I live, I die, I live again [Eren J.]

11: The Survey Corps is filled with Weirdos

Nevertheless, she found herself before the Commander in good time.

" Commander, " she drawled, dipping her head in a curt nod.

" Lady Rothschild— " the girl fixed him a pointed look, to which he amended smoothly "— Mikoto, I haven't seen you since the trial. Was there something you needed? " The redhead shrugged.

" Well, I guess I was just wondering about something that you can help me with, " she hummed innocently as she settled herself into the seat before him. Eyeing the chessboard the man had laid out before him. " I'm bored out of my mind here and now that everyone knows I'm the Duchess of Western Sina and all they've been totally lame about giving me fuck all to do. "

Advancing the Black Queen and taking the White Bishop, she went for the kill—

" If possible, I'd like to graduate into the Survey Corps early, " she requested, meaningfully, meeting the Commander's eyes with an unwavering stare.

" Have you ever wondered why humanity has no memory from before we lived in the walls? " Mikoto blinked rapidly, an eyebrow raised as she surveyed the stoic man before her.

" Huh? " The redhead responded ever so eloquently.

What the ever loving fuck did that have to do with joining the Survey Corps?

The Commander ignored her (lack of) response.

" Even if humanity has lost all records of that time, the first generation should have been able to tell their children, shouldn't they? My father had a theory. That the King altered the populace's memories when humanity first entered the walls, so that they could be controlled better. That the Royal Government is hiding the truth about the world from us. "

Mikoto raised a brow, still not understanding what the fuck that had to do with joining the Survey Corps, but nodding in understanding anyways.

" That's eight levels of fucked up, " she commented drily, but she had to admit— " Yeah, sounds like something the pigs would do. " The man raised a very thick eyebrow.

" You don't have much love for your peers. " Mikoto snorted.

" I'm the bastard child, born from a slave His Grace Lord Rothschild purchased from the Underground, who rose up by chance. " Well, actually homicide but no one can prove that. " Why would I have no love for them? I have none. In the same way I have no love for roundabout questions, ask what you want directly. "

The man hummed, plucking the Black Queen from her place on the board and held it up to the light.

" In a game of chess, the Queen is the most powerful piece of the board. She can make in every direction and cross great distances— even rally the power of other pieces. All the while staunchly guarding the King. I would like you to become the Survey Corps' Queen. "

Asked for no bullshit and got... a comparison to a chess piece?

Mikoto scoffed, rolling her eyes. So much for 'no roundabout questions', she, suddenly on the receiving end, had such empathy for Jean who she liked to jerk around with vague answers.

What was she supposed to glean from that speech? Becoming the Survey Corps' Queen? What kind of weirdass proposition was that?

No, she realized, it would be absurd to even consider that the man was offering her power over his military branch— that wasn't what he was suggesting. He was suggesting that she become a powerful piece on his chessboard to move and use at will. As the Commander, he was the player, so conceivably the King piece and the most vulnerable piece to attack was Eren.