Attack on Titan AU Smartpass

He’d gotten rid of as many of his belongings as possible when he joined the Survey Corps. There was no point in bringing anything like his jumbled collection of notes, and anything he did need he could buy or be issued. There was one item, however, that he kept in his bags because he’d need them to review the basics when understanding an operation.

“…My textbooks, huh. I guess I did leave them here.”

It had been some time since Jean last returned to his quarters. When he opened his bags in the personal space he’d been assigned, something moved him to pull the books out.

••••••

Around the time the old regime had been overthrown and Jean had met up with the main unit of the army…

Jean had been acting separately from the rest of the Survey Corps as a member of the “new Team Levi,” keeping him away from the main unit for some time. His bags had been haphazardly tidied up, just like those belonging to the rest of his squad. Now that much had been settled and he had returned, he needed to prepare next for the new operation to retake Wall Maria. When he unfastened his bag, he found a number of textbooks he’d used during his time in the Training Corps.

“I can’t believe I kept these …”

Even though he’d joined the Survey Corps and found himself in an ever-changing situation, he couldn’t allow himself to be negligent when it came to reviewing his fundamentals… And so he’d brought these books upon someone’s recommendation.

“A Guide to Marching Drills… What does this say about nighttime movement on horseback, again?”

One of these volumes seemed to be exactly the reference material he needed for the upcoming operation, and he casually began flipping through its pages.

••••••

[Seems like this appears on exams a lot.]

“…What’s this?”

The first handwritten words to jump out at him were not his own. These were marks left behind during a group study session for a written exam in his Training Corps days. Jean remembered sitting in the center of everyone, having placed his own textbook in the middle of the desk for them all to see and at times write in as they discussed this and that.

Jean couldn’t remember who the rushed cursive belonged to at first, but his memories of that day gradually began to return to him.

(Armin? No… If it was the person right next to me… I guess it’d be Marco.)

The words were written right-side-up on one side of the book. They’d been penned by someone reaching in from the side.

He shook his head at the memory of his close and now departed friend as he turned the page to find other writings.

••••••

“What’s this one say…?”

Jean couldn’t read the upside-down letters at first. He turned the book around, then gasped.

[Horses can move in other unpredictable ways. Be careful]

[—>Finger whistling, page 54]

The thick and powerful words of caution belonged to Reiner.

The thin and weak words that pinpointed Jean’s weaknesses and noted where he needed to read belonged to Bertolt.

Back then… they were comrades he learned alongside. In fact, it had been Reiner who suggested that he hold onto his textbooks. He had said that while Jean was talented, he had a tendency to rely on the fact. That’s why he needed to hold onto books that would let him go back to basics.

“…He really could see what’s most important.”

The contents of this textbook would have to be solidly in the minds of the two who were now on the “other side.” They would also know how the Corps would move by horseback according to it, too.

In other words… such was the opponent that now awaited them.

“The last ones I wanted to have to face went and became our enemies.”

…So this is what they meant when they said the world is a cruel place.

Jean quietly closed the book and placed it deep within his bags, as if to seal away the memories of the time he spent with the two.

••••••

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 3

Sometimes during training, one has no choice but to use their head. At times, this means having to write many words. In logical order, at that…

[Supplie Requasition

Bread: A bunch

Potatos: Around 5 boxes?

Milk: Not spoiled

Blades: Enough to attack Titans

Gas: A good amount]

“Start over.”

The instructor thrust Connie’s strategy to proposal back at him after little more than a glance. Dejected, he took the page.

••••••

“…How do you even begin to teach an idiot like this?”

“Forget about what he should be writing. I don’t even think he knows how to count supplies…”

Connie’s corpsmates had a good laugh at the document Connie wrote having summoned up all his brainpower. This wasn’t funny to him.

“I can pass the practical exams fine! Making it to the top of the class might even be realistic if it wasn’t for these tests where you have to write stuff…”

“Guess that means we don’t have a good reason to bother teaching you. The fewer competitors we have, the better.”

The other recruits may have been his corpsmates, but they were also his rivals, all competing for top marks. Connie’s desperate plea had backfired.

“C’mon! You can’t abandon me like this!

His fellow recruits laughed and ignored him as they returned to the barracks.

••••••

Two people happened to pass by Connie as he studied alone in the cafeteria. It was Reiner and Marco, who had just been helping the instructor with something. Two recruits with not only high practical marks, but top grades in the classroom too.

