Three Viewpoints Selected Cases

The Case of the Sacked Squad Leader - File No. 04 Hange’s Side (1/3)

When Hange got up in the middle of their room, it looked nothing like it usually did.

“Wuh?! What’s going on here?!”

…It was definitely the room they always used for research. But its floor, tables, and bookshelves had been changed entirely.

“I can’t believe this… The whole place has been sacked.”

The books were scattered, the lab equipment on top of the desk had met a horrible end, and fragments of wood and ropes had been scattered along the floor, leaving no place to so much as walk.

Hmm, this is bad. I don’t remember a thing.

******

Just as Hange was feeling lost, they heard a knock at the door accompanied by a frantic voice.

“Squad Leader, Squad Leader…Hange!”

“Hm? Moblit!”

A moment later, Hange’s aide broke through the door and entered the room holding a hatchet that must have come from a storehouse.

Hange noticed the broken lock on the door and realized that he must have broken the latch in order to come inside. Despite his imposing appearance, Hange’s aide let his shoulders down as he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Could you please answer if you’re awake…?”

“What do you mean?”

“The door was locked and you weren’t replying at all. I had no choice but to destroy the door…but what happened here?”

Moblit had been so preoccupied with confirming the safety of his superior officer that he only now showed surprise once more, having seen the terrible state of the room.

******

“…Your books and lab equipment. What happened to everything?”

“What should I do? I wonder if I did this?”

“You don’t remember?!”

“Not at all,” Hange said as they scratched their tousled head.

They remembered declaring that they would be holing up in the room for an experiment. That must have been what they were doing, given the prototypes scattered around. While there were some half-scribbled notes, they ended with a notice that the experiment was about to begin.

“Let’s start from the beginning and sort everything out. I was passed out here for a while, right?”

“Yes. It seems like you told Nifa that you’d be in here for a while. It was quiet whenever we passed by, for quite some time.”

He said everyone had left Hange alone for a while because it was assumed they were taking a nap.

“But then we received some paperwork that needed immediate confirmation and needed to wake you up.”

That was when Moblit did everything to wake Hange up, making loud noises and beating on the door.

“I was afraid that your heart had finally exploded from all of the excitement…”

“Hah, you worry too much. I don’t even have a scratch on me… Or probably not.”

Hange finished the work given to them by their subordinates a few minutes later, then went to Erwin to explain the situation.

“And that’s what happened, Erwin, but I don’t remember doing it at all. So please, just don’t make me write an apology…”

“At the moment, I’m afraid that’s exactly what you’re going to have to do,” the Commander of the Survey Corps said after hearing Hange out, shaking his head without emotion.

“It was a room locked from the inside, with no way in or out, right? In that case, the only one who could have destroyed that room was you, Hange.”

Though it was a daily occurrence for things to break in the course of Hange’s duties, given their enthusiasm for Titan research, they were also living in a resource-starved world. The Corps’s equipment was under close management, and anything that was broken had to be procured again and taken out of the budget.

Hange knew this well enough. But there was a reason they thought this wasn’t their fault.

“Think about it. My Squad was working on new types of weapons. Even our valuable prototypes were in pieces. Do you really think that’s something I would do?”

Erwin remained calm. The order he gave was not to pin down a criminal but to find the truth.

“…Alright, then.”

Hange decided to start by going to a subordinate who might know what was going on.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

Three Viewpoints Selected Cases

The Case of the Disappearing Steamed Potatoes - File No. 03 Ymir’s Side (3/3)

So Krista and I are in different squads tomorrow for the logistics march.

A few hours before the stomach-shaking case of the many missing potatoes was discovered…

It’s a long route, but there’s so little food… This seems pretty tough. Knowing her…she’ll probably give her food to some second-rate recruit.

Alone and on water-fetching duty, Ymir thought to herself as she passed by the storehouse with a bucket in her hands.

Are those…Garrison soldiers? Are they slacking on the job?

“Hey, what about guarding the storehouse?”

“Who’s going to steal that gruel they feed the recruits?”

Ymir clicked her tongue as she watched the soldiers chat away.

It’s like they don’t have a care in the world… Wait a second.

A thought came to Ymir’s mind. If anything was to happen, guards this flippant about their duty would surely try to cover it up.

******

Then, after dinner that day.

I feel bad about what I did to Sasha, sending her into the kitchen like that…but she’ll just have to hold on. If I can just skip those into the cargo that’s being distributed…

Ymir was walking to the stables while trying to avoid being spotted by anyone. A voice came out of nowhere from around the waiting horses.

“…So it was you.”

“Armin! …What’re you doing there?”

“What about you, Ymir? Why are you in these stables?”

“I dunno… Why don’t you answer my question first?”

With strong, determined eyes that didn’t match the rest of his frame, the short boy looked at his fellow corpsmate.

“I…was hiding here to talk to whomever came here right now at this hour.”

When he saw Ymir wasn’t going to say anything, Armin began to explain his thoughts in full.

******

“…The case of the missing potatoes was more than someone stealing food to eat on their own. While that was happening, a huge number of potatoes was taken as well.”

“…That’s no good. Thieves?”

“They would have gone for something more valuable if they were motivated by money… I think it’s someone who needed food used in training.”

Armin lowered his eyes for a moment before looking Ymir in the face.

“It was a gamble…but I thought that if a recruit was going to hide food, they’d hide it in the horse fodder. You could even carry it on horseback to a separate location that way. That’s why I was here, waiting for that recruit to come to the stables.”

“How do you think I did that, then?”

“It’s only a guess, but…when you were on water-fetching duty, you pretended to start carrying water before throwing it out near the storehouse, then filled your bucket up with potatoes that you hid in the fodder. The area around the storehouse being wet was proof that you threw the water out.

Ymir let out a deep sigh when she heard Armin putting the pieces together.

******

"So? Are you going to squeal on me?”

“I…want to let you decide that. There should have been no need for you to steal an entire box of potatoes if you were just trying to make things easier for yourself.”

And if she had wanted to pad the number of potatoes her squad got, she didn’t need to take so much that she’d be discovered. Armin continued to explain with disappointment in his voice, like it was something he had done himself.

“Could it be…that you risked getting noticed and stole a whole box so that everyone would have more food?”

“Do you really think I’m that good of a person?”

“You wouldn’t need this many unless you were also considering the squads of your friend like Krista and Sasha.”

“Hm…Is that so?”

Ymir scratched her head and looked back at the stolen potatoes, as if she wondered what she should do. Now that she had been discovered, perhaps it would be best for her to return them with grace.

But if the training exercise goes forward as planned, she'll…

“This case made me notice that there’s not enough food during tomorrow’s training, too.”

As if he had anticipated Ymir’s concerns, Armin took out his notebook and showed her his notes. In it was a detailed plan describing how to get through the training exercise with only the food provided.

“I tried to come up with preparations. The numbers make me think it’ll work… What do you think?”

“Are you going to tell Krist–all of the others?”

Armin nodded. Ymir decided that if this work had come from none other than Armin, they would somehow be able to survive.

“I’ll return the potatoes. If needed, I’ll accept whatever punishment they give me… Because I trust your calculations.”

“You’re such a kind person, Ymir. You did this for your friends, and…”

“I did this for myself. Now get out of the way, I’m returning these,” Ymir said, cutting Armin off and pointing the loaded horse toward the storehouse. She didn’t like the thought of having to beg and plead with Garrison soldiers, but she did feel a little better. It was like a lingering concern had been lifted from her heart.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

Three Viewpoints Selected Cases

The Case of the Disappearing Steamed Potatoes - File No. 02 Armin’s Side (2/3)

It was like any other day until the case of the disappearing steamed potatoes. As punishment for the missing potatoes, the recruits had their meals pared down, and now they were despondent.

