An Unexpected Turn in Fate

Chapter 28 -- Orvud District

With Armin as the driver, Eren and Historia were sitting in the wagon, where the injured Hange lays down with her glasses placed next to her. Levi mounted onto his horse, and I'm currently sitting right behind him on the horse with flushed cheeks. Out of the corners of my eyes, I notice Erwin arriving with the rest of the Survey Corps.

"Erwin," Levi says as the said man approaches us. I shift nervously, feeling the commander's curious stare. To my surprise, he doesn't seem fazed by us. "Anyone hurt?" Erwin asks, being next to the wagon.

"Yeah. Hange took a hit."

"It doesn't look like anything too serious," he comments. "You've done excellent work. All of you." A small smile curves around my lips as I lay my head against Levi's back. I exchange a look with Hange as she flashes me a devilish grin. I bite my lip, burying my face into Levi's back. He tenses up against my touch as my face turns bright red.

"I got a whole slew of things to report, but first..." Levi trails off, somehow managing to stay focused on the immediate threat. His gaze shifts crawling titan behind him as the creature continues to move forward. "Anything on that titan?" The commander questions.

"It's Rod Reiss," he replies, causing Erwin to gaze at him in shock. "I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this, Commander." I furrow my eyebrows in concentration as a soft wind blows against my hair.

Erwin lets out a short breath before looking at Eren and Historia, then back to the titan. "Time's short. We can't afford to stand here and chat," he states, pulling the reins to the side as his horse begins trotting away. "Head back to the wall."

"You're gonna let that thing drag its fat butt all the way to Sina?"

Erwin stops his horse from moving and looks at him over his shoulder. "Well, more specifically, I'm letting it continue towards Orvud District," he clarifies, having a serious yet intent expression on his face.

Without a moment to spare, the Survey Corps begins to make a move. Along the way, Hange listens to Eren and Historia's recounting of what happened back in the Underground Chapel and the restrictions in place for the full use of the founding titan.

"Alright. Time to think," Hange says, attempting to summarize all the information. "First off, lord Reiss was after the founding titan's power, and that power currently resides in Eren. The thing is, the founding titan can only be used at full potential by someone of royal blood. But then, when a royal does obtain the founding titan, they suddenly take on the first king's ideology, which means they'll refuse to do anything about the titans." She looks away from them and stares at the ground, giving a few moments to think about it. "Well, this certainly is a conundrum. So, the first king thinks this is true peace, huh? I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with him there."

"You know, we still have the option to go back," murmurs Eren, who lowers his head in dismay. "We just need that titan to eat me and then Reiss will become human again. We can still have a true founding titan. It's possible."

Mikasa's eyes widen in horror. "Wait, you don't mean..."

"It's worth considering," Levi says, taking her by surprise. "Once Reiss turns back into a human, we could capture him and undo the first king's brainwashing. Assuming that it can be done, it may open a path to save humanity. Tell me, Eren, if that turns out to be our best bet, are you really willing to do it?"

Eren turns to look at Levi over his shoulder. "Yes, I am."

"Eren, I can't let you."

"Let's not forget the other option," states Historia. "First off, the plan you're discussing is full of flaws. For one thing, it might not be possible to free my father from the first king's will. And, no matter how you restrain him, if he alters everyone's memories, we're finished. And, consider how much we don't know about the founding titan. This isn't worth the risk."