Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Chapter 187 Silver Dawn

Chapter 188 Silver Dawn

Henry was about to leave when he looked at the group of ragged civilians being led by the Hungarian soldiers, bound together with rough ropes like a herd of livestock to be slaughtered.

Feeling a pang of pity, I realized that these people were probably just like I had been before, captured by these invaders on unreasonable and arbitrary grounds.

They could avoid being caught by using their fake "noble" status, while these commoners could only endure unwarranted accusations—how could commoners who were so poor possibly steal more than twenty warhorses and dozens of packhorses?

Henry is indeed a superb swordsman and might be able to single-handedly cut down this squad, but what about afterwards? Can he help those civilians fend off Von Polgar's subsequent retaliation?

Henry sighed deeply, feeling acutely the helplessness of an individual in this chaotic environment.

Just then, a low, dense "thump-thump-thump" sound came from the end of the road, like an approaching thunderstorm.

The sound came from afar, quickly becoming clearer from indistinct, accompanied by the tremors of the earth.

The Hungarian soldiers immediately tensed up, thinking it was a nobleman or a general traveling, and hurriedly shoved the arrested civilians to the side of the road to make way.

The squad leader, ignoring Henry, turned to look in the direction the sound came from.

However, what arrived was not a magnificent aristocratic procession.

A cavalry unit, like white phantoms tearing through the fog, suddenly burst into view.

They rode identical tall warhorses, which were covered with undyed white linen cloaks that concealed their original coat color.

The knights on horseback were all covered in polished plate armor, and their closed helmets concealed their faces, leaving only deep slits for their eyes.

Behind them fluttered white linen cloaks of the same material, rustling in the wind stirred up by the charge, like moving, silent shrouds.

They didn't wave any flags, only a uniform, utterly cold silence.

The Hungarian soldiers were still in a daze, thinking that the enemy would speed past them as usual.

But the lead knight suddenly raised his weapon and uttered a clear and piercing shout: "No taxes, no grain, welcome King Brunswick!"

"For the Silver Dawn!"

The knights behind him echoed in unison, their shouts instantly shattering the silence and crushing the Hungarians' last hope.

charge!

The fourteen heavy cavalrymen, as one, transformed into a white iron hammer, and smashed into the loose Hungarian crowd with unstoppable force.

Before the burly squad leader could even raise his halberd, the knight in front of him brought his armored sword down with a chilling arc of light.

The blade grazed precisely where the neck met the plate armor, and a head flew off with an expression of disbelief. Blood splattered like an overturned barrel of wine onto the cold pavement and the white horse's cloak, leaving a glaring crimson stain.

The sounds of collisions, bones shattering, dying screams, and the neighing of warhorses instantly intertwined into a symphony of death.

The Hungarian soldiers' fragile formation crumbled in the first engagement.

The halberd proved clumsy and ineffective against fully armed cavalry at close range. Plate armor withstood most of the attacks, while the knights' longswords and maces efficiently reaped lives.

The battle was almost a one-sided massacre, efficient, ruthless, and with a violent aesthetic that bordered on ritualistic.

Henry and Little Grey were intentionally or unintentionally kept out of the center of the impact. He held the reins tightly, calming his frightened mount, but his eyes were fixed on the scene before him.

He felt an indescribable excitement rising within him—someone dared to strike these Hungarian invaders so directly and so fiercely! This was simply—fantastic!

The battle began suddenly and ended just as quickly.

In less than five minutes, more than a dozen Hungarian soldiers lay dead on the ground. The two remaining soldiers had dropped their weapons and were kneeling on the ground, trembling like candles in the wind.

The captured civilians huddled together, their eyes wide and mouths agape, looking at the white knights who seemed to have descended from the heavens, filled with both fear and a glimmer of hope for rescue.

The knights reined in their horses, silently taking control of the battlefield. The lead knight, whose armor was slightly more ornate than the others, flicked the blood from his sword and deftly sheathed it. He gestured, and several knights dismounted and began swiftly cutting the ropes binding the civilians.

"We are the Silver Dawn Knights, seeking redemption."

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The leader's voice came through the visor, clear and steady, with a metallic resonance: "I am Leader Brunswick. You are free."

His men distributed the few coins and valuables they looted from the bodies of the Hungarian soldiers to the newly released civilians.

"Take these and head home as soon as possible. Don't linger."

"Thank you, Lord Brunswick!"

"Is he the one who helped Jacob fight against the Hungarians, Brunswick?"

"Wow, that's amazing! They took down those thugs in one charge!"

The common people murmured softly with gratitude, helping each other along as they quickly disappeared into the misty forest path.

Brunswick then turned his gaze to the two prisoners kneeling and begging for mercy. He spurred his horse forward two steps and looked down at them.

"I will release you," his voice was cold and devoid of any emotion. "Go back and give a message to von Polgar, who hired you."

His horse ranch was raided by me, Brunswick, and had nothing to do with the surrounding villagers.

