Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Chapter 149 The Serpent's Loyalty

The psychological game was churning intensely at this moment.

Istvan was torn. Should he truly pledge allegiance to him? Bow down to the man who had ruined all his plans? But—he was right, he had lost everything. Sigismund had abandoned him, the Porgoaux family loathed him. Continuing to cling to those empty loyalty would only allow Eric and him to rot away in this cage.

But if he accepted it—his gaze involuntarily drifted to the window, as if he could see through the rain curtain to the distant Balkans—his homeland that he could never forget.

"What do we need to give up?" Istvan finally asked, his voice low.

"Everything." Peter's answer was simple and direct. "Your past, your loyalty, your ambition—all of it will be reshaped. You will no longer be Sigismund's dagger, but the shield and sword of Trossky Territory."

Istvan and Eric exchanged a glance and slowly knelt down. Rain dripped from their soaked clothes, forming two small puddles on the wooden floor.

"I, Istvan Toth, hereby swear allegiance to Lord Peter Trostsky," Istvan declared loudly, his tone deliberately solemn. "I will serve you with my wisdom and protect your territory with my life."

"Me too!" Eric knelt down as well.

Peter leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped in front of his stomach. Only he knew that when someone's favorability towards him reached 60 and they were truly loyal, the system would prompt him to open that character's panel. This secret became his touchstone for testing loyalty.

Silence. The system did not respond.

"When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it will first test their will, strain their muscles and bones, starve their body, leave them destitute, and thwart their endeavors, so as to strengthen their resolve and increase their abilities. People often make mistakes before they can correct them; they are troubled in mind and weighed down by worries before they can act; their emotions are revealed in their expressions and voices before they can be understood."

Peter suddenly read a passage in Chinese, leaving Istvan and Eric completely bewildered.

What language is this? Latin? Absolutely not, Istvan knew Latin. Greek? No, Istvan's hometown was Sofia in the Balkans. French, English—none of these!

As Istvan and Eric exchanged bewildered glances, Peter's icy voice rang out: "This is a famous saying by Mencius, one of the Three Wise Men of the Far East. It means that God will test your character before entrusting you with important tasks. As a knight blessed by God, I have the authority to see at a glance whether you have passed the test. Unfortunately, you have not sincerely pledged your allegiance to me; you have failed the test!"

The Far East? Where? The great Eastern country of gold described in Marco Polo's Travels?

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Istvan's forehead. He licked his chapped lips, his voice rising slightly: "I swear to be your most loyal servant, my sword and my strategies will be at your disposal—"

Eric shouted back, "I swear too! I will protect you with my sword!"

The system still did not respond.

Peter's self-assurance grew colder: "I can keep useless prisoners, but I will never tolerate deception. I'll say it again."

Istvan's heart pounded. How did he know? How could he possibly see through my hesitation?

His gaze involuntarily fell upon Peter's eyes, deep as the night sky, as if they could see right through the deepest disguises of the soul. At that moment, he felt an unprecedented panic, as if standing on the edge of an abyss. Could he really be the Knight of God?

Eric's shoulders began to tremble; he really didn't want to go back to that prisoner-of-war cell! And Peter in front of him truly impressed him. This time, he spoke first: "I—I don't know what to say—but if you can give me an opportunity based on merit, I'm willing to fight for you, as long as you give me the chance to go to the battlefield!" His words were incoherent, yet they revealed a desperate sincerity.

"Ding! Eric's favorability has reached 60 points. He has volunteered to become your subordinate. Would you like to open the character panel?"

"Activate!"

Name: Eric Toth Level: lv16 (18650/20000)

主属性：力量24、敏捷22、活力26、智力12、魅力13

次属性：爆发20、防御19、闪避18、口才8、视野19。

技能：剑术lv20、长兵器|v8、骑术|v16、弓弩lv12、空手lv18、指挥lv6、

Stealth lv9, Tracking lv10

talent:

Gratitude (Blue Talent: His tragic childhood experiences have made him disregard right and wrong, and he only pledges loyalty to those who have been kind to him.)

Irritable and easily angered (White Talent: Irritability is a weakness, but it can be turned into an advantage in battle at times.)

Lone Warrior (Green Talent: The more isolated and helpless one is, the stronger their fighting spirit becomes.)

Loyalty: 61

Remaining points: 15 attribute points, 15 skill points.

He is indeed a fierce general, but he is not very suitable for leading troops alone.

