Perhaps in this world that values appearance, good-looking people always find it easier to gain others' favor.
After some conversation, Berengar and Guilliman got to know each other, shedding their initial mutual wariness and establishing a basic level of trust.
However, they didn't have much time to chat. After quickly beheading the old priest and burying his body, they took advantage of the still-dark sky to rush towards the Salamander Gang's stronghold.
This was, after all, the outskirts of the capital, within the jurisdiction of the kingdom's law. Many things could only be done under the cover of night.
If they openly killed someone during the day, especially in a town, it could easily cause a huge commotion, even accidentally injuring passersby and making them wanted criminals of the kingdom, leading to even more trouble.
"By the way, Berengar, how much is the reward for this commission of yours?"
While traveling, with nothing else to do, Guilliman suddenly thought of this question.
Because he had no reference points, although he knew his own remuneration was quite high, he didn't know exactly how much higher.
Understanding the financial situation of his peers would make it easier to negotiate prices with employers in the future.
However, upon hearing his question, Berengar sighed as if a sore spot had been touched.
A helpless expression appeared on his weathered, farmer-like face, and he said:
"Only forty-two orens in total."
"That couple said it was all their worldly possessions."
"I've been investigating this matter for over three days, and soon I'll have to fight the Salamander Gang. Alas, I wonder if this money will be enough to repair my equipment."
Forty-two orens, and with change too.
After hearing Berengar's complaint, Guilliman chuckled to himself.
The reward he was going to receive in the future would be more than ten times this amount; although he might not take that much, it certainly wouldn't be too little.
However, this remuneration was actually quite good. Converted to the labor of an ordinary adult, it was enough to pay more than three months' salary.
This was also because they were in the kingdom's capital, where even ordinary people could find work relatively easily if they were willing to put in the effort.
If it were in the countryside, many people wouldn't even have a way to earn money, let alone save any.
But there was no helping it; in the medieval era, prices were high, wages were low, and goods didn't circulate.
That couple must have done their best to save their child... They traveled quickly, taking about an hour.
They finally reached the crossroads the old priest had mentioned and found the target's location nearby.
This was a desolate village, perhaps due to plague, or perhaps war; in any case, the villagers had long since died or left.
Only dilapidated houses, overgrown graves, ancient trees, and abandoned farmland remained, looking both eerie and terrifying.
If they were ordinary people, they might feel scared in such a gloomy ruin.
But Guilliman and Berengar were both Witchers, capable of slaying even wraiths and ghosts, let alone mere ordinary darkness.
They briefly discussed their battle strategy, then lightened their steps, held their breath, and began searching for the Salamander Gang's stronghold among the abandoned houses.
It must be said, their luck was quite good.
The members of the Salamander Gang were, after all, just a bunch of thugs, ordinary people. In such darkness, they had to light candles to avoid affecting their movements.
Using their keen Witcher senses, the two quickly found a house with a faint light in a pile of ruins.
After cautiously approaching, they indeed found a group of dangerous-looking individuals inside the house, covered in various tattoos, wearing leather armor, and with weapons at hand.
They conversed quietly, making crude jokes with unrestrained expressions. Some were eating, some were playing Gwent, and others were inhaling narcotic powder.
However, what was more concerning was that many of them carried hand crossbows.
These were extremely dangerous weapons; even experienced Witchers would find it difficult to guard against a surprise attack from a hand crossbow during a fight.
A single crossbow bolt could easily lead to a swift death.
Upon seeing these people, Berengar's breathing noticeably became heavier, and his fingers brushed his weapon, seemingly wanting to launch a sneak attack.
Guilliman, however, shook his head at him, then pulled him aside. He reached to his lower back, but actually retrieved four vials of potions from his storage space, giving two to each of them.
"Thunderbolt potion and Cat potion."
"There should be more people in this stronghold than just these, and there's a secret passage in the house."
"Drink the potions first, so you don't struggle in combat if you get surrounded later."
Berengar hesitated for a few seconds.
Perhaps he was a little afraid that the two potions had been tampered with.
However, when Guilliman, with a frank expression, drank the potions in front of him, he no longer hesitated and quickly consumed the two elixirs.
The former was Thunderbolt potion.
It could temporarily increase a person's strength and agility, with significant effects, boosting a normal person's strength and agility by 1.5 times.
And the latter, the Cat potion.
It allowed one to see in the dark, granting dark vision. If fighting ordinary people in complete darkness, it could even work wonders, allowing one to defeat several, or even dozens, of enemies, which was not impossible.
After drinking the two powerful elixirs, Berengar's confidence visibly increased, and he was no longer as nervous as before.
However, Guilliman did not give him much chance to show off next, instead immediately demonstrating the combat style of a pay-to-win Witcher.
He led the impoverished School of the Wolf Witcher back to the window outside the Salamander Gang's stronghold.
Then, he directly conjured a massive Beehive bomb from his lower back.
Such a Beehive bomb cost nearly ten orens and was quite troublesome to produce, so very few Witchers used it in regular combat.
However, Guilliman, without batting an eye, snapped his left finger silently, igniting the Beehive bomb with Igni, and then, with his right hand, threw it directly through the dilapidated window into the house.
The boorish thugs of the Salamander Gang had clearly never seen a bomb before.
Looking at the earthenware pot with a burning fuse and emitting black smoke, some were wary, wanting to run to the window to observe the situation, while others were curious, wanting to pick up the bomb and examine it.
And even more people had not yet realized what was happening, simply staring blankly.
However, the Beehive bomb would not give them time to think.
With a loud "boom," the Beehive bomb exploded with a roar.
Orange flames accompanied by thick smoke directly blew the closest Salamander Gang members into pieces, while the thugs further away were severely burned by the flames ignited by the Beehive bomb.
Even the Salamander Gang members farthest away, who were not affected by the explosion's radius, were directly stunned on the spot by the immense roar caused by the explosion, losing their ability to react.
And the two Witchers, who had been waiting outside the door, certainly wouldn't give the thugs time to react.
They kicked open the door directly, then, with their sharp swords, began to slaughter the scum of the Salamander Gang.