Throughout the European feudal era, capturing enemies alive rather than killing them could yield financial gain by allowing them to be ransomed to their families.

“There was great advantage throughout the feudal era in taking your enemies alive as opposed to killing them.”

“killing them because then you can ransom them back to their families and you can come out of that ahead in terms of at least financial gain in a way the Aztec model is it makes more sense because sacrificing your enemy means you'll never see him again whereas selling your enemy back to his family means he's up for round two and you might face off against the same guy across the future battlefield even kings the kings of France after the battles of Poitiers and Pavia were captured and then”