The Most Miserable Life In Another World
Chapter 2: Ceiling On The Inside
Describing the darkness surrounding him as a comfort would be an understatement. This time, unlike when he had his eyes closed for this long before, the senses within his body weren't blockaded by a strange suffocating presence that hugged him. His brain was catching up to him within the darkness, so he was slowly starting to read the waves of information his senses were giving him. The sheets beneath him were soft and unfamiliar, the room filled with an odd mix of scents, mostly bringing him to the conclusion that he was somewhere very comfortable.
Immediately he realized that this was an indicator of not being in his bed.
One more thing that was different about this darkness from the one at the start of his journey… He slowly opened his eyes, blinking them so they could adjust. His sense of sight took longer than expected to clear away the grogginess from his vision.
"Unfamiliar ceiling… Ah… My voice…" He held a hand to his throat as soon as he heard himself speak. He can tell that this voice wasn't the one he was used to. It wasn't his own. One might say it was, just not anymore.
"I'm still a kid… I'm still…" He grumbled hoarsely, still having to smooth his voice after being asleep for a long time. The air felt different, and he couldn't shake the surreal feeling of waking up in a place unknown. A quick glance revealed unfamiliar walls adorned with framed photographs, a stark contrast to the open and flat plainlands he remembered.
"Ah…" His body began catching up to his movements. The pain that so comfortably edged its existence within his final moments of consciousness started to return in a smaller capacity throughout his body. Confused and cautious, he gingerly sat up, every movement sending a twinge of discomfort through his frame. The room seemed to spin for a moment as he adjusted to the vertical position, and he took a steadying breath. It was then that he noticed a subtle ache, a persistent echo of the intense pain he had experienced before losing consciousness.
The absence of bandages perplexed him; he expected to see evidence of medical care, yet his skin bore no visible marks of treatment. Instead, the pain lingered, a muted but persistent reminder of the trauma his body had endured. It was as if the agony had taken on a subtle, internal form, a phantom sensation that clung to his muscles and bones.
"... Holy shit…" His need to breathe finally caught up to his state of shock alongside the pain at last. "It was real…? That's gotta be a joke."
He looked at his hands, feeling the wave of extra pain this did to him but finding himself able to keep moving them anyway. "I'm shaking…" his voice was in whispers now. He stared at the smaller versions of his hands, these were the hands of a younger Subaru… One that shouldn't have ended up in a stranger's room with such a pain. One that was simply in need of a late-night snack from the supermarket, yet here he was, suffering the consequence of what was essentially, being eaten by another human being. Or almost…
"Surprised yere up so soon!"
When he was lost in contemplation, the boy's thoughts were disrupted by a sudden energy that entered the room. With a cheer and a genuine light brought inside with her smile, Subaru looked up to see a woman who was possibly the most beautiful he'd ever seen in his seventeen years of life, even with the minus years that his current body took away from him.
There, standing in the doorway, her smile was warm and the aura of contagious delight filled the air.
Clearly startled by her entrance, the woman decided to take advantage of his silence to walk closer to the bed he was on.
"How ya feelin' little fella?"
"Uh…" He swiftly held a hand up to his mouth, wincing as he did so. Unfortunately, his wince came out as a small squeak.
"Ya shouldn't move so suddenly, hun. That shoulder o' yers is still recoverin'." Her smile was sweet as she sat on the edge of the bed and explained kindly to him why the thing he just did was stupid.
"Th-Thanks… I uh…" Speaking through this voice was going to be troubling, but he saw the kind smile she was giving him and had the urge to unleash the questions plaguing his mind. "H-How… How are you?"
"Ah, so ya can speak to me without choking on yer own saliva? Nice to know."
Subaru gave her what he hoped was a glare as the red color on his cheeks intensified.
"Aw, don't pout like tha' fella." The woman teased him while driving a finger towards his forehead to get him to lie down again. Subaru didn't want to oppose her as someone just being friendly and he could see a hint of care within her eyes for him.
He felt encouraged to try again just from the sight of her grimace as soon as she inspected his small frame.
"A kid like ya shouldn't have been outside these damn walls… Nobody does their jobs around here…"
"Walls…?" Subaru's childish voice displayed curiosity that would've been appropriate for a child his age had he not been a teen. But his question only brought a hint of annoyance to show on the woman's expression.
"I dunno what's happening in that brain of yer's kiddo, but I'm gonna have to ask ya before anything else happens here, do ya remember anythin' before wakin' up?"
"Y-Yeah…" He didn't know why, but the hint of compassion and the way she commanded him to answer her felt like she was really here to help him. He didn't know who to trust yet but his brain was too tired to not try. "I was… There was this monster…"
Her eyes softened instantly. "How'd it look like, hun?" she asked this in a whispered voice, giving him a look of understanding as she patted his head.
"... It was… huge…" He awkwardly shuffled under the blanket. The woman never took her eyes off of his, the level of comfort he was feeling when she looked over him was a source of suffocation for him. "I uh… I couldn't do anything… I couldn't even run…"
"It's alright." She whispered while running her hand through his hair. "Yer not there anymore… Ya don't wanna talk about it do ya?"
Subaru's gaze drifted away, his eyes clouding over as the memories of the monstrous creature flooded back into his consciousness. The woman's touch was comforting, but the weight of his recollections became almost unbearable.
In the depths of his mind, a vivid scene unfolded—a haunting memory from the belly of the beast, a place that felt both surreal and nightmarish. He recalled the oppressive darkness, the stomach's acidic stench, and the eerie echoes of his own sobs reverberating in the cavernous space. The tight confines of the Titan's belly pressed in on him, suffocating and disorienting.
A shiver ran down Subaru's spine as he remembered the desperate pleas for his mother and father, the longing for the familiar streets of Japan, and the overwhelming desire to escape the cruel reality he found himself trapped in. The tears he shed within the creature's gut seemed to resurface, their phantom wetness lingering on his cheeks.
As he recounted the harrowing experience, Subaru's voice quivered. "I... I was inside... I cried for my parents... for my home..." The words escaped him with a heavy sigh, and he clutched the bedsheet tightly as if seeking an anchor in the sea of distressing memories.
The woman's fingers continued to stroke his hair soothingly, her eyes reflecting a mix of empathy and concern. She maintained a gentle silence, allowing Subaru to navigate through the pain at his own pace.
"How I want to kill the people who went outta the walls on that night…" She shook her head while grumbling under her breath. Subaru looked at her expectantly, confused for every single word.
"Do ya remember more than tha'? How'd ya get so far away from the walls in such a short period o' time?" The woman seemingly ignored his need for an explanation.
"... Uh… The walls?" Subaru's question showed his confusion bare to the woman.
As if expecting that question, the lady squinted at him.
