The three children sat stiffly in the wagon, knees hugged to their chests. Gone were the brave, battle-hardened "warriors of Marley." Right now, they looked like obedient little lambs, wide-eyed and silent.
"They… let us on the cart?" Bertolt muttered, dazed.
"No one questioned us?" Annie added.
Reiner's voice cracked with disbelief. "Just like that?!"
Their minds reeled. The Marleyan training manuals had prepared them for every possible outcome: suspicion, interrogation, even immediate execution. But kindness? Compassion? That had never been covered.
The only explanation they could come up with was simple: "The Eldian devils must be brainless!"
Slap!
Zeke's hand landed on Reiner's head. "Stop calling them devils! We're infiltrating now.
Think! From this moment on, we're ordinary civilians. Ordinary Eldians."
"How can Eldians be ordinary? They're all demons!" Reiner whispered fiercely.
Smack!
Zeke slapped him again, teeth clenched. "And what are we then? Hm? Descendants of demons! You included!"
"…"
The children sulked, cheeks red from both shame and Zeke's palm. Deep down, they knew he was right.
Zeke exhaled, placing a hand over his heart. "There's nothing special about us. We're just like them.
The sooner you accept that, the safer we'll be."
The three exchanged hesitant looks. They still didn't believe him, but they nodded anyway, more to appease him than out of conviction.
"Exactly. Same blood, same people," Zeke pressed.
Reiner puffed out his chest. "No! What flows through us is the noble blood of Marleyans! That's why we look human!"
Whack! Another slap.
"I'm a purebred!" Zeke snapped. His voice dripped with pride and bitterness.
"My father, Grisha Yeager—pure Eldian. My mother, Dina Fritz—royal blood, also pure Eldian! There is nothing more 'devil-blooded' than me."
He jabbed a finger at himself. "So? Do I look like a devil to you?"
The children studied him seriously for a moment. Then, in unison, they nodded. "Like!"
"…," Zeke thought.
The only hairy Titan, the one who threatened to eat us alive. Yep, definitely a devil.
"As expected of a pure-blooded devil," they muttered in awe, "Captain Zeke is terrifying…"
Zeke's eyelid twitched. "…" He gave up trying to explain. Fine. Once I get the Founding Titan, I'll just brainwash you brats.
…
Hoofbeats clattered. Isabel trotted up on horseback, her sunny smile practically glowing.
Her eyes widened when she noticed the children's flushed faces. "Hey! Why are their cheeks red? Did you hit them?"
Zeke coughed into his fist, scratching his foot against the wagon floor. "Ahem… uh… discipline."
"You can't hit kids!" Isabel scolded, genuine concern in her voice.
"Even if they're naughty, that's too much."
Zeke froze, awkwardness stiffening every muscle. If only you knew who these 'kids' really were…
Isabel leaned forward with a gentler smile. "Don't worry. We've reported to Captain Erwin
Because of you, our team is canceling the expedition and heading straight back to the city. You'll be safe soon."
Zeke's heart skipped. Erwin… already? He forced tears into his eyes, bowing gratefully. "Thank you. Thank you so much!"
All he could think of was getting inside the Walls and seeing his father—seeing little Eren.
Isabel turned to the children.
"And you three—no more running off! Listen to the adults. If you're curious about the outside world, then grow up, train hard, and join the Survey Corps properly!"
"Yeah!" Zeke answered instantly for them.
The kids, remembering his orders to stay silent, just nodded. But Reiner couldn't resist. "Survey Corps? Why call it that? You look like cavalry to me."
Zeke's smile froze. His head whipped around, eyes blazing.
Idiot!
To Marleyans, soldiers on horseback were naturally cavalry.
But to Eldians inside the Walls, there was no such distinction. Here, the Corps were the Corps—nothing more. Reiner was exposing them with every word.
Luckily, Isabel only looked puzzled. "Cavalry? What's that? We're the Survey Corps. Everyone knows the three main divisions."
Reiner blinked. "…Three?"
Zeke quickly cut in, laughing nervously. "Ha, forgive us. We grew up in the mountains. Hardly saw anyone. We don't know much about the world."
Which was technically true—for these three brats, at least.
Isabel giggled, completely unfazed. "Then let me teach you! The three corps are: the Military Police, the Garrison, and us, the Survey Corps."
At the words Military Police, the three warriors' ears perked up.
"Beside the king…" Isabel explained warmly, "they guard His Majesty and help govern the country."
The children's hearts raced. The King! The Founding Titan! Their mission target was right there!
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Zeke slapped all three of them at once, hissing through clenched teeth, "Listen quietly!"
"Hey!" Isabel protested. "Stop hitting them! They'll get hurt!"
Still, she carried on, patient as ever. "Anyway, if you admire His Majesty, you can aim for the Military Police.
But it's tough—you need to be in the top ten of your class."
Reiner's eyes glazed. "…Oh."
Beside him, Annie muttered under her breath, "I don't worship kings." The disdain of royal blood spoke through her.
"Then join us in the Survey Corps!" Isabel beamed, the sunlight catching her hair, her smile as bright as summer itself.
Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie stared at her blankly.
They couldn't understand it.
This girl—an Eldian, a supposed "devil"—was smiling at them, protecting them, even inviting them to fight by her side.
For the first time, doubt crept into their black-and-white worldview.