After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 80

Chapter 80: Negotiation Settlement

“Yeah, I have no objections from my side. I’ll return and show these conditions to the soldiers, gather those willing to surrender, and make them surrender.”

Contrary to what I expected of tough negotiations, Prince Maximilian accepted our surrender terms without requesting any modifications, swallowing them whole in one go.

“Is it really okay to settle so easily?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t possess sophisticated negotiation skills. Besides, we’re the ones who suffered a crushing defeat… I think the terms are not just fair but rather lenient. I believe we should conclude it before your mood changes.”

Indeed, the surrender terms I, or rather, mostly I drafted were quite lenient “towards the soldiers.” Conversely, they were strict towards the officers, who mostly comprised nobles.

Firstly, we would make “everyone” into slaves. Whether noble or commoner, officer or common soldier, they would all be reduced to the same status. In this world’s wars, it’s common for ransom to be paid for noble prisoners of war to return to their homeland, but we declared that we wouldn’t accept any ransom… meaning even those of noble or wealthy backgrounds couldn’t avoid becoming slaves.

However, even though they would be slaves, they would receive sufficient support for food, clothing, shelter, and medical care from the kingdom to maintain their health, and they would also receive a small wage. Of course, since there’s no slavery system in present-day Belzenbrücke, and there are no laws related to its treatment, their safety in terms of their bodies and possessions would be jointly protected by the nation and the lords, just like commoners. The only difference from commoners would be the lack of freedom of movement and the obligation to work, making it a very lenient form of slavery. Well, this is necessary to ensure they happily engage in pioneering work.

Furthermore, if slaves find a soulmate among themselves, they would be allowed to marry, and if they have children among themselves, those children would be treated as Belzenbrücke commoners. Eventually, those who were recognized as having diligently worked without rebellion for ten years would be allowed to choose between returning home upon completion of their term or settling permanently as Belzenbrücke commoners.

Additionally, Princess Beatrice would be the “master” of all slaves, and there would be no transfer of ownership allowed. We explicitly stated that, despite being slaves, there would be no buying or selling. This was also a declaration that we wouldn’t change the favorable conditions we offered them until their liberation.

“It’s quite generous to forgive them after ten years of serious work, even though they couldn’t complain even if they were sold off to heathens in the west and used until they died of exhaustion. Furthermore, the fact that nobles will be treated the same without exception is highly appreciated. The soldiers will surely accept it gladly, but…”

“The noblemen officers might resist due to that, right?”

Responding to the slightly hesitant prince, Beatrice interjected.

“That’s right. High-ranking noble children naturally believe that as long as their families pay ransom, they can return home without any problems… They’ll probably cause quite a ruckus once they find out.”

Yes, I was worried about that too. For these nobles, they probably don’t care much about how commoner soldiers are treated… as long as they themselves can return home safely to their territories. If told to work equally alongside commoners for ten years, they might explode in anger.

“In that case, do you request changes to the terms? To release those who can pay an appropriate ransom?”

“Let’s not do that. If we were to deem this war a criminal act, the main culprits would be the royal and noble families, and the commoners were just following orders and got dragged into it. I believe we should at least shoulder the responsibility together.”

“Does that mean, Prince Maximilian, that you are also willing to accept the same treatment?”

When I, quite surprised, interjected, the prince looked a bit flustered for a moment but then broke into a broad grin.

“Ah, you’re the rumored… the fiancé of the princess, right? They say you’re not just a rare breed of stud but also the royal family’s brain. So, these terms were your idea, huh?”

“Well… yes. But, Your Highness, are you okay with not being able to return home? I think the empire would provide ransom for the first prince, right?”

The prince didn’t break his smile, but he let out a sigh.

“I might pay a small sum, but I’ll never pay a ransom suitable for a royal. Even if I’m the emperor’s eldest son, I have no value as a successor because I’m a male. Is treatment of males that light even in the empire…”

“It’s not as light as in the kingdom, but it’s similar. However, even if the emperor were to pay a ransom, I wouldn’t plan to return. If those in power don’t take responsibility and flee, no one will believe in this treaty anymore. To minimize the number of casualties who resist in vain, we need to get ordinary soldiers to agree. We need to say, ‘I’ll work hard alongside you, so let’s do this together.'”

I see, this prince is truly reasonable. Despite being the proposed marriage partner for Beatrice, which was the pretext for the war, I couldn’t be favorable towards this first prince. But… there’s no way this person would say such nonsense. Well, maybe he just mentioned the name.

First, let’s trust this friendly prince. When I glanced at him, Beatrice nodded subtly… It seems like she’s saying the “Spirit’s Eye” is also safe.