"Hm. Yes…"
Subaru's brows furrowed in utter confusion, his eyes searching the woman's face for some semblance of understanding. "Walls?" he echoed, his voice tinged with genuine perplexity. "I didn't see any walls before... before I found myself out in the plains."
"Didn't see?" She quirked her brows upwards as if that changed the conversation somehow. "What do ya mean when ya say that? As in, didn't see the walls because of how far away ya walked from Shiganshina… or…"
Subaru was beyond baffled by the sudden widening of her eyes.
"I uh… Never saw any walls… Ever."
"..." The woman's beautiful features froze and she almost damn near looked like she was a still motion doll before him, as if her soul left and nothing could be seen within her eyes much less her unmoving features. No hint of emotion, just pure unadulterated shock.
"Ma'am?" Subaru tried to call for her, feeling a bit more reluctant that she had her hand on his head.
"C-Can ya tell me… How'd ya find yerself on the outside…" She asked this with urgency in her tone, hand heavy upon his hair but nothing too aggressive. It seemed like her whole body was stiff with nervousness and panic.
"... I… woke up in the middle of nowhere… No buildings or people were around for a very far away distance…"
"Ya just… found yerself there?" She looked at him with a ghostly outlook.
"Um… Yeah…" Subaru's heart started beating against his chest because of the nervousness the woman began instilling within him. Her reactions looked more horrified than anything he'd expect, though that may have been because she's hearing this talk about finding himself in nowhere with a monster that tried to eat him while he was stuck in his child-body, which could be unsettling for anyone.
Just to be safe, Subaru didn't feel like telling anyone that he was from another world, just yet. He needs to learn more. Why he was summoned to such a place, where was he to begin with? What type of world was he in?
"Alright…" The woman mutters under her breath, unable to see a lie in him. "Well… Where do ya come from then? Ya got any parents out there?"
"I… Don't remember…" Subaru suppressed the urge to wince. That was clearly a lie but he hoped the way he stuttered could show as a child being terrified instead of someone panicking. "I can't remember… Please… I'm scared…"
He tried to give his best pleading expression, knowing how manipulative and disgusting this was, but his ability to recognize the compassion within her had been screaming at him to try and use his curse as a child to his own advantage. Guilt tripping was so effective that he could feel her hand returning to the top of his head once more, her expression dropping into a resigned look of pity and acceptance.
"Poor fella…" She looked a bit unconvinced but shook her head. "This has got to be a real shi- I mean, crappy situation for ya… We tried looking for yer parents since a lotta people went out of the gate on that night. But none have lost a child, especially one with weird clothing like… what's currently on ya."
"Hm? My clothes?" Subaru's eyes went down to stare at his little body again. While he had inspected his clothing extensively when he was walking alone in the plains, he still forgot about the other weird aspect of his transportation into this world after being turned into a child version of himself.
The fact that his sweatsuit was also de-aged to fit on his new form. He was wearing a child version of the clothes he was wearing as an adult before he got turned.
And now he realizes that this might hinder his lie.
"A-Are these not normal to wear, ma'am?" He tried to act innocent and worried, giving her the impression that he was so innocent of a kid that he felt like a criminal wearing something unusual. In reality, he needed to know if these clothes were unusual for this place, wherever he was right now.
"Definitely not what I'd describe as a common trend amongst the low folk we humble ourselves within here." The lady had the smile of a mischievous kid while playing with his head. Subaru felt more guilty as he realized that she was trying to take his mind off of the implications of what he was discovering as a lost child.
"Well… I don't remember anything other than my name. Maybe my parents were fashion designers or something…" Subaru thought he was a little clever to start adding more to his lie. He figured that such a job could be available in this world considering the woman's weird clothes.
"Maybe, but that would mean yer a rich kid since that's a luxury only available in Rose districts." The woman hummed.
"I don't think I'm rich." Subaru stuttered, trying not to let the gap get smaller for the list of people they could ask. He didn't want to be found out too soon. "I mean… I got stuck with nothing on me for hours… until I got…"
"Eaten by a Titan." The woman muttered under her breath, hand growing heavy on his head to comfort him.
"Titan…" So that was the monster's name. It was fitting.
"If ya walked for a long time before losing yer memory then it makes a lotta sense how ya found yerself so far. Enough not to see the walls from what ya can remember. Maybe that experience was the reason why ya lost yer damn memory in the first place? Hm…" The woman found more and more ways to connect the dots that didn't even exist to make his little story work. Subaru almost felt proud of himself.
"That gloomy companion of Erwin's was telling me the truth…" The woman muttered her speculation while toying with his hair, yet not looking at him but toward the wall at the end of the bed.
"... Levi." Subaru's lips moved on their own, unable to stop him from speaking as the memory flashed brighter than ever in his mind. "He was the one that saved me…"
"Name's Levi."
"Yeah, I coulda guessed. With how hurried he was to place ya in my care and run toward his master." The woman snorted and stood up from the bed's edge, making him miss her touch on his head already. "He must've given ya the name after gettin' that Titan's stomach to open up."
"Who's Erwin?" Come to think about it, Subaru remembered that name being spoken near him somewhere.
"Goddamn it, Erwin's hunch wasn't right this time."
It was spoken by the man that saved him. Levi.
The lady gives him a sharp smile and leans on the doorway smugly. "All will be revealed in due time, kid. All ya have to be sure of is that ya've been saved from the Titans and brought in here underneath my care until the people who found ya can get their asses outta politics for a second and get back to have a conversation."
"A conversation with Mr. Levi?" Subaru tried to sound a little bit intimidated which sounded perfect to the lady since he truly was unable to picture such a conversation can be held when remembering the man's sharp glare and cold eyes.
"Hahaha! Call him Mr. Levi when ya see 'em next time, please!" The woman burst into a fit of giggles which turned Subaru a deep shade of red for no reason at all other than feeling a bit sheepish he made her laugh unintentionally because of his child acting.
"But sure… We're waitin' on both of them to come here and get ya back home… Which will be a challenge now that we know yer head is half-baked and empty at best."
"Hey!"
The lady waved him off with a superior smile. "I woulda love to continue this while eating a lovely lunch. Since ya missed a few days without food and breakfast today, I don't suppose ya mind if I cook something for us both while waiting like a good boy?"
"A-Actually… I'd love to help… Maybe talk while we are preparing the food?" Subaru saw a chance to bring his analytical skills to the test and took it. The woman raised a brow at him.
"Talk? 'Bout?"
"I uh… Everything? I wanna learn more about… Where I am…" The boy, Subaru, looked at her with his truest expression yet. Nothing was two-faced about his ask, it was really what he wanted to know.
