#72
Decide
?
"I see…"
"What do you see?" Eren asked, as he sat across the old gypsy, who stared at the small stones she had thrown on the map laid before her.
"What I see… is not as simple… or clear…" She raised her head. "It's like trying to look through a cloudy fog…"
"Seriously?" Eren scoffed, now starting to doubt the woman's self-proclaimed ability.
"Even if I can't clearly see it all… even in the fog… if one were to wait and look closely…" She waited.
"I sense… pain…" She said. "Sorrow. And regret."
That caught Eren's attention
…
"Oh, poor boy." She muttered. "So young… and yet I feel it… you carry… so much burden."
Eren's eyes narrowed.
"I should have known… when we first met in the marketplace…"
"You're sure not making that up, are you?" He questioned with a glare. "You become senile already to forget it was all part of your act?"
"And what of your act?" He countered, causing Eren to pause. "You may look human, however…"
…
"Your blood… is not of this world."
…
"You have something. Something inside of you."
…
"How did you acquire such a power? A gift?"
Eren felt his blood turn cold, feeling as if the measly woman was staring… right through him.
"No, not a gift." The woman shook her head, adamant. "It was stolen."
Eren's fist slammed the ground between them.
"What are you saying?!" He gritted his teeth. "How can you claim to know such things just by staring rocks you just threw on the ground?!"
"Where the stones fall and roll... they let me see things beyond what others cannot see."
"And what do you see now?" Eren practically demanded.
"The gift that was stolen... from another... was given to you."
...
"The gift is something you cannot open. It is like a lock... without a key."
...
"Poor boy..."
"Stop calling me that." Eren said agitated.
"Are you not?" She looked as if she raised an eyebrow behind her glasses. "The longer you hold the gift... you are running out of time."
Eren froze.
"The clock ticks, and you are becoming desperate." The woman kept her stare towards him. "You find yourself walking on the cold narrow road. You see... what lies beyond.
"You wonder... when the road will break... where the paths begin...
"You wish to see pass the fogs covering them all... only then... will you decide."
Eren blinked, and his line of sight no longer beheld the haggard gypsy woman, but instead a tall window that showed a view of the city outside. He shifted, realizing he was no longer sitting on the ground with a dark tent over him, but on a bench in a lounge of the building he was in.
He rubbed his eyes, before rising up and walked towards the window. He noticed a part of his reflection in the window. The dark-blue uniform that was the image of an EU soldier. At his left arm was the red armband that showed the insignia of a wyvern. The wyvern of W-0.
He blinked twice, almost in alarm upon seeing the red armband. Then he remembered that it was commissioned to him when they left Warsaw.
It looked no different than how…
…
The uniform… the borrowed uniform he wore… felt nearly alien to him. Just as much as he felt wearing it. He gazed back through the window, to look again upon the view that was Paris.
Still here at the moment.
HQ
Paris, France, Europia United
Early November, a.t.b. 2018/229 r.y.
"I can understand your right to be angry with me…" Leila said. "General."
"It's not that I'm angry with you, Leila…" General Smilas said as sat at his desk, with his interlinked hands to his chin. "Not as much as I was both shocked and worried when Major Warwick told me where you were during the operation." He closed his eyes. "Since then, I had been filled with a considerable amount stress and worry on whether… you would come back unharmed, if you were at least still alive."
…
"I understand, General," Leila said. "I'm sorry for causing you stress you didn't need."
"Were you worried that if you had informed me of your plan, I would have forbidden you from taking part in the mission?"
…
"I'm sorry that I didn't inform you of it," Leila said, feeling ashamed, before looking back. "But… I made a promise." She stared resolute. "I promised that I would be there for them. Even if… you wouldn't have approved… I would have gone regardless."
"I see," Smilas exhaled, leaving the air between them quiet for a moment.
…
"I won't deny… it's admirable… your dedication to those under your command," His lips curled with a bit of mirth. "Rather than choosing to stay back and dictate the operation at Weisswolf, you did what the brass didn't expect and joined them personally.
