When I woke up, Isabel was clinging to me for some reason.
Her light breathing tickled my neck.
"Looks like she fell asleep."
But where am I? The last thing I remember was fighting that abnormal Titan and using my last remaining SP to defeat it.
I looked around.
I was being hauled on the supply wagon. Other soldiers in bandages were all around me, some unconscious, while others were groaning in pain.
All of them had real injuries, unlike me.
"—Yawn… L-Lucian?! You're awake?!"
Isabel suddenly hugged me.
"H-huh? W-what's wrong? Did I do something?"
"I'm sorry! If it hadn't been for me…"
I scratched my head.
Is she still hung up on that?
"Didn't everything work out in the end?"
"Not really… the plan failed after all."
Her muffled voice leaked out.
I breathed out a sigh of relief. Levi didn't kill Erwin after all.
"What exactly happened after I went unconscious?"
"Turns out those documents were fake the entire time, and Erwin knew our plan. He used it to lure us into the Survey Corps! So we have no choice but to stay here."
"I see. So that's how it worked out. Anyway… how long are you going to hug me for?"
"Ah! Sorry!"
I noticed that the scenery around me looked familiar.
In the distance, I could see the walls come into view.
The expedition must have ended early due to the weather and casualties.
"How long was I out for?"
"It's been a day already. I thought you were gonna die."
"Seriously?!"
When I recalled going unconscious earlier, I felt a little angry.
What if Levi really killed Erwin? I would've been powerless to do anything about it.
All this time, I had managed my stamina and SP carefully, but at the most crucial moment, I mismanaged it.
"What's wrong?"
My face must've reflected my emotions, as Isabel caught on.
"Nothing."
"Hey, the Survey Corps really isn't that bad. After all, we get to live on the surface, and if I stay with you, then Titans won't be a big deal at all!"
The wagon continued to tumble along, and eventually, a loud voice could be heard.
"Survey Corps 23rd Expedition Unit has arrived! Open the gates!"
The gates began to open with a rumble, and we entered the Shiganshina district.
'It really is like a scene from the anime.'
"Why are they staring at us like that? It's like the same stares we got in the Underground."
"Their tax money funds us, so when they see us coming back with injured soldiers and nothing much to show for it, naturally, there would be some anger directed towards us, I suppose…"
"I see…"
The murmuring around us continued.
"So much for a new strategy."
"Aren't they just dying for no reason?"
"What's the point when we have walls to protect us?"
After enduring the judgmental crowd of Shiganshina, we went through the same abuse at Trost before finally returning to the headquarters, located within the wilderness behind Wall Rose.
"You're already healed up?! Are you some kind of superhuman?"
When they tried to treat my 'injuries', they were dumbfounded to find nothing.
In the end, I was sent back to the barracks rather quickly.
Since we had returned from an expedition, which only happens around three to four times a year, we would get some time off.
***
After making it back to the Survey Corps headquarters, Keith Shadis and Erwin boarded a carriage towards Wall Sina and the Military HQ to report the results to General Darius Zackly.
The mood wasn't particularly good, as the strategy they had bet everything on had ended prematurely.
But even despite that, they still managed to go further than they ever had.
"It seems Lobov is done for. General Zackly should've dealt with him by now."
"So that's how you stopped his lobbying against us. But didn't you mention earlier that the new recruits were working for him? Is it really trustworthy to keep the underground thugs?"
"It could've been worse had I not recruited them. After all, if Lucian hadn't decapitated that abnormal, the casualties would've increased."
"That soldier really surprised me. In all my years as a soldier, I've never heard of anyone decapitating a Titan."
"In hindsight, without you taking the risk to recruit them, the public reception we received after this expedition surely would've been worse. Erwin… Maybe I'm not really suited for this role."
"…Commander, the weather was out of our control. If you give up now, all the lives sacrificed will be in vain."
"Throughout my career as the commander of the Survey Corps, I've never produced a meaningful result… I've been thinking, maybe my time is over and I should nurture the next generation. If I fail again, I'll step down as commander and hand you the reins. You are much better suited after all."
"Let's focus on the task ahead for now. We've only just won our battle against Lobov, and we have gained new prospects within the Survey Corps ranks. They can grow into the wings of freedom we desperately need."
"…You're right. What am I thinking?"
They arrived at General Zackly's office, received the news of Lobov's incarceration for embezzling funds from the Military Police, and then handed over the documents on the results of the 23rd expedition.
***
"Seriously, when did he get so strong?! I've never seen him use such strength before. He decapitated that Titan in one strike. It was insane! And when he put his body in place of mine to save me…"
Isabel covered her flushed face and rolled on her bed after retelling the events for the fifth time to her bunkmate.
"Isabel, didn't you already tell me this five times?"
"Huh… I did?!"
"—Sigh. You're totally love-struck, aren't you?"
"Eh?! What are you talking about? He just saved me, that's all…"
"Oh my… don't be shy~ Just be honest with yourself."
"I am!"