"Ah… Maybe that would help ya remember things fast enough… Alrighty." She nodded after seconds of thinking and moved back into the room so she could remove his bedsheet, relieving him of the protection he had against the cold air. "Check if ya can move yer body good enough. If it hurts, yer staying right over here. Understand, hun?"
"Y-Yes ma'am." Subaru nodded to her authoritative voice, not wanting to be difficult when she was being stern about his health. He oddly felt comfortable being babied… as hurtful to his ego as that fact was.
"This is reeeally the worst start to a fantasy world I've ever seen."
As he thought this, he found it difficult to move his legs without hissing. Seems like that Titan's grip was extremely unforgiving to his limbs.
"Can ya stand alright, hun?"
"Y-Yeah, I think…" Subaru responded while hating the fact that his voice sounded like a child's. "I think I'll be alright uh…"
He looked up at her in surprise, suddenly realizing that he didn't know who she was.
"What? Forget my name already?! How could ya after I took ya in generously?!" The woman playfully tapped the boy's head and giggled at the terrorized expression he gave.
"Name's Sallia, kiddo. Sallia Smith. Resident caretaker of yer lofty self until further notice. Better behave~."
Subaru didn't feel like having another mother than his own give him lectures so he decided to nod his head and give the lady his promise to not cause any trouble.
At least until he can learn some magic in this fantasy world.
"They must have magical schools if they can fight with monsters like those Titans… I wonder why I never unlocked my hero power yet. Wasn't I summoned here to save this world or something?"
Subaru started wobbling out of the door to help Sallia with lunch, hoping to keep asking her questions without letting her realize where he actually came from.
It looked like she found it a big deal that he could've come from beyond wherever these walls were supposed to be. Even though he still didn't see them.
"Wonder what those look like. Seems like important stuff."
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"Impressed ain't ya, hun?" Sallia had to give a heartful giggle to her companion as soon as they stepped outside of the house.
It had been an eventful lunch. One where Subaru made use of the chance to ask about everything he could think of to understand this new world. Gathering information was operation number one when you get isekaied, of course.
"This is the worst…"
"Hm? Ya really admire them walls huh? I mean ya shouldn't forget about somethin' as important as they even if ya got yer head screwed…" The lady said beside him as she stepped out of what he learned was her house.
"..."
Sallia looked down at the boy as she stood by his side, observing the expression on his face. The massive walls, stretching high into the sky, created an imposing and surreal sight. Subaru's reaction was a mixture of awe and wonder, as any child would be when confronted with such an extraordinary scene. Sallia could see the wheels turning in his young mind, processing the sheer magnitude of the structures that shielded their city.
"Wonder if that's how it's like for us when we saw the walls for the first time… probably when we got born under them…" Sallia whispered as a new realization began to take place in her.
As Subaru continued to marvel at the colossal walls surrounding the city, she couldn't shake the notion that she might be witnessing a unique phenomenon – the first-time reaction of someone who technically didn't have his memories of the walls at the moment so he was discovering the towering barrier for the first time ever.
In a city where generations had lived within the safety of the walls, the idea that nobody had experienced this kind of awe before intrigued Sallia. It was a great call out to the sheltered existence they all led, shielded from the unknown threats that lay beyond the protective barriers. Sallia pondered the significance of this moment. She realized that the very notion of someone discovering the walls for the first time could be a rare occurrence, an event that had perhaps never been considered by the city's inhabitants.
"This is the worst…"
"... Kiddo?" Sallia called softly. "I know that they're a thin' of beauty but… Ya really gotta ugly cry like tha'?"
Subaru, through tears, looked away from the walls surrounding the city and looked at her.
"Y-Yeah… I just…" He lets a drawling sniffle in place of any words he can say.
"It's alright kiddo~." Sallia, god bless her soul, patted his head with a warm smile to comfort him. "I get it… You won't be captured by them titans while you're here with us. I promise."
God bless her but that's not what he was crying about, though he did allow her to think she was right. It would be much easier to let her think he's crying because of trauma.
"This world is the worst fantasy world ever! What kind of world has magical demon beasts like the TITANS but no magic powers?! How have these people survived?!"
On top of the various reasons his newest fantasy world was terrible, is the fact that his younger body caused his emotions to be very impulsive. So the fact that he couldn't have magic to play with in a world with human-eating monsters was akin to him not receiving the new console his dad promised him after a trip to the mall.
"Ya wanna go get some sweet cakes from the bakery, hun?" Sallia could replace his mom any day she wanted.
"Sniffle Y-Yes please…"
"Awe… Let's go get somethin' to sweeten yer frown. Come."
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The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air as Sallia led Subaru into the quaint bakery shop. The door creaked softly, announcing their arrival to a world that seemed frozen in the charm of the 17th century. The interior was a delightful blend of warmth and rustic elegance, with wooden beams supporting the ceiling and shelves filled with an assortment of artisanal bread and pastries.
Subaru's eyes widened as he stepped over the threshold, taking in the sight of a bygone era. The bakery was bathed in the soft glow of flickering candlelight, casting a warm and inviting ambiance over the worn, wooden furnishings. He marveled at the intricate details of the hand-carved wooden counters and shelves, the craftsmanship telling a story of a time untouched by the rapid technological advances of his world.
Antique copper pots and pans adorned the walls, catching the light and adding a subtle sheen to the cozy surroundings. A massive hearth dominated one corner of the bakery, with flames dancing and crackling, imbuing the air with the comforting scent of burning wood. An elderly baker, his face lined with years of dedication to his craft, stood behind the counter, kneading dough with practiced hands.
Subaru's eyes darted from one detail to another, a mix of awe and confusion etched on his face. The attire of the patrons, the architecture, and the overall atmosphere seemed to belong to a historical period far removed from the world he knew. His gaze lingered on the simple beauty of the wooden shelves displaying an array of bread—round loaves, some tiny round cakes, and a couple of roll cakes—all meticulously arranged.
As Sallia approached the counter, exchanging familiar greetings with the baker, Subaru couldn't help but watch as she shook the man's hand with tomboyish style as if trying to measure her strength with the muscled beast behind the counter.
"How are ya today, Kasiki? Hope yer small run a few days ago didn't cause any of yer hips to break." Sallia seemed to tease the old man as he returned to his work.
"Of course not! Even though the panic was truly unwelcome for most of us, I've been ready for something like that since I started living in Shiganshina twenty-two years ago, Sallia." Kasiki replied while flipping over some dough and bringing it down on a wooden table.
"How far did them bastards reach the outside of the walls before the Garrison's caught 'em?" She asked him nonchalantly while leaning on the counter.
The baker shrugged while getting busy with his work. "Your guess is as good as mine, girl. Those idiots got a good beatin' downtown I heard. Dunno what happened to those two soldiers who were guarding the levers of the main gates, but I heard some people around the city want to know who they were to… have a 'word' about them opening up the main gates like that."
