Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

"Are you kidding me?"

Istvan burst into laughter, saying disdainfully, "You want to help the lazy King Wenceslaus end this war caused by his incompetence? King Sigismund is just helping him clean up his mess, and what's wrong with me helping King Sigismund?"

"The mistake lies in the slaughter and looting!" Young Master Hans said in support of his friend.

"This is called fighting violence with violence! We have already given the Bohemian nobles a chance, but they not only did not cherish it, but also chose to rebel." Istvan changed the subject, replacing the killing of civilians with the punishment of the nobles.

Or perhaps, they simply don't consider ordinary people to exist.

Hans, the young master, retorted sarcastically, "Oh, so why do you think they'd do this instead of enjoying such a good life?"

"Why? Because what these nobles want is a weak king! One who can do whatever he wants, abuse his power, act arrogantly in the regions, and seek personal gain!"

István loudly stated his views, while the surrounding crowd whispered among themselves. They recalled how, under the rule of the strong-willed King Charles IV, the Bohemian nobles were docile, the country was stable, and everyone lived a relatively comfortable life. Now, with the lazy king in power, the nobles were unrestrained, attacking each other and vying to raise taxes, making life increasingly difficult for everyone.

Seeing that his words had an effect, Istvan continued, "The same goes for Radji and Hannah; they claim to be royalists, but in reality, they are only protecting their own interests. The great King Sigismund will end all of this, concentrate all forces, and lead the nation back to glory!"

"Your tricks won't work on me." Although Henry was a bit simple-minded, he was quite opinionated and didn't completely follow Istvan's lead.

"Trick, huh? Although we have different positions, as someone who's been there, I just want to give you some advice, young man."

Istvan's lips curled up; he felt he had taken the initiative.

"Oh?" Henry laughed angrily. "What advice are you going to give me?"

"Look out for yourself, align yourself with the strong. Loyalty is certainly valuable, but nobles only think of themselves. Who knows if those nobles will turn their backs on us after the war ends and the world is at peace?" Istvan advised with the air of someone who had been through it all.

Henry sneered, "You have no right to judge others. I'm afraid you'll be dead before the war is even over. You won't live to see the day we turn against each other."

"That's not necessarily true. We're just pawns, we can't change anything, no one will give you anything, you're just someone to be exploited and sacrificed. So, you have to take the initiative and join the right side, because the strong rule..."

"The loser is the villain?"

"See, you've at least learned one lesson from me."

István's smile deepened as he said, "Sigismund was such a great king and strongman. He almost lost his life defending the south against the Ottoman invasion. Yet, at this crucial moment, he had to clean up the mess for his lazy brother. If he hadn't been able to withstand the invasion of those Ottoman infidels, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Hungary, Bohemia, Poland—all Christian families would have been massacred! I've been there; I know this all too well."

Although Istvan rarely spoke the truth, he did not lie about resisting the Ottoman invasion.

Since the establishment of the Ottoman Empire in 1299, it began to gradually encroach on Byzantine territory. In 1380, the Ottomans seized control of Thrace, and Hungary became the gatekeeper of the Christian world. Sigismund led the Hungarian army through repeated defeats.

In the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396, Sigismund again led a large army into battle, but his entire army was wiped out. He himself escaped with his life by drifting downstream in a small boat.

Ottoman Sultan "Lightning" believed it was more advantageous to keep such a foolish king who had "lost a hundred battles," and that Hungary was too poor, so it was better to continue occupying Byzantine territory. Less than a year later, the Byzantine Empire was reduced to only the area around Constantinople.

Just as the Western world felt the Ottomans were invincible and that Christ's Last Days were approaching, Timur invaded the Ottoman Empire in 1402, defeating and imprisoning Sultan "Lightning," causing a decade-long civil war within the Ottoman Empire and giving the West a great sigh of relief. This allowed Sigismund to escape from the Ottoman borders, imprison his brother Wenceslaus IV, and seize the Bohemian throne.

"So you think you've joined the side of justice? How could Sigismund be on the side of justice?"

Young Master Hans Capon found it unbelievable.

"The stronger side, the victorious side, is the side of justice."

Istvan said with certainty.

"Am I, the one who captured you, on the side of justice?" A loud yet steady voice rang out.

Everyone turned around and saw a tall, red-haired young man wearing simple leather armor walking towards them; it was Peter.

"leader!"

"grown ups!"

Everyone present bowed, even the prisoners like Istvan and Eric obediently bowed to show their respect.

Peter's gaze swept over the crowd, focusing on Istvan. He marveled at the man's remarkable sophistry; his theories were incredibly well-developed. A person lacking their own convictions might actually have been persuaded and let go of their hatred.

"What you just said is a conflation of the Lord's order with the howling of jackals."

Peter addressed Istvan, but also everyone in the prisoner-of-war camp, saying: "If might makes right, is the blade of a bandit more sacred than the club that protects one's family? If the victor is justice, what about Christ, crucified?"

Peter drew the Griffin Claw from his waist, sunlight shimmering upon it like a galaxy, and continued, "Justice is the measure God bestowed upon the human heart, courage is humanity's own hymn, and strength is the use of power for protection. Like this sword in my hand, if I use it to strike the unarmed, no matter how powerful I am, it cannot be considered justice; but if I use it to cut the ropes binding civilians, to slay the bandits plundering them, to kill the enemy soldiers invading our territory, then it is the Griffin Claw of strength, courage, and protection!"

Those around were deeply moved upon hearing this. Even Istvan looked at Peter with surprise, seemingly trying to find traces of "hypocrisy" or "acting" on Peter's face, but to his disappointment, he found nothing.

These prisoners were mostly mercenaries and lords' guards. They used to follow their leaders into battle without a second thought, but these past few days, hearing old monk Martin speak of the "Griffin Spirit," and today hearing Lord Peter's explanation firsthand, they unconsciously began to compare themselves to the lords and nobles. Reflecting on their past actions, they felt somewhat ashamed...

Peter glanced at the crowd again, and seeing that they seemed thoughtful, he nodded slightly in satisfaction. Finally, his gaze settled on Henry. "It seems you know my prisoner?"

Henry's chest heaved violently as he struggled to control himself, his voice hoarse with emotion: "He is István, a Hungarian, an incredibly treacherous and vicious viper! He plotted to burn down my hometown of Skarlitz! He led Sigismund's troops to kill my family! He even stole my father's sword!"

He pointed at Istvan, still angry, but without the intense hatred he once felt.

Istvan watched coldly, under Eric's protection, without uttering a word.

Peter listened quietly, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. He remained silent for a moment, a brief silence that felt like torture to Henry.