Chapter 35

Expedition to Death

It has always been like this ever since he stepped into the position of a commander. They go to expeditions, and then when they were back in the Walls, he have piles of paper work to be done because of his absence during those expeditions. Same goes to Mike.

He scribbled another few words as he ensured himself that yes, he is able to get this work done by today.

Sometimes, he envied Hange that she has the skills to ignore those paper works and just dump it to Moblit.

"Look at what I made, Erwin!" shouted the devil as she banged the door to his office open and entered the room.

Erwin just grunted as he worked on his piles of killer paper works.

"Oh come on! Look at what I made! It will be a huge improvement to humanity!"

Erwin reluctantly looked up from the paper. He saw Hange holding a gun, posing to shoot using it.

"What."

"This gun is loaded with special bullets I called as Ditto! It has a strong sticking power! Look!"

And Hange shot a bullet to the wall on Erwin's right. The bullet shot out, and when it collided with the wall, a part of the wall was covered in a thick green substance.

Erwin's eyebrow twitched.

"And how will that," Erwin stressed the last word, "be a huge improvement to humanity?"

Hange gasped in horror. "It is! Can't you imagine what this little thing can do? We have greater chance on capturing Titans!"

"We don't even have enough man power to capture a 4m class Titan."

"So this Ditto will help! If we made Ditto bullets at the size of a canon ball, we can shoot it to the Titan's feet and made the Titan immobile, or maybe to their face to make it harder for them to detect or bite humans!"

"Whilst I do approve that this is a great asset, I still will not order the Scouting Legion to deliberately catch a Titan."

When Hange heard this, she looked like she was about to protest, but Erwin cut her in.

"Have you even thought of how we could keep the Titan immobile as we return to the Walls? Have you thought about how to return with the Titan without being attacked?"

Hange snapped her mouth shut. "Fine," she said, "but when I took care of those matters, you will give me the permission to order Titan Capture."

"Of course," Erwin said as he continued with his paper work, concluding that this conversation is closed. But after a moment of silent, he spoke up again, "Is there something that you need?"

Hange laughed sheepishly. "Well… there is this other matter, though it might be too much to ask."

Erwin raised an inquiring eyebrow. What is too much more to ask when she previously asked a Titan Capture?

"You see…" Hange started, "I am a scientist, and I invent things. I also do some research, but I would like other possible matter of research and other's opinion, and…"

Erwin's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as Hange started blabbering. He interrupted her before she got any further and said, "Just state what you want."

"Uh… I would like to create a research team."

"Isn't your apprentice and assistant enough?"

"No… Amanda is more for me to pass down my knowledge as inventor and Moblit is my aide in experimenting. This research team will focus more on discovering new things on the Titans."

Erwin nodded in understanding. "But the process to ask for approval from the Inner Walls will be hard and long. Is that fine?"

"Okay then. There is also another matter. Though it was much simpler than my previous requests, but it has been bothering me since the beginning."

Erwin sighed to his desk. Now what?

He took a sip from the cup of coffee that had been there for the past hour.

"Can I dissect Mike and see how his nose and brain works?"

His eyes widened as he choked on his coffee. He spluttered out, "W-what! No! You are not allowed to dissect any human in any way!"

Hange sent a goofy grin his way as she jumped out of the window. Her 3DMG buzzing as she went down the castle walls.

"Hange!" Erwin ran to the open window to see Hange swinging around the castle wall with her grapplers. "If you dissect Mike, I will ban all of your favorite foods for the rest of your life, even when you quit the Military, Hange!"

And Hange disappeared as he turned on one corner.

"… I do hope she won't do it…" Erwin mumbled, "But she might carry this on for her own amusement. It's better to warn Mike."

In the right moment, there was a knock on the door and in came Mike.

"Erwin, a mail from the Inner Wall came. The Scouting Legion is to patrol around the Walls and Districts."

Mike sniffed and raised a questioning eyebrow when Erwin didn't reply. Being Mike, his nose caught the scent of the room.

"Did Hange just come out? She just asked for another absurd thing, didn't she?"

Now Erwin understand why Hange would want to dissect Mike's nose. It was simply too sharp to be the nose of any humans! Add to the fact tha Hange is a scientist!

"Mike," Erwin said solemnly, "Watch out for Hange. She might do something weird to your nose."

Mike blinked

"Does shoving plant extracts and other people's military uniform to my nose considered as weird?"

Erwin is speechless at that.

..0

And so few months passed quickly as I trained, did some research, go to expeditions, trying to spike Erwin's drinks (Damn, this was one hard task! How could Moblit pull it off first time around?), and finally teaching my cute apprentice about the mechanics of my world.

Actually, I can't believe she actually listened to me. Well… anyone will listen if I took such… drastic measures…

Both of us were on top of Wall Rose. I was tired of her blatant disobedience when I told her to demonstrate what she learned. Other than the both of us, Moblit, Erwin and Mike were present. I was planning on fixing her attitude, and all the rest were to hold me back if I get too far. Amanda's waist was tightly tied to a rope, the other end of the rope was coiled around a pulley to make a huge bundle of rope.

"Why are we here anyways? Did I not inform of you that I refuse to be your apprentice, Ms. Zoe?" she spat as she tugs on the rope encircling her waist. "What is this rope for? I refuse to do anything concerning your heartless experiments."

