My Hero

Chapter 40

I had never been to a courtroom before, and I considered that a good thing. To be honest, not setting foot there ever again sounded like heaven. Yes, those silly thoughts managed to keep me sane in the current situation. Much better than freaking out, because, let's face it, that would have been a pretty damn obvious reaction.

The room had a simple setting. In front of me was the big desk—the place for Premier Zachary Dalis. On my left were the members of the Survey Corps; on my right were the Military Police along with, oh, Pastor Nick. Just great! What we needed the most was a complete lunatic. Behind me were the garrison and citizens, seated down on wooden benches. Among the citizens, I could spot Dimo Reeves, the owner of a merchant group named after him. I knew him all too well, and I couldn't stand the sight of that selfish old man. Me, Commander Smith, and Eren, positioned in this order, were bound with handcuffs to metal poles in the middle of the room—exposed in front of everyone like we were some kind of scientific experiment. What I couldn't stand the most was the way they looked at us—some with fear, others with hate and disgust. The only ones on our side were the Survey Corps, but I feared that wouldn't be enough to turn the situation around.

I couldn't even bear to look at the commander; I was afraid that if I did, the fake courage I had been building up so far would crumble to dust. Even so, I felt his gaze on me. It was like a magnet, and all my efforts gave way to the invisible power he had over me. I looked his way—it was only natural at that point. That might have been the last time I met the blue eyes and smile I loved so much, so in the end, it was worth it. He whispered words that were meant for me alone.

"Watashi o shinjite! (Trust me!)"

That was all I needed. It was that simple. Those words filled me up with courage and hope, and I was happy. I smiled like a complete idiot in a room full of people who feared and hated me. I smiled, like my life was perfect and nothing they did could ever harm me. Their existence paled in comparison with Erwin's warmth. That's right; this was no time for self-pity, and certainly no time for giving up. Both me and Eren were there to prove our worth in the battle against the titans. We weren't the enemy. If anyone thought otherwise, they were the true enemy of humanity.

I could hear all kinds of discussions going on around us, but I tried to pay them no mind. Everyone went quiet when Premier Zachary Dalis entered the room and made his way towards his spot. Everyone was listening carefully.

"We are gathered here today to deal with a very pressing issue. As you all know, recently we were faced with quite a few cases of soldiers with the power to turn themselves into titans."

"Soldiers?? You mean monsters!" Someone from behind me shouted.

"Be quiet, or I'll remove you from the room!" Was the premier's response. This time, the man remained silent. "One question, well, a few questions to be exact, still stand: Can we really trust our soldiers? Are they allies or enemies? What is their true purpose? Why do they possess such power? In a recent mission to re-capture Trost District, Eren Yaeger proved himself useful by plugging the hole created by the Colossal Titan, but he also endangered the lives of other members of the Survey Corps. During a secret mission yesterday, the knowledge of which was only shared between the Survey Corps and the Military Police, Desi helped with the capture of the female titan, another titan shifter, and a traitor. But because of this secret mission, the lives of many citizens were endangered, and parts of Kalanes District suffered destruction during the process. The one who deemed himself responsible and took the whole blame is none other than Commander Erwin Smith. According to him, this was a good way to get rid of the traitor among us as soon as possible."

"Rubbish! How many people became titan food because of him??" The man turned to Commander Smith. "Don't you have any shame?!"

His words pierced my chest. Where have I heard them before? They awakened rage deep within me. I quickly spoke up. "Premier, may I say a few words?"