Levi reviewed the old files of the Ackerman family's murder report 10 years ago, the report stated that the girl has killed one adult man with a knife with fatal stab wounds done by a girl who in fact, logically, would not be able to fight an adult man, precisely a thug - twice of her size.
"Uncle, do you think she has awakened her power?" Levi asked. Kenny Ackerman smoked his cigarettes, shrugging indifferently, "Who knows, but from the report, I think it's not normal for what a little girl would do, don't you think?"
"But doesn't she live... normally? I've never heard anything from her."
"That's because I asked Grisha Yaeger to hide her. And the Yaegers did that well."
Levi momentarily looked at his uncle. "Why? Isn't the persecution has over once you've made a peace with the King?"
"Uri once warned me. Rod Reiss insisted on marrying his children to the Ackerman Clan and hoped the Fritz clan descendants would have Ackerman's power. That's the reason Rod visited me once he figured that I married with Caven, he asked me something stupid like to married one of my kid to his,"
"Luckily I don't have any kids it. Rod is still looking for the girl, the possibilities of the last daughter of Ackerman and Shogun Clan to marry Urklyn Reiss, who would receive the throne later after that jerk. The royals only knew I'm the last Ackerman alive in the island, while you never mentioned you're an Ackerman - so you're safe. But, the reason why Uri is very interested in marrying you to Frieda Reiss, I'm sure he doesn't know that you're an Ackerman, I think he just wants humanity's strongest soldier to marry her beloved niece."
"Tch.. Uncle, is that the reason you asked me to marry this Mikasa Ackerman?" Levi grunted.
"Mikasa Yaeger.. For me... An alliance with your own Clan is much better than with an outsider. The one who can protect that girl... It's you, Levi. You know I'm not young anymore. I'm on my limit, no matter how strong we are... age is nature, it just happens that way."
Levi looked at him cynically, "You said that like you're going to die tomorrow."
"Shorty, we've been slaughtered by the royal family ever since 100 years ago. I prefer to be slaughtered again, rather than one of the clan was enslaved by the royals."
"But you're friends with the royals."
Kenny laughed. "Uri is a nice old man. We know it's only a matter of time for Uri to die. He won't be survived at the end of the year with the disease he suffered, Rod will soon become King next year. Our existence, Rod will come to the Ackerman Clan in any time after Uri's death, Levi. You and me... We won't be touched by Rod, Rod is afraid of us. But that girl, we don't know if she can fight herself like we did all this time. Rod had targeted the remaining of Ackerman Clan's alive to bear him a child to be a soldier for his right hand. But, the rest of remaining members of the clan... That girl especially. We don't know when Rod could find her in any time just to fill his desire having Ackerman's descendants."
Levi grunted, "So you think I'm the right person to babysit her?"
"I would say marrying her. Besides, it's the right moment don't ya think? You need a wife, and she needs protection and bam! Everything is solved and I can finally die in peace."
"Isn't she 20 years old now? Don't you think she's too young to marry someone twice her age?" he mumbled, reviewing the report from 10 years ago. Which means the girl was 20 now from the last time they had met her. "And we're basically related."
"We're not - well not directly. Her ancestors were different from us from the beginning. She's from the branch family of Maria while we're direct descendants of Sina's family. It's like you only share the same last name, ya know. And speaking of age gap, I married Caven, 20 years old younger than me and we made a great sex if you worry about that." Kenny guffawed seeing that Levi winced at the last sentence he'd heard, more like disgusted. "I clearly don't want to know about your sex life, or worry about that."
Kenny Ackerman exhaled his cigar, smoke coming out from his mouth then from the window of the carriage they were riding in. Several times, the carriage was shaken through the streets of Shiganshina district.
"I promised her, you know, 10 years ago, to give her the freedom to live," Kenny Ackerman said. "But I don't think I can give her the right to live her life the way the girl might have hoped." He continued, staring at the street from the window, as if he was daydreaming about something in the past.
That night, ten years ago, Kenny Ackerman and Levi stared at the lifeless bodies of Charlie and Mizuki Ackerman who died tragically carried by the Military Police, Levi was glancing at Kenny but the man didn't show any emotion.
"Uncle, was it really a robbery? Or the royals?" Levi wondered briefly, he glanced at the poor house - more like a hut, of the Ackerman family branch of Maria. Kenny called him right away to met him at Shiganshina, and there he was, watching a tragic murdered a member of the remaining Ackerman clan within the island, it made him and Kenny was the last member of clan alive now.