"I have seen and heard other men, those who are older and of higher rank make talk of doing the same thing for their soldiers… and they end up so less.
"It's the most admirable thing that you made that I wished most in the Republic possessed and inspired in one another.
"However…"
Leila knew there would be that repercussion.
"Ideals alone, unfortunately, cannot win every battle. If so, then I wouldn't doubt the Republic as our ancestors had established would have already drove Britannia out ages ago. And… we would not be so divided as we are now."
"Risks are real, Leila," He turned his head to her. "And… not all of them can be calculated or avoided. The battlefield as you've now seen by now… the chances are no different than the flip of a coin."
"General?" Leila asked, noting the look on his face.
Smilas hung his head. "I feared for your situation during the battle… when on our side we encountered something grave.
"Our front line had encountered Britannia's Titans."
…
…
Leila felt cold, and almost froze when the General said those words.
"The… Titans?"
"Yes," The general spoke gravely. "After the battle, it had all been confirmed that Emperor Charles had deployed his army of devils to aid Euro Britannia." His eyes narrowed. "They had sent the Armored Titan and the Jaw Titan to push back our forces at Area 24A. But… we were able to push them back, fortunately."
"Uh…" Leila was caught astonished by that. "I see."
"I can't understand why Charles zi Britannia would send those things over to aid Euro Britannia for a stretch of land. I believe things are already tense now between him and Duke Velaines." He folded his hands together.
"Questionably, there were only two Titans our main forces had encountered. I wondered if only two of them had been sent from Britannia… or as I had been fearing that there were others…"
"I saw them." Leila realized she had blurted that out.
"You what?" Smilas turned and looked at Leila, clearly alarmed.
"Uh…" Leila realized it, and she couldn't retract it, but there was no point now. "I… my team and I… I… saw them firsthand… they came to Slonim."
"You encountered them?" Smilas questioned, looking at her with his growing attention. "Did… did you…"
"No, General. We… we didn't engage in battle with them…" Leila shook her head. "We only fought against the Euro Britannian Knightmares stationed at Slonim. They didn't harm us."
"They didn't?" Smilas looked confused at that.
"They… they seemed to have… retreated."
"I see," The general said, looking relieved. "The second garrison from Euro Britannian forces had failed to come and reinforce the front, and that was led to their retreat."
"That would make sense."
"Leila… tell me…" He looked to her. "What were…" He then paused, taking note of her expression. "I'm sorry." He apologized. "I shouldn't…"
"No, it's alright…" Leila said. "I… I saw them clearly."
"What were they? Can you describe them."
"Uh…" Leila paused for a moment. "One of them… was a giant. One of them bore the resemblance of a giant ape."
"The Beast Titan," Smilas said.
The Beast Titan. Or in other words: Monsieur Kruger's brother. Leila nearly fidgeted when picturing the Beast smiling down at her. Then, when he emerged from the steaming pit that was his nape, revealing a blonde man with round glasses…
"Was there another one of them?"
"Uh… yes," Leila confirmed. "There was one… not covered in fur like the other… but always crawled on all-fours. It had an elongated mouth like a duck."
"That would be the Cart Titan," Smilas held up four of his fingers, before closing them. "I was wondering why those two were not present during that battle. And… they didn't harm you… in any way?"
"No…" Leila paused. "Well, one of them only damaged one of our Alexanders… but none of my squad was injured because of them."
"I see…" Smilas said. "Was there… anything else… that you had at least seen…"
The image of Eren popped in her vision. And there was the image of his Alexander being engulfed in a bolt of lightning before it…
"It was only the enemy, General," Leila said. "The Titans… that belonged to Britannia."
…
…
"Right, forgive me," Smilas said.
The general exhaled. "Leila, if we had known about this before we began the operation, I would made sure to change things. I would have informed you…"
"Even so, would that have stopped the operation?" Leila asked. "The high brass still wanted to take Slonim's territory. Would they have still sent operatives on that suicide run even if there was chance to gain that bit of ground?"
