Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Troski Village, Administrative Hall.

Many prominent figures in the village gathered together, listening to the story told by Swatia, the son of the executor, their hearts sinking deeper and deeper.

"The entire army wiped out? Theros captured? Klaus captured? Even Ace, that cunning hound captain, surrendered?"

Urban, the guild's head manager, clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. His voice was low and trembling with disbelief. "A red-haired brat who calls himself the 'Knight of Redemption'? And his gang of...farmers and monks? Ridiculous! This is impossible! Ace brought the guild's most elite guards and mercenaries!"

For years, their "taxation-bandit suppression" scheme had operated flawlessly, like a sophisticated oil press, relentlessly extracting wealth from the Troski region. Occasionally, villagers would resist or small groups of bandits would be easily crushed. This was the first time their "taxation team" had not only failed to collect the money, but had also been wiped out along with their goods! This was not merely a matter of losing manpower and ransom; it was a fatal blow to the authority of the Chamber of Commerce.

Damn it, how could you have lost!

Clement, the second-in-command of the Chamber of Commerce, reacted with far more complexity. He was equally shocked by the guard's crushing defeat, but deep down, a sense of inopportune relief quietly rose within him—thankfully, it was Klaus who led the team this time, not his son. Klaus was the child of his deceased sister, a member of the family, but still a distant relative. Moreover, Klaus was alive…just captured. If he could be ransomed, he would be even more loyal to him, becoming a powerful supporter in his fight against Urban.

The carpenter Planck muttered to himself, "Peter Griffin... could it be that kind young man?"

Planck recalled the red-haired young man who had recently placed an order with him, yet helped him deal with bandits, retrieve the statue of the Virgin Mary, and even take in his apprentice Doug. This young man had even defeated the Executor Thelush.

Pharmacist Emmerich remained silent, merely stroking a bottle of marigold extract in his hand. This medicine was half the price of his own, yet its effects were far superior. He had previously assumed it came from Big Mouth John, but now it seemed that Peter Griffin, the Red Griffin, was the mastermind.

Betty, the tavern owner, was a shrewd and meticulous businesswoman. She ran the largest tavern in Troski village, with over twenty seats both indoors and outdoors, and employed four waitresses. Besides selling alcohol and meat, she was also a skilled information broker, making money from that as well. She keenly sensed something strange about the battle; the red griffin seemed like a spider that had laid its web beforehand, waiting for Therush and his companions to fall into it. Therush alone was one thing, but how could even Klaus, who had been sent out to fight, be accurately ambushed?

Despite the speculation, Betty said nothing, because intelligence was for making money, not for showing off. Unless she was confident she could make a fortune off someone, she would definitely be the one who kept her mouth shut the longest.

The tailor, Bartoshek, said worriedly, "Swatia, stop describing how powerful the red griffin is. Tell us what conditions he offered? How much is the ransom?"

His younger brother was captured along with the guards.

"this......"

Swatia looked conflicted, unsure of how to begin.

"Hurry up and tell me."

Butcher Camby also joined in the urging, and his son, Little Camby, was also among those captured.

When Swatia saw all eyes on her, she couldn't hold back any longer and stammered, "Only...only my father allowed the ransom..."

"What?!"

The crowd gasped in surprise. It was common knowledge that the hunting dogs and mercenaries didn't need to be redeemed, so why couldn't they even redeem the village guard?

"That's against the rules!"

Clément slammed his fist on the table and stood up. He was still thinking of redeeming Captain Klaus as his ally and taking the opportunity to push Urban off his position as the head of the merchant guild.

"My son, my son is still inside. I have money, I can contribute even more!"

"How could this happen? Were they all killed?"

Both the tailor, Bartoshe, and the butcher, Camby, became flustered.

Swatia quickly waved her hands and said, "They're not dead, they're not dead. I saw them all alive, they were just taken deeper into Devil's Canyon. Only my father and I were left outside the canyon."

