...Is a Friend Indeed

...Is a Friend Indeed is a side quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Henry assists his friends Fritz and Matthew at their job after they have a spat with their boss.

Background

I got Fritz and Matthew a new job at a mill. Now it's time to find out how they're getting on.

Simple walkthrough

• Find out how Fritz and Matthew are getting along
  • Talk to Matthew
  • Talk to Fritz
• Sort out Fritz and Matthew's problems with Old Thomas
  • Negotiate peace at the mill
    • Talk to Matthew
  • Arrange a fight with Old Thomas
    • Get ready for the fight
    • Get ready for the ambush
  • Tell Fritz and Matthew the bad news
    • Talk to Matthew

Detailed walkthrough

Several days after finding them work in A Friend In Need..., Henry travels to the Ledetchko Mill to see how Fritz and Matthew are getting on. Miller Oliver will tell him that the duo seem to work well when he is there, not when Old Thomas the foreman is supervising them. Strangely, Thomas claims that it's only because he's put in a good word for them that the Miller keeps them around.

Fritz and Matthew complain about Thomas

Getting your friends' point of view

Speak to Matthew, who will tell Henry that nothing they do seems to be good enough for Thomas. Instead, he is always complaining they are too slow, too lazy, and their work is inferior. Irritatingly, the mill does need a lot of work, and Matthew even enjoys being there, but Thomas is so arrogant and incompetent that he ruins the deal. Matthew therefore suggests that Henry speak to Thomas on their behalf, since he previously convinced the people at the mill to hire his friends. However, he advises against wasting time talking to the Miller, as he will always side with Thomas.

Fritz too is sick of Thomas. The latter threw him in the river after an argument, even though Fritz cannot swim. Fritz is much less subtle about his plans than Matthew, and thinks that beating up the foreman would be a better approach. He also remarks that Thomas often goes off to play dice with Laurence "The Wren", a millhand at the Budin mill.

Negotiating with Thomas

The quickest way to resolve the issue is to speak to Thomas. He is concerned that Henry's friends have bad intentions towards Jane, and that they are taking advantage of the Miller's generosity by not doing the work properly. Tell him that if he could see his way to giving Fritz and Matthew a few extra groschen, and stop yelling at them for a while, they can complete the necessary work at the mill and be on their way. Thomas agrees, but adds the condition that the two are also to stop talking up Jane. Matthew will be upset at being forced to leave soon, and even moreso at being forbidden from talking to Jane, but he nevertheless thanks Henry and gives him 175 .

Beating up Thomas

Henry, Fritz and Matthew beat up Thomas

The player may also beat up Thomas in three different ways. The first involves an ambush. Tell Thomas that Laurence wants to meet for a game of dice. Afterwards, go to Fritz and tell him that you have arranged an ambush. Matthew is not best pleased with the idea, but agrees to come along. At 18:00, the player may tell Fritz they are ready to head out. The three will attack and beat up Thomas in the woods when he leaves for the Budin mill. He will agree to treat his workers better, and Matthew will give the player 175 .

The second method involves provoking the foreman into a group brawl. Insult Thomas by calling him the town fool, and agree on a meeting place to sort the issue with fists. Thomas agrees to bring two of his friends and says to meet at the nearby quarry. At 17:00, the player may tell Fritz they are ready to head out. Travel to the designated spot just west of Ledethcko and fight Thomas and his two friends. Once again, Matthew will give the player 175 once the situation is resolved.

The Miller and Thomas

The third method is to provoke Thomas and beat him up one-on-one. If the player talks to the Miller first, he will let slip that he knows Thomas is not much of a miller, more loyal than competent. Taunt Thomas about the Miller's confession and he will attack in a fury. Win the fight and he will leave the mill. Fritz is annoyed that he could not thrash Thomas himself, but Matthew is satisfied, and gives Henry the 175 .

Investigating Thomas

The final option is to investigate the suspicious circumstances around the mill. Speak to the Miller after exhausting Matthew's dialogue about the mill, and he will share how his son Martin - the previous foreman - died while transporting some goods with Thomas. The two were traveling by themselves when the wagon overturned, and by the time Thomas got help, it was too late for Martin. Since then, the mill has had a terrible time keeping workers. The Miller believes young men are simply lazy, so while Martin was too soft on them, Thomas's stricter treatment naturally drove them off. But oddly enough, even Jane's sweetheart left the mill, despite the fact she is of marriageable age and stands to inherit the whole mill.

The Miller wont hear a word against Thomas

The Miller will become upset if the player implies that Thomas may be driving the workers away intentionally to inherit the mill for himself, and will refuse to speak on the issue further. At this point, Jane will reach out to Henry since she overheard the conversation. Although she cannot help directly, she agrees that Thomas is likely driving people off on purpose. Additionally, she corroborates the Miller's account of Martin's death, while adding that somebody even stole a scarf from Martin's body, the same one that Jane once gave him.

Incriminating Thomas

Jane realizes what Thomas has done

Talk to Thomas after hearing Jane's story. His account will not fully align with what the Miller and Jane have previously told Henry, and if asked about Martin's scarf, he will simply say it must have been lost in the accident. At this point, the player may steal a grubby scarf Thomas was secretly carrying around with him. Henry realizes this must be the same scarf stolen from Martin - clear evidence that Thomas was involved in his death, as a means to getting control of the mill by marrying Jane.

If the player tells Thomas they know what he has done, he desperately claims that Martin gave him the scarf to seal their deal about taking care of the mill and his sister. This directly contradicts his previous story of the scarf being lost in the incident. Threaten to reveal his secret to either demand he leave the mill, or order him to leave Fritz and Matthew alone. The player may also blackmail Thomas for 175 (or another 225 ), but he will attack if they tell him they will snitch on him anyway. Additionally, blackmailing Thomas will not resolve this quest, as that will not actually help Fritz and Matthew. The player will therefore need to attempt one of the solutions proposed by either of Henry's friends.

If the player instead gives Jane the grubby scarf, she will take it and confront Thomas, who will immediately flee. Go back and tell Fritz that the problem is solved, and Thomas will not be bothering them again.

Strategies

• If the player opts to ambush Thomas, they must correct him that Peshek is from Rattay and name drop "The Wren". Otherwise, he will become suspicious.
• When speaking to Matthew, the dialogue option I'd never have guessed it is required to initiate the investigation of Thomas. Otherwise, the player will not be able to talk with the Miller about Martin.
• The player may retrieve the scarf from Thomas either by knocking him out or pickpocketing him.
  • Pickpocketing the scarf from Thomas is easiest at night. If the player's pickpocketing is underdeveloped, they may wish to use a Padfoot potion to help.
  • Knocking out Thomas without being caught is harder. It is recommended to try this while he is sleeping or while he is by himself in either the mill or the pantry.
  • Thomas will not aggro onto the player once awakened, though his reputation will still drop for being attacked.
• Convincing Thomas to leave the mill with the scarf will require a Speech check. Failing this will fail the quest and get Henry in trouble with the law for stealing.

Notes

• This quest is time sensitive and will fail after a few days (less than a week). 
• Killing Thomas at any point during or before the quest will fail it.
• The player can still tell Jane they found the scarf even after returning it to Thomas, but without proof, she cannot do anything about it.
• Giving Thomas back the scarf will make it unattainable, even if the player accesses his inventory again via knocking him out or pickpocketing him.
• The scarf will remain in the player's inventory if they persuade Thomas to leave in exchange for not snitching on him. The player will not have the option to speak to Jane and give her the scarf afterwards.