Should you burn or save Maleshov in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (Dancing with the Devil quest)

The Dancing with the Devil quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 forces you to make an important decision, as Maleshov’s fate lies entirely in your hands.

During the quest, the Dry Devil will give you a hard decision to make. If you let him burn Maleshov, you’ll have the blood of many innocent villagers on your hands. While you can refuse to do so, it will seal the fate of your beloved comrades.

Let’s take a look at what happens with both outcomes, which will help to narrow down your choice.

What happens if you burn Maleshov in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

When you arrive at Maleshov, the Dry Devil kills a peasant and supplies you with torches to burn down the village. He believes that doing so is necessary to draw out the soldiers from the castle to save themselves during the assault.

If you choose to side with Dry Devil, select “Yes, the trap must be sprung” This action will be followed by Maleshov burning down as Henry tries to save as many peasants as possible. The soldiers will be drawn out from the castle, allowing you to ambush and eliminate them.

Naturally, the castle will be a lot more empty once you have killed the soldiers. At a later stage, you’ll encounter Istvan Toth in your dreams. You’ll find yourself in Maleshov, which is in a ravaged stage, and Istvan will accuse you of being the same as him.

What happens if you refuse to burn Maleshov

To reject the Dry Devil’s suggestion, select “No, I won’t murder the innocent“. This will directly put you up against Dry Devil in a direct duel. If you fail to defeat him, Maleshov will burn. If you defeat him, the next stage of your assault begins. You’ll be forced to take a stealth-based approach as there will be plenty of guards in the castle.

Interestingly, this method doesn’t have too many casualties, as Dry Devil warned. No named characters die with your action, and only a few mercenaries might get killed. The final sequence concludes with you trying to persuade Von Bergow to leave the tower or you having to assault it. Either way, Maleshov will be spared of its misfortune if you choose to refuse the Dry Devil.

I chose to spare Maleshov. This decision made my quest harder, but I play my video games with conscience, and so should you.