We Surrender! (3K)

Nalant pretended not to notice their expressions and continued, "Of course, I'm not asking for your help for nothing. I'll reward you!"

"I've heard that when our Onyx Principality and your Northern Principality exchanged prisoners in past years, the ransom for baronial nobles was usually around five hundred gold coins!"

"Though you don't have titles yet, you are all the eldest heirs of your respective families. Your ransoms would certainly be higher than those of ordinary knights—at least worth over two hundred gold coins!"

"My original plan was to have each of your families pay three Green Sprites with more than eight years of lifespan as ransom. But if you're willing to help me persuade them to surrender, and successfully persuade the nobles inside the castle, then you'll only need to pay two sprites as ransom!"

"Moreover, the ransom can be reduced even further. For every three nobles you persuade to surrender for me, one sprite will be deducted from your ransom."

"In that case, perhaps none of you will have to pay even a single sprite before I release you!"

"Also, have you considered that this is actually helping the nobles of your Northern Principality? Once my Glory's Wrath takes the field, the losses will be extremely severe!"

Nalant directly laid out his terms.

The reason he was asking them to help persuade the others to surrender while offering them compensation was that the nobles of this world cared deeply about their pride.

If they helped Nalant persuade others to surrender for no reason, then after they were ransomed back, when they had to face these nobles again, they would very likely be scorned by the others.

After all, it was no big deal if you lost and were captured.

But if, after being captured, you helped the enemy