Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Outside the castle, commoners endured exorbitant taxes and could only fill their stomachs with black bread mixed with sawdust; inside, the nobles, however, could drink, eat meat, and flirt with ladies at banquets.

Of the six people in Hans's party, only Hans the Young Master and Henry the Knight's Squire were allowed to attend, while Old Oz, Nicholas, Tandall and Conrad could only look on with envy.

"Don't worry, I'll bring you some delicious food and drinks. There are so many people here, no one will notice me."

Henry comforted the four and made promises.

"Woof!"

"Yes, and my silly one too."

"Henry, you're a true friend." The young groom Nicholas, only sixteen years old, thanked Henry gratefully upon hearing that there was something delicious to eat.

"We're getting excited too! We don't want the kind of wine that's for the aristocrats; we want strong liquor, the stronger the better, hahaha."

The Troll and Conrad brothers patted Henry on the shoulder and begged him.

Henry readily agreed. For this master thief, attending a banquet was like going to a market to buy supplies. He then looked at the oldest man, Old Oz, and asked, "Sir, what would you like to order?"

"Do you remember what my favorite food is?" Old Oz asked with a smile.

"Wild boar meat with rosehip jam and cabbage!"

Hans chimed in, "Don't worry, Henry and I will bring it back for you. That stingy old count always makes us run around, and he never gave us any promises. We're going to empty his pockets at this banquet!"

Everyone laughed.

Soon, Hans and Henry removed their armor, changed into splendid attire, and entered the banquet hall, which was already full of people.

The hall was brightly lit with candles. The banquet tables were not arranged in a long, rectangular pattern, but rather in a staggered, U-shape to accommodate more people.

Henry had never seen such a lavish scene. A long table was covered with a pristine white linen tablecloth, and silver candlesticks gleamed warmly. The aroma of roast suckling pig mingled with the sweetness of mead, creating a mouthwatering fragrance in the air. Servants moved among the tables carrying enormous wooden platters, on which steaming hot roast suckling pigs sat, their skins roasted to a golden-brown, crispy perfection.

Count von Polgau sat in the main seat, with Steward Ulrich beside him. On the table before them lay roast chicken, roast duck, pork, cheese, egg tarts, and other delicacies, while several beautiful cooks carried wine jugs to refill the bottles. One of them, dressed in blue, was Catherine. Another, a freckled girl in brown, was Barbara.

In the other seats sat six unfamiliar nobles: the executor, Goat-Head Hanko; Busek Dub; Knight Jezek of Bor; Knight Olbrham of Ojedzd; Knight Herman of Little Head; and Florian. Beside them sat several ladies from the castle, among whom a young widow, Johanka, was particularly striking.

To Hans and Henry's surprise, they also saw Sir Sammy the Elder and his son Odassem.

Good evening, Sir Semi.

Good evening, Sir Hans.

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon. I thought the Count had sent you a letter to arrange some important mission for you," Hans asked curiously.

Old Semih nodded and said, "It is indeed very important. The Earl has asked me to lead twenty soldiers to join tomorrow's military operation."

"So, the letter I gave you was the lord's summons?"

"You could say that."

Old Semih nodded in agreement, "I gathered the men and rushed to the castle before dark, but the Earl changed his mind and assigned my men to guard the castle instead."

Hans and Henry were somewhat puzzled. With so many vassals bringing large armies, was it really necessary to do this?

With these questions in mind, the two went to von Polgao to report on their mission to deliver the message.

Feng Boerga asked in detail about the process of the two men delivering the message and the events that occurred, especially about the situation at Nebakov Castle.

"Is there a problem?" Hans asked, even more puzzled.

"It's clear that our Sir Semih is loyal, while that Sir Nebakov is a bandit in disguise!"

Feng Boerga made this judgment.

"What?"

Hans and Henry were completely baffled. The "Sir Nebakov" with the mustache was undeniably charismatic, and the adjutant named Michael was remarkably friendly. Now you're telling me they were robbers in disguise?

The attendees around him burst into laughter upon hearing the Count's analysis. They praised the Count for his keen insight and mocked Hans for being outmaneuvered by a robber.

Hans and Henry looked extremely grim. After von Polgar's explanation, they understood that the two letters were a test of loyalty. Sir Semih passed the test and was thus entrusted with the important task of guarding the castle. Nebakov, however, had given himself away.

