Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Taking French Leave: How to Kill All Guards Effectively

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Taking French Leave is one of the main jobs that can cause headaches for players. Players need to rescue Hans Capon and his new friend, Vauquelin Brabant, from the Maleshov Castle. However, the mission is far from easy, as previously mentioned. Hans refuses to go through the secret tunnel, and it is almost impossible to pass by all the NPCs(about 11 guards, 1 hiredhand, 1 cook, and 1 noble) in the castle unspotted. On top of that, Vauquelin can be very easily killed if players engage in a battle with the guards. In light of this, this guide offers a solution to save the two captives and find the book by killing all the guards in the castle effectively!

Undertake Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Taking French Leave Mission

To start Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Taking French Leave Mission, players need to report back to Ruthard about Henry’s findings at the royal mines. Ulrich Vavak will come to Ruthard again to extort him. However, with the evidence that Henry has obtained from the mine, Vavak will be forced to negotiate with Ruthard in private. To convince Vavak that Henry has the evidence, Henry needs to pass a check:

1. Coercion (Hard): Christian of Pisek knows everything. / Coercion (Hard): I have the proof right here. / Scholarship (Medium): I have seen your ledgers.

Upon finishing the conversation with Ruthard and Vavak, Ruthard will tell Henry that there is a secret tunnel leading to the Maleshov castle. Rosa will fill in more details for Henry.

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Accept Rosa’s Side Quest

Then, Henry needs to go upstairs to talk to Rosa. Rosa will describe the tunnel to Henry and ask Henry to find a book for her as well in the Maleshov castle. She also gives Henry maps of the Maleshov castle.

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How to Get to the Maleshov Castle?

Players need to set off to meet Hashtal next, who will prepare the horses for Capon and Henry because he is indebted to the Ruthards. During the conversation, players can choose if Henry should disclose the information about the secret tunnel to Hashtal or not. If Henry tells Hashtal about the secret tunnel, Hashtal will give Henry some clothes that are convenient for stealthing, lockpicks, and torches in return.

Then, players can start to look for the secret tunnel according to Rosa’s instructions. In the end, players should find a patch of diggable land at this location. Use a spade to start digging, and the tunnel shall show up.

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The Overall Strategy of Rescuing Hans Capon and Finding the Book

The general strategy is to wipe out all the guards in the castle before talking to Hans and Vauquelin, because Vauquelin is too weak to engage in any fight.

To avoid direct combat with too many guards, players can follow the route introduced in the section, “Step-By-Step Guide of Killing All the Guards and Getting the Keys”, to stealth kill as many guards as possible. The more players kill through stealth, the easier the direct combat is if the alarm is sounded (which can be very easily triggered because the guards are very mobile).

The overall steps of rescuing Hans Capon and finding Rosa’s book are as follows:

1. Talk to the cook to obtain the Maleshov fortress key and Maleshov tower key (optional, if players are willing to pay 200 groschens).
2. Minimize the number of guards in the castle by stealth kill.
3. Kill the rest of the guards if the alarm is sounded.
4. Obtain the Maleshov tower key (optional), the two swords, and Rosa’s book from Lady Ofka’s room.
5. Talk to Hans Capon and Vauquelin, and then escape.

The only thing that players need to prepare for this route is the Bane poison. Prepare at least 4 Bane poison to apply it to the swords, and it should be enough even if players are dealing with all 11 guards. It can greatly reduce the difficulty of direct engagement with the guards, even when players do not manage to stealth kill too many.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Killing All the Guards and Getting the Keys

This route takes care of the guards around the central tower and in the outer courtyard first, and handles the guards in the central tower later.

The guards in Maleshov castle are arranged as such. :

1. Guard 1, Guard 2, Guard 3, and Guard 4 are around the central tower, which is also the highest tower.
2. Guard 5, Guard 6, Guard 7, and Guard 8 are in the central tower.
3. Guard 9, Guard 10, and Guard 11 are in the outer courtyard.

