Two months had passed since that little disturbance.
With so many refugees, the daily bread ration had dwindled from enough to fill each person's stomach to barely enough to keep hunger at bay.
This left hundreds of thousands of refugees bitter toward the Royal Government. In the struggle for food, many had begun to reveal humanity's darker side, using underhanded means to rob the weak.
A few thugs had tried robbing Arthur and the others once, but Arthur had beaten them down without mercy.
With help from Hannes and the Survey Corps Commander named Keith, life was not particularly difficult for Arthur's group.
Besides, Arthur often went hunting in the mountains and forests. His exceptional hunting skills brought him considerable hauls, but every time he returned, those useless soldiers skimmed off a large portion.
After all, meat was practically hard currency these days. Seeing how much game Arthur brought back each time, the soldiers used permission to hunt outside as a bargaining chip.
As long as Arthur handed over half his catch each time, they would grant him certain favors, such as protecting the others from starving refugees who might do something desperate while he was away.
Arthur agreed to the deal. After all, they were still far better off than the many people who could not even fill their stomachs.
Besides, living on bread alone was bad for the injured Carla and the children, Mikasa, Eren, and Armin. They needed protein to avoid malnutrition.
That day, Arthur searched the forest for signs of animals as usual.
With his keen sense of smell and excellent tracking skills, Arthur soon found signs of a wild rabbit.
Following its droppings and tracks, Arthur crept after it, keeping downwind as much as possible.
Soon, he parted a thicket and spotted the rabbit he had been tracking.
Arthur gauged its size and estimated that it weighed two or three pounds. It was not much, but it would still make some nourishing soup.
Seeing the rabbit peacefully nibbling fresh grass, Arthur took out his slingshot, which he had made in his spare time from animal sinew and a suitable branch.
Arthur took a pebble from the pouch at his waist and placed it in the slingshot's small leather cradle. Then he drew it back and aimed at the rabbit, making sure he had its head in his sights.
Arthur closed one eye and released his grip. The pebble shot out with a whoosh and struck the rabbit squarely in the head.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak!" The rabbit fell to the ground, crying out in pain.
Seeing it fall, Arthur stood up and snapped the neck of the rabbit, which had not yet died, putting it out of its misery.
"I'll catch two more, then head back." Arthur stuffed the rabbit's body into his homemade backpack, which already held freshly picked mushrooms and several birds from his earlier catches.
Then Arthur began searching for more prey. With food in short supply, most of the refugees had started hunting in the mountains and forests to stave off hunger.
Neither the Military Police Brigade nor the Garrison prohibited it. As far as they were concerned, those lowly commoners could do whatever they wanted as long as they caused no trouble. Their superiors were not paying them extra to manage the rabble, anyway.
With so many hunters, the amount of game in the forest had plummeted. Arthur had only managed to gather this much by venturing deeper into the woods.
After searching a little longer, Arthur found two more rabbits. Neither was as large as the first, but they were still decent catches. He killed them, put them into his backpack, and headed back.
Soon, Arthur reached the edge of the forest, where he saw many sallow, emaciated refugees digging through the soil for edible wild greens.
When the refugees saw Arthur emerge from deep in the woods with his bulging backpack, greed showed on their faces, but the dagger in his hand kept them from trying anything.
They had also seen this boy before. Some reckless fools had once tried to steal his game, only for Arthur to knock them down with a few punches and kicks. He had not killed them, but they had certainly suffered a beating.
Arthur ignored them and headed toward his lodgings, witnessing all sorts of sights along the way.
Refugees who had starved to death lay curled up like dead dogs.
There were thugs fighting over food and women willing to sell their bodies for a tiny piece of bread just to survive.
There were also many children too hungry to do anything but languish.
Just then, a woman appeared before Arthur, carrying a child who looked barely a year old.
The woman humbly begged every passerby for even a small piece of bread. The child in her arms was too hungry to lift their head and could only nestle against their mother.
"Please, could you give my child and me some food?" Seeing Arthur and his backpack, the woman knew the boy must have just returned from hunting and probably had food. She pleaded with him, hoping for a handout.
Arthur watched the woman beg him for food. Though he wanted very much to help the two of them, he could not.
He had already noticed the greedy gazes around him. The moment he opened his backpack, they would likely swarm him.
"I'm sorry." Arthur could only apologize to the woman, then harden his heart and hurry away without looking again at her despairing eyes.
Afterward, Arthur arrived at the Military Police Brigade's quarters.
The soldier guarding the entrance saw Arthur and waved to him familiarly.
"Arthur, you're here. Brought us something good again?"
Arthur said nothing and merely nodded.
"Hahaha! Looks like we'll have meat again today. Go in and give it straight to Commander Zog. He's inside." Looking at Arthur's backpack, the soldier swallowed, then wiped imaginary drool from his mouth.
Arthur acknowledged him and entered the room where Zog was.
The room was lively. More than a dozen soldiers from the Military Police Brigade were drinking and laughing, their uniforms disheveled. Not one looked like a proper soldier.
