I admittedly really dislike this chapter, which is probably what took me so long to get here. It's one of those choppy ones that I just have to grin and bear through. Also realized that the lining of my last chapter is different, but I'm too lazy to fix it. Ah well. Here it is!
Stay safe out there everyone!
Chapter Seven
The False Campaign – Part 1
Year 845
Mitras – the Capital City
Klara had never been in a home so luxurious before, or so large. She was acutely aware of how much she stood out against the antique furniture and marble decorations. The floor had been polished to such a sheen that she could clearly see her reflection. She almost thought they would make her remove her boots on the way inside.
It had been nearly three months since Wall Maria fell, and Klara had finally been granted leave. The Survey Corps had provided protection for evacuations for as long as they could, but eventually they were forbidden from leaving Trost District. With nothing else to do, the members were finally able to see their families again for the first time since the nightmare began.
Of course, she had other things to attend to first.
She stood with her hands behind her back in what they had called the salon, waiting for Luka's family to arrive. The butler had offered her a seat, but she had declined. No need for them to clean the furniture off after she left then.
I bet he was wealthier than even Jonas. He never struck me as the type.
Eventually, an older woman entered through the double doors on the other side of the room, opened by the butler of course. She appeared fragile, with hair white as snow and aging eyes, but she walked with a stiff pride, heavy, valuable jewelry glistening around her neck and ears.
A young man entered behind her, and Klara was struck by how much he resembled Luka. But there was a hardness to him. The kindness of the family clearly all went to the little brother.
The woman sat on a pristine white lounge chair, while her son stood behind her. And they leveled equally judgmental gazes upon her. Klara remained perfectly still, waiting for their evaluation to conclude.
"So," the woman started, the widow of Lord Bauer she had been told. "You are the common girl my son decided he loved."
Klara felt every hair on her body stand on end and had to ball her hands into fists behind her back to keep from crying again. Ever since the night with Erwin – which she still could not look at him in the eye over – she'd done so sporadically, nearly once a day. It was just so difficult to keep it all in check. But she hadn't returned to the roof since.
"There's not much to her," his brother added. "Freakishly tall too. I doubt he reached her nose."
Hearing him spoken about in such a manner broke her silence. "I came to talk about that day. I thought it might ease the burden of his passing."
She wished something would for her. He still lingered in the corner of her eyes and in the depths of her nightmares.
"He's dead. What more is there to say?"
Klara bristled. "Everything! He had hopes and dreams and he saved a man's life and he-"
"Is dead," his brother emphasized. "Nothing you say changes that fact, or the mess he has left this household with for me to clean up, as usual."
"How…" Klara mumbled, turning to the woman who was supposedly his mother. She remained as unmoving as the cold stone that surrounded her home. "How can you let him speak about your son in that manner?"
"My son," the crone spat, standing. "Should have never done such a thing to his family. He died when he stepped out that door."
They turned to leave then, the butler magically reappearing to open the door. She watched them departing, her vision red.
No wonder he had left this place.
"Your son died scared and alone!" she cried after them, tears pricking at her eyes. "Think on that if you still care for him!"
The butler closed the door behind them and returned to escort her out. She quietly followed him, so lost in her anger and grief that she didn't notice he had led her away from the front door. It was only when she found herself standing at the top of a staircase that she turned to him, confused.
"Please," the butler said, eyes sympathetic. "For the boy."
Choosing to trust the man, Klara nodded once and descended the stairs. Gathered at the bottom, in a cramped kitchen and pantry area, she found a dozen servants, all staring at her with round eyes and deep frowns.
At the front of the group was an older woman, who held a small, blue shirt between her hands. She was shaking, face already stained from tears.
"I raised him," the woman whispered, barely keeping it together. A young maid put a hand on her shoulder. "The lady may have given birth to him, but I was his mother. He called me that when we were alone."
Klara felt as if she was back on that street, her heart shattering all over again.
She swallowed thickly. "I…he…he died protecting my friend. I wasn't there. I should have been; I should have saved him."
The woman stepped forward, taking one of her hands. "Knowing my Luka, he would have preferred it this way. To see you suffer for his sake? I don't think the boy could have lived with that."
