Girl from Mitras ★ A. Arlert

Chapter 14 - Aside

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During the month when the Scouting mission was being prepared, Levi periodically trained Y/N. He did this because he saw himself in her: a child who tries to please her guardian without thinking about herself. He didn't want to see her break down when she realized she was just a piece on the chessboard for her guardian. He knew Erwin and his dreams all too well. He believed and trusted him. But they were both adults, mature people. Y/N... No, she was no longer the child he had first met her. She had matured, but that «childish» desire still played in her eyes. And he wanted to help her save herself.

Thanks to Levi's training, «God, how embarrassing, I've already called him by just his name three times already. It seems to me that at some point, he will comment on it» Y/N became better at handling blades, but still, she didn't like this process.

She also began to work hard with Hange on several «projects» at once. First, they came up with tests for Eren together. At first, they couldn't figure it out, just as Eren himself couldn't figure it out - how to instigate the transformation. Eren believed that everything is simple - you just need to hurt yourself. But alas, it wasn't so. Trials, errors and some accidents led to the conclusion that to become a titan, you must also have a clear goal and preferably a clear mind. Hange moved some of their scientific equipment to the castle, which Y/N immediately began to use. She had a theory that perhaps the ability to turn into a titan depends on what a person has inside. She didn't tell anyone this, because deep down she still considered it nonsense, and even more so to offer to open someone up... She asked Eren for some blood, trying to examine something under magnifying glasses. Also, she asked officer Berner, who now and then carried out various assignments for Hange and was constantly on the road, to buy some medicines for her, as well as various chemical mixtures, which also became part of her experiment.

Secondly, preparations began for a Scouting mission beyond the wall. Hange, as Commander Erwin had suspected, had shared the true plan with several other scouts in their squad who had been in service for over five years - they knew they could trust them. It was in such a company that they developed a plan. One of the key tasks that they had to solve was how to capture the titan. They had to develop the perfect trap. In the end, they came up with a good plan to use metal spikes, which were pierced the titan almost all over the body, which wouldn't allow them to move. Once fixed, the host's body could be removed.

Also, Y/N proposed to improve the smoke flares used by the scouts, namely, to add some chemicals to the existing smoke color mixtures that would allow the signals to stay in the air longer. She found information about such substances in a book on geology and mining. They processed stones that were supplied to the Capital. Hange found this idea quite useful. And, as a result, it turned out to be very effective.

- «Wouldn't it be great to make things like this, so that blades are no longer needed?» Y/N thought one evening, while the two of them were discussing various theories with Hange after their general meeting.

- Levi has tormented you so much that you decided to find a way to take blades out of the equation?

- No, the Captain is kind to me, though you can't tell from his appearance. But, you just imagine - just how to throw a knife at a tree - once, and that's it. No twists and turns, no thoughts «what if it's not deep enough»...

- If you come up with this, no one will mind, but I doubt that anything will be more effective than the good old blades...

Communication with Eren also went smoothly. After he accidentally turned into a titan during lunch, the scouts realized that he didn't really understand what was happening to him. They got to know him, trusting him a little more. Eren, on the other hand, became more confident in the company of scouts, and also began to participate in conversations. Captain Levi allowed him to periodically go out for walks, accompanied by other scouts. Together with them, they trained and prepared for the upcoming mission.