The Noble Scout

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Chapter 13 - Resolution

Chapter 14 - A Terrible Mistake

Chapter 15 - The Defeated

Chapter 16 - Duty & Shell

Chapter 17 - Past & Future

Chapter 18 - A Cruel World

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"I take it you're proud of yourself?"

The Prime Minister and his grandson were in the middle of an intense game of chess in the office of the Patriarch of House Hannibal, within their Manor itself.

"And why shouldn't I be?" The young man asked, taking the black rook. "This is the first political defeat I have inflicted on you, the first you've had to suffer after six years of invincibility. I think I have the right to savor this moment."

"It's not the performance I'm criticizing, young fool, but the reason behind it."

On these words, he pinned his grandson's queen, the latter retaliated by forcing the black King to retreat.

"What the hell does it matter to you that a boy can turn into a titan?"

"Don't take me for a fool, Amos." the Prime Minister cut with an annoyed voice, "I'm not talking about Jaeger, but about your new uniform."

The tall blonde allowed himself a smile as he gazed at the wings of freedom over his heart.

"Ah yes, I guess I owe you my thanks."

Lord Hannibal raised his head to pierce with his sapphire eyes, the young man's emerald eyes.

"What madness possessed you to make a decision as grotesque as this?"

"It was not madness that drove me to make this decision but reason."

"Is that so?"

"Of course."

Amos forked his grandfather's remaining knight to seize his queen, Peter resolved to sacrifice a bishop to balance the losses.

"The throne is ours, you won it despite the pitiful King you placed there. The entire Capital is responsible for us, the nobility is at our feet, explain to me what remains to be done here?"

"Gaining all that power was the easy part." the Prime Minister gritted as he deployed his last rook. "Keeping it will be the real challenge. Your real challenge, a challenge you won't be able to meet if you waste your time wandering outside the walls."

"This challenge you speak of will be the least of our worries if our walls all end up being breached." Amos countered, advancing a pawn. "Do you believe that I joined the scouts in order to avoid my responsibilities? It's quite the opposite, I got involved to defend the interests of the family."

"You did not have to something as stupid as this. We have soldiers for this work, your life is worth more than a million of these sheep."

"And what about the lesson, 'If you want something done right properly, you do it yourself?'

"Amos," Lord Hannibal warned firmly.

"Explain to me why the outside is more dangerous than the inside. At court I am forced to prevent two assassination attempts a week. A dagger and a cup of poison are just as deadly as giant jawbones. And unlike the interior, I can kill the enemies outside with impunity."

Lord Hannibal did not answer, he used his last bishop to try to take the Amos' King in a vice with the pawn he was about to transform into a queen. Unfortunately, he forgot the last knight of his grandson who covered the assault of his rook, the only escape of the King being covered by a pawn, that only meant one thing:

"Checkmate." the young man announced before raising his head, "How about you tell me what you expect from me now? I know you didn't just summon me to reprimand me."

The Prime Minister did not answer immediately, he stared thoughtfully at the tray, before observing his grandson.

"You're better than I was at your age." he commented, "and more determined than I've ever been."

He swallowed a swig of wine, before continuing:

"Will the bastard also join the Survey Corps?"

"'The bastard' has a name." the tall blonde gritted.

"Who will not be pronounced in this house, now answer my question."

"Yes."

"I see…"

He finished his cut in one go, before staring at his grandson in the eye.

"Here is what's going to happen Amos," he said in a calm, uncompromising voice, "as long as you are a scout, family matters will no longer concern you. Similarly, you will no longer have access to the family fortune, nor to our various residences and you will no longer be able to command the slightest MP sworn to us. Most importantly, don't expect to learn anymore of our family's secrets. In other words, consider all the privileges you owe to your status as suspended."

The young man gritted his teeth, but nodded nonetheless.

"Can I take a certain quantity of equipment with me? After all I'll need it to optimize my chances of survival."

It was the old man's turn to grind his teeth before nodding.

"I heard you invited Lord Syral's daughter to 'tea,'".

"That's right."

"Are you planning to marry her, or did you just take her to your bed to mock me?"

"Do not exaggerate, another Ackerman will be of great use to me."

Lord Peter was not interested in his justifications.

"So you have no intention of marrying her… and yet you took the risk of impregnating her… That surprises me coming from you."

"Do you think me so imprudent as not to think of seasoning her tea and her wine?" the young man asked slightly annoyed.

"I see…why don't we compromise you and I?"

Amos hated that word, they say politics is the art of compromise, but the "compromise" in question will always benefit one politician over the another.

"What do you want?"

Lord Hannibal did not answer immediately, and poured himself another cup of wine which he sipped peacefully.

"I'll be ready to give you back your privileges, while letting you gallop with your fellow commoners, on the one and only condition that you betroth yourself to a young noble girl worthy of bearing the next generation of our family. A young noble girl who will have to obtain my approval."

Amos clenched his fists, he dreaded his wedding day even more than the day he died. And yet, he had always known he had to go through this stage, he just wished he had more time.

"Very well."

"Good." Lord Hannibal smiled before indicating the exit, "now get out. If being a scout means so much to you, it would not be right for you to keep your superiors waiting."

