"So what do you say, Leo Skyshard? Do you find the terms of my surrender acceptable?" Dupravel asked, his eyes steady with expectation, but Leo found himself at a complete loss for how to respond.
On one hand, the offer was dangerously tempting, almost too good to pass up.
Gaining a slave like Dupravel could be a game-changer, not just for his own personal growth, but also for the security and stability it could bring to his immediate future.
However, the political fallout of such a decision couldn't be ignored. Presenting this arrangement to the Elders Council and the general public would be an uphill battle at best.
Accepting Dupravel instead of executing him might easily be twisted as a sign of weakness, or worse, as an act of sympathy towards the righteous faction.
And with the current tension in the Cult's internal structure, the optics of such a decision mattered more than ever.
