"I entrust Eren Jaeger to the Survey Corps. However, depending on the results, we will meet here again..."
The judge's sentence echoed heavily in the air as the guards began to disperse the crowd. Finally, we were out of that bothersome place — though this new location could prove to be equally, or perhaps even more, annoying.
Around me, the world's foremost experts in titan combat conversed calmly, as if what had just transpired in the courtroom had been nothing more than a formality.
"We apologize..." Erwin Smith said, addressing Eren with the same indifference he had shown during the trial. "However, thanks to this, we managed to convey your true intentions—and your true self—to the general and other influential figures."
Eren, still recovering from Levi's blows, nodded with a bit more composure. "I see... I understand..."
"Although we nearly ran out of cards to play at the right moment, so your pain wasn't in vain. It was worth it." Erwin extended a hand toward Eren, a faint smile—a rarity on his face—appearing. "I admire you, Eren Jaeger. From now on, we're counting on you."
Eren hesitated for a moment before taking Erwin's hand. Although his expression still reflected some fear, there was a budding determination in his eyes. "Yes... And I'll count on you too," he finally said, shaking Erwin's hand firmly.
While they exchanged words, I decided to interrupt their little moment. "I get that you need to talk, but... what am I doing here?"
Erwin turned to me, his calculating and penetrating gaze fixed on my face. "There's no need to play dumb with us," he said calmly. "Using your report to push Mikasa into defending Eren, putting her in a suspicious situation, and as a result, making Eren lose his temper to demonstrate that we can control him... Not just anyone would come up with something like that."
I let out a small sigh, keeping my expression unchanged. "You're giving me too much credit. My report told the truth. I just didn't think too much about it..."
Erwin narrowed his eyes, clearly not fully believing me. "And don't think we didn't notice how the rumors about Eren spread to that level."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I responded without hesitation. "Rumors were to be expected, though I suppose they spread faster than usual. Maybe some noble with an interest in the situation was responsible."
"Don't be modest," added Levi, crossing his arms as he glanced at me. "Coming up with a plan that lets me beat up an annoying brat is better than any strategy Erwin could make."
"That's a strange compliment coming from you, Captain," I replied dryly, not bothering to hide my indifference.
Erwin intervened again, adjusting his seat as if he hadn't heard our brief exchange. "Kiyotaka Ackerman, we're counting on you to give 100% for the Survey Corps."
"Yeah, yeah... I'll do my best," I dismissed him quickly, not giving it much importance.
At that moment, Levi, with his usual nonchalance, sat down next to Eren, startling him immediately.
"S-Sir...!!" stammered Eren, instinctively straightening up.
"Do you hold a grudge against me?" Levi asked bluntly, his tone neutral but with a hint of challenge.
Eren hesitated but finally managed to respond with a tense voice. "No, I understand it was necessary..."
"Then we're good," Levi concluded, as if the matter was already settled.
"BUT there are limits to everything!" interrupted Hange suddenly, indignation lighting up her face as she approached, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "You knocked out one of his teeth, Levi!"
"Look," Levi responded disinterestedly, shrugging. "It's better than being dissected."
"Eren, let me see your mouth," said Hange without waiting for a response, leaning in far too close for anyone's comfort.
Reluctantly, Eren opened his mouth, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.
"Eh...!!" Hange exclaimed suddenly, leaning even closer. "He's growing a new tooth! Amazing!"
So regeneration... I thought silently. Another problematic factor that further complicated the situation.
Of the few things I wasn't taught in the White Room, horseback riding was one. Maybe that's why I enjoy it so much.
A solid fourth place in both worlds, right after yogurt, ice cream, and the piano. Of course, I haven't done those other things in this life, so by default, horseback riding takes the top spot.
"Finally... we've arrived."
Ahead of us loomed an ancient structure, something that must have been impressive in its time but now seemed consumed by neglect and the passage of time.
"The Survey Corps' headquarters," announced a blond man with a peculiar tone full of arrogance. "The complex is just an old remodeled castle, but you know, tastes are subjective."
His words hung heavily in the air, as if merely stating the obvious were a sign of intellectual brilliance. "A headquarters in a place so far from the walls and rivers... It ended up being something useless and annoying. This was from back when we had no grand aspirations, at the start of our formation as a group."
"However, this enormous decoration turned out to be the perfect place to lock you up."
If he keeps going... "Careful, you might bite your tongue," I murmured indifferently.
The comment went unnoticed by him, though not by the girl next to me, who gave me a silent look of apology.
