Three Viewpoints Selected Cases

The Case of the Corps Tea Party - File No. 07 Oluo’s Side (1/3)

“All that’s left is the tea. Can you take care of it, Oluo?”

“Yeah… I got this.”

It was, as always, a busy morning.

The Survey Corps Special Operations Squad, also known as Squad Levi, was working to make yet another simple breakfast from their provisions in the old Survey Corps headquarters they temporarily called home.

“…Hm?”

As his fellow soldiers carried trays to the table, Oluo began to make some tea, his superior officer’s favorite…but Oluo felt like something was off as he performed this simple task.

These tea leaves… While the average person would think they’re regular leaves…

He looked at the tea he had just opened with his own hands and was sure.

There’s no mistaking it. This…is going to be an issue.

******

As Oluo brought the teapot into the dining hall, the “issue” was already beginning to manifest. Everyone was looking with suspicious at a sheet of paper that seemed to be from Levi, their leader.

“What’s going on here, Petra?” Oluo asked as calmly as he could.

“We got a report from the Military Police first thing in this morning. It said the tea we were supplied with the other day was ‘unfit for consumption,’ and that we should return it all without opening it up.”

“Unfit…for consumption?”

That was strange.

The Military Police had given them the notice, but they were known to hoard all the best meat and luxurious alcohol for their own use. They considered the Survey Corps utter idiots.

“They’re the kind of bunch that would go out of their way to give us the bad-quality stuff…”

It seemed like they would have loved the chance to get rid of anything unfit for consumption by handing it off to the soldiers at the bottom of the totem pole. As everyone wondered why they would bother to take it back, Levi asked a question.

“Oluo, did you use the tea yet? Did you notice anything?”

The Captain’s voice was calm, almost as if he knew exactly what was going on.

I knew it… That Tea…!

Oluo nodded and gradually began to give his opinion as he poured each of the others their tea.

******

“Now listen… Tea comes in different grades. But that doesn’t have anything to do with its quality… It’s all a matter of the size of the leaves…

Of all the corpsmen present, Oluo was the only one to see the tea they had been given. He also knew that something was different about it.

"Does that have something to do with this commotion about a recall?”

“Stay cool, Petra… The truth isn’t going to sneak away from us. It’s right in front of your eyes, after all.”

“Stop talking like such a creep. I’m telling you to give us your conclusion.”

Oluo handed his offended corpsmate her tea as he explained.

“The tea that makes it all the way down to us is a blend of late-picked, poor-quality teas. No matter how high the grade, there’s not going to be any noticeable change in taste. However… This was something different. The tea had a young colour and a deep aroma… While the size and shape of the leaves is no different from our usual blend, the actual product is something entirely different. This is made from the leftovers of the kind of first-flush tea leaves that those damned aristocrats drink in the interior!”

“The colour of the tea being lighter than usual is proof of that,” he proudly concluded.

******

His squadmate Eld took a small sip. He did feel like something was different about the taste, but he cocked his head to the side.

“…So you’re saying they accidentally sent some high-quality tea our way, and that they’re trying to take it back because we’re not worthy of it?”

“It’s not like cover-ups are anything new for that bunch… Someone was probably too drunk and sent us the wrong supplies by accident, and now they’re trying to hide the fact and get it back by claiming the tea isn’t fit for consumption.”

Oluo looked to the captain he so respected for backup. Levi took a sip of the tea in his hand and seemed to enjoy it more than usual before he sighed.

“You’re right… This does seem a little better than the cheap tea we always get. Oluo’s reasoning must be right. But…”

“Captain?”

Everyone in the squad, including its recruit, had their eyes on Levi, who seemed to be deep in thought.

So he’s saying…that’s not all…?!

Oluo was on pins and needles as he waited to hear what words would come from the mouth of the man he unconsciously aspired to become.

[PART 2 | PART 3 ]

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

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