Finally giving in to the emotions welling up inside of her, Klara began to cry, hugging the woman. All the servants gathered around them, holding each other in some way. The spoke kind words about Luka and shared tales about his childhood.
One of the young maids brought out a stack of letters, offering them to her. "These are all the letters he wrote home. We thought you should have them."
Klara looked at them, feeling her heart drop. Some small part of her wanted to know, but mostly she couldn't bear the thought of the things he'd written when she couldn't talk to him about it. She was better off not knowing, she told herself. How could she ever move on if she read those words?
"No," she said quietly. "You keep them. You were his family; you deserve them more."
She reached into her jacket pocket, producing a small patch of crossed swords. It was the one thing she'd come away with in Shiganshina.
"This was his," she whispered, offering it to the woman who raised him. "It belongs to you."
Klara wandered the city for a while, attempting to collect her thoughts. She'd had another goal that day, but wanted to be fully composed before attempting that venture.
Every road and building were covered in bricks, and Klara found herself fascinated by it. There were so few trees, and only a handful of gardens. No children ran along the streets playing with one another, no one was putting out their laundry, she wasn't even certain people smiled in the capital. It was such a foreign place, and only made her long for home that much more.
Everywhere she turned, eyes followed her. Not many who grew up in the Interior chose to be a Scout, and fewer still ever visited in uniform. She must have been an odd sight for them, or a bad omen given everything that had happened.
Eventually, she wound up in front of a large building that resembled a church more than a home. She knocked lightly on the door and waited.
An older gentleman with kind, brown eyes and thinning gray hair opened it.
"How may I help you, Soldier?"
Klara suddenly felt skittish, kicking at the steps with her boot.
"I know the records are all a mess after…well, everything. But I was wondering if there was a boy named Elias here? I know there was a campaign to accept the younger orphans into Wall Sina and-"
He opened the door wider, grinning. "You must be Klara."
She blinked. "You know my name?"
"Of course! The boy never stops talking about the hero who saved him. I am Hugo Aubert," he said with a wave of his hand. "Please, come in!"
Blushing slightly, Klara followed the caretaker inside.
Unlike the Bauer residence, the home she entered was warm, and had a very lived-in feeling. The floors and walls were covered in a deep, dark wood and covered with rugs that were all just slightly off, pulled aside by running feet. Decorations on the tables she passed were few and far between, but some definitely carried the scars of abuse. There were nicks and scratches in all the tables as well.
"This place is so…"
"Different?" Hugo finished, glancing back at her with a smile. "My home used to be like the others, clean and cold. We were the perfect noble family. But when my parents were killed in an accident, I found myself all alone with no help to turn to. I never wanted to see another child go through that."
"That was very kind of you."
"It was the least I could do. I only wish others of my station would do the same."
They entered what appeared to be a grand ballroom of sorts, with a ceiling of glass that allowed the daylight to pour inside, warming the space and making the white stone columns sparkle and glow. However, it had been converted into a sort of classroom, where a couple dozen children were seated at desks, the quiet space filled with the sound of pencils on paper. Boys and girls sat intermixed, each wearing dark blue uniforms.
"The boys and girls occupy separate wings of the house," Hugo explained quietly. Klara watched a teacher walk among the children, face contemplative, but also kind. She was young, and distantly she wondered if she had once been in their place. "They've clothes to wear when they aren't at school. They keep the launderers very busy."
He chuckled to himself, gaining the attention of a young girl with wide, brown eyes. Hugo quickly gestured to her to return to her work.
"How has Elias been since…" Klara trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud.
Hugo frowned then, looking more his age. "He doesn't sleep well and keeps to himself. Only I've been able to coax any words out of him. It seems the only way I can shake him out of anything is when I mention you."
Klara bit her lip, feeling guilt gnaw at her for reasons she could not explain. She could make out Elias's hair, a little messy, a little longer, but still his as he sat at the front of the classroom. He'd handed his paperwork to the teacher already.
"I found him running from one of them," she whispered. "I was only just able to grab him."
"You were the one good thing to happen to him on the worst day of his life. That connects people for as long as they live."
Elias happened to turn around, his blue eyes finding her, and how they lit up. The light of the sun could not compare.
And she knew.