"Interesting, are there any idiots blabbering about seeing no Titans outside the walls?" Sallia was firm in her question but the baker paid her change of tone no mind as he flipped another dough in the air.
"Dunno about that. I just understand that some people regret going on the outside after the public humiliation they were forced to endure. By the end of the panic that the entire city was in, we couldn't care less about the soldiers on the front or the people on the outside, we all just hoped for those gates to be closed as soon as possible."
"I see… Do let me know if anything else comes out of the rabble down here, will ya?" Sallia fakes a haughty snort while the old man laughs.
"Clear, ma'am. We serve to please."
While they were talking in hushed voices away from everyone, Subaru couldn't shake the feeling that he had been transported into the pages of a history book. Not in this bakery alone, but with the entire walk he had taken to get here, the city itself was akin to a blast from the past to him.
"It makes sense for their world to be behind on technology… Though now that I know they have no magic system here… Why haven't they tried making guns or canons yet?" Subaru thought to himself as he began wondering what technology existed in this world for humanity to be able to combat the titan beasts without any magical powers like he thought they would have.
The elderly baker glanced up from his work, catching sight of Subaru's perplexed expression. With a friendly smile, he gestured toward the array of bread, offering a taste of a world where time moved at a gentler pace.
Sallia, noticing Subaru's eye, leaned in and whispered, "Don't let the nice man wait hun. Ya gotta try his wonderful masterpieces out while ya still can."
"Huh? While I still can?" Subaru looked at her as he was handed a pretty good-looking roll cake from the nice old man.
"Yep! Dontcha see the line behind us? They are starving like wolves for one of them!" Sallia cheerfully grinned at a few disgruntled customers who were waiting in a line that Subaru realized they had just cut in on. "Privilege of being a soldier in the city."
Oh. That was true, Sallia was a soldier of a guarding unit in the city… Subaru didn't get around to learning all of the governmental bodies but he assumed this was what people called "Cop privilege" in his world…
He also assumed it was illegal, just like in his world.
"I wanted that…" As he walked alongside the smug Sallia, Subaru overheard a sad whine from a little girl who was standing in line with her dad.
"It's alright, sweetie. Even though that was the last one, I'm sure the other sweets will be better!" The dad tried to cheer her up but the little girl remained teary-eyed as she stared at the dessert in Subaru's hand with a longing akin to a puppy's.
Subaru's heart clenched, and before he knew it, his hand had already reached out to the girl, with half of his dessert cut and ready for her to take.
Even though he could feel a lot of eyes on him as he did so, he only cared for the sudden emotions of surprise and realization from the little girl. She stared at his outstretched hand once before looking up at him with a look of hope.
"...Y-You sure?"
Subaru nodded. And she took the sweet as quickly as possible in order not to give him a chance to change his mind. "Thank you!"
"That's very nice of you, young man." Subaru nodded to the father of a now-beaning ball of energy and walked out of the shop with half his food in hand. He could feel eyes of approval from most of the patrons who glared at him and Sallia for cutting in line moments before. Seems like his good deed didn't go unnoticed by them.
Neither did it go unnoticed by his current caretaker.
"Ya got a heart 'f gold kiddo. I'm proud of ya." Sallia said to him with genuine warmth in her voice, making him feel a bit proud and fuzzy inside.
"W-We don't know each other that well yet for you to be proud of me… At least wait until I graduate or something…"
"Awe but that's so far down the line! I wanna be able to give ya advice on how to do a tie and teach ya how to talk to girls without being a mess from now!"
"I'M STILL TOO YOUNG FOR ANY OF THAT!"
Sallia chuckled and whipped her hand into his hair so she could rough it up affectionately. He didn't move her hand away, finding comfort in the little message to his scalp.
"Yer seriously something else. I didn't expect a kid would live so carefree after what happened to ya…"
Subaru found it a bit annoying that she brought back the memory of how he was eaten by a titan. But he understood that it wasn't normal how casually he was going about things.
"To be honest I don't even really understand what is wrong with me at this point… I feel like I should be panicking about a thousand different things happening to me all at once, but… I just feel like… I just want to be able to live without anything bothering me, ma'am… I don't know what's wrong with me…"
Sallia's hand never left his head as they continued walking upwards to a small fountain area. She looked at him with a thoughtful gaze. Subaru should've been panicked about how deep his words sounded. But for some reason when he talked to her, he felt like the need to hide his true age and mannerisms wasn't needed. She had a warm aura around her that made him feel trustful to a really weird point.
"Can't say I understand everything yer going through, but… I know for a fact that yer a strong fuckin' kid. Keep it that way."
Subaru nodded with a confused look as the lady left his hair alone and walked off in a direction that was off to the side of the road from the fountain.
The house nestled off to the side of the fountain exuded an air of quiet dignity, its weathered facade bearing the marks of time and history. The wooden beams, worn smooth by years of weathering, cradled the structure with a sturdy embrace, while the tiled roof sloped gently, offering shelter from the elements.
The neighborhood leading up toward the house was built upon a steep hill, leading to many of the houses being built directly on top of a large road of granite staircases. The wooden pillars of the houses connected with the slabs of stone and marble which consisted of the sidewalk, with each house having small steps of wood to connect the front doors to the main staircase of the road.
Sallia's movements though they were once brisk and determined, now weighted with solemnity as she approached the door of the house. Her steps were measured and deliberate. Subaru felt worried for her as she hadn't been this silent since they met.
As she reached the threshold, Sallia raised a hand and knocked, the sound echoing through the stillness of the afternoon. Moments passed before the door creaked open, revealing a figure standing in the dim light of the interior.
"Ah! I was just about to depart my household to see you and the patient." The figure speaks with elegance as he places a hat on his head, fully revealing that he is indeed getting ready for an outing. "I do not think that leaving my patient all alone in the house is wise, even if I appreciate the casual visit from a fellow friend, Sallia."
Sallia smiled sweetly at the man, pointing a thumb behind her while leaning on the porch pillar and crossing an ankle over the other. "Yer patient is here to tell ya himself how wise I am, smarty pants." Her reply was smooth and smug at the same time.
Subaru squinted from the road at the front porch, trying to steal a glance at the man Sallia was speaking with. He caught the man's gaze, which seemed to turn into a surprised face after noticing Subaru behind the lady. From what Subaru could notice, the man was very much ordinary in terms of looks. However, his eyes, deep and contemplative, held a glimmer of wisdom, while lines etched into his face spoke of a life that was marked by both joy and sorrow. The simple attire he wore exuded a quiet strength, his presence commanding respect without the need for words.
A faint wave from Sallia stopped Subaru from looking further into the man's features and made him recognize her calling for him to get to them.
