I'm screwed

Bai Yu's words made Xiate nod slightly, and she leaned against his shoulder again.

For Xiate, wherever Bai Yu was, that was home.

Beside them, Eren curled his lip, clearly unhappy with what Bai Yu had said. Huddling inside the walls-how was that any different from being livestock? Humanity should be free!

Bai Yu naturally knew what he was thinking, but right now, he only wanted to slack off and pass the time.

Their boat gradually entered Wall Rose. Since they had traveled by boat and were among the first to learn that Wall Maria ahead of them had been breached, few fleeing civilians had arrived before them.

Still, an area had already been set aside to house the refugees.

Now that they were here, they might as well settle in. After all, Wall Maria enclosed nearly half the total area within the walls. Losing so much land had left them short of crops and other resources.

This is going to be tricky. Looking at Armin's grandfather, Carla, and Yishi beside him, he wasn't sure whether they would be sent to reclaim wasteland or forced to take part in that operation to retake Wall Maria.

He rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on, then simply leaned against the wall and slowly closed his eyes as though he had fallen asleep.

As time passed, more and more refugees fled from the outer Wall Maria into Wall Rose, where they were assigned to various refugee camps. Even so, nearly a hundred thousand people arrived on the first day alone. At night, a piece of cloth spread on the ground served as a bed.

The breakfast and lunch handed out every day consisted of very dry bread, and there wasn't much of it. At first, there had been enough for everyone to get one piece, but after a few days, roughly a hundred and fifty thousand refugees had poured into Wall Rose, rapidly depleting its food reserves. Soon, they couldn't even provide bread for everyone.

The three of them began to worry about Eren's father, Grisha Yeager.

But there was still no news of him.

Prices within Wall Rose also rose rapidly. Many residents began complaining about why the people from Wall Maria were taking their food, and some even grumbled that they should have died outside.

Bai Yu and the others knew about these complaints. Eren was furious, but Mikasa punched him and dragged him back. His rash behavior cost them their dinner, though.

Bai Yu had no choice but to find a way to get some food from the Garrison Regiment's soldiers.

Within a few days, Bai Yu heard rumors that some of the refugees from Wall Maria would be put to work reclaiming wasteland, while others would be called up for the operation to retake Wall Maria.

Bai Yu knew all these plot developments, but...

Just as Bai Yu was about to do something, a shadow suddenly fell over him. Beside him, Xiate warily took his hand.

Bai Yu looked up as well. The man before him had an air that instinctively inspired confidence, blond hair, and eyes that seemed to conceal a hawk's sharpness.

Seeing the Survey Corps' Wings of Freedom emblem on his uniform, Bai Yu instantly realized who he was: Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps, one of humanity's three military branches within the walls!

There were three military branches within the walls.

The Garrison Regiment guarded the walls and prevented Titans from destroying them. Its emblem was two thorned roses.

The Survey Corps ventured outside to fight Titans and explore the world beyond the walls. Its emblem, the Wings of Freedom, consisted of a blue wing and a white wing.

The Military Police Brigade maintained order among the people within the walls and protected the royal family and other high-ranking figures. Its emblem was a noble unicorn.

But why had he come looking for him?

"You're..."

The man got straight to the point.

"I'm Erwin Smith, captain of the Survey Corps' elite squad. Just call me Erwin."

Oh, right. He isn't the commander yet. But he should be soon.

"Then, Captain Erwin, what can I do for you?"

Bai Yu moved Xiate behind him to shield her, watching the man before him as he spoke in a rather cool tone.

Seeing a wariness and temperament nothing like those of other children his age, Erwin's lips curved slightly, and he signaled to a soldier beside him.

The Survey Corps soldier stepped forward and dropped a cloth bag in front of Bai Yu. With a clatter of metal, the bag fell open, revealing a pile of Omni-Directional Mobility Gear parts. It wasn't a complete set, and many of the precision components were missing, but Bai Yu recognized it at a glance. This was the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear he had used back then.

Does he seriously have nothing better to do?

As realization dawned, Bai Yu immediately grumbled to himself.

Eren and the others nearby were drawn over by the commotion, but another Survey Corps soldier stopped them from approaching.

Looking at the evidence they had against him, Bai Yu simply sat down against the wall. Xiate clung tightly to him.

"So, Captain Erwin, what's this supposed to mean?"

Seeing that Bai Yu apparently had no intention of admitting anything, Erwin spoke calmly.

"Your movements with the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear were excellent. How about I give you an opportunity?"

There was no emotion in Erwin's eyes. They were ice-cold.

Bai Yu let out a long sigh.

I'm screwed. If I'd known... No, there was nothing I could've done anyway. I can only blame my bad luck for letting him catch me out. He's using the theft of the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear to force me to cooperate. He probably spotted me while I was escaping with Senior Sister Shishi.

Bai Yu knew perfectly well what level of skill it took to carry someone through the air, slash a Titan, and still maneuver freely.

If he refused, he wouldn't put it past the man to toss him into a pack of Titans and force him to show his abilities. He knew exactly what kind of person Erwin was. To uncover the truth beyond the walls, he would stop at nothing.

"Come on, Captain Erwin. I'm just a kid, only about ten years old. Is this really necessary...?"

But Erwin merely stared at him calmly, making Bai Yu's skin crawl. The corner of his mouth twitched. Yep. I'm screwed.

He stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes, left with no choice but to smile at Erwin.

"What kind of opportunity...?"

"Come with me."

With that, Erwin turned and walked away. Bai Yu shrugged, indicated to Eren and the others that he was fine, and followed him.

"Wait."

The Survey Corps soldier beside them seemed about to stop Xiate, so Bai Yu halted too. Holding her hand, he showed no intention of moving and simply looked at Erwin.

Erwin glanced back slightly and spoke calmly.

"Let her come too."

The two followed Erwin outside. Behind them, Eren and the others still had no idea what had happened and could only watch helplessly as they were led away.