"Don't get carried away by euphoria, rookie!" the man shouted smugly, ignoring me completely to continue pestering Eren. "Whether you're a titan or not, I don't know, but brats like you who smell like piss and try to stick to Captain Levi... I can't stand them—"
!!!!
This world is full of idiots.
......
Later, inside the castle, things didn't improve much.
"If you talk so much while riding a horse, you'll end up biting your tongue. It's obvious," Petra commented with an amused expression while brushing her horse.
Auruo, holding a damp cloth to his tongue to stop the bleeding, growled in annoyance. "It pissed me off how scared he was..."
"I think you scared him with your stupidity," Petra replied bluntly, earning a glare from him.
"Either way, it turned out just as I planned," Auruo boasted smugly.
Petra raised an eyebrow, incredulous. "Hey, didn't you stop talking like that a long time ago? If you're trying to imitate Captain Levi, please stop. You're nothing alike."
"How sweet of you," Auruo replied with mock indignation. "Are you trying to set my pace, Petra? You still haven't completed the procedure to call yourself my wife."
Petra looked at him with a mix of horror and resignation, as if she were already accustomed to his delusions.
This... Is this Levi's personal squad? Why do I have to be surrounded by such eccentric people? Although, judging by their demeanor and carelessness, it seems like regular titans wouldn't pose much of a problem for them. At least they should be able to handle Eren if something goes wrong.
Definitely better than being near Hange...
.............
Later, one of Levi's subordinates, Gunther Schultz, stops and looks inside the castle with a serious expression. "This place hasn't been used for a while, so it's a bit abandoned."
Levi's face darkens. "That's a serious problem... let's get to work."
And so begins the true hell.
Clean, clean, clean, and clean again. Kitchen, hall, endless corridors, at least a dozen rooms... and that's just on the ground floor.
Sweat runs down my forehead as I wipe a dusty table. Petra hums a soft tune to distract herself from the fatigue, while Auruo keeps complaining about having to get his hands dirty.
I pause for a second and take in the scene. Who would have thought that in the middle of a war for humanity's survival, cleaning would be a priority?
But Levi doesn't seem willing to tolerate even a speck of dust.
His orders are clear and firm. And although they won't admit it, everyone follows him without too much protest.
Time at the castle passes slowly, and although the monotony of physical work could have been unbearable for a normal person, it isn't for me. Since childhood, I learned to endure tedious tasks without letting my mind wander too much. Cleaning the place, though exhausting, becomes an opportunity to observe the members of the Levi Squad more closely.
Petra seems to be the heart of the group, always kind and smiling despite the circumstances. Her energy is contagious, even if I'm not the type of person who gets swept up in those emotions. As she hums a soft melody while cleaning the windows, I notice how she tries to keep the team's spirits up.
Auruo, on the other hand, is all pretense. His obsession with imitating Levi is both pathetic and comical. From his dry tone, the scarf around his neck, to the way he crosses his arms, everything seems taken from a manual on "how to be Levi."
"Are you going to keep making that face, rookie?" Auruo says as he drops the dirty cloth on the table without bothering to finish his task. "Or do you think you're better than us?"
"Sorry... I was just thinking," I reply without even looking at him, continuing my work.
Petra, hearing the exchange, lets out a soft laugh. "You should learn from Kiyotaka; it's his first day, and he seems to know the place better than you."
The comment elicits an indignant expression from Auruo, who crosses his arms brusquely. "I don't need lessons, especially not from someone who hasn't even cleaned half of what I did."
Petra gives him a skeptical look. "Half? You've barely moved that cloth since we started."
Gunther and Eld, who were busy cleaning near the kitchen, approach to watch the little spectacle. Eld, calm and reasonable, shakes his head with an ironic smile. "It's amazing we've survived this long with you two arguing like that."
Levi appears at that moment, moving with the efficiency of someone used to everything working perfectly. Without saying a word, he examines the room with his critical gaze.
"Kiyotaka," he calls in his usual dry and authoritative tone.
"Yes, Captain?"
His eyes move to the area I was cleaning. "Your work is perfect. You're in charge of cleaning from now on."
"I'm sorry, Captain... Petra took care of this spot; I was just passing by," I lie quickly, earning a horrified look from her.
Petra blinks in surprise, placing a hand on her chest as if she'd just been stabbed in the back. "What?! But I barely cleaned that part..." she tries to justify herself, her voice trembling.
