Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Pavlyna was a girl with a tragic past. Her biological mother was the daughter of a charcoal burner who died of illness after becoming pregnant out of wedlock, and Pavlyna was abandoned by the roadside and left unattended. The midwife Bodina took pity on the baby and raised her.

Pavlena, born out of wedlock, was looked down upon by the other children in her village from a young age, who cursed her as a wild girl. Despite growing up amidst discrimination, the girl possessed a kind and grateful heart.

But when the little girl was ten years old, fate dealt another cruel blow to the mother and daughter.

Jaksi, a well-known landowner in Troski village, had always wanted a son, but his wife Lumidra gave birth to three daughters in succession. Disheartened, Jaksi became an alcoholic and neglected his wife when she was about to give birth to their fourth child. It wasn't until his wife was in unbearable pain that the drunken Jaksi finally asked his employees to find the midwife, Bodina.

But it was too late. Despite all her efforts, Bojina could not save Lumidra during childbirth. Lumidra died, and the newborn baby died as well.

Unfortunately, the baby happened to be a boy!

Jaxie, who had always longed for a male heir, could not accept reality. In his grief and anger, he blamed the midwife Bojina, believing that she had used witchcraft to make him childless and had also caused the deaths of his wife and son.

Jaxsey was a wealthy and influential landowner with many employees. Under their unanimous slander, the entire village believed the rumor that Bojina was a witch and drove her and her daughter out of the village.

This helpless mother and daughter could only live on the edge of the village, carefully avoiding the harassment of bandits and poachers, and making a living by picking herbs and weaving baskets in solitude.

Pavlina was not defeated by her difficult life; instead, she became stronger. Not only did she grow more and more beautiful, but she also learned her mother's herbalism. The baskets she wove were loved by people in several surrounding villages. She also practiced hunting skills and caught some rabbits that the lord allowed to hunt to supplement her family's income.

The sixteen-year-old girl has gradually grown into a cheerful girl with her own means of making a living. Her outgoing personality is very good at enlivening the atmosphere.

Peter quickly joined in and shared dinner with Bojina and Pavlena.

The wild vegetable and mushroom soup wasn't particularly delicious due to the lack of salt and spices, and the dark bread was a bit tough. But at least I was full, my nutritional level had reached 100%, and my health had recovered by 3 points.

"Pete, oh, may I call you that?"

The meal deepened their relationship considerably, and Bojina even started using a nickname for Peter.

"Of course, madam."

Pete is simply an affectionate way of calling Peter.

"Now let's take a look at your injuries. Although you've been acting normally, I'm afraid you've suffered internal injuries, so please don't hide any symptoms."

After the meal, Bozhenna, with the meticulousness of a herbalist, gave serious instructions.

"As you wish, this is also my most important purpose in coming here."

Peter removed his helmet and then his cap, revealing a head wrapped in bandages, the bandages already stained black with blood.

"Oh my God, your head has suffered such severe damage!"

Bojina, in disbelief, unwrapped the bandages, revealing the bloody mess beneath, and let out a soft gasp of surprise.

"God help Peter, how can you act so nonchalant with such a serious injury? Doesn't it hurt?"

Pavlina also clasped her hands together in front of her chest, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"No, perhaps my piety moved God, allowing me to endure pain more than others. But I still need your help."

As the saying goes, "You have to know which temple you're in," and since he was in medieval Europe, he naturally had to pay homage to God. Peter pretended to be pious, making the sign of the cross on his forehead, chest, and both shoulders, behaving like a holy knight.

"Praise be to God, Pete, I am certain you have been blessed! I wish to offer my humble assistance. Here is a bottle of chamomile potion; take it. Drink it and get some sleep, and perhaps you will be fully recovered by tomorrow morning."

Bozhenna quickly and carefully took out a ceramic bottle from the cabinet, which contained some red liquid.

"Basic Chamomile Elixir: A wine-based elixir made by simmering chamomile and sage, which can accelerate healing threefold through sleep."

As Peter stared at the small bottle, a line of item information appeared before his eyes.

