Chapter 11

The wheels of the carriage moved and moved until it finally arrived at a castle standing tall in the middle of the plain.

Flags hung all over the castle, adorned with overlapping wings representing the Wings of Freedom, symbolizing the Survey Corps. Nike sighed at the sight.

'Sigh... If it weren't for that damn status window, I'd be leisurely eating and playing in the capital by now.'

Thinking that no one else in this world had such bad luck, Nike and her group's carriage arrived at the entrance of the Survey Corps headquarters.

"We'll conduct a brief inspection."

"Oh. Here you go."

Two Survey Corps members approached the carriage to inspect it. Nike handed them a notebook, and upon reading the first page, the two members allowed the carriage to pass without inspection.

Upon entering, many Survey Corps members were seen taking care of their horses. Since they always took horses on expeditions outside the walls, the horses were in excellent condition, looking like they could be sold at high prices in the market.

"Wow…! This is the Survey Corps!"

"Eren, calm down. We're still cadets."

"Hey, Mikasa. I'm definitely joining the Survey Corps."

"Even so, we're cadets now."

"Oh, come on!"

Thanks to Eren and Mikasa, who had just gotten off the carriage, the group's mood remained good. Although those who got off the carriage behind them still had serious expressions.

At that moment, a Survey Corps member approached from a distance, leading a few other members. The cadets instinctively knew she was an officer of the Survey Corps.

"Nice to meet you~"

However, the words that came out of her mouth didn't match the image of an officer.

Her name was Hange Zoe. Upon seeing her, Nike remembered. This person had a fetish for Titans, right? If I capture Reiner, should I hand him over to Hange for fun? Nike thought briefly, and Reiner felt a chill down his spine.

"I heard you were coming. Everything is ready, so you can start gathering your supplies now."

With Hange's words, the Survey Corps members behind her brought out dozens of books. Each one looked meticulously written, appearing to be the tactical manuals Nike wanted.

Of course, if you receive something, you must give something in return. At Nike's gesture, the instructors began unloading supplies from the carriage.

The cadets stared blankly. When Nike mentioned they should help the instructors, the cadets began unloading the supplies.

"It looks like our hands are free now. Shall we go inside and have a chat?"

"Hmm... That sounds good. Let's go."

Nike agreed to Hange's suggestion. With nothing else to do, she might as well go inside and rest. Nike followed Hange into the castle.

...

Nike followed Hange into the castle. The interior, decorated with the Wings of Freedom, was practical rather than luxurious like the royal capital.

And for some reason, the castle was impeccably clean, with not a speck of dust in sight. Nike was amazed at how clean it was, comparable to or even better than an entire district. In an era with low standards of cleanliness, it was astonishing.

Following Hange, Nike arrived at Erwin's office.

Why am I here? Nike had no intention of meeting Erwin. Meanwhile, Hange kept talking about Titans, making the situation noisy.

"Uh, excuse me. I don't think I should go in here..."

"Hey, everyone! I'm back!"

Hange eventually opened the door to Erwin's office.

Inside the office were the top officers of the Survey Corps.

"Hange. Who did you bring this time?"

"Sniff sniff... Why do I smell Titans on this kid?"

"..."

In order, there were Erwin, Mike, and Levi.

Erwin and Mike were discussing a map of southern Wall Maria, while Levi silently sipped tea, listening to their conversation.

When Hange suddenly burst into the room, all three turned their attention to the door.

'...What should I say?'

Nike could easily issue orders to the Military Police because of Darius Zackly's influence.

However, the Survey Corps wasn't heavily influenced by Darius Zackly. Moreover, having knowledge of the original story, Nike saw no benefit in meeting Erwin.

Erwin was known for leading humanity to victories inside the walls through risky gambles. However, he could also be seen as a delusional and paranoid individual.

Having a conversation with him, knowing the original story, might lead to being subjected to guided interrogation. Nike feared that Erwin might suspect her and keep her under surveillance.

'As ridiculous as it sounds, it's entirely possible with Erwin.'