“We have less to eat for dinner, and it’s all Sasha’s fault.”

Connie eyewitness testimony made it seem that they were all to blame because Sasha had stolen food, but…

That’s strange… How could this happen?

Armin was suspicious of the explanation.

Food is a matter of life and death when we’re undergoing training this harsh. Punishing the squadmates who should have been watching her would be one thing, but cutting everyone’s food…?

“…Oh,” Armin mumbled. “There’s no way…that Sasha could have done it.”

******

“What did you just say, Armin?”

“Sasha admitted it herself that she took it.”

“Yes. I’m sure that she took potatoes as they were being steamed. But…there’s something I want to make sure of.”

After their meal, Armin and a number of other interested recruits went to the food storehouse together.

“The instructor would have easily been able to know it was Sasha when he heard the details, right? So then he should have just punished her. I think he didn’t do that…because he only had one choice.”

“…And that’s why you want to look at the storehouse.”

Motivated by Armin’s doubts, the recruits searched through the storehouse to try to find anything suspicious.

While storehouse with items such as expansive cuts of meat were locked and guarded, ones for wheat, potatoes, and so on were simply piled high with boxes. It was relatively easy to look around them as one pleased.

“What’s this? An empty box…? I guess it hasn’t been thrown out yet because a few potatoes are left in here.”

You would normally carry the entire box of potatoes to the kitchen. Why are there only a few in there? I wonder…if we can find any more hints.

Armin looked closely at the wooden box Reiner pointed to, then approximated its size. That’s when he noticed something.

“…One box of these potatoes would weigh more than half of Sasha’s body weight… No matter how much of a glutton she is, she couldn’t possibly eat more than half of what she weighs.”

“Hey, wait. In that case, that would mean the potatoes disappeared…from this storehouse?!”

Armin nodded silently. While his corpsmates began to stir, he was shockingly calm as he judged the situation.

******

After a bit, Armin’s eyes landed on the group of soldiers who had come by on patrol.

“I think…the patrol are probably the key here.”

He gave them a salute from afar so as not to attract attention, then left the storehouse to look fit more clues. While he did, he continued to piece his thoughts together.

“If the potatoes had been stolen before they got to the kitchen, then lookout would be responsible. It would reflect poorly on the senior soldiers who usually act like they’re so much better than us…which is why they covered up the truth.”

Eren took on a look of anger as he stood next to Armin.

“So the instructor gave us some vague junk about shared responsibility instead of saying who the real culprit was, all for their sake?”

“Does that mean the real person behind this was s thief from town or something?”

“Why would you go out of your way to steal something like potatoes if you were capable of sneaking into the barracks? There must be more valuable things to take.”

“So there’s a reason it had to be potatoes…” Armin began to think again as he corpsmates spoke. He knew that finding the criminal wouldn’t bring back their dinner, but he wasn’t the kind of person who could let the unknown stay that way.

******

A reason that someone would take the risk to steal potatoes and nothing else. The criminal Armin imagined was one not motivated by monetary gain.

…Our logistics training march starts tomorrow.

“Did you figure something out, Armin?”

Armin hesitated to share his thoughts.

The ability to resupply the front lines… Training that tests to see if we can manage food and resources… If you wanted to gain an advantage, you would need food for training. In other words…the culprit is one of the recruits.

He didn’t want to accuse a fellow recruit here and aggravate matters. If anything, he thought, finding the truth now might mean he could talk it over with them first.

“Hey, Armin. I see footprints here.”

“But there’s too many of them. We can’t tell who they belong to.”

Footprints around the storehouse. And they’ve been made in…mud?

While each of the recruits tilted their head to see the flame-lit footprints, Armin was alone as he quietly laughed.

“So that’s it…!”

“Did you figure out who stole them?”

“It’s no one dangerous. I’ll go myself.”

Armin ran off as the others grew surprised, disappearing into the night.

[PART ONE | PART THREE ]

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

Three Viewpoints Selected Cases

The Case of the Disappearing Steamed Potatoes - File No. 01 Connie’s Side (1/3)

A free moment between training sessions…

As Connie tried to take a shortcut, he went the wrong way and passed by the kitchen.

Sasha? What’s she doing there?

The door was cracked open, and through it he saw Sasha, a fellow corpsmate, snooping around. When Connie stopped, wondering what she could be doing, Sasha noticed him and let out a surprised yell.

“C-Connie?! Were you watching?!”

“Huh? Watching what?”

Connie hadn’t seen what Sasha was doing. But he had a vague idea. She must have been sneaking a bite again.

******

“Hm? Aren’t we missing some food for dinner tonight?”

“Do you ever listen to what people say, Connie? The instructor just now told us we’re all being punished by only having one plate each for dinner because someone pigged out on potatoes.”

It wasn’t until Connie had finished half of his dinner before he realized that the mood in the room was heavy.

Jean seemed as disgusted as could be, and he was looking at Sasha, who acted openly suspicious.

“Like I said, it wasn’t me!”

“Coming from you, that’s hard to believe.”

Even Connie was dubious of Sasha. While it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, he thought that idiots like her were bad liars. Just then, Marco asked him a question.

“Speaking of which, didn’t you say you were taking a shortcut and going by the kitchen, Connie? You still just barely made it in time… Did you see something there?”

“Ah… Umm… I don’t know.”

“What you mean, you don’t know? You must at least remember if you saw someone there or not.”

Connie couldn’t find the words for an answer. Armin, who had been deep in thought until then, began to speak.

“This is just a theory… But Connie, did you…?”

To everyone’s shock, he guessed the exact words that were stuck in Connie’s throat.

******

“…Would you please take this and keep quiet?”

“A potato? You didn’t steal this, did you?”

Sasha offered Connie something in the kitchen. It was, without question, a freshly-steamed potato.

“No, I didn’t take it! I was just here because it was my turn to get some water!”

“I know you must have taken this from that pot. Why else would I need to stay quiet? If I do, I’m gonna lose out on food, too!”

While he was as right as could be, Sasha had already eaten it. There was no turning back now.

“It’s not like I can give it back… It won’t be a problem for anyone as long as you stay quiet, Connie. By the way, what about our next training…oh, there’s the bell.”

“…Crap! We’ll be late!”

Sasha popped the entire potato in her outstretched hand into her mouth before running off. While Connie had his reservations, being late for his next training session was the bigger concern. Somehow, nothing came of it in the end.

******

Connie agreed with Armin’s Defence of him and explained everything that had happened. All the others looked at him and put their head in their hands.

“So you let Sasha win you over.”

“Why would you say that?!”

“You just admitted it.”

Only Sasha looked panicked now.

“Oh! Wh-What’re you talking about…? I was only in the kitchen to fetch some water… And that’s when I met Connie… And…”

“Sorry. We were on duty too, but someone suddenly asked for our help. We made Sasha go to the kitchen by herself…”

Krista tried to take some of the blame with this flimsy excuse. While they were all ready to take Sasha down, Armin was the only one who still seemed puzzled.

“There's…no way that Sasha could have done it.”

“What did you just say, Armin?”

Connie was astonished to hear the words. But Armin was always able to explain everything in a simple way. Connie waited for Armin’s next conjecture, hoping that he would reveal an unseen truth.

[PART TWO | PART THREE ]

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 12 Eren Yeager & The 104th Training Corps

They had no choice but to cancel the training march once the rain began to fall that afternoon.