He paused, each word like an icicle striking the ground, "If he wants revenge, come at the Knights of the Silver Dawn. Now, get out of here!"

The two prisoners, as if granted a pardon, scrambled back the way they came, fearing that if they were even a step too slow, they would be beheaded.

Once they disappeared from sight, the battlefield fell silent for a time, save for the occasional snort of the warhorses and the blood gradually congealing on the ground. Brunswick then reached out and slowly lifted his closed helmet.

Beneath the helmet was a young and handsome face, his red hair damp with sweat and plastered to his forehead. His eyes were deep, carrying a composure beyond his years.

Henry had felt the voice sounded strangely familiar, and upon seeing the man's face, he exclaimed in surprise, "Lord Peter?!"

Yes, it was Peter, the one who fought alongside him and is now a rising star, "Brunschweig".

Peter gave a gentle smile and spurred his horse closer: "Henry, it's been a long time. I didn't expect to run into you here."

Henry was overjoyed and immediately spurred his horse to greet him: "Lord Peter! What brings you to Kutenberg? And—who are the Knights of the Silver Dawn?"

"I was invited here," Peter said, his gaze sweeping over the ravaged battlefield, his tone calm yet powerful, "but what I see is a land of sorrowful people, plundered and oppressed."

That's why I formed this order of knights.

It wasn't for any particular king or lord, but to fight against foreign invaders and those nobles who only cared about their own pleasure and disregarded the lives of their people.

Henry's eyes gleamed brightly.

Indeed, only Lord Peter can bring hope to this hopeless world.

At this moment, the other members of the Knights also lifted their masks, revealing faces that Henry recognized.

"Jishka! Hynik! Kubinka! — You, you're all here!"

Henry's voice trembled slightly with emotion. These were friends who had gone through hardships with him.

Jessica smiled at him, Hynik nodded to Henry, and Kubinka, as always, wore a teasing expression.

And Eric... how come he's here too? The two had previously fought a life-or-death duel, and now, meeting as comrades, they both awkwardly avoided each other's gaze.

Carter the tomcat laughed and patted his breastplate: "Henry! You're still as good at causing trouble as ever!" He was referring to the scene where Henry was surrounded by Hungarian soldiers earlier.

"Sigh, I didn't want to either. I was just out investigating clues to complete Catherine's mission, and I ended up being surrounded by these soldiers."

Henry shrugged helplessly.

"Has Catherine's problem been resolved?"

Jessica asked with concern, "Now that we've met, why don't you join our knightly order? We need a skilled fighter like you!"

A surge of warmth welled up within Henry; to fight alongside these like-minded friends against injustice was exactly what he longed for. But then he remembered Catherine's entrustment and the tragically deceased girl.

"I would love to join, truly love to!" Henry said solemnly, "but I'm afraid we'll have to wait a while."

Catherine's case is more complicated than I thought; it involves a serial murder case, in which seven girls have already been killed. I'm close to finding the mastermind, and I'll make him pay a heavy price!

Peter listened from the side, and fragments of related memories vaguely surfaced in his mind, seemingly about a dark mission that needed to be investigated.

He nodded understandingly: "I understand. Intelligence is just as crucial to us; it allows us to avoid unnecessary sacrifices and find the real enemy. There will always be a place for you in the Knights. You can continue to help Catherine with the affairs within Kutenberg for now."

"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Peter." Henry breathed a sigh of relief, while also admiring Peter's magnanimity.

"What are you going to do? If it's on your way, or if I can help, please let me know." Henry volunteered.

"We were just passing through when we learned that these Hungarians were being employed by Borgo and were abusing their power to seize civilians in nearby villages, so we took action to teach them a lesson. Of course, we did steal those warhorses, and innocent civilians shouldn't suffer for our crimes."

Peter explained, his gaze darting southeast, "Our real target is a Hungarian army requisitioning squad. We've received intelligence that six of their squads left the camp today and headed north. They're requisitioning—or rather, robbing—grain near the village of Bohuno. If you want to help, come along. However..."

He added meaningfully, "You have to cover your face so no one can tell who you are."

After saying this, Peter took a spare closed helmet from the bag behind the saddle and tossed it to Henry. "Catch!"

Jessica also rummaged through her spare backpack and found a set of undyed linen cloak and horse robe. The fabric was somewhat rough, and the stitches were a little messy, obviously just finished in a hurry, and still had the raw smell of new fabric.

Henry quickly put on his burqa, cloak, and the somewhat heavy helmet. The world was instantly confined to a narrow slit of vision, but a strange sense of belonging to the collective arose within him.

Looking around, the fifteen cavalrymen, including Peter, were shrouded in this white expanse, indeed carrying a solemn and murderous aura as if they were sending off the enemy.

"Alright, now we are all Silver Dawn."

The.

"

Peter's voice came through the mask, carrying a hint of encouragement, "Let's go, to Bohuno Village!"

"