She could've told him to follow her before she walked off from a deep conversation…
"Kiddo, I wantcha t' meet the resident hero of our city." Once he reached the two adults, Subaru was greeted by a toothy grin from his cheerful caretaker and an explanation from her towards the man who continued to stare at Subaru uncomfortably.
"H-Hi… mister hero?"
"Please don't call me that," the man's voice was exasperated and he had the energy to slightly glare towards the giggling lady to his side. "I'm merely a health specialist. You've been pretty injured after your… incident. And I was requested to help you immediately once Sallia caught you in her arms and she flew past the entire crowds of people to deliver to this house."
Subaru's eyes widened as he looked at the adult next to him with awe.
"Don't look so surprised, kiddo. I told ya that there won't be anythin' to hurt yer sorry behind while I'm around. That duty didn't start after ya opened yer eyes in my house." Sallia received his awe with a foxy smirk which tugged at his heart.
"You're too kind, ma'am." Subaru flushed out of embarrassment but looked at her with gratitude. He immediately looked alarmed and gave a small bow of respect to the man at her side, who had been watching the scene unfold in silence. "Th–Thank you as well, sir! I promise to work hard to repay your efforts one day."
It seemed that his little bow wasn't received with embarrassment but instead, Sallia had a little chuckle toward him as if amused by the sheer act.
"Bowin' to him is a whole different kind of ego boost that yer given' this guy, kid."
"And calling me a hero isn't?" The man smirked toward her before waving to the boy. "Please don't feel the need for that, son. This is my duty and you weren't that critically injured anyway, thank goodness. Please, enter so that my wife can prepare some tea for all of us. I would like to check on how you're feeling… uh…"
"Oh! My name is Natsuki Subaru." Subaru announced as the resident doctor gave him an expecting gaze and a welcoming smile.
"Pleasure to finally know your name, son. I'm Grisha Yeager." Subaru didn't know why… But there was something more to the way he was being looked at by the man, now known to him as Grisha, and it didn't give him a good feeling.
It was as if the man recognized his true identity behind the face of his de-aged facade.
But Grisha didn't say anything, simply turning around and welcoming them into his home with warmth, at least Subaru was hoping it was warmth.
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"Dear, it seems that I won't need to be outside for today." Grisha placed his coat on the hanger next to the doorway and entered his home with two people behind him.
"Everything already honey? I hope nothing bad happened to the patient you've been dealing with for the past few days." A female voice sounded from the upstairs floors of the house. It was warm and motherly as the speaker radiated a lot of protective energy for what Subaru assumed was her husband.
As Grisha chuckled and gestured for his guests to enter and sit at the main table, he called down. "Please come greet my patient yourself, Carla."
An amusing "Oh?" was heard as well as the woman's footsteps sounded across the upper floor and down the stairs.
"That's intriguing, please settle them into the eating table dear."
"They're already welcomed and done, dear." Grisha muses and stands off the side of the stairs as a lady with eyes that capture Subaru with their depth, descends the last flight of wooden steps.
"I see," she snorts playfully, "Hello there! It's very nice to see you again, Sallia, this time not in a hurry with a child on the brink of death in your arms."
Sallia leaned her chin on her knuckle as she chuckled in amusement at the jest. "I know, pretty borin' today."
Carla then looked at the boy beside her friend, having a smile of relief as she looked him up and down. "Thank goodness…"
"Huh?" Subaru sounded, confused.
"It's just that… Everyone's been very worried about your condition since you were found outside the wall… It's a miracle to see you awake."
"Ah… Th-Thank you." Subaru looked dumbfounded at the lady's kindness. The look of sincerity made him blush all sorts of crimson because he couldn't fathom that a stranger was holding on to his state of health and hoping good happens to him while he was in a coma. "That's kind of you."
"Awe, look at 'em blush!" Sallia teased while pinching his cheek from the side, making Carla giggle.
"I'll get the tea ready with some desserts you've brought this morning, please feel free to ask for anything you need while you talk to my husband." With that, Carla excused herself as Subaru fought off the hook from hell that was Sallia's hand.
"P-Please stop!" Subaru whines as the woman in uniform tortures him.
Opposite them, the man of the house coughs to gain their attention. "It seems that I don't need to do any checkups to review Subaru's health… I mean his thrashing against your evil hands shows a great capacity for movement unhindered by pain. Thankfully."
"Please help."
"Well, I'm happy the twerp's in an alright form in yer eyes doc. But shouldn't ya at least do a once over 'em, just in case?" Sallia stopped trying to mess with the boy, giving him the chance to catch his breath and admire the way this lady was negotiating for his health right after causing him such distress.
Truly, this Sallia was something out of a comedy cast rather than a soldier made to protect the people of the city from monsters like the Titans.
Subaru held a grimace from showing on his expression in remembrance. He looked down as the adults kept talking.
"I sure would love to do more checkups for safety of course. I'm not denying the need for such common procedure of course." Grisha nodded his head at Sallia's request, giving her satisfaction for being right.
"Awesome," for some reason she loved having wins over Grisha every time they spoke, it was amusing for the doctor more than anything so he allowed her these small victories even though they were completely worthless moments to him. "When're ya doin' them then?"
"I would like to do what I can right now, if young Subaru allows it of course." Grisha's eyes fell on the boy next to her, with a slight glimmer of amusement, noticing the boy's widened look.
"Ah… I-... This won't cost me anything right? I don't have much on me right now and I wouldn't want to trouble Sallia-san with the bill—"
"Who said anything about me paying yer damn bill? Ye're gonna be the slave of the Yeager family until ya pay back every dime." Sallia scoffed and brought her cup out of Carla's hand straight to her lips as Subaru was left to panic in his chair.
"Oh, we can have him as an official servant? How fantastic!" Carla broke into a wide grin as she placed a hot cup next to her husband and one smaller cup for Subaru to drink.
"H-Hold on… No need to believe Sallia's jokes like that… We can come to a good deal…"
As Carla broke into a fit of giggles, Subaru's flush filled his face and he could barely hear Grisha cough into his fist. "You do not need to fret about paying me for anything I'm doing, Subaru. We are sympathetic to what happened to you on that night…"
Subaru looked grateful but still held a slight look of annoyance at the mention of the events that led him here. He shivered at the image of… That's better left unsaid for he didn't want to start crying unconsciously again.
"... It's ok, child." Carla's soft voice expelled a sense of security around him that he didn't expect to come from a stranger he'd just met. Matter of fact, everyone he's met so far has been nothing short of amazing with their kindness and understanding, he felt like luck was playing a game on him.
"You send me a monster to eat me alive and then put me here? Are you a housewife I beat in my previous life or something?!"
As Subaru was talking to his luck inwardly, he couldn't help but look confused when Grisha continued.
