Super Comrade: Ah yes, the negotiator (I'm so sorry but I had to)
Superkoola: I'm not doing a full-scale rumbling at any point during this story (I may make an AU spin-off where it happens, TBD at the moment.)
The room went quiet with shock, Alto was essentially agreeing to fight for Hizuru in exchange for his demands being met.
Kiyomi seemed to be genuinely considering the offer, and was deep in conversation with her escorting diplomats.
"...It's not a bad offer at all." One of them mentioned,
"Not bad? We risk losing a monopoly over Paradis to other nations like the Western Union and Britannian Empire! What then?"
"Nonetheless, they're offering us more than resources, they're offering us the military power to defeat the Intercontinentia once and for all." The first one said,
"Enough." Kiyomi raised her head, "I have decided, we will accept Paradis's offer."
"I'm glad. All in all, I expect Paradis to be fully modernized by the year 854."
"854…that's barely three and a half years!" The second diplomat cried.
"That's all the time we have. How long will Marley be at war with the Mid East Alliance?" Alto asked them, causing the diplomat to fall silent.
"We will…try our best to meet your expectations. Lord Burke." Kiyomi bowed.
When the Hizurian envoys left, Kiyomi laughed.
"Kiyomi-sama?" One of the diplomats questioned.
"It seems we've found ourselves completely outplayed." Kiyomi remarked. "The Hajime's were always known to be excellent strategists, and Lord Alto has only lived up to that trait. In an instant, he flipped the entire board against us."
"What do we do now?"
"We go along with them. That deal is the best we will get out of Paradis - no - the Eldian Kaiserreich. "
"You showed that bitch." Connie threw his arms around Alto, "Forcing you three to breed like livestock, does she actually think we'll agree to such a plan?"
"No." Eren stated, "Kiyomi was only following the first suggestion laid out to her that made sense. The real person we should be angry at is Zeke Jaeger."
"Yeah." Mina nodded, "Kiyomi might be greedy, but I don't think she liked what she was proposing either."
Alto looked at his friends, "I just did what was natural. Besides, people like Kiyomi are easy to read. She thinks she can still benefit from this."
"And will she?" Eren asked.
"Of course." Alto shrugged, "Hizuru will be a genuine ally to us. I've secured a win-win for both parties."
By the next day, Alto had come up with a fully written layout of the plan. It mostly followed the same layout as the plan he'd laid out, with a few revisions carried out by Alexander, the Marleyan-Eldian intellectuals, and the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers.
Alto and Kiyomi signed off on the paper as a Hizurian cameraman filmed them, before taking a final picture of them shaking hands.
"I look forward to cooperating with Paradis in the future."
"As do I. I would also like to speak to you in private about the possibility of a diplomatic visit overseas." Alto told her,
"This quickly?"
"Yes, in fact, I would like to return with you to Hizuru using the Arbuckle as our flagship." Alto told her,
Kiyomi bowed, "I would be delighted too accommodate you. Lord Burke. Will Lady Mikasa be joining us?"
"I'll see about it." Alto told her.
Two days later
Following the signing, the Hizurian engineers immediately got to work. Plans were already being made for the construction of more ports, as well as in-land dockyards and additional military factories and industrial complexes for the construction of a new Eldian Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe.
Candidates were already being selected from amongst the Eldian Army's officers to see who would serve as the brass for these new branches. And so far, several had been selected.
A Garrison Officer named Rita Iglehaut had agreed to serve as their new Grand Admiral of the Eldian Kriegsmarine, as she'd taken to studying the Marleyan ships and had a basic understanding of naval warfare from encounters with Marleyan officers.
The new Reichmarshall of the Imperial Eldian Luftwaffe was Lyla Remus, a woman who'd - unsuccessfully - built a flying machine right before the Eldian Civil War, and nearly paid for it with the lives of both her and her lover when the Military Police discovered it. Despite Alto's apprehension, she'd demonstrated great tactical knowledge so he appointed her to the position. If it was not for the timely intervention of a detachment of soldiers form the III Corps then it was very likely that both would've lost their lives.
Along with these two, the Scouts had also decided to come along the trip. Stating it was their duty to explore the outside world and teach the world that they weren't devils on the Island. Only people.
Historia had also insisted that she come as the leader of the Eldian people. Of course, Ymir had tried to dissuade her, but met with no success. Alexander was also told to come along by Alto to act as an advisor to Historia and Alto.
Finally, the last set of guests was now-Generalleutenant Rosalie and her agents, who were eager to prove themselves in genuine intelligence gathering and espionage. Kiyomi had even agreed to have the Hizurian Shikurdan cooperate with the Geheimdienst to forge a world-wide network.
"This is so exciting!" Sasha clapped, "I can't wait to try out all that foreign food!"
"Yeah, I wonder what we should pack. I just don't want to get the runs from trying all that food."