The young man got up to head for the exit, before being called out by his grandfather:

"One last thing, if you shame our family by returning from your expeditions mutilated or slaughtered like a dog in front of the mob, you can be sure that the bastard girl you care so much about will end up on the concubine slave market of the undergrounds."

Amos froze in place, before shaking with hate from the tips of his toes to the top of his scalp. He set Lord Hannibal on fire with a gaze possessed by predation, but the latter merely sipped his wine ignoring him.

"Get out of this Manor now, you are no longer welcome here."

(-)(-)(-)

Fortunately, Lord Hannibal was not so cruel as to forbid him to use a cart to transport his belongings and to take horses from the family stable. On the other hand, he would not be entitled to an escort, which did not bother him at all.

Since the only reason he was allowed to join the scouts was to make sure Eren did not rebel, he was forced to stay by his side outside of expeditions. That's why he was on his way to join Squad Levi, in the former headquarters of the Survey Corps inside Wall Rose.

When he finally saw the castle after several hours of travel, he noticed the two scouts who were cleaning the stained glass windows of the building. They waved to him.

He went to drop off his horses in the stable after leaving the cart in a barn, and was beginning to unload when Captain Levi came to meet him.

"Hello Captain." he greeted, thumping his heart.

"At ease, we're cleaning up and there's a lot of surface to cover. You'll settle in when we're done, for now go help Eren clean up the top floor. If there is only one trace of grime left, you will start all over again."

"Very well"

"Go see Petra for the cleaning stuff, she's the woman upstairs. And wipe your feet before you come in, you'll clean up anything you leave lying around."

"Actually," Amos replied, grabbing a canvas bag, "I brought my own gear, I just need a broom."

Levi raised a puzzled eyebrow.

"Let me see this."

Once the bag was opened, the scout captain checked the quality of the nobleman's equipment, unsurprisingly, all the cleaning products were top-notch.

"Don't expect a resupply, though," he said, "my grandfather cut off my access to the Family's fortune for as long as I'm a scout."

The officer didn't answer, and looked him straight in the eye.

"You got any soap?"

Amos smiled and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Sweet almond milk." he said, handing him the beige bread, "to make up for Philippe's puddle.

Levi winced in disgust at the thought of said puddle, before turning on his heels.

"Consider yourself forgiven, get your broom from Petra and go help Eren."

"Very well."

Said Petra was sweeping the floor of one of the bedrooms on the second floor, Amos knocked on the door to signal his presence.

"Hello," she said, lowering her scarf to smile at him, "Petra Ral."

"Amos Hannibal." he replied, shaking her hand, Captain Levi asked me to speak to you to equip me before going to help Eren.

"There's a broom, a dustpan and some rags in the storage room at the end of the corridor on the right. As for household products..."

"I brought mine," he reassured, showing off the canvas bag, "I just needed a broom and something to cover my face."

"I see," the young woman replied, frowning slightly, "Eren told us that you were always one step ahead of everyone else."

"Oh?" the blonde asked a little embarrassed. "And what else did he tell you?"

"That he didn't understand how a guy like you could be noble." she replied with a smile, "or why not all nobles were like you. I feel like he admires you a lot."

This time Amos was really embarrassed, but he was also reassured to know that his status didn't bother the Rogue Titan more than that.

"So it was true." an aggressive voice said.

The young man turned around to discover a man close to his thirties with a haughty look and a look that was meant to be intimidating.

"Oluo." Petra growled, "you're not going to start again..."

Said Oluo ignored her to plant himself in front of Amos and stick his face an inch from his, which Hannibal did not appreciate at all.

"Listen to me, noblish," the scout gritted, "no one here gives a damn about your status or who your grandfather is. If you make the slightest misstep, disobey an order, or try to look down on us, I'll give you a beating you'll remember for the rest of your life, got it?"

"You'd have a lot of success in a circus." Amos replied simply, before thanking Petra and leaving the room.

The latter was seized with a fit of hilarity which she stifled in the palm of her hand, while her teammate remained planted on the spot like an idiot.

With his broom in hand and his face covered, the noble ascended the stairs, and found his comrade cleaning one of the rooms on the top floor.

"Hello there!" he called from the doorway.

Eren jumped upon hearing it and whirled around with the speed of a snake.

"Fuck, Amos," he said, trying to slow his heart rate, "I almost had a heart attack!"

"Sorry," the noble replied, putting down his bag, "Captain Levi asked me to give you a hand."

The Shiganshina native looked slightly surprised.

"I didn't know you had joined the squad."

"I'm haven't." Amos corrected, grabbing a rag, "but remember that technically I joined the Survey Corps to prevent you from fomenting a rebellion. So I'm supposed to keep an eye on you outside of expeditions."

Eren seemed disappointed to hear that, he sighed before turning around to continue sweeping.

"Seriously." he grumbled, "if they had been afraid that I would eat them, I would have understood... But all they fear is losing their little privileges..."

"What do you want?" Amos shrugs. "Some people don't have a sense of priorities. You won't hear me complaining, it's thanks to their paranoia that I was able to join the Survey Corps."

Eren let out a smile.

"Yeah, at least there was that."

