Commander

A crisp knocking sound.

"Please come in." A slightly hoarse voice came from the room in front of Yago.

Yago pushed open the door. "Commander, you wanted to see me?"

Upon entering the room, it was dimly lit, with only a single flickering candle burning in the vast space. Yago was stunned by the sight before him.

Various documents were scattered haphazardly, clutter was everywhere, and empty wine bottles were conspicuously placed on the table.

"New Recruits Yago Norman, you've arrived?" A figure emerged from the dim light of the flickering candle.

"Commander? What's going on?" Yago asked in surprise, the Commander's appearance was different from usual.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he had stubble on his chin. His gaze was somewhat vacant, and his once meticulous Blonde was now messy.

Yago couldn't believe it. How could Commander Erwin have become like this? Neither Yago's nor Big Eren's Memories had ever seen Commander Erwin so dejected.

Especially the scene that Yago saw in Big Eren's Memories: the one-armed Commander Erwin leading more than two hundred Survey Corps Soldiers, charging towards the Beast Titan with a death-defying spirit.

Yago couldn't believe that Commander Erwin, who had shouted, "We will die here, entrusting Commander to Erwin next living," and who had faced countless cannonball-like boulders and still yelled, "Fight! Soldiers!" could be so depraved.

"Commander, what happened to you?" Yago asked.

Erwin smiled nonchalantly. "I'm fine. I've received my appointment from Command Headquarters. I'll be transferring to Command Headquarters as an operations staff officer. I met with you today to get your opinion. I plan to have Hange take over as Commander of the Survey Corps."

"What?" Yago exclaimed in surprise, asking incredulously, "Commander, do you mean... you're going to abandon the Survey Corps?"

"No, it's just that I'm no longer serving as the Commander of the Survey Corps." Erwin waved his hand.

Yago's eyes were filled with complex emotions as he asked, "Why? Commander, didn't you say you would lead the Survey Corps to Dedicate Your Hearts for the future of humanity?"

At this point, Erwin's expression changed. "Humans? But, Yago, didn't you tell us there are humans outside the walls?"

Yago: "Yes! There are humans outside the walls too! They're all hostile humans towards us, hostile humans towards the Eldians!"

"Heh, there are humans. Yes, there are humans outside the walls. Then what is the purpose of our Survey Corps? What reason do I, Erwin Smith, have to send more Soldiers to their deaths?" Commander Erwin chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Yago stepped forward, staring into Erwin's eyes, and asked, "What? Commander, do you know what you're talking about? Just because there are humans outside the walls, are you willing to degenerate like this? Or are the things you said before all lies?"

"Is it fake?" Erwin asked himself. Were the words he had repeated countless times to countless Soldiers false?

From a very young age, Erwin was different from other children his age. While other children cried and begged for candy, little Erwin was already curious about what was outside the wall.

This was thanks to Erwin having an enlightened father Erwin firmly believed that the world outside the walls was definitely not just inhabited by Titan, and that it was impossible for humans to only exist inside the walls. He believed that the truth of the world was definitely not as written in history books.

Having been instilled with this idea since childhood, Erwin was also full of curiosity about the world outside the walls. Unfortunately, when his father suddenly died and his father's notes and papers on the research of the world outside the walls were destroyed by Soldiers Unicorn Uniform, Erwin changed. He became good at hiding his emotions.

At the same time, his father's pursuit of the truth about the world outside the walls also influenced him. For this reason, he chose the Survey Corps and gave up the girl that he and his friend Nile both liked, all for that illusory truth.

Erwin concealed his true feelings; his fearless charges and calm command during each investigation outside the walls earned him the favor of his superiors and the respect of his subordinates.

Erwin successfully made everyone believe that he was a fearless and brave Commander of the Survey Corps, and that he was doing everything he could for the future of humanity. But Erwin himself knew that he always had a selfish purpose in his heart.

Now, having learned from Yago the truth that there is indeed a world of other humans beyond the walls, Erwin, who has struggled for half his life, suddenly feels like a deflated balloon, and the countless sacrifices of Survey Corps Soldiers he witnessed in the first half of his life seem like a joke.

"It's all meaningless... What's the point of the Soldiers' sacrifice?" Erwin sat down in a chair and sighed dejectedly.

Yago retorted, "Is it meaningless? Commander, you shouldn't be that kind of person. Do you know that you are the soul of the Survey Corps, the soul of those Soldiers who are willing to Dedicate Your Hearts for humanity? Yet, the Soldiers haven't given up, and you, their Commander, want to back down?!"

Yago glanced at Commander Erwin with disappointment. "Commander, you're really disappointing."

Yago's disappointed look startled Erwin slightly. Yesterday, Erwin had seen the same disappointment in the eyes of his subordinates Levi and Hange.

Yago turned and walked away without looking back. But when he reached the door, Yago stopped and suddenly spoke, "Then is life meaningless? Is being born into this world meaningless? Were our fallen Comrade meaningless? Were the deaths of those Soldiers meaningless?"

No, that's not right. It is we who give meaning to the lives of those Soldiers —the brave dead, the pitiful dead, and it is we, the living, who can mourn them. We will die here, entrusting meaning to the next living. This is the only way to fight against this cruel world! (No matter how many times I listen to this speech, it still has an indescribable impact!)

After saying that, Yago turned around and said, "These are the words the Commander should have said in my memory. Perhaps the real Commander died on the way to defeat the Titan."

Erwin watched Yago's departing figure, his expression of shock lingering for a long time. Yago's words seemed to have struck Erwin's very soul. "The only way to fight against this cruel world?" Erwin murmured.

(I started practicing driving again Muzi, so the update is a bit slow. Please forgive me, everyone. Muzi 'm really tired too (╥ω╥`) )