White Fish stepped past the three of them and hugged Xiate, who had been standing there since just now. Her eyes looked a bit downcast, as if she were lost in thought.
"Brother, what if I want you to take me with you?"
White Fish froze for a moment, but then snapped back to his senses and smiled at Xiate.
"Then I will take you."
"It will be really dangerous."
"Yeah, didn't we talk about this?"
"I want to join the Survey Corps too."
"Alright."
"I don't want to wait three years."
"If you can hold a blade."
"But I'm not old enough..."
White Fish looked at Erwin beside him.
"Captain Erwin."
Erwin, who had been listening to their conversation, looked at the young girl and spoke with a slight frown.
"You will die."
"I won't. White Fish will be by my side."
Xiate looked up at the man, who could be considered an older man.
But Erwin only looked at White Fish.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"This is her being willful."
"I won't be responsible if anything happens to her."
"Hmph, Xiate is very strong."
"Is that so..."
Erwin looked at Xiate and knelt on one knee, reaching out to place his right hand on her shoulder, but she took a step back to avoid him.
This only made Erwin freeze for a moment. Looking at her leaning against White Fish, he couldn't help but feel a bit self-deprecatingly, but he still spoke.
"In that case, you can join the Training Corps early. I will put in a request. If you can persevere until the end in three years and haven't changed your mind, then join our Survey Corps."
Xiate looked at White Fish behind her. Suddenly, Erwin spoke again.
"White Fish, you won't have a Squad; you'll be directly under my command. You'll have a high degree of freedom and can go to and from the Training Corps' grounds. However, you can't miss a single Expedition Beyond the Walls. After all, from now on, you are a member of our Survey Corps."
White Fish was slightly puzzled.
"Isn't Erwin a Captain? Doesn't this need approval from the Commander or something?"
The serious-looking middle-aged man beside them spoke up.
"The previous Commander has already requested to step down. In a few days, Erwin will be the Commander."
"I see..."
"Let's go. There shouldn't be anything left to pack, right?"
White Fish just glanced into the distance toward the Refugee Camp, then withdrew his gaze and shrugged.
"Nothing. Just don't forget the promise you made."
"En, then let's go to the Survey Corps headquarters."
After saying that, he jumped off the wall first, and the others followed suit.
On the carriage, Erwin looked at White Fish. Since there were no other Survey Corps soldiers around, he asked the question he had been wanting to ask.
"You, where did you learn to use the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear?"
White Fish had known he would ask this.
"It's a matter of talent."
"A matter of talent?"
"I like learning in my dreams. Basically, my brain can constantly perform simulations and then provide feedback to my body. It's an innate ability."
Erwin immediately fell into deep thought.
Seeing Erwin's silence, White Fish complained.
"Otherwise, have you ever seen a ten-year-old as strong as me? It's just talent."
Looking at the boy before him, Erwin knew his background and history. He had been adopted at age one or two and had lived in the Shiganshina District ever since, but his words were simply too absurd.
"Why worry so much? As long as it works, it's fine."
White Fish's words made Erwin look up, only to see him patting Xiate's head and yawning as if he were sleepy.
"Wake me up when we get there."
After saying that, he held Xiate and closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming steady.
Erwin narrowed his eyes slightly.
He didn't say anything else, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes before he shook his head slightly.
...
Before long, White Fish felt the swaying stop.
"We're here."
Erwin reminded them.
"Mm, that fast?"
White Fish rubbed his eyes as if he hadn't fully woken up, patted Xiate beside him, and stepped off the carriage.
The sun in the sky emitted a rather scorching light, and white clouds drifted by.
At the main gate stood two flags with the wings of freedom, the symbol of the Survey Corps.
Following Erwin to a dormitory, they found it equipped with basic daily necessities; it was a decent double room.
Erwin looked at Xiate following behind White Fish and asked.
"Do you want to stay with White Fish, or should I..."
Before he could finish, Xiate interrupted.
"I want to be with Brother."
To this, Erwin simply nodded. He didn't want to interfere in their relationship, though he could see how things were. He placed a key on the table.
"This room is yours now. Xiate, in a few days when the Training Corps starts, I'll arrange for you to go there, but whether you can persevere is up to you. As for White Fish, although your combat ability is strong, you still need an adjustment period. There are also things in the Corps you need to understand; I'll find someone to help you get familiar. In two months, there will be an Expedition Beyond the Walls, and you'll come with us then."
But White Fish raised his hand.
"I don't really need anyone to show me around."
Erwin just looked at him and, surprisingly, didn't argue. He simply said.
"Then you're free to do as you please. Tomorrow, I'll give you your Survey Corps Certificate. Also, you need to come to the 3 PM assembly so others can get to know you. Other than that, I won't bother you much if there's nothing going on."
"I can do anything?"
"As long as it's not illegal."
"What if I sleep for a whole month?"
"That's fine too."
"Is it really that free?"
White Fish was a bit dazed.
"As long as you show your skills during the Expedition Beyond the Walls and don't die."
Hearing what sounded like a threat, White Fish actually felt relieved.
Great, this was the freedom he had long-dreamed-of!
Long live the Survey Corps!
This meant he could slack off when there were no Expeditions Beyond the Walls. And in his view, the frequency of those expeditions wasn't high, usually once every month or two.
With this kind of freedom, wasn't it more appealing than the Garrison Regiment?
Was this a blessing in disguise?
White Fish couldn't help but think.
Erwin was already walking out the door. He glanced back at them before closing it.
Inside the room, White Fish originally wanted to lie on the bed, but then he remembered he was covered in blood from killing Titans. Although it had evaporated, it still felt uncomfortable.
So he sat in a chair, looking like a man who was satisfied with life.
"This isn't just the Survey Corps; this is practically paradise."
Of course, that was just for him.