Kenny laughed darkly, Levi looked at him wondering why Kenny was laughing. The next second he realized, he saw his uncle's darkened eyes, Levi recognized that look. It was the same look whenever his uncle was determined to kill someone.
"Well, Levi. Tonight I'm going to show you how to kill someone properly. Rod-jerk-Reiss was going straight to hell tonight." Kenny grinned.
"Uncle... You know you can't kill the successor of the royal throne." He reprimanded his uncle, but he wasn't sure he could stop Kenny. His uncle was a powerful man, he had the greatest power.
"Wait... Where's the girl's body?" Kenny asked after confirming that the lifeless bodies carried by the military police were only two. "Girl?" Levi murmured.
"Oi. Caven... Did anyone survive from this?" Kenny asked Trauten who at that time had become Kenny's right-hand.
"The person who reported it first was Doctor Yaeger. He reported, Mikasa Ackerman daughter of the Ackerman family... the 9-year-old girl was rescued by Eren Yaeger, Doctor Yaeger's son and teamed up to kill 3 robbers. But I assured you, nothing was really worth enough to steal from this poor family. I supposed they aimed at the women and the kid, they both are oriental, I heard oriental women was wanted for their exotic race and being sold at the underground city as a sex slave or for the Lords."
"Where is she now?" Kenny asked, lit up his cigar. "The kid," he added.
"Oi, Sergei, you were the one who received a report from Doctor Yaeger, did you see any girl had survived?" Caven asked to a soldier passing by.
"Yes... The poor girl survived. She was taken by Doctor Yaeger to Shiganshina District."
"Caven, make a report that no one has survived this incident." Kenny said in a tone Caven knows it very well that it was a mandatory order.
"What? You know I can't falsify a report that's going to be submitted to the Mitras." she protested.
"I don't care. I know you're a smart woman and will outsmart it somehow easily." He shrugged with a smirked.
Kenny exhaled his cigar, "You're right. I can't kill Uri's brother. We're not going to kill anyone, we're going to Yaeger's house, Levi."
Levi raised his eyebrows. "For what?"
Kenny cleared his throat, "I'm not going to ignore that kid like the way I did to you."
"I'll go to Sina tomorrow." Grisha Yaeger said while eating the potato soup, the middle-aged man was Mikasa's adoptive father, he looked thinner as he aged. The Yaeger family were enjoying their dinner.
"Will you be at home next month?" Eren asked without looking at his father who was actually sitting in front of him, the young man asked in a flat tone, as if he knew the question would get the same answer as usual but he kept asking it.
"I'm not sure." Grisha replied shortly.
"Can't you stay? Many people in Shiganshina need your help." Eren asked furiously.
Grisha sighed, it wasn't the first time whenever he had something to do or job outside Shiganshina, Eren would be enraged at him. And one of the reasons he barely survived at his own home, and busy himself as a doctor served the Lords in Sina. "Lord Lenz needs my help in the Stohess District."
"But dad - "
Grisha put his spoon on the table, "Eren, come with me. Lenz's family has a sick child, you're going to learn a lot about her disease."
Eren clenched his fist. "I'll stay here. How long will you continue to run away from home after mom's death?"
Grisha Yaeger was almost choked to hear his son question.
"I am not running away. Lord Lenz needs our help."
Eren laughed, "You keep saying that people need you. But you were not there when I need you. When mom needed you."
"Eren..." Mikasa called him softly, she grasped one of Eren's hand that clenched so hard out of anger.
"That's right, isn't it? Why did you force me to become a doctor, while you couldn't save mom? Stop being a coward and run away from your family."
"Eren... Being a doctor is a noble job, it's not that I didn't help your mother. You have to understand... death is sometimes inevitable. You need to let go of your mom..." Grisha Yaeger explained patiently, his eyes flashed implying all the suffering and sadness of losing his beloved wife.
"And you have to stop running away dad, your family needs you but you leave us." Eren stifled a grunt furiously.
"I - " Grisha Yaeger was cut off with the knock on door, which was then followed by an open door. They were silent because they heard the sound of light footsteps of Yaeger's maid who bowed to greet them in the dining room and then informed, "Mr. Yaeger, you have guests."
Grisha lifted his brow, "At this hour? Is it a patient?"
"He didn't say anything, sir." The maid said.
"All right." Grisha Yaeger got up and disappeared behind the door.
"Eren… Your dad has done all he could to cure your mother's illness." Mikasa said softly when they were alone on that room.
The young man replied with a snort, a genuine disdain "He didn't try his best. He even left this house, left us."