“Connie… You’re still studying?”

“It feels like they’re gonna send me back to my village if I keep getting these bad grades… I have to…”

Becoming a soldier was an important goal for Connie, someone who’d always been looked down upon as stupid. No matter how much trouble he had with something, he needed to get it done. His mother would surely be happy, if he finished with top marks this way. After Connie explained his situation to them, Reiner patted him on the shoulder.

“You understand what materials are required. All you need is to take your time with the numbers and be specific as you put them down. It’s fine if you write it in your own words.”

“You should also be more careful about your handwriting. Write it in a legible way, one that gets across just how much you need the materials.”

“Marco, Reiner… You guys are really kind.”

The two gave him words of encouragement, and Connie began again on his rejected document having processed their advice in his own way.

••••••

[Supply Requasition

Bread: Three days worth for five people

Potatoes: See above

Milk: See above. Fresh

Blades: Half a horse cart’s worth

Gas: Half a horse cart’s worth]

“…Looks fine.”

Through his corpsmates had insulted his document, it was ultimately accepted. Not only that, the instructor put it up in a place for everyone to see and learn from.

“What you need in a chaotic situation isn’t beautiful prose, it’s to write in a way that gives any reader an easy and accurate understanding of the current conditions. The words used by Recruit Springer in his requisition may be crude, but they show a proper understanding of the minimum needed by the squads that will be carrying out the operation they’ve been given. One could say that this sets an example of sorts, given that a soldier’s duty is to always be on the front lines.”

“Heh… So I am a genius.”

Frankly speaking, Connie only understood the part when the instructor said his work “sets an example.” Still, his corpsmates seemed to view him in a new light now. He decided he’d be as diligent as possible in his coursework, all in the hope that he’d get to experience this feeling again.

••••••

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 3

TEXT Vol. 23 Mikasa’s Recipe

The “new Squad Levi” had made a remote home into their base of operations. There they hid Eren and the highly important Historia from a society that had been thrown into chaos as they feared the Titans who appeared within the

Walls, preparing to make their next move.

[Potatoes, carrots, meat, milk, flour, butter.]

[Wash vegetables well and cut into equal-sized pieces]

[Start simmering the toughest vegetables first…]

“Hm? Is this yours, Mikasa?”

“What…?”

As Mikasa performed ab exercises despite the injuries she’d sustained in the earlier battle, Sasha noticed a scrap of paper that had fallen out of her belongings and picked it up.

••••••

Mikasa trained atop the bed where she was supposed to be resting her wounds. Having realized that she had dropped something, she went to pick it up.

“Was that a scrap of paper from your notebook? It looked to me like something that had to do with cooking…”

Just as the ever-hungry Sasha said, it was a note that Mikasa had written carefully about ingredients and instructions for a recipe. She’d kept it in her military notebook, but it must have fallen out as she organized her belongings in order to live life undercover in civilian clothing.

“I don’t want to forget it, so…”

“I didn’t think you’d need to take notes to remember how to cook in the barracks. You had such good grades in our classes.”

“This dish… doesn’t have to do with training…”

On the inside, Mikasa was glad she’d found the note. She put it back in her belongings and recalled the time she learned to cook.

••••••

“Listen, Mikasa. You need to be careful when using a knife. Especially with meat… Yes, very good.”

Mikasa was still young that day. She’d joined Eren’s family for a short while after her parents had been taken from her, and there she lived in peace and quiet.

“What about this flour…?”

“You dissolve it into the butter and milk to thicken the broth. Be careful not to let it burn. Once the vegetables and meat are simmered, you mix it all together.”

Carla, Eren’s mother, was even kind to Mikasa, being every bit the mother to her as she was to Eren. When Mikasa asked to help her in the kitchen, she even taught the girl her specialty.

“This used to be popular at the store I worked at, too. The trick is to stay calm and mix well.”

“…Okay.”

As Mikasa awkwardly did her best to follow directions, the rest of the family gathered around.

“I’m home! Hey, something smells good!”

“Call your father over before you start stealing any bites, Eren.”

“Okay,” said the energetic voice, followed by footsteps running toward the underground office.

The young Mikasa wrote the recipe down when it became impossible for her to ever return to this home again, keeping the memories of her second mother alive .

