Elden observed Annie Leonhart, his classmate, attentively. Although Annie would admit it, she was his friend. Six months had passed since their training began to join the new generation of Warriors in the Marleyan Empire. During these six months, he had learned many things, especially the history of the Eldian race and everything about the Founder Ymir. He also began to understand the true danger they faced—the immense power of the Founding Titan was something to fear.
He wondered how they could sleep peacefully knowing that those devils held such power. At any second, the King of the Walls could activate the Rumbling and wipe out everyone outside the island. Now he felt that their mission was almost impossible. How could they defeat such beasts in battle? He didn't underestimate the power of the War Hammer Titan, which, in his opinion, was by far the most powerful of all. But that only made the weight of the mission fall heavier on his shoulders, which was a great concern.
Returning to reality, Elden watched Annie standing in front of Porco, in a combat stance. Today, they were engaged in a small hand-to-hand combat activity.
Elden observed the two fighters closely. What happened next was inexplicable to the Warriors. Annie had defeated Porco in two moves, and she didn't seem to have put in even the slightest effort, which caused a small laugh from both Reiner and Elden.
"With this match, we conclude hand-to-hand combat training," said Ted. "You're dismissed for today. The curfew to return to your quarters will be at 7," added their instructor.
"You're amazing at everything, Annie," Elden said, watching Porco curse as he touched his head.
"It's nothing. Porco is a novice," said the blonde with a slight blush of embarrassment.
"So I can assume you know how to fight, though I should have guessed it from your match," Elden said, analyzing the situation.
He received a nod from the blonde in response.
"Who taught you to fight so well?" Elden asked curiously.
Annie was silent for a moment. "My father..." she said quietly.
Elden looked at her with a curious expression, though he figured Annie was always like this.
"What is it?" the blonde asked, noticing the strange look on Elden's face.
"Uh, it just seems like that question bothers you a little..." said the brown-haired boy.
"—It's just something I don't like to talk about." Elden looked at Annie with an understanding expression.
"Alright, Annie..." He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. He knew how cold Annie could be, and it was normal for her to avoid talking about certain topics, but this only fueled Elden's curiosity about the blonde.
The members of the next generation of Warriors were very different from one another, yet they still managed to socialize quite a bit. Elden, for his part, often spoke with Annie and Zeke, the latter especially since he was his roommate, which created a strong bond between them. Elden found another person who understood the weight he carried. Even though they understood it, he never really knew why—they rarely talked about themselves.
For now, though, that didn't matter. It was better to ignore those thoughts for the moment. Elden simply watched his fellow Warriors. Marcel and Reiner were having a friendly race, while Porco kept insisting on a rematch with Annie—a request that was immediately denied. Bertolt quietly enjoyed his small dessert, while Zeke, looking bored, also watched the others with a hint of amusement. Meanwhile, Pieck chuckled at Porco's failed attempts to convince Annie.
Elden let out a small laugh at the harmony of the moment. He wished this feeling could last forever—just enjoying the sensation of having people to call friends outside his family.
The Tybur family was a middle-ranking branch in Marley. Talking to other Eldians was seen as tarnishing their legacy, while conversing with Marleyans was akin to speaking with someone superior. According to that perspective, only the family leaders had the right to talk to Marleyans as equals. Elden, however, had a close relationship with his cousins, especially Lara, who was around his age. This made socializing easier, though their conversations were still limited. On the other hand, Willy, being much older at 19, was already poised to become the family leader.
Greda couldn't have been more devastated by the fact that her son would inherit the family's greatest responsibility. She feared for his life, whether due to Ymir's curse or the looming conflict. At first, she was furious with her brother for this decision, but she soon understood his reasoning. Her love for her son was immense, and she had never imagined seeing him leave so soon. She believed her brother felt the same, though she never denied it was a selfish choice.
Elden was the result of her affair with a Marleyan who cared little for the Tybur family's noble reputation. The moment he learned of their origins, he left, something that still deeply hurt her. Elden never had a father figure, though Arnold and Sagred tried to fill that role. However, they never succeeded entirely.
Now, they were sending a timid and insecure boy to uphold the family's name. Greda could only hope that these years of training would bring some change to her son—not just for his own sake, but for the sake of all Marley...
Den carried firewood on his back as he calmly made his way home. It had already been a year since the expedition beyond the walls that had taken his father. For Den, that loss changed the way he saw the Scout Regiment—or better said, the way he saw heroes. They weren't just amazing people who did things for others; they gave their hearts to the cause. As his father had once told him, those who built the walls were heroes. They sacrificed themselves so that others could have a future. Every day, Den was more certain of what he had to do: become a hero, because his father would have loved that.
When he arrived home, he saw his mother holding a box, staring at it with a look of fear.
"—Mother, are you alright?" he asked as he set the firewood down from his back.
Ela looked at her son before shaking her head. She had to tell him what she wanted for him, now more than ever. After all, she only had a year and six months left to live. Ymir's curse would take her, leaving Den alone in this cruel world.
What hurt her the most was that Den would only live until the age of 23. At best, he might have a five-year-old child by then, a child who would inherit his power. Each generation of their family would live shorter lives, until one day the power would abandon them entirely. That was their fate, a truth Den's father had made clear.
"—Den, I just want you to live in peace, have a family, feel happy, and not live with resentment. Your father and I will always be watching you. We love you," Ela said, hugging her son tightly.
Den looked at his mother with some doubt but quickly returned the embrace. She seemed genuinely anguished about his future. Perhaps he should listen to her and abandon the idea of becoming a hero. He didn't want to cause his mother pain.
Later, Den walked through his hometown, Shiganshina. He had asked his mother for permission to go out—he just wanted to clear his head. Although he rarely spoke to people his age, his only "friend" might be the doctor Yeager's son, but they only spoke when his mother was sick and visiting the doctor, which was very rare. So, he decided to simply walk and observe his surroundings.
The townspeople seemed calm, going about their normal lives. Did they not care about what was outside, or did they simply choose to ignore it? As he wandered, a question haunted him: What if the walls were breached? After all, nothing was eternal. Maybe the heroes who built them thought humanity would have ventured beyond them within 100 years. And what if the walls grew weaker each year?
It was a thought he might never live to see answered. His musings were interrupted when he saw something unusual ahead. A blonde-haired boy sat on a bench, reading a large book intently. But it wasn't the boy that caught his attention—it was the title of the book: Wonders of the World. Perhaps there were people as curious as him.
Armin Arlert paused his reading when he noticed someone staring at him. Unlike the boys who mocked him and called him foolish, this one seemed fascinated—or rather, curious—about his book. Though he felt uneasy, he decided to speak up to see if this boy was a threat.
"—Hello?" he said, lowering the book to his lap.
Den noticed the boy seemed intimidated, so he quickly tried to clarify the situation.
"—Oh, sorry for bothering you. That wasn't my intention. I was just intrigued by what you're reading," he said.
Armin observed the boy and noticed he seemed nervous too. He didn't look like a threat.
"—This book talks about some myths that are said to exist outside the walls," Armin said nervously.
Den smiled, feeling completely validated in his belief that someone else understood him.
"—That's amazing. I'm Den Katz," he said, extending his hand.
Armin looked surprised but accepted the handshake.
"—I'm Armin Arlert..."
Author's Note: Hello, I hope you're all doing well. Here's this mini-chapter for you. For now, I'm going to adjust the schedule to release a chapter every 5 days so I can bring you more content for this story. This way, the chapters can be longer. Thank you for reading Blizzard of War!