"It must've been terrible how those idiots from the front portions of the city trampled upon you. I hope that you haven't had any nightmares, young man."
"... Huh…?" Subaru instinctively looked right to the soldier next to him, finding that explanation of what happened to him extremely skewed. "Uh…"
"It's the best he could remember," Sallia interjects smoothly while sipping some of her drink, she didn't acknowledge Subaru's alarmed stare, simply looked at the man and his wife with a firm gaze. "The kid's… a bit inwardly damaged from what happened to 'em. He doesn't remember much of… anythin', much less that accident where I found 'em."
"Oh my…" Carla reflected her husband's reserved reaction with a gasp and eyes filled with pity towards the boy. "You're dealing so much yet you're still clueless to it all… what a poor thing." Subaru felt like he was sitting in front of his mom at this moment. It looked like Carla was genuinely falling into despair because of a random child's circumstances, which he couldn't understand.
"He… Cannot remember anything at all? Is that a sure fact, young man?" Grisha seemed more calm than his wife, though he did look at him with pity as well, the man's eyes held a suspicious glint that Subaru noticed appropriately. Luckily, his perception skills aren't damaged by the child-body he's been cursed with, and so these adults can't tell that Subaru is understanding a lot more about their mannerisms than he should be.
However, he doesn't understand why Sallia was doing this to the story of what happened to him outside of the wall… He didn't want to look at her again out of fear of becoming even more suspicious under the doctor's watchful gaze.
"I uh… I don't remember anything except for a little moment before I woke up in a bed this morning…"
"Nothing about your parents? About your home? Some friends you used to play with?" Grisha didn't sound as pressing as he should be for Subaru to feel such intensity as he did right now. The doctor was soft in his questions and didn't do anything to sound like he wasn't understanding Subaru's position.
It was Subaru himself who felt pressured because he couldn't help but feel guilty for lying. These people have been nothing short of kind and heartfelt since the moment he opened his eyes, yet he was still making them even worse for him when he didn't need that type of pity.
He didn't know when the days passed on his selfishness like that, but Subaru disliked being pitied by the doctor and his wife at this moment in time.
"Nothin' at all. Been tryin' to get somethin' outta this bucket on his shoulders ever since Sunshine woke up." Sallia swiftly answered, drinking more of her cup while leisurely crossing her legs under the table and leaning back in her seat. "I guess ya could call this a case of… what is it again, doc?"
Grisha also leaned back, having comfort from a trembling hand on his shoulder, belonging to his frightened wife. He tapped her hand softly to give her the same sort of comfort as she did to him.
"It could be… Amnesia."
"Is there nothing we can do to help the poor boy, honey?" Carla couldn't but sound heartbroken. Of course, she did. Subaru had to resist the urge to wrap himself in a ball out of guilt. "He can't even tell us where he lives or who takes care of him!"
Her husband shook his head solemnly, though there was an array of other emotions being kept behind, Subaru could see it much more clearly than the other two women in the room.
"I have no clue how to treat it… You know this…"
Sallia found this interesting for some reason. "Ya got called to treat this before doc? Did ya ever meet a case that recovered from it?"
She was a soldier, she knew when to take the opportunity for practicality and good solutions. Sallia wasn't prepared for the brick wall that Grisha would seed before her.
"Not many cases of amnesia exist around our city, I can only recall one and that person has never recovered their memory in decades." Grisha looked down at his cup with a frown, his hand was wrapped swiftly in Carla's palms.
"Can ya tell me where that person is? I'd like to go and ask 'em some questions…" Sallia was oddly persistent which Subaru couldn't help but feel confused about.
Grisha didn't take offense to that question, as he gave a small chuckle, not slightly easing his wife's worried expression.
"I'd be happy to lead you to them. Their house isn't very far away…. One might say… You're already inside of their house."
"Pardon?" Sallia blinked while turning her gaze between the pair. Subaru felt inclined to stare only at the man, trying to understand why there was such a sad expression on his face. It looked like… Grisha felt guilt…
"My husband… He's not originally a resident of Shignashina…" Carla spoke softly, gaining both of their attention as she looked at her husband with a sad frown. "He was found by a family friend one night and…"
"Just like our boy here, I've never been able to recall a thing about my past since then…" Grisha tried to chuckle his wife's worries away, but she didn't let go of him. She was sweet like honey, Subaru felt happy for the man to have such a great woman at his side.
"Damn, doc… I never knew this about ya…" Sallia looked a bit guilty for bringing the couple to admit such a thing. "Wasn't meaning to… y'know…"
"It's alright, the mood would get dampened anyway after we heard what Subaru had to say… I can't tell what you're feeling at the moment young man, but please don't fret." Grisha looked at him with a confident smile that surprised even Carla. "I'm sure your family will be looking for you. That will be good for you to start remembering everything you've lost. Unlike me, you're still too young to lose much."
"You're… worried about me?" Subaru raised an eyebrow at the man to which the adults all chuckled.
"Of course, sweetie." Carla gave him a warm smile while keeping her hands on her husband's. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"Kid's got a great amount o' pride. That's for sure." Sallia snorts while putting her hand directly inside his hair so she can pet him and rough him up at the same time.
"Stop that! N-Not in front of them! Stop!"
The three adults laughed at his embarrassed pleas to push her hand off.
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After finishing with the couple, Sallia urged the doctor to do the needed examinations, which led to the surprising result of having the boy rest for a couple of more days because his damaged areas not healing well enough yet. Carla had admonished the Garisson for taking the boy out of his bed rest so soon, which Sallia could only shrug charmingly.
After denying a request to stay for dinner, the couple wouldn't allow Sallia and Subaru to leave their home without Subaru agreeing to come over so he could play with their children next time. They had sent them on some errands and that's why Subaru wasn't able to meet them today. Subaru didn't dislike the idea, so he agreed to it himself before Sallia could say anything. He hoped she wouldn't mind, but he wanted to make some friends in this new world… If this is the life he was going to lead from now on.
As the two walked in silence, Subaru held Sallia's hand so she could lead the way as he looked at the floor, he was lost in thought.
"He was never telling the truth once… that guy's giving me the creeps… It's like we had the copy-paste button on lockdown and told the same story."
Subaru looked up at some of the other houses they were passing, seeing the way humanity has been living inside such a constrained area was fascinating but mysterious to him.
"They know my language, though I can't read it from what I saw on the signs… This Grisha guy must've come from outside the walls like me…"
Subaru looked at the lady who currently held his hand with care, seeing a small frown on her face as she walked to his pace. She was lost in thought as well.
"Uh… Sallia-sama? May I ask something…"
Her expression turned into a soft smile immediately as she glanced downward at him. "Sure can, hun."
