To the Future We Seek and the Present I Concede (2)

Mina's POV

"Are you sure that's everything you need?" The Garrison soldier I met a few days ago - Fanya Blake - asked me for the ninth time as I closed the bag where all my clothes and hidden equipment were placed. Not that I needed to hide it, but, just to be sure. "I won't ask since you'll clearly behead me if I do, but can you at least bring a sheath for your knife? You might accidentally get hurt without it."

Behead… huh. Somehow, hearing that term coming out of this soldier brought a smile to my face, not noticing how pale hers became in comparison.

"I know that the commander assigned you to help me with my luggage," I said, all the while lifting the bag in one arm while using the other to open the door of my room. "But you don't need to worry about stuff like that, Blake."

"But how can I not?!" She quickly reacts, jogging nearby just to follow my pace in walking. "First, the commander of the scout regiment asks for me - FOR ME - to assist a certain soldier of his. Do you know how terrified I was after being called out like that?" Turning in the nearby corner, I couldn't help but giggle at imagining how this lady had fared in the face of a man like Erwin Smith. "And second, wait, did you just laugh? Are you laughing at my misery?!"

"I apologize, Blake." I merrily said, eyes blurring from laughter. "But I am."

"Hey!"

"What about your second point?" At that moment, in my peripheral view, the carriage that I was to board could be seen nearby, along with my other luggage. I couldn't waste another moment before I eventually jogged my way through it, leaving poor Fanya to run behind me just to keep up.

"You're still sick, Miss!" She breathlessly confessed, figure hunching forward just when I finished loading everything I'd need for the journey. Looking back, I then took a moment to observe the garrison soldier, wondering why a stranger would even worry about something like that. 

And not even a second had passed when I received an answer. "You became quite known overnight, Miss Carolina. And, to assist someone like you, and seeing all of those… dangerous materials laid out on your bed… Is," Gulping, she then mustered every courage that she had just to see me eye-to-eye. "Is everything okay? Are you… Are you not safe or something?"

"..."

Well.

Now, that's a question I never thought I'd hear for the day.

"Quite observant of her." Ymir Fritz suddenly mumbled nearby, making me wonder if she was floating above me.

But… 

Observant… Eyes never once leaving the worried garrison soldier, one who was currently making sure that my luggage wouldn't fall off, I unconsciously thinned my lips while formulating a decision.

"Blake."

She fumbles for a bit before responding. "Yes! Ma'am- I mean miss-"

"Why did you become a soldier?"

"Huh? Oh, uh…" Eyes blinking rapidly from the sudden and random question that was thrown at her, Fanya Blake took a while before eventually answering my question. "It's to… protect the people from Titans-"

"But we've already breached," I intercepted, leaning forward in hopes of further intimidating the poor girl. And from a foot away, I could definitely hear Ymir Fritz snicker, realizing what I was about to do. "And now, all you can do is wait for orders, not knowing when and where we'll be breached again."

"M-miss Carolina?" She whispers as a bead of sweat trickles down her face. Got her. "W-what are you trying to s-"

"Oh, nothing much," With a wave of a hand, I then gave her a practiced smile, one that I've perfected back in the second world whenever I try to… woo a person. In a much less romantic way, of course. "Just… be careful. Know your priorities, and if you ever need help, I'm always willing to offer support."

"Oh! Miss…"

"But!" I then patted her shoulder, eyes connecting deeply with hers. "I can also rely on you for help, right?"

"Of course!" Immediately nodding her head, Fanya Blake tearfully saluted while genuinely offering a smile. "You can always count on me, Miss Carolina!"

"Mina's fine, you know."

"Mina, the manipulator." Ymir Fritz gleefully murmured in an attempt to make me lose my composure. "Always thinking of the next step even if it won't come to it, huh?"

Better to be prepared than never. 

"I'll see you around then," And with that, ignoring the fact that Ymir had just tried to sabotage me by making that unnecessary comment, I proceeded to board the carriage, leaving the young Garrison behind, who saluted as I departed.

