Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

István Tos, a Hungarian of humble origins, rose to prominence in the Hungarian court through intrigue and cunning, ingratiating himself with King Gygi. He didn't receive a fiefdom.

This year, King Gigi invaded Bohemia, and Istvan volunteered to follow him, offering numerous treacherous schemes along the way. His methods included counterfeiting currency, destroying Skarlitz, establishing a bandit camp, and capturing Talmu Fortress.

Not long ago, he was defeated by the royalists Radji, Hans, and Davis, and was forced to flee. His first stop was Prague, where King Gigi was located, and the king was very dissatisfied with his defeat. To avoid falling out of favor, Istvan was looking for another opportunity to achieve merit. Just then, a disturbance occurred in Count von Polgao's Troschi territory, and Istvan volunteered to quell the rebellion.

To everyone's surprise, instead of giving him command, von Polgar made him assist his arrogant and foolish son, Jan von Polgar, a proud and conceited playboy!

The proud and arrogant István sensed that the high-ranking nobleman von Polgao looked down on him, a court nobleman without a fiefdom. The more this was the case, the more István wanted to demonstrate his worth and show others that they had misjudged him.

In the original storyline, Istvan impersonates Yandjeska's team. Instead of quickly dismantling them, he devises strategies to ambush the Polgao patrol, secretly seize Nebakov Castle, and annihilate von Polgao's expeditionary force, allowing Yandjeska's team to grow stronger.

They successfully turned a minor illness into a fatal one.

Then, when Count von Polgár was at a loss, he intervened from within to help him defeat Žiška. This is how István's brilliance and importance were demonstrated.

This is a question that many players have been wondering about: why didn't Istvan warn Jessica beforehand when he was lurking near her? Instead, he just watched Jessica complete the ambush and wipe out von Polgar's forces. If it weren't for von Olitz bringing Prague's troops to help, wouldn't von Polgar have been finished?

The reason lies in this: István is a sophisticated egoist. In his climb up the social ladder, he has no one he is completely loyal to; he is only loyal to himself. If achieving his plan comes at the cost of von Polgao's destruction, he will not hesitate to do so.

István was adept at manipulating people's minds; his words were seven parts truth and three parts falsehood, making it difficult for people to distinguish between them.

It is true that he is now the strategist of the Jessica mercenary group. He took the initiative to suggest to young master Polgo that if he wanted to infiltrate Peter's group to obtain intelligence, he would first need to find a reasonable identity to cover up. So he chose the Jessica mercenary group employed by Sir Nebakov and quickly gained Jessica's trust with his talents.

But his allegiance to Jessica was fake; his actions were merely an additional layer of protection for his identity.

It is true that he came to contact Peter's camp.

But the alliance itself is a sham. Once Istvan achieves his goal of gathering intelligence, he will betray Peter and Jessica to claim credit.

The summons from Troschi Castle was genuine, because the letter of authorization from Count von Polgao was the one he brought to deliver to that foolish and arrogant little Polgao brat.

But his claim of helping young Master Borgo fight the bandits was a lie. He secretly hoped that the other's operation would go wrong so he could turn the tide.

Istvan's smile deepened, but his gaze swept over Peter, Conrad, and Martin, who was watching him warily from a distance, like a venomous snake. He was like a viper, cold-blooded yet patient, silently lurking, waiting for the opportunity to strike a fatal blow.

"Lord Jessica has heard of your gathering here to resist Count von Polgao's oppressive rule and expresses his deepest admiration. The Troskii Territory is now filled with resentment from both heaven and man. Lord Jessica believes that the enemy of my enemy may be my friend. He is willing to provide some necessary assistance in the... uh, 'challenge' you are about to face. For example, intelligence, or... to restrain the Count's other forces at crucial moments?"

The implication in his words couldn't be clearer: he knew von Polgao was about to attack, and he was there on behalf of Jessica to negotiate cooperation against von Polgao. He believed that Peter, faced with such overwhelming power, would be desperate for help, like a drowning man grasping at a straw.

After Istvan finished speaking, the cabin fell silent. Only the crackling of the burning firewood in the hearth could be heard.

Peter's brain was working at lightning speed.

