[ Sylvain just gives a dry laugh at that and takes another long sip, suddenly wishing it held something stronger than just water. ]

Yeah, Crests have something to do with it. The war is another part, though. Neither are very tempting reasons to want to go back. But I suppose, in some ways, they're more tied up together than I realized. Sort of.

[ He makes a face, because between Linhardt and Claude, they'd dumped a lot of new information here that he was still trying to make sense of. None of which he'd known back home. None of them had. He didn't even know if that knowledge would have made any difference or not, had they possessed it. It wouldn't have changed Dimitri's thirst for vengeance any. Wouldn't have stopped the grim reality of the Empire pushing their way further and further north, either by subterfuge, betrayal, or sheer force. ]

I don't think I could go back and pretend none of this happened. It's too late now. And what I know now... [ He stops, scrapes his hand over his face, before huffing out a humorless laugh. ] Goddess. I'd have to make choices that would either end up with me betraying everything I've ever known and being labeled a traitor or... I don't know, probably dying, I guess.

[ He glances over to shoot Steve a rueful grin and a wince of apology. ] Not great options either way, really.