Attack on Titan: A Blacksmith's Tale

Chapter 74: Long Live the Queen

(Orvud District)

Even though the threat of Rod Reiss had been eliminated, the work of the Scout Regiment and the other military branches was far from complete. The dethroning of the false king along with the nobles controlling him had caused an unavoidable stir within the populace, a restlessness that had been growing for a long time. If left untreated, the civilians from every corner of the Walls would devolve into anarchy, rejecting any and all sort of order. Unfortunately, none of the military regiments were in good standing with the civilians either. From the Scout Regiment being willing to sacrifice innocent lives for their own means and ends, to the Garrison being full of cowards and alcoholics that would run away from danger when it arrives, to the Military Police turning a blind eye towards injustice within the Districts they were sworn to protect.

This was the reason that Erwin Smith, Dot Pixis, Nile Dok, Darius Zackley, and Dimo Reeves had all come together for a private meeting in a nearby conference room. They all had their work cut out for them.

"Thank you all for coming," Erwin began once he took his seat. "With the danger of Rod Reiss no longer an issue, now is the best time for us to discuss the future of our people. Nile, Mr. Reeves, you two have an ear to the ground concerning these matters more than us, so I shall let you start."

"While the details have been sparse among the populace, word is spreading to all corners of the country," Nile explained. "The government has collapsed and the Military Police as a whole cannot be trusted to keep any sort of peace."

Pixis chuckled as he took a sip of his booze. "I think you meant that your branch can't control the people anymore, Nile." He stared evenly at the glare given to him by the commander of the Military Police. "Just wanted to make sure we're all on the same page."

To everyone's surprise, Dimo spoke up in his defense. "Commander Dok took an incredible risk to be on your side. He had the chance to kill me when it benefited him and his family the most, something I probably would have done, but he chose not to."

"Hmm." Pixis took another gulp in the process. "I wonder why."

Nile let out a heavy sigh as he thought about that day. "I had ten good reasons to kill Mr. Reeves... and one reason not to." He remembered pulling the trigger, but instead of killing the merchant, the round shattered the window next to him. "It was my one chance to be free of a system that was poisoning every aspect of my life, a life that wasn't worth living. Everything that follows will be on me. No excuses."

"Hmm." For once, Pixis regarded the commander in a more positive light. "Perhaps I misjudged you."

"We need to focus on the matter at hand," Nile brought them back on track and continued with his analysis. "The people's trust in us is gone. By default, the Scout Regiment is the only regiment to have some support, but that isn't enough to turn the tide. We need a radical plan of action if we hope to keep this country from collapsing."

Zackley shook his head as if he was amused by the situation. "They are looking for heroes, people to look up to in their time of desperation. I can say with absolute certainty that none of you qualify for that role. Mr. Reeves comes close, but his influence can only go so far."

"Do you have any recommendations?" Erwin asked.

The commander-in-chief drummed his fingers on the table. "I could nominate myself, but that will not be good enough for the people. They'll complain about how I did absolutely nothing to protect them in their time of need, which brings me to the real hero of this story: Carolyn Amsdale."

"...I think I speak for everyone when I say that's an unusual choice," Dimo spoke after a moment of silence. "Why her? Aside from an assassination attempt, she had nothing to do with the Reiss family or the military coup."