, marry and have children like an ordinary person, and unwilling to associate with others from the Wolf School. However, in the future, due to threats from the Salamandra gang, he would reveal the secrets of Kaer Morhen to save his life, ultimately dying in Vizima.
To say he was a bad person wasn't entirely accurate, but to say he was a good person, compared to other Witchers from the Wolf School, there was clearly a significant difference.
When traveling, one's identity is self-proclaimed.
Mistaken for someone from the Viper School, Guilliman didn't bother to explain.
He chuckled lightly and said with a relaxed expression:
"Hey, hey, hey, no need to be nervous!"
"Brother from the Wolf School, don't let my appearance fool you, but I'm not someone who kills indiscriminately."
"I took on a contract to find a kidnapped elven girl. You might have already seen that middle-aged elf, crying hysterically and looking a mess at the village inn, right?"
"This matter is related to that old charlatan behind me. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to question him?"
"So, brother, following me into the wilderness and secretly peeking at me while I work, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Seeing Guilliman so relaxed after killing someone, the other party clearly found it a bit hard to accept.
However, being fellow Witchers, both seen as outcasts by others, there was still some sense of camaraderie, even if they weren't from the same school.
Berengar hesitated for a few seconds before slowly moving his hand away from his weapon and answering seriously:
"I also received a contract in the village from a human couple, looking for their missing son."
"After investigating for a few days, because there were clues pointing to this matter being related to a priest of the Eternal Fire, I stayed near the church, preparing to wait for an opportunity to investigate."
At this point, Berengar's expression became somewhat serious.
"You shouldn't have killed this priest of the Eternal Fire."
"According to my investigation, he has a very high reputation in the outskirts of Vizima. Whether it's the city guards, the merchant leaders outside the city, or the local gentry, influential figures, and gang leaders, all have deep connections with this priest."
"That's why I suspected these kidnapping cases were related to him."
"He has been operating here for many years, and he probably has hundreds of loyal Eternal Fire followers."
"If he is found dead here, there will certainly be a great upheaval in the outskirts of Vizima."
Guilliman listened, but didn't seem too concerned.
He already knew this information and had already considered what would happen later.
He made a beheading gesture towards Berengar, then said in a calm tone:
"This old scoundrel isn't a good person. He's probably responsible for the deaths of more than a dozen or twenty villagers."
"Later, I'll cut off his head and throw it somewhere. No one will know where he died."
"Besides, even if they find out, we'll have already left by then, so there won't be any trouble."
After saying this, Guilliman continued:
"Oh, right, I just found out the Salamandra gang's hideout from him. I'm planning to go check it out."
"Do you want to come along?"
"Then you save your human boy, and I'll save my elven girl. How about it?"
"Our contracts aren't in competition; we can cooperate and take a look."
The Wolf School Witcher was silent for more than ten seconds, probably not entirely trusting the Viper School Witcher in front of him, yet unable to refuse.
However, now the clues regarding the old priest were completely cut off, and only the other party knew the Salamandra gang's hideout.
Unless he abandoned the mission and found another way, cooperation was the only option.
Berengar said cautiously:
"It's best not to be so reckless."
"According to my investigation, these villagers in the suburbs are afraid of retaliation from the Salamandra gang, which is why they dare not reveal any information about them."
"It is said that several villagers had their throats slit at night for not following this rule."
"This gang has many members, good equipment, and strong strength."
"If we act recklessly, not only might we fail to complete the contract, but we might also put ourselves in danger."
After Guilliman heard this, he originally wanted to retort a few words.
What's there to be afraid of a few ordinary gang members?
But he remembered that in the game, the Salamandra gang also had several renegade mages who could use magic and were quite powerful.
So he curbed his tendency to underestimate the Salamandra gang and nodded seriously, saying:
"Don't worry, I've prepared quite a few potions, and even several alchemical bombs. We'll definitely be fully prepared before going to take them down."
Hearing Guilliman speak so seriously, even mentioning potions and alchemical bombs, Berengar became a bit hesitant.
After two seconds of silence, he said somewhat awkwardly:
"Drink potions?"
"Sorry, I don't have a single potion on me, nor any alchemical bombs."
"And I probably don't have any money left to make potions."
For most struggling Witchers, each bottle of Witcher potion, costing five to twenty orens, was indeed a considerable burden.
Even if some herbs and monster ingredients could be acquired by themselves, the high-grade spirits used to make potions were not cheap.
Moreover, Witchers not only had to frequently repair their equipment but also had considerable daily expenses.
It was a very dangerous profession. If they ate too poorly and were malnourished, they would have no combat power. When monsters were so dangerous and psychological pressure was high, it was only human nature for people to find a woman to relax with.
Not everyone was as lucky as Guilliman, finding a wealthy elf like Valessa, who provided both money and assistance, earning thousands of orens in a month, and gaining both wealth and a companion.
Guilliman wasn't too surprised by this.
Even legendary Witcher masters like Geralt often found themselves unable to pay for drinks, unable to get contracts, and even relying on his bard friend Dandelion for help.
He laughed heartily and then said to Berengar:
"It's alright, you can use my potions too. Everything is for completing the contract."
"Oh, right, you can call me Guilliman."
"What's your name?"
"I'm actually still a Witcher novice, and there's a lot I can learn from you."