The two boys spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the top floor of the castle from top to bottom, only gaining Captain Levi's approval after dark. Thus allowing the noble to finally unload his belongings with the help of the Rogue.

"What's in there?" Eren asked as he walked up the stairs while carrying a heavy crate.

"Stuff." the noble replied mysteriously, "that's all I was able to take before my grandfather kicked me out."

The Shiganshina native shuddered as he remembered Peter Hannibal's sapphire gaze, he swallowed before asking:

"Was he really that mad at you?"

Amos pushed open the door to the room that would be his bedroom before dropping his load on the floor. Next to the other twelve.

"My grandfather is not your problem, Eren, he's mine. Don't worry about him or what he might do, and focus instead on the training you will undergo for the next thirty days."

At these words, the Rebel stiffened slightly before lowering his head. The noble raised an eyebrow.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." he replied too quickly.

Amos rolled his eyes, before placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You know, I may not be Amos Nox anymore, but I'm still the adviser. What's bothering you?"

The native of Shiganshina hesitated for a moment, before letting out a very long sigh.

"I'm a little tense," he finally admitted, "I mean, I should be happy. I'm a scout, I joined the best squad of the Survey Corps, I have the power to exterminate the titans, but…"

"But you're crumbling under the pressure," the tall blonde finished, "and you're afraid you won't live up to the hopes placed in you."

Jaeger swallowed, before lowering his head.

"Eren," Amos continued, "thanks to you, Humanity was able to defeat the titans for the first time in its history. It's more than a feat in people's hearts, it's a damn miracle. Now they're taking you for their savior descended from heaven and are already waiting for the next miracle.

Something even more impressive, like the reconquest of Maria. Who knows? Maybe they even expect you to make it to the Moon one of these days. But does their opinion really matter?"

Eren frowned. He thought about the question, but he was afraid of giving the wrong answer.

"Let me that answer for you: no, it does not matter. You are not a God who will solve each of their problems, you are a soldier with an extraordinary ability, nothing more, nothing less. The opinions that matter are those of Commander Erwin or Captain Levi, neither of whom is stupid enough to believe that you will solve all their problems. You are one more asset, that's undeniable. They are smart enough to measure your limits, so there is no need to try to do too much. For now you need to learn more about your power, learn to control it better in order to serve the Commander's plans. But you have the right to make mistakes, that's how we learn. In the end, you will be asked to do what all soldiers do: give your all and obey orders."

Eren felt some of the pressure he had been feeling until then ease, he heaved a light sigh of relief.

"Oi!"

Both boys automatically snapped to salute when Captain Levi made his presence known.

"If you have finished unloading, come into the dining room. The squad always eats together, and the rookies cook for their first day. If you mess up the kitchen you'll clean it four times in a row, got it?"

"Yes!"

With these words, the teenagers left to carry out their task at a run. But Levi frowned and stared at Amos' back.

(27 hours earlier)

"Hmm?" Levi looked up from his cup of tea. "You think Hannibal Junior is a spy?"

"I didn't say that." Erwin corrected, looking at the horizon through his window, "but his presence is too unusual to ignore. The Nobility have always sought to harm the Survey Corps since its very creation, for one of them own to join our ranks is already mind-boggling, but we are talking about the heir to the most powerful family of Humanity. According to Pixis, this boy is devilishly intelligent, and his modus operandi is too lethal for us to be dealing with an idealist. So why did he join us? And above all, why didn't his grandfather stop him? According to Zackley, Lord Hannibal has dreamed of having a worthy heir for fifty years, and when he finally found him in the person of Amos, why would he be willing to let him go? To take the risk of letting him die? It doesn't make sense."

Levi calmly took a sip of his tea, before raising a questioning eyebrow.

"And what could make sense, then?"

"That I don't know yet," the Commander replied, turning around, "I would like you to keep an eye on him for the next month. His exploits in Trost and his performance during the trial earned him the benefit of the doubt, but we have to exercise the utmost caution. Amos Hannibal has Eren's trust and admiration, it's imperative that our new asset doesn't lose sight of our purpose. At best, I worry for nothing, and his presence and influence will only benefit us. In the worst case… Our new recruits and our new asset will turn against us and destroy us from within. In that case all will be lost."

Levi grimaced at the prospect and put down his teacup.

"You can always throw him in the mouth of a titan and pretend he died in battle."

"We don't kill our own on presumptions," Erwin replied, shaking his head, "and we wouldn't survive Lord Peter's fury. All I ask of you is to keep an eye on him, if he proves his worth and his dedication to us as he did with Pixis then there will be no need to deny him our trust. Until he gives us a reason to consider him otherwise, he is our comrade and should be treated as such.

"As you wish, Erwin." Levi replied simply, finishing his tea. "I trust your judgement."

(Present time)

"If he knows how to handle Eren, that will take a thorn out of our side. I just have to make sure he doesn't bullshit us or try anything."

Amos caught Levi's inquisitive gaze behind him from the reflection of a window.

"No real hatred, a hint of contempt, and a lot of mistrust... Not bad, I expected worse."

(-)(-)(-)

"Checkmate," Amos announced from the dining room table.

