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Erwin's Office
Erwin sat behind his desk; reading the morning edition of the Trost Daily Chronicle spread before him. His single hand rested on the paper, his fingers drumming a slow, deliberate rhythm against the headline.
BANDIT MASSACRE AT CADET CORPS: 167 DEAD, GOVERNMENT PROMISES INVESTIGATION
He read it again. And again. The words didn't change.
"'Bandits,'" he murmured, his voice flat. "Armed with advanced technology. Masks that could copy faces. Armor from questionable sources. And a coordinated attack that was clearly designed to eliminate witnesses to something they didn't want the world to see."
Levi leaned by the window, his posture deceptively relaxed, his grey eyes fixed on the courtyard below while holding his signature teacup. He hadn't said a word for a while. He didn't need to, silence of his was a language all its own.
Levi took a slow sip of his tea. "The government is lying as usual. It's the bastards' favorite hobby."
"That is true," Erwin corrected, setting the newspaper aside. "The question is how much they're willing to sacrifice to keep the lie alive."
His gaze drifted to the stack of reports from the 103rd he got from Hange's squad; the eyewitness testimonies, physical evidence, and sketches from the surviving cadets. The official report from the MPs had been released simultaneously with the newspaper, and it was a masterpiece of selective omission. The knights were "bandits." The monsters were "unverified rumors." The crystal Titan was "a creature of unknown origin, possibly hostile." The flying creature was "not yet confirmed to potentially exist."
And the dead children? The dead children were "the tragic result of a coordinated criminal attack."
Erwin picked up the newspaper again, staring at the photograph on the front page it was an artist's rendering of the "Demon Dog," based on witness descriptions. It was a crude, mangled thing, all teeth and claws and glowing eyes. He was almost impressed by its near accuracy compared to Hange's diagram.
"The government's connection to these knights," Erwin said slowly, "is becoming increasingly undeniable. The speed with which they've suppressed the story. The resources they're pouring into the investigation—or rather, the lack thereof and how they've dismissed our reports out of hand." He set the paper down. "Someone in the government is protecting these knights. And they're using the Military Police to do it."
But something had been bugging the scout commander's mind. Those imposters infiltrated their ranks as well. How long exactly have they been here, to monitor or activities? What about the garrisons…are they there too?
A knock at the door interrupted his trail of thoughts.
Erwin straightened in his chair. "Enter."
The door swung open, and Nanaba stepped inside. Her entire expression was shadowed with exhaustion, but her posture was steady.
"Commander. Captain." She saluted. "I have information."
Erwin gestured to a chair. "Sit."
Nanaba sat, but she didn't relax. "I've been investigating the Garrison soldier, Hannes. His postings, his associates, his movements since the 103rd incident."
"And?" Levi prompted when she paused too long.
Nanaba took a breath. "We're not the only ones looking for him. I staked out his residence in Trost yesterday evening. I wasn't there long before I saw someone else. A man in a black trench coat and a hat."
Levi's tea cup froze halfway to his lips.
"He was... careful," Nanaba continued. "Professional. He knew how to move without being seen. If I hadn't been on the rooftop myself, I wouldn't have spotted him. He went to Hannes's door. When no one answered, he let himself in." She paused. "I watched from a distance. He was in there for about ten minutes. When he came out, he didn't look happy. If I wasn't so lucky, he would have spotted me."
Levi set his tea down very slowly. His voice, when he spoke, was dangerously quiet. "Black trench coat, matching hat…does he happen to carry a knife?"
Nanaba blinked. "You know him?"
"Just making a hunch. But my best guess, it did be Kenny the ripper…" Levi said, the name falling from his lips like a curse. "He's a serial killer with a high score on slitting at least a hundred MP throats, and he's one of the most dangerous men I've ever met." He looked at Erwin, his grey eyes hard. "If Kenny's looking for Hannes, then this shit hole is a lot deeper than we thought."
Nanaba raised an eyebrow. "Kenny the ripper? I thought he was just an urban legend."
"Believe me when I say the fucker is real. In fact…I used to live with him."
Nanaba looked shocked by that revelation. In opposite Erwin's expression didn't change, but something behind his eyes shifted. "It is strange, shouldn't Kenny not resent the government given his activities?"
Levi looked at Erwin. "The bastard should. There's no way he'll be working as the top brass' lap dog. Unless he is in it for something." Levi glared down at his cup of tea.