The endless downpour robbed them of any visibility, the cold air hastened their horses’ fatigue, and the softened ground limited their Vertical Maneuvering. The recruits had no choice but to pitch tents on high ground and set up camp.

Eren stood under the tent and sighed as he lifted the hood of his rain gear.

Damn… We could’ve gone farther if only it was clear out.

The sky should have been dyed crimson by the setting sun, but it was now covered by thick rain clouds, allowing dusk to sneak up on them faster than expected.

“Eren… You’re going to get cold like that.”

Mikasa walked up to the boy’s side and looked at him. At about the same time, Reiner called the two over.

“Hey, you guys help build the fire, too!”

When Eren looked around, he saw everyone going about their own business.

******

“Sheesh. Whose fault is it that it’s raining like this, Bertolt?”

“Is… Is it my fault?”

“Hunh? It’s your fault?!”

Jean, Bertolt, and Connie were busy chatting and cracking jokes as they threw logs onto the bonfire.

“Come on, now. No one’s to blame for the weather,” Marco said with a forced smile, stirring a pot full of food. As soon as Jean noticed Eren walking over, he began to badmouth him.

“Ugh, we would’ve been able to set up a better campsite if only that suicide bastard hadn’t charged forward all on his own.”

“We might have even been able to hunt some meat!”

“Do you really think we’d be able to hunt in this rain?”

“…Ugh.”

Ymir shot down Sasha’s off-the-mark joke with a serious reply as Annie let out a bored sigh. Next to them, Krista was briskly preparing bread for everyone in the camp.

“Here you go, Armin. This is for you guys.”

“Thanks. Here you go, Eren,” Armin said. After being handed the bread from Armin, Eren looked around once more.

…It was so lively.

All these people around… I don’t think I was ever in a situation like this…until I signed up to be a soldier.

******

The rain incessantly pounded against the tent.

When I was little… I think I was only ever with Mikasa and Armin.

Eren never got along well with other children. It wasn’t until he became a recruit that he was together with others his age the way he now found himself.

While Eren had a strong competitive spirit, he never isolated himself in these situations. Even if he got in an argument and began to fight with another recruit, there was always someone there to step in and mediate.

“Food’s ready. All of you better eat up.”

Reiner poured everyone soup as Marco and Krista passed it out.

I used to think all that mattered was getting strong and defeating Titans… But it was here that I learned I can’t do it alone.

******

“What’s the matter? It’s going to get cold.”

“Oh! …It’s nothing.”

Mikasa tapped Eren’s shoulder as he was lost in thought. He noticed Jean gritting his teeth, as well as Connie and Sasha watching on and grinning.

In the rain, Eren saw them as reliable friends, people he could trust in.

I wonder if…I’m going to fight alongside them someday. We might be assigned to different branches, but…we’re fighting against the Titans no matter where we go in this world.

Even so, he halt he would be able to manage if he was fighting together with them.

While Eren couldn’t quite recognize his emotions as trust, the boy continued to quietly think about his future.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 11 Erwin Smith

Just as Erwin Smith got out of his one-man carriage after his meeting with his supporters, rain began to fall from the grey skies. The Survey Corps barracks were right ahead of him, but the rain grew intense in no time at all. He instinctively hid under the closest roof.

“…That was a failure.”

The Commander’s bolo tie swung as he wiped the water off of his drenched chest. When he did this, a vision of the past crossed the back of his mind, mixed with the sound of the rain.

“Commander… Please, Commander, help me…”

A self-deprecating smirk came to the edge of Erwin’s mouth as he looked at the large drops of water rolling off the roof and splashing against the ground.

So even getting drenched all alone like this is what I deserve…

*******

Rain is not a great thing.

Plans go haywire when it rains during an expedition. While some Titans don’t move as efficiently, perhaps because there’s less sunlight, others are fine, making it difficult to predict what might happen. In the past, Erwin had put his emotions aside and sacrificed Corpsmen in order to get past such Titans.

…I wonder how many men and women I’ve fed to them.

The wind, chilled with rain, shook his blond hair.

It was all to accomplish our goals… That’s how I’ve rationalized it.

******

“Commander… I believe in you… Commander…”

Erwin couldn’t stop hearing the voice. Could it have been because of the strong rain? The voice belonged to a nondescript soldier who had died in front of his eyes on a day like this one.

You…believe in me?

…But the soldier wasn’t unknown to Erwin. He knew the soldier’s name, his story, everything.

Erwin truly believed in every single member of the Corps. He even thought of them as family. And yet…

I don’t think…that I deserve their heartfelt trust. Because it’s their trust in me that I’ve used to make them throw away their lives…

This line of thought meant that Erwin would always be isolated and alone for as long as he led the Survey Corps. He pushed these feelings of desolation back into his heart and shiok his head.

But that’s just…another part of my fate.

******

“Heeey, Erwin!”

The wild shout brought Erwin back to his senses.

“So that’s where you were!”

When he faced the voice, he noticed a number of familiar shapes running toward him through the weakening rain.

“We were looking for you!”

“We thought this rain might’ve held you up…”

Hange waved at him so hard it seemed they might shake off their rain gear. Next to Hange was Levi, clicking his tongue.

“It’s time for the officers’ meeting,” Mike said briefly with a snort. Erwin voiced his surprise as he looked at the three.

“You came out here just to look for me? You could’ve left it to your troops…”

“I knew you’d probably be acting all sentimental since it’s this damp out. You wanted me to let some drop-outs see your pathetic face looking like that?”

“What he means is that we came here because we were worried about you, Erwin!”

Erwin was casually passed some rain gear, and he felt something as he took it–something pure and strong–true bonds.

“Sorry… That’s very helpful if you.”

He put on the rain gear and began heading to the barracks with the other three.

You really did…help me out.

The day may come, he thought, when he would have to throw away even these bonds. But they would surely trust Erwin in their final moments.

As the now-gentle rain dripped down on Erwin, he showed a genuine smile.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 10 Ymir & Annie Leonhart

As if hand-to-hand combat training wasn’t draining enough, a troublesome drizzle began to come from the sky. Ymir sighed.

She showed up for long enough to be counted at roll call, then sneaked away toward a nearby storehouse when her instructor wasn’t looking. The rain drizzled on her the whole way there, and she was completely wet by the time she made it under the roof.

“Ugh… Do they really expect me to put up with this?”

“You said it.”

Ymir turned to face this surprising reply as she wiped the water off her body. There stood a small girl looking at Ymir with her arms crossed.

“…So you were here, Annie?”

******

“Heh… You sure about this?”

“About what?”

Annie’s cool expression didn’t change, despite Ymir’s teasing.

“I’m asking if little Miss Honor Student, who’s definitely on track to be in the top ten, should really be skipping training in a place like this.”

“Hand-to-hand combat doesn’t factor into our marks. There’s no way I can act stupid enough to want to put work into training in the rain,” Annie casually said, looking at the recruits as they trained. “People take the path of least resistance.”

The majority of the others weren’t putting themselves into this Training that wouldn’t reflect on them later. While none of them were skipping outright like Ymir and Annie, there were mentally doing something similar.

“Sure you don’t need to go up against that hot-blooded goof? He was really interested in your martial arts, wasn’t he?” Ymir said, pointing to Eren. He was one of the few other recruits putting everything he had into even this training, and he was trying to tackle Mikasa.

“He’s busy right now focusing on trying to do something about the one recruit he can’t beat. I don’t have a clue what’s so fun about that, though.”

“Heh… Weren’t you the one who taught him that move?”

