Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Chapter 228 An Awkward Scene

Grozaf panicked instantly. He was just a civil official who was good at strategizing and flattering from the rear. How could he dare to venture into the lion's den and negotiate face to face with the legendary Silver Dawn Knights who were said to kill without blinking an eye and even kill prisoners?

"My lord! Could you—could you perhaps find someone else? I—I'm afraid I'm not up to this responsibility!"

Grozav wanted to slap himself a few times, cursing himself for being so talkative as to make that suggestion, only to end up shooting himself in the foot.

"No!"

Hermann and von Polgár both spoke in unison, sternly refusing in an arrogant tone.

It was as if they had planned it all along, just waiting for Grozav to jump into the pit himself.

Perhaps, from the very beginning, they deliberately prevented Jessek and the Polish mercenaries from coming, with this in mind: to find a "suitable" pawn to sacrifice.

Grozav, seeing the resolute expressions on the two counts' faces, finally realized what was happening.

His face was deathly pale, his heart was ashen, and he knew that he had no way out.

He could only swallow hard, his face contorted with grief, and reply in a dry voice.

"Yes, sir, I—I will do my best."

Around noon, the agreed-upon time for delivering the ransom arrived.

At the foot of the ruins of Zimberg.

After a hasty makeup session, Grozaf put on a gray-white false beard and wig, and donned a slightly oversized Polish-style knight's cloak borrowed from someone else, trying to make himself look older and more dignified.

However, the undisguised terror in his eyes and the occasional slight trembling of his fingers betrayed his extreme unease.

Accompanied by several equally apprehensive attendants, he rode his horse, carrying the "ransom" of about 13,000 Groshens as originally agreed, and embarked on the mountain path with a sense of impending doom.

The horse's hooves struck the stone steps with a monotonous yet clear sound, each step feeling like a beat on his heart.

Vácquelin Brabant, the Frenchman ordered to stay behind and receive the ransom, was already impatient.

He imagined that after receiving the huge ransom, he would get a large share and could buy luxury items to match his status.

When he saw Grozav and his party appear, he immediately went to greet them excitedly.

They looked each other up and down, seeing only unfamiliarity in each other's eyes.

Grozaf nervously searched his memory, confirming that he had never seen this somewhat flamboyant-looking knight before.

Waquerin also did not recognize this "Polish envoy".

The Frenchman, not wanting to waste words, went straight to the point, asking in a heavily accented voice, "You were sent by von Polgár, weren't you?"

He assumed this was a trusted confidant sent by the count to deliver the ransom.

These words struck Grozav like a thunderclap. He was so startled that he nearly fell off his horse.

"We've been found out?!"

The thought terrified him. He looked around nervously, as if soldiers would leap out from behind the crumbling stone wall at any moment and tear him to pieces.

His hand involuntarily reached for the sword at his waist, even though he knew it was pointless in the face of the ruthless Silver Dawn.

But Waquerin's next words brought him back from hell to earth.

"I've been waiting for you for ages," the Frenchman said, rubbing his hands together, his eyes gleaming. "Did you bring the money?"

Let's talk money!

Grozav was almost overjoyed to tears. As long as money was mentioned, it meant that the other party hadn't realized it was a trap!

He forced himself to remain calm, trying to keep his voice from trembling: "I brought it!"

He gestured to his servants to unload the heavy money bag from the horse's back, place it on the ground with a thud, and untie the bag to reveal the gleaming silver coins inside.

Based on 100 Groshins per infantryman and 200 Groshins per cavalryman, the total is 13000.

This was originally intended as a "ransom" to lull the other party into a false sense of "sincerity."

If the plan succeeds and these enemies are killed, the money will still belong to Hungary.

Upon seeing the silver coins, Waquerin's eyes lit up instantly. He excitedly squatted down, grabbed a handful, and listened to the clinking of the coins, a look of rapture on his face.

But after carefully counting them, he frowned; the numbers didn't match up at all!

The agreed total ransom was 100,000 groshins, how come it's only a little over 10,000?

"You dare lie to me!"

The Frenchman stood up abruptly, shouted angrily, and put his hand on the hilt of his sword, "The amount of money is wrong!"

"Aren't you afraid that the Silver Dawn will immediately execute those noble prisoners?"

He attempted to use threats to protect his "rights".

Grozaf's heart leaped into his throat again; he thought the Silver Dawn had changed its mind at the last minute and was trying to raise the price.

In this critical moment, his quick wit came in handy again, and he blurted out, "Misunderstanding! Sir, this is a misunderstanding! This is just—this is just a deposit! Yes, a deposit!"

He explained incoherently, "I came up the mountain mainly to check on the prisoners' safety. As long as they're safe, I'll come down immediately and retrieve all the remaining money! Not a single penny less!"

Waquelin, upon hearing this, realized what was going on! It seemed the other party was very cautious, but this also demonstrated their "sincerity."

