Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

5:00 AM, April 27th, Peter's Camp

"There's some noise over here!"

Jerry, on night patrol, spotted two dark figures on the grass outside Devil's Canyon: Vasek and Mihar. Vasek's trousers were torn to shreds by thorns, and his knees were chafed and bleeding. Mihar's hair was stuck to the dirt.

The two traveled in the dark at night and suffered a lot.

"Mr. Jerry, we...we have intelligence..."

"Follow me, take this path."

After listening to their story, Jerry quickly led them through Devil's Canyon to the new camp to report to Peter.

Peter took this very seriously and instructed Jerry to wake everyone immediately to prepare a battle plan. He then looked at the two somewhat disheveled men, pulled them inside to sit down, and poured each of them a glass of wine.

The two men, parched from their night's journey, gratefully accepted the wine glasses and gulped down the entire glass, not leaving a drop. "Is this the kind of wine only nobles and the wealthy can drink? Fantastic!"

Peter poured them each another glass. The two were deeply moved, but instead of drinking immediately, they took turns recounting the intelligence.

"You did a great job."

Peter listened attentively and nodded approvingly, saying, "The Griffin family always repays kindness. Here are six Grossens, two for you and two for Barbara. I will reward you further after this battle."

"No, no, no, sir, we cannot accept this money. You have already paid the fee."

The two quickly put down their glasses and declined.

Peter smiled and placed the silver coins into their hands, holding them tightly. He said, "Merit deserves a reward. The appearance of the mercenary team and the intelligence about their split-off mission to the Lower Semi region were very important and timely. These rewards are well-deserved."

"Well, thank you for your generosity, Mr. Peter."

The two bowed their thanks, feeling delighted that they could help the adults this time.

Seeing that they were somewhat tired, Peter said, "Rest in my house for a while. After breakfast, I will have someone take you out on horseback to the vicinity of the village. This place will soon become a battlefield, and it is too dangerous for you to stay here."

"Sir, we won't leave. We can help you! Although neither of us can fight, we can help you carry your things."

The two hurriedly stated that they had made a great decision to risk leaving the village overnight.

"Ding! Vasek and Mikhail have volunteered to serve under you. Do you accept and open the character panel?"

Peter silently accepted, glanced at their stats—both were level 3, but their loyalty was a whopping 90. Peter patted them on the shoulder, gave them some extra points, and sent a warm feeling through them.

"No need, we have enough manpower to handle it. Besides, you all have families in the village, don't you? It would be troublesome if the executioner saw your faces. After the battle, if you still want to join, you are welcome to bring your families along."

Peter then offered some words of comfort to the two men, which finally dissuaded them from joining the war.

Soon, everyone in the camp was alerted. Some washed up, some cooked, and the entire camp seemed to come alive.

At 6 a.m., the sky was already bright.

Peter took Vashek and Mikhail out for a meal, and only then did the two see the camp clearly: a cluster of buildings surrounded by a moat and wooden spikes in a wide, flat forest, including three single cabins, three Viking longhouses, a kitchen, a storeroom, an alchemy hut, and two carpentry platforms. There were nearly thirty people in the camp, some walking, some sitting, some chatting and joking, some playing around, and some putting on armor and sharpening weapons… This was completely different from the bandit camp of small groups they had imagined!

This can no longer be considered a bandit camp; it's more like a small village! No wonder Lord Peter said he didn't need their help; he had already made preparations!

"Aunt Bodina, Miss Pavlena?"

The two then saw two familiar faces bringing food to everyone and quickly went over to greet them. Pavlena was also delighted to see her two childhood friends there, and after catching up, Vasek and Mikhal began to consider that moving their whole family there might be a good idea.

Breakfast consisted of dark bread with butter, a stew of dried meat, mushrooms, and wild vegetables. After everyone had a hearty meal, Vashek and Mikhal were taken down the mountain, and Peter called a meeting with the key members.

"That's the situation. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

After recounting the news that the Troskii Merchant Guild had hired additional mercenaries and might send troops to the Lower Semi region to seek revenge against the "Ulcer" gang, Peter looked at everyone.

"The enemy splitting their forces is a good thing for us. Didn't you do a simulation before, sir? I think we can strike decisively and take down the smaller group first. Then we can quickly return and join the final battle."

Old Brother Martin possessed the highest military talent and insight among those present, and since improving his physical fitness last night, his enthusiasm for participating in the battle had clearly increased.

"Splitting the troops, who will go? How can we get them back quickly?"

Tom raised practical questions.

Martin didn't say much, but instead looked at Peter. Such personnel transfers were assigned by the leader.

Peter sketched a map of Tros base on linen with a paintbrush, using arrows to indicate directions. Pointing to the Lower Semi region, he said, "We have two riding horses and four packhorses. This will allow six men to move quickly and be positioned near the 'Ulcer' gang's hideout. A village guard of about ten men will be sent here, including the captain and the rangers. Therefore, I've decided to lead the team myself, with Brother Martin accompanying me. The two of us will form the main fighting force, along with four reserve combat team members to intercept their retreat and prevent their escape."

"My lord, why don't you stay at the camp to command, and I will lead the team to Lower Semyon?"

Tom quickly stepped forward and offered his advice. The entire camp was united around Lord Peter; everyone was bound together by him. They knew the enemy had powerful crossbows, and even the most skilled warriors were susceptible to injury. If anything went wrong, their camp would be finished.

"My lord, I'll go in your place!"

"I'll do it; I'm more suited to it."

Everyone volunteered.

Peter shook his head and refused, laughing, "It's precisely because it's dangerous that I have to go. It's precisely because it's crucial that I'm indispensable. Besides, don't underestimate Brother Martin. Don't think that just because he's old he can't wield a sword. While you were pissing and playing in the mud, he was already charging into battle."

"Yes, don't be fooled by the fact that the old man chants scriptures every day; he can still use the sword in his hand."

Martin's swordsmanship, at level 24, was already at a high level among masters. With additional points, it was raised to level 25, bringing him close to the threshold of becoming a sword saint. His strength was also increased to 30 points, restoring him to his peak strength from his youth. If he were to fight unrestrained, even ten village guards wouldn't be enough for him to kill alone.

Seeing how confident Peter and Martin were, the others decided not to try to persuade them any further.

Tom asked, "Sir, are John and the others going to the crossroads to sell medicine again today?"

"We must go. The act must be convincing. Today, John, Monkey, Andre, and Robert will still go to the crossroads to sell medicine. Once they spot the enemy's movements, they'll run into the mountains, leading them in circles to buy as much time as possible. They have hunting dogs to track them, so don't worry about them losing us. Around noon, escape towards Devil's Canyon—"

Peter jabbed his pen sharply at the canyon entrance, "Tom led the combat reserve team to ambush them here, using the advantageous terrain to deliver a heavy blow."

"yes!"

Tom has been preparing traps and mechanisms in Devil's Canyon for the past few days, and he's been waiting for this day.

"We must minimize casualties in this battle. After all, the so-called enemy is nothing more than a guard of villagers, not heinous criminals. After capturing them, the wealthy will be used for ransom, and the poor will be used as labor. After all, our camp needs to recruit new members."

"Hahaha"

Everyone burst into laughter, full of confidence for the upcoming battle.