Five hundred men? Considering the inside intelligence brought by Oda, Conrad's warning, and confirmation from his own intelligence network, this number is even a bit conservative. Istvan deliberately exaggerated the crisis to highlight the value of his "alliance"—a standard negotiating tactic.

A direct refusal might reveal what you know about him. Istvan is a master of intrigue; you can never be too cautious.

"Five hundred people..."

Peter finally spoke, his voice calm and even slightly amusement, "The Borgo family certainly thinks highly of my little camp. So, Mr. Toth, what makes your captain, Jan Jessica, think that allying with me is a good choice against these five hundred men, rather than inviting trouble?"

Istvan felt a chill run down his spine. The red griffin's reaction was too calm; there was no fear, no eager questioning, but instead, it threw the question back at him, testing his sincerity and motives. However, Istvan noticed that Peter's fingers were trembling uncontrollably. Ah, so he was putting on a brave face, but was actually terrified!

Istvan's smile became even more sincere, even carrying a hint of indignation at a shared enemy.

"My lord, my captain, Sir Jessica, is a true warrior. He cherishes honor and abhors injustice. The Polgo family's rule in Trossky... Hmph, their tyrannical rule and oppression of the common people have long been infamous. Captain Jessica has long been dissatisfied. More importantly..."

He lowered his voice, sounding sincere, "We've received word that Young Master Yang of Polgar is an arrogant, stubborn fool. This campaign, nominally authorized by the Earl, was actually entirely orchestrated by that brat's erratic behavior. With a commander like that, no matter how many men you have, they're just a rabble. But you, sir," he subtly revealed admiration, "have repeatedly defeated them with a small force, sheltered refugees, and your reputation among the people is growing daily. Captain Jessica believes you represent 'the future' and 'hope,' and allying with you is a righteous and wise choice."

A beautiful excuse.

Peter almost applauded him. This elegant and cunning viper portrayed Jessica as a disillusioned knight with a strong sense of justice, belittled the young lord as a foolish commander, and elevated Peter at the same time. It was hard not to be swayed by such words if one did not know the full story.

"I see."

Peter nodded repeatedly, his hands no longer trembling, and his smile broadened, seemingly persuaded. "So, what are the specifics of the alliance? Where are Captain Jessica's dozens of warriors right now? How will they cooperate with us in battle?"

Here comes the crucial question.

Istvan was prepared. He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke with a seductive tone: "My lord, this is precisely the true purpose of my trip, and a brilliant plan! Captain Jessica and his main force are currently employed by Sir Omlin at Nebakov Castle, but because of this, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

He glanced around to make sure everyone was listening: "Young Master Polgar is recruiting mercenaries and freedom fighters on a massive scale to bolster his conscription force. I can use my identity as 'Captain Jessica's secret envoy,' feigning an 'alliance with you,' to proactively join his ranks! I'll offer him advice, gain his trust, and perhaps even infiltrate his command structure. Then…"

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "I can transmit the most accurate intelligence to you from within, disrupting his deployment. At crucial moments, I can even cause a portion of the troops under my influence to 'accidentally' collapse, or lure their elites into your ambush! With this inside-outside coordination, the battle will be won in one fell swoop! As long as we destroy the young master's main force, the von Polgao family's prestige in Troski will be completely destroyed. Then, Captain Jessica can lead the main force to join you, and this land will be ours!"

This is like being a double agent, no, a triple agent!

Auda clenched his fists in the shadows, his blood boiling at the mere mention of "Yan von Polgao"—the plan certainly sounded tempting. Conrad, however, frowned slightly; having witnessed the Knights' intrigues, he instinctively remained wary of plans that seemed too "clever." The old monk Martin lowered his eyelids, praying silently.

Peter remained silent, his fingers lightly tapping the rough wooden table. He was thinking, or rather, performing his thinking. Istvan's plan sounded flawless, a standard "Infernal Affairs" script. But Peter knew the ending of this script was already written: Istvan would gain "trust" (which he already possessed), would pass on intelligence (a mixture of truth and falsehood), and then, at the most crucial moment, not to cause the young master's army to collapse, but to reveal Peter's camp's true weaknesses, deployments, and escape routes, thus guiding a fatal blow.

