Keith stopped speaking, but it was clear that Doctor Grisha's calm composure had changed. He gave up on his plan to go into the inner city for his rounds and helped Keith Shadis support Asahi inside.
"You can go now, Erwin."
"Ah, yes..."
Erwin left, but cast a glance back at the last moment. He was no fool and clearly recognized this as an order to dismiss a guest.
Asahi chose to remain silent. Regardless of what these people intended to do, he was confident he could handle it.
The fact that he couldn't use his power and was in a half-crippled state didn't mean a group of ordinary people could do whatever they pleased.
In this group, perhaps only Carla was genuinely unaware and unconcerned. She kindly offered water to Keith and to Asahi, but he refused.
When Doctor Grisha began examining Asahi's body, the Survey Corps commander also left to wait outside.
Shortly after Keith Shadis left, children's voices rang out from outside.
"We're home."
"You're back."
Eren and Mikasa stood at the door, seeing Asahi sitting on a chair and being examined by Grisha. Eren couldn't help but ask.
"Dad, who is this?"
"A member of the Survey Corps."
"Wow!"
Hearing the two words "Survey Corps," Eren's eyes brightened. Just as he was about to approach Asahi to strike up a conversation, Carla pinched his ear.
"Don't bother him. Bring the firewood inside."
"Yes..."
He could only gloomily dump the pile of firewood he was carrying into the wooden bin.
"Basically, you're fine. You don't have any broken bones, infections, or any illnesses."
"Thank you."
His physique was heavily oriented toward regeneration, healing, and dense life force, so this result was not unexpected. However, Asahi was still grateful.
It seemed he had misunderstood.
"I am Asahi."
"Grisha Yeager. Just call me Grisha. Do you mind if I invite you to share a meal with us? My wife, Carla, has finished cooking."
"Thank you for the trouble."
Eren was overjoyed to hear his father insist on keeping him, but Mikasa's expression was less than cheerful, occasionally glaring at Asahi.
He didn't pay much attention.
The meal didn't last long. Eren ate quickly, his eyes frequently darting towards Asahi. But just as he was about to skip over and try to talk to him again, Grisha suddenly spoke up.
"Eren, Mikasa, both of you go outside and play."
"Why, Dad?"
"I'm going to give this man a thorough examination later, and interrupting that is not good."
"Okay..."
Once again, he could only mope as Mikasa dragged him out of the house. Even Carla was given an excuse by Grisha to leave the house—he claimed he needed to go to the clinic to retrieve equipment. In the end, only the two men remained in the wooden house.
It seemed that Grisha indeed had no malicious intent, but he did have his own agenda.
"Mister Asahi, based on your behavior... you don't seem like a bad person. So, can I trust you?"
"Doctor Yeager, one shouldn't casually judge someone upon first meeting, let alone trust them."
"But there will always be some people worth doing so for, won't there?"
Asahi fell silent at these words. Grisha took off his glasses and continued.
"Asahi, you should pretend to have amnesia, only remembering your name. That's the only way you can integrate into this place."
"Did you do the same?"
"Judging by Keith's reaction, it seems he will also cover for you. He might even invite you into the military."
"In that case, I want to know more about... this place. The political system, military, awareness, and the Titans."
Grisha was slightly astonished. Being able to say these words proved that Asahi's knowledge, or at least his recognizing knowledge, was not low, contrary to most people here. His previous assessment was essentially correct.
He was a resident from outside the Wall.
"Then let's start with the territory and the Walls. As you can see, they were built to enclose the human settlement. The Walls are all 50 meters high."
Saying that, Grisha took out a map. It was very simple, featuring only three concentric circles nested within each other, each marked with a different symbol.
"Maria is the outermost, Rose is in the middle, and Sina is the innermost. The distance between the three Walls is 100 kilometers, 130 kilometers, and 250 kilometers respectively, extending to the center."
"At the four sides of the Walls, there are small towns that jut out. The purpose is to attract the Titans' attention and reduce the number of guards needed."
"This is where we are, Shiganshina."
His finger pointed to a small protruding area on the circle. This method of attracting enemies, though inhumane, was certainly effective.
Even if Shiganshina were breached, Wall Maria would not be affected.
"Titans, the giants. I've heard a lot about them. Can they cross the 50-meter Wall?"
"This..."
Grisha's face became hesitant, as if he knew something but was unsure whether to reveal it.
Suddenly...
Boom!!!
A sound like a lightning strike roared from outside, violently shaking the entire house. Before both Asahi and Grisha could regain their senses, a sound like an explosion followed immediately after.
"That direction... it's from the Wall!"
Crash!!!
Deploying all his senses to the maximum, Asahi felt the danger closing in. He swung his leg, kicking Grisha out through the window.
Smash!
The kick looked heavy, but its purpose was to push him outside.
Grisha fell onto the ground, still reeling in astonishment, only to see a gigantic boulder crush the entire house, burying Asahi underneath.
"Asahi!"
He shouted and ran to the other side, seeing that most of Asahi's body was crushed, with only one arm managed to reach out.
"Asahi!"
"I'm fine, don't worry. It's just a bit cumbersome."
His half-crippled body, compounded by the delay of kicking Grisha out of the house, left him insufficient time to escape.
He was still mobilizing his strength to break free, but it would take time.
Meanwhile, the whole of Shiganshina was enveloped in panic.
A large hole had been punched into the base of the Wall, and the sunset light from the horizon shone through. But it brought not relief, but slaughter and destruction.
From the hole, tall figures stepped through—the Titans. They were wearing spine-chilling smiles, strolling inside human territory like wolves entering a flock of sheep.
No, it was even worse than that.
"Aaaaa!!!"
A person shrieked in agony as a Titan's gigantic hand grabbed them, lifting them up to its face. The Titan opened its mouth, ignoring—or rather, not even noticing—the person's pleas, and brought them inside.
Crunch!
The head was ripped off, the skull was crushed, blood splattering in large streaks onto the cobblestone street. The unfortunate soul was chewed and swallowed piece by piece by the Titan, like a cookie.
Scenes like this grew more and more frequent, visible everywhere. A peaceful city had suddenly turned into a purgatory, where only screams, desperate shouts, blended with the Titans' barbaric laughter and the blood and flesh of humanity.
On that day, humanity remembered.
The terror when facing the Titans, the beings they were supposedly safe from behind the Walls.