••••••

Though Mikasa had been reminiscing all on her own, Sasha, who was sharp-eyed only when it came to food, seemed to figure out that when she said the memories had “nothing to do with training,” she meant they were from before the Walls came down.

“Yeah, some of those ingredients are really valuable now. It couldn’t be a recipe you learned in the military.”

“You read it…?”

“Just what I got a glimpse of!”

There was no particular problem in it being read, but it did seem somehow embarrassing. Like Sasha had pointed out, Mikasa understood most things after being told them once, so this seemed unlike her. Regardless of Mikasa’s expectations, though, Sasha smiled.

“There are a ton of recipes that I used to be able to make before the Walls were destroyed that I can’t eat now… Seeing that took me back.”

Sasha’s hometown would have thrown away their traditions because of the Titan invasion. As hunters, they must have had unique dishes.

“It’d be nice if you got to make that sometime. I bet it tastes great if you thought it’s worth writing down.”

“I… don’t know if I could make it well. But… when the person who taught me it made this… it was so…”

“You’re still in here?! The meeting’s about to start.”

“Oh! We’ll be right over!”

Though she was interrupted by Armin, who had come to call them over, she wasn’t bothered. Sasha was right. It would be a joyful thing if the day came when she could make the recipe again and serve it to someone else.

For now, though, it was still a distant dream. Mikasa made sure that her body felt alright before carefully leaving her bed behind.

••••••

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 3

TRANSLATION: @worldofchicken

SOURCE: https://aminoapps.com/c/attack-on-titan/page/blog/smartpass-au-good-night-sweet-dreams-mike/BVzL_EJuwuJo0g1mRY5Xx4e71ZWqMX7eQ3

• • • • • • •

Goodnight Sweet Dreams Dear Vol. 16 Mike Zacharias

[People say, dreams are mirrors that reflect the heart.

Does sleep bring the tranquility needed to forget the ruthlessness of the day, or is it an abyss harsher than reality?]

“We’ve invited the chief and the squad leaders. Please eat.”

At a mansion owned by a wealthy merchant in the suburbs, there appeared Survey Corps members in full uniform.

This merchant is very important, since he helped Survey Corps that lacked funds, and helps funds their expeditions.

“Please drink this glass of wine.”

“…Erwin.”

When he was talking with one of his comrades, Erwin ‘accidentally’ dropped his glass.

“Sorry.”

“No, no, it’s alright. Would Squad Leader Mike like some too?”

“I’m not a good drinker, water is fine.”

“Thanks, Mike. Was there a drug in it?”

“Ahh.”

“They probably thought the Survey Corps isn’t worth to invest in, so they wanted to switch to the Garrison. They were planning to make a scandal once I lose my composure. Seems like that’s it for our partnership.”

On the carriage that brought them back to town from the suburbs, Erwin and Mike talked about their views.

However, it’s different outside the walls, where mankind struggle together. In the battle against the hidden enemies and the titans, Mike’s smelling ability has an important use.

In the rocking carriage, Erwin gave out a bitter smile.

“Your smelling ability is godly, good for you.”

You even know what you didn’t need to know, Mike felt like he saw that look in Erwin’s eyes, snorted, and gave no answer.

…the sound of the rocking carriage, unconsciously turned into the sound of the horses he rode with his comrades.

“S, squad leader! We can’t use this route! There’s the smell of blood!”

“Shut up, Mike Zacharias. We haven’t got any info from the commander.”

“But, this smell, it must be the titans…”

“Don’t talk too much! There aren’t any smoke signals!”

When Mike had just joined the Survey Corps, Erwin hadn’t invented the long-range battle formation, all information was spread by the smoke signals.

“Damn… why didn’t anyone believe me?”

Even when he was young, Mike was able to tell the smell of blood and sense danger. He had detected the enemy’s territory, however, being a new soldier, his idea wasn’t accepted.

“My trainee class is in front of us, if I want to survive…”

At the end of the expedition, Mike lost some comrades. It happened many times until his ability was recognized and he got promoted…

“Mike, we’re arriving soon.”

The rocking carriage made a rocky noise.

“Did I fall asleep?”

“You’ve been asleep for a while.”

Mike sniffed around, and smelt his own tears. The tears flowing from his eyes, probably was caused by the nostalgia of the pain in his dreams.

Without showing it in his face, he looked forward, and casually said:

“You were saying I’m unfortunate.”