“I trained with him because he wouldn’t leave me alone, that’s all.”

The recruits continued to train in hand-to-hand combat as their body grew colder in the drizzling rain.

“…Like I said. You won’t be able to put any power into it like that.” Eren’s flexible partner sent him flying straight into the ground with one of her throws, and Annie couldn’t help but say the words, dismayed.

“What’s that? Worried about your disciple?”

“…Not really. Just a little annoyed.”

“You don’t sound annoyed to me.”

“…”

But Annie’s silent intimidation didn’t work on Ymir.

“See, look. He’s not giving up.”

“You don’t need to comment on every little thing that happens.”

Ymir began to grin when she saw Annie turn to look the other way.

“You know… You’re bad at acting cold.”

“Hunh?!”

“I can tell by your eyes.”

Ymir smirked in Annie’s face.

******

“It’s not just Eren. There’s kindness in your eyes no matter who you’re looking at, whether they’re slacking or taking it seriously.”

“What's…that suppose to mean? You’re not even making sense.”

“That’s fine, you don’t need to understand,” Ymir said, patting Annie’s shoulders as she put away the secret sealed inside her. “Whether they’re stupidly overbearing…or so weak they’ll let anyone push them around…you must see every single one of them as human, don’t you?”

“Human, huh…”

Annie looked at the ceiling, paying no mind to the rain that blew down onto her face. It was as if there was something more for her to think about in those words.

“Whoa, crap. The instructor’s about to come around.”

“…Yeah, all right.”

The two girls silently left the storehouse and slipped back into the group with the rest of their peers. The gentle rain showed no signs of stopping as it poured on all of the recruits alike, whether strong or weak.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 09 Dot Pixis & Rico Brzenska

The people of the rainy town carried on as they always did, bustling about. Whether voices from peddlers, the sounds of carriages rolling by, or the complaints of the unemployed, the commotion drowned out the sound of the rain.

Rico, a Garrison soldier in rain gear, quickly slipped her way through the throng with documents in her hands before stopping under the perfect roof.

“…This rain is miserable.”

“Well, aren’t you a hard worker?”

“What? …C-Commander?!”

******

Of all the people to bump into under a roof, Rico now faced the Commander of the Garrison, Dot Pixis.

“What are you doing in a place like this, Sir?!”

“Oh… I can’t ever see people in their natural habitat all cooped up in the Commander’s room. I make it a habit to observe them in the wild like this every now and then,” Pixis said with a cool expression. Rico could see the shoulders of the aide who he seemed have brought along sinking as he made the ridiculous statement. “And what about you? Might you be working?”

“Yes,” Rico nodded. She took off her glasses, wiped her lenses with her sleeve, and looked at the day’s records.

“…No apparent inconsistencies in the Merchants’ Association report, a few more troops will be needed to maintain public safety, and our most urgent need is to address unemployment.”

“Oh, what a stiff report.”

Rico grimaced. The cool-headed soldier was just trying to faithfully perform her duties.

******

“You know…” Pixis began to ask Rico as he looked at the people going back and forth in the rain. Ahead of them was a fruit Seller trying to convince a child of how cheap his groceries were, and next to them were housewives having a lively conversation by the side of a well.

“What do you think of this town’s people?” he asked.

“What do…I think?”

Rico considered for a moment before giving her honest impressions.

“I think some of them tend to take peace for granted. In part because this town is far from the front lines, but also because they lack any awareness of crisis management.”

“Hmm… Well, you did experience what happened in Trost District. I can see how you might feel that way.”

“Was there a problem with my answer?”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Despite the showers, the children frolicked in the streets, the men knocked back their drinks, and the merchants pitched their goods.

“However… Would you not say that it’s our job as soldiers to allow them to Taka it for granted?”

“…!”

Rico’s eyes opened wide and looked at Pixis’s smiling face.

******

Though Pixis never stopped looking like a kindly old man at first glance, there was an unwavering sense of determination in his eyes as he watched over the people.

“We often speak of…protecting ‘humanity’, do we not? And there’s no better example of humanity than what we’re looking at right here. It’s them. Isn’t it our job to build a world that lets them take peace for granted?”

The words made Rico think back to the hellish scenes of carnage she had experienced in the past and ruminate on what they meant.

That’s right. It’s the regular, unassuming days that can crumble the fastest… Isn’t that what I learned in Trost District?

Rico snapped into position and saluted, showing that she’d reconsidered and understood.

“You’re exactly right, Commander. I’ll go back to my duties of protecting everyday life. As for you, Commander, I hope you’ll show moderation in your observations.”

“How unsparing of you.”

“You’re going to give your aide an ulcer,” Rico said, before disappearing into the rainy throng to go back to her duties.

“My goodness,” Pixis laughed. He put on his rain gear, explained to his aide that he would only be a little longer, and walked out into town himself.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 08 Reiner Braun & Marco Bott

Reiner had expected the day’s practice march to be a mess. The day had come for the training exercise where they were to split into squads and travel a predetermined distance down various kinds of terrain, and it had been pouring rain all morning.

“Well… Just like I thought, then.”

Reiner pushed through the sloshing mud to invite his squad’s members into an abandoned house where they could take shelter from the rain.

“Wait, Reiner?!”

“…Oh, Marco!”

******

“This exercise is supposed to be squad against squad. It’s not much of a competition if we’re resting in the same place.”

“You just chose the shortest and least difficult route, too, right? So we can’t help it if we end up taking break at the same spot, Reiner.”

The two leaders let their squads rest as they built a fire.

“If you made the decision to come here first, then that must make you the one more cut out to be a commanding officer,” Reiner said.

“No, we just got here, too. You’re doing just as well as me. And…” Marco continued as he tossed in more firewood, “It’s not like you’re resting in order to earn points either, are you?”

“Hm?”

“Our squadmates have to be getting tired after travelling through this rain. You decided to take a break out of consideration for them. Am I wrong?”

“No… That is true, but…”

Reiner could feel his vision wavering the slightest bit as he stared into the shimmering flames.

I'm…being considerate to people?

Reiner grew silent as he cast his eyes downward. The feeling that he was forgetting something refused to leave his mind.

******

“Reiner?” Marco said, looking concerned. Reiner fired back in order to keep up appearances.

“But not anyone would say that kind of thing, Marco. I think that shows you’re a leader who really knows how to think of his team.”

“But… I’m not strong like you, Reiner. That’s why I always tend to sacrifice myself whenever I lead… I don’t think that’s a good trait.” Marco opened up his rain gear to show Reiner his white pants, soaked up to the thigh with muddy water. “I didn’t want to have to use any of my squad members as sacrifices when we crossed the river. I decided it would be best for me to get in first and figure out how deep it was, and that’s when I slipped.”

“C'mon… What’re you doing? You know that you’re going to end up as prime Titan food if you’re too kind.”

“Yeah…” Marco slumped his shoulders. “I think I’d be able to pull everyone forward if I was strong like you, Reiner. I admire you.”

He…admires me…?

Reiner was gripped by the strange sensation once more.

For whatever reason, something about these pure feelings of respect and trust made him feel a deep sense of guilt.

******

“Come over here by the fire, everyone! Reiner’s squad, too!”

Reiner snapped back to his senses when he heard Marco calling out to the others.

“That’s right, you guys! Don’t let yourselves get cold! We’re gonna push once we get back out there so that we don’t let them beat us!”

“Oh yeah? Well, we don’t have any intention of losing, either!”

Marco’s unaffected smile sent another prick into Reiner’s chest.