For his meritorious service in the Survey Corps, Tristan Durant had been granted a home in the capital of Mitras. He, of course, hated every second of it. Their haughty attitudes and disdain for anyone considered lowly was enough to drive him mad, but he stayed because it made Klara feel better. Although he was usually back in Wall Rose helping refugees.
Seeing Klara at his door with a young boy and an unapologetic smile was, perhaps, the least surprising thing he'd ever encountered.
It was just what his home needed: a little bit of chaos.
Year 846
Within Wall Maria
As had been expected, an influx of refugees had put a strain on the already difficult to maintain food supplies. Though the people had been put to work in the fields, crops took time, and that was the one luxury the citizens were not in possession of.
So, the government attempted more creative efforts. Hunting and fishing parties were organized to go outside the wall, but while they were moderately successful, the distribution of the spoils was often less so. Game would go missing in the night, and those who needed the food most were usually left with nothing. The further time passed, the more dangerous the missions became as well. Titans still poured through the openings in Shiganshina, and the last hunting party lost nearly half of its volunteers.
Now, they were in the north, where it was hoped the smallest concentration of titans would be. The Survey Corps, along with an auxiliary unit of the Garrison, had been tasked with escorting some of Maria's farmers to their old fields in hopes something had grown in their absence.
They'd encountered a handful of titans already, but the creatures had been dispatched with no casualties and the discovery of a relatively intact and fruitful field had done wonders to boost morale. Several members had also found herds of cattle wandering and had taken to rounding them up.
As the farmers worked on gathering the crops, the Survey Corps had spread out to form a loose perimeter around them, with clusters of Garrison troops on cannons amongst them as they kept an eye out for approaching titans. Ever since they had started, not one had been sighted, and Klara was not certain if that made her relieved or nervous.
"I can't believe they let you graduate early," Hanna complained, crossing her arms and glaring at their newest member.
After Maria had fallen, and she'd learned of Luka's fate, Hanna was the first to volunteer to join the Survey Corps. She'd even declared that any of their class who did not join her were allowing the titans to attack humanity again.
Toli Ochoa grinned, his red hair brightly contrasting against his green cloak. "They needed bodies, and I happen to be a good one."
"More like they needed to be rid of you."
"Whatever gets me to a better kitchen."
Desperate to have more soldiers manning the walls, those who excelled in Toli's class had been allowed accelerated education, meaning their units would finish their training. Toli had arrived to a less than warm welcome, which resulted in a fist fight ended by, now Captain, Levi. The graduate had glared at Levi like a child who did not know any better, but had settled since then, firmly planting himself in Klara's camp.
Eld had arrived as well, but had taken to avoiding Toli for reasons she was certain no one would ever explain.
"You don't know our kitchen very well then," Isak mumbled. He stood on an old wagon they had found, keeping an eye out for titans with a telescope.
The Garrison soldier had insisted he would return to his unit for two whole weeks, until Hanna Tifft joined them, and all his complaints fell silent. Klara teased him on the regular, of course, enjoying how red the tips of his ears became.
Toli crossed his arms. "Nothing I can't fix."
Isak glanced over. "I am not eating anything you cook."
Klara chuckled, returning to cleaning one of her blades. Sometimes, it almost felt like she was back in training. She'd smile and laugh and go a whole day feeling a lightness in her chest. But inevitably it would turn. Usually when she turned to ask Luka something, but sometimes she'd even ask for Jonas's input, though he'd left for the Military Police long ago. Hanna had tried to bring him with, but he'd insisted nothing had changed, and he had a duty to fulfill.
Sometimes, she found herself wondering what his family was like, and if he was willingly going along with their actions or was trapped by them.
"So, how long do you think they'll keep up this ruse?" Toli asked, standing beside her. Confused, she glanced back at Hanna and Isak, who were talking while he stood watch. "Not them. They're hopeless. I mean the government."
She sheathed her blade, looking over at the newest Scout. When he wasn't being a brazen jokester, he was unabashedly honest.
"This is enough food to feed a large town, maybe two," he continued, watching the landscape. He always looked so much older when he wasn't smiling. "Everyone is celebrating now, but in a week, it will be the same thing. We don't have enough, and we never will. Eventually, they'll have to act."