“Is it about the smelling ability?

Mike nodded and let out a smile.

“Now that I think about it… it doesn’t hurt as much now because I’m useful in the battles.”

Erwin looked at Mike, who’d suddenly become talkative, and let out a laugh after listening to him.

“I’ll count on you next time.”

“Ahh. As long as it’s within my ability.”

It was Minister Nick’s turn to take the pulpit himself that week, and he found himself thinking about what he would say as he carried out this responsibility.

[Welcome, everyone. Today’s lesson will be on the great mercy of Goddess Rose.]

The Wall Religion’s three gods represented each of humanity’s three Walls, and this was the goddess that now needed to be taught most, as the Wall bearing her name had just been exposed to danger.

Nick wanted the words to sound even better than usual, and they would be later printed and delivered to churches around the land. As such, Nick repeatedly wrote and erased the words of his sermon on a sheet of paper separate from his holy texts.

••••••

Many religions—though only a small handful remained within the Walls—had holy texts that were esoteric and tricky to read, and the Wall Religion was no exception. Close readings often turned up no meaning at all.

“…It’s intentionally vague so that it can be interpreted in a way that matches what the masses are focused on, whether the topic is good or bad. If a robbery takes place, it was because the victim lacked devotion. If a believer has a child, it was because their prayers were received. This is how you need to guide their thoughts,” a high-ranking member of the clergy once instructed Nick about preaching when he had just become a minister.

In other words, he had it all flipped around.

It wasn’t that the goddess was the one who saved you.

It was that you were saved, and that was because of the goddess. A minister’s job was to create the reason after the fact.

••••••

[Not long ago, the greatest enemy to the gods, the Colossus Titan, appeared in Trost District. However, the goddess answered our prayers. The Wall was miraculously plugged without being further destroyed. The goddess’s protection was bestowed upon our soldiers…]

Nick got this far before stopping his pen. His pious believers would surely believe this, just as they always did. Now that the attack on Trost District had left its society uneasy, though, this was an opportunity to gain new followers. The now-fearful masses may come running to the church, seeking rescue in religion. How could he give the impression that it was the goddess, not the soldiers who saved them…?

He erased the word “soldiers,” writing “citizens” in its place.

[The goddess’s protection was bestowed upon our citizens. The fact you were all able to take shelter without a single wound is a miracle, just as described in our holy text.]

Nick made sure to avoid any mention of the soldiers who plugged the Wall. At times like this, there is meaning in omission.

••••••

The sermon went well. Nick moved even curious bystanders by the end and joined him in worship. The Wall Religion’s service involved creating three rings, after the three Walls. Believers stand side-by-side, their arms linked.

Long ago - when Nick had joined the Wall Religion and rose within it to eventually become a minister, he had learned the truth of the Walls. The services felt like a dreadful thing in light of that knowledge.

“Let us pray for the security of our three goddesses: Maria, Rose, Sheena…”

There was no place for such emotions, though. Nick needed to lead those before him.

(Whatever the case, the reality was that no one man could change the situation that society and humanity within the Walls had been placed in.)

Nick took the strung-together words of convenience written on the scrap of paper that he called his “remonstration” and placed it in his breast pocket. He too could do nothing but pray.

••••••

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 3

[Defeat Titans: Only Vertical Maneuvering Equipment. Blades -> Flexible]

“…Even I have to admit that these notes seem stupid.”

Not long after joining the Training Corps, Eren found himself facing an obstacle: How to take lecture notes.

Physical exertion only required effort. There had been a school in the town of his birth, so it wasn’t as though he’d never had the chance to sit in a class and study… He knew how to read and write.

The lectures required before becoming a soldier, though, were different from regular studies. There were many items to learn, and he needed to hammer them all into his head.

“Hey, Armin. How do you write notes in a way that lets you remember them efficiently?” Eren asked his clever friend, seeking his help as he always did.

••••••

“To cut straight to the chase… all I can say is ‘it depends on the person.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Armin took a sheet of papers he used during lectures and began flipping through them.

[Titans: 1-2 minute regeneration frequency *May vary depending on Titan

Combat with blades is effective

Use Vertical Maneuvering Equipment for agile movement and aim for weak point

Weak point: Nape below back of head (No regeneration)]

A neat summary of the important points given by the instructor.