'Kenny…just what exactly are you doing working with the MPs, no less those Knights?'
"This is worse than we thought. If those 'Knights of the Order' could confidently attack an entire Military ground with zero to no repercussions, then these enemies aren't just connected to the government; they're likely embedded in it. And now they're hunting a Garrison soldier who was present at an event meant to stay confidential."
"And given what I have dug up on Hannes' case?" Nanaba said. "Rightfully so. It's like this guy was present at every major incident involving the crystal Titan and the other shenanigans."
Many of these recent events were connected, but the nature of that connection remained maddeningly elusive.
"Let's think about this carefully," Erwin said evenly. "What do we actually know about Hannes?"
Nanaba opened a file she had with her. "He's a Garrison soldier. Twenty years of service. A good man, by all accounts but troubled. He drinks too much. He's been reprimanded multiple times for insubordination and dereliction of duty. But his comrades speak well of him. They say he's the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back."
"And his postings?" Erwin pressed. "Where has he been stationed?"
Nanaba flipped through the pages. "That's the interesting part. He's been at Trost for most of his career, but his record shows a pattern of... unusual incidents." She pointed to the first entry. "Wall Maria. The fall. He was there when the Colossal Titan appeared. He was among the Garrison soldiers who reported seeing the Crystal Titan; Obsidian; fighting the Armored Titan. The guys that gave us the crystal shard too."
Erwin's eyes narrowed. "He saw Obsidian?"
"He was one of the first to report it. His testimony was included in the official record, though it was later... downplayed." Nanaba turned to the next page. "Then there's the incident a few weeks ago. The mass hysteria at the refugee camp. He was demoted for opening the gates of Trost to refugees who were screaming about ghosts and possession. The official report called it a 'panic-induced delusion,' but the refugees were genuinely terrified. They claimed something, or rather somethings, was hunting them. Something that could possess people."
Levi's expression was unreadable. "And now he's here. During this incident of the 103rd massacre."
"Exactly." Nanaba's voice was grim. "This man has been present at every major supernatural event in the last year. The fall of Wall Maria. The refugee hysteria. The 103rd massacre. That's not a coincidence."
Levi set his tea down with a decisive click at the window. "He's either the unluckiest bastard in Paradis, or he's involved."
"Not necessarily involved," Erwin said slowly. "But he knows something. He's seen things. Things that the government doesn't want him to talk about."
"And the children," Nanaba added. "The ones we saw at the 103rd. They were also with Hannes. They knew about the flying creature. That blonde kid had a drawing of the demon dog."
"Not exactly, but it was disturbingly detailed enough that it couldn't be a coincidence. The children know something too." Erwin said.
"And the old geezer," Levi added. "The one who came to collect them. He's part of this too. He knew how to find them. He's definitely not just some relative from the countryside."
Erwin nodded slowly. "The children, the old man and Garrison Hannes. They're all connected. They all know something about what's happening. And the knights are most likely hunting all of them for it. But that did be just speculation, for now the only lead we have is Hannes being the target."
He turned to Nanaba. "What else did you find?"
Nanaba pulled out another report. "I've been digging into his service record. Aside from the usual troubles and reprimands, there's something else. Something that's been bothering me." She opened the file. "This man has been present at every major supernatural event in the last months since wall Maria tragedy."
"So the question we should be asking is how we can get the unlucky bastard and those kids before the knights do." Levi said. "At least we already know where he lives."
Nanaba shook her head. "That's the problem. After the man in the trench coat left, I checked the apartment. It was empty. Goddamn cleaned out. Someone had packed in a hurry. Clothes, personal effects, everything that mattered was gone." She paused. "I did some further investigation this morning. I spoke to his commanding officer, some of his friends. No one knew where he was. But I did find out one thing."
She reached into her coat and produced a folded piece of paper. "Hannes resigned from the Garrison. Three days ago. Walked out of his post and never came back."
The silence that followed was absolute.
Levi's hand tightened around his tea cup. "He ran."
"He ran," Nanaba confirmed. "But he didn't run alone. He's out there, somewhere, with two children and a hundred questions he's not supposed to know how to answer. And if the government finds him first, we'll never learn the truth."
Erwin sat back in his chair, his mind racing. This was bad, one of their major leads has gone into hiding, and their best shot and uncovering all these webs of lies is getting thinner and thinner.
"Did you find anyone who might know where he went?" he asked. "Anyone he might have contacted?"
