It was common knowledge to every military personnel that Levi wasn't just a captain for the scouts. To them, he went with an alternative unspoken title as the commander's right hand.
With both sharing the same goal, Levi saw the vision in Erwin and trusted it, while Erwin saw the capability in Levi and his effectiveness at persuading people through his own ways. They completed each other like two pieces of a puzzle.
While the duo represented a blessing to their regiment, others saw Levi only as a threat. The unspoken rules that applied to everyone inside the walls never seemed to faze him; he was brutally honest, frighteningly determined, never backing down from getting what he set his mind to, dangerously uncaring to the means, and had nothing to lose to hold him back.
Levi was a sharp threat that none of them wished to be on the receiving end of his work visits. Whether they admitted it or not, his presence in a room would make them feel uncomfortable regardless of their rank. It was better when he showed up with Erwin who preferred diplomatic approaches and soft language, for Erdmann, it was unfortunately not the case.
The merchant sat in his comfortable office chair in one of his Wall Rose's warehouses when one of his workers rushed to him suddenly, announcing that Captain Levi from the Scouts was spotted coming their way on horse.
His clear blue eyes widened in shock.
"Hide them." He ordered without hesitation, face paling as he jolted up to his feet. The chair behind him was left shaking, almost falling back to the floor.
"We don't have time, sir."
"Immediately!" Erdmann semi-yelled, staring deep into his subordinate's eyes who shrunk with the voice, sending a nod and turning to rush out.
Erdmann walked out of his office, eyes moving on the heaps spread around the spacious warehouse. This was away from the city for a reason; no one dared to visit him here after having made a deal with the Garrison. It granted him utter secrecy to do his business. He was once a military man himself until he suffered an injury which eased his way to come to this point. He had many warehouses in many districts where he bought, sold and moved things within any wall of the three, but nothing brought him money like this particular warehouse in the countryside of Wall Rose.
He never expected to get such a sudden visit to this isolated place.
Walking outside, Erdmann found Levi standing with his horse at the main entrance, being stalled by another worker. Once he caught his eye, Levi turned his full attention towards him.
"If it isn't humanity's strongest!" Cheered Erdmann with a wide smile. "To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit."
"I wouldn't call it exactly pleasure, but I'd like to have a word with you if you have time. I went to find you in your other offices till I was led here." Levi countered the enthusiasm with a calm flat tone.
"Oh sure! I have all the time for our precious Scouts!" Blabbered the man, keeping a mental note to find and punch whoever had led him to this place.
Levi pulled his horse to step closer towards Erdmann. His nose wrinkled slightly, aversed at the man's warm welcome. After all the harm he had been causing them he dared call them precious. How he hated hypocrites!
Erdmann motioned to the man who still stood by Levi to take the horse so they could talk inside. Levi petted him on the head before he left him, turning towards the tall blond who guided the way.
Following from behind him, Levi could barely see a thing past his huge build and wide shoulders, he could barely reach the height of the man's chest. Neither his eyes nor his mind was on that, rather they wandered around the spacious area, seeing heaps and piles of things covered by big pieces of brown fabric, some particular wood containers that were compatible with horse's carts to help with transport, few empty areas that had traces of barrel bottoms.
The area was filthy with dust, something to expect of such working places. And while nothing showed a hint of what was kept underneath it, one of the particular wooden containers grabbed Levi's most attention after he had heard a light thud echo from it.
He only moved his eyes from there when they reached a staircase. Erdmann preceded him up, reaching a narrow path at the top that led to two rooms at the far back of the building. All along the wooden way, long windows covered the wall to their left, slanting a generous amount of light to the inside.
"Do you want something to drink?" Erdmann asked once he reached the first door at the end of the path, the head of a tall, dark-haired man pocking out to the sound.
"No, thanks," Levi replied.
"Bring us two teas and some cold water." He said regardless. Without slowing his steps he continued to the second door, swinging it open. He motioned to the two chairs set on each side of a desk inside. "Please, have a seat."
Levi stepped into the room, resting on the chair to the left. Right after having closed the door behind them, Erdmann joined him, sitting at his comfortable crown on the other side of the desk.