“Hah! I’ll show you who the better soldier is!” Reiner wiped away his feelings by saying the words, causing his mind to change gears.

That’s right. I’m a soldier. Being trusted is part of that.

As the team’s trusting eyes all rested on Reiner, the odd fraying in his heart grew indistinct, like the mud and leaves in the rain dissolving as they were washed away.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 06 Nanaba & Hange Zöe

A cold rain had been falling since morning.

The longer a Survey Corps member manages to serve, the more paperwork they’re expected to do. Nanaba had to suppress a sigh when she looked at the stacks of paper in front of her.

Erwin and Mike are doing even more work than this. I need to get it together.

Nanaba was a veteran member of the Survey Corps, having served for over five years. Beyond the windowpanes of her office, cloudy from the temperature difference between the room and the rain-chilled world outside of it, Nanaba noticed a familiar shape staggering about and stood in shock.

“…Hange?!”

******

“You decided to go on a walk to refresh yourself? Without any rain gear at all?”

“Well, my samples weren’t showing much of a reaction today… It’s too bad, they’re so cute.”

Hange wasn’t on a walk so much as Hange was reeling back and forth like a corpse that had just crawled out of the grave. Nanaba had caught Hange and was drying Hange off.

While Nanaba was not normally in the kind of position where she’d be looking out for Hange, the two veterans were on good terms with one another. A special kind of bond was born between soldiers just through the act of going beyond the Walls and making it back alive.

“…Honestly. You’re suppose to be a squad leader, right? You’re not going to be much of a model leader if you’re wandering around soaking wet in the rain.”

“Squad leader, huh… Yeah, I guess I am a squad leader.”

Hange got rid of the clothing being used to wipe their head, revealing hair that was even messier than usual. Hange’s head almost seemed to be drooping.

******

“Aren’t you being awfully emotional?”

“Yeah… Maybe a little.” Hange returned the wet cloth used to wipe down their body to Nanaba before walking to the window. “Making it up the ranks of the Survey Corps shows just how long you’ve survived, right?”

“Yes… That’s right,” Nanaba said, not understanding Hange’s point and furrowing her brow. Hange only turned their back to her and followed the drops of water flowing outside the window with their eyes.

“In other words, we have these positions thanks to the deaths of many of our fellow soldiers. When I act as a squad leader…sometimes I start to think about these kinds of things.”

“…That’s true.” The drops rolling down the window looked like tears coming from Hange’s eyes, though their face was hidden behind glasses. Seeing this, Nanaba stood up straight. “Of course it is. But…that’s exactly why there’s something we veterans need to do.”

“Huh?”

“For the sake of our fallen allies, too… Veterans need to properly lead the young soldiers. So that we can prevent any more meaningless deaths, at least,” Nanaba bravely said, smacking Hange on the back.

******

“Which is why, Hange, you shouldn’t do anything that makes you look pathetic. Even if we are inside the Walls. You’ll worry the soldiers in the Fourth Squad, and you’ll even worry the others a little bit.”

“…You’re right.”

Hange took off their glasses and wipe them with a sleeve. They put them on again and looked back toward Nanaba with the same curiosity-filled face as always.

“Maybe I was acting a little down. I’ll get straight back to research. Data on Titans in the rain is valuable, too!”

“Hey! You should at least put on some rain gear!”

Hange leaped out of the room and ran off to the far side of the hallway. Perhaps they weren’t listening to what Nanaba had to say.

So that’s where a veteran stands, huh. On top of the deaths of many others.

Nanaba closed the door and digested Hange’s words.

The same goes for me… I need to get it together, too. So that I can prove that their deaths and my survival weren’t all for nothing.

Nanaba nodded slightly as the endless rain beat down on the roof and window before getting back to work.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 04 Armin Arlert & Connie Springer

“Over here, Connie!”

The clouds covering town from the early afternoon had grown heavy and grey before erupting at last into a sudden downpour. The two young boys Shopping in the market ran for shelter under a building they found in a back alley.

******

“Hey, Armin. This should clear up soon, right?”

“Yeah… The clouds are moving fast.”

Armin pointed to the sky, where the rain clouds drifted by. But next to him, Connie was looking at something else.

“Look at those little brats.”

“…They seem energetic.”

The two could hear the children’s cries of joy as they innocently romped around in the unexpected rain.

“…That must be nice.”

Armin and Connie looked at each other after the words came out of both of their mouths simultaneously.

“…Why did you say that?”

“Well, why did you?”

“Um, I…” Armin said, looking aside as the rain beat down on the roofing. “…I wasn’t the kind of kid who played with everyone else. That’s why.”

******

Armin was called a heretic when he was little. He had an interest in what was past the Walls, and when he tried to explain why to the children in his town, he was shunned and bullied by them.

Connie looked utterly surprised to hear this story from Armin’s past.

“…I was sure you were popular ‘cause of how smart you are.”

“What about you, Connie?”

“I got teased in my village, too, for being stupid and little.” Connie scratched under his nose and looked at the children. “And I really am stupid. They even left me in the woods outside my village, thinking that I wouldn’t be able to find my way back.”

“Did you?”

“…I couldn’t. Right as they did, it started to rain out of nowhere, just like today… I got lost, and I was drenched. I started crying.”

As the rain got stronger, the playing children began to take shelter under a roof.

“…My mom came to get me in the end. I’m ashamed to say it, but…”

“Me, too… It was the same for me,” Armin said. He saw the children gathering together to care for one of their friends who had gotten cold. “It was a rainy day…and I couldn’t move because I’d been punched. But then Eren and Mikasa came to get me and we all went home together under the same umbrella. I felt so ashamed then, but…”

Armin looked up.

“Now that I think of it, that was them proving to me that they were my friends. I’m glad I didn’t try to turn down their help.”

“Oh. So I should have thought of it as my mom showing that she cared about me, huh.”

“Yeah… Probably,” Armin nodded, before looking to the sky. The heavy clouds rolled away, reflected in his eyes.

*****

“Why don’t we go? It looks like it’s about to stop raining.”

“…Heh.”

“What is it?” Armin asked, looking back at Connie’s laughter with a puzzled expression.

“To tell you the truth, it’s because I thought you and I didn’t have anything in common. I couldn’t help but laugh.”

“…When you put it like that, yeah.” Armin chuckled back.

As the rain passed, the glowing evening dried the pavement as it illuminated the two boys running back into town.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 03 Mike Zacharias & Gelgar

The sprinkling rain turned to a white fog that filled the forest.

“We might as well not have our horses and our Vertical Maneuvering Equipment in this weather. Wouldn’t you agree, Squad Leader?”

While the two were outside the Walls that protected humanity from its natural enemy of the Titans, the two felt relatively safe in the Forest of Giant Trees. The Survey Corpsmen were stopped on the high branches of one of the many trees now covered in fog, out of any Titan’s reach.

“That’s why the Commander gave the order to take a short break,” Mike said. He sniffed the air, then called out to the other soldier. “Gelgar.”

“Yes?”

“One in your right inside breast pocket, another one on your left back pocket.”

Gelgar looked back at him, startled.

“…You’re carrying them, aren’t you?”

“…Yes.”

******

No regular sense of smell would have been able to notice them between the aroma emitted by the damp trees and the metallic stench that came off the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment attached to their bodies, but Mike discovered them easily. They hadn’t even been uncapped.

“I’ll throw them away at once.”

“No…”

Gelgar’s hands, now stuck in his pockets, were up against miniature bottles of his perpetual favorite–alcohol. It goes without saying that these were not normally something a soldier should be carrying during an expedition beyond the Walls.

