Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Chapter 13: Recruiting People

Soon, the Cumans on the ground were stripped down to their underwear. Peter then collected the spoils one by one, obtaining four suits of scale armor, three scimitars, a battle axe, four shields, four sets of bows and arrows, four rings, and some loose coins, about 80 groshins.

Tom and Jerry watched in astonishment as things disappeared before their eyes, but then they remembered that the knight was blessed by God, and it seemed that any strange occurrence could be understood. After all, God is omnipotent.

Peter then sent Tom and Jerry to carry back the grains, salt, oil, spirits, wine, and other supplies left on the hillside.

He then gently knocked on the wooden door of the herb hut.

"Ms. Bodina, Miss Pavlena, this is Peter. We're safe now."

A moment later, the door opened, revealing Pavlena's large eyes, which were initially filled with surprise but quickly turned into delight.

"Peter!"

Pavlina's voice was as clear as a bird's song, "Mom, it really was Lord Peter who saved us!"

Hearing the noise, the old lady Bozhenna came out from the inner room, wearing an apron around her waist and with some herbal scraps on her hands.

The mother and daughter were truly terrified. First, a group of Cumans came in, acting aggressively and robbing them. The two women were so frightened that they hid inside the house, propping the door shut with wooden planks, too scared to show their faces.

Even though they heard them looting and smashing things in the yard, they didn't dare go out.

Pavlina is so beautiful. If these guys take her away, who knows what kind of miserable treatment she will suffer.

Just then, cries of alarm, struggle, and screams erupted. They were terrified, even more so than when the wolves had surrounded their house three years ago.

God help us, the person knocking on the door again turned out to be none other than the "good knight" Peter Griffin, whom they had once helped.

When she saw Peter standing in the doorway, tall and with a rosy complexion, a warm smile spread across her face, etched with the marks of time. "My goodness, you look wonderful! Come in, child."

"Thank you for your hospitality." Peter didn't go inside, but pointed to the grains, salt, oil, spirits, and wine that Tom and Jerry had carried over. "The Griffin family motto: 'Repay kindness and settle debts.' We originally wanted to buy some supplies to express our gratitude."

Peter wore a sincere and humble smile as he turned slightly to reveal the large pile of supplies.

Tom and Jerry began unloading the goods swiftly and respectfully. The burlap sacks were filled with the finest, plump grains of oats and wheat; several tightly bound oil paper bundles emitted an enticing, salty aroma—precious salt, a true bargaining chip in Bohemia at that time; and larger bundles contained perfectly dried salted pork and a heavy, freshly prepared venison leg. He carefully piled these supplies on the clean stone steps at the entrance to the hut, each item substantial and far exceeding the initial cost of a bottle of herbs and simple bandages.

"Lord Peter, God bless you. I have only helped you a little, and you have already repaid us before. Now you have brought us so much more. You are truly an honest, kind, and grateful knight."

Bojina and her daughter clasped their hands together in gratitude.

Peter shook his head and sighed, "Ms. Bodina, Miss Pavlena, it seems I meant well but did more harm than good. When I saw four Cumans come to plunder, I was enraged and killed them in a fit of rage. I am not afraid of their retaliation, but for you who are powerless to resist, it is a huge crisis."

"It's not your fault, child. Without you, we would probably be in even worse shape. It's all this damned world's fault." Bozhenna's wrinkled face was filled with resentment and anger as she said, "My daughter and I were driven out of the village and are now living alone. Now there are more and more bandits. I believe it's just a test from God, but this kind of life shouldn't befall young Pavlena. She shouldn't have to suffer like this."

"Mother, please don't say that. You are my only family. I am willing to endure any suffering with you until God allows us to ascend to His heaven." Pavlina held her mother's hand sensibly to comfort her, then pleaded with Peter, "Lord Peter, what should we do now? Those mercenary companions will surely come looking for us, won't they? What if they find the bloodstains in the yard..."

"This place is no longer safe to live in. If you trust me, come with me," Peter sighed. "My camp is in the canyon across from Stone Tower Lake. You can stay with us for a while, and then make your choice once things calm down, how about that?"

"this......"

When the moment came, the elderly woman, Bozhenna, hesitated again. "After all, this is where we've lived for so many years. Leaving so suddenly, we're not prepared at all..."

"Now is not the time to hesitate," Peter said seriously. "You've lived here for many years undisturbed because you were surrounded by familiar villagers. Even the bandits and poachers were locals who had received herbal treatment from Ms. Bojina, and some may even have even been delivered by her. Everyone showed some consideration for each other."