Then a mischievous thought entered Ilse's mind.
"Hey, if that's really true, then does that mean you don't mind if I go for him? Such a handsome and strong guy. A lot of girls will be after him, especially after what happened during the expedition."
"No! He's mine! Ah… I-I m-mean he can't get distracted. The Survey Corps is a serious place where we dedicate our hearts for humanity."
In the end, she couldn't get Isabel to admit her feelings but gained a newfound respect for her stubbornness.
***
It's been a few months since the expedition, and we're currently in training, preparing for the next one.
Slice.
I executed a spin and managed to chop the nape of a training dummy.
Over the last few months, using [Enhanced Evasion], I studied Levi's attacks and eventually managed to replicate them.
"…Is that my move? Just when did you copy it?"
Levi paused in the air, seeing me imitate his technique.
But he shook off the surprise and continued through the training course.
In the end, I lost to him again.
I can't use skills on inanimate objects after all.
Once the training ended, I landed back at the entrance, and a lively redheaded girl ran up to me.
"Here's some water, Lucian!"
"Let me take my gear off first."
"Don't worry, I'll do that for you!"
She unbuckled my ODM gear and then forced me to drink some water.
She's been like this ever since the expedition for some reason.
Before, she used to act rebellious and brash, but now she's obedient and kind towards me.
I don't mind getting taken care of, but people are staring…
"Hmph! Look at them acting like that during training."
"I'm not jealous at all."
"They're so close, aren't they?"
Amidst all of those stares, there was one that had a different, ominous vibe.
The glare from those glasses sent a chill down my spine.
"Hange…"
She made eye contact, rushed up to me while huffing, and started feeling my arms.
"I don't feel much muscle, but producing such force is really a mystery."
"Hey, get off him, you pervert!"
Isabel pushed her off and puffed out her cheeks.
***
24th Expedition
"I didn't think we would be back here so quickly."
Furlan muttered to himself dejectedly.
"Hey, at least we get to live on the surface."
I tried to cheer him up.
Currently, we were navigating through a dense forest with tall sequoia trees.
"Ten-metre Titan! 2 o'clock!"
The dense foliage above us would block the signal flares, so we were forced to engage with any Titans we encountered.
"I got it!"
I hopped off my horse and used my skills to reach the Titan's nape.
With one fell swoop, I slashed its nape.
When I landed, I saw the shocked stares of others around me and a small notification.
[+8000XP]
"Wow… to think you would improve this much in three months."
Flagon praised me.
Well, if it weren't for my skills, I wouldn't have improved so much in the first place, so I felt slightly guilty.
Thanks to my increased durability, I'm also able to take more risks.
If I had to guess, eighty Vigor is equivalent to the HP of four healthy males
With that much Vigor, training doesn't wear my body out at all, and I could train longer than most.
Anyway, we continued onwards through the forest.
Due to Levi's strength, he was placed in the vanguard alone by Erwin, so I'm sure he's the one leaving all those Titan corpses behind.
My squad, on the other hand, was the same.
Maybe Erwin is trying to nurture Levi into a squad captain like before and then have a separate squad consisting of me, Furlan, and Isabel?
The sun and clear sky came into view. We made it through the forest, and thanks to Levi, it was a lot smoother of a journey than I expected, but the odd Titan still popped out from behind a tree.
It was relatively peaceful for a while in the open field.
But as we continued onwards, it didn't last long
"Two fifteen-metre Titans spotted coming out of the forest! 3 o'clock!"
We used our red flare to signal a change of direction, but before other squads could relay the information, one of the Titans, sprinting manically, lunged face-first into a squadron.
They scattered to avoid the attack, but the Titan's speed came as a shock, and a soldier was grabbed off his horse.
Right as he was about to be crushed between its teeth, I jumped in and activated [Assassinate].
I spiralled downwards and chopped its head directly off.
"T-thank you so much! You saved my life!"
"Is that Lucian? He can really decapitate a Titan? I thought they were exaggerating."
I could hear murmurs from those around me.
"Heh, looks like my story made it around the ranks."
"She's been telling everyone about you, Lucian."
Furlan's exasperated tone told me everything.
***
25th Expedition
Winter passed, and spring came.
Flowers were beginning to bloom, the weather was warming up, and the days grew longer.
The year is now 845.
Meaning the invasion of Shiganshina could be at any moment.
But as of right now, there were other things occupying my mind.
The previous expedition ended with nothing of significance found, but the results were encouraging at the very least.
I managed to get four kills, which already puts me in the top ten rankings in terms of kill count.
But because of the long-distance scouting formation's passive approach, Commander Shadis suggested a new method centred on killing Titans.
It involves multiple squads attacking at once.
We were informed that the purpose of the next expedition would be to take down Titans in the forest south of Shiganshina in order to reclaim land and build a base of operations outside the Wall to learn more about the Titans.
I feel guilty hearing about it, since I already know the Titans' secret.
With that information in mind, we passed through the gate of Shiganshina and set off.