Petra cringed as she admitted defeat once again, when Eren told her about his friend's passion for chess, she insisted on playing a few games against the noble boy. But the latter was simply far too good for her, the four games she had lost in a row had been proof to that fact.

"Damn..." she sighed, knocking down her king. "Your strategies are ruthless, I didn't have a chance."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Amos reassured with a smile, "I had to lose 6748 times against my grandfather before I reached such a level.

"I miss Armin." He thought sadly.

Petra widened her eyes at the astounding number the young man had presented to her.

"Why did you play so many games? What was the purpose?"

"A mind is like a sword, if you don't sharpen it regularly it fails you." He recited faithfully. "Not that my grandfather ever held a sword in his life, but you get the idea."

Levi watched the scene with semi-interest, the nobleman was polite, smiling and social. He obeyed orders without flinching or commenting, he cooked well, he knew how to clean and make tea, he was charming with Petra, respectful with Eld and Gunther, blunt with Oluo, and friendly with Eren. A boy who was easy to like, whom it seemed possible to trust.

From the scout captain's perspective, he reeked of falsehood. He was far too nice and likable to not hide anything. The chess games had turned out to be much more instructive in his opinion, the tall blonde had been ruthless with Petra. Not hesitating to make her pay for the slightest mistake in full. The same could be said for his reactions to Bozado's antics, Amos humiliated the latter with humor whenever he tried to be intimidating or tried to put himself on a pedestal. Despite his young age, the heir to House Hannibal was not someone to be taken lightly.

"We'll probably have to stay on standby for a few days while the others arrive." Eld informed, sitting around the table, "but I heard a large-scale expedition would take place in about thirty days, and that new recruits would attend."

Amos raised an interested eyebrow, recorded the information, and continued to listen.

"Is it true Eld?" asked Gunther surprised. "Isn't that a bit rushed? The new ones have just endured the last onslaught of the titans."

"Those brats must have soiled their pants," Oluo said with a smirk.

Amos glared at him with his predatory gaze, startling the scout and catching Levi's attention.

"Is that true Captain?" Petra asked without noticing the noble's predation.

The small man took a sip of his tea while registering the spark in the eyes of the tall blonde, before answering:

"Planning isn't my business. This is Erwin's role, he is a fine strategist, no one comes close to him."

"Wanna bet?" Amos smiled as he sipped his drink. "The Commander must have guessed why the Armored Titan didn't appear, in which case it means he intends to use Eren as bait to capture one of the enemy soldiers. It is imperative that Eren makes great progress by the time of the expedition."

"The current situation is definitely special." Eld said thoughtfully. "While the sacrifices made to reclaim Wall Maria seemed futile, new hope sprang up out of nowhere."

All eyes then turned to Eren, who fidgeted in his chair.

"Don't pressure him like that." the noble grumbled inwardly while giving his comrade a reassuring smile. "He's gotta figure out what's happening to him before trying to be anything."

"I still can't believe it." Eld said, "but what's it like to be a titan, Eren?"

"I don't remember those moments very well, answered the thoughtful young man, but I know that I am beside myself. To transform myself I have to mutilate, so I bite myself..."

He stopped, and widened his eyes.

"But by the way, how do I know that?" he realized.

As the eyes on the shifter grew more insistent as he seemed to be deep in thought, Amos decided to take over.

"The first time he transformed I was able to witness his exploits firsthand," he said making sure to get all the attention before turning back to Eren. "You may not remember it and you weren't actually aware, but you were totally focused on exterminating the titans without noticing the humans around you. Your aptitude for martial arts was your best weapon, you guarded yourself as Annie had taught you and you always aimed for the head before finishing your victims by stomping on their necks."

He took a sip of tea under the puzzled gaze of the Levi squad, before continuing:

"On the other hand, you were clumsy, your balance was far from perfect. I imagine it's because you learned to fight with a human body, and you weren't used to handling a body fifteen meters tall. And above all, your blows were much too powerful and aggressive, you shattered your hands every time you knocked one out. Your regenerative abilities were faster than normal titans, but I guess that's one of the reasons you fell from exhaustion. You must have abused it and you put too much energy into each shot. First you will have to master your transformation perfectly, a loss of control would be detrimental during an expedition. After that you will have to relearn how to do basic things like running and fighting. You will also have to train harder than ever in combat given the advantage it represents compared to the other titans..."

"You're not in charge of his training." Levi said, looking at him sharply.

Amos raised his hands in defense.

"My apologies captain, I was only guessing and suggesting."

Humanity's strongest soldier frowned under Eren's surprised gaze.

"Looks like Captain Levi doesn't like Amos very much, is that because he's noble?"

"For now we're sticking to the report." the officer continued, "and taking issues one by one without asking questions or making assumptions."

He took one last look at the nobleman who held it, before taking a sip of his tea.

"But I would be surprised if she kept quiet, she could even kill Eren by manipulating him."

The concerned widened his eyes in terror, while his friend frowned.

It was then that an unidentified projectile hit the barred door of the dining room, Petra got up to open it and reveal the identity of the victim.

"Good evening," Hange growled, scratching his head, "Levi squad, Amos."

"Good evening, Squad Leader Hange." the noble replied.

"You were quick." Levi remarked without looking back.

