When the man finally entered the Wall, Armin was finally able to study the features of the stranger, and he was immediately met with confusion.
That man looked like a soldier, actually; he looked like a commander.
He was wearing what looked like a military uniform, but it was foreign to him and his fellow comrades who surrounded the man, but what caught everyone's attention was the rifle that the man held.
It was a rifle, but what kind of rifle was it? It mirrored the design of the Military Police's muskets but it still looked different. The man's rifle sported a bolt for some reason, and the barrel of his rifle looked pointier than their muskets.
Regardless, it was still a rifle, and some soldiers immediately panicked when they saw that the man was armed.
"Please! Calm down! I do not mean any harm!". The man tried to reason with a soldier, who had the edge of his sword placed on the stranger's neck. "I came here for something very important! It's a message that I would have to deliver!".
"A message?! What kind of message?!". The soldier exclaimed. "From where the hell did you come from?! How were you outside the walls?! Answer me before I cut your throat!".
"Nick, calm the hell down". Another soldier, whose name was Finn, came as he placed a firm grip over his shoulder. "There's twenty of us and only one of him, he can't touch us if he even tried to do anything".
Nick looked back at his friend and then he sighed, before he retreated from the man, however; he gave him a threatening glare to ensure that the stranger wouldn't try to do anything.
Finn sighed and he approached the stranger, he eyed him suspiciously for a moment and then he cleared his throat to speak.
"What were you doing outside the walls?". Finn asked him.
The man opened his mouth to speak. "I come from a nation that is beyond this Island". He said. "I carry with me an important message that I have to deliver to a certain someone".
Stunned silence followed after the man's answer, the stranger said that he came from a nation that was outside the walls.
No one believed the poor man, they knew for certain that humanity was almost driven to extinction because of the titans, and all what was left of humanity now resides within the walls! Then why was this man claiming that he came from a foreign nation?
Was he lying?
"You came from a foreign nation?! You're lying!". Nick exclaimed. "Humanity has been driven to near annihilation because of the titans! And the surviving remnants of humanity resided within the walls for over a hundred years!".
"What?". The man gave Nick a puzzled look. "Humanity? Being driven to near extinction? This isn't true! I promise you that I'm not lying and I truly did come from a foreign nation!". The man exclaimed. "There are other foreign nations out there that are thriving and advancing! Who told you this lie?!".
"Silence!". Nick advanced threateningly to the man as he brought out his sword once again. "You blaspheme the king one more time and I'll have your head served on a silver platter!".
"Nick! Cease at once!". Finn exclaimed. "And you! What do you have for us to prove that you truly did come from another nation? If other foreign nations did truly exist, then surely they would've sent merchants to trade with us".
The man became silent for a moment, then his eyes widened in realization and he pulled out an envelope from his pockets.
He raised his hands in the air and all eyes fell on the envelope that the stranger carried. "It might not be staggering, but this is proof that I truly did come from outside the walls!". The man exclaimed. "What I hold in my hand is a message from a father to his daughter! This is not my handwriting and neither is it of my own doing!". He exclaimed.
"How can we know for sure?!". Nick argued. "How can we know that you are not faking any of this for your own sick gain?!".
"Who was supposed to receive this message? At least tell us this and we may be able to solve this problem quickly". Finn said.
The man looked at Finn and he sighed. "This message was intended for a girl called Annie Leonhart".
Annie Leonhart.......
Everyone was shocked to the point of silence as they looked at the man with an expression of disbelief and confusion.
This man came to deliver a message to Annie Leonhart?
Annie Leonhart? The Versatile Titan?
".....What?". Armin muttered as his eyes widened at the man for a moment, the stranger noticed the sudden silence and he gave them a look of worry.
"Have I.....said something wrong?". The stranger asked.
Finn approached him and he placed two firm hands over his shoulders. "What do you know about Annie Leonhart?!". He exclaimed as he tightened his grip over his shoulder. "What kind of connection do you have with her?! Why are you delivering a message to her?!".
The stranger winced at Finn's tight grip. "She is the daughter of the father who wrote this message! I came to deliver this message to her for the sake of her father!". The stranger exclaimed.
"Don't you know what kind of person she is?!". Finn exclaimed. "She is responsible for the deaths of our precious comrades! She is the Versatile Titan!".
The stranger looked at Finn with a shocked expression, but Armin noticed something about the man's face.
True, the man was shocked, but it wasn't the kind that expressed ignorance about something, it was the kind that expressed that he already knew about it, but he didn't expect that everyone would know about it so soon.
The gears of Armin's mind began working at a rapid pace, if the man's face expression was anything to go by; then he must've known that Annie was the Versatile Titan. None of them knew that Annie was a titan shifter before the 57th expedition commenced, yet this man appeared like he already knew from the start.
So how come did he already know about Annie being a titan shifter?
Better yet; why would a complete stranger even know Annie at all?
Even more, he didn't forget that the stranger looked like a commander. (Since he wore a highly-decorated military uniform and he was armed), but Armin never saw that man in the Survey Corps at all, and judging by how the other soldiers acted towards the man; they didn't know him either.
The man's apparent knowledge about Annie's identity, coupled with his foreign military uniform and his strange rifle and the fact that no one knew him, supported the man's claims that he really did come from outside the walls.
But how? How was this even possible? They were what remained of Humanity!
There is no possible way that their history books must've been fabricated! If outside nations really did exist, then wouldn't they have sent merchants to trade with them? Wouldn't these said nations at least consider any form of communication with them?
Suddenly, he recalled the words that Erwin told him last night:
"How can we know for sure that Humanity ceased to exist beyond the walls? How can we trust the same corrupted government that is notorious for spreading lies? Why would the government try to get rid of anything that talks about what lies beyond those walls, like your book for an example?".
"Armin, Annie is a key to something that is much bigger, we must do everything in our ability to reach the truth of those walls".
Looking back at it now, Erwin's words to Armin made much more sense now, and if that man really did know Annie, then he is definitely a key that will help them apprehend her.
Which means.......
".....We need to take him to Commander Erwin". Armin muttered.
"To the Commander?! We should report that man to the government!". Nick exclaimed.
"No! We can't do that!". Armin said. "If he really does know Annie, then he's gonna be important for capturing her!".
"He's right". Another soldier joined. "If we wanna get her, then this man's an important asset". He said. "I dunno if he's telling us the truth about being a foreigner, but look at his face; he knows something about her".
Finn looked at Armin, then he looked back at the stranger. He thought about what they both said for a moment and then he sighed.
He loosened his death-grip from the stranger's shoulders, then he looked at Nick.
"Report to Commander Erwin, he needs to know about this".
Nick was about to protest, but no word escaped his mouth when Finn gave him a glare that can even make an apex predator cower in fear.
Nick didn't say any word, but he obeyed Finn's orders (rather reluctantly) and made his way to the Commander's office.