"Leila…"
"I didn't want them to feel they were being used to be disposed," The girl could already rewind to Ayano's valid accusation outside of the castle as if it were yesterday. "I knew the risks. I knew there would have been unknown anomalies that would have prevented us…"
"You never set foot in battle before…"
"I know…" Leila admitted. "I won't lie to say I was prepared for it. Every minute of it… was tense… and… unpredictable."
"But I was protected…" She looked up at the man. "And if hadn't been for those with me… I'm sure I wouldn't be standing right here in front of you today."
"Leila…" Smilas' face softened. "It's grisly reality… something I had face many times myself before I became what I am now," he said. "Make no mistake, I'm not trying to shield you from that kind of world, Leila. And it's not because I think you are fragile. Many young girls like yourself have gone and already are defending this nation with their very lives.
"It's not because when you enrolled at the academy, I didn't want you take a path that would lead you on-field and up-close battle because my past with your parents. Or because it's something the Malcal's had forbidden. It's because of something far greater than that.
Smilas raised his hand next to Leila's shoulder.
"Listen to me, Leila," He had her attention as he spoke softly. "After that fateful day…" She could spot that his eyes turn dark for a brief moment. "When we were… looking for any sign of you… after finding…" She could tell his voice was nearing to break. "When we found you… wandering in the snow…" His eyes focused again. "Wet, cold, and yet… not catching sick or even sustaining a scratch from that… fire…" He croaked that last word aloud. "I realized… in that moment… you are special, Leila.
"Your life was spared for a reason. I knew you were meant to be something of greater purpose."
"General…"
"I knew... that what you have… you could put it to something far greater than just being a Major or a battle navigator." The General turned to look at the scenic view his office gave. "With this new development, things may be ready to take a drastic change. It's why… if something were to happen to you before you find out, especially if in a place uncontrolled like in Slonim or any part of the front lines… I'll never know why."
"I'm sure there are many young boys and girls… who have died before they even had to chance to discover who they wanted to be. And… I'm not that different from them." Leila smiled sadly. "I wouldn't have joined on this mission if not…"
"If not for what?"
She looked up to her mentor. "If I did not have faith."
"Faith in those I fought alongside with."
…
"I see…" Smilas exhaled.
"I know it may sound much, General," Leila said. "Even if you have misgivings with them…"
"It's not because those you selected are… Japanese… though I prefer a best first good impression…" His expression darkened a bit. "Especially considering how we met those three." He closed his eyes. "No one, including myself, can't forget the list of crimes they have committed. It was harder to convince the brass, even difficult… considering they killed a considerable number of soldiers."
Leila pursed her lip at that. "I haven't forgotten that, General."
"Think of how for when we deal with Britannians who wish to defect, even when some of them had killed many of our European brethren." Smilas crossed his arms. "But if they can atone in doing good in defending this nation, and no longer attempt to cross that line, I'm willing… to let them have their second chances."
"Thank you, General."
"So, tell me, it's true that they went back to Castle Weisswolf?"
"It's what we decided before we left Warsaw," Leila explained. "I had return when you requested my presence, and there was the matter of returning the still-intact Alexanders back to Weisswolf. Ryo said it was better that he and the others would not return to Paris…" She glanced away. "At least, not so soon, since…"
"And Eren Kruger?"
"Uh?"
"He was the only one to accompany you upon your return."
"That's correct." She answered. "He's here in this building, just waiting."
"Yes, that… ward of yours…" Smilas rubbed his chin. "A different case from the others. From what I heard, you allowed him to join the W-0."
"Y-Yes… I have." Leila said, looking up at the General. "Monsieur Kruger has already proven to be a trustworthy friend. He was the one who protected me, during and after the battle."
"Indeed," Smilas said. "Truly, Monsieur Kruger has my gratitude for not only protecting us, but also for being by your side as well. I ought to award him a Legion d'Hooneur, though that will be difficult due to the higher brass."