"I couldn't stay still." she explained excitedly, before approaching the shifter. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Eren. I'm in charge of the experiments on the titans we captured, and I wanted you to help me tomorrow if that's okay."

"Experiences?" The confused young man asked. "What do you want me to do?"

At these words, the scientist began to blush and drool.

"You're going to do some really exciting things." she gasped, literally shaking with excitement.

"Damn, that woman is crazy." Amos thought, disturbed. "She looks like she's about to have an orgy with Eren and some titans."

The latter was not reassured, so he tried to find a justification to escape this:

"I can't give you my consent, I cannot decide what I can do or not by myself."

"Levi." Hange called, turning to the captain, "what do you have planned for Eren tomorrow?"

"Cleaning the garden."

Amos gave him a dismayed look, was he the only one who thought the shifter should start his training as soon as possible? They only had thirty days before the expedition. Levi gave him a look that meant he didn't care what he thought.

"Perfect," the delighted scientist exclaimed, "so it's decided! I'm counting on you tomorrow, Eren."

"Uh… okay," he finally concedes with embarrassment, "but what are these titan experiments all about?"

"Don't ask her." Oluo warned between his teeth.

Hange let out a kind of guttural breath that made the two cadets present shudder.

"Ah, I knew it, I read on your face that you wanted to know."

Instantly, Levi and his squad got up and left the room without a backward glance. Amos gave Eren an apologetic look before following them, leaving the poor shapeshifter alone with the scientist.

"Is she like that all the time?" he asked once they were in the hallway.

"Yes." Gunther replied with a shudder, "she can't help but scream her love for the titans at every opportunity that arises."

"Well…I guess at least she takes her job seriously," the nobleman sighed.

They brought their cups into the kitchen to put them in the sink.

"Hannibal, you're doing the dishes, I want them to shine for breakfast. The others you can go to bed," Levi informed them soberly.

The members of his squad bade the nobleman goodnight, who returned by rolling up his sleeves. Once his subordinates left, the captain closed the door and leaned against it.

"I was wondering when you were going to stop glaring at my back to tell me what was on your mind." the nobleman said, looking over his shoulder to display a disturbing smile.

Levi raised an eyebrow, before approaching the tall blonde to plant himself beside him.

"Tell me one thing, noblish. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Washing the dishes."

"Keep your bullshit." The scout hissed. "And answer me."

The rudeness of humanity's strongest soldier quickly got on the young man's nerves, he made his displeasure known with an annoyed grimace, before putting down the cup and turning to face his superior.

"May I ask what would be the use of knowing my motivations? Or why do you show such animosity towards me?"

Levi was not at all impressed by the look or the stature of the nobleman, even though he was almost a foot taller than him, he would kick his ass a hundred times if necessary.

"Listen to me, kid. If you're going to attack the Survey Corps I'll rip your balls off and shove them down your throat. So I hope for you you're not here to stab us in the back."

"If I wanted to attack the Survey Corps I wouldn't have stabbed you, I would have poisoned you." the young man replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. "I had the perfect opportunity to do this when you asked me to cook."

An inferno of anger instantly flared in the officer's eyes, Amos didn't care.

"Honestly Captain, if I wanted to destroy the scouts, I could just snap my fingers and the problem would have been solved in the morning. I know all the weaknesses of your best soldiers. In no way would I have needed to enlist or join your ranks. So I hope that at least you will be convinced that I am not here to harm you, otherwise I would have done it already."

Levi didn't know if this was really a valid argument, he calmed his emotions and stared the young man in the eye.

"And why should I believe you?"

"Because I eliminated those weaknesses I speak of, Captain. Weaknesses that certain noble families kept on hand in case the Survey Corps proved to be a little too troublesome or wanted to rebel.

The officer raised an eyebrow, and crossed his arms:

"Explain yourself."

"Alright, let's start with Gunther and his gambling debts."

Amos waved away the faint look of surprise in Levi's eyes.

"A youthful mistake that he unfortunately dragged on for a very long time, Lord Jevil being the owner of the casino in which he ruined himself, he was therefore his official creditor. But he never claimed his due and kept this threat under his elbow while waiting for the opportune moment. Luckily for Gunther, I repaid his debt yesterday."

"I thought your grandfather took away your privileges."

"He did that this morning, I still had them yesterday."

Levi took in the information, and took a closer look at the young man in front of him. That a noble could have had a means of pressure on a member of his squad pissed him off, because he did not have the means to solve this kind of problem. That's why he hated politics, it wasn't a battle you could win by sheer strength.

"And what else did you do?"

"Oh, a lot of stuff." Amos shrugged and leaned back against the sink with his arms crossed, "medicine deliveries and doctor visits, scholarships for the children's education, food donations, raises and promotions for many jobs, and I had to order a murder."

Levi frowned.

"What the fuck? A murder?!"

"I'm not sure you want to know the details," the young man said with a slightly sickened expression.

"It's me who decides what I want to know or not." the disgruntled captain replied, "spit it out."

"Do you really want to know Nanaba Starick's darkest secret?" the nobleman asked, raising his eyebrows. "I'm warning you, I doubt she wants you to know."

"Spit it out," Levi repeated impatiently.

Amos sighed.