The chamomile potion was good, but it still fell short of his ideal potion, so he asked, "Are there any other potions? For example, a calendula potion?"

"A calendula potion? That would certainly help your recovery. But I'm just a midwife, and I learned some basic herbalism from Troski's herbalist. I don't have the recipe for a calendula potion. Since I moved from the village to this lakeside six years ago, very few people have come to me to buy potions. I only have one bottle of this chamomile potion left. I'm so sorry..."

Bojina felt ashamed that she could not help the "Good Knight" who was blessed by God.

"You don't need to apologize. Actually, I also know a little about potion making. I have memorized the recipe and steps for the calendula potion. The main ingredients are nettle and calendula. If you can lend me your alchemy table and some ingredients, I can make it myself. In return, I will teach you the potion recipe."

Peter had anticipated this; the herbalists in those villages sold a bottle of potion for 10-30 groschen, lived in two-story houses, and ran spacious shops, unlike Bojina who was so poor.

But that's okay, he can make his own potions. In the game, he's a potion-making fanatic known as a "laboratory resident," with all sorts of recipes and procedures at his fingertips.

"I'm sorry, nettles are a difficult medicinal herb to find. They only grow in clearings deep in the forest, and I don't have any in stock."

Bozhenna felt even more ashamed.

Huh? Peter had been scheming for a long time, but he never expected to be held hostage by the raw materials.

Left with no other choice, he had to settle for second best and drank the chamomile potion. He quickly became sleepy and fell asleep on a straw mat near the door in the room.

In the middle of the night, Peter woke up, saw that his health had recovered to 50%, and decided not to stay any longer.

He turned over and stood up without waking Bojina and Pavlena, and took the last five Groshins from his pocket and gently placed them by the stove.

He picked up a piece of charcoal from beside the stove and wrote the recipe for calendula medicine on a piece of white linen: it is made by combining water, nettle, and calendula.

Fearing that Bozhenna might not be able to read and understand, he meticulously drew step-by-step diagrams using herbal illustrations, pots, hourglasses, grinding discs, and other symbols.

After doing all this, he quietly left the wooden house and gently closed the door behind him.

In the dead of night, when insects chirp softly, it is the perfect time to commit murder.

Peter strode towards the bandits' camp on the hillside.

Tonight, he will slaughter all those robbers!

Not long after Peter left, Bodina and Pavlena opened their eyes. Having lived in the wilderness far from villages for many years, the two had long developed a habit of being alert while sleeping. They saw the silver coins by the stove and the formula for the calendula potion.

"He was a truly good man, a good Christian."

Bojina clasped her hands together.

"Mom, why did the Knight leave so late at night?"

Pavlena asked, puzzled.

"When the knight arrived at our house, he was soaking wet, but the smell of blood lingered, indicating he had just washed away the blood. Coupled with his severe head wound, he must have just been in a bloody battle. His hasty departure was probably to avoid getting us involved in any conflict."

Bojina shook her head and sighed.

"Or perhaps there's some great mission left unfinished!"

Pavlina's eyes sparkled with speculation. Handsome, strong, resilient, kind, and compassionate—Peter embodied all her fantasies about an upright knight. So perhaps the knight's departure late at night was to complete some legendary quest that would be remembered for generations, sung by bards forever.

"Perhaps."

Bozhenna shook her head slightly when she saw her daughter's infatuated expression. They were just ordinary people at the very bottom of society, while even if the knight was a down-on-his-luck wandering knight without a fief, his social status was far beyond their reach. Why let them harbor fantasies after just a brief encounter?

Will he come back?

Pavlina is still speculating.

"This is a place for healing. I actually hope that the knight will not come back, because that would mean he is no longer injured. Besides, he is very knowledgeable and knows how to make potions, which I don't even know. Perhaps once he finds a suitable alchemy platform, he will never have to come back to such a simple place as ours."

Bozhenna offered her suggestive advice.

"Yes, that makes sense."

Pavlina was feeling down. She had finally met a kind boy who didn't look down on her and her mother, but he had vanished so quickly, like dew. It was such a pity.