Attack on Titan: A Blacksmith's Tale

Chapter 18: The 57th Expedition

Chapter 18: The 57th Expedition

At long last, the day had finally come. It was time to start the Expedition that, if successful, would change everything. The Scouts had mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, they had a Titan fighting for them and his basement contained a valuable secret they needed. On the other hand, they had to get through hordes of Titans to reach Shiganshina first, and that came with all kinds of risks. The biggest one was the flat ground they would be traveling through. It was the least optimal situation the Scouts wanted to be in considering their ODM gear would only be good for grappling on trees or the Titans themselves. Still, at this point, it was a risk worth taking.

In the early morning, the Scouts had gathered everything they needed for the Expedition and rode off towards Karanes District's gate. Dillon was stuck in the middle along with squad, and he couldn't tell who was who with all the green cloaks in the vicinity. All he knew was that Eren was in front and he probably won't run into him until they reached his hometown.

As he thought of the Shifter, his mind drifted to a conversation Jean had with Eren not too long ago, something that had be gnawing on him.

"Hey, Eren, I heard that while you were in Titan form, you intentionally tried to crush Mikasa," Jean said, making his disdain very clear. "Mind telling us what that's all about?"

Eren stiffened, remembering how the courts accused him of doing just that.

"You're wrong," Mikasa lied quickly. "He thought he was just swatting a fly, nothing-"

"Mikasa, don't lie," Dillon interrupted quietly. "Jean has the right to know the truth. They all do."

"Like how you got that scar on your cheek," Jean added. "Looks pretty deep."

Dillon's eyes widened, noticing the wound on her face for the first time. Either Mikasa purposefully hid it from him to prevent any questions arising, or he was so caught up in his issues, he didn't even notice. Probably the latter.

"Apparently, it's true," Eren confessed. "When I was a Titan, I—I tried to kill Mikasa."

The confirmation intensified Jean's ire. "Apparently!? As in you don't remember whether you did or not? So, basically, you can transform into a 15-meter Titan at will, but when you do, you don't actually have full control over it?"

"Not yet, but that's right."

Jean let out a sigh, looking at his fellow cadets. "Do you hear that everyone? What a fine situation this is. Our lives and the fate of all mankind rest on his shoulders. I'm guessing we'll all end up like Marco, dead before-"

"That's enough, Jean," Dillon interjected, walking to him. "This isn't ideal, but it's the only chance we have and you know it."

"Am I wrong, Dillon?" Jean asked, looking right at him. "Can you say beyond the shadow of a doubt that you can trust Eren with our lives, with humanity's future?"

The blacksmith froze, finding himself at a loss for words. With everything he heard about Trost, the good and the bad, after knowing Eren as long as he did, could he actually do it? He could feel the gazes of Eren and Mikasa on him as he was unwilling to face them.

"That's what I thought," he said when Dillon took too long to respond.

"Stop it!" Mikasa demanded. "Why are you chastising Eren about it now? Just give it a rest."

Jean turned to face her. "Listen, Mikasa, unlike you, most of the rest of us aren't willing to just throw our lives away for him on a whim. We need a reason. The truth. We want to know what we're laying our lives down for. Otherwise, we might hesitate when the time is at hand. What we want is a guarantee from Eren. Show us what you're worth. Prove it to us. We're asking you to make us believe you're worth dying for!"