"Don't worry. It's not an experiment in any way. So, last chance. Will you listen and respect me as a teacher?"

"No. You are younger than me. What knowledge can you impart to me anyways?"

I sighed heavily, before finally steeling myself and approached her.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do this," I said solemnly, pity was reflected through my eyes.

"Huh?"

My hands shot out and I pushed her off the Wall. She screamed as she fell off the height of 50 m. I looked down the wall as she descended to the ground. At about 10 meters, her fall started to slow down, and on around 4 meters before she hit the ground, she was pulled back up to the sky. I tilted my head up to watch her as she bounced back higher than the walls, before finally going down again.

It's a good thing I had the grace to use those elastic ropes instead of the usual ones.

"Hange, isn't that… too cruel?" Mike asked uncertainly. "I can even smell her fear from here."

I looked at Amanda as she bounced back up. "Nah, it's necessary. Since she won't demonstrate what I taught her."

After a few more bounce, I pulled her back to the top of the Wall. Amanda's face was extremely green and she was holding her stomach as she moaned painfully.

"So? Will you listen to me now?" I asked, which in turn, received a glare from her way. "Does that means no?"

Amanda scowled.

I did the easier thing and pushed her down the Wall once more. All four of us were watching as Amanda 'fly'.

"Um, Captain?" this time it was Moblit's turn to ask uncertainly.

"Yes?"

"If I was as disobedient as her, are you going to do that to me too?"

"Hmm…" I hummed in thought, "Most probably yes."

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Moblit paling considerably as he mumbled something along the lines of 'good thing I listened to her'.

Ever since then, even though Amanda Lyrica is as prideful as always, she obeyed me when it comes to the lessons I gave her. But I'm still surprised she actually still has the guts to disobey me outside the lessons.

One thing I realize about Moblit was that he suddenly became even more obedient than he was, and I thought that was Impossible!

Overall, nothing important had happened in the past few months.

But it seems that today begged to differ, as one year had passed since the Fall of Wall Maria, and something important happened in this time. There will be an expedition, not with the usual trained Scouting Legion soldiers, but with the victims of the Fall of Wall Maria…

And this will also be the death of thousands of people, including that of Armin's grandfather.

"What! You want me to lead this expedition?"

And I was practically in the highest stage of panic. Does this even happen in the real story? Hange leading the 'expedition to death'?

"It's the decision of the Inner Walls. They said that it was so that those victims can contribute to humanity," said Erwin solemnly, knowing that this expedition will end in total slaughter.

Levi scoffed. "Those brainless aristocrats understand nothing. It was actually because of fucking food shortage and living space that there's this shitty expedition."

"I know that!" I shouted, "What I want to know is why they specifically choose me!"

Erwin scowled. "That is something I'd like to know too."

The atmosphere in the office got heavier as we thought all this over. Mike was lounging around the corners of the room and Levi sat in one of the sofa. I was pacing around the carpet in agitation. Moblit and Amanda were not present as this is a meeting only for the higher ranks of the Scouting Legion. Levi, whilst he was still a regular soldier, was going to be promoted into the Second Commander after 6 more months, so he was allowed in these meetings.

"But I have an idea," said Erwin.

"And that idea is?" I asked.

"Someone with high position might want your death."

"I do hope it isn't Nile Dok?" I asked wearily, remembering the time I asked for approval for Jigsaws.

"No. Nile and Pixis was strongly against this too. It's someone even more influential than him."

"Shit, what did I do? I've never offended anyone with high position other than Nile Dok!"

"It might concern your inventions or research."

I paused in my pacing as I contemplated the idea. My inventions have helped humanity, and I can still create such things for the betterment of the future. The Inner Wall should not be that stupid to throw someone like me away, unless I am doing something that's endangering the Inner Walls or some sort of secret they hold.

Other than inventing, the only thing I do worth mentioning is my research of Titans. Unless the Titans have some sort of secret that might expose the dirty secrets of the Inner Walls upon finding...

Of course! Lord Reiss! I should've remembered!

Father of Historia Reiss, otherwise known as the 'goddess' Krista Lenz. His family line held the secret to the Titans, if he knew someone researching on the Titans; he might feel uncomfortable of it and kill me off! And he had the full backing of the Wall Occult, not to mention some other aristocrats.

"Erwin. Does it seem like the Inner Wall will send assassins to me if I survive the expedition?"

"No. They won't think much of you right now. They are not in hurry for your death."

"Well… at least that's something good to hear."

"Do you have someone in mind that might want your head?" asked Erwin.

"I… do. Even though we didn't meet, I know it was written in what I read in the passing, just… I think it's very different," Meaning, I know it from a book, but I think it was not supposed to happen.

It was silent for a moment as Erwin deciphered what I said and nodded in understanding. I noticed Levi and Mike raising a questioning eyebrow at my weird usage of words.

But still… the thousands of live that will die under my watch…

"Erwin. I demand two weeks of recuperation after this expedition, more time of recuperation if there are fatal injuries."

"I was just about to offer a month of recuperation," replied Erwin.

"Two weeks, no more, no less, together with a month worth of comfort chocolate."