"Nanaba Starick was repeatedly raped and beaten by her father as a child," he eventually reveals. "The guy ended up in jail, but he had powerful political support. He was going to be released for good behavior next month, what better way to blackmail Nanaba than using the source of her trauma?"

Levi winced in disgust upon hearing that, it was indeed not something he had wanted to know, but he had to know everything Amos had done to report it to Erwin.

"And I imagine that's the one you murdered."

"Murdered you say?" the young man exclaimed, taking on a falsely innocent expression. "The poor man was found hanged in his cell just this morning. The weight of his guilt was probably too much to bear."

Levi snorted, he didn't know what to make of this situation. He'd never been aware of all the leverage the government had on their soldiers, but he wasn't foolish not to think that everything Amos had listed could actually have been used against them.

"I'm going to check everything you claim to have done before I give you those few good points." he said finally. "But you still haven't answered my question, why are you here?"

The nobleman closed his eyes for a few moments, before staring at the captain with his piercing emerald eyes.

"I joined the Survey Corps for four reasons," he said, raising as many fingers, "first, I want to win Maria back to go to Holst, find my mother's body and give her a decent funeral. Second, I am fully aware that we are at war, Captain. And I certainly have no intention of standing back and entrusting my fate to strangers, if I want something done properly I do it myself. As for the other two reasons… they are none of your business."

Levi raised an eyebrow again, but didn't insist this time.

"In the future, if you have political problems, let me manage them, concludes the noble before going back to washing the dishes, I may no longer have my privileges but I remain very influential."

The captain grunted rudely as usual, Amos rolled his eyes inwardly.

"At first you said that if you wanted to harm the Survey Corps, you only had to poison me. If you're capable of being such a bastard, why are you acting polite and warm? We don't need a lying noble masks here."

"It hasn't been a mask in a long time." the young man smiled as he finished wiping his last cup. "I attach great importance to politeness, it is much more pleasant to exchange conversations with respect and courtesy. I learned recently that I could be a good person in everyday life and a heartless asshole on the battlefield. And the battlefield isn't always in titan territory. So tell me captain, are we on good terms?"

Levi snorted again, but with less contempt this time.

"You know how to make yourself useful, you know how to protect your comrades, you know how to fight from what I heard and you know how to clean the house properly. If you obey orders and act like a soldier, you'll get the benefit of the doubt. But you know what awaits you if you ever put it upside down, noblish. And if your presence causes us more trouble than benefit I will break both your legs to stop you."

"I guess I'm going to have to keep making myself useful, then." the young man smiled before stretching, "was there anything else, captain?"

"No, be up at half past five for the morning cleaning."

"Very well captain."

Levi watched the young man leave, before checking the cleanliness of the cups.

"Erwin was right, he's not an idealist. He has his own agenda, his own methods, he is difficult to pin down, but at least he is not a burden."

(-)(-)(-)

The next day, the titans captured in the Battle of Trost were assassinated. Forcing the Levi squad to go there to examine the scene of the crime. Hange collapsed in grief at the discovery of the corpses of her "babies" and began to scream her pain without the slightest restraint or modesty. Amos wondered if he should pity her or those who were forced to watch this sad spectacle.

"But why…?" Eren mumbled as he gazed at the smoking skeletons.

"Because someone obviously doesn't want us to learn more about the titans." the noble explained, gritting his teeth, "it was too well executed to be an act motivated solely by hatred."

The shifter turned to his friend.

"Do you think it's the government?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head,"they would have been content to stop the Survey Corps from keeping those titans alive. I'll avoid making assumptions while we're surrounded, but... Why the hell is your hood up?"

The native of Shinganshina raised his eyebrows in surprise at the tall blonde's exasperated tone.

"Because…" he began not very sure, "I have to hide my identity?"

"Everyone can see you," Amos sighed, lowering the garment, "you stand out like a sore thumb with that thing on your head."

Eren grimaced in embarrassment, before Levi spoke up:

"Let's go," he ordered, "the Military Police will take care of the rest."

"Very well."

But as the teenagers were about to follow their superior, Erwin intervened, taking them by the shoulders.

"Tell me, what do you see? Who is our real enemy?"

Amos didn't answer immediately, he turned his head to the Survey Corps leader and exchanged a knowing look with him.

"Who are our real enemies." he corrected under Eren's confused and worried gaze. "Can I speak to you in private, Commander?"

The latter nodded and motioned for him to follow while the shapeshifter was forced to accompany Levi.

Once alone in the privacy of an office, the supreme officer of the scouts settled down before joining his hands.

"First of all, I wanted to thank you for the various interventions you carried out to preserve the Survey Corps from a possible breach. Nanaba in particular was genuinely relieved."

"It was nothing," the young man replied, "it was necessary to do all of this to prevent certain lords from sticking spokes in our wheels. Most still hope that I marry their daughter and are ready to do anything to achieve it. I will never allow myself to be a drag on the regiment, let alone now that we have a war to win."

Erwin raised an eyebrow, and looked at the noble with an inquisitive look.

"What makes you think we're at war?"