"Maybe," Klara admitted, looking down at the partially plowed field they stood on. They were so far north, she wondered how long it took for the evacuation order to come. These families likely never saw a titan. Maybe some refused to leave. "But I don't want to think on that."
She thought about it enough as it was.
"Titan to the east!" Mike shouted from somewhere behind them. Even so far away, his nose was better than their best spotters.
"Shit!" she heard Isak cry a moment later, fumbling with his signal gun before firing a black round. "Abnormal!"
Immediately, every scout was on a horse. The field workers fled in the opposite direction of the signal, covered by the squad chosen to keep them safe.
"Advance units! Circle behind it!" Erwin called out, his voice ringing clearly around the area despite the chaos.
As a secondary unit, Klara and her comrades could do no more than watch as the more experienced members went to work. But if they failed, the task would be up to them.
A loud crunching sound echoed across the area as the abnormal titan broke through a small line of trees, splintering the trunks and sending those who had been stationed inside flying.
It ran on all fours, moving faster than any titan she'd ever seen. Klara watched it catch up to a fleeing rider and bite him clear off his horse.
"It's too fast for our horses," Isak spoke through clenched teeth. "The advance party will never catch up."
Instantly, Klara broke away from her group, riding down into the field to race head-on toward the titan, cries of her name following in her wake. But she didn't have time to think about right or wrong. She had to act before one titan took them all out.
Riding toward the titan gave her little time to prepare. It was nearly on top of her already, hands and feet clawing through the dirt like an animal, mouth open, bloody and ready for more. It even snarled at her.
One shot. If I mess this up, at least I won't be around to hear about it.
Carefully, she stood, balancing on the saddle as her horse continued to loyally run forward. Scout horses had no fear. They were better than their riders.
Waiting until they were just close enough, Klara leapt up, firing her grapples at the same time. They landed just where she wanted: one in each eye. It caused the titan to rear its head in pain, its roar shaking her very bones.
Klara nearly bit her tongue as she was flung skyward, the force of her grapples pulling against her legs shocking her system. When she was high enough, she released them and used the gas to spin around midair, doing her best to not focus on how very far away the world was without any safety nets.
One meter long. Ten centimeters wide.
Klara launched her lines directly into the titan's back and pulled herself in with a shout, slashing her blades deeply into its nape. Blood exploded outward, covering her entirely, dripping heavily from her hair and face, rapidly steaming away and blocking her vision.
The titan, although blind, had started moving again. But now it came to an abrupt halt, crashing face first into the dirt, and sending Klara flying from its back. She recalled her body flipping once or twice before she hit the ground, rolling a few more feet before coming to a stop on her back.
She laid there, stunned, staring up into the blue sky as steam poured off her body. A bird flew overhead, and she could hear hoofbeats drawing closer.
"I can't believe that worked," she murmured, in awe.
And then she began to laugh.
When others arrived, they found her rolling still, her giggles softly interrupted by 'ows' from time to time.
Klara spotted Levi staring down at her, and settled a little. "I know. I know. Sloppy and reckless."
The captain tsked and moved on.
"Klara Lange!"
"Oh no," she whispered, nestling deeper into the grass, not that it was of any use. Hanna was on her in an instant, grabbing her by the collar and yanking her off the ground as if she weighed nothing and didn't have nearly a foot on her.
"You have some nerve taking off like that!" her friend shouted, causing some of the surrounding scouts to back off. "It's bad enough we lost Luka! Do I have to lose you too because of your obsession with self-sacrifice!?"
"I mean, it's what I signed up for."
Hanna huffed, throwing her back to the ground. Klara laid there a minute, red and chastised, ignoring the chatter of those around her.
"Oi! Half the Survey Corps standing here and not one of you can help the Hero of Shiganshina to her feet?" Toli questioned the bystanders, taking Klara's hand and hoisting her as easily as Hanna had.
"Stop calling me that, Toli," Klara said, flushing at the glances she received before the others moved back to their positions.
"Then stop being heroic, idiot," he replied, punching her firmly in the arm.
