Chapter 5: Rambo

We were now moving through the city streets as the number of people around us continued to increase, especially the merchants with their wagons piled with stuff, and the local infrastructure became more distinctive than the previous houses.

- Why aren't they living in the city?

Such a question interested me, because if you think about it, evacuation from the city is much easier than from the forest or wherever they live because of the presence of the river and the ferry. Although we should not forget about the profession of a forester, but I did not see any special wildlife here, perhaps the situation in the forest is very different.

- Well, they just like a quiet life without the bustle of the city.

- Okay. (chuckles)

It's nothing supernatural, these people are real. I sometimes wanted to live in the woods myself in the last time of my previous life, but the fear of bears and wolves cooled my ardor, as well as the realization that to rent a good house in the woods, you'd have to pay a lot of money to the owner.

- Why did you want to come with me so badly?

Now it was Grisha's turn to ask us a question, the answer to which was impossibly simple.

- I wonder what's outside the city.

- Yes!

A childish desire to explore the world around him, which Eren instantly supported.

- I see.

We finally passed through the inner wall of Maria, finding ourselves outside the city, where there was a straight road leading to the next wall, Rosa, beyond which was Trost, another city that resembled Shiganshina, only the conditions were better.

- Now we'll have to turn off the road. Be careful, we don't want you to break anything else.

When we went down the road, almost no one paid attention to it, apparently it was already commonplace for them, or people didn't care at all, which could play a positive role in the future.

As we continued moving towards our destination, thoughts crept into my head about the people of the city, whom I could already categorize into types.

The local contingent is basically divided into three types: those who are eternally bitter about their position in society and being within the walls; ordinary citizens who are resigned to the status quo; and those who seek to change their situation by taking action, after which they become either the first or the second. Ideally, a third outcome is possible, but it is achieved by a very small number, so these are rather exceptions.

The journey to these hermits was much longer than I had anticipated, so the feeling of boredom began to grow. But there was no way to dispel it, so I had to walk in silence while Grisha followed the road and Eren looked around.

- Do we have a long way to go?

Such a question did not wait long, because Eren was already getting bored with the monotonous scenery.

- We're getting there, so just bear with me a little longer.

We continued on our way, when suddenly a small wooden house appeared behind a couple of trees, looking like a typical woodsman's dwelling. There was a man standing beside it, not as big as the original me, of course, but still sturdy.

On his face showed surprise, because in addition to Grisha here were we, but he still smiled kindly and went to meet us.

The man had short blond hair, light eyes, and a small stubble on his chin.

- Hello, Grisha. When did you have time to make a second one?

The man shook hands with Grisha, while he also a little cheerful.

- Hi, Andrei, Eren, heard about you. I don't know if Grisha told you about me, but you can call me Hen-.

- Henkel, who are you talking to? Wow, Grisha, when did you have time to make a second one?

Suddenly a black-haired woman came out of the house, staring at us with gray eyes.

Looking at this couple, I noticed one detail. Their clothes were somewhat shabby, indicating that they were either not in the best of material conditions, or they were just clothes for work.

Eren and I glanced at each other, signaling a joint greeting.

- Hello!

- Oh, that's loud. Hi, Eren, Andrei. You can call me Michelle.

- Okay, come in, Grisha. Mikasa, go play.

The man turned towards the door, from where a girl of about nine looked out, looking very much like her mother - the same gray eyes and black hair that reached her shoulders.

- Hello, Mr. Yeager.

- Hello, Mikasa.

Grisha said hello to Mikasa and made his way inside the house, which the wife and husband did as well, while we stayed outside.

Somehow I imagined the acquaintance differently ... It came out kind of-- Weird and quick, but okay.

The girl stared at us while Eren smiled at her and held out his hand.

- I'm Eren!

Without a moment's hesitation, she shook his hand.

- I'm Mikasa.

With boredom growing, I decided to get acquainted and play something or build something. Considering how many trees there are here, it's possible to build a tree house, though not a full-fledged one because of the short amount of time, since we're unlikely to spend half a day here, and I don't really want to take someone else's tools.

- I'm Andrei, nice to meet you, Mikasa.

After shaking her hand, I realized what would be a great game to play here.

- Let's play hide-and-seek!

I said sharply, so that I wouldn't forget that my head had been full of ideas lately.

- Let's do it!

- How's that?

While Eren already knew the game, because we played it almost every day with Armin, Mikasa had no idea.

- One person searches and the others hide. After the water finds someone, they need to catch up and touch the other player. In order not to lose the host needs to touch a predetermined place. Let's say the wall of this house.

I put my hand on the wall, more or less explaining the essence of the game and its rules.

- Okay, I get it.

- Great, since that's the case, let's choose water with the help of a rock, scissors, paper... Shit, now I have to explain the rules for this game too.

- Uh, I know.

- How?

I was surprised to hear you say that.

- Mr. Yeager taught me.

- Ah-ah-ah, that's how it is. That's good. Let's get started.

