I Love You... In Every Universe (AOT Alternative Universe)

32. Soldier

AUTHOR'S POV:

The full moon illuminated the castle grounds.

Horses drank from a trough and a metal teapot and some mugs were fallen over next to a small, old campfire circle.
.

Inside the tower, the veterans talked.

"Looks like someone was here recently." "That's odd for a place this near the Wall." Henning said.

"Some bandits probably used it as a base." Nababa said. "It said 'Ruins of Utgard Castle' on one of the signs. Who would have thought there was a castle around here?"

"Hey, check it out." Gelgar said, entering the room, holding a green bottle. "Look what I found."

"Gelgar..." Lynne said, glancing at him. "Is that booze I see?"

"Yeah." Gelgar replied and swallowed visibly. He read the bottle. "What the heck does it say?"

"You're not gonna drink it now, are you?" Lynne demanded.

"Don't be stupid," Gelgar replied. "Not at a time like this."

"Convenient... All this contraband to enjoy for ourselves." Henning said.

"Now you're making us sound like the bandits." Lynne replied.

"You rookies should try to get some rest," Gelgar told the recruits, getting their attention. "Titans won't be roaming around at this hour, but the rest of us will take turns keeping watch. We'll leave from here four hours before daybreak."

"Um..." Christa spoke up. "What if the Wall isn't actually broken after all?" She asked. "The Titans... Where could they be invading from?"

Gelgar was silent before answering.

"Finding the answer to that... is our job for tomorrow." Gelgar replied and climbed the stairs to head up to the roof.

"But what if-maybe it's not nearly as bad as we thought from the start." Christa said and veterans stared her. "I'm just saying, but..."

"Yeah... There's barely any Titans around here," Henning said. "If the Wall was really broken, that is."

"The only group we've really seen was during the initial sighting," Nanaba added.

Ymir's eyes were wider than normal.

"Connie, what about your village?" Ymir asked.

"It was destroyed. Crushed to sticks and rubble by Titans." Connie said plainly.

"I see... How awful..." Ymir replied.

"But nobody there was eaten. I think they all escaped, so there's that to be thankful for." Connie said.

"Wasn't the village destroyed?" Ymir questioned.

"The houses and stuff were wrecked, but the villagers made it out safely. If anyone was eaten... then there would've been blood and remains. But there wasn't any of that, so it's the only explanation." Connie explained. "Still... I can't stop thinking about it... There was that Titan at my house."

Connie's mind went back to the Titan in his house.

"It couldn't move on its own, but it was lying right on top of my house. But it's weird... I don't know why, but it reminded me of my mother... What does that-" Connie said.

"Connie..." Reiner cut in. "You're still saying that?"

"You-" Connie was interrupted.

"What an idiot!" Ymir declared loudly, interrupting Reiner and laughing. "You think your mother might have been that Titan?! Then how come you're so damn short, huh?" She mocked. "Come on, Connie! I knew you were pretty stupid, but this is taking it to another level!"