It's a fact that sits strangely with Bertolt, creeping up on him in quiet moments, unnoticed until he finds himself gazing at a field, or a forest, or a sunset that turns the distant mountains purple and blue. Paradis, the "Heaven" so many Eldians fear, is a gorgeous island. A place filled with so much natural beauty it sometimes takes Bertolt's breath away.
There's nothing like this in Liberio. Nothing like this on the battlefields they were sent to as newly minted Warriors, the foreign landscapes littered with trenches, mud, and blood. Maybe such places exist outside of Liberio, in other parts of Marley, but it isn't as though Bertolt has ever seen those with his own eyes. All he has for comparison are Liberio's gray streets and scenes of war.
It seems so peaceful here. It isn't, of course. Bertolt, Reiner, and Annie—they've brought more death and terror to this island than it knew in a century of isolation. But still, when Bertolt looks out over a forest painted the golds and reds of early autumn, he can't help but think it beautiful.
He pulls his eyes from the trees, adjusting his pack and glancing down at the compass in his hand to double-check its bearing. It wouldn't do to get lost out here. He and Reiner are near the top of their class, as is Annie, and they must ensure they stay there. Losing points because they messed up on a simple exercise would be both a setback and mildly humiliating. As it is, he and Reiner have made good time: they split from the rest of their team a few hours ago, pairs setting off to "explore" different areas before reuniting at a set location. It's intended to simulate a survival-slash-exploration mission outside of Paradis' walls. However…
"This exercise," Bertolt starts, looking over at Reiner. "It doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? Doing all of this in the daytime, I mean."
If they were really on a survival mission outside the walls, they'd be moving at night, not with the sun high in the sky.
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It's a fact that sits strangely with Bertolt, creeping up on him in quiet moments, unnoticed until he finds himself gazing at a field, or a forest, or a sunset that turns the distant mountains purple and blue. Paradis, the "Heaven" so many Eldians fear, is a gorgeous island. A place filled with so much natural beauty it sometimes takes Bertolt's breath away.
There's nothing like this in Liberio. Nothing like this on the battlefields they were sent to as newly minted Warriors, the foreign landscapes littered with trenches, mud, and blood. Maybe such places exist outside of Liberio, in other parts of Marley, but it isn't as though Bertolt has ever seen those with his own eyes. All he has for comparison are Liberio's gray streets and scenes of war.
It seems so peaceful here. It isn't, of course. Bertolt, Reiner, and Annie—they've brought more death and terror to this island than it knew in a century of isolation. But still, when Bertolt looks out over a forest painted the golds and reds of early autumn, he can't help but think it beautiful.
He pulls his eyes from the trees, adjusting his pack and glancing down at the compass in his hand to double-check its bearing. It wouldn't do to get lost out here. He and Reiner are near the top of their class, as is Annie, and they must ensure they stay there. Losing points because they messed up on a simple exercise would be both a setback and mildly humiliating. As it is, he and Reiner have made good time: they split from the rest of their team a few hours ago, pairs setting off to "explore" different areas before reuniting at a set location. It's intended to simulate a survival-slash-exploration mission outside of Paradis' walls. However…
"This exercise," Bertolt starts, looking over at Reiner. "It doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? Doing all of this in the daytime, I mean."
If they were really on a survival mission outside the walls, they'd be moving at night, not with the sun high in the sky.
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