On the road they encounter a splendidly armed knight, who is praying. Behind him is a retinue and Zbyszko spots a German knight and attacks him with his lance but the first knight, Povala of Tachev, stops him and reveals that he is in the King's service escorting the German envoy and states that Zbyszko has committed a criminal offence and makes him swear to appear before a Cracow court. Matsko tries to beg forgiveness from the German, Kuno von Lichtenstein, but he insists they bow down before him which the Polish knights refuse to do as it goes against their honour.