Girl from Mitras ★ A. Arlert

Chapter 18 - It's time to play the part

- I understand. Just why doesn't Pastor Nick want to talk? The situation is close to a critical point. The meaning of all these secrets, when soon there will be no people left to keep them from...

- We understand this, but people in the Capital... No one there has ever known what hunger, deprivation, restrictions are. And the followers of the Order of the walls...

- By horses! It's time to go!

Y/N and Hange got into one of the carriages heading for Ehrmich. Y/N returned Hange's large crystal shard as a reminder of what they had already achieved and what more they would achieve in the future. «The main thing is not to give up. When you give up, you become a slave to your doubts and fears». Y/N sat between Hange and Captain Levi as they drove to Ehrmich. Opposite were Armin, Mikasa and Eren. Everyone was silent, immersed in their own thoughts. Next to Hange sat their «ward» - pastor Nick. Perhaps everyone was silent, as his presence was straining.

- Hange, I was just thinking...

- Yes, Armin?

- How could the Wall Rose be broken through? If there are titans in all the walls, then it turns out... the titans made their way through the wall with the titans... Is this possible?

- Armin, remember what happened in Shiganshina! They're...

- «Eren, in Shiganshina only the outer gates were destroyed, as was the case in Trost. The wall was destroyed only at the very top, where the Colossal Titan was squeezing it with his hand. I remember that, and the current situation seems illogical to me», he looked at Pastor Nick, «why is the Order of the walls member coming with us to Ehrmich?»

- Oh, Pastor Nick won't hurt anyone. He still prefers to keep important information to himself, but he seems to be unaware of the consequences of the Titans invasion. Therefore, we will show him. He wasn't surprised when there were titans in the Walls at Stohess. No matter how much I tried to talk to him, perhaps what he saw would loosen his tongue.

- Or you always can try to deprive him of a pair of fingers, it also helps to untie the tongue.

After these words Pastor Nick turned pale and swallowed nervously.

- Levi, don't be so cruel, this is quite an extreme measure.

***

They arrived in Ehrmich after sunset. Refugees have already begun to flock to the city. Screams and panic were heard everywhere. The inhabitants of Ehrmich, as expected, weren't happy with the refugees, but no one asked them. The local military was also not happy with what was happening. They looked askance at the scouts who had arrived in the city.

They drove up to the military headquarters, where the military officers of various units who arrived in the city were usually accommodated. Refugees crowded around, hoping that the scouts would help them, say that soon they would be able to return home. In Ehrmich, it was decided to collect all the unused forces of the Survey corps and send them to counter the titans. Ehrmich was closest to the center of the invasion, as the reports showed.

As they unloaded, Y/N realized that she was trembling. Not out of fear, but out of uncertainty and helplessness. Not from the fact that she would have to face the titans, but from what would happen if they failed. That all these people will die of hunger, because it's much easier to die in battle than to starve and just die out like a candle.

- Y/N, how are you?

- Mikasa, I'm fine. If anything at all now can be considered in the order of things.