The soldiers scattered in a rush. Most returned to their quarters, packed a few changes of clothes, and left the barracks.
Only a handful remained, at a loss over what to do. Riven was among them.
Ato let out a breath. Amistan truly deserved to be an officer; his ability to stir up emotions was formidable.
"Riven, do you really believe Noxus won't hold those deserters accountable?" Ato recalled Darius's description. On the battlefield, what he hated most was not the enemy, but deserters.
"The Empire only severely punishes deserters on the battlefield. It's also true that no one is held accountable before deployment. Haven't you noticed? When you joined the army, they only asked which city you came from, not which street or house you lived in."
"If they become deserters now, wouldn't that mean they've been eating and drinking for free in the army all this time?" Ato could not quite figure out what that old woman LeBlanc was plotting.
"Do you know, out of a hundred soldiers, how many actually become deserters during the period when they can?" Riven asked in return.
"I don't know... but if I had to guess, it'd be impressive if half came back. Anyone with decent sources could learn that the army uses this system. They could leave before the war starts—no one wants to go to the battlefield and die."
"You really aren't Noxian." Riven's tone was teasing. "The Royal Family has compiled statistics. On average, before each war begins, only three out of every hundred soldiers desert. So the Empire doesn't care about them."
"How could that be?" Ato could not understand it at all.
"Because to Noxians, becoming a deserter is worse than death."
"Once someone joins the army to serve the Empire, even if the Empire doesn't punish