"Well, we're going to need to pack some antacids, some toothbrushes for all of us, and some food from home!"
"Potato girl, did you even listen to Hanji's plan?" Ymir asked.
"To convince the world that we only want peace." Armin noted, "Maybe, if we can do that, our situation will change."
"If only we had more time…" Eren sighed. "Ymir and I's time will be up in just under seven years. We need to make a decision about who should get our Titans."
"It should be-" Mikasa began, but Jean cut her off.
"No. Not an option." Jean said, "We don't even know of Ackerman's can turn into titans. Not to mention even if you could, Hizuru would be pretty pissed at that. You're their long lost heir after all."
"Or worse, they could try to use your lineage to lay claim to the Attack Titan." Alto said, "One titan is enough. We don't need to start giving them away like candy."
"Then who should it be then?" Mikasa asked,
"Obviously me." Jean said, "I'll inherit the Attack Titan. For one, I'm a whole lot smarter than this dumbass-" He pointed at Eren, "and we'll replace this suicidal maniac with a gifted leader that shows good judgement in almost every situation."
"Keyword - almost every." Alto interjected, "Besides, who was it that led us during Shiganshina?"
"Like hell you inherit it. You already got one titan, and besides, we don't need you dying off after thirteen years either." Mina said, "I can inherit it-"
"Woah woah woah. If there's anyone who shouldn't inherit it, it's you three. Jean, you should aim to be the Scout Regiment's next commander."
"Alto, you're a great strategist, and you're the cornerstone to our negotiations with the outside world and Eldia's development, we can't lose you after thirteen years either."
"And Mina, you're as good a warrior as Mikasa is, and besides, I doubt your boyfriend would like it if you got eaten after such a short time." Connie pointed at himself, "I'll inherit the Attack Titan."
"That won't do at all, you're too much of an idiot." Sasha said, "Use your head Conny. This is a really important duty, we can't hand it off to someone as slow as you."
"Huh?" Conny said.
"Ya really get my goat sometimes." Sasha said in frustration, her Dauper accent emerging in her words. "Listen y'all, I'll inherit it. I'm experienced and reliable. By process of elimination, you gotta use me."
"Aren't you contradicting yourself though?" Rosalie asked smugly,
"She's right. You're a bigger idiot than I am." Connie said, "And you just said you can't hand it down to an idiot, so you just contradicted yourself.
Sasha stared at him blankly, "Huh?"
Connie stared back with an equally blank stare, "Huh?"
"You guys have just completely overlooked me here." Historia said, "I'm royal-blooded-"
"And Karl Fritz's curse still exists." Ymir bonked her, "You can't inherit the Attack Titan, and like hell I'm letting you get the Jaw."
"But Ymir-"
"I'm not handing it down…to anyone here." Eren said at last, "Because…I care about you all…and want you to live long lives."
The passengers of the train fell silent, their faces turning red.
"Hey! Eren, why are you turning red? What kind of mood are you trying to set here huh?!"
"...sorry." Eren muttered abashedly,
"Jean, it's just the sunset. That's why our faces are turning red."
"Oh." He said quietly, "Nothing to be done then."
In the middle of their silence, Mikasa and Eren shared a brief glance with each other, as the train headed off into the distant sunset.
Off the Coast of Paradis
"Oh god…" Sasha groaned, they were barely a mile out and could still see the island, and already several of the Scouts were showing signs of seasickness. Due to the Arbuckle, Z90, and Z93 being left in Paradis for reverse-engineering with the Hizurian engineers and Eldian Corps of Engineers, they were traveling with Kiyomi and her passenger ship the Jinada Maru.
"This is about a twelve day journey just going to Hizuru." Kiyomi told them, "I suggest you remain in your quarters in case of…stomach troubles."
The majority of the Eldians nodded thankfully, and headed down below. Leaving only a few to remain on deck.
"It's…really pretty." Armin said, "I would've never thought something like this was even possible."
"Yeah…" Mikasa muttered beside him.
They watched as a pod of whales emerged from the water, much to the fear of the Scouts.
"It's a monster!"
"Doesn't this thing have any weapons?!"
Kiyomi laughed, "The whales are more fearful of you than you are of them." She explained, "Unless you're hunting them, this is the closest the two of you will get to each other."
The Scouts still looked uneasy, but relented.
Rita looked out at the sea with pure amazement and childlike wonder. She felt like she'd been born for this moment, to explore the sea and all its wonders.
To rule it.
She smelled the air, and smiled. To anyone else, it smelled salty. But to her, it smelled sweet.
It smelled like home.
April 10th
"Madam Kiyomi?" Alto approached the woman.
"Ah, Alto-sama. What can I do for you?" Kiyomi asked politely.
"As this is not only your country we will be attending, but also the nation of my ancestors. I feel it is only proper that I get a basic introduction to the language, etiquette, and history of Hizuru."