"The Colossal and Armored are too unique not to be shapeshifters like Eren, the way they attacked Trost only reinforces that theory. They waited for the scouts to leave and for the cadets to do the Garrison's work. They destroyed the cannons and let the titans take care of the rest. Then Eren transformed, and the armored did not show up. Which means they've given up on destroying Wall Rose, and now they have a new goal. Since the loss of Maria didn't benefit anyone within the walls, it wouldn't be foolish to think there's another civilization out there that obviously has an interest in attacking us.

Erwin's eyes shone with a satisfied glow, he nodded slowly.

"These are just theories, theories best avoided to prevent uncontrollable repercussions. But it is a possibility that cannot be ruled out today.

"I imagine that's the objective of the 57th expedition." Amos continued, crossing his arms, "to flush out the traitors and take them prisoner using Eren as bait. This is the reason why you already want to integrate young recruits there, because the probability that some of them could be the ones we are looking for does exist."

This time, the Commander was genuinely impressed, and let out a genuine smile.

"Pixis was right, you have the intelligence of the devil. Maybe I should invite you to strategy meetings."

"Not that I'm not flattered, but if you do that your men will think it's only because of my status and that you care too much about it. I'd rather wait until I've earned this privilege on the battlefield and demonstrated to our comrades that I'm not just a spoiled noble brat."

"Understandable." Erwin replied, nodding.

"However, I have a request, I would like to be able to take care of Eren's training in martial arts and help him master his powers."

This intrigued the Commander greatly, for now, his doubts regarding the loyalty of the heir to House Hannibal had subsided. But he didn't trust him completely, as a matter of principle, he didn't trust anyone completely.

"Why? And why should I accept your request?"

Amos allowed himself a smile, and looked his superior straight in the eye.

"I've known Eren for three years, I know how he works. I know what to do to build his confidence, I have already trained him and observed his training with one of our comrades, so I know his strengths and weaknesses. He trusts me so I don't need to intimidate him and he won't argue with my advice. I saw him fight in Trost so I know what there is to improve on his fighting style in his titan form and I have an idea of his current limits. I know his biggest psychological weaknesses and I have ideas as to how to correct them or at least mitigate them. And above all, we must consider the possibility that he could find himself alone against the enemy during the expedition. In this case it would be better if he knew how to defend himself properly against a fully accomplished shapeshifter, at least until reinforcements arrived."

Erwin leaned back against the back of his chair, and watched the young noble very carefully. The fact that he was a real prodigy was undeniable, his analytical skills and his impressive intelligence made him a powerful ally. His arguments were all valid, and his solutions all viable. The invitation to the strategy meetings had been a way for the veteran to check if the noble boy was not some kind of spy for the government, or worse, an enemy spy who had infiltrated the government. But his refusal as well as his theories concerning their potential enemies had been enough to dispel the vast majority of his doubts. His behavior during the Battle of Trost weighed heavily in his favor, as did Pixis' somewhat surprising support for him.

"If I grant this request, I want you to follow Levi's orders, he is the one who has custody of Eren. If he does not agree with your methods, you obey him, if he considers that your training is a waste of time he will withdraw this privilege. If you cross the line, he will do what is necessary to make sure you never do it again. And he will decide Eren's schedule, you will only express your opinion if he wants to hear it. However, I will slip a word in your favor as long as you remember that you are a rookie, is that clear?"

"Perfectly clear, Commander," he replied, saluting. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, among the cadets of the 104th regiment, do you think there are some who we will join us for sure?"

Amos straightened all the fingers of his left hand.

"Eren's childhood friends, Mikasa Ackerman, his adopted sister, who finished second to me, Armin Arlet, a little genius whose intelligence deserves his opinion to be taken into account if he expresses it. Then Christa Lenz, sixth of the top 10 and… my little sister…"

"There's no need to hide that information." he mused slightly annoyed as he saw the Commander's eyebrow rise, "Erwin is smart enough to watch my movements and analyze my relationships with others."

"Ymir, a competent loudmouth with a big heart and Christa's girlfriend. And Reiner Braun, third of the top 10, a real soldier if I ever saw one. These are the five who will join for sure."

The veteran smiled with satisfaction, five members of the top 10 will join his ranks, including the first three in the standings. Quality always made up for quantity in his opinion.

"I see, and what about the others?"

"The only member of the Top 10 who will not join our ranks for sure will be Annie Leonhart. For the others I cannot guarantee anything, but I'm hopeful for some."

"One last thing," Erwin continued, he was not smiling anymore, "Captain Kitz Weilman was found with his throat slit in his office last night. I take it you know nothing about this incident?"

"Of course I do, I ordered his death."

The Survey Corps Commander gave him a dismayed look, Amos just shrugged.

"You already knew it was me, no need to deny that. Kitz Weilman deserted his post during the battle of Trost, based all his decisions on fear including that of sending the cadets to the slaughter, and was made captain of the Garrison following the political support of Lord Syral. But don't worry, I asked permission from Pixis. He was rather happy that he got the opportunity to get rid of this parasite."

This time Erwin did not really know what to think, Amos Hannibal was a real asset to him with his intelligence, his fighting skills and his political influence. But he was also a free spirit who made his own decisions, in other words, he could not be controlled, and as such he was much more dangerous than Eren.