I put my clenched fist out in front of me, and so did the others. The funny thing is, nobody shook their fist.

- Rock, paper, scissors. One, two, three.

I held out the scissors while Mikasa and Eren stoned. This made my eyes widen with bewilderment, but I remained silent.

- Okay, let's say. The point you will need to touch will be here.

I touched the section of wall again, then turned away and started counting to fifty. As soon as I finished, I only now realized how difficult it would be to find them.

The wooded terrain, thanks to which there were plenty of bushes to hide behind and trees to climb and wait.

I took a deep breath and began to walk slowly around the area, trying not to miss a single sound.

Hell, Mikasa has a huge advantage in the form of knowledge of the entire surrounding area, and Eren could be hiding with her, making it almost impossible to find them, but I don't intend to give up early. I'll have to use a ruse.

- Mom, look, pigeons, do we have any bread left? No bread.

- Pffft, ha ha ha ha.

As expected, the joke worked well, so I easily figured out Eren's location and ran with a smile on my face. Realizing that he had been exposed, he rushed out of the bushes, but unfortunately for him, I ran faster and was able to successfully touch down, but I wasn't given a break. At that moment, Mikasa jumped down from the tree and rushed like a cheetah. Without wasting time, I ran too, successfully reducing the distance and anticipating victory.

At the end, I even relaxed, and she even tried to make a dash at the last moment, but I successfully touched her hand before she could touch the wall.

I was close to defeat. Still, the fresh, woodsy air has its advantages. I also had to temper my self-confidence, because even though I had the mind of an adult, I still had the body of a child.

- You were my last hope not to lose, Mikasa... But unfortunately, you didn't succeed.

I let her go, looking at Eren, whose face immediately showed wariness. My slow footsteps headed towards him, causing him to move away from me.

- ... What's wrong with you? I was just kidding.

- You were kidding. Yeah. Well, I'm gonna make a joke, too.

I didn't run after the kid whose fate was already sealed, because the following actions would simplify my task front.

- Mikasa, do you want to hear about the new game?

She nodded, listening intently as Eren continued to run, but slowed down as he looked back.

Okay, something to remember right away to lower her guard and bait him.

- Danet. The host asks for a situation and briefly describes it. For example: Eren jumped out of a tree and died laughing. The question is, how did this happen? Players can ask questions to which the presenter can only answer yes or no. Example continuation: Did he do a triple somersault and unsuccessfully fall out of the tree because he started laughing? No. Did Eren see something funny and jumped out of the tree but couldn't breathe because of his inexhaustible laughter? Yes. That's it. Whoever solved the situation becomes the host.

The child's eyes flapped in silence. At that moment I felt the lack of Armin, who always understood the rules the first time, no matter how bad the explanation was.

- ... Did you understand anything at all?

- I guess... / Yes.

Their answers didn't inspire confidence, but what can you do? Some of my examples failed, but practice always saved the day.

- All right, let me get started. Let's get you up to speed.

The moment Eren got closer, I grabbed him and started tickling him, grinning broadly.

- Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

He tried to break free, but considering this wasn't the first time this situation had happened, then I got the hang of it and held him down while the girl quietly chuckled at us.

- Hee hee hee hee.

- Stop it, I'll be right there, ha ha ha ha ha ha.

I was faced with a choice: either continue tickling, which would make Eren's bladder fail, or relent and not let him embarrass himself. I chose the second option, of course, because it's not good to make him look like that, but if I had a truly childlike creature....

I let go of Eren, who was recovering his breath and staring up at the sky, and began to think about what to do next while Mikasa stared at us.

- Are you two brothers?

- Yes!

After waiting for a short pause, I answered too.

- Of course, are you alone in the family?

- Yes, because of that, it's sometimes boring here....

If I lived in the forest, I'd build a fortress here, but it's a little hard to do that in a child's body. Shit, most of the ideas are in my body, but it's okay, as soon as I'm old enough, I'll have a technical breakthrough if my memory doesn't fail or the monsters outside the walls don't break through here. I've made 30 grenades and stashed them all over the city, hoping no one will find them, but the danger is still palpable.

- Well, the clash of the two spheres of residence will be eternal, both have their pros and cons, but it is best to alternate them. If, of course, there is such an opportunity.

Eh, I remember when my parents took me to my grandmother, where I worked for five people, but at the same time I ate for the same number of people. Yes... My grandmother's baked goods were a bitch.

- Ha, I thought I was gonna die.

Eren finally stood up, kneading his jaw, which must have been tired from prolonged laughter.

- Hmm, okay, since I got my revenge on Eren, I might as well try to play a game of dunet. A zelek man jumped off a huge building and survived. How did that happen?

They were silent again while I waited for any guesses.

- ... Maybe he's very strong and tough.

- Yeah, how did you come to that conclusion?

- Well, unusual skin color, so I thought.

- Okay, well, then it's your turn to host.

I sat down next to Eren while Mikasa stood in front of us and thought. Time passed and she was silent.