Mikasa Ackerman gave him a long sigh. After Carla Yaeger's death, the son and father seemed to lose their aim of life. Eren, who could not accept the death of her mother who died of illness, constantly blamed his father, no wonder Grisha Yaeger continued went aboard to avoid his son's guilt and anger at home while the old man barely had a grip of himself for the death of his beloved wife.
"My father. He's the best doctor in the island, Mikasa. He had helped a lot of people but not with my mom. My father and you asked me to let mom go that way? I don't even want to be a doctor."
"What are you going to do, Eren?" She asked softly.
"I'll run away. I'm going to live my life as anything but not a doctor."
Without thinking, Mikasa said, "I'll come with you,"
"You can't," Eren replied firmly.
"You're going to act reckless Eren. I'll take care of you,"
"You're not my mother, stop acting like that. It makes me sick."
Eren's last words stunned her. That was right.
After Carla's death, Mikasa had tried to become like her, to restore the warmth of this family. Suddenly, she recalled the memories when she first came to this house. Eren continued to hold the sleeves of her nightgown along the way after she was invited by Doctor Yaeger, then she was greeted so warmly by Carla as soon as she entered Yaeger's residence. She remembered that night was so cold that she couldn't feel her legs anymore.
But Carla's embrace soothed her empty soul, Mikasa felt she had died for a mere seconds that night, she could not feel her heartbeat as she was watching a huge bandit killed her mother in front of her own eyes that day.
Mikasa still remembered, it was Grisha Yaeger's hand stroking her head softly, the man said, "This is Mikasa. Daughter of my patient. She has no one, she'll stay here with us. She's a family now."
Carla Yaeger didn't question anything other than continued to hug her tightly. "You must be cold, I've cooked soup, let's warm your body," the woman said softly in a way her mother would do successfully making Mikasa cry right away.
"Miss Mikasa, your presence is expected in the living room by Doctor Yaeger." the head maid said, recalling her from her daydreams.
"You need to do what you think is right, Mikasa. You have to make a choice for your life too," Eren said, rising from his seat.
Mikasa Ackerman sighed, she stood as she watched Eren's back that she stared one last time before Eren disappeared into his room.
In the living room, Mikasa was bewildered to see Doctor Yaeger talking with two men. Upon seeing the guests, Mikasa remembered very well what happened on the day that her parents were killed in front of her own eyes, that was including memories of these two men coming to pick her up shortly after she'd arrived at the Yaeger's family.
Grisha heard her arrival, smiled at Mikasa and hinted her to join them. Mikasa bowed down to greet the three of them and sat next to Grisha.
"Mikasa... Do you remember, Kenny Ackerman? He's your distant relative," Grisha started, with a hand signature politely pointed at the man in front of them, the grinning old man - Kenny at Mikasa.
Mikasa stared at Kenny, nodding. "Ah... yes, how are you doing, uncle?
Kenny chuckled, "Mikasa you remember me... It's been a long time, huh?"
Mikasa vaguely remembered her childhood memory, she remembered it pretty clear because the people who once visited their residence in the Shiganshina mountainous area were only Doctor Yaeger, Eren and Kenny Ackerman. Kenny Ackerman had visited her family several times and he was greeted warmly by her parents.
The last time he met Kenny was the night his parents were murdered, Kenny Ackerman with that savage-looking man next to him was coming all along way to Shiganshina District with the intention of pick her up.
"Kenny Ackerman?" Grisha Yaeger momentarily stood in terrified at the doorway to find a guest this hour, he peeked into the house slowly to make sure Carla was at the dinner table with Mikasa and Eren just started their dinner.
"Yes, that's my name. Or you might hear it in town as Kenny the Ripper," Kenny said, grinning.
Grisha cleared his throat nervously, he surely was reluctant to let the killer of a Military Police soldier, if the rumors were true. "You said you are Mr. Ackerman's distant family?"
"It doesn't look like, isn't? Charlie and I are a lot different. He farmed while I killed people, while I killed the policies. But, we're connected. I heard you took Mikasa with you. Thank you for that but I come here to pick her up, I'll take care of Mikasa from now on." Kenny said, peeking behind Grisha's back where Kenny certainly knew, Yaeger's whole family was sitting at the dinner table, sitting quietly, carefully eavesdropping on their conversation.
"What?! How can a murderer take care of Mikasa?!" Carla Yaeger frantically opposed the terrible idea and came to interrupt her husband's conversation, but her trembling legs explained everything. That the woman and husband himself were terrified of Kenny Ackerman.
