Attack on Titan: Aftermath

Premier

"Jean! We've gotten invitations!" Connie yelled in my face as I tried to eat his mother's breakfast. He waved three envelopes in my face. "Queen Historia invited us to her daughter's party! I also took a look at yours and your presence was summoned at Mitras."

"Eh? Mitras? Gimmie that." I said snatching the envelope with my name out of his hand. My hangover from last night was finally going away so reading shouldn't be that difficult.

"Jean,

Hello old friend! I've invited you, Pieck, Connie, and your other family members to Frieda's 4th birthday party! The party is tomorrow and a gift isn't required seeing as she's more spoiled than any other child in the kingdom. Yet somehow, she's stayed humble. I'm sure she'd love to see Marco and Sasha again. But, I do have a request for you, Jean. Premier Adonia Griffiths has fallen ill and I'd like you to attend the meeting in Mitras to witness her resignation. If there were anyone who I'd like to appoint as the next Premier of Eldia's armed forces it'd be you. I know you and Pieck retired from the World Alliance but a Premier is a bit more mandatory of a position. You both are technically unemployed as taxes have been paying for your basic needs, however this position would pay much better than government funding would. If you'd consider, please come to the palace as soon as possible. I scheduled for this letter to arrive exactly an hour before Premier Griffiths's resignation. Hurry now!

Sincerely,

Queen Historia"

"Well this was unexpected." I said.

"I didn't read it all, but what's she want you for?" Connie asked me.

"Premier Griffith is retiring and she wants me to take her position."

"Oh..." Connie said, surprised.

"What's this about Premier Griffith?" Pieck yawned, walking into the kitchen with baby Marco and Sasha.

"Your husband has been summoned to replace her" Mrs. Springer answered. I looked up at her confirming what she said with a nod.

"Oh... well that's great baby!" Pieck exclaimed, putting the two children in high chairs that Connie and his sisters had once used.

"You want me to go?" I asked, surprised at her approval.

"Of course I do! We've been mooching off of the townspeople's taxes for the past, what 3 years? Go get a job and be the breadwinner." She kissed me on the cheek and sat down next to me to have breakfast.

"Well I'll be damned. I guess I've gotta leave soon." I said trying to shovel as much food in my mouth as possible.

"I guess you do!" Mrs. Springer added, putting more food on my plate. I ate what I could and hurried to the guest room where me and Pieck had slept that night. Wait, how did I even get home? Eh it doesn't matter. I put on the most formal clothes I had and a hat, kissed my wife and kid goodbye, and walked to the nearest station.

The train ride was a long one and some hours had passed before I arrived at the castle. Nothing eventful had happened on my way to the station or even on the train. Part of me was expecting to see an old friend again like how yesterday went. Running into everyone was crazy. Like some kind of plot convenience. Oh well! The train was arriving and I stepped off to see the royal palace towering over me. The station's ceiling was made of glass so I still needed to take a walk to actually get out of there. I made my way out towards the entrance of the castle and oh look more "plot convenience!"

"Jean!" A small lady said getting out of a cab, behind her she was followed by a large man.

"Historia?" I yelled back. "Reiner?" What the hell is he doing here?

"Come along inside with us, the resignation starts soon!" Historia gestured, as a group of soldiers guarded the two. They let me walk alongside the two without problem.

"Why is he here?" I asked, pointing my head towards Reiner.

"Babysitting." Historia answered, clearly not wanting to go into the details of why Reiner was joining us.

"She's not entirely wrong." Reiner added. "I'm visiting Freda before her party."

"Oh... well alright then." I replied, walking up the castle's steps to the entrance.

"Guards, please escort Mr. Kierstin to the room in which Premier Griffith is announcing her resignation. I'll be there soon. Reiner, follow me." Historia ordered, I followed the guards without questioning the queen's business.

"Right this way sir" one of the Military Police gestured. I followed him into a large room, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw King Otto walk out of a meeting room with a man a little shorter than I was and before I could remember where I'd seen him before Otto's guards had ruined my line of view.

After he passed me, the man spoke. "Jean Kirstein, right? You sure have gotten taller." Before I could look back and speak to him, the man was already a few meters away and catching up to him was pointless.

"Who was that?" I asked a guard before we arrived in the room where the resignation was happening.

"He's a headhunter, works for Sigmond Durchdenwald. The king and other nobles appoint them to handle criminals when it's beyond the Military Police's control. Your stop is on the left." He said, standing by a doorway that led into the room.

"Huh. Thanks." I replied, a little confused about who the headhunter was. Nevertheless I'm sure it'll come up later. Inside the meeting room was Premier Griffith who looked far too ill to strike up a conversation, so to kill time I just stared at the ceiling until Historia arrived.

"Jean, Adonia, thanks for coming." Historia said, walking into the room and closing the door. She sat in a chair next to us in the meeting room. "Don't worry Jean, doctors have assessed that Adonia's illness isn't contagious. We don't exactly know what it is yet though."

"Well that makes me feel a bit better." I replied.

"So let's get down to it. Adonia already signed all the resignation papers and therefore there isn't much to get through with her. Your family and basic needs will all be paid for due to your condition, Adonia." Historia said, with a hint of confidence I didn't recognize. "You are dismissed."

"Thank you, m'lady." Adonia replied, and she walked out the room.

"Now Jean..." Historia began. "I'm assuming you didn't just come out here to deny my request... right?"

"Of course not. I took it up with Pieck as well and she was very enthusiastic about you wanting to appoint me."

"Right, right. If so Rico Brzenska would've been my next request although she's in charge of the Garrison at the moment, and we'd need a replacement for her. As the potential next Premier, you should know that Armin Arlert is still commander of the Survey Corps and that Boris Feulner is commander of the Military Police."

"Yes, I am aware of their statuses." I replied with a sense of impatience, as I looked over to a large stack of unfiled paperwork next to her on the table.

"Oh these? Well I trust you Jean, so, you don't need to fill any of it out." She carried the papers to an unlit fireplace in the room and dropped them neatly in. "Have a lighter?"

"Oh, uh..." I felt in my pockets for one, I didn't smoke much but I normally had a lighter on me anyways. "Here." I said, throwing the metal flip-top lighter towards her.

"Thanks!" She exclaimed, setting the papers on fire. "Congratulations, previous ambassador Jean Kierstein, you are now appointed the Commander-in-Chief of all three of Eldia's military branches! You'll start work immediately. Don't expect to go home before the sun goes down tonight. I'll make sure Pieck knows." She smiled.

"Of course..." I mumbled. Maybe I bit off more than I could chew...