Stealth Kill Guard 1, Guard 2, Guard 3, Guard 4, the Cook, and the Hiredhand

After the cutscene finishes, head to the right and go straight to the end. Open the door and stealth kill Guard 1.

Head downstairs to the ground floor directly. There are two passways, and turn right. Go all the way to the end, and walk up one flight of stairs. Guard 2 will come in and sleep at the bench.

Go back to the previous divide of the passway, and go left this time. Reach the flight of stairs leading to the outer ground, and turn right. The cook is in the house. Kill the cook after obtaining the key, so she will not spot any body.

Leave the cook room, and Guard 3 will be at the castle wall. If he is not there, he will come by soon.

After killing Guard 3, go straight and turn left. Guard 4 patrols between the other wall and the inner castle gate. Timing is a bit tricky for this one. When players kill him when he stands by the wall, players need to pick the timing when Vitek, the hiredhand is walking to the opposite side.

Stealth kill Vitek when he walks away from the gate.

Stealth Kill Guard 9, Guard 10, Guard 11 in the Outer Courtyard

The reason for killing the guards in the outer courtyard for the next move is that it is easier to stealth kill these three compared to the other four inside the central tower. Moreover, there is a commander among the three in the outer courtyard. The commander has higher combat skills, and it is harder to take him down in a direct engagement.

First, stealth through the gate and reach the outer courtyard.

Stealth kill Guard 9, who stands at the wall.

The commander, Guard 10, and Guard 11 are by the pot. The commander walks into the tent from time to time, sometimes for a drink, and sometimes just sitting on the bench inside the tent.

Throw a stone to lure the commander elsewhere and take this opportunity to sneak into the big tent with two flags behind them.

Drug the wine barrel with the Bane poison, and hide in the dark area inside the tent. If the commander did not drink from the barrel, stealth kill him when he is sitting on the bench in the tent.

After taking care of the commander, walk out of the tent and stealth kill Guard 11, who sits by the pot.

Stealth Kill Guard 5, Guard 6, Guard 7, Guard 8 in the Central Tower

Players should opt for stealth killing Guard 5 and 6, who are on the ground floor of the central tower, first. At first, they both sit at the table, but Guard 6 will head out after a while (He may spot the body if he heads out).

Throw a rock to lure Guard 6 out and stealth kill him. Or, players can also wait till he comes out on his own.

Then, sneak into the room and stealth kill Guard 5.

Next, Guard 7 and 8 will be talking on the second floor of the central tower and later come down to the main hall on the first floor.

Guard 8 leaves the room after a while, so players can stealth kill Guard 7. At this point, it does not matter whether players want to stealth kill Guard 8 or not, because he is the only guard left.

Loot Lady Ofka’s Room and Enter Capon’s Room

After taking care of all the guards, players can head to Lady Ofka’s room on the second floor of the central tower. It does not matter how players choose to deal with Lady Ofka, either to negotiate with her or to attack her.

There are three items that players can get from her room:

1. Maleshov tower key
2. Rosa’s book
3. Two swords for Capon and Brabrant

Then, players can head to the third floor of the central tower and rescue Hans Capon. At this point, it does not matter which options to choose with Capon because all the guards are taken care of. However, if there are guards that players did not manage to stealth kill, it’d be best to kill all the rest of the guards first before entering Capon’s room.

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Conclusion: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Taking French Leave

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Taking French Leave takes quite some time for players to finish, from conversing with Ruthard, to finding the secret passage, and finally, infiltrating the Maleshov castle. Because the castle is relatively small and well-guarded, it is almost impossible to get out without alerting the guards. The best option is to kill all the guards before informing Hans Capon.

Following the above-explained route, players can kill all the guards more effectively. However, the faster and speedier that players can carry out this route, the more guards players can kill stealthily, because if players are too slow, the guards may sound the alarm too early. On the other hand, with the help of the Bane poison on Henry’s weapon, it is still possible to engage with many guards in the castle directly!