Yesterday's Enemy [AoT]

MEMOIRS OF HAVAS [15]

'It is human nature to seek to destroy what we do not understand. We spend our entire lives looking through a keyhole, and as it begins to widen, we recoil back into the safety of our ignorance.'

-An extract from traditional Havasian scriptures.

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MEMOIRS OF HAVAS

15

Wall Maria, North Region, Havas, Grimold, Ingreed City

"So, Lord Krüger, what exactly is it that our captives are seeking to demonstrate?"

Warren, Schmidt, a whole host of guards and officials, along with the warrior kids, were walking through the base. Warren was currently trying to schmooze their way into giving the kids a chance to prove themselves.

"Ambiguous. However, if these children are to be believed, we have a powerful potential ally across the sea. This could turn the tide in our war against the Walls."

"Sounds like a load of malarky to me," grumbled the officer. "Is this another one of your crazy plans, Krüger? To blow the military budget on some mad scheme only for it to end in complete failure?"

"Oh, come on. I'm not asking you to crown these kids rulers of the country— just to hear them out. Tell them, Schmidt."

Schmidt nodded. "He's right. For the first time, we have the possibility of international cooperation before us; it's well worth the risk."

"And what exactly is the risk? What are we even doing?"

All three of them turned expectantly to the four children behind them.

Bertholdt fumbled for an answer. "Well, um we-"

"A demonstration of power," cut in Annie sharply.

"See?" Warren raised an eyebrow as they continued walking. "Very promising."

"We'll see."

Behind them, the warrior kids were panicking. Despite Annie's confident declaration, truth be told, none of them really had a plan.

This was their first mission. Fresh out of training, all of them had been shipped from the internment zone straight to Paradis. Talk about jumping in at the deep end.

But, Marley claimed that this mission was easy. The government had given them only three instructions:

Number one: Make contact with the Havasians.

Number two: Establish communication between the Havasian and Marleyan governments.

And number three: Do not, at all costs, alert the devils of the Walls to their presence.

The end goal was to liberate the people of Havas from the clutches of the Eldian King— to move them from this walled prison back to the mainland. From there, the two governments could cooperate in waging war on what remained of Eldia.

It hadn't been as easy as they'd been told.

First, all four of them had had to cross masses of land just to get here. They'd had to brave the worst of cold weather and defend themselves from titans.

When they arrived, they'd been ushered into this military installation and hadn't seen the light of day since.

None of them knew what to make of Lord Krüger or his companions.