"Oh, look who's here! Isn't this our little meat delivery boy?" A bearded middle-aged man teased Arthur as soon as he entered. He was Zog, the officer in charge of these Military Police soldiers.
"Hahaha! We're in for another treat today!" The soldiers beside him laughed along.
"What did you catch today, Arthur?" Zog asked drunkenly, holding up a bottle.
"Not much. There's less and less game in the forest now." Arthur took two rabbits and several birds from his bag and placed them on the table.
Zog smacked his lips unhappily at the two rabbits and birds on the table, clearly dissatisfied with the amount Arthur had brought. Still, having something to eat was better than nothing, so he said no more.
"All right, leave those here and go." Zog dismissed Arthur.
"Okay." Arthur did not want to linger anyway, so he nodded, gathered up his backpack, and prepared to leave.
But just as Arthur was about to leave, Zog spoke again.
"Oh, right. If any Garrison soldiers come to register names today, just give them mine."
"What?" Arthur was puzzled.
"Hehehe. You'll find out soon enough." Zog gave a mysterious smile and went back to drinking and laughing.
Arthur left the Military Police soldiers' quarters and mulled over Zog's words, but he could make no sense of them.
Was something about to happen? Unease crept over Arthur, and he hurried back to his lodgings.
"Arthur, you're back!" Carla and Mikasa, who were simmering rabbit stew, both brightened. Mikasa, in particular, rushed straight into his arms.
"Yeah, I caught some game." Arthur smiled and stroked the hair of the girl in his arms.
"Arthur, can I go hunting with you next time? I can help too." Mikasa raised her little head and pleaded with him.
"No. Stay here and take good care of Carla and Eren. It's dangerous deep in the forest." Arthur refused.
"All right." Mikasa's face fell when Arthur said no, but she obediently stopped pestering him.
"Arthur, thank you for all your hard work. We trouble you to find food for us every day." Carla looked at him apologetically.
Ever since her husband disappeared, Arthur had been making sure they all had food every day.
"It's all right, Aunt Carla." Arthur smiled and shook his head.
"Ah... if only Eren could be as mature as you." Carla adored the sensible, well-behaved Arthur, then fretted over her own son.
"He'll mature as he grows older," Arthur reassured her.
"Mm."
"By the way, where did Eren, Armin, and old Mr. Arnold go?"
"Oh, Mr. Arnold said he was taking them out to gather firewood," Carla replied.
"Oh."
After the food supply began falling short, Arthur had suggested that Arnold, Armin's grandfather, bring Armin to live with them to keep him safe.
Old Mr. Arnold had initially declined out of embarrassment. But after Carla persuaded him, and after he saw starving people committing all kinds of atrocities, he was swayed and agreed.
"There's less and less game lately. At this rate, I might end up with nothing but mushrooms to fill our stomachs."
Arthur took the remaining small rabbit, mushrooms, and two birds from his backpack and spoke with a troubled expression.
Carla could hardly bear seeing Arthur worry over food. She knew how much effort he had put into obtaining it. Without him, they would long since have ended up like everyone else, either fighting over food or starving to death.
"Arthur..." Sensing his low spirits, Mikasa reached out and held his hand. She wanted to comfort him but could not find the words.
She did not know how to solve their food problem either.
"The Royal Government doesn't care whether we live or die. They keep cutting our food rations. I have a feeling they're definitely planning something big soon." Arthur drew his conclusion from Zog's words that day and the recent situation.
"There are too many refugees. With a third of the food supply lost, the remaining territory within the walls simply can't support us." Though Carla was an ordinary housewife, she knew what the Royal Government was like.
"Mom, something terrible happened!" Eren suddenly rushed back in a panic, followed by Armin and Arnold.
All three looked grim. Clearly, something serious had happened.
"What happened?" Arthur asked.
"Here's what happened..." Still panting, Eren told them what the three of them had just seen.
"Conscription?! Are you sure you heard correctly?" Arthur was shocked to hear Eren say that Garrison soldiers were going door to door, forcibly recruiting people.
"Yes, they took people away on the spot," Armin added, recounting what he had seen.
"Yes. I overheard their conversation. They said the Royal Government would soon launch an operation to retake Wall Maria, so every adult in every household would have to serve," Armin's grandfather, Arnold, told them what he had heard.
"What?!" Arthur, Carla, and Mikasa were all stunned.
"They're trying to reduce the population by sending people to their deaths." Cold sweat broke out on Arthur. He had never imagined the Royal Government could be so vicious as to reduce the population by sacrificing refugees.
With fewer people, there would be fewer mouths to feed, and the food supply would be enough.
"What Wall Maria Retake Operation? It's a Wall Maria suicide operation!" Eren shouted through gritted teeth, only for Carla beside him to cover his mouth.
After all, they absolutely could not let outsiders hear such things.
"Damn it. I never thought they'd come up with something like this." Arthur finally understood why Zog had told him to use his name. He had known all along what would happen today.
"If every adult has to go, then wouldn't Grandpa and Aunt Carla..." Hearing that every adult would be drafted for the operation, Armin realized his grandfather would be sent off to die. Would that mean he would never see him again?
