Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Chapter 190 The Invited

Chapter 191 The Invited

July 21, Sukhdor Castle.

There are still more than ten days until the aristocratic gathering in early August.

Marquis Jöbst sat in the conference room, busy reviewing documents, which allowed him to remain involved in Moravian affairs even while in Kutenberg.

Lord Pisek, the castle's owner, stood respectfully beside him, reporting on some recent events.

Have all the invitations been sent out?

Without stopping his pen, Yobst asked without looking up.

"They've all been sent out. Those who have clearly expressed their willingness to attend the meeting include Radji and Hannah from the Ratács region, Bosek of the Kustatt family from the Kutenberg region, Hamann of the Alder family, Martin of the Odlin family, Kunzlin of the Rutherd family, Anna the widow of the Waldstein family, Conrad of the Wechta family, and Rabidahye from the Yuda community..."

When the rabbi was mentioned, Sir Pisek paused noticeably, then hesitated, saying, "Why should we invite Yoda? It might disrupt our gathering of devout Christians."

"My old friend, don't overestimate the faith of the nobles, nor underestimate the wealth of these Yudas." Jobust rarely stopped writing, looked up and patiently explained, "These moneylenders are the most panicked whenever there is unrest."

We were just lacking funding to build our army. It was perfectly reasonable for them to provide the money and we to provide the manpower.

"Since they have money, why don't they hire a mercenary force to protect themselves?" Sir Pisek still couldn't understand it.

"They are merely a group of sojourners whose right to survival and property is entirely dependent on the protection of a monarch or lord. They cannot own land, join guilds, or form their own armed forces, while hiring mercenaries requires strong political authorization and legal protection. Therefore, once they lose the protection of their lord, these people instantly become a helpless group, and any self-organized armed action will be regarded as a rebellion, resulting in even more severe suppression."

As the ruler, Yobst certainly knew the original intention of this design: to use them as "money bags" and "scapegoats."

Yoda's ability to accumulate wealth stemmed from their involvement in lending, a practice forbidden to Christians by doctrine. This made them "financial instruments" for feudal lords and kings: kings needed them to lend money for wars, yet hated their interest rates. This contradictory relationship determined Yoda's fate as "exploited" rather than "protected." When those in power needed money, they were "money bags"; when they needed to divert public anger or default on debts, they became "scapegoats."

Their wealth is fragile, their status is marginal, and their survival depends on the handouts of those in power, not their own strength. Mercenaries are not a shield, but a noose of death.

"This rabbi is a smart man; he knows the situation is dire. The entire noble class of Coutenburg is being extorted for protection money by the Hungarians, and the villages outside the city have been plundered, resulting in a severe loss of wealth. But the Yuda, who own no land, are the only group unaffected; in fact, they've expanded their business due to an increase in borrowers. If these nobles try to renege on their debts like the French king, these Yuda lenders will suffer no better than the Knights Templar."

Yobst laughed, "Rather than have your wealth swallowed up by those who default on their debts, it's better to offer it to me and you'll gain the protection of my army. That's the secret to survival in the chaotic world of Yuda."

"Well, as clever as you are, you must have already considered the details."

Old Pisek sighed and shook his head. As a devout Christian, he really didn't want to deal with these "traitors," so he continued, "Sir Peter of Trotsky in the North has also accepted the invitation."

"That illegitimate son from the North? Where is he?"

Yobst put down his pen and asked with great interest.

Pisek replied, "Sir Peter only wrote back saying that he would arrive on time, but I don't know exactly where."

"Arrived on time?"

Yobst stood up, walked to the window, and said while gazing into the distance, "I'm afraid this bastard has already arrived."

"How could that be? We shouldn't have received any guests like him before." Pisek was a little uncertain. "I'll ask the servants in a bit whether they've forgotten or refused a nobleman's visit."

"That's not the case."

Marquis Jobuste shook his head and said, "Have you heard about the Silver Dawn Knights who have been continuously plundering and slaughtering Hungarian troops lately?"

"Of course. This is the most explosive news in Kutenberg recently. A group of knights dressed in white are constantly ambushing grain requisitioning teams. Six caravans have already been attacked. They are ruthless and leave almost no survivors, yet they come and go like the wind, making it impossible to find their traces. It is said that the camp commander, Dukat, is almost driven mad with anger."

Upon hearing this news, old Pisek visibly perked up. He had previously been besieged by these Hungarian troops and extorted for a large sum of money, so seeing them suffer a setback naturally made him very happy.

"According to my scouts, this group of knights suddenly appeared three days ago. They were all wearing closed helmets, so their faces could not be seen."

But one of the men, with his hoarse voice, had such distinctive features that many recognized him as the fearsome alcoholic, Hynek.

As a local leader, Jobst naturally understood the importance of intelligence. In addition to John in Liechtenstein as his intelligence source, he also had other spies.

"It seems Jessica rescued him. Could this be a team they formed together?"

Old Pisek was genuinely happy for them; he had felt guilty for a long time after driving away the Drunkards and causing their defeat.

"I think so too. Since there's a drunkard in this group, there must be Jessica too. Judging from their fighting style, they're very much like Jessica—meticulous planning and a single, decisive strike." Jobust paced back and forth. "But strangely, neither the drunkard nor Jessica is the leader of this group. Instead, it's a man named Brunswick who's in charge. No taxes, no grain, welcoming King Brunswick... Ha, what a ridiculous prophetic trick."

"Brunschweig, that legendary prince. Who dares to use such a powerful name? And why are the drunkard and Jessica willing to follow him?" Sir Pisek began to take stock of who else had such prestige.

"Could it be that Sir Sokol has returned?" Pisek guessed.

"Sokol? Ha, a stubborn old goat, he wouldn't do such a thing."

Marquis Jobuste denied it, saying, "I fought him in Moravia for ten years and know him too well."

"Could it be that Marquis Prokop has escaped?"

Marquis Prokop, the brother of Jobst, was imprisoned by Jobst and Sigismund. He was placed under house arrest in Vienna Palace along with King Wenceslaus.

"If my foolish brother escapes, he'll rush to my side and fight me to the death, instead of forming some Silver Dawn."

Yobst continued to shake his head.

"Could it be the offspring of some high-ranking nobleman?"

Pisek fell into thought.

"I think it has something to do with that illegitimate child," Yobst said, still using a derogatory term for Peter.

"You mean Sir Peter of Trotsky?"

Pisek exclaimed in surprise, "But Troski is so far from Kutenberg..."

"My spies brought news from Troski that someone there discovered clues to the armor left behind by Prince Brunswick, and a grand treasure hunt was launched in response. In the end, however, the person who found the armor presented it to that bastard son."

"So, you mean the leader of this knightly order, Prince Brunswick, is Sir Peter?"

Pisek suddenly realized that if it were the powerful Lord Peter, who possessed the bloodline of the Lazy King, that came, it would make sense for the drunkard and Jessica to submit to him and obey his orders.

"That's probably the case."

Jöbst's eyes flickered, his mind unsettled. He had spread rumors of Peter's royal lineage to promote him, and invited Peter to noble gatherings as a figurehead, intending to use him as a symbol. But if Peter were to establish his own banner now, things would become far too unpredictable.

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