Therefore, it was better to keep the conversation light and return to the cadet corps. Focusing on the Titan trio was more important than getting involved in mind games with Erwin, which could disrupt Nike's future plans.

While Nike was lost in thought, someone's nose reacted to her scent.

"Sniff sniff..."

"Ahh!"

Mike, who had stealthily approached, was sniffing her scent, startling Nike. What the hell? Why is he sniffing me like a pervert?!

Normally, Mike would have taken a whiff and laughed it off, but this time he behaved differently.

"...This scent is similar to a Titan's."

"Mike, how many times have I told you not to do that to women?"

"Oh, sorry. The scent was just so unusual..."

It took Erwin's intervention for Mike to stop sniffing. Nike, who had been startled by Mike's sudden appearance, had instinctively pulled out a boom bomb. A slight delay could have resulted in the office exploding.

"I apologize for this incident, Officer Nike of the Cadet Corps."

After Mike bowed and apologized, Nike finally calmed down. What kind of crazy person is he? After regaining her composure, Nike sat down.

"Anyway... Hange, thank you for bringing her."

"No problem! Dealing with a person is nothing compared to Titans."

Erwin fixed his gaze on Nike. Over the past few years, Nike had become quite well-known, and news had reached Erwin's ears.

'She played a major role in Shiganshina, significantly impacted the defense of Wall Maria, minimizing damage, and solved the food crisis by mobilizing the Military Police and other soldiers...'

From Erwin's perspective, Nike was a valuable asset. Although she couldn't use 3D maneuver gear, her ability to act in crisis situations was commendable.

However, the political aspect was a concern. Bringing Nike into the Survey Corps could mean being influenced by Darius Zackly and the Military Police.

After considering these points and contemplating for a while, Erwin finally spoke.

"Officer Nike, what are your future plans?"

"Pardon?"

"...Never mind. Forget I asked."

'What is this paranoid guy thinking now?'

Nike thought it best to figure out how to leave this office quickly. While she was pondering this, Hange, with a look of intense academic curiosity, grabbed her shoulder.

"Uh…? What's wrong?"

"You smell like a Titan?! Nike, could you help me with an experiment?!"

This is insane.

Nike realized she wasn't marked by Erwin but by Hange.

...

Nike walked slowly back to the cadet corps' carriages.

Exhausted and feeling like she had pulled an all-nighter, Nike kept her eyes half-closed.

"Sigh... I never want to come back here..."

Just because she smelled like a Titan, Hange insisted it could be a valuable sample and made numerous demands.

From hair and nails to things she didn't even want to think about.

Thanks to Hange's endless requests, Nike felt exhausted even though it wasn't even afternoon yet.

"Nike~ We finished here~"

In her tired state, Christa waved at her from the cadet side. At least the work was done. Nike thought she would definitely ignore Hange next time and just finish the job quickly.

But for now, her status window changed.

[Emergency Quest Appears]

'What now?'

Seeing the status window filling part of her vision, Nike was bewildered. There's an emergency quest too? Let's see what it is. Nike opened the quest out of curiosity.

[Annie has caused a problem! Survive until Captain Levi's anger subsides!

Time until Levi's anger: 5 minutes

Success: None

Failure: Femininity stat increases by 1!]

'What is this?'

This seems worse than facing the Colossal Titan. Captain Levi…? Did I do something to make him angry?

At that moment, Annie approached with a determined expression, covered in dust, and her uniform stained with ink. What the hell did she do to end up like this? Nike wondered how Annie's clothes got so messy.

"Officer Nike, mission accomplished."

Annie, who usually didn't salute, now saluted Nike with the dedication of a soldier going into battle.

But...

"Huh...? What mission?"

"I messed up Captain Levi's room!"

Because she touched something she shouldn't have.

The faces of the Survey Corps members who overheard twisted in shock.

Nike's face did the same. It was a joke! Did she actually do it...?

'Is this real…?'

Nike gulped. This seems like a disaster in many ways.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

If you want to support me, visit my pátreon.com/fumiaki