Had they quietly re-entered Trost that day, Klara figured she would have slipped away into obscurity. A preferable option, really, but that was never the case for her. Instead, whispers started amongst the survivors, not helped by her grandfather one bit, and then a rumor was born. Someone from the paper got hold of it and a story was published. Government officials, looking for morale boosters, outed her and made her a figurehead. The people embraced her humble attitude and origins, the military loved her dedication and skill, and the powers that be had someone to throw at the masses when they turned.
All in all, it was a shitty situation for her.
And she couldn't help but play into everything they said about her. What was she supposed to do? Not help people?
She was examining her equipment with Toli when Erwin rode up to them on that white horse of his. He looked down at them, expression unreadable.
"Klara, do you ever plan on staying in formation?"
"Not if I think there's a better solution, Commander," she replied honestly, arms folded carefully behind her back. Toli huffed beside her.
He nodded once. "Very well."
When he rode away, Toli turned to her. "I don't trust him."
"You don't have to trust him," Klara said, watching Erwin disappear. "You just have to follow him."
While there were a handful of titan encounters following the abnormal, they were nothing quite as dramatic, and the expedition ended an overwhelming success. They'd managed to fill all the supply wagons with wheat and had gathered thirty head of cattle, although driving them back to Wall Rose was proving to be quite the hassle. In the end, only four soldiers had lost their lives, and each of their bodies had been recovered.
Klara's initial sigh of relief when they passed through the gate was quickly cut off when she noticed the crowds that had gathered for their return. Many had been waiting to see if their mission was successful, and now that they had proof, more would come. Hungry, desperate, greedy eyes followed them from every corner and window in Utopia District.
At the front of the column, Erwin gave the signal to fan out. While the district's military police had been deployed for security, they would not be enough. Though she doubted they would be either.
Nearly as one, the members of the Survey Corps dismounted their horses, gathering around the supply wagon they were closest to. Those with the cattle remained on their mounts.
At first, everything was civil. The people were cheering at their success, slapping backs and shaking hands with delighted eyes and excited voices. But the air was thick. Beyond the congratulations, Klara could see people planning, thinking. If one of them made an attempt, they would all go.
Hanna shook the hand of an older gentleman, briefly allowing his grandchildren to pet her horse.
Isak had placed a young girl on his mount.
Toli shamelessly flirted with a man in the military police.
Klara watched and waited, her hand hovering near her triggers.
"Why are you cheering?!" a voice cried out above the others. The crowd parted up ahead, though she could not make out who was talking. Isak was there, however. "We'll never see any of this food! It will go into the Interior like everything else! They aren't even starving there!"
"I understand your concern," Isak replied quietly, holding his hands up in a calming manner. The soldier behind him grabbed the girl from his horse. "But we have orders from General Zackly. The food we collected will stay here to be processed. Except for the cows. I think we'll turn them out near-"
"Is it so easy for you to just stand there and lie to us!?" the man continued to shout, his voice cracking. "How can you be so calm about killing us?!"
"Sir, we're not-"
A gunshot rang out, and everything descended into chaos.
Isak dropped, his hand clasping his right arm while blood seeped through his fingers. Hanna instantly ran toward the man, slicing his hand off at the wrist, sending his gun flying. His howls of pain were lost amongst the panicked screams. Klara caught sight of Toli tackling the man to the ground before she was overwhelmed by civilians. Many were fleeing, terrified, but some took the opportunity to go for the supplies.
"Protect the wagons!" came a shout. Soldiers clustered together, drawing their blades. They stared down the people with fear in their eyes. They'd signed up to save humanity, after all. No one said they were supposed to kill them.
Klara did not draw hers, simply choosing to leap onto her wagon and pull off the woman who attempted to climb inside.
"Please, don't make us hurt you!" she shouted, looking around. "Please! We only want to help! Don't do this to us! You're better than this!"
"Just give us the food!"
"You're in the military! You're eating just fine!"
"How are you any better than the Interior if you steal this?!" Klara yelled again, climbing onto the door of the wagon. "You'll take it home and you'll feed yourselves, but will you feed your neighbors? Will you feed those who are suffering more? Or will you take for yourselves alone?!"
She saw hesitation, and uncertain glances between people; she saw hope.
A loud BOOM rang across the district, causing people to fall to the ground and the cattle to nearly stampede.
