Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

"What?!"

Hans and Henry exclaimed in surprise almost simultaneously.

Henry's heart sank, and the bloody morning three months ago flashed through his mind: the burning house, his friend's screams, the image of his parents lying in a pool of blood... All the painful memories surged like a tide, making him gasp for breath.

"You...you betrayed us!"

Hans's voice trembled with rage, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. "Hannah and Lord Radji saw you as a future ally, believing you would end the current chaos and division for the sake of Bohemia!"

"Allies?" The old count scoffed. "In this world, only interests are eternal. Politics is an immoral compromise. The future of my Borgo family will only be with powerful figures like King Sigismund and Lord von Olitz. Hannah and Radge are far too naive."

"War is a dirty business, and everything was already decided the moment Haynes and Radji chose to go to war with us."

von Olitz gave a cold comment and waved his hand, at which point the Prague puppet troops, who had been lying in ambush outside the hall, swarmed in. These soldiers were well-equipped, wearing uniform plate armor and carrying longswords and halberds, and instantly surrounded Hans and his six companions.

"Protect Lord Hans!"

Old Oz, the loyal veteran, was the first to react. Despite his advanced age, he was still agile, quickly drawing his sword and standing back-to-back with young Nicholas.

The Tanrad and Conrad brothers immediately went into battle mode; they were both warriors who had grown up in the flames of war.

"We've been tricked!"

Henry gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge. "But, von Olitz... I've finally found you!"

Although Henry was not wearing armor, it could not hide his desire for revenge.

The battle erupted instantly.

Henry drew the "Sword of Raddy," and with his superb swordsmanship, he cut down three heavily armored soldiers in succession. However, dressed only in cloth, his margin for error was too low, and he was eventually surrounded by soldiers in thick armor, whose space for movement was constantly being compressed.

Although Hans and his men were brave, they quickly found themselves in a fierce battle against an enemy ten times their size and fully armed.

Old Oz, like an enraged lion, brandished his longsword and fought desperately. His swordsmanship was superb, each move carrying the resolve to die. "Lord Hans, find a chance to break through!" he shouted, parrying a fatal slash.

Nicholas, the taciturn young coachman, suddenly unleashed astonishing fighting prowess. His short sword whistled through the air as he roared, "For Lord Hans!" His voice was a mixture of fear and desperation.

The Tánrard and Conrad brothers worked in perfect harmony, back to back like two spinning whirlwinds. Their weapons struggled to penetrate the enemy's heavy armor, and each attack required tremendous effort.

"Hold on!" Hans shouted as he parried with his sword and tried to move toward the door.

However, reality was cruel. Old Oz was the first to fall—a halberd pierced his ribs from the side. In his final moments, the veteran still managed to plunge his sword into the enemy's throat.

"Old Oz!" Henry cried out in anguish. He remembered the old soldier who had been his guide and cook all the way, and how they had gathered together last night to eat the stolen food from the banquet and dream about completing their mission and returning to Rattay.

In the moment of distraction, a heavy blow slammed into his shoulder, almost causing him to lose his balance.

Seeing this, Nicholas immediately rushed forward to cover him. His sudden burst of courage made him completely abandon defense, seeking only to kill as many enemies as possible before he died. "Run!" he shouted to Hans and Henry, before being stabbed simultaneously by several longswords.

The Tirard and Conrad brothers, back to back, continued their fight. Conrad's left arm was slashed, and blood stained his sleeve, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.

"We won't all die here!" Tanrad roared, cleaving open the visor of the enemy in front of him with a single sword strike.

But the disparity in numbers was ultimately insurmountable. Tanrad was struck in the head by a heavy hammer and fell to the ground instantly. Seeing this, Conrad let out a roar of grief and rage, charging madly at the enemy, only to be stabbed to death by a hail of bullets.

Now, only Hans and Henry remained, struggling to hold on. They stood back to back, covered in blood, panting heavily.

More enemies surged forward. Hans's sword was knocked away, and Henry was subdued from behind while parrying attacks from several men.

When the last shred of resistance was suppressed, only heavy breathing and the smell of blood remained in the council chamber.

The old count walked up to Hans and Henry, who were pinned to the ground, a victor's smile on his face. "Your value far exceeds your imagination," he said, his voice filled with smugness. "His Majesty Sigismund will be very pleased with this gift. I can also earn back part of the ransom I lost."