And knowing full well that I won't be able to see the others anytime soon… I gotta admit, even someone like me can sometimes feel a tad bit of sentiment.

The reason why I had to leave in secrecy, with only a number of people knowing that I would, lies in the reason that I must meet with Annie and Ymir and take them along with me. Granted, I did tell Levi that I'll be journeying to Wall Sina,

But a bit of a detour won't exactly warrant a kick from him, right?

Also, I did promise the commander that I would try my best to ensure that my communication with him wouldn't be cut off. Especially after seeing his smile earlier when I had to tell him my plan of leaving the Scout Regiment for a short while to seek the truth - not outside - but inside the walls.

"I expect a full report once you're done." Commander Erwin said just when I was leaving his office. 

"I will." I hastily replied, all the while performing a salute. "And if you ever need me, commander, I am willing to drop everything to answer your call."

So, don't die, Erwin Smith. I recall myself thinking, blinking ever so slowly upon remembering how near his pre-destined death would be. You need to live not only for your own but for your fallen soldiers as well.

To mourn for them.

To fight for what they died for.

And most importantly… to remember them until the end of our days.

At this point in Eren's life, based on what I've seen in the second world, the fight will be held inside the walls, whereupon a lifelong secret will be revealed by the very people who managed to rule this land on the sidelines. It's a fight to gain power by taking Eren, yet again, while ensuring the secrecy of the Reiss family.

Or, more specifically, the descendants of the first king, Karl Fritz.

This leads us to the point that the current Royal Government is a hoax, leading to the scenario where the Scout Regiment will aid in the succession of the true heir to the throne: Historia Reiss.

Back when I was first learning of what would happen at this point in time, there were a lot of factors to consider, knowing full well that 'Mina Carolina' was supposed to be dead long before this ordeal would occur. Ymir Fritz ensured that 'my' existence won't change the progression of that world's future, which may or may not have actually affected my mental health.

"..."

Yeah, it worsened it, there's no point in thinking that it hadn't.

But! The point is… a lot of deaths will come, and a lot more pain will be thrown at the people I care about. I had thought of staying, like what I did in the past, but if I do, I won't be able to accomplish the fourth goal I've given myself while staying in Paradis.

To take the Royal Government down, providing support to the scout regiment as an insider. 

While doing so, I might as well look for the item that a Marleyan and a Paradis citizen has touched, right? So! As some would like to say, it'll be killing two birds in one stone.

It's cold of me to turn a blind eye to the possible deaths that may and will happen and monstrous of me to even choose the option of allowing such a thing to occur. But up to this day, I have always decided to take the path where I can successfully protect the younger version of my parents.

I once asked myself if I could throw my humanity away.

And now, maybe I already had.

"Quite a devious expression you have there, little Yeager." 

"Hmm," Ironically, I could only smile. "It's been a while since you chose to call me by that. Tired of using the word 'young'?"

"You being sentimental is a disease." The tone of her voice is light, shifting from above and towards my left, where a space in the carriage is located. "Nonetheless, I can't blame you for doing it. It's a new chapter of your father's life, after all."

Humming in agreement, I could only look outside the window, watching people walk on the sidewalk while wearing different forms of expression. While some may appear to be free of responsibilities and pain, others would look down and express how they truly want to curse this world we live in. A diversity we've all come to know as empathy runs rampant through our gaze.

"We're finally at the halfway point, Ymir."

"So you say."

Narrowing my gaze as I tilted my head to look at the sky, I then whispered. "There's no going back once I do this."

"Oh… my dearest Yeager," A slight touch on my left side was made, making me think that it was the ancient one's act of leaning her head to rest on my shoulder. "One may think that our path can still diverge, but we both know that it won't. Because ever since I pulled you out of that hole, there was simply no option for us to turn and run."

"The devil needs to be exterminated, no matter what price we must pay."

Like yours… I thought while ever so slightly tilting my head to somehow rest on hers. 

Or my own life.

*****