"What about the higher brass?" Leila questioned, now feeling a tinge now that it concerned Eren.
Smilas exhaled. "Getting an unknown suspect from the Battle at Narva to be transferred under your wing wasn't a simple feat. There are those in intelligence… who are having concerns about Kruger."
Leila narrowed her eyes. "You mean they suspect that he is a spy?"
"Believe me, Leila, I don't wish to think that, even after all this young man has done for you and I." His shoulders sagged a bit. "But regarding what little detail he has given of his origin, it doesn't paint him in a picture that would reassure any members of the brass that he could a trustworthy person to let roam the union even under your custody.
"I'm afraid they may take drastic measures to get answers regarding who he is and what his motives are." Leila grimaced at that.
"I allowed you to take him under your wing was because you believed you could find out yourself. That you could solve him."
"Monsieur Kruger is not a puzzle-piece that can be solved or examined like any of the sort," Leila retorted. "He's… He's a person."
"And what can you say about this person?" Smilas asked.
Leila paused, feeling unnerved to say something what she believed was sensitive regarding Eren, even to her dear friend and mentor.
There came a beep from the desk.
Smilas answered it. "Yes?"
"General?"
"What is it, Gaius?"
"I'm afraid I need to ask for you… and Commander Malcal," That caught their attention. "It's the Malcal's… they heard of Commander Malcal's return… and they are here now. Waiting for you."
Information Available for Public Disclosure:
The Malcal Family (Part I)
Part of a large conglomerate and one of the most wealthy and influential families in the Republic of Europia. Once, they were ardent supporters behind Bradvow von Breisgau's rise before his assassination.
They would later adopt Leila Breisgau in the wake of her parents' deaths. That would she be would raised and come age to marry their youngest son, Ioan Malcal.
It wasn't long before Leila and Smilas, accompanying by her side was Eren, following Colonel Gaius as he led them to another part of the building which led to a room where waiting for them were…
"Papa?"
Standing in the middle of the room, were both the patriarch and matriarch of the Malcal family. And immediately the sight of the girl caused them to…
"Leila!" The auburn-haired woman was the first rush and encircle her arms around the shocked girl. "Our dear sweet…" The girl winced when the older woman briefly broke her hug in order to kiss her cheek.
"Leila…"
"Uh… Papa…" The girl glanced at her adoptive father approaching her. "You're here…"
"We came as soon as we learned you had finally returned…" Christine Malcal said. "There were reports that you went missing!" The woman almost trembled. "We feared the worst for you! What happened?!"
Leila could only realize what the woman had gone through. What all her family had thought, having no idea of her time in Warsaw.
"I was protected…" Leila smiled. "My squadron was there for me. All of them…" He side-glanced to the young man standing not far from her. "Including this man here."
"Who?" Chrstine Malcal glanced in confusion at the dark-haired man.
"This is Monsieur Eren Kruger," She smiled warmly at him. "He saved me."
"Saved you?" Christine frowned with confusion, as both she and her husband glanced towards the acclaimed savior, who didn't even as so much as shifrt from the suspicious glare Phillipe was shooting at him.
"I don't not know what I would have done if it wasn't for him. For all of them," Leila held her mama's hand. "There's… I don't know where to start…"
"Indeed…" Phillipe's voice cut in with a stoic tone that even caught his adoptive daughter's attention. "It's high time we have a talk… now." The man's tone caused Leila's expression to fall into that of grimace.
"General," He turned to Smilas. "My wife and I would like a private word with our daughter…" He then turned to glare at Eren. "Alone." The man expected the boy to glare back… but didn't.
"Uh… yes, of course…" Smilas looked with grimace. "There's a private suite where you can… discuss things from there…"
Before long, the three entered the delicate suite, as the man of the family closed the door behind them.