"I promised Charlie I'd bring peace to her. Where's Mikasa?" Kenny said again, still trying to be patient and friendly.
"No, I'm going to raise Mikasa the way I raised my son, Eren. I'm not going to let Mikasa grow up with a murderer." Carla trembled at her words. Kenny winced for a moment hearing those words, and laughed afterwards.
"Ouch. Mrs. Yaeger, you hurt me. But Mikasa, is my family." Kenny said again, his eyes squinted fiercely at Carla then stared sharply at Grisha Yaeger. Levi, who was standing next to Kenny, noticed the rising tense in silence, knowing when exactly he had to act, when to be quiet and observe the whole scene. Levi had seen Kenny pull his knife out of his suit and deliberately confirmed Grisha Yaeger to see it.
Grisha Yaeger gulped nervously, seeing Kenny playing with a knife in his hand making a sweat on his temple came down so quickly.
"Mikasa come here." Grisha finally gave up, he knew he won't win against this tall guy.
"Grisha... You can't hand Mikasa over to this guy." Carla Yaeger pleaded to her husband. Mikasa approached them obediently, she saw Kenny was smiling at her and a savage looking shorty man stood next to him.
"You've been through a lot," Kenny greeted her, Levi himself didn't expect to hear a gentle tone from his uncle. Kenny held Mikasa's little hand. "Come on," Kenny said.
Mikasa obeyed quietly, her gaze was still blank from the shock after her parents death a while ago so she just nodded and followed the man.
"Mikasa... Do you know this guy?" Grisha asked carefully.
Mikasa stared intensely at Kenny's slightly covered face by his cowboy hat, "He's an uncle." she said quietly.
"See? I told you, didn't I?" Kenny said, "Thank you, Doctor Yaeger, for saving her. But I'll take care of her now,"
Kenny Ackerman took her hand and turned around and started to step away, he stepped a few but stopped immediately because Mikasa stopped her little steps. Eren stopped her. Little Mikasa turned around, Eren once again held her sleeves.
"Are you leaving? Does it mean you won't play with me again?" Eren asked, his emerald green eyes stared calmly at Mikasa.
Mikasa momentarily looked at the red scarf around her neck, the red scarf that gave her warmth, she looked at Eren, and then Grisha and Carla. She turned towards Kenny, "Can I stay?" she asked innocently.
Kenny noticed Mikasa's hopeful gaze. How the obsidian eyes looks empty before, now sparkling with hope. Kenny chuckled.
It looks like it was going to be okay, Kenny was going to spare this little girl's life for the next few years.
" …don't worry. My wife and I will take care of Mikasa like my own child. I swear of my life. " Grisha said.
Kenny didn't say a word for a moment before finally gave up, "Alright." with a grinned on his face.
"I need a word with you, Doctor Yaeger." Kenny said. Grisha nodded. "Carla, you can take Mikasa and Eren to sleep," Grisha said. Carla immediately nodded and brought the children into the house, Kenny waved a little at Mikasa and assured that Mikasa saw him one last time before he leave.
"You might think you saved her today." Kenny started, put the knife back in his suit pocket. "Mikasa Ackerman. She's special, I'm sure you know her parents, Doctor Yaeger, and the reason her family was murdered. You work for the nobles in Sina. You know why and who." he warned him.
Grisha Yaeger nodded, "I didn't expect this to happen again."
"Neither do I. I've made Mikasa's status is dead on the reports." Kenny said looking at him sharply, "Your next job is to hide her even though the fact that she survived. I want you to take care of her the way you take care of your son, and... You need to keep her as a secret. She doesn't have to attend a social party that will invite people in Sina to know that she's special. I'll leave her to you."
"I understand. I'll follow what you've said, Mr. Ackerman."
Kenny chuckled, "Well, anyways, I'm not fit to be a father of a girl, or parents in general. "
"If...someday me or this man..." Kenny referred to Levi, "...come back here, that means something precarious threatens her and I've judged you're incapable of protecting her any further. The only one can protect her is myself or Levi. I hope you don't stand on my way like you did tonight. Do I make myself clear?"
"I understand, thank you, Kenny."
Kenny laughed, "No... No, I should've thanked you for at least saving her, and saving my ass. I won't fit fatherhood, don't ya think, Doctor?"
"Ah... yes, how are you, uncle?" Mikasa greeted him politely, after she recalled the whole memory of Kenny Ackerman.
Kenny grinned, "Mikasa you remember me... It's been a long time, huh?"