"That will be all rookie," he said after a moment of thinking, "you can join the Levi squad."

The noble saluted before leaving the office, leaving the Commander alone with his concerns.

"It's unlikely that he'd obey each of my orders to the letter. It would be better if I kept an eye on him during the expedition, otherwise he might act behind my back. I wonder what he has in mind, what is he trying to accomplish? It is obvious that he is on our side, somehow, obvious that he seeks our victory. But what would a victory be for him?"

(-)(-)(-)

"So Amos is Peter Hannibal's grandson?"

It was Jean who had asked this question, the cadets of the 104th were all gathered around a table in the refectory of a barracks. Armin and Mikasa had joined them shortly after their return from the capital.

"Yes." the little blonde confirmed, taking a spoon of his bad soup.

After spending several days eating the best meals of his life at the Manor, the taste of his military food seemed even more horrible than he remembered.

"Are you saying he's a member of the royal family?" Reiner asked with interest.

"The King called him 'his cousin,' so I guess you could say that. Even though technically they are related because the King's mother is Amos' aunt."

Annie and Bertholdt exchanged a knowing look that no one noticed except Ymir.

"I really have a hard time picturing Amos as a nobleman," Sasha admitted, nonchalantly stirring her soup. "Nobles despise all those who are not of their status, but him… I can't see him despising us."

"He encouraged me to speak in my real accent...he said he liked my accent..."

"He just made fun of us." Annie grumbled, biting her piece of bread, "he must have had a blast, who knows what he really had in mind?"

At those words, Christa slammed her fist on the table to everyone's surprise and glared at the other blonde girl.

"Say that again, you selfish bitch, and I'll break your fucking conk!"

The jaws of everyone present dropped to the ground, everyone was shocked to see the little angel from the 104th showing such animosity, or using such crude language.

It took Annie a few seconds to recover from her surprise, before frowning angrily and getting up from her chair.

"Do you want to go and settle this outside, princess?"

"She won't be going alone, Leonhart," Ymir warned, getting up too.

"That's enough!" Reiner ordered, imitating them. We are comrades, we do not fight among ourselves. We're all just a little confused and mentally exhausted after the battle, there is no point assuming Amos' intentions until we talk to him!"

Once again, Christa slammed her fist on the table.

"There's nothing to assume!" She snapped. "Amos could have escaped, but he came back to save everyone! He could have stayed behind during the Battle of Trost but he threw himself into the heart of the fray to make sure we won! He could have stayed in Sina, safe in his mansion, but he joined the Survey Corps! When did he deserve to be spit in his face just because he's noble?!"

To this no one had anything to answer, Christa gasped to recover from her tantrum before sitting down again crossing her arms, Ymir put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Sasha lowered her head, a little ashamed that she had doubted the tall blonde. Annie let out a disgruntled grunt before sitting down to finish her meal, Jean meanwhile, observed the smaller blonde with a puzzled look.

"Did you know?" he asked although he knew the answer.

Christa snorted in annoyance.

"Of course I knew," she said, shoving her piece of bread between her jaws, "I always knew."

All eyes were now on her, she noticed but didn't say another word.

"Christa," Reiner hesitated, "are you…?"

"Enough with the questions." Ymir snapped angrily. "You don't need to know the story of Amos or Christa. And besides, neither one nor the other concerns you. If Armin's explanations are not enough for you, you will have to ask him yourself. And well, actions speak louder than words, frankly after all he's done you could trust him a little more."

Christa gave her girlfriend a grateful smile, those who had doubts lowered their heads, a little ashamed. Annie, on the other hand, maintained a neutral expression.

"Why is she so angry with Amos?" Ymir thought. "What did he do to deserve this?"

"I don't understand." Connie confessed, "why did he join the Survey Corps?" He had a princely life in Sina, why would he give it all up to risk getting eaten out?"

Christa groaned in exasperation, making the bald guy realize he had asked a stupid question.

"You know, just because he's noble doesn't mean he's not the one you know anymore. Do you really see him stuffing himself like a pig and spitting in the face of the first guy whose head he. doesn't like? Do you sincerely believe that if there is a battle, he will hide behind Sina?"

Annie gritted her teeth, and glared at the smaller blonde, Jean swallowed the feeling of shame that ravaged him.

"Why are you talking about that?" Mikasa asked speaking for the first time. "Why does it bother you so much that he's noble?"

No one had a valid answer.

"She's right," Reiner added, "Amos is our comrade, he fought alongside us and risked his life for us. His origins don't matter."

A general nod echoed his words, the only one who didn't join in the movement was Annie.

She had only one thing on her mind, and that was the pain the noble had brought her.

"If you're doomed to go through the bad times, you owe it to yourself to enjoy the good times."

"You are a hero!"

"Annie!" Why?! I'm begging you, stop!"

She clenched her fists, before getting up from the table without saying a word, she'd rather blow out some steam on a training dummy than stand there listening to the others debate. It was already unbearable enough to hear Marco's screams while imagining Amos' carefree smile.

Armin watched her leave with a hint of regret, before turning back to Christa who had kept her head down. He examined her as carefully and discreetly as he could.

"She has the same eyes as Lord Peter." he realized suddenly, "that's why they're so close."