41.2 Tangent

While the abandoned settlement was all but within our reach, we decided to set up camp just a ways away from the old walls of the village itself. We were currently in a small clearing surrounded by trees, of which most of them have either fallen over or were wholly chopped off or damaged.

"Wow... The collateral damage around here is extensive," I couldn't help but notice.

"The battle that ensued during our defense necessitated extreme force," Mathilde pointed out. "The Empire spares no expenses when it comes to destroying its enemies, whether collateral or environmental."

I couldn't help but agree with that. Somehow, just seeing all of this destruction made me feel a sense of melancholy at all of the lives that were wasted. The feelings of pressure that somehow bore down on me almost felt personal, as if I was the one that had to take responsibility for all of this...