Nanaba produced another folder from her cloak. "Thankfully the sergeant around was considerate enough to give me this. These are the men he served with. His closest friends in the Garrison. Donner Margel, Hank Gruner, Jochen Voss, Stefan Weiss, and one other; a man named Gerhard, but deceased in the fall of Wall Maria." She set the folder on Erwin's desk. "If anyone knows where Hannes would go, it's them. They've been serving together for years."
Erwin opened the folder, scanning the names. His eyes lingered on each one, memorizing faces and service records. "These are our closest lead. We need to interview them, we don't want to alarm them. But if they know something, we need to find out."
"I'll arrange it." Nanaba said before getting up to leave.
Erwin nodded. "Good. Keep me informed. And Nanaba?"
She paused at the door. "Sir?"
"Be careful. If this Kenny the ripper is involved, we're not just dealing with bureaucrats anymore. We're dealing with killers."
"Understood, Commander." She left, closing the door quietly behind her.
The silence returned.
Levi looked at the folders Nanaba dropped. "This is bad."
"It is," Erwin agreed. "But it's also an opportunity. For the first time, we have a lead that connects the knights, the government, and the creatures. If we can find Hannes before our enemy does, we might be able to unravel this entire conspiracy."
"And if we can't?"
Erwin's expression didn't change. "Then we'll have to find another way. Else the government would once again succeed in burying the truth."
Levi looked at the commander for a long moment. Then he picked up his tea again.
"You're either the most optimistic man I've ever met, or the most insane."
"Perhaps both," Erwin said quietly. "Perhaps both."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Peace didn't last long because the door came swinging open.
"ERWIN!"
Hange stood in the doorway with her hair wild and her breath coming in ragged gasps. In her hands, she clutched a small leather-bound book.
"ERWIN!" she shouted again. "ERWIN, YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!"
Levi narrowed his eyes at the section commander. "Oi, Four-Eyes! Keep your voice down. Some of us are trying to drink in peace."
Hange ignored him entirely. She crossed the room in three quick strides, slamming the book onto Erwin's desk with a force that made all the papers jump.
"You won't believe what I found!" she said, her voice trembling. "I was going through that masked Knight's book, and I found this."
She opened the book to a page near the middle. The paper was newer, the ink fresher, the sketch more detailed. It showed a house; a wooden house perched on the side of a mountain. The view from the house was a valley, with forests and a distant river.
"…A house," Levi said flatly. "You're bursting in here to show us a house? What's so special about someone's hobby?"
Hange didn't answer. She flipped to the next page.
And the room went silent.
The sketch was of a woman. She was young, with long, dark hair and a gentle face. She was sitting in a garden, a book open in her lap, a serene smile on her lips. Beside her, a small child; a girl, no older than ten or less; was playing with a doll.
The girl had dark hair. The same dark hair as the woman. The same dark hair as—
"Wait," Levi said, his voice suddenly sharp. "That girl. She looks like—"
"The girl with the scarf." Erwin finished.
Hange nodded frantically. "Yes! Exactly! I thought the same thing! And look at this—" She pointed to the woman. "This is the mother. It has to be. The girl looks just like her. And if this is in the knight's book, if they've been tracking the girl and her family! There is even a name on this, look!"
"…It says Shila and Mi-ka-sa Ackerman." Erwin said slowly. He's not too familiar with these names, quite odd name actually. "They're hunting the families too apparently."
Hange nodded. "There's no doubt. They know Obsidian. They know what these knights are after. And they likely know more than Hannes does."
Hange looked at the drawing of the woman and the girl again, her brow furrowed. "Who do you think they are? The woman, I mean. The mother."
Erwin studied the drawing, his blue eyes scanning the names and the drawings, it is extremely detailed. "I don't know. But whoever she is, she's important to the knights. Important enough that they kept a drawing of her in their book."
"Maybe she's a target." Levi said flatly. "Maybe brought all the family members into the picture so the brat won't be lonely…We should have kept those kids."
"I know." Erwin said quietly.
"We should have questioned the old man too. He's part of this. Maybe the biggest part."
"I know."
Levi's jaw tightened. "So what do we do now?"
Erwin looked at the newspaper on his desk, then at the folders and the picture.
"We'll continue our investigation." he said. "While Nanaba goes to find out more on Hannes' whereabout, we'll be investigating on this 'Ackerman' family."
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