He immediately turned from anger to joy, laughing heartily, "So that's how it is! Of course, of course! We, Silver Dawn, are the most trustworthy! Go down the mountain and get the money right away. As long as the money arrives, we guarantee the hostages will be returned safely!"

Grozav no longer cared about the life or death of the prisoners; hearing that they were willing to let him go was like hearing heavenly music.

He nodded and bowed hastily, "Yes, yes, yes! I'll go right away! I'll go right away!"

Having said that, he fled down the mountain with his servants at breakneck speed, as if a demon were chasing them.

Back at the command post in Bilani village, Grozav, still shaken, quickly composed himself under the expectant gazes of the two counts and began to boast with embellishments.

He described how calm and collected he was, how clever he was, how he ventured deep into the lion's den, and how he discovered everything on the mountain. The main force of the Silver Dawn Knights was indeed there, waiting to collect the full ransom, and the security did not seem to be very tight.

Finally, he patted his chest and assured them, "My lords, it's absolutely foolproof! The rebels are right there on the mountain; they can't escape!"

Hermann and Count von Polgár were overjoyed upon hearing this, their last remaining doubts vanishing. Count Hermann slammed his fist on the table: "Good! Send troops! Surround the mountain!"

The order was quickly relayed. Hertan led five hundred Cuman cavalrymen, who patrolled back and forth at the foot of the mountain like an unfolded fan, blocking all possible escape routes. Their horses' hooves flew, raising clouds of dust.

At the same time, three thousand Hungarian infantrymen formed a dense marching column and began to advance up the mountain path, like a huge, metallic python slowly coiling towards the summit.

The army was initially cautious, fearing traps or ambushes. The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, shields held in front of them, and officers kept whispering reminders to stay alert.

However, aside from some minor troubles caused by tripping ropes, pitfalls, and stray arrows at the foot of the mountain, the higher they went, the calmer it became. Finally, when they were almost at the ruins at the summit, even the decent roadblocks were gone. Only the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and birdsong remained.

"It seems they've truly been blinded by the ransom, their guard so lax!" Count von Polgar exclaimed excitedly.

Count Hermann nodded and ordered, "Advance! Take it in one fell swoop!"

Upon receiving the order, the Hungarian army suddenly sped up, and the soldiers began to jog, their footsteps becoming chaotic and loud.

Half an hour later, the army completed the encirclement with almost no obstacles, and a group of elite troops successfully poured into the relatively open ruined square on the top of Zimberg Mountain.

Then, time seemed to freeze at that moment.

What unfolded before them was not the Silver Dawn Knights standing ready for battle, nor the imprisoned, anxiously awaiting noble prisoners. Instead, it was this scene:

The Frenchman Václav Brabant, having just managed to get rid of his captured old steward, was standing very close to Madame Ophelia, wife of Count von Polgár.

Waquerin wore a frivolous smile, seemingly saying something amusing, while Lady Ophelia tilted her head slightly, a faint, ambiguous blush on her face.

To onlookers, the two's demeanor did not resemble a serious ransom negotiation; rather, it looked more like an inappropriate flirtation taking place on a dilapidated stage.

Fully armed elite soldiers suddenly surged into the silent ruins like a tide, instantly shattering the delicate atmosphere and replacing it with an extremely absurd and awkward deathly silence.

The Frenchman, Václav, stared in astonishment at the massive army before him, his mind blank. Wasn't this supposed to be a secret transaction? Why are there so many people?

Count von Porgogh stared in astonishment at his wife Ophelia, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Shouldn't she be in Malesov Castle? How did she end up here?

And she was even behaving intimately with this knight who looked like a playboy?

An indescribable rage, a mixture of betrayal and humiliation, surged up to his head, making him feel as if his helmet was turning green.

Count Herman Celes looked around the entire ruined square in astonishment. Apart from the two dumbfounded people and an old butler locked in a house, where was the main force of the Silver Dawn Knights?

He went to great lengths, mobilizing thousands of troops, only to find nothing? A furious sense of being mocked began to build in his chest.

Lady Ophelia, upon seeing her husband's ashen face, lost all color in her own face, turning deathly pale.

She was not only horrified by her husband's sudden appearance, but also because thousands of eyes were witnessing her embarrassment.

Her loss of composure, and the scene that could hardly be explained.

She felt as if she had been stripped naked and thrown into a market; shame and fear nearly made her faint.

After a brief, suffocating silence, Count von Porgoğlu roared, a roar that seemed capable of shattering the surrounding ruins, filled with endless humiliation and rage: "Damn it! What on earth is going on?!"

His roar echoed across the ruins, filled with the fury of being deceived, humiliated, and fooled. In this extremely absurd and awkward scene, the meticulously planned siege operation was completely reduced to a farce.

The real hunters had already moved on and were quietly observing everything from the shadows.

>