By the time he sat down, his forehead was glistering with sweat. Levi glanced at it quickly before his greys found the man's eye, fixing a calm steady gaze at it.
"So, tell me." Erdmann's face was still warm, representing hospitality despite a hint of nervousness. Levi could see that he was faking the calm, although he had to give it to him that he looked so convincing he would've easily tricked a less trained eye.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush. I'm here because we suspect something, and I will be honest with you that we don't have anything yet to prove it. But, that doesn't deny that it is right, because if you work it out by elimination that thing would be the only possible explanation left." Levi started, eyes staring undeviating into the soul of the man.
The blonde let out a breath he was holding, nodding with interest, then expanded his chest again with a deep inhale.
"And what might that be?"
Erdmann had many ways of doing wrong to make money, only one of them touched the Scouts. He may play dump but he knew precisely what Levi was there for. That didn't deny his spiking nervousness from whatever answer he would get. If the Scouts had caught up on his other misdeeds to use them as blackmail for lacking proof of what he did to them, it would be bad. If Levi caught what he has downstairs in this warehouse, it would be worse, unfixable even.
"You're our go-to partner for many merchandise, no one does it better than you in these walls. Yet, somehow, giving you money is like pouring water on dry land. We've people who study supplies to calculate the expected amount we'd need of anything, but it always falls short with you, Erdmann. Out of anything else we buy, it's always your goods that are ending before their expected time. You're not the only one in the wrong here, some of our people are to blame too for helping you pull this off. But it must be your idea to make them smuggle back some of the goods after count, because if they were to act for their own gain it wouldn't be only your stuffs that are lacking. All that so you could keep some for yourself to resell, and make more money to feed your fat belly, while we drain out of money to make up for the lack." Levi was flat, cold without trying, steady, and subtly frightening.
Erdmann was so careful he'd send the full amount of goods to them, before he got some pawns from the Scouts to smuggle a portion back to him after noting it as present in their reports. It washed him out of any responsibility, and made it hard for Erwin to pinpoint who was behind this from the Scouts when even if he'd done the count himself at first he'd get the right number.
Having no proof, Levi came here for a warning. Sometimes, that alone would work, for Erdmann, he sensed that it wouldn't. Levi was unbothered, already setting his next goal to find this man's weakness and rub it to his face until he caves. The Survey Corps needed that money for their next expedition no matter the cost, and he was not prepared to let this thief keep it because he lacked a proof. From spending the last hours in Trost looking for him, Levi was assured to have many ways to prove his corruption. He was preparing to tell him precisely that, to make the way shorter for both of them.
Erdmann laid back in his chair, escaping the grey-eyed gaze downwards.
"I'm quite disappointed that you'd think that of me. It isn't true. But if so you think, I will have nothing to do but pay you back for the difference you find lacking."
"Pay us back." Levi repeated, eyebrows raising slightly. This was not the turn of events he was expecting, he didn't even get to the part where he threatens him. It was a first that someone crumbles this early on, without even a proof. It was too easy to be true especially for someone with Erdmann's reputation.
"Look," Erdmann sighed, raising his gaze again. "I'm on your side here. I've been one of the most prominent funders of the Scouts for years, so I don't quite see the logic behind you accusing me of that."
"Give a buck to get a hundred."
"-And so, what I am giving now is funding too, because I support you and your cause. I'm well aware of your shortages concerning the upcoming expedition. Had you come here to me to ask for funding I would've been more than happy to give it, but if you prefer this approach, guess it all leads to the same thing eventually, what you and I both want. You going on your expedition would be satisfactory enough. So Levi, you can get your money, however since the trust between us is broken, you should as well find a new merchant to get you goods. Tell that to your superior."
Levi stared at the man for a second in silence, trying to decode the look on his face. He knew that it read bullshit, but he knew that he also meant every word about giving them the money back. He pondered if the man was simply scared of them, or if he had a secret he wanted hidden and found giving the money back better than the digging he was about to threaten him with. Either way, it was good enough of a deal.
Just when he was about to tell him that the Survey Corps was ending this partnership anyway, Levi's head turned slightly to the side, suddenly distracted by a distant sharp voice. It sounded like a scream that shortly got silenced. Erdmann's eyes grew wide at the voice, face losing all red.