“That’s what gives you the strength to fight, right?”

“…I’m just using it to run away.”

“No… I don’t think so,” Mike said, resting against the trunk of the tree as he looked at Gelgar. “You’re not running. You’ve been fighting valiantly.”

“I’ve managed to somehow, thanks to the alcohol.”

“Bravery comes in different forms for different people,” the normally reserved Mike said in a calm tone. “Everyone depends on something in order to fight. That something just happens to be alcohol in your case.”

Mike’s words were embued with his belief that to snatch alcohol from Gelgar now would be no different from snatching the beliefs from a soldier who depends on faith to fight. Mike continued, “So I’m not going to treat you as if you’ve done anything wrong.”

I know that argument doesn’t hold up. But…

The corpsmen risk their lives as they leap head-first into the heart of humanity’s enemies. As someone who had survived one hell after another over his many years, Mike did not believe that theirs was a job that could be performed on belief and ideals alone. It made Gelgar stand up straight to learn that Mike, someone seen as special, even among the other personalities in the Survey Corps’s leadership, was willing to acknowledge that they were all human.

“…I’ll do my best, sir.”

“Heh,” Mike chuckled out of what might have been embarrassment. Even he seemed to think that he was talking too much.

******

The fog soon subsided, and the two vacantly looked out around them.

A flash of light and the sound of an acoustic shell tore through the mist.

“There’s the signal. Move forward.”

“Yes, sir!”

Gelgar swooped down to his horse with newfound trust in the officer he followed behind.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 02 Jean Kirstein & Bertolt Hoover

The heavy rain flowed down the side of the mountain, turning into a river that ran through the gaps of its rocks.

“Ugh…It’s pouring like crazy because of that ridiculous pose you struck in your sleep this morning, Bertolt,” Jean said.

The two recruits were squatting under a rock on high ground that jutted out halfway up the cliff, taking shelter from the rain.

“…Sorry, Jean.”

“Bertolt, that was obviously a joke!”

******

“…Either way, I can barely see a thing.”

“I think it’s the correct decision to take a short break in this weather during a practice march.”

Bertolt focused on resting his body as he sat further under the rock, where the rain couldn’t reach him, with his arms hugging his legs.

“You’re right,” Jean said, sitting down next to him after walking over. He prodded Bertolt, as if to tease him.

“I thought I got stuck with a real quiet, boring partner at first, but you’re a talented one. I can trust you.”

Bertolt could only return Jean’s backhanded praise with a troubled smile.

******

The downpour showed no signs of letting up.

“Ah… Hey, Bertolt. You wanted to join the MPs, too, right? Yeah, we won’t ever have to shiver in the rain on some mountain like this if we make it to the Interior,” Jean cracked, unable to stand the silence for any longer.

“…I wonder if it’s okay for someone like me to go to the Interior,” Bertolt muttered back.

“Hunh?! You’re more than qualified with those marks of yours! You’re higher in rank than me and you still don’t have any confidence?!”

Bertolt only held his arms tighter around his legs as he shook his head.

“I don’t have a will of my own. Wanting to become an MP…even that’s something I fell into because of everyone else.”

“That’s just how it is,” Jean sighed. “There are some model soldier out there like Marco, but other than them… It’s human nature to want to live the kind of nice, safe life that MPs live. What’s wrong with falling into that? Not to mention that it’s something you’ll be getting thanks to your own abilities. You ought to be more proud.”

Jean trying to encourage me. He sees me as a friend…

******

A bit of time passed before Bertolt looked up and stood. He approached the small waterfall flowing from the rock above them and looked down.

Am I…worthy of someone’s trust?

As if it reflected his own complex emotions, the frothing puddle underfoot was mixed with mud and leaves, swirling before running down to lower ground.

“Sorry… Thanks, Jean,” he said, almost straining to get the words out. They were heartfelt words of thanks as well as an apology, but Jean didn’t know what he truly meant.

“Hunh? I didn’t say anything worth your thanks. Anyway, how’s the weather look?”

“I think we can go. It’s only drizzle now.”

“Let’s go through the forest. Our anchors won’t be stable on the cliff now that its foundation is weak.”

Bertolt smiled at Jean’s coolheaded analysis.

“I see why everyone says you’re good with the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, Jean.”

The two nodded to each other and pulled out the grips to their Equipment in unison. A moment later, the two boys’ rain gear fluttered in the air as they flew off into the forest, still hazy from the showers.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Good Night, Dear and Sweet Dreams (Goodnight. Sweet dreams, dear)

It was once said the dreams are a mirror of one’s heart. Perhaps dreams are a respite that allow one to forget their cruel and brutal day, or they might be an abyss even harsher than reality… What will tonight’s rest bring?

• Vol. 01 Sasha Blouse
• Vol. 02 Levi
• Vol. 03 Bertolt Hoover
• Vol. 04 Armin Arlert
• Vol. 05 Hange Zöe
• Vol. 06 Marco Bott
• Vol. 07 Annie Leonhart
• Vol. 08 Jean Kirstein
• Vol. 09 Moblit Berner
• Vol. 10 Mikasa Ackerman
• Vol. 11 Connie Springer
• Vol. 12 Reiner Braun
• Vol. 13 Carla Yeager
• Vol. 14 Ymir
• Vol. 15 Eren Yeager

******

Good Night, Dear and Sweet Dreams series is published in the Attack on Titan: Short Stories booklet that was included in the Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 1 Manga Box Set[BUY HERE]

The Following Stories under the same series had also been published on the AU Smartpass Website[LINK ] but not included in the Booklet

• Nile Dok
• Oluo Bozado
• Hannes
• Erwin Smith
• Krista Lenz
• Mike Zacharias
• Keith Shadis

Good Night, Dear and Sweet Dreams Vol. 14 Ymir

She once had a very long nightmare.

That’s why she didn’t like dreams.

She tried to tire herself out as much as possible and fall into a deep sleep, then wake up as fast as she could in the morning.

“You’re so lucky, Ymir.”

“Huh? With what?”

“You always seem to sleep so well every night, and you’re able to get right up in the mornings, right?” The girl always by her side smiled casually.

“You don’t even sleep during lectures.”

“Well, I’m not like you,” Ymir said, nudging Sasha, the other girl present–before turning to face Krista, who stood beside her.

“It’s not something that just happens, you know? I don’t want to tire myself out more with weird dreams, anyway.”

******

Ymir was telling the truth. Not only did she live the regimented life of a recruit, she never joined the other girls in the dorm in staying up late, she skipped out on any odd jobs that seemed like they would keep her long, and she always did a small bit of exercise on her bed before falling asleep, making sure that she could go straight to sleep once she closed her eyes. This was because she hated nightmares.

…I messed that one up.

But tonight was different.

She had been placed on the same squad as Krista for their camping training, but when Krista separated from the pack in search for a reserve horse that had run away, Ymir had been sent to find her as the most talented recruit present.

“Sorry, Ymir! Thanks for coming to help me.”

“This is the last time, okay?! Sheesh… Look at how late it is already,” they galloped side by side down the moonlit path back to camp. There would be a little bit of time before they had to leave…but the bright moon had the effect of keeping her strangely awake. Ymir now thought it would have been better if she had no time to sleep at all…

******

What…is this place?

She was submerged in darkness, somewhere that even light of the moon could not reach. Her thought were interrupted by noises every now and then.

“No–!”

“Stop–!”

Screams, groans, and voices that shook in fear. Then, silence. She wandered alone for a long, long time.

…Stop it! I’m different now!