"Grandpa, you can't leave me." Armin hugged Arnold tightly and cried.
"Armin..." Arnold looked at his grandson with conflicted eyes. He did not want to go either, but he had no choice.
"Wait. Nothing's certain yet," Arthur told them calmly.
"What?" They all looked at Arthur in confusion. Could he really have a way out?
Looking at them, Arthur explained how he had been giving food to the Military Police soldiers in exchange for protection.
Learning that Arthur had shouldered so much to keep them safe, even patiently delivering meat to bribe those useless soldiers, left them all deeply upset.
None of them had realized how much Arthur had quietly done for them.
"Arthur." Mikasa clung to his arm, fighting back tears. She had never realized how weak she still was, still dependent on Arthur's protection.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I kept this from you," Arthur said apologetically.
"How can you say that? We're the ones who should be thanking you."
"That's right, Arthur. It's only thanks to you that we haven't gone hungry."
"Silly boy, you did nothing wrong. You were doing it for our sake."
Carla and the others spoke up.
"Mm." Their words touched Arthur.
"I hope giving Zog's name really works when the soldiers come." Arthur was still worried about whether Zog could be trusted.
"Let's hope so."
Some time later, several Garrison soldiers arrived at their lodgings.
Arthur hurried over to meet them.
"By order of the king, the Royal Government will begin organizing the Wall Maria Retake Operation today. Under the policy issued by the Royal Government, the adults of every refugee household from Wall Maria must participate." The tall soldier leading them held a list and addressed Arthur's group in a tone that brooked no argument.
"Hello, sir. I'm an acquaintance of Commander Zog." Arthur brought up Zog's name.
"Zog? Oh, yes, I remember. You must be the Arthur Commander Zog mentioned?" The tall soldier paused, then nodded.
"Yes, that's me." Arthur nodded. It seemed there was hope.
"Since you're an acquaintance of Commander Zog, your household only needs to send one adult." The tall soldier glanced at Carla and Arnold inside.
"What?!" Arthur was startled. Had they still failed to escape it?
Carla and Arnold behind him also looked disappointed.
"Nothing I can do. Orders are orders. Remember, almost every adult in the other households is being drafted." The tall soldier shrugged, indicating that his hands were tied.
"..." Arthur knew he absolutely could not show his dissatisfaction now. If he angered these soldiers, they might lose even this one exemption.
"Sir, couldn't you make another exception?" Arthur picked up the rabbit and birds, hoping to bribe the soldier.
"No." The tall soldier merely glanced at the rabbit before refusing flatly. Then, looking impatient, he said, "Hurry up and choose who's going. My time is valuable too."
Seeing the soldier's impatience, Arthur knew there was no hope. He turned to Carla and Arnold and shook his head in disappointment.
Arnold glanced at Carla beside him, then at his grandson Armin. Determination entered his eyes, and he raised his hand, stepped forward, and spoke.
"I'll go."
"Mr. Arnold..." Arthur felt utterly helpless.
"Mr. Arnold!" Carla was shocked that Arnold had volunteered.
"Grandpa!" Armin froze. He had never expected his grandfather to step forward.
"It's all right." Arnold waved to Carla to reassure her, then gave the tall soldier his name.
"All right, come with us." The tall soldier beckoned Arnold to follow.
"Please wait a moment, sir. Let me say goodbye to my grandson."
"You have one minute. Don't waste time." Looking at the stunned Armin and at Arnold, the tall soldier softened enough to give them a brief farewell.
Arnold nodded, then walked over to Armin, removed his own hat, and placed it on Armin's head.
"Armin, take good care of yourself while Grandpa's away."
"Grandpa, don't leave me." Armin clutched Arnold's large hand, crying and refusing to let go.
Tears streamed down Arnold's aged face too. How could he not want to stay beside his grandson?
Watching this heart-wrenching scene, Carla covered her mouth and sobbed. Eren glared furiously at the soldiers who had come to conscript them. Mikasa lowered her head and hid her face in her scarf, while Arthur turned away, unable to bear watching.
"Time's up," the tall soldier reminded them.
Arnold nodded and pulled his hand free. Before leaving, he spoke to Arthur once more.
"Arthur, please take good care of Armin."
"I will." Arthur agreed to Arnold's request.
"Haha, that's good." Trusting Arthur, Arnold smiled in relief and followed the soldiers outside.
That departure was their final farewell.
"Grandpa, don't go!" Armin cried, desperately trying to keep his grandfather from leaving. He was his only remaining family.
Carla held him tightly, unwilling to let Armin do anything rash.
Once Arnold's figure had vanished from sight, Armin crumpled to the ground as though his soul had left him, clutching the hat his grandfather had given him.
Scenes like this were unfolding in household after household.
Three months later, the Wall Maria Retake Operation proceeded as scheduled. An army of 250,000 conscripted refugees, including the old, weak, sick, and disabled, was driven into the Titan-infested territory within Wall Maria to carry out what had been grandly named the Wall Maria Retake Operation.