Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Mountain campsite.

Peter was listening to the scouts' report. He sat on a rough wooden chair, a hand-drawn map spread out in front of him. John the Big Mouth, Ace the Hound, Klaus, and Jerry stood beside him.

"Sir, another band of bandits has been discovered in the northwest."

John the Big Mouth said, "About eight men, hiding in the old forest. They seem to be fleeing soldiers who escaped from Borgo Castle and robbed several villagers in the surrounding villages."

Peter marked the map with charcoal: "You will personally lead the first squad to handle this. Remember, those who surrender will not be killed, and those who resist will be killed without mercy. Half of the captured supplies will be given to the public, and the other half will be distributed to the affected villagers."

"Yes!" John the Big Mouth replied in a deep voice.

The combat team now consists of sixty full-time heavy armored warriors. Peter reorganized the troops, dividing them into four squads of 15 men each. In addition, four non-full-time militia archers are temporarily assigned to the unit when going on missions.

Peter, as the camp leader and combat squad leader, cannot relinquish his military authority. John the Big Mouth is the deputy squad leader and squad leader of the first squad; Andre the Redbeard is the squad leader of the second squad; Ace, the former captain of the Hound mercenaries, is the squad leader of the third squad; and Klaus, the former captain of the Trookie Guard, is the squad leader of the fourth squad.

After the combat teams were integrated, one squad would be stationed at the crossroads each day to collect tithes and sell goods. The other three squads would be responsible for bandit suppression throughout the Troski territory.

Since the young lord's defeat, Troski Castle has been under complete martial law, and soldiers dare not venture out. The loss of authority, the absence of the guards, and the additional taxes levied by the young lord that had bankrupted many farmers have led many to become bandits.

Troski was not a closed area, and bandits and refugees from other lords' territories flocked in when they saw that the area was empty, along with several scattered Cuman troops.

It can be said that Troski is in unprecedented chaos, like the darkness before dawn.

Peter had always considered Trostsky his foundation and would not allow such chaos to continue. Since the lord was inactive, he took the initiative to take on the task of suppressing the bandits, which would also give his troops combat experience and provide him with experience points.

Peter understood that many of these bandits weren't truly evil, but rather driven by desperation. Bankruptcy forced them to take risks just to fill their stomachs. Killing them was easy; if the problem of food remained unsolved, such people would continue to appear.

Therefore, Peter's strategy for suppressing bandits was to kill the leaders and diehards, capture the majority, and bring them back to the camp for labor reform, at least giving them something to eat.

"Sir, there have been bandits again near the Zhelyov coachman's station."

Ace the Hound reported: "They damaged a wagon and injured three people."

Peter marked it on the map and said, "You lead the third squad to handle it."

"yes!"

"My lord, the thief Baron Gules has returned to the mountains."

Klaus said, "They tried to storm Troski village, but were repelled by the Therush organization."

Peter pointed to the easternmost forest and said, "You lead the Fourth Squad into the mountains to encircle and annihilate them. A sword can only be pointed at another sword, not at an unarmed person. This is a matter of principle. Gules and his gang don't understand this, so they have no reason to exist."

"yes!"

John the Big Mouth, Ace the Hound, and Klaus all left one after another, leaving only Jerry, the intelligence team leader.

"Has Count von Polgár not returned yet?"

Peter asked, "We need to finish the ransom demand from Yangboergaard before he returns, so that Thomas can gain maximum trust. Once the old man comes back, some of the tricks will be easy for him to see through."

"Don't worry, I've just recruited a few merchants as peripheral members. They sent back news that three days ago, von Polgao was still in Prague gathering his vassals. A mobilization of that scale would take at least a week. After gathering the vassals, it would take another three days or more for the army to march here. Moreover, a march of that scale is impossible to conceal, and we will discover it in time."

Jerry said confidently.

Just then, a soldier from the crossroads entered the tent and presented the parchment letter from Lathai City to von Polgao.

Peter took it and examined the wax seal against the sunlight—it was indeed intact. He recognized the emblem on the wax seal; he had seen it countless times in the game: yellow background with a black cross, the Lepe family, and a staunch supporter of Wenceslaus IV.

"Who delivered the message?" Peter asked.

"Six cavalrymen, led by a young nobleman who called himself Hans Capone, saying he was sent by his guardian Hannah to deliver a message to Porgo. There was also a squire named Henry, who looked quite clever."

The soldier explained the situation in detail.

"The Lepe family?" Jerry asked, somewhat surprised. "Aren't these royalists at odds with von Polgar, this collaborator? Should we arrest them and interrogate them?"

Peter raised his hand to stop him.

He examined the letter carefully, and the game's plot flashed through his mind: Hans Capon, the son of the Lord of Rattay, an important ally in the mid-game; Henry, the protagonist... Wait, at this point in time, Henry has already come to Troski to deliver a letter?

If we exclude the time they spent getting injured, recovering, and traveling from Bodina's cottage to Trossky Castle, von Polgao should be close to returning to the city. He might even already be back!

Peter laughed and said, "Jerry, it seems your intelligence work has made a major mistake."

Jerry's expression changed slightly as he pondered, "You mean you didn't discover the Lepe family in time?"

"No, I mean, Count von Polgao may have already returned to Troschi Castle in secret, traveling light."

Peter said with some certainty, "And today, Captain Thomas didn't come as agreed to discuss the ransom, did he?"

"Indeed."

Jerry pondered carefully. He realized that he had focused his main efforts on observing the movements of the large army that von Polgar had summoned, but he had overlooked the fact that the count could have returned quickly with a small number of cavalry, just like the six-man group from the Lepe family today. His messengers could easily have missed it, and even if they had, they wouldn't have been able to keep up with the enemy's pace.

"Sir, should we change our plan?" Jerry asked hurriedly.

"There's no need. Even if the old man comes back, without the troops of his vassals, wouldn't he still have to stay in the city and dare not come out? We will continue to proceed according to plan. Moreover, there is something I need to expedite."

Peter shook his head. Henry and his group's presence here indicated that the main plot might have progressed to the point where Rattay was seeking allies. So, this letter…

He laughed suddenly.

"Sir?" the soldier asked, puzzled.

"It's alright." Peter handed the letter back. "Return it as is. Pass on my message: as long as you abide by the laws of Trostsky and don't cause trouble, we welcome any passerby. Let them pass."

"But sir, what if they are spies..."

"What can six men possibly find out?" Peter stood up, walked to the tent entrance, and looked at the distant, layered mountains. "What we're building is an open, orderly territory, not a den of thieves. We want everyone to know that in Trossky, under the banner of the Red Griffin, there are rules fairer than those of von Polgów."