You’ve probably spent hours scrubbed clean in Kuttenberg or getting your head bashed in by a random peasant with a mace. But then comes "Back in the Saddle." It’s the seventh main quest in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, and honestly, it’s where the game finally stops holding your hand and starts testing if you’ve actually been paying attention to the world around you.
Most people treat this as a simple "A to B" escort mission. You follow Sir Hans Capon. You ride to Nebakov Fortress. You wait for a meeting to end. Simple, right?
Not exactly. If you just skip time for six hours while Hans is talking to Jaromier, you are leaving some of the best storytelling and a literal trophy on the table. This quest is a masterclass in environmental storytelling that Warhorse Studios is famous for. It’s not just about getting back on a horse; it’s about realizing that in 15th-century Bohemia, nothing is ever what it seems on the surface.
The Nebakov Fortress Secret You’re Probably Stepping Over
When you arrive at Nebakov with Hans, the vibe is... off. It’s subtle. Michael, the Adjutant, is a bit too pushy with his questions. The blacksmith, Steer, doesn't want your help with fortifications, which is weird for a guy in a border fortress.
If you want to find the truth, you have to stop being a "good soldier" and start being a bit of a rat. There is a missable achievement called Old Raven. To get it, you need to find the real Lord of Nebakov.
Basically, the guys running the place? They’re bandits. They’ve pulled off a medieval identity theft.
How to uncover the Nebakov coup
- Find the Key: Head to the upper yard near the dice table. Go up the stairs to the palisades and look for a metal door. Inside, there’s a table with the "Nebakov jail key." You’ll need to lockpick the inner door (it’s Easy difficulty) to grab it.
- The Jail Break: Go back down and find the wooden door in the corner, right under where you just were.
- The Confrontation: Inside, you’ll find a prisoner. Talk to him. It turns out he’s the actual Lord Nebak.
Finding him changes everything. It adds specific dialogue options later when you report back to Otto von Bergow. If you miss this, you’re basically just Hans Capon's glorified bodyguard for the afternoon, blissfully unaware that you’re surrounded by killers in stolen tabards.
💡 You might also like: Marvel Rivals Emma Frost X Revolution Skin: What Most People Get Wrong
Why Back in the Saddle in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is the Ultimate Bromance Test
We need to talk about Hans. In the first game, he was a spoiled brat. In the sequel, he’s still a brat, but he’s your brat.
The ride from Trosky Castle to Nebakov is where the Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 romance system really kicks into gear. If you’re playing Henry as someone who catches feelings for the young Lord, this quest is your first big "make or break" moment.
When Hans is venting about his brush with the hangman’s noose, he’s vulnerable. He’s scared. You’ll get a dialogue option with a heart icon: "I care about you." Choose it.
Honestly, the chemistry between Tom McKay (Henry) and Luke Dale (Hans) is the best thing about this game. If you stick through the optional dialogue on the road rather than skipping, you gain massive reputation with him. He’ll even challenge you to a race. Win it, and you walk away with 55 Groschen. Lose it, and you just get a bruised ego.
But the real "Back in the Saddle" reward isn't the money. It’s the setup for the "Italian Job" and "Hunger and Despair" quests later on, where that "I care about you" line starts to pay off in much more intimate ways.
Dealing with Kabat and Your New Horse
Before you even leave Trosky, you have to talk to a guy named Kabat at the stables. He’s the "hired hand" type. He’s going to show you a new horse named Herring.
📖 Related: Finding the Right Words That Start With Oc 5 Letters for Your Next Wordle Win
Now, look. I know we all love Pebbles. Pebbles is a legend. But Herring has significantly better base stats.
You have a choice here that feels very "Warhorse." You can take Herring and leave Pebbles behind, or you can stay loyal to your old nag. If you keep Pebbles, Kabat offers to sell Herring to some nomad traders and split the cash with you.
- The Pro Move: Convince him to give you a bigger cut. You can walk away with 600 Groschen just for saying "no" to a better horse.
- The Practical Move: Take Herring. The road to Nebakov is long, and having a horse that doesn't get winded after ten seconds of galloping makes the race with Hans much easier.
Don't forget to equip your horse gear. Pressing the right buttons in the inventory to move your saddles and bridles from your person to the horse is a step half the players forget, and then they wonder why Henry is walking like he’s carrying a literal house.
Reporting to Otto von Bergow: The Consequences of Your Mouth
Once you finish up at Nebakov—hopefully after winning an archery contest against Mark and a duel with Michael—you head back to Trosky. This is where the quest actually "tests" your detective work.
Otto von Bergow is going to grill you. He wants to know what you saw.
This isn't just flavor text. What you say here ripples into the next few quests, specifically "Necessary Evil."
👉 See also: Jigsaw Would Like Play Game: Why We’re Still Obsessed With Digital Puzzles
If you found the real Lord Nebak in the jail, tell Otto. He needs to know the fortress has been compromised. But be careful about mentioning the wedding at the Semine estate. If you bring up that Jan Semine left his own wedding early, Otto gets suspicious.
Sharing that one detail can lead to a massacre later where you might have to kill a man named Hashek or watch his men burn a whole estate to the ground. It’s one of those moments where being too honest actually makes the world a worse place.
Actionable Tips for Mastering the Quest
To get the most out of this chapter, don't just rush the markers.
- Check the Chest: In the courtyard before you leave Trosky, Chamberlain Ulrich points you to a chest. Take everything. It’s not just your old gear; there’s a Riding Waffenrock and a Saxon Hauberk in there. They are massive upgrades for your defense at this stage of the game.
- The Archery Trick: When racing Hans or competing with Mark, remember that the "sway" in KCD 2 is tied to your Stamina and Strength. If you’re hungry or tired, your aim will be trash. Eat some of Michael's free food at the fortress before you start the contests.
- Romance Tracking: If you want the Hans romance, you cannot miss the heart icons in this quest. Missing one here doesn't totally lock you out, but it makes the "Hunger and Despair" finale much harder to trigger.
- Save Before the Report: Before you talk to von Bergow at the end, drink a Savior Schnapps. The dialogue tree is huge, and if you accidentally trigger the "bad" outcome for the Semine estate, you’ll want a way to walk it back.
"Back in the Saddle" is really about Henry finding his footing as more than just a messenger. Whether you're uncovering a fortress coup or just trying to win a race against your best friend, the choices you make here define the middle act of the game.
Next Step: Check your inventory for Konrad's Diary if you have it from a previous side quest. Giving this to Otto during your report earns you an extra 200 Groschen and a massive reputation boost that makes the later Kuttenberg chapters much smoother.