"You had the illusion of power, of resources, of access," David counters, because he's sure of it. If he'd had true power, then he would have set things changing. "One man can start a war, but one man cannot prevent one. Trust me. I've seen it so very many times."

Even assassinating someone starting a war didn't end it, because by the time they were truly starting one, the pieces were already falling. It took more than some rich kid to stop it. And David...

"Trust me, I know. I've lived a life where I did that. Did worse than that. I conquered almost my whole world in that life, Balthier. Played that it was democracy, but the people that wouldn't fall in line, I dealt with. For their own good, I said. For the sake of the world. For a better future."