Klara had ducked her head, clinging tightly to the wagon as it shook. She looked up at the top of the wall, where a cannon was smoking.
A man swung down from the top, coming to a halt on the roof of a building beside the road their column was halted on. He was a dark-haired man, with a narrow frame and cold eyes; he wore a Military Police uniform, though she did not recognize him as the commander of the local unit.
"Return to your homes!" he called out. "Or the next round will be fired inside the district."
There were shocked gasps and frantic whispers, the civilians disbanding as quickly as they could.
Klara narrowed her eyes at the man, watching him return to his position on the wall. She felt the civilians who had gathered around her wagon turn to her.
"Did you words mean nothing then?" someone asked.
"No," was Klara's immediate reply. She jumped down from the wagon, looking around at those who remained. "Firing on you meant he was firing on us as well.
And somehow, she believed that would have suited him just fine.
Trost District
Two weeks later
Klara had been to Erwin Smith's office several times since she'd joined the Survey Corps, mostly to deliver messages or to receive specific orders. Always quick transactions of a professional nature that had no explicit impact on anything. Aside from that first night, it occurred to Klara that she hadn't really interacted with the commander.
Ever since Wall Maria fell, he'd been a busy man, gone away to the capital more times than anyone believed was necessary. She often volunteered for night guard duty, finding it easier to sleep after the fact, and witnessed him returning from the Interior nearly once a month. There was a look on his face in those moments that she knew he didn't want his soldiers to see.
He was wearing that same one now.
The fact that he wasn't even trying to hide it weighed heavily on her.
She snapped to attention, producing a crisp salute. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
Erwin nodded once, organizing some papers on his desk. "How is Isak doing?"
He was avoiding the subject, and she was more than happy to play along. "It was a lucky shot. Managed to break his arm. He'll be out of commission for at least another month, and it's driving him mad."
"I'd be more than happy to grant him leave in the meantime."
"He was from Shiganshina too, sir. He has nowhere to go."
"Of course."
She watched Erwin pinch the bridge of his nose, visibly exhausted. It wasn't like him to not know these sorts of details, and it surprised her that he was willing to show how much everything was affecting him, unless he wasn't aware. That thought terrified her more than anything.
"Erwin?" Klara asked quietly, tucking her hands neatly behind her back and leaning forward slightly. His blue eyes met hers again, and she was struck by how dull they looked. "Why am I here?"
Klara waited as he collected himself, watching him step back into the stoic commander façade she had become so familiar with. Part of her had wanted to ask him what was wrong instead, but regardless of their brief history, he was her superior, and questions of a personal nature were not encouraged. She did not want to add any more troubles to his already overburdened shoulders.
She wished Keith had stayed on, if only to help him.
Erwin stood up from his desk. "A meeting has been called at the capital. From what I understand, it is to be a discussion of our current predicament."
Klara swallowed thickly, her stomach already in knots. Toli had been right.
"I need you to come with me."
She blinked. "Me, sir?"
"I believe the situation would benefit from your presence."
"My presence or the Hero of Shiganshina's?"
It was one of the few things she had been grateful for: his lack of acknowledgement regarding her little title. While other members of the military had used her name relentlessly, Erwin did not even recruit with it, preferring to work with the truth and the potential that every soldier possessed. She had thought he was different, but he'd only been waiting for an opportunity it seemed.
Though she supposed it wasn't the worst thing he could have done.
To his credit, Erwin did look a little thrown off by her remark.
"I'm no stranger to being used, sir. I'd prefer the truth, if that's alright."
His face relaxed. "Forgive me, Klara. It's true, the Hero of Shiganshina is a useful tool, but I also believe those in power need to be reminded of what we are fighting for."
"And that means me?"
"I can't think of a better example."
The meeting of all the top military officials and high-ranking nobles took place at the palace in Mitras. Impressed as she already was by the smaller noble homes, the palace had left Klara awestruck.
Wide-open spaces with little to fill them besides the echoes of their boots on marble, fantastic sculptures and paintings of places she could not recognize; it was overwhelming. Servants flitted to and fro, an army themselves, prepping meals for the event. The king's guards stood in every direction she turned, unmoving, unblinking. She wondered if Jonas was planning on joining them one day, or if he already had.