He could even guess Istvan's thoughts at that moment: this red griffin was a bit tricky, not as easy to fool as ordinary farmers. He needed a more powerful, more appealing plan. Young people love adventure and ingenuity; he certainly couldn't refuse this "inside-outside" plan. Once he was in his core, understood his strengths and weaknesses… that would be his moment to shine. As for Jessica? A foolish decoy.

"Brilliant!"

Peter suddenly clapped his hands and chuckled, his face revealing the admiration and excitement typical of youth for adventurous schemes. "What a bold and brilliant plan! Mr. Toth, no, Istvan, my friend, you are a true strategist!"

Istvan felt reassured, his smile becoming even more sincere. He bowed humbly and said, "You flatter me, sir. Taking some risks for the cause of justice is worthwhile."

“However,” Peter’s tone shifted, his sharp gaze fixed on Istvan, “this plan is extremely risky. How can you be sure you can gain the trust of that arrogant young master? And what makes him believe that Captain Jessica’s envoy would betray his allies and side with him?”

"The reason is readily available. I can tell him that after I came to contact you on behalf of Captain Jessica, I found that you are nothing more than the leader of a rabble, all talk and no action, weak in strength, and arrogant, having rejected our reasonable terms. I believe that an alliance with you is pointless. It would be better to take this 'Red Griffin Camp' as a pledge of allegiance and join the stronger, more likely to honor the bounty, Borgo family. To increase credibility," he glanced at Conrad and Martin, "I can even reveal one or two insignificant pieces of truth, such as... that you have an old monk here, or that you have taken in some warriors of unknown origin. This information is true, but it will prove my worth."

Not a single detail was overlooked. They had even considered the smallest details to gain trust, even at the cost of sacrificing some genuine intelligence. Peter felt a chill creep into his heart, but his face betrayed admiration and trust.

"Excellent! Very well thought out."

Peter stood up, walked over to Istvan, and patted him hard on the shoulder. "Istvan, I accept your proposal, and on behalf of the camp, I accept Captain Jessica's goodwill in forming an alliance! You will take on this dangerous but great mission in this capacity! I will send someone to maintain a single-line contact with you and receive intelligence. For safety, the contact method and code will be set up separately by my trusted confidant later."

"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Peter!"

Istvan clenched his fist against his chest, giving a mercenary salute with a respectful posture and lowered eyes, concealing a fleeting, venomous smugness.

"May God bless you, and may our plan succeed." Peter smiled brightly, his eyes sparkling with what seemed to be anticipation of future victory.

The two smiled at each other.

Peter's smile reflected the thought: Can a venomous snake that's been targeted still bite? From the moment he stepped into the camp and revealed his plan, he became a pawn on my chessboard. The false intelligence he relayed would lead the young lord's army into a real trap. Perhaps, through him, I could even send a "surprise" to that Earl.

István laughed: Success! The arrogant young man had taken the bait. He would soon learn that trusting me, István Toth, was the last and most fatal mistake of his short life.

"Lord Peter, although I would very much like to set off for Trotsky Castle tonight to 'surrender,' the night is dark and the roads are slippery, and there are wild animals in the forest. I wonder if I could stay here for the night and set off tomorrow morning?" Istvan asked earnestly.

"Of course, my friend. Most of our camp consists of communal dormitories, which isn't conducive to keeping your identity confidential. I'll arrange a comfortable single room for you. I hope you get a good night's sleep."

Peter gestured to the old monk, and old Martin understood, made the sign of the cross on his chest, and left with Istvan.

Watching the other person's departing figure, Peter's smile gradually faded. He turned to the people inside the room: "Did you all see that? A poisonous snake, thinking itself clever, crawled into our fence."

"My lord, this man is absolutely untrustworthy!" Conrad said first, his knightly intuition making him uneasy.

"Don't worry, I know his background." Peter's simple words reassured Conrad.

Aoda couldn't help but ask, "Sir, since you knew he was a spy, why didn't you...?"

"Why not kill him?"

Peter picked up the conversation and laughed, "Because dead spies are just corpses, but living spies... are the best mouthpieces. What we need to do is not to shut them up, but to teach them... what to say. War is never just the clash of swords on the battlefield."

He looked at Conrad and Oda: "You two should go and rest too. We have a play to put on tomorrow morning. We need to carefully prepare a convincing 'camp scenario' for Mr. István."