"Papa…" Leila let out, trying to compose herself as best as she could. "I understand… if you and Mama are upset…"
"Are you?!" Both women, including Christine, shifted a bit by the man's outburst. "Why was it that when we received word that you were no longer at Castle Weisswolf… but instead… you were on the front lines? THE BLOODY FRONT LINES!"
Leila felt the need to cringe, yet this was what she had expected, and it wouldn't be to how Smilas listened to her.
"Goodness, Leila…" Christine said. "What drove you to do something so… insane?"
"Insane?" Leila balked. "What have I done that would be considered insane?"
"Leila…"
"There are millions of men and women at present bleeding on those front lines! They are dying for this nation." Leila exclaimed. "Would you call them insane for that?"
"No, Leila!" Phillipe caught her attention again. "You are not a soldier…"
"I am the Lieutenant Colonel…"
"You were only assigned to conduct operations as far as possible from the front lines!" Phillipe stated. "Far from danger. And yet we heard you deployed yourself into the middle of enemy territory!"
"Papa…" Leila grimaced. "I had to go. My squadron…"
"Forget that!" The girl frowned at that. "Did you realize what could have happened?! You could have been killed! You could have been maimed! Or worse… you could have been captured!"
"I'm aware of that…"
"It appears you do not." Phillipe shook his head.
"And who allowed you to do this?" Phillipe asked. "Was it Smilas?"
…
"Tell us, Leila!" The man beckoned. "Tell us if we heard wrong, and that Smilas lied to us, and he allowed you to go out on the battlefield!"
…
"The decision was mine alone," Leila stated.
Christine gasped.
"Explain why?" Phillipe Malcal closed his eyes. "Why… why would you do such a thing… that could have killed you?!"
"I'm a soldier."
"No."
"Yes," Leila said, regardless.
"You promised us… that if we let you attend the academy…" Christine said. "That you would not risk yourself to ever step on the front lines."
"It displeases us… that it has come to this." The older man pulled out a folded paper from his coat.
"Papa…?" Leila looked in confusion as her adoptive father laid the paper flat on a table, before pulling a pen and laying it next to it. "What is this?"
…
The girl picked up the paper to read it, and after a few seconds of scanning over it, her eyes widened, now mortified.
"What… What is this?!"
"Leila…" Christine tried to say.
"This…" The blonde girl pointed at the paper as if it were a sentence. "This is a form of military resignation!"
"Yes," Phillipe looked straight at his daughter. "Your resignation."
"I won't!" Leila instantly slammed the paper back down on the table. "I won't sign this!"
"You have given us no choice, Leila."
"Wh… I?" Leila questioned, looking greatly confused at her adoptive parent. "I… I will not!" Leila gritted her teeth. "I will not leave… not when we are at a critical time as it is…"
"Leila!" Christine almost looked ready to plead. "This is for your own good!"
"My own good?" Leila asked. "Should I be content that there is someone else fighting on the battlefield while I am one of the few who get stand back behind the safety of our borders?"
"Because they are the ones capable-."
"And you think I am not?"
"You may have gone to the academy, but you were not given the training required to take part in such missions," Phillipe stated. "You were taught in classes pertaining to strategies and war policies. Simply put, Leila: you lack the experience…"
"I made a promise to my squadron!" Leila barked. "I vowed that I would make sure that they would have the best chance in returning safe as I would fight alongside them, rather than staying back and observing…"
"Goodness! Leila!" It was the man's turn to bark.
"Darling, listen to us!" The older woman's gaze softened as she approached the girl. "You don't understand. Times are becoming dangerous. It's no longer safe for you to pursue this kind of path. We want you to return home…"
"I can't…" Leila shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mama… but I can't…"
"Listen to what we are trying to say," The woman held her daughter's cheek. "You are one of the most precious things in the world to us. If you continue going with this path… one day you would regret. You may end up risking yourself in this good-forsaken war that is only tearing our country apart. You would end up hurt… or worse." The woman's gaze hardened. "We won't allow it."
"It is not your decision to make!" Leila insisted with a closed fist. "It's my choice to make! It's my life!"