Peter's expression softened slightly: "Eric, get up. You have passed God's test."

He looked at Istvan, still kneeling on the floor, and slammed his hand on the table! The loud bang echoed in the room, making the map on the wall tremble slightly. "Now, only you are left, Istvan. Do you think I'm joking? Do you think your acting can fool God?" Peter's voice was as cold as ice. "Last chance—"

Speak with your heart, not your tongue!

Istvan's breathing became heavy. Sweat soaked his back, mingling with the rain, making it impossible to distinguish between cold sweat and rain.

To give up? To continue clinging to the loyalty that had long since abandoned me? Or—his memories flashed by like a revolving lantern: the corpses of his parents, felled by Ottoman cavalry in Sofia; Sigismund's repeated defeats on the battlefield; the chilling pleasure he felt while plotting in the darkness—what was all this for? Power? Revenge? Or—

"Still hesitating?" Peter's voice suddenly broke his thoughts. "Istvan, you know better than I do that Sigismund will never realize your dream of returning home. He's too conservative in the face of external enemies and too brutal in the face of internal forces, which makes him appear strong on the outside but actually incredibly weak. He's too weak against the Ottomans!"

These words were like a dagger, precisely piercing the softest part of Istvan's heart. He looked up abruptly, a flash of shock in his eyes. How could Peter know all this? Could he really read his mind?!

Peter stood up and walked up to him: "I am younger than him, stronger than him, and know better than him how to win wars. And I promise you—" his voice was like a vow, "that one day I will lead a great army south, drive the Ottomans out of the Balkans, and restore peace to that land."

Boom! A thunderclap exploded outside the window, causing the entire command room to tremble slightly.

Istvan's body trembled violently! In that moment, he seemed to hear the sound of the river flowing in his hometown, smell the fragrance of ripe grapes, and see the wild grass swaying in the wind before his parents' graves. Yes—I almost forgot that all my ambitions and schemes initially stemmed from that simple wish to go home.

Tears welled up without warning, mingling with rain and sweat, streaming down his haggard face. His voice was hoarse with emotion, yet incredibly clear: "I, Istvan Toth, offer everything I have to Lord Peter Griffin—my wisdom, my life, my unfinished dreams. I will become your sharpest sword, your strongest shield, your deadliest poison. Please allow me—to follow you into that future."

"Ding! Istvan's favorability has reached 60 points. He has voluntarily become your subordinate. Do you wish to open the character panel?"

"agree"

Name: Istvan Toth Rank: Iv21 (38840/40000)

主属性：力量12、敏捷12、活力16、智力26、魅力24

次属性：爆发12、防御12、闪避11、口才28、视野27。

技能：剑术lv12、骑术lv19、弓弩lv18、空手lv6、谋划lv18、潜行lv9、伪装20、拉丁语Iv20、希腊语lv20、学识lv21、纹章学lv22

talent:

□ Sharp-tongued and quick-witted (White talent: When feeling smug, they always like to make sarcastic and sarcastic remarks, making people grit their teeth in hatred.)

By any means necessary (Blue talent: He advocates the separation of political action from morality, and believes that any means can be used to achieve one's goals.)

Cunning and treacherous (Green talent: He believes that humans need to possess both the ferocity of a lion and the cunning of a fox to maintain power through intimidation and deception.)

Diplomatic genius (Golden talent: His elegant speech, extensive knowledge, and deliberate disguise grant him access to various aristocratic banquets.)

Loyalty: 65

Remaining points: 20 attribute points, 20 skill points.

Peter finally broke into a genuine smile. "Welcome to the Trossky Territory, Mr. Toth. From this moment on, you are free."

Then, he drew his sword and tapped Istvan and Eric a few times on the tops of their heads and shoulders. He also added two or three more taps to their heads.

A refreshing warmth made the two tremble uncontrollably, their eyes widening in shock as they stared at each other—the rumors were true! It wasn't just an act by Lord Peter to solidify his persona!

Is it a blessing bestowed by the Knight of God? We felt it too!

"Ding, Istvan's loyalty +10."

"Ding! Eric's loyalty +10"

Outside the window, the downpour gradually subsided, and a sliver of light pierced through the clouds, illuminating the muddy earth. In the distant sky, a rainbow quietly appeared, like a bridge of hope drawn by God himself. Inside, the two former venomous snakes had finally found an Eden worth protecting.

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