Kiyomi smiled, "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't show any interest in getting to Hizuru. I see I was wrong. Follow me, I will attempt to teach you."
"One moment," Alto stopped her, "I would like to have a chance to persuade Mikasa to join us."
"I see." Kiyomi bowed, "Please do so."
"I don't see the harm in it." Eren shrugged,
"I agree, Alto is right. You guys are part of the Imperial Family of this country. It would reflect poorly on Paradis if you just went in with no prior knowledge of the nation." Historia told Mikasa.
"Besides, if you don't know the language, how can you order food properly?" Sasha chimed in.
Mikasa finally relented, "Alright, I suppose I can give this a shot."
"Thank you, Mikasa." Alto patted her on the back, and she only nodded in return.
"As Alexander may have told you - Hizuru is an island nation located in the West of our world. Our territories are marked in yellow." She pointed at a map. "Once, we controlled nearly the entire Easterm half of our world, thanks to the Flare Titan and our fearsome military. However, following the Great Titan War and subsequent conflicts with Marley, our land has been reduced to the home islands, Korehan, Formoa, and a few scattered islands and minor colonies in the Eastern sea and Asia."
Alto nodded, as Kiyomi continued. "Bordering Korehan is our primary rival, the Xinyin Monarchical Republic. They were the ones that benefitted the most from our loss in the Great Titan War. Following the War, they retook many of the lands we conquered. Particularly the Manchuri region and their coastline. Since then, they've been looking to kick us off the mainland once and for all by regaining Korehan, as well as retaking the island of Formoa."
"They are also a part of the Intercontinentia Alliance, the name Marley and its allies have adopted."
"So Xinyin is our enemy?" Alto asked, and Kiyomi nodded.
"Xinyin relies on Marleyan economic cooperation, as well as military aid from their Warrior Unit. So yes, Xinyin is definitely an enemy."
She proceeded to explain the other nations of the world, such as the Western Union, Britannian Empire, the Free Francia, and others.
"Back to Hizuru, we are ruled by our Prime Minister - Oda Azumabito, who is also my brother. The Prime Minister acts as a kind of deputy to the shogun, but for the past one hundred years the position has led the Hizurian Empire."
"Why don't you select a new Shogun from amongst the Azumabitos?" Mikasa asked.
"According to custom, only the direct lineage of the Shogun or a member of the Hajime Family may inherit the title." Kiyomi told him before continuing her explanation, "Hizuru also has a parliament, which acts as our legislative body for the nation."
Alto nodded as she continued to explain Hizuru's political systems, before moving onto etiquette and language. As it was, the '-sama' suffix was used to address someone of higher rank or status than them, while Lord and Lady (or Sir and Madam, depending on one's position in society) was used to refer to equals. Hizurians greeted each other with bows, with a short nod with your head being informal, while to show genuine respect, you would make a 90° angle with your upper body.
Kiyomi made sure to drill this information into their heads, but was awfully patient with them regardless, repeating when needed and correcting them whenever they said something incorrectly. Nonetheless, as the days went by, Alto couldn't help but feel like Kiyomi was slave-driving him, and understandably so.
Alto flopped against Mina, "You look tired." She stated.
"You have no idea…" Alto groaned, "Kiyomi has been helpful, and awfully patient. But sometimes I feel like the woman is more of a slave-driver than a teacher."
"Well, we do only have about three days left of the journey. She has to cram as much into you as possible. What is she teaching you now?"
"Speaking the language. I've got most of the greetings and goodbyes down. But the grammar is somewhat difficult to get a hold of."
"Well, at least Mikasa seems to be having more trouble than you." Mina giggled.
Alto smiled slightly, "Poor girl. She probably wouldn't have come if she knew this was what she'd have to go through."
Mina punched him playfully, "Don't act like you didn't put her up to it."
Alto simply gave her a small smile, and leaned against Mina.
Umioba, Hizuru - April 18th, 845
"Here we are, the nation of Hizuru." Kiyomi gestured to the grand port in front of them, and the Scouts gasped in amazement.
Above them, a mix of planes and zeppelins flew, transporting goods and people to various destinations. On the ground, a vast mix of people walked among them, going about their lives, ignorant of the visitors in their midst. Cars and trucks passed through the streets, ferrying their luggage to places likely even more amazing.
However, not all was peaceful.
In several places, there were clear signs of a militaristic culture. Soldiers in khaki uniform marched across the streets. Several turreted ships which Kiyomi had identified as destroyers were pulling into port alongside them, bearing the Hizurian flag of the rising sun with the Azumabito clan symbol in it's center.
"Wow…this is Hizuru." Mina gasped in amazement.
"Yes, my home, and the home of your ancestors." She turned to Alto and Mikasa, who merely nodded.
