No Choice (Eruri)

A Moment of Silence

The first evening and the following days passed without anything new happening. For four days since they had arrived in the city, Levi had done little other than kill his time in the quarters waiting for further orders.

Erwin and Commander Shadis had already been absent from dinner the first evening, and Levi suspected they would be using every spare minute to prepare for the handover of the commander's position. Even though many in the Survey Corps would welcome Erwin in the commander's place, only the General and some government members possessed the necessary decision-making power.

If even one of them objected to the proposal to give Erwin the commander's rank, a relentless battle would immediately begin for the favor and goodwill of the one who rejected him.

Levi knew that Erwin was an excellent speaker capable of getting others excited about his ideas, yet he was unsure how the matter would turn out.

The warm wind blew through his hair as he looked into the sunset. Still lost in thought, he settled down on the branch of the giant tree on which he had been standing until just now. He hadn't been able to endure staying in quarters much longer and, as soon as his injury had allowed, had used the time to train in a forest adjacent to Stohess. How ironic that the Military Police, of all people, had such elaborate training grounds, which left hardly anything to be desired, and had thus enabled him to optimize his movements to such an extent that he had used a full ten percent less gas than usual.

Of course, he was as good as alone. Only now and then had he encountered some soldiers or the guards who kept an eye on this area and were responsible, among other things, for the issue and care of the maneuvering equipment.

On the other hand, his comrades roamed the nightlife district so far every evening they had spent in Stohess. They did not get tired of the pubs and other establishments that the district offered in large numbers. Something that he indulged them after all the suffering they had experienced the last few weeks but which at the same time did not come up to what he imagined as a pleasant evening.

With a yawn, he stretched both arms in the air and suddenly realized that the training had taken a lot out of him. He could feel every fiber of his muscles, and a dull ache spread through the spot where the injury he had sustained in Shiganshina was still present.

"Do you think it's such a good idea to jump around like that after you almost fell off your horse earlier this week?"

Still stretching his arms in the air, he stopped abruptly and turned his head to the side as someone landed on the branch right next to him. He had recognized the voice before seeing the blond hair from the corner of his eye.

"I had the hope you'd disappeared," he said, lowering his arms as Erwin settled down next to him on the tree trunk and gazed silently into the sunset for a moment. A gust of wind blew through his blond hair, and again Levi noticed that fragrance he had already caught on their journey here. Had Erwin always worn that perfume?

"A council member has yet to arrive, so now I have a little time to spend. To leave the stuffy office and to enjoy the scenery around Stohess."

Levi eyed him from the side and blew a raspberry when he saw the maneuvering equipment at Erwin's hips. "Do you even need the extensive training if you're going to be commander soon?"

"What a kind of question. So you want me to get eaten by a Titan right away on the next expedition just because I neglected my training?"

Levi opened his mouth to reply, but Erwin interrupted him by raising a hand. "Stop, wait, don't say it. I already know the answer."

Levi laughed softly, to which Erwin gave him an astonished look. The laughter died immediately, giving way to an uncomfortable silence while Levi looked tensely away from him.