- ... Uh, maybe give me an idea?

- Uh, yeah.

- You could ask about woodland animals, or anything that's close to the woods.

It hit her right away.

- The squirrel had jumped a huge tree in one leap. How did it do that?

It's hard. The first thing that comes to mind is a trampoline, but I don't think she has any idea what that is. Man, now I want to jump on a trampoline, but where can I get springs and strong material that can support at least the weight of a child...? Stop, I'm going in the wrong direction.

I rubbed my head in an attempt to stimulate my brain.

- Maybe a man picked up a squirrel and it jumped from his palm to a tree?

Mikasa nodded in confirmation of the theory.

- Yes.

- Well, that was easier than I thought it would be. Eren, why are you so distant?

He sat there without a smile on his face, not saying a word during the game, as if he had water in his mouth. Mikasa and I walked over to him.

- After your tickle, my entire supply of fun for the day was exhausted in a minute, so now I'm destined to spend the rest of the day with no cheer.

- Not bad, it was a good speech, but go ahead and have fun.

- My jaw is aching.

- Well, if there's no other choice.

When I reached out to tickle him, he somersaulted, staring at me with a grin.

- It's a test, the past is challenging me again and I'll deal with it. To grow up, one must overcome the mistakes of youth... You think so yourself, don't you?

What an asshole, he even memorized quotes I only used once.

- Stop fooling around.

I originally wanted to respond with a JoJo quote too, but I couldn't find a good one, so I had to do this.

- Haa, let's play something else. Like catch-up.

Suddenly, Eren had a good idea.

- We can do that.

- Let's do it.

We played another game of rock, paper, scissors, where Mikasa was the loser and Eren and I ran in opposite directions. As expected, she chased after Eren, because he was slower than me, so he was easier to catch, so I could sit until he ran in my direction or got caught and the girl would come after me.

Hmm, I hadn't really thought about making explosive arrows for a bow..... I'd have to change the design for the tip.

After a minute Eren was successfully caught, which is surprising, I assumed he would be caught in the first 30 seconds. Mikasa was now running in my direction, so I quickly got up and ran towards the bushes where I successfully lurked. She was walking beside me, looking for me, but I acted according to my plan, which was to laugh at everyone, so when she passed my hiding place, I grabbed her leg, causing her to shriek....

- А!

And delivered a sharp kick, which I was able to dodge by lying on my back.

It was dangerous, and if I hadn't been careful, I would have lost a couple of teeth, and I'd have gotten an imprint all over my face.

I tried to get away from her, but she grabbed my leg, making me lose my balance and fall into my arms.

- I got her!

- Yeah, but you can let go of my leg.....

Mikasa was still holding onto my limb while Eren walked over to me and went down on his knee.

- You were the last hope of men not to lose... But sadly, you have fallen.

Getting to my feet, I shook myself off and noticed the adults outside the house staring at us.

- Haaaa, let's go back.

As we approached, we could hear the conversations between Mikasa's father and Grisha more and more clearly.

- Smart, and most importantly creative kid. If he could get to Sina, he could become an inventor there.

Henkel looked at me while Grisha stared at me as if into the void.

- Well, talent can develop in any environment; location only affects how easy it is for him.

- Maybe so. Here come the kids! Have you been playing?

- No! / Time spent with joy passes without a second thought.

Mikasa answered briefly, and Eren went back to playing his game, but I chose to remain silent.

- Alright, it's going to start to be evening soon, so we'll go. See you, Henkel, Michelle and Mikasa.

- Come on, Grisha.

The two men shook hands in farewell while Eren and I said our prepared goodbyes.

- Goodbye! And goodbye, Mikasa.

- Goodbye! See you, Mikasa.

In addition to waving, we followed Grisha.

After returning home we had dinner and went to bed, which was not surprising since the journey to Ackermans was exhausting, while Grisha and Carla sat in the kitchen.

- What are we going to do tomorrow?

From the right came the quiet voice of Eren, lying on the other side of the room.

- I'm thinking of making explosive arrows for the bow. Imagine how cool that would be! We'd be like Rambo shooting titans.

- Rambo? Who's Rambo?

- A tough, pumped-up guy with a bow and all kinds of weapons who can beat anyone.

- Sounds cool. I want to be Rambo.

- Everyone wants to, but not everyone has the discipline, so you can't give up on achieving your goal when it seems like it's not working out.

- I got it. Take it easy.

- You too.

The next day we went out to gather clay to make more or less durable lugs, picking up Armin on the way.

- Andrei, how are you going to make the tips?

Armin was walking beside me, looking at an ordinary arrow.

- Small enough to.... Wait, why make arrows when you can create a gun that can shoot grenades! How did I not realize that right away.

It suddenly hit me, because it's a much better and simpler idea.

- Can we do it?

Eren asked legitimately.

- Most likely, the most important thing is to find a good spring somewhere, although we could make it ourselves, but it would be difficult.

After these words, the long search for a spring began, which lasted several days and was definitely worth it.

___________

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