"I'm doing just fine, see I'm just an old man now." Kenny chuckled and turned to Grisha, "I see you've raised Mikasa very well just like my request, Doctor Yaeger," he added.
Grisha Yaeger nodded, "Mikasa... has grown into a graceful woman. My wife raised her," Grisha recalled, smiling at Mikasa who still had no expression as always, but the woman's mind started to question why this man came here after all this time.
"I need to thank your wife, Doctor. Mikasa wouldn't be like this without your wife, right?"
"My wife died a few years ago," Grisha said with a stoic smile, Kenny gave him a nod awkwardly, stroking his beard.
Kenny's sharp eyes catched Mikasa's fidgety as she looked up himself and Levi.
"You... must be wondering why I'm here." Kenny said to her.
"Doctor Yaeger, I'm here... to keep my words 10 years ago." Kenny said to Grisha. Grisha listened attentively, the man was convinced Kenny's intention to come here must be a serious matter just like what Kenny had said 10 years ago. Grisha had heard a lot about the legend, the fact that it was true about Kenny the Ripper - he was indeed a dangerous man.
"I remember," Grisha said briefly.
"Before anything, I wanted to introduce my colleague, he's my right hand. Captain Levi of the Survey Corps, have you heard of it?"
Grisha nodded, "The humanity's strongest soldier. Captain Levi has been a talk in town for the past few years."
'Yes, I think this shorty is pretty famous. Levi and I are the same. So as Mikasa." Kenny said in a particular tone as his eyes flashed when he said his words; Grisha immediately understood what he really meant as they stared at each other; as if they said unspoken words.
"Mikasa... Your father - Charlie and I were in the conversation to marry you to the right man before his death. Captain Levi is the right man," Kenny explained. Levi noticed Mikasa's calm manner even after hearing Kenny's statement.
"I think Mikasa is old enough to get married, don't ya think O-mighty Doctor?" Kenny continued, while Levi and Mikasa both showed no reaction.
Grisha smiled politely, "I'm lucky you came and brought someone you can count on to look after her,"
"I... don't need to be taking care of." Mikasa said slowly, she looked confident, but Levi noticed how she unconsciously squeezed her own fingers nervously.
Mikasa didn't understand Kenny's sudden arrival and suddenly came up with the intention of marrying her to a stranger, Captain Levi of the Survey Corps, whoever the man is... Mikasa didn't intend to marry anyone, anytime soon. And Eren… she has Eren. She didn't want to be parted away with him.
"Mikasa... You know I won't be home lately... and I can not take care of you in the future."
"Doctor Yaeger... I'm doing fine here even if you left home, Eren and I -" she broke off as she didn't exactly know the right words to explain what she meant, she was even unsure of what she was thinking or feeling.
"The one who will take care of Eren is me, Eren is my responsibility." Grisha cut her off. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can take care of you any longer, I'm getting old and I…. And you're on the age of getting married, right? I don't have time to introduce you to the society and to the season of marriage this summer, and I certainly unable to find you a right suitor." Grisha said firmly. "And I believe Captain Levi from the Survey Corps is the right suitor."
Mikasa stared at her adoptive father in disbelief, but Mikasa couldn't argue with anything. Her adoptive father was right, after all. She'd postponed her debut to the society for the past 3 years, she's almost 20 but she hadn't found any potential suitor at her age. It wasn't like she'd desired to have a suitor, her wish was only to be with Eren and that was all. Why is it so complicated?
"I believe, this was a decision of your father had made thoughtfully before his death. And I don't have the right to interfere with it. And I entirely respected him." he added, he stared at his adoptive daughter warmly, he knew Mikasa disliked the idea. "And I think... you should respect your father decision too, Mikasa."
Grisha sighed. "This world... Is much bigger than you think, there are limits that humans can't overcome, including me who no longer can take care of you. You will remain my daughter for the rest of my life, but the true you is… you're a member of an Ackerman."
Mikasa held her breath, there was so many things in her her thoughts right now. "Have I been such a burden all this time?" was all she could asked.
"Mikasa... I'm not planning to get rid of you, if that's what you think. It's for your own good, I honestly don't know what to do next with you, and Kenny Ackerman knows exactly what you have to do." Grisha said.
"Mikasa... You're special, Eren and I are not. You need someone as special as you, for you,
"I don't understand. I don't want to be special. All I want is to be at home, with you and Eren." she said softly. Grisha refused to look at her sad looks, he turned to Kenny instead.
"Well, Mr. Ackerman... so when will the wedding be held?