…
The woman who was her adoptive mother reddened, while the patriarch… closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again.
"This is not up for debate. I'm afraid you leave us no choice."
The doors opened violently, to reveal Phillipe dragging Leila out by taking her wrist; Christine following right behind them. All those in the room stood up in alarm.
"What are you doing?" Smilas approached.
"We are leaving now," Phillipe not bothering to look at the General.
"Phillipe, please…" Phillipe pushed an open palm to back the General away, while his other hand gripped the hand of his adoptive daughter.
"Papa, stop it!" Leila stopped herself, only to struggle with Phillipe who kept his grip on her wrist.
"Phillipe…" The General rounded in front of the Malcal patriarch again.
"No, Gene…" The man glared. "You have proven yourself incapable of looking after my daughter's well-being. I will not have it for her to spend another day in your line of work before the worst happens to her."
"Listen…"
"This is no longer for discussion!" He pulled on Leila's wrist like a vice. "Now we are…"
…
"What?!" Phillipe exclaimed.
Almost everyone in the room paused.
Leila looked wide-eyed as she glanced at what was happening to the strong hand that had been forcefully taking her wrist.
Another hand had grabbed hold of the older man's wrist. And it belonged to Eren Kruger.
"Wh… What the hell are you doing?!" Phillipe Malcal growled, and quickly tense as he felt the young man's grip around his wrist tighten. The man could barely see the look in the young man's eyes even as he felt a strong pressure building over his arm.
The young man mumbled something.
"What?!"
He paused when the man turned his head to face his… and the older man paled when he beheld cold glare mixed with a pair of eyes that seemed to be burning straight towards his.
"Let. Go. Of. Her." The youth growled. "Now."
Phillipe yelped when he felt the man's grasp on his wrist spike up and nearly felt his bones on the edge of breaking, causing him to loosen the grasp he had held over his daughter's. The older man backed away, holding his now-freed wrist in apprehension, before looking up at the one who would have nearly…
The man paused when he looked to see right after he had let go of Leila's hand… the dark-haired youth was now next to her side, and had an arm wrapped around her. His arm wrapped around her shoulders; he caused her to be pulled to the flat of his uniform. The girl was now staring back at him with a mix of shock and awe.
The young man kept his glare on the Malcal father.
"What… What…" Everyone could see that Phillipe's face was turning red. "What the hell do you think are doing?!"
Eren Kruger huffed. "Don't… you dare touch her like that again."
Everyone in the room, from Smilas to Christine, could only look wide-eyed and apprehensive of what the man just uttered towards the older man, who was now gritting his teeth like granite rocks grinding across the slope of the mountain.
"Who… Who the hell do you think you are?!" He roared. "What do you think you are doing?! This…" He glanced once more at his daughter. "This matter has nothing to do with you! Nothing!" He lifted his finger again towards Leila. "This is a family matter and we are…"
"You don't get to decide that." The patriarch paused, looking pale, just as Leila was staring back wide-eyed at Eren, who kept his gaze straight at Phillipe. "If she doesn't want to go, then she won't go."
"I'm HER FATHER!" The man slammed his open palm to his chest. "I know what's best for her! For her best interests!"
"That so?" Eren raised an eyebrow. "Then perhaps… you should know how to pick a fiancé for her."
Christine gasped again, while Smilas closed his eyes, almost resigned to the gravity of where the situation was going.
"Uh… what… you…" Slowly, it seemed Malcal patriarch was starting to look at Eren differently, and how his eyes widened as if he recognized something. "You… it was you!" He pointed his finger at Eren. "You were the man who attacked my son!"
"Attacked?" Eren scoffed. "Is that what you heard, or is it how that idiot phrased it? What I did was the same amount effort put in throwing a sack of grain in a barrel."
"You dare!" That only made to make the man fume even more. "You…" His fuming eyes were directed back at Leila. "Step away from my daughter… this instant. Now…"
"Give me a good reason why I should?" He questioned, causing the man to redden.