You old fox, why didn't you tell us the truth beforehand? You almost got us killed, do you know that?

Hans mentally unleashed another torrent of curses, hurling insults at von Bohr's ancestors.

Henry also gained a deeper understanding of von Polgár's treacherousness and cunning, and his disgust for him deepened as well.

But since things had come to this point, the two could not pursue the matter any further. They could only continue to ask about the alliance, but the old fox evaded the question with words and brought up the matter of tomorrow's expedition while drinking.

Discussions began to rise among the guests at the banquet.

"If you ask me, we should march straight into Devil's Canyon tomorrow and drag out that rebel leader named Peter!" It was Knight Albram.

The goatee-headed knight, Hanko, slowly shook his head. "That's not advisable. I've looked at the map; Griffin Canyon is treacherous, and our cavalry simply can't maneuver effectively. Besides..." He lowered his voice, "I've heard that Peter is somewhat strange, able to appear and disappear unpredictably in the dense forest..."

The bearded knight Busek Dub brandished his wine cup, splashing wine everywhere. "With so many men, what are we afraid of with his rabble?"

At this moment, Sir Jezek of Bor stood up: "Gentlemen, I believe we should first retake Nebakov Castle. Those bandits, posing as Sir Nebakov, have occupied the castle of the Earl's vassal! Today they may occupy Nebakov Castle, but tomorrow they may threaten the territories of all of you."

These words resonated with most of the nobles present. Many nodded silently in agreement.

"But what if we attack Nebakov Castle and Red Peter attacks from behind?" someone questioned.

General Ulrich finally spoke, his voice steady and powerful: "This is precisely what we need to consider. Our city walls are sturdy; we can reserve a small force for defense while launching a full-scale attack!"

……

The argument lasted for nearly an hour, the candlelight flickering amidst the commotion, casting distorted and warped shadows onto the stone wall, as if foreshadowing an unknown fate.

As Hans ate his dessert, he observed the nobles present. He noticed that Count von Polgau sat silently in the main seat, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

Henry then swept through the banquet hall, sausages, bread, roast meat, spirits, wild boar with rosehip jam and cabbage... one by one disappearing into his hands, vanishing without a trace.

The nobles drank and ate meat while arguing loudly for more than two hours.

Finally, Ulrich stood up, raised his glass, and said, "Gentlemen, after careful consideration and taking your opinions into account, His Excellency the Count has decided to attack Nebakov Castle tomorrow! As vassals, we must protect each other and not stand idly by while any lord's castle falls into enemy hands!"

Actually, there was another important reason: the old count felt that the Griffin Camp was too difficult to conquer, so he decided to test the waters by attacking the easier camps first, and then tackle the tough nut to crack last.

"For honor!" the crowd echoed in unison, raising their glasses in a toast.

Amidst the commotion, Hans caught a glimpse of the cook, Catherine, quietly slipping out of the banquet hall. Her movements were as nimble as a cat's, barely attracting anyone's attention. Strangely, she didn't head towards the kitchen, but rather along the path leading to the castle's back gate.

"Henry, look..." Hans was about to remind his companion, but found that Henry had already disappeared.

Henry was enjoying a meal with his parents, Nicholas, the Tannard and Conrad brothers, and his pet dog on the veranda outside the courtyard. He preferred being with his friends to the noisy and extravagant scene inside the banquet hall.

The next morning, bugle calls broke the silence of dawn.

Hans, rubbing his sleepy eyes, stood with Henry by the city wall. The rising sun had just bathed the warriors' armor in gold. The neighing of warhorses, the clanging of weapons, and the commands of officers mingled together, heralding the start of the campaign.

Surprisingly, Count von Polgau was not among the expeditionary force. Hans and Henry, along with six others, were left behind in the city.

Mounted on his warhorse, Ulrich announced to the crowd, "His Excellency the Count will remain at the castle to guard against any possible attack by Peter. I will be in full command of this expedition!"

Hans noticed that the old count was standing on the terrace of the castle's main building, overlooking the entire army. Beside him stood the Semi family's guard, commanded by young Semioda, while old Semioda rode his warhorse alongside the vassal troops.

"Strange," Henry muttered to himself, "what is this old count up to?"

Hans couldn't help but look back. The old count was still standing on the terrace, his figure in the shadow of the morning light. A sense of unease swept through Hans's heart.