A headache. Her body was heavy.

Most of all, she felt sick–she felt lonely, isolated as if she was a pariah to the world, and she could feel the heat building from behind her eyes…

“Ymir… You can’t cry…”

The clear voice came from nowhere and turned into a shinning light. Ymir reached out as if to grab it, but the drops of light that came raining down passed through her fingers.

“I’ll fall together with you…”

“Y-You idiot… What would be the point then…?” Ymir grit her teeth and held onto this frail light. “I’m going to protect you…and live a great life. I’ve already made my decision!”

******

Ymir snapped awake to see Krista watching her with a concerned look.

“Are you okay, Ymir? It’s not like you to groan in your sleep like that… And look at how much you sweat, too.”

She enjoyed the feeling of Krista’s cool hand against her forehead.

“I wonder if you might have a fever. Probably because I kept you up late yesterday…”

“Do you seriously think that would happen…? I just wasn’t getting a good night’s sleep, that’s all.”

She brushed Krista’s hand aside to wipe away her sweat with her own hand. She felt better, but she didn’t want others–in other words, Krista–to know.

That’s right. I woke up from that dream. And then…I found something.

Ymir got up on her own, put on an unconcerned face, and started cleaning up the dorm with members of another squad.

“You’re okay, then?”

“Yeah. So hurry up and start helping out,” she replied gruffly to the girl who continued to be concerned for her, only to smile in the next moment.

Even if this world is like a nightmare, I made a decision to live a great future in it.

The morning sun illuminated her powerful, hidden determination.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Good Night, Dear and Sweet Dreams Vol. 12 Reiner Braun

As the recruits returned to the barracks having finished training, Connie noticed something.

“What are those Garrison members doing over there?”

“That squad’s probably off duty tomorrow. I bet they’re heading out to go drink or something.”

It was a group of more senior soldiers that he had spotted in the distance. As he walked beside Connie, Reiner pointed toward where they were headed, Trost District.

“Huh. That must be nice,” Connie said, watching them go. Armin responded coolly.

“You know that we can eat at a pub, too. I’ve heard rumors of past recruits even getting married to pub girls.”

“Why do you know about rumors like that?”

“I just happened to hear the instructors talking about it.”

“That’s not what he means,” Jean interrupted. “It’s like, it seems like it’d be fun to grab a drink on the way back from work. Right, Reiner?”

“Yeah, that might be true.”

******

Alcohol was the topic of discussion in the boys’ dorm that night.

“You used to see Garrison members and MPs enjoying drink, but not as much lately.”

“It’s because there aren’t as many fields growing the fruits and grains needed to make it now that humanity’s been forced into a smaller area.”

After hearing this from Eren and Armin, Connie sounded jealous as he replied.

“But it would be nice to drink during the few times we get days off.”

“Hah! You sound like an old man, Connie!” Jean laughed. Marco smiled alongside him.

“It would be interesting to see what would happen if everyone got to drink as much as they wanted. What if Bertolt actually became talkative when he was drunk!”

Now that the topic of conversation was on Bertolt, he suddenly broke his silence to shoot down the idea in a panic, causing everyone to laugh.

“What?! N-No, I don’t think that’d happen!”

“You know what? Let’s all get together again and drink when we’re old men. I’ll even pay for your drinks once I’m an MP, you suicide bastard. If you’re still alive, that is.”

“You won’t need to do that, Jean. I’ll have slaughtered so many Titans that I’ll be making even more money than you.”

“Now, now, don’t fight,” Marco said, getting in between the two and causing everyone to laugh.

“We might all go down different paths from here…but it would be nice to survive and get together.”

“Yeah, sound interesting,” Reiner said, merrily continuing on with the topic.

******

“Hey! One more bottle over here!”

Reiner was gathered with his fellow corpsmates in a dim and hazy pub. They teased one another as they poured drinks.

“Alright! Now sing, Jean!”

“Hah! You’d better not get scared off when you hear my beautiful voice!” Jean began to sing in an incredible voice, his face bright red.

“Hey, Eren! You go next! Turn into a Titan!” a drunk Connie said, putting his arms around Eren.

“Okay… Wait, I can’t do that here!” Eren replied, putting his hand out before coming to his senses and stopping.

Reiner was in such high spirits that he had to say something.

“Hm? You know that we can do that trick, too…”

Reiner looked for his hometown friends.

“…We can’t.”

A chilled hand grasped onto Reiner’s arm as it held a beer mug high. It belonged to Bertolt, his face pale…

“Not us.”

“Bertolt?”

“This isn’t something we can drink.”

******

Reiner’s eyes opened wide.

…It was late at night. It would be a long time till dawn.

“Ugh…”

He could hear Bertolt moaning in his sleep nearby. He sounded like he was in pain as he slept in an awkward position.

“I…I’m sorry…”

“Ack!”

Reiner shivered when he heard Bertolt’s delirious words.

…That’s right. Not us.

He slowly sat up and looked around at the others sleeping in the room.

We can’t imagine a future with them.

Reiner’s sharp eyes glinted.

…Sorry about that.

Reiner shook his head, as if to cast off the bonds he wanted to cling to, before falling back into a dark sleep.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Good Night, Dear and Sweet Dreams Vol. 07 Annie Leonhart

New soldiers, even ones in the Military Police, have a lot to do. That said, they still have more free time than in the Training Corps, so Annie’s peer seemed to occasionally go out to town and enjoy themselves, shopping and so on.

“Take a look, Annie. This skirt was on sale for fifty percent off!”

“…Hm.”

Annie met every piece of clothing that her roommate Hitch showed her with the same uninterested glance as she rolled about on her bed.

“You should come with me some time for a change. You’re not social at all, Annie.”

“…Leave me alone.”

******

Annie’s new post was in Stohess District, a town that protruded from the Wall and had a door allowing passage through it. These kinds of towns–such as Trost District and, of course, Shiganshina District in previous days–were full of people due to the Royal Government’s actions, making them also centers of distribution.

“Hm…?”

“C'mon, don’t you think this one would be perfect for me, Annie?”

Annie suddenly found herself in the center of its main street. Nearby, Hitch pointed at a show window. An aristocratic dress was on display in the shop.

“I can’t buy that dress…not on the kind of salary we get.”

“I know that! I was just saying,” Hitch said, letting out a trademark cackle. “Anyway, we’re soldiers. We don’t have any chance to wear clothes like that.”

“We’re soldiers, sure, but you know we’re MPs, right? What if one day we end up acting as guards for nobles, and there a handsome young aristocrat falls in love with one of us while we’re on duty… Something like that!”

“You dream too much.”

By Annie’s standards, she was being talkative.

Had she and Hitch…no, had she and any of her fellow recruits in the Training Corps ever joked back and forth like this?

The scene began to faintly blur.

******

“Oh, Annie!”

Someone began waving her hand and running toward Annie from the other side of the hazy scene.

“…Krista?”

It was the girl who was kind to everyone, someone who was always considerate, even to someone as unsociable as Annie.

“You’re going shopping? What a wonderful store.”

“Why–”

Why are you here? She wanted to ask, but her question was drowned out by the procession of figures who came to take to her.

“So you’re finally interested in dressing up, Annie?”

“Ooh, there’s a cart selling meat over there!”

Those she knew from the Training Corps walked through town, cheerful and excited. The scene was an impossible one, but it also reminded Annie of something.

“You're…all here.”

While only a few words came out of Annie’s mouth, they were filled with kindness.

“The boys are here, too. I think Reiner and Bertolt are on that street over there,” Ymir’s indistinct voice said, pointed in a different direction.