"What was that?" Levi asked.
"I don't know, sounded like a hurt animal. We've some stray dogs problem around here, many traps lay around so this isn't quite unusual to hear."
"Sounds like they were silenced too soon though, couldn't even get a full breath out." Levi stared at him steadily.
"What do I know." Erdmann spat, standing to his feet to announce the end of the conversation. Levi silently did the same. "Do send me a report of how much you need, I will be sending you the money back as soon as I receive that."
The blonde spoke as he stepped towards the door. He opened it, finding the man who'd poked his head out the other room earlier standing behind it with a tray in hand, holding two steaming tea cups and two glasses of water.
"Didn't you hear him, Marcus? He said he didn't want to drink anything." Erdmann uttered at the younger man who looked at him suspiciously before clearing the way to the side.
Erdmann went up ahead, walking towards the pathway on the side that held the set of stairs at its end. He preceded there, followed by the shadow of a silent Levi from behind him. A few steps over and he felt the sound of the soldier's boots lacking. He slowed down, turning his head to the side to look back from the corner of his eye. The blonde's teeth clenched, finding Levi lagging behind, stopping at the first window that encountered him to stare through it at the outside.
Erdmann walked three steps back to reach him, looking out the window himself to see one of the carts moving away with two horses. It seemed like any other cargo cart, but he knew that it held something different, something he was relieved to see have left.
"What's holding you here? Liking the view?"
"That cart that just left, it had a different pile of things that were covered by a piece of brown fabric. I was sure I heard the man say he was leaving immediately to take them to town when I'd arrived. But now it left with the wooden container instead."
"So what?"
"It's as though they changed their plans at the last minute." Levi turned to him.
"So what?" Erdmann asked him again.
Levi's eyes laid on the second wooden container in the spacious space beneath them. From the view up, he could see everything with clarity. He had spotted two on his way in, one was now gone, the second still there.
A sharp low sound hissed from it, like a whimper. He had thought he imagined it when he'd just walked out of the office, until he heard it again, followed by a silenced thud.
Erdmann swallowed, staring at him with ending patience.
"Look, I don't want to kick you out of my property but you've been here long enough. You accused me and yet I let you get what you want, that's enough of taking my time now."
"Can I see what's in that box?" Levi asked, eyes undeviating.
Erdmann's face twisted slightly like he was hit right where it hurt him, he contained it fast, staring at Levi like he was demanding an elaboration.
"I heard a sound."
"First, what's in my warehouse is none of your goddamn business. Second, we move animals in these boxes, so of course you'd hear sounds, you wouldn't want a wild pig jolting at you."
"That's okay, I want to see."
Erdmann looked at him longer, breath hitching, skin heating, sweat gathering. "No." He said turning around.
Levi stood still in his place, face facing the taller man with his greys turning to the left, gazing down at the wooden roof of the big wooden box container. For a moment, no man moved in the area anymore, everyone stood still as a deadly silence installed. Erdmann stopped to stare back at his suspicious guest. The next second, another low-pitched voice was heard and Levi had had enough.
His previous suspicion got only more confirmed, that was no animal sound, it was a woman's!
He turned his greys to the man immediately, fire burning to jolt forward to push him away and investigate. A trapped, helpless look took over Erdmann's eyes. The last Levi had expected, was for the forgotten man holding the tray on his side, to raise his muscular leg and shove it hard against him, sending him hurtling back. The window shattered into tiny shards of glass as Levi got propelled out of it.
That's right, Erwin was not the only one with a right hand, thought Erdmann while he looked at the tall dark-haired standing alone near the shattered window.
Levi felt time slow down as he fell, mouth agape with startlement, the faces of Erdmann and the dark-haired man looking out the window slowly getting smaller as the distance between them widened. They watched him fall to his dismay, until an excruciating pain radiated around his body simultaneously from skull to heel upon impact with the cold, hard floor.
I hope the part about Erdmann's corruption was clear to read, I tried my best to make it simple but I struggled anyway. Basically, he sells things to the scouts, they count them as full and write it on report, then he have some of the scouts smuggle him back some of the goods after the count is done so he could resell it.
This has so many things to come, full of unexpected turns. I'm so excited to write the next chapters :D