Bojina nodded in agreement.

"But things are different now. There's a war going on in the south, with the king's faction and the usurper locked in a life-or-death struggle. Deserters, rioters, and mercenaries are spreading here, and many outsiders like me are pouring into Troski. There are even some wandering knights who are employed by Moravian nobles, posing as bandits, burning, killing, and looting just to undermine the war potential of the rival nobles..."

Peter was analyzing the situation seriously, but everyone else was looking at him strangely.

Pavlina, ever the outspoken one, asked, "Could it be that Lord Peter was also sent by a nobleman to cause trouble?"

"How could that be? I'm not one of them." Peter denied it outright. Although his persona as a wandering knight involved robbery and murder, which matched the description just given, he really wasn't one of them.

"I believe you, Mr. Peter, because you are a good man."

Pavlena raised her little fist and waved it in support.

Well, I even got the "friend zone" card.

"I believe you too, Lord Peter. I'm afraid we really can't stay here any longer. We're willing to leave with you, but we have many herbs and alchemy equipment at home, so it would be best to take them with us."

Grandma Bodina was a decisive woman; once she made up her mind, she didn't hesitate any longer. So everyone worked together to pack up. Time was of the essence; they had to leave before their companions at the Kuman camp arrived.

An hour later, the group pulled a small cart loaded with supplies toward the canyon camp.

In a straight line, the herb hut is only a little over two kilometers from the canyon camp. But in reality, it takes two hours to get there by going around half a lake.

"Good heavens, isn't this the demon's lair? Everyone says that terrifying man-eating demons live in Demon Valley, and no one who goes in ever comes out alive."

Pavlena had come to the area with others to catch wild rabbits and was very familiar with the terrifying legends surrounding the place.

"Sorry, that used to be our brothers' poaching camp. We deliberately spread the rumor to scare the castle guards."

Tom and Jerry explained, somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh, so it's just a poaching camp," Pavlina breathed a sigh of relief, then exclaimed in surprise, her eyes widening again, "We're at a poaching camp?! Does that mean we're...?"

"No," Peter denied. "It's called a poachers' camp when poachers live there. But I, a wandering knight, live here, so this is my knight's camp."

"The Knights' Camp?"

Grandma Bojina sighed and said, "It seems we have no choice, Sir Knight. Let us do our part for your knight camp. For example, let us rebuild another alchemy hut."

"Of course, I'm very happy to have you two join us."

Peter realized that the old lady had probably seen through his fabricated knightly identity. But it didn't matter; everyone was on the same boat, and getting off wouldn't be so easy.

That night, Peter hosted a simple welcome barbecue.

A campfire was lit, and everyone sat around it.

Oat cakes, rye bread, and cured meat roasted over the campfire, while beer filled wooden cups as everyone raised their glasses in celebration. They welcomed the two herbalists, Bojina and Pavlena, and if all went well, their health and hygiene would be guaranteed, and they could even sell their herbal remedies as specialty products.

"Cheers!"

People of different backgrounds gathered here, temporarily forgetting the troubles of life, and happily raising their glasses.

After a lively meal and drinks, Bodina and Pavlena were taken to a relatively safe cave. Peter and his two companions made do in a small hut made of sticks and linen outside.

The campsite is rudimentary, so we'll have to make do for now.

Lying on a bed made of weeds, Peter opened his character panel and allocated the free attribute points, skill points, and talent points he gained from leveling up.

Prioritizing combat effectiveness, he allocated 3 points to Strength and 2 points to Agility. All 5 skill points were put into Swordsmanship, raising it to level 17. Level 17 marks the threshold of advanced swordsmanship, and memories of ten years of sword practice flooded his mind, making him even more adept at wielding the sword in his hand.

I allocated 1 talent point. I originally wanted to unlock another combat-related talent, but after my swordsmanship reached level 17, I don't have a strong need for it right now, so I'll keep it for now and add the point when I need it.

Therefore, Peter's current strength is:

Name: Peter Griffin

Level: lv4 (350/400)

Height: 184 cm

Weight: 84 kg

Life: 100/100

Energy: 100/100 (daily - 27 PM)

Nutrition: 100/145 (daily - 27 PM)

Stamina: 300/300 (+13 points per second)

Weight limit: 218/360 (lbs)

Wealth: 82 Grossing, 4 Finney, 5 Heller

属性：力量24、敏捷18、活力13、口才10、魅力12