Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

With Hans and Henry distracted, while the young master of Borgo was taking a bath, the quick-witted Richard—or rather, the handsome Charlie—came to report intelligence.

When he faced Peter again, the cynical smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a calm and capable demeanor.

"Boss," Charlie greeted in a low voice.

Peter looked up from behind a rough wooden table, a genuine smile spreading across his face. He walked over and patted Charlie on the shoulder forcefully. "Well done, Charlie! Did you receive the cross I asked Thomas to deliver?"

"Received. Thank you so much for your blessing."

Charlie said happily. Infiltrating the enemy camp, blending in, displaying his charm, and then extracting intelligence was the life he had always dreamed of. Before, when he was a bandit, he could only admire himself in front of a small mirror, but now, with Lord Peter's full support, he was able to realize part of his dream.

"My lord, this is intelligence from within the city and basic information about the Prague army."

Charlie took out a carefully rolled-up sketch drawn on tanned sheepskin from his pocket. It was covered with various symbols and little figures.

"The castle is empty." Charlie's voice was clear and calm. "The old count is very suspicious, Ulrich controls the day-to-day affairs, and his daughter Anna is quite fond of me... well, of my disguised identity. That's something we can use. The key is the troop strength—" He pointed to the sketch, "There are fewer than twenty standing guards, many of whom are soldiers who have experienced defeat and are demoralized. However, they are urgently recruiting vassals."

Peter's gaze turned serious: "When will the reinforcements arrive?"

"Six days at the fastest," Charlie said confidently. "Mainly the troops from Eisenberg and Khrushchev fiefs, totaling about six knights, with six leaders: the executive officer Goat-Head Hanko, Captain Busek Dub, Knight Jezek of Bor, Knight Olbram of Ojedzd, Knight Herman of Little Head, and Knight Florian, accompanied by thirty cavalry, two hundred heavy infantry, and one hundred archers."

"It's a considerable force..." Peter tapped his fingers lightly on the table, lost in thought. This intelligence was crucial.

"You did a great job, Charlie." Peter looked up again, his eyes filled with admiration. "You are the hero who guarded the camp in the shadows. What reward do you want?"

"No, sir, I don't need any reward. You have already given me the life I wanted most. Everything I have done is to repay your kindness."

Charlie was also an illegitimate child. He didn't know who his father was, but he always fantasized that he was the son of a nobleman and would one day enter high society. However, all he received from childhood was people's contempt. But he felt respect from Peter, something he had never received from those self-proclaimed noble lords.

Peter thought for a moment and said, "You are the Knight in the Shadows. From today onwards, you are promoted to deputy leader of the intelligence team, concurrently serving as the head of the public relations class, with the authority to continue developing your downline. Also, kneel down!"

Charlie's eyes lit up, and he immediately knelt on one knee and lowered his head.

Peter drew his sword and placed it on the man's shoulder, reciting: "Not all heroes stand in the light. Some, even walking in the shadows, can light the way for those who follow. In the name of Peter Griffin, I bless you."

While reciting, Peter opened Charlie's character panel, added attribute points to him, and leveled up his negotiation and persuasive skills.

A warm current instantly flowed through Charlie's body, making him almost cry out in pleasure. Feeling his body grow stronger, he once again expressed his gratitude to Peter.

"Ding! Handsome Charlie's loyalty +5"

..........

Charlie deeply understood that Peter's recognition, trust, and blessing were more precious than any monetary reward.

"Sir, how much ransom do you want from that good-for-nothing Yangbolgao? I'll definitely whisper in his ear and make him agree to this amount."

Charlie and Peter communicated beforehand to coordinate their efforts during the formal negotiations.

Medieval nobles were very united in their class consciousness. Even when they were fighting each other on the battlefield, the noble class had a set of "rules of the game" that they all followed, which protected the overall interests and dignity of the class.

This "rule of the game" is largely reflected in the ransom.

The ransom system for medieval nobles was a microcosm of the prevailing concept of war: war was a game between nobles, not a matter of life and death for families. The lives and freedoms of nobles and knights were considered quantifiable assets. Capturing important figures was one of the quickest ways to amass wealth in war, sometimes even more directly than conquering cities and territories.

The amount of ransom was not a fixed figure, but rather the result of a comprehensive assessment based on the captive's identity, status, wealth, and the specific circumstances at the time. Essentially, it was a quantification of "future gains" and "social status".

The amount of ransom varies greatly and depends entirely on "who you are".

In 1192, Duke Leopold V of Austria captured Richard I, the "Lionheart," King of England. Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI subsequently intervened, demanding a ransom of 15 marks (approximately 10 pounds of silver), equivalent to two years' income for the British royal family at the time.

In the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, King John II of France was captured by Edward the Black Prince of England. The English demanded a ransom of 300 million gold écues. This sum was more than twice the annual income of the French royal family. To raise the money, France had to levy a general poll tax for the first time, which was paid in installments. John II himself eventually died in English captivity.

In the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, many French nobles were captured. The ransom for a count ranged from 1 to 3 gold écues, while that for an ordinary knight was usually between several hundred and several thousand silver coins.

所以，赎金被设定为其年收入的1-3倍是宽容的，4-6倍是合理，7-10倍是苛刻并带有惩罚性质的。

Peter said, "The Troskii territory generates about 5000 Groschens a year. I previously negotiated a more lenient amount with Thomas: 15000 Groschens to redeem Yampolgo, thus gaining Thomas's trust. But now that the old count is back, this trick will be easily seen through. So we'll do the opposite; I'll demand 10 times the amount, with a punitive element. And you'll be in charge of mediating, and you can ultimately negotiate the price down to 8 times."

"Yes, sir. Von Polgao has other territories, and with his wealth, he can certainly afford it. He won't be too stingy for his only son. It's just that the old man also wants to ransom Blackbatos and Istvan..."

"Black Bartosh and Istvan are not negotiable. One is brave, the other cunning. If we release them, it will only strengthen their forces and cause more casualties among our comrades. I won't consider any amount of money." Peter shook his head in refusal, then continued, "I will find a way to keep Sir Hans Capone and his squire Henry, so that you can be fully in charge of the negotiations, thereby gaining more trust from Yampolgao. Afterwards, you need to work harder to build a relationship with that young master."

This trick might not work against a seasoned count, but it's very effective against the naive young master Borgo.

"I will, sir." Handsome Charlie, who was quite adept at befriending playboys, said, "But now that the Earl is back, Yangboer's power will be taken back. Even if we get on good terms with him, it probably won't be of much help to our operations."

Peter chuckled and patted Charlie on the shoulder, saying, "Think long-term. The young master will become the head of the family sooner or later, won't he?"

"You mean?" Handsome Charlie's eyes lit up.

Peter raised his hand to urge him down, indicating that he had no intention of killing the old count and paving the way for the young master. "Based on my estimation, even if the young master is redeemed, the old count will definitely send his son back to Prague as soon as possible to avoid this place that is about to become a battlefield, in order to preserve the family's only heir."

"So you want me to go to Prague with you?"

Charlie seemed to understand something. He felt a mix of longing for his hometown and his current companions, and a yearning for the bustling capital.