"Huh..." Gro was somewhat stunned. Richard's words were so blunt that they made him feel a little uncomfortable. But he knew that Richard was telling the truth. There are no free lunches in the world. Why should a person devote themselves to you without reason? Unless you offer something of equal value.
In fact, this was a relatively good outcome. After all, he was currently at a disadvantage, and Richard had not chosen to make an exorbitant demand by taking advantage of the situation but had instead opted for a relatively fair trade. Of course, even so, the list of materials and their quantities on the scroll were nontrivial.
This truly was a trade.
Gro pondered and then realized there weren't many options to choose from, since the current situation was either poverty or death.