Hearing that they were still alive, the tailor and the butcher breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt heartbroken. They had been captured and thrown into the deep mountains, and they didn't know how much suffering they would have to endure!

"Why are only you and your son allowed to come back?"

"I asked Betty, the tavern owner."

"I don't know, maybe it's because our family is the richest?"

Swatia said with a hint of relief.

Everyone fell silent. Was it possible that you were the least threatening? Ace and his Hound mercenaries were formidable, and their captain, Klaus, held high prestige within the group. If the other guards were released, they would become the main force in the continued siege. Only the Executor and his son not only had a large ransom, but their prestige would also be severely damaged, making them unable to regain the villagers' trust. More importantly, they hadn't even seen the enemy's mountain camp... Weren't they just utter useless trash?

Everyone was wary of Peter, the suddenly appearing "Knight of Redemption." He was ruthless, tactically unpredictable, and deeply calculating. He was no longer a bandit, but a powerful figurehead with a banner, a claim, rules, a territory under his control, the ability to establish order, collect taxes, and trade—the Thief Baron!

They had a premonition that the peaceful days in the Troski region were probably coming to an end.

----------------------

Panic spread like wildfire through the village of Troski. News of the complete annihilation of the tax collection team flew like wildfire to every corner of the village.

"Have you heard? Lord Therush has been captured! His entire guard is wiped out!"

"Oh my god! What about all the taxes we paid? Did we pay them for nothing?"

"What's worse, my son is with the guard! He's been captured! Those bandits... no, that knight, he won't even allow a ransom!"

"Damn the Chamber of Commerce! They were so ruthless when they were collecting taxes, and now they can't even protect their own people!"

"That Redemption Knight Peter Griffin...who exactly is he? Will he come to steal from us?"

"The Knight of Redemption? He claims to be here to offer salvation? But all we want is our son and brothers back!"

Despair and anger festered among the villagers. They hated the merchant guild's exploitation, feared the fate of their sons, husbands, and brothers being captured, and were filled with unknown dread about the mysterious and powerful "Knight of Redemption."

But in a secluded, dilapidated hut, laughter and joy filled the air.

Barbara, Shevak, and Mikhail sat on the ground, with six Groshins placed in the middle.

"...That's it! Lord Peter and his men have won a great victory! They've captured the entire tax collection team in Trostge! Now the whole Trostge region is buzzing with the names of 'Redemption Knight' Peter Griffin and the Red Griffin!"

The three of them burst into a long-suppressed cheer.

"Great! That man succeeded!" Barbara was overjoyed. Her decision to risk her life to report the news was the right one! And she also received two Grossens as a reward from Lord Peter.

"I knew it! Lord Peter is so amazing, he can definitely do it!" Shevak excitedly waved his fist.

"The Red Griffin! Lord Peter's banner has finally been raised again!" Hasimi exclaimed, his face beaming. "Let's see if those bullies still dare to be so arrogant!"

They were genuinely happy and proud of Peter's victory. It was not only a reward for their initial trust, but also gave them hope in fighting injustice. Peter's name and the banner of the red griffin had become symbols of light in their hearts.

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Inside the Trossky Castle on the high slope.

Young Jan von Porgour angrily smashed an exquisite tin cup on the ground, splashing wine everywhere.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" His handsome face was contorted with rage. "What kind of scum did that old fox Urban raise! They can't even catch a bunch of rats in the mountains! And they even got the executor kidnapped! It's an utter disgrace!"

Troschi Castle was the nominal symbol of supreme power in the Troschi region, the Merchant Guild was the castle's front for making money, and the executor, Therlush, represented the castle's authority to some extent. Their defeat was tantamount to a slap in the face to the Borgo family.

"And that redhead, the guy named Peter, damn it, it must be that bastard, I clearly killed him!"

Jan von Porgor was furious and terrified; he couldn't understand where he had gone wrong in his previous actions.