"Leila…" Phillipe directed his gaze back the woman. "Come. Here."
Leila paused. The girl almost froze as she saw the man gestured to a spot next to him, fully expecting her to comply. She glanced at the woman acted as her mother, giving a desperate nod to encourage her to comply.
She then turned her gaze at Kruger, who turned his head to her.
"He doesn't decide what you wish to do," he said, his half-lidded eyes staring back at hers. "You decide… what you want."
"Ugh, don't listen to this hooligan, Leila!" Phillipe scoffed. "Whatever poison or filth he has been whispering to your ear, throw it out!" He held out his hand to her. "We are going home and that's…"
"I'm sorry, Papa."
The older man paused.
Leila closed her eyes, not wishing to look at her adoptive father's face when she spoke. "I'm not leaving." She opened her eyes. "I'm not going back home. Not yet."
She spotted Christine grimacing, while Phillipe looked as though he just by instinct bit the bottom of his lip, and a hint of ruby red coming out.
"Leila, what are you saying?!" He roared. "I'm your father!"
The older man looked ready to come forward with a pair of crooked hands, and worse, Eren Kruger still stood in front of Leila, still looking completely undeterred…
Until, Smilas came between them, catching the man by the wrists.
"Smilas, what are…"
"That's enough." Smilas said, a tone of cold steel laced in his voice then, causing the Malcal patriarch to stop, either from the general's tone or the strength he had that caught the wrists in place.
"Smilas…" Phillipe growled. "Do you have any idea… what you are doing…?"
"I do, actually," Smilas replied, without any look of hesitance anymore. "I understand your anger stems from your concerns of Leila's decisions in putting her life on the line. But punishing or stripping her of her rank after all her hard work is nothing but pointless.
"She returned safe and in good hands. And this experience she had… can give good room for her to learn."
"That's for me to decide, not you," Phillipe growled. "She is my daughter…"
"And she is my subordinate," Smilas stated.
"Not anymore," Phillipe shook his head. "I have…"
"You may have the influence or you can try forcing her hand to sign her name on those papers, but you'll realize it won't as simple as that." Smilas said. "Despite Commander Malcal not making to inform I or any command of her decision to take part in the operation, it barely makes any consequence on her reputation. The operation was a success, and she came back alive and unharmed; the same goes to everyone under her command, which I will note is very rare thing to see during these times.
"There are still those in HQ and in the Council of Forty who will not take your demand to make Leila design, at least not without her own personal accord." The man staring back at Smilas was starting to snarl. "From now on, I will make sure to be inform on how Leila involves herself in future operations. I won't foolish to let her back on the field again, even when she has already proven she can be capable of surviving it." That caused Chrstine Malcal to nearly gasp with dread.
"You. Have. No. Right. Not for this, Smilas," Phillipe warned. "I am trying… to give Leila… the best future she can possibly have…"
"She will have the final say for you propose for her," Smilas crossed his arms. "It may have only been a few months into her career, but what Leila offers can perhaps make something better for those fighting for this country and for those living in it… including your family."
"I am the one who knows what is best for her! I have been since the day we took her as our own." Finally, Phillipe turned his gaze on Leila again. "Leila…" He held out his hand to her. "Come here… at once."
…
The woman barely reacted when the hand was stretched out to her. She glanced at her teacher, whose arms still crossed and his face resolute… and confident.
She finally turned to one who had released her from her papa's grip. The young man barely expressing anymore emotion, but looked back at her with that same look from before…
Monsieur Kruger's eyes at that moment… not that of apathy or boredom… but looking back at her… with something… something… that made her feel… reassured.
Just as they were back in Warsaw.
…
"I'm sorry, Papa," The man paused still, and his still outstretched hand to her froze. "I already made my decision." She looked up to see the looks of two people who had been part of her life… looked ready to implode with what she had to say next.
"I'm not ready to go home yet…" She stood closer to Eren Kruger. "Not yet."
To be continued...