"Why did you lie to them… About how you found me or… How did this Levi person bring me to you? I wasn't run over by a carriage…"
Her expression didn't falter from the confident, yet tired smile she held. "Was expecting that question. I can't say I understand it either, kiddo. I was told to keep ya secret from everyone in the city, especially from the people that will be treatin' yer wounds. It was Levi's words but I'm sure it had been an order from Erwin 'cuz that boy can't do anythin' without a word from his master."
"They didn't want people to know about me?"
"Mhm. On that night… Looots o' people went outside the wall out of curiosity… but half the damn city stamped each other to get back away from the open gates. The front population of Shiganshina that was running away from the gate was much larger than the few hundred that went out into the open fields… the first humans to do so that are not Survey Corps in like… forever."
"You sound angry…" Subaru looked up at her with curiosity peaked. The older woman gave him a shrug and a smile.
"Can't help my sarcasm if I'm remembering sheer stupidity, kiddo. Them walls are here for a reason. To keep us safe from… I don't need to tell you of all people what we are hidin' from."
Subaru looked down at her obscure callbacks to his most horrific moment in this new world.
"Those people were possibly what caused a kid like ya to be found by a… well… You know how ya ended up out there and why ya got back safe and sound right now." Sallia shook her head and gave him an encouraging grin, one that actually comforted him. "Levi may've been there for some reason or another, but he ended up doin' good on his cape and saved ya. I took ya off his hands and went to the doc on my own accord. No one knows exactly how ya got injured, so I started using the story about ya being caught in the stampede to everyone who asks while lookin' for yer parents everywhere… No luck at all by the way. I'm sorry for that."
"I-It's not your fault," Subaru hissed, angry with himself. "You've been nothing but amazing ma'am… Seriously… I can't thank you enough for everything you're doing to help me. I don't know if superheroes exist in this world or not, but I'm sure they would have nothing when compared to your kindness!"
"'Super' heroes eh?" Sallia looked amused by that as she petted his head again. "What's this about being found in this world? Ya treatin' yerself as an outsider from beyond the walls or somethin'?" Sallia sounded like she was teasing him, or he hoped she would be because his heart clenched as soon as he realized his mistake.
"E-Eh um… No. I just said that as a figure of speech…"
"Unfortunately… Would've been exciting to find out what's truly out there…" Sallia sighed a bit, showing him a bit of exhaustion at the thought. "It's been a sour dream so far, hun. I'm not gonna lie. Apart o' me was excited to have ya under my care for that reason."
"I'm sorry…" Subaru awkwardly looked up, trying to figure out what to say to make her feel a bit better. "Couldn't you… Just go outside with a bunch of other people like Levi and this Erwin guy? You could probably build more cities like this one while fighting off the uh…"
"Believe me, kiddo, we've been trying. Ya just got out of the walls in a weird moment where Titans couldn't be seen in their usual waves around the walls. It's why only one of them attacked you."
Subaru gave a visible wince to her mention of the Titans by name. But he couldn't picture what she was saying to him. He took a hard look at the cages surrounding the city. He felt suffocated and oppressed by the very sight of them.
"Were they that many?"
Sallia chuckled at his childlike question. "Kiddo… We are what's left of our world… They outnumber us a thousand to one… plausibly more."
He gulped… stopping his walk and staring at her in shock.
"H-How have you guys survived this long then…"
She looked behind her and patted his head with a smile. "By trappin' ourselves in this glorified prison 'o course. Them's the rules of survival."
"No way…" He made her look down with surprise. Giving her a small glare of his own that brought her to increasing interest. "That's not everything that's out there… It was a flat land… I couldn't see anything in sight… Those monsters couldn't have eaten everyone and everything around us so freely. I refuse to believe it!"
"Kiddo… ya feelin' alright?" Sallia moved close to him while keeping her hand on his head, she was surprised to find the boy leaning in and tightly hugging her thigh. "Hun?"
"I can't let anyone go through what happened to me… No one should ever be in that dark place… No one should be caged out of fear like this! This world is messed up!"
"Not really understanding ya hun… I told you all of this before during our lunch… What's makin' ya this mad?" Sallia tilted her neck while peering down at him. Subaru grits his teeth as he looks at his small hands with a glare of hatred.
"What is all of this… I can't accept my life ending like this… From one prison to… this! Nothing's changed…"
"Eh? Aren't ya panicking for no reason kiddo? Ya aren't a stranger to these walls, y'know…"
Subaru glared up to the woman, making her pause and really see what was behind his eyes. She couldn't help but feel out of breath at the pain behind the boy's nasty eyes.
"There's more out there, Sallia…" Subaru allowed the words to leave his mouth with confidence. Though as shaky as he was to finally be loud and clear, he couldn't help the feeling of elation that followed him announcing this to someone who'd been trapped by these walls for a longer period than him.
Subaru expected her to sound a bit surprised, a bit happy that someone was agreeing with her inner thoughts.
But Sallia grew to be expressionless as she looked down toward him. She didn't give him any sort of reaction whatsoever.
"..."
"Sallia-san?"
She confused him even more as she blinked and began walking again, now letting go of his hair and not catching his hand to hold anymore.
"Sallia-san?" Subaru called out again, following her on his little legs with shaken panic. "Did I upset you? Please tell me!"
He received no words from the woman as she pulled up her hood and walked swiftly to what he presumed was her home.
"Wait!"
He followed. Running after her because though she was walking at a fast pace, he needed to sprint to keep up with her in his current body. It was a struggle that his overflowing emotions weren't willing to help him with.
"I'm sorry if I said anything wrong! Please!" He was slightly sniffling now. He didn't know why his childish body affected his feelings to this sensitive degree, but the thought of him upsetting this kind lady to the point she ignored him while walking to her house was painful for his heart.
He stopped when she did. Sallia never looked backward to show him any emotion. Instead, she extended a hand for him to take, silently, without any words.
Subaru took her hand with speed that rivaled wind itself. Latching to it as if he were a parasite in a river.
She continued walking, holding onto his hand and pulling him close to her while she trotted along the stone paths of the Shiganshina complexes. Subaru had the feeling that he should stay silent until she talked to him herself.
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Back to the familiar house, Subaru was allowed inside before her and he could only go to the room where he woke up from his coma. He nestled himself upon the bed and wrapped the blanket around him as he hugged his knees. The turmoil that filled him was unending as he thought about what he said to make her upset with him. The regret to let his stupid mouth run wild was very much present. He couldn't understand why he felt so much courage to say what he said to her. It was such a stupid idea for him to say this early on.