The room they had been placed in was at least the length of a city block, lined with more paintings on the walls and intricate pieces commissioned directly onto the ceiling itself. Great crystal chandeliers hung from above, catching the rays of sunlight that drifted through the windows and reflecting it across every surface, little dots of white and blue.
Their meeting table was longer than most houses, yet it was dwarfed by the size of the room it occupied. Despite this, it was the only piece of furniture inside, leaving the outer edges empty and eerie. On occasion, she would catch a servant standing on one of the far sides, in the shadows, but they quickly disappeared once they caught her gaze on them.
There were representatives from every major section of the Garrison and Military Police, but since the Survey Corps was the smallest of the three, it came down to just Erwin, Mike, and herself. Hange had been left in charge, and it was determined that Levi was not the best choice for this particular environment.
He'd also refused in his typical, brutally honest fashion.
Klara was painfully aware that she was the youngest in attendance as everyone took their seats. Old, fat men who represented the nobility occupied one half of the redwood table, their faces reflected in its surface. The other half belonged to the military, thinner, but no less old for the most part. She supposed it would be strange for there to be old men in the Survey Corps.
She also realized that she was the only woman. Even the subordinates, like herself and Mike, who stood some five feet behind the chairs of their superiors, consisted only of men.
When General Zackly entered, all the military personnel stood at attention, snapping into salutes. The nobles remained seated, watching quietly until everyone was settled again.
"Is the king not joining us today?" Zackly asked, sitting at the head of the table. He retired his coat, given to a servant boy who ran up at soon as he began to unbutton it, and rolled up his sleeves.
"His Majesty is occupied by other appointments at the present time, but he has approved of the plan," one of the nobles spoke. The fattest of them, balding and sweaty, though she had found the building quite cool.
"Of course," Zackly replied.
The first part of the meeting was simply an overview of their current situation. Status of wall defenses, which a pastor objected to for nearly an hour until he was placated with the offer of more churches, supply routes, recruitment numbers, things that Klara found difficult to focus on. She took to staring at the dark-eyed man who sat behind Commander Pixis, wondering if he wasn't attempting some sort of code with his blinks.
It was when they reached the reason for the meeting that her focus returned.
"Simply put," a nobleman started, looking up and down the table. "We can't keep up with the demand Maria's refugees have put on us."
"You don't appear worse for wear, Lord Richter," Pixis remarked with a sly smile. The dark-eyed soldier behind him twitched as he held back a grin.
"We'll all be when the revolts begin!" another shouted back. "The incident in Utopia District is just the beginning. Not even cannons will stop them soon enough."
"I am curious as to who authorized their use," Erwin said in front of her. "Those were my men in the line of fire."
Beside him, Nile Dok, the commander of the Military Police, shrugged. "I never received such requests, nor would I have allowed it if I had."
"Nor I," Pixis said. "A request from our esteemed colleagues perhaps?"
While Nile Dok was indeed in command, it was no secret that there were several units within the Military Police that did not fall under his jurisdiction. They served at the behest of the king, and those within his sphere of influence. Namely, most of the civilians seated with them.
"We did what we thought was necessary," spoke one of the quiet nobles. He rarely got upset, and was clearly the youngest of the group. It suddenly occurred to Klara that he was the very man she saw on the rooftops that day. "It was clear that the elite members of the Survey Corps could not handle a few civilians on their own."
"My men pride themselves on killing titans, not people," Erwin countered, his normally neutral tone possessing an edge.
There were nods of agreement from some members of the military. Zackly was quiet.
"Your men are supposed to do whatever is necessary in order to achieve victory."
Klara felt her fingers bunching together behind her back. She clasped them together as tightly as she could, until she could no longer feel them. Anything to keep her from doing something she'd regret; anything to help her get through this hell.
"Arguing over the past is getting us nowhere," Lord Richter interrupted, slamming his hand on the table. "We need to discuss our present problems, or risk not having a future."
The younger man stood then, holding a sheet of paper. "In an effort to prevent mass starvation and thus a revolt of the people, the Royal Government will send nearly 250,000 civilians, most of whom will be refugees, out into titan territory. From the ages of 16 to 65, there will be few exceptions. We will declare this an operation to retake Wall Maria, supported by members of the Survey Corps to give it legitimacy. This should alleviate the strain on the supplies and ensure those who live continue to do so."