The Lepe family was one of the most prominent noble families in Bohemia, older and wealthier than the Borgo family. Peter intended to earn back double the 4.5 Grossens he had extorted from Hans.

Henry raised his head, staring intently at the old count, his eyes blazing with hatred. "As long as I live, I will kill you! Kill you!" he roared, each word distinct.

The old count merely smiled dismissively. "Take him away! Keep a close watch on him!"

Semioda, who had been watching silently from behind, bowed and stepped forward, leading the castle guards to bind the two of them by the hands and feet and take them into the dungeon.

After Hans and Henry were dragged away, the old count picked up the sword Henry had left on the ground, examined it closely, and couldn't help but exclaim that it was truly a fine sword. He turned to von Olitz, his face regaining that feigned enthusiasm, and handed the sword to him.

"Old friend, are you satisfied with this gift? The king receives honor, we will receive the ransom, and this sword is just a bonus."

von Olitz nodded slightly, took the "Sword of Raddy," examined it for a moment, and then stepped back. "I prefer the spoils of war to the plunder of a massacre." A hint of disdain for the old count's character flashed in his grey-blue eyes, but he continued, "I'm not saying your plan was bad, Lord von Olitz. I'm just saying that His Majesty will remember your loyalty, and I will remember your friendship."

Upon seeing the longsword returned by Von Olitz, the old count lost interest in handling it and, not wanting to create a rift with the general who had brought troops to help him, waved his hand and ordered the sword to be taken away and stored away.

Just as the two were exchanging pleasantries, a soldier rushed in, stumbling and crawling, and shouted, "My lord, it's terrible! Grand Steward Ulrich and his vassal army have been ambushed in the ditch near the Nebakov mill!"

"Ambushed? How many casualties did we suffer?"

The old count was startled, but in front of his ally von Olitz, he pretended to be calm and asked the question.

Von Olitz's deep eyes also looked over, and he couldn't help but sigh. The bandits here in Trossky were indeed rampant, daring to ambush a group of more than three hundred lords' troops in broad daylight. They really had a death wish. He guessed that they had already repelled the bandits' harassment by now.

"The entire...the entire army was wiped out..." the soldier who had escaped stammered.

"What? Who was completely wiped out?"

"It's us, sir, it's us."

"impossible!"

The old count and von Olitz spoke at the same time. Their previous deliberate restraint and indifference vanished completely, leaving only deep fear and disbelief.

"It's...it's true...we were ambushed at the bottom of the ravine two hours ago. Everyone was in chaos. A group of bandits inside Nebakov Castle cut down trees to block both ends. Red-haired Peter charged down the mountain with a griffin banner, and we were all thrown into disarray." The soldier still trembled as he recalled the scene.

"Where is Ulrich? Where are my knights?" the old count roared. "Why haven't they organized a counterattack?"

"It was too chaotic. We didn't even have time to form a battle formation before we were scattered. Red-haired Peter was too powerful; his Griffin Guard charged down, and no one could stop them. Steward Ulrich tried to escape on horseback, but he was captured. Old Ser Semih took command, but was personally defeated by Red-haired Peter, and all six knights were captured..."

"That's enough, I don't want to hear this!"

The old count angrily interrupted the soldier, his mind in turmoil, and looked at von Olitz, saying, "Old friend, please send troops immediately and come with me to the rescue!"

The old count's emotions were like a rollercoaster ride; just moments before he was celebrating his victory, but now he was plunged into deep pain and regret. Life's ups and downs were truly exhilarating.

von Olitz did not immediately agree, but instead looked at the soldier and said, "You mean the battle happened two hours ago?"

"Yes, sir. After we were ambushed, I jumped into the ditch to escape... uh, and came back to report to the Earl. To avoid those bandits, I took a long detour, and with the time spent on the road, it should have been two hours since the battle."

von Olitz nodded, then looked at the old count and shook his head, saying, "My friend, you heard it too. Two hours have passed. Even if we lead our troops there, it will be too late. Besides seeing corpses everywhere, there won't be any bandits waiting for us to capture. In fact, in that terrain, the soldiers we bring might not even be safe. Could the cunning bandits be waiting for us to lead reinforcements and then ambush us again?"

"this......."

The old count was so concerned that he couldn't think of a good solution for the time being.

"My five hundred soldiers have been traveling for several days and are quite exhausted. How about letting them camp outside the castle and rest for a day? I'll send out scouts to investigate first, and then we can discuss our next move, shall we?"

von Olitz offered sound advice.