“Reiner and Bertolt…”

Annie’s spine froze in shock at the two names.

…That’s right. I'm…

Soon the cold was everywhere, and Annie held herself in her own arms, shivering.

I don’t have any right to smile.

As Annie’s senses grew colder, her happy Corpsmates began to disappear like fog.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry!”

******

“You sleep every night with such a scary look on your face. How do you do it?”

When Annie opened her eyes, Hitch was there, peeking at her bed with an astonished expression.

“…Is it morning?”

Hitch nodded, then stepped away from the bed to stretch as she put on her jacket.

“Yep. You’d better hurry up and change, or else we’ll be late.”

“…I know.”

The emotions in her voice was restrained, unlike in her dream. Annie felt relieved to hear the voice coming from her mouth.

I…can’t be the person I was in that dream. Not ever, no matter what happens…

Annie gulped down hard as something began to well up inside of her. She crawled out of bed. The sun seemed unusually bright.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Good Night, Dear and Sweet Dreams Vol. 03 Bertolt Hoover

“Hey, Bertolt. Do you have weird dreams or something?”

“…Huh?”

Training had ended, and the recruits were spending the little time they had before heading to sleep. Bertolt looked up from the book he was reading in bed to face the unexpected voice.

“Why do you ask that?”

“You sleep in such artistic poses, so we were talking about what kind of dreams we thought you might have,” Jean added. Bertolt looked down to see many of his fellow recruits chatting away about something.

“Dreams…? Dreams, huh.”

******

Bertolt climbed down to where the others were and tried to recall the kinds of dream he normally had.

“They’re normal…I think. Like about the day’s training.”

“You have normal dreams, but sleep looking like that? I guess that must make you a natural-born artist,” Jean jested, but Connie butted in.

“You say that, Jean, but I bet you’re dreaming about Mikasa…”

“Sh-Shut up, you idiot!”

Even realized something as he looked at the two out of the corner of his eyes.

“You must really be going wild in your dreams, then.”

“They do say it’s the quiet ones who have the most building up inside of them,” Armin said. Bertolt still didn’t quite understand what they meant and tilted his head.

“Is that…so? I’ve never really thought of that…”

******

That night, Bertolt dreamed he was soaring through the sky.

A bird…I’m dreaming that I’ve become a bird.

He was happy.

It felt as though he was free from the chains he could never undo that kept him shackled to the ground.

This is amazing… The Walls, the towns, they all look so distant.

He spread his wings and danced through the endless sky.

If only I could keep going like this… If only I could fly far away to a place where no one would ever bother me…

But a moment later, Bertolt noticed someone. The shape of someone standing imposingly on top of the Walls.

“Are they holding…a weapon?!”

“You have no right to celebrate such freedom.”

Despite the distance between them, Bertolt could hear the words clearly. The hateful words of this human.

“Stop it… Please, don’t shoot!!”

Bertolt’s scream was in vain. An arrow was sent flying.

The arrow pierced his chest, and Bertolt, who seemed to have been a bird just moments earlier, began to writhe in pain as he fell head-first toward the ground…

******

“…It looks like it’s going to start raining in the afternoon.”

“You must be a sleep-posture-reading expert by now, Jean.”

Bertolt heard laughter as the sun’s rays struck his vision. He opened his eyes to see Marco, Jean, and Reiner watching from above.

“He really needs to do something about his posture, though. He kicked me in the side twice last night.”

“S-Sorry, Reiner.”

Not only were the top and bottom halves of Bertolt’s body facing opposite directions, he seemed to have his pillow and blankets in a submission hold. His body had spun around 180 degrees from when he went to sleep.

“I…I didn’t mean to do it on purpose…”

“That’s what’s so funny about it.”

“Nor when you’re the one being kicked…”

“You’ll be fine, Reiner. You’re a tough guy.”

Because of the way the bedding was set up in their quarters, Reiner often fell victim to anyone with long legs. He sat near Bertolt and chatted with the others.

The morning bell rang.

After seeing Jean and the others off, Reiner stayed behind.

“…Are you okay?” he asked in a low voice.

“I’m fine. It was just…a normal dream.”

As Bertolt forced a smile, the bravado that let him hold his suffering inside began to melt away in the morning light.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories

Good Night, Dear and Sweet Dreams Vol. 09 Moblit Berner

Late one night, two soldiers could be heard quickly walking down the hall of the Survey Corps barracks.

“…How long did we end up watching after the sun went down?”

“Seven hours. The Titan stopped moving after four.”

“I see… Looks like we’ve got a real night owl on our hands.”

“If anyone’s a night owl, Squad Leader, it’s you.”

Hange, busy studying the biology of a captured Titan, stretched and asked the aide by their side a question. After using the recorded data to give a reply, he warned Hange about their actions.

“But how can you not be curious…? Whoops, I need to write an action plan for the squad before sleeping.”

“I already wrote it. Please sign it and go straight to bed.”

Hange took the documents that seemed to come out of nowhere as they showed their appreciation.

“Sorry to always do this to you, Moblit.”

******

Agh… They really don’t think of themselves at all when they’re running experiments. How many times did they nearly get eaten today alone?

Now that he was in his room, Moblit drooped his shoulders, changed into his nightwear, and got into bed with a sigh. Complaints about his superior mixed together with his hazy thoughts.

The Squad Leader gets too engrossed in things, that’s what it is. Studying Titan biology is an important mission, but what good is it if it gets you eaten?

Moblit began to imagine the day’s experiments, where Hange got as close as possible to a restrained Titan and tried to communicate with it.

“Hey there! Do you understand me?”

“Squad Leader!”

…It felt like Hange was too close.

The Titan opened its large mouth and loomed close above Hange’s head.

“What are you doing?! You’re going to be…!”

As always, Moblit moved to stop whatever was about to happen by force…but for some reason, his body didn’t move.

Hange’s head then went straight into the Titan’s mouth–

“Ah… AAAAAGH!”

******

“AAAaaahh…! Ah?!”

Moblit was awakened by his own screams. When he got up, he saw he was in the same barracks room as always. He put his head into his hands and let out a tired sigh.

So it was just a dream… I always have this kind of dream when there’s a test subject.

While a common dream among Survey Corpsmen, seeing one’s superior being eaten was never a welcome one.

If we lost Squad Leader Hange…it would be a major blow to the Corps. …I need to make sure to never take my eye off of them.

A shiver went through Moblit’s Body as he renewed his determination as his Squad Leader’s aide.

“Wait… Could this actually be…a prophecy?!”

******

“Hey, aren’t you gonna get up? I’m right here! A tasty human!”

“What are you doing, Squad Leader?!”

Just as Moblit hurriedly arrived at the area where the Titan was confined, he saw exactly what he expected: Hange holding a candle and speaking to an unmoving Titan at an extremely close distance. Moblit’s scolding didn’t mean a thing to them.

“Well, I couldn’t get to sleep. I thought I might as well watch over it all night.”

“The test is scheduled for tomorrow night. That’s why you need to hurry up and get ready for bed today.”

“Is it?”

“Please don’t forget plans that you made yourself, Squad Leader.”

Moblit breathed a sigh of relief as he communicated this information matter-of-factly. At the very least, his superior hadn’t been eaten.

…There aren’t many Survey Corpsmen who have to worry about their superiors getting eaten by a Titan when they’re inside the Walls.

As he dragged Hange, still in nightwear, back to the barracks. Moblit looked into the sky and carried out his job.

SOURCE:Attack on Titan: Short Stories

The Short Stories Are Coming……..