I do not mind having a toll to pay for this route. I do agree with you about losing your subordinates in this route. The freedom is a bit more complicated as I wished for Roman to overcome her himself not by becoming a subordinate of opposing faction (I believe that is what you imply). For me the absence of this route is a turn off because by not having it lowers significance of other routes. It would highlight how pride destroys your surroundings and in the end it would highlight that you achieved nothing but petty revenge. Yk it would be interesting to experience such route along all others.
It was a semile. I acknowledged we are pawns at the start of the story. But we never really able to go past being pawns compared to chess where by reaching the end pawns can promote