The silence that fell lasted for an eternity. No one wanted to speak after that, even the nobles who were so intent on putting their plan into motion. Even they seemed to realize the wrongness of it all.
For her part, Klara was barely keeping it together. Her breaths had turned rapid, heart hammering in her chest and ears. If she was outwardly falling apart, no one pointed it out to her.
250,000? She could barely comprehend 250. And they were just going to send them out to be eaten, to die simply because they could not be taken care of.
Everyone she'd worked so hard to save, they were going to die.
Those few faces she knew from Shiganshina, they were going to die.
Everything she knew was going to die.
It was murder. Government-sanctioned murder.
"I would like to offer an alternate solution," Erwin said calmly.
Klara closed her eyes, and took a breath.
"This is what we have already decided," Lord Richter replied.
General Zackly moved in his chair. "Let the commander speak."
Erwin stood up, looking around the table. "I propose instead of a cover-up, we actually work to retake Wall Maria. With the combined forces of all three branches of the military, we can effectively overwhelm the number of titans that have made it into our former territory. Once we retake Shiganshina, we can move outward and work on eradicating the remaining titans, and thus allow the refugees to return to their homes."
"And how do you propose we seal the Walls?" Lord Richter asked.
"You mustn't touch them!" the paster shouted, causing several members at the table to roll their eyes. It seemed no one knew why he was actually there. "They are sacred! To ruin them is to blaspheme against God!"
Pixis groaned. "The titans already ruined your precious walls. Yell at them, not us."
"There are many methods we may use to seal them," Erwin continued, acting as though no one else had spoken. "Nets, bricks, perhaps even caving in upper parts of the wall."
"YOU WOULD DARE!?" the pastor shouted, standing abruptly. "THESE WALLS HAVE KEPT US SAFE FOR OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS AND YOU WOULD SEEK TO HARM THEM FURTHER? HAVE YOU NO RESPECT FOR THE SANCTITY OF-"
"Sit down, Pastor!" Zackly actually yelled, sitting upright. He stared the man down until he complied, silent and cowed.
"How could we possibly build up the walls while there are titans bearing down on us?" asked another noble.
"There would be protection teams assigned to the builders at all times," Erwin stated. "The day Maria fell, a handful of soldiers managed to keep titans from getting inside for hours, and they had no experience or backup. We would have the benefit of planning on our side."
Though he wasn't looking at her, Klara still somehow felt Erwin's gaze on her.
"And who is to protect the rest of us while you go out on your suicide mission? What is to keep the civilians from rising up in your absence?"
"Do you trust the people so little?" Pixis asked.
The younger noble shook his head. "You can trust one man. Perhaps even two. You cannot trust thousands. If one person gets a bad idea, they will all follow soon enough."
"And if this mission fails, we will be left defenseless when the titans attack again."
Erwin nodded once. "It is a risk but-"
"But it is not one we are willing to take," Lord Richter stated. "His Majesty has made his decision. We did not bring you here to discuss alternatives. You are here to figure out the logistics of the operation."
There was a moment of silence.
"Very well," Erwin said, sitting back down.
How could he give up so easily? Klara wondered. How could he just let them kill everyone?
What is he supposed to do? They'd just depose him and find someone else who would agree.
The younger noble sat up in his seat. "We are going to need at least one hundred scouts for the mission, if not more. It's not much of a number next to the civilians, but it will be convincing enough."
"You're asking me to send my men out to die."
"Isn't that what you do anyway?"
Erwin said nothing.
Klara took a deep breath, her anger and fear suddenly gone. She saw the world so clearly in that moment, every line of light, every imperfection in the marble that surrounded them, the subtle yet suddenly obvious way Erwin hung his head by a fraction.
She knew what she had to do.
"Allow me to be the first to volunteer," Klara said, stepping forward, uncaring of all the eyes that suddenly turned toward her. "Who better to help retake Maria than the Hero of Shiganshina?"
But hey, we're almost at my favorite chapter so far! Hope you're enjoying the beginning of the end of the anime! Until next time!