Levi, with his imperturbable expression, fixes his gaze on her. "Oh, really? Then from now on, you're responsible for everything, Petra."
"Wait, Captain! That's not fair!" Petra protests desperately.
Auruo lets out a mocking laugh, crossing his arms. "Look, Petra, no need to lie to help the rookie. How does it feel to be the favorite now?"
Gunther and Eld observe the scene, trying to contain their laughter, though their eyes sparkle with amusement.
"Stop complaining, Petra. Accept things as they are," Levi says, ending the conversation without leaving room for further protests.
Petra shoots me a reproachful look, muttering something inaudible. However, instead of getting truly angry, she seems more resigned than anything else.
......
Time at the castle slides by slowly, each day just as monotonous, marked only by occasional conversations and the endless cleaning work.
"It's been several days since we were ordered to wait, right?" Erd Gin, the blond with a ponytail, comments as he crosses his arms with a relaxed air.
"I've heard they're planning a long-range expedition in 30 days," he adds casually.
"They might also quickly incorporate the newly graduated cadets from this generation," he adds as if it were no big deal.
Gunther frowns, clearly more concerned. "Erd, are you sure about that? That's not something they can decide lightly."
"Although, come to think of it," he continues, "in the recent titan attack, the rookies responded pretty well."
"They probably wet their pants," Auruo says bluntly, earning a disapproving look from Petra.
"Captain, is that true?" Petra asks, worried, seeking confirmation from Levi.
Levi shrugs with his usual indifference. "I'm not in charge of strategy planning. You should ask this dead-eyed kid," he says, pointing at me without a shred of subtlety.
Everyone suddenly looks at me, expecting answers I have no interest in giving.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any information," I reply calmly. "There's someone else in charge of everything and surely has a lot to think about."
"Erwin," Gunther murmurs in understanding.
Erd sighs, a tone of weariness in his voice. "Certainly, the circumstances here are different from normal. If we think about the route to reclaim Wall Maria, which progressed through so many sacrifices, everything went blank after the attack... and now we face a completely different hope."
A brief silence falls over us, broken only by the soft sound of the wind against the castle's old walls.
"What I still don't get is... how does that titan transformation even work, Eren?" Erd finally asks, curious.
Eren shifts uncomfortably, clearly unwilling to answer, but he tries anyway. "I don't remember much from those moments, but... when it happens, I don't think about anything," he says, looking at his hands. "But when the opportunity arises, I hurt myself, and then..." He brings a hand near his mouth. "Now that I think about it... how do I even know I have to do that?"
Levi sighs with exasperation. "I suppose you know this already, but you shouldn't talk beyond what's in the reports," he says sternly. "Although... well, I doubt that the other one will keep quiet for long."
"The other one... who?" Eren asks, confused.
I immediately shudder visibly, anticipating the inevitable.
"GOOD EVENING!!!"
An energetic and boisterous voice fills the castle as Hange Zoë suddenly appears, her smile shining even in the dim light. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Levi Squad! Doesn't this castle make you feel at home?"
Levi sighs in exhaustion. "This woman..."
"Squad Leader Hange," Eren says quietly.
"I'm in charge of researching live specimens using the two titans we captured at Trost!" Hange announces with overflowing enthusiasm. "I came to get permission for you to help with tomorrow's experiments, Eren!"
"Experiments? And why me?" Eren asks, bewildered.
"Because we have someone who makes us boil to the max!" Hange declares, completely flushed with excitement.
"But what...?" Eren stammers, even more lost.
"Unfortunately, I don't have the power to give myself permission," Eren says, casting a glance at Levi.
"LEVI! What will Eren do tomorrow?"
Levi, without losing his typical composure, responds in a dry tone. "Clean the courtyard."
"Then YOU CAN! It's decided! Eren, I'm counting on you." Hange shakes his hand with boundless enthusiasm.
"Uh... Sure... although I don't understand what these experiments are about," Eren says, visibly confused.
Without a single word, the Levi Squad, including Levi and me, stand up in unison and begin to leave the room with firm steps, leaving Eren alone to face his fate.
As we walk down the hall, Gunther murmurs to himself, "No way I'm going through that again."
"Experimenting with titans? No thanks," Auruo adds with a grimace.
Even Petra, always optimistic, shakes her head in resignation. "Poor Eren..."
For my part, I can't help but think that anyone who willingly endures Hange's madness has a tolerance for suffering that surpasses even mine.
Sorry, Eren Yeager. I'll remember you.