The Taking French Leave main quest for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 begins with the end of the Via Argentum quest, after players report their findings to Christian of Pisek. He will send Henry to the Ruthard's palace in Kuttenberg, which will allow him to accuse their rival, the Mint Master.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - Bohuta's Map Treasure Location
While Bohuta will no longer help the Dry Devil, he does give Henry a map to find his old things. This guide will lead players to Bohuta's treasure.
With his half of the bargain fulfilled, Henry can now speak to Rosa Ruthard for instructions on how to break into their old castle of Maleshov, in order to free Sir Hans Capon. For the opportunity to romance Rosa at a later date, make sure you ask about her book when she brings it up, and promise to look for it. This will grant players an additional task, Find Rosa's Book which can only be completed during the Taking French Leave quest for KCD2.
Taking French Leave - Find The Secret Entrance To Maleshov Castle In KCD2
Before heading out to find the secret entrance, Henry will need to talk to Hashtal in order to have some horses ready for an escape. Furthermore, as the upcoming mission is all about stealth, players should consider bringing the following equipment.
- A dark and quiet stealth outfit.
- Plenty of lockpicks.
-
Quickfinger Potion
to help with thievery.
- A spade.
Additionally, the Tight Grip perk for Strength can be great as it will make knocking out guards much easier. Having a high Thievery stat and any perks that help with lockpicking can also come in handy.
It's also best to search for the secret tunnel during daylight hours.
The Chapel Ruins
Once players are ready, they should head to the marker for the Taking French Leave quest. At the southernmost part of the search area, they will find an old chapel window. Look through this and walk toward the ruins that it points at.
Once at the ruins, players can find a Quickfinger Potion and a spade in the southern corner. To find the first cross, turn east and down a little dip. It is beneath a crumbling stone arch.
Follow The Crosses
After finding the first cross, walk in the direction it points, which is north. It takes around a 10-second run to reach the second cross, which is just to the right of a moss-covered tree.
The second cross points Henry in a northeast direction. Run for around 6 seconds up the slope, and once relative flat ground is reached, a prompt should appear to 'Take a look around'.
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There is a weekly Kuttenberg tournament in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but how does it work?
Digging The Tunnel
Players should see on the right a large tree with a stone engraved with a cross at its base. Walk up to the stone and then backward while looking at the ground.
An option to start digging should appear as long as players have a spade in their inventory. Once dug, simply head through the secret tunnel until you reach the end.
Taking French Leave - How To Find Sir Hans Capon In Maleshov Castle In KCD2
After entering Maleshov castle via the tunnel, a cutscene will trigger where Otto von Bergow, Markvart von Aulitz, and Eric leave.
The aim is to get into the large tower where Sir Hans is being held, and players should remember that Rosa provided floorplans for each level of the tower. These can be read from the inventory.
Getting Keys For The Tower
The first step should be acquiring keys for Maleshov's tower, and ideally for other doors too. From where Henry spawns, head right down the stairs. Next, sneak into the wooden building and knock out the woman known as Cook Drahomira from behind.
You could try pickpocketing her for a completely non-violent playthrough, but it's riskier.
From her, players should be able to loot three different keys for Maleshov. Guards will also carry some keys, such as a pair to get into the tower, but they won't have the important 
Maleshov Chambers Key.
Getting Into Maleshov's Tower
Coming out of this wooden building, players should head toward the battlement and slowly make their way around the large square tower. You might have to wait for guards to move or sneak past them.
Eventually, you should reach a wooden staircase leading up to the tower. The 
Maleshov Tower Key will open the door.
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This romance guide for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will explain how romance works, and provide tips for Henry's love pursuits.
Find Rosa's Book Inside Maleshov's Tower
Once inside, players will want to head up the stairs, but they might be blocked by two guards talking to a woman. In that case, wait in the small pantry until the guards come down and sit around the table.
After reaching the next floor, players who want to find Rosa's book should enter the room on the left. Knock out Lady Ofka, and the book is by the window with a red cover, it's called 
A Book of Humourous Anecdotes. If players only got the Maleshov Tower Key from a guard but no others, they should get the 
Maleshov Fortress Key from Lady Ofka.
Finding Sir Hans Capon
Lastly, players will want to head up the stairs to the highest floor and open the door on the left. If they acquired the Maleshov Chambers Key, then it will simply unlock. If not, they will need to lockpick it but be warned as it has a hard difficulty.
This will trigger a cutscene with Sir Hans Capon and a French knight.
Taking French Leave - Escaping Maleshov Castle In KCD2
Henry, Hans, and Vauquelin Brabant now need to escape Maleshov castle, but Hans has recently become claustrophobic and has no wish to escape through the narrow underground tunnel through which Henry entered the castle.
A secret option is to knock out Sir Hans from behind and escape through the secret tunnel as planned.
Obtaining Weapons For The Capon & Brabant
Sir Hans and his new French friend won't set off until Henry brings weapons for them. If players haven't already looted some from around the castle, swords can be found on the floor below.
There are plenty in the room where Lady Ofka should still be unconscious, and a 
Basilard in a chest in the adjoining room.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - How To Save Without Saviour Schnapps
Sometimes while playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, players will find themselves in situations where they have no Saviour Schnapps but need to save.
Out The Loud Way Or Quiet Way
After arming Hans and Brabant, players have a dialogue option. They can choose to rush to the horses together or to scout the route alone.
Those who choose to rush to the horses should expect a fight unless they move fast enough to stealth kill any guards in the way first. Once the party reaches the horses, Henry will need to go up to the main gate and open it.
If Hans or Vauquelin Brabant dies, it will count as a game-over!
If players instead choose to scout out the route, players could stealth kill guards or sneak past them. Once they reach the horses and the guard is disposed of or elsewhere on his rounds, light your torch to signal Capon and Brabant. When they arrive safely, open the main gate.
Finishing The Quest
From here, players simply need to ride with their fellow escapees and eventually, they will link up with some old friends from Rattay, triggering several cutscenes.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- February 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Warhorse Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
