Witcher: Master Kiliman’s Grand Ambitions-Chapter 31: The Wolf School? Let’s Move Together

Geralt certainly didn't expect that the person emerging from the opposite side would be a fellow Witcher.
The man appeared somewhat thin with ordinary features, brown hair, brown eyes, and wore only a worn-out gray leather armor, looking utterly destitute.
Compared to Geralt's own tall, muscular build that clearly screamed strength.
If not for the other's Witcher-like beastly vertical pupils and numerous scars on his face and body, one might more easily believe he was some country farmer or down-on-his-luck mercenary.
After being called out from his hiding spot, the other party was clearly quite wary, emerging cautiously from the woods with weapon tightly gripped, his eyes shifting between the snake school emblem on Geralt's chest and the old priest's corpse behind him.
After several seconds of silence, the man spoke in a somewhat hoarse voice:
"You're from the Viper School. I heard most of your people are down south. Why have you come here?"
Geralt immediately noticed the metal wolf head emblem hanging from the other's chest, identical to the one in the games.
It was actually a Wolf School Witcher.
Recalling the game's storyline developments, he could roughly guess the other's identity.
Berengar - a Witcher who wanted to escape his identity, marry and have children like ordinary people, unwilling to associate with other Wolf School members, but who would later, threatened by the Salamander Gang, betray the secret of Kaer Morhen to save his own life, ultimately dying in Vizima.
Calling him a bad person wouldn't be quite accurate, but calling him a good person clearly put him far behind other Wolf School Witchers.
When traveling abroad, you create your own identity.
Being mistaken for a Viper School member, Geralt didn't bother to correct him.
He chuckled lightly, maintaining a relaxed expression as he said:
"Hey hey hey, no need to be nervous!"
"Brother from the Wolf School, don't judge by appearances - I'm not someone who kills indiscriminately."
"I took a contract to find a kidnapped elven girl - that middle-aged elf weeping uncontrollably at the village inn. You've probably seen him already."
"This matter relates to that old charlatan behind me. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to come ask him some questions?"
"So brother, why did you follow me out here to the wilderness and secretly watch me work?"
Seeing Geralt so casual and relaxed after just killing someone, the other party clearly found it hard to accept.
But ultimately, as fellow Witchers, both considered freaks by others, even if from different schools, they shared some sense of camaraderie.
Berengar hesitated for several seconds before slowly moving his hand away from his weapon, answering seriously:
"I also took a contract from a human couple in the village to find their missing son."
"After investigating for several days, because clues pointed to this matter being related to Eternal Fire priests, I've been watching the church, waiting for an opportunity to investigate."
At this point, Berengar's expression turned serious.
"You shouldn't have killed this Eternal Fire priest."
"According to my investigation, he had considerable prestige in Vizima's outskirts. Whether city guards, merchant leaders from the suburbs, local gentry, or gang bosses - all had deep connections with this priest."
"That's why I suspected these kidnappings were related to him."
"He's been operating here for many years, with probably hundreds of loyal Eternal Fire followers under him."
"If his death is discovered here, there will definitely be major turmoil in Vizima's outskirts."
After listening, Geralt didn't seem particularly concerned.
He already knew this intelligence and had long considered what would happen next.
Making a throat-slitting gesture toward Berengar, he said in a calm tone:
"This old bastard was no good person. The villagers he's gotten killed probably number more than just ten or twenty."
"Later I'll cut off his head and toss it somewhere random. Nobody will know where he died."
"Besides, even if they find out, we'll have long left this place by then. No trouble for us."
After saying this, Geralt added:
"By the way, I just learned the Salamander Gang's hideout location from him. Planning to check it out."
"Want to come along?"
"You rescue your human boy, I rescue my elven girl - how about that?"
"Our contracts aren't competitive. We could cooperate on this."
The Wolf School Witcher fell silent for over ten seconds, probably not trusting this Snake School Witcher but finding it hard to refuse.
But now, the old priest's lead had been completely severed, and only the other party knew the Salamander Gang's hideout location.
Unless he abandoned the operation and found another approach, cooperation was the only way forward.
Berengar said cautiously:
"Better not be so reckless."
"According to my investigation, these outskirts villagers are too afraid of Salamander Gang retaliation to leak any information about them."
"Apparently several villagers had their throats slit at night for breaking this rule."
"This gang has many members, good equipment, and considerable strength."
"Acting recklessly might not only fail the contract but put us in danger too."
After listening, Geralt originally wanted to mock this a bit.
What's there to fear from some ordinary gang members?
But then he remembered from the games that the Salamander Gang had several renegade sorcerers who could use magic - actually quite capable.
So he reined in his dismissive attitude toward the Salamander Gang, nodding seriously:
"Don't worry, I've prepared plenty of potions, even several alchemical bombs. We'll be fully prepared before taking them down."
Hearing Geralt speak so seriously, even having prepared potions and alchemical bombs, Berengar instead hesitated.
After two seconds of silence, he said somewhat awkwardly:
"Need to drink potions?"
"Sorry, I don't have a single potion on me, no alchemical bombs either."
"And I probably don't have enough money to make potions either."
For most struggling Witchers, each Witcher potion costing five to twenty Orens indeed represented a significant burden.
Even if some herbs and monster materials could be obtained personally, the high-proof alcohol used for potion-making wasn't cheap.
Moreover, besides frequent equipment repairs, Witchers had considerable daily expenses.
This was an extremely dangerous profession - if nutrition was poor, combat effectiveness suffered greatly. With monsters so dangerous and psychological pressure high, finding women for relaxation was only human nature.
Not everyone could be as lucky as Geralt, finding an elven sugar mama like Valessa who provided both money and companionship, earning thousands of Orens in just a month while gaining both wealth and relationship.
Geralt wasn't particularly surprised by this.
Even legendary Witcher masters like Geralt often found themselves unable to pay bar tabs, without contracts, even relying on their bard friend Dandelion for support.
He laughed heartily, then said to Berengar:
"No problem, you can use my potions too. Everything for completing the contract."
"By the way, you can call me Kiriman."
"What's your name?"
"I'm actually still relatively new as a Witcher - probably have much to learn from you."