"It's too early for me to act like some hero sent to free all of them… I can't believe that this is where I ended up in the end. There must be a bigger destiny for me in this world, one where my summoner is waiting for me inside these walls or outside of them…"
As he wallowed in the sea of his own turmoil, the door creaked open, and Sallia entered the room. The air seemed to chill as she made her way to the bed, her expression stoic, and her gaze fixed on Subaru. Stone coldness emanated from her, a contrast to the warmth he had grown accustomed to.
Sallia sat beside him, the mattress dipping slightly under her weight. The silence between them stretched, creating tension throughout the room.
Subaru, acutely aware of the growing distance, struggled to find the right words. His attempt to bring understanding had inadvertently built a wall between them, one he wasn't sure how to dismantle. As he met Sallia's gaze, he hoped for any sign that her coldness wouldn't be present as she faced him while sitting this close.
She gave him a most beautiful perk of the lips that settled his heart with relief, akin to an explosion of freedom from the chains of regret that kept pressing his insides for so long.
"Kiddo, what ya said wasn't the problem. I'm sorry for my reaction today but… I…" Sallia looked at the wall for a moment, unable to focus directly on him, making him feel a bit non-existent as she focused her mind elsewhere. "I once knew a teacher in my school who thought the same way you do. The way we do."
Subaru received more hope than she realized from that correction at the end. He leaned closer to her, willing to allow her to play with his hair as she talked.
"This man was not just a teacher… He was a father figure for so many in that room. His actual son was a part of our class, and the kid was even brighter than the teacher was. But the ol' man had a great deal of love for us all… He helped save me… from some bad people when I was a kid…"
Sallia's trembled for a second before she visibly held herself together. Subaru waited patiently.
"The man… He knew more about the history of these walls than anyone I've met… He realized somethin' that he shouldn't have." A dark glint replaced the one of hope that's usually customary inside her eyes, it scared him to see. Terrified him when he heard the change in her tone as she seethed in anger. "He trusted his son with that knowledge, keepin' it a secret from his class because he wanted us protected, thinkin' that the one kid he trusted with those ideas wasn't naive enough to spill them out."
She shook her head and kept her fists clenched, closing her eyes for a moment and staring at her knees.
"The kid told everythin'… To anyone who would listen…"
Subaru's eyes widened, heart dropping into a pit in his stomach in understanding.
"And one day a few inner military police came askin' us all questions about our teacher., what he taught us, specific phrasin's and words he would say, and then they would leave." Sallia looked empty by the time she spoke the last few words. No emotion ran through her as she delivered the final point to him.
"His body was found weeks later, near 'nother town." Sallia's voice broke in the middle of saying that, she clenched her jaw and held her palm to her mouth after saying. She was covering her sob beneath her hand.
Subaru's breath was taken away as he allowed the lady to suffer with dignity, he couldn't even feel guilt for making her relive something like this. This was too heavy for him to not introspect over later on, but now he was just worried for his friend.
"That boy lost his father… I do not blame 'em for his stupidity… But I do blame his curiosity a great deal. I became a soldier to figure out a way to satiate my own… It led me nowhere… Just one dead end after another." Sallia's eyes became less foggy as she removed her hand and spoke to him in a kinder voice.
"Hearin' ya talk today, I couldn't help but feel hopeful again… That all this time, I wasn't in the wrong to try and find somethin' out the way I did… I hoped my teacher was right and his life wasn't gone in vain…"
Sallia's eyes met his, as she showed him vulnerability he thought he wouldn't ever see in her. This soldier that was always in command, ever sarcastic and appealing to everyone who spoke with her… She trusted him enough to give him a piece of her darkest depth with him.
"If I'm gonna be taking care of ya, I need ya to know this before anyone tries to harm ya kiddo… There are lots o' people inside the walls that don't want ya blabbering on about that idea… Way more powerful than ya…"
She held his hand again, this time looking at him with genuine care.
"Please promise me ya won't make that same mistake Erwin did… Please…"
Subaru noticed that name again, but the teariness inside of her eyes forced him to get lost in them, to feel and live the desperation that covered her voice.
"Sallia-san… Is that why you said people got humiliated during my coma?" Subaru asked this question suddenly, breaking her concentration on him as she blinked in confusion.
"Y-Yeah, hun… On that day, two soldiers either got killed or ran away from their duty while guardin' the grand gate, the rest of their unit was filled with lazy jackasses that didn't care to show up on the time of duty, thinking that nothing much would change. The gates got opened, and people noticed there was an absence of Titans on the outside so they dared to travel beyond the openin' gate."
"And what happened then?"
Sallia looked away. "Thankfully we managed to get them all inside before a big wave of Titans came runnin' toward the wall… Ya were the odd one out of all of 'em."
"I was the only one eaten and attacked…" Subaru ignored her flinch as he looked down at his knees. It made sense… Subaru was furthest away from wherever these walls were, and most of what he could see was not a big land filled with thousands of monsters… All of this was deliberate…
"Normally, it would be a death penalty to anyone traveling beyond the wall… but since this was an accident with so many people bein' detained… The majesty and his government decided to make a more 'sensational' example of the idiots who came out of the gates." Sallia sighed and covered her face. "It wasn't pretty but… Did the job… And kept 'em all alive in the end. Win's a win."
"No…" Subaru interjected with a ghostly expression that earned the adult lady's immediate interest. "That wasn't a mercy from anyone… It was a pat on the back…"
Sallia's turn to feel breathless as she stared at the child with bewilderment. "Kid… I'm warnin' ya…"
"I know how dangerous your world is," Subaru glared upwards to her, showing her more courage than anyone in his tiny suit sweat has the right to show as he spoke. "But I refuse to let these suspicious things happen around me without consequence. I refuse to believe that these walls are all humanity is good for or has left!"
Sallia stared at him, flabbergasted.
Subaru grinned as he started standing up on his pillow. He barely had the height to tower over her even while she was sitting on the bed, but he looked at her with excitement and determination filling him.
"I trust you with this, the same way you trusted me with your warning and story, ma'am. I won't bring you any harm, I'll do my best not to make you cover for me like this Erwin guy had his father do." He knew she would do it in a heartbeat. The lady was a real-life superhero, he would never let anyone say differently.
But for now, he wanted to make her feel like someone being saved, rather than someone being admired.
And the best way he could do this with his current form is by doing the following.
He points a finger to the air and grins to his caretaker in ascension and excited theatrics.
"I won't stop until I figure out why I've been sent to you… I promise that none, inside or outside these walls are going to make me give up!"
He said this with his heart chest burning from the fast heartbeat, giving him resistance and pushback to his very words from the inside, yet Subaru never relented.
And due to that moment, Sallia found herself admiring the boy for what would've been a decade if she had allowed all of that time, but in reality, it lasted for a few seconds of dead silence.
Before she dropped on her back from endearing laughter that both embarrassed Subaru, but filled him with relief.
She was going to be ok.