"Please, feel free to disembark." Kiyomi gestured to the landing ramp, "The Prime Minister of Azumabito - my brother Oda Azumabito - will be greeting us himself."
Alto and Historia approached the ramp, escorted by their own fully armed Royal Guards. Mina followed alongside him, her snow white cloak displayed proudly on her back.
Following him were the rest of the scouts, also dressed in full uniform and ODM gear.
Alto approached the gathering of Hizurian soldiers, who parted to reveal a man about Levi's height.
"Ah~ Am I fluent in your language?" He scratched his ear in curiosity.
"I can understand you well enough." Alto bowed before him, and the man customarily bowed back. "Konnichiwa Prime Minister Oda, I am Alto Burke, Prince of the Eldian Kaiserreich and beside me is my sister, Historia Reiss and the current Kaiserin of the walls." Historia awkwardly replicated Alto's movements.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Burke, Historia-sama." Politely, he kissed Historia's hand, much to the ire of the cloaked Ymir beside her.
"Thank you, for your kindness, Lord Azumabito." Historia told him, "I may only hope that we may reforge the alliance that was broken by my ancestors' betrayal so many years ago."
"You're too kind Historia-sama. Please, let us continue this conversation in a more appropriate spot. My estate is right outside the city, it will only take a few minutes via automobile. We have transportation your guards may share with our own soldiers." He motioned to the trucks.
Hanji pushed forward, overtaken with an almost maniacal glee.
"Woah, what the hell is it?" Connie asked,
"Why is it making that noise!?" Sasha said fearfully,
"I understand your nation is one hundred years behind the rest of the world, so automobiles are not a very common invention."
"Yes, even things such as trains are a new concept to us in Paradis. We developed them only a few months back." Alto explained as he and Historia entered the car with Oda and Kiyomi, "However, I have a goal of making Paradis a fully modernized nation by October 854."
"Why, that's barely three and a half years!"
"It's all the time we have." Alto shrugged, "But enough about me, what about your nation?"
"Hizuru has fallen on hard times. Our army is falling behind the rest of the world, and our aerial technology is also falling behind. Our economy is struggling as well, especially due to the fact that ever since we lost our colonies a century ago, Hizuru has been in a perpetual mineral shortage…" Oda trailed off.
"So that's why your sister seemed so interested in Paradis's fossil fuels."
Outside the car, Levi sighed. "Onyakapon, stop them before they try feeding it carrots or something." he motioned towards Hanji, Connie, Jean, and Sasha, who were respectively analyzing and fearfully gazing at one of the transport trucks.
The Hizurian soldiers watched the spectacle in barely contained wonder and curiosity. Like the Scouts had never seen the outside world, the Hizurians had never seen Paradisians before, and were watching them with wide-eyed curiosity.
Eventually, once the Scouts finally got over their wonder at the truck, they climbed in, sitting across from a group of six Hizurian infantry.
At first, the six scouts inside only shared the occasional awkward eye contact with the group., until Hanji finally made the first move.
"Hiya! My name is Zoe Hanji!" With a giant grin, she offered her hand out to the first soldier, who finally realized Hanji was trying to greet him.
"Name…is…Hideki…Gonzo." He said slowly, clearly not having a good grasp of the Eldian language.
"Really? Nice to meet you Mr. Gonzo!" Hanji said to him cheerfully,
Despite their language troubles, with only two of them speaking even rudimentary Eldian, the Scouts and Hizurian soldiers ended up getting along quite well.
Watching them interact with the Hizurian soldiers, Eren smiled, then frowned again. Had he really chosen to kill people like this? The Hizurians clearly wished them no harm, and were even friendly to them. Sure, Kiyomi and Oda seemed more than happy to take advantage of Paradis, but even they were genuinely respectful of the Eldians there.
"Oi, Brat." Levi looked at him, "You look troubled, spit it out."
"I'm just wondering…will we really have to resort to the rumbling? What if we end up killing people like this along the way?" Eren asked,
Levi stared ahead, "That's a choice that only two people can make, you and Alto. Not me, not Historia, not anyone else. Only you two." Levi said seriously, "Remember what Evangelica told you in the Forest of Giant Trees?"
Eren nodded, "'At one point or another, the only thing one can do is rely on themselves.'"
"This is like what happened in the Titan Forest that day, except on a much, much, larger scale. Will you put your faith in the world, to get past their hatred? Or will you trust yourself to save Paradis?" When Eren didn't reply, Levi continued, "No one is expecting an immediate answer, but you have to come up with it soon, or you'll find yourself regretting the time you wasted."
A/N: So in this chapter we find ourselves introduced to some of Paradis's future Oberkommando members. Season 3 Part 2 (AKA Season 3.5) is going to introduce alot of major characters that will appear in Season 4. Also, LEAVE REVIEWS PLEASE! I LOVE READING THEM!
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