"Historia, I hope you can understand—we need you."
Erwin, together with Hange and Levi, came to see Historia.
He sincerely explained the current situation of the government within the Walls, and spoke frankly about the need for Historia to step forward, inherit the throne, and stabilize public sentiment.
Facing them, Historia looked conflicted. She clenched her skirt tightly with both hands.
"B-but, Commander, I just want to be an ordinary soldier. I don't want to be some kind of queen."
Hange adjusted her glasses and stepped forward.
"Historia, the people are absolutely dissatisfied with the military government holding power. Right now, only you can help us stabilize the situation."
Levi crossed his arms and said calmly,
"If you don't want to do it, that's fine too. Just treat it as running away from responsibility. There's nothing wrong with being a coward."
"Hey! What are you saying!?"
The most dissatisfied person present was, of course, Ymir.
"Historia has the right to choose the life she wants to live. Who are you to force her to make a choice!"
"Historia! Don't be soft-hearted. We promised—after this, we'd live for ourselves!"
Ymir turned and spoke to Historia with utmost seriousness.
Levi glared at Ymir, but still let out an almost imperceptible sigh.
If not for the circumstances, who would be willing to force a fifteen-year-old child to shoulder such an unbearably heavy responsibility?
If it were Levi from before, he might have drawn his blade against those who wanted to force Historia onto the throne. A bunch of sly old men—what right did they have to pressure his subordinate?
But perhaps it was because of the words Kenny spoke before his death: people are always slaves to something. No one is truly free. Some things aren't simply about whether you want to do them or not.
There were other new recruits present as well, but most of them remained silent. This was not something they could comment on.
Letting their thoughts wander—if Historia became queen, wouldn't they have to salute her whenever they met? Kneeling and saluting a comrade they had fought alongside for years—it felt strange.
Armin, however, rationally believed that Historia should inherit the throne. For the Survey Corps and for all of humanity, this was the best outcome.
Eren and Connie both looked absent-minded.
Sasha was thinking: if she became queen, would she be able to eat meat every day until she was full?
As for Mikasa, she didn't think too much about it, but deep down she believed this was a choice Historia herself should make.
Yago: "Historia, no matter what you choose, we'll support you. Don't forget—you also possess the power of the Titan now. No one can force you."
Yago's words drew everyone's agreement.
"Make your own choice, Historia. Live for yourself!"
"That's right, Historia. Whether you become queen or not, you're still our companion!" ...…
"Yeah, Historia—if you make a choice you don't like, then even if I could eat meat every day, I wouldn't be happy."
Even Eren raised his head and said seriously,
"Historia, you are free!"
"You all… eh."
Erwin looked somewhat stunned, but did not object. In truth, deep in his heart, he did not agree with making this child king. He even believed from the bottom of his heart that the very existence of a king was a kind of backwardness.
"Everyone, I…"
Historia was deeply moved, and gradually made her decision.
But just as Historia was about to speak her choice—
Outside the window, the previously clear weather suddenly changed. A yellow lightning bolt that seemed to pierce heaven and earth flashed down, and in the distance, beyond the towering Wall Sheena, massive clouds of steam rose into the air.
A red Titan's head slowly emerged.
Crack!
A chair toppled to the ground. Yago dashed to the window in a single bound, staring intently at that familiar head.
"Bertholdt! What are you trying to do!?"
Yago clenched his fists. He never expected the Marley warrior unit to dare infiltrate so deep within the Walls. Were they really that confident?
"The Colossal Titan has appeared! Immediately notify the Garrison and the Military Police, evacuate the civilians, and have the Survey Corps enter full combat readiness!"
Erwin's expression was extremely grave as he issued the order at once, then left ahead with Hange.
"The Colossal Titan? Bertholdt? What about Reiner—are they here too? Those two traitors! I'll capture them!"
Anger gradually surfaced on Eren's face. What he could never forgive was the betrayal of Bertholdt and Reiner.
"Eren! Don't be reckless! They're definitely coming for you! Didn't Annie say it before? From the very beginning, their target was the Founding power."
Armin immediately tried to stop him.
"New recruits, move out. Wake up—this is like humanity's last line of defense. It absolutely cannot be breached."
Levi put on his cloak and said coldly.
"Eren is not allowed to participate. Armin is responsible for keeping an eye on him. Historia stays as well. Everyone else, prepare for battle!"
Levi issued the orders succinctly.
.....
Five minutes earlier—
"Hey, you guys, wait! Which unit are you from?"
A Garrison soldier stared in shock. When he had just scolded the four strangely behaving people in front of him, two of them suddenly revealed sets of Vertical Maneuvering Equipment and carried the other two as they flew toward Wall Sheena.
The Garrison soldier, responsible for patrolling the market, could only watch helplessly—he was carrying nothing but a musket.
"Are we really going to do this?"
Standing atop the towering wall, Bertholdt looked down at the bustling market below, hesitation on his face.
"What? Are you trying to disobey orders? Or are you sympathizing with these devils?"
Zeke spoke casually, but his sharp gaze was fixed on Bertholdt.
"Don't forget your identity as a Marley warrior."
"Bertholdt, haven't enough devils on this island died because of you already? I heard that after you and Reiner destroyed the wall, hundreds of thousands of devils died in Titans' mouths, didn't they?"
Reiner's body trembled slightly.
"No!"
Bertholdt clutched his head and lowered it, gritting his teeth, tears welling in his eyes.
"I'm sorry…"
After whispering those words, Bertholdt leapt down from the wall.
...
I recommend checking out my new Pokémon fanfic, "Pokémon System: Me, the Strongest Champion of the League"! It features a system that isn't overpowered, keeping the story balanced and engaging. The main character isn't Ash, but an original, cool MC, which makes it even more enjoyable to read. I'd love to hear your feedback!