“Wouldn’t I be able to become like you if I wrote my notes like this?”

“That’s not how it works. The goal of the lectures is to be able to use that knowledge in a practical setting. Writing notes is only a way to organize the information we get. You can’t let the act of writing itself be your goal.”

This did make sense to Eren, but the question remained. What way of writing was best for him? He decided to try exchanging information with other members of the Training Corps.

••••••

“Huh… We were all in the same classroom but everyone did something different.”

“Uh-huh. Marco and Krista meticulously organized all kinds of information, while Reiner and Bertolt only summarized the most important parts.”

Most of the other Training Corps members had shown him their notes, probably because they’d only recently started their lectures and their grades had been no different from the talented Armin’s.

“On the other hand, Ymir and Sasha, those girls who are always around Krista, had notes that looked awful. Some of their pages were blank, or full of doodles… I guess I don’t have anything to learn from them.”

“Those three are probably helping each other out before tests since they’re always together.”

Eren recalled the face of another childhood friend when he heard about the three helping one another.

“Oh, right… What about you, Mikasa?”

“I don’t do anything in particular.”

Mikasa hasn’t written anything either, but not in the same way as Ymir. She didn’t need to in order to score high marks. Seeing this, Eren felt like he had a vague understanding of what he needed to do.

••••••

[Strategy in the Forest of Giant Trees

Vertical maneuvering is effective

Save gas, choose routes —> Follow Mikasa or Jean to hammer movement into body

History used by Corps —> Hear details from Armin and remember

How to organize squads—> Watch Reiner/Marco’s squad closely]

If Eren didn’t understand something, Armin would always explain it to him. He’d become a better fighter as he experienced Mikasa’s interventions. It seemed to Eren the he learned best from those more capable than him. His goal wasn’t to join the privileged class, it was something else, so it seemed unlikely for there to be any conflicts of interest.

“Look like your grades have been improving lately. Figure out a good way to take notes or something?”

“Well… You could say that.”

The first step in Eren’s reckless efforts forward was figuring out the right direction for all his energy.

Looks like Attack on Titan Final Season Part 1 Manga Box Set, might include TWO Attack on Titan: Short Stories Booklets.

Likely these 2:

••••••

Shelter From The Rain - Special Edition

Those who gathered in the old castle uttered their feelings at the time of the rainy day. The story of the resolve and determination of soldiers spun by Rain.

Levi & Eren: Ruin’s Dungeon

Hange & Levi : Dust-Sheltered Study

Eren & Jean: Old Chapel [ Ver. 2 ]

Eren & Mikasa : The Parlor/Guest Room Where The Sound of Rain Never Ceases Rainless Room for Customers [ Ver. 2 ]

Erwin & Levi : Crumbling Castle Gate [ Ver. 2 ]

Eren & Armin: Tower, Beyond the Rain Clouds

••••••

TEXT

Vol. 01 Eld Accounting Book

Vol. 02 Peaure Manuscript Paper

Vol. 03 Flegel Reeves Customer Ledger

••••••

Goodnight. Sweet dreams, dear Act II

Vol. 01 Hange Zöe [ Ver. 1 | Ver. 2 ]

Vol. 02 Sasha Blouse

Vol. 03 Connie Springer

••••••

Shelter from the rain Reprise

Vol. 01 Armin Arlert & Moblit Berner

Vol. 02 Kenny Ackerman & Traute Caven

Vol. 03 Eren Yeager & Marlowe Freudenberg

••••••

My First Time Around

Vol. 01 Erwin Smith: First Time Equestrian Training

••••••

Late Night Stories Vol. 08 Annie Leonhart : A Story of Days Past

“You know… I’ve always wondered.”

A Military Police Brigade station in Stohess District.

Work was officially over for the day, and so the lights in most of the rooms were off. However, brightness continued to leak out from one room. In it were this year’s new recruits, taking care of the office work that had been forced onto them by their superiors.

“What is it, Marlowe? Who are you talking to?”

“Annie. I always wanted to ask.”

The blonde girl who coolly worked her way through the documents, mechanically flipping through them and stamping them, looked up with a furrowed brow.

••••••

“You trained in Trost District and experienced actual combat right afterwards, right? The others who made it into the top ten would have experienced the terror of the Titans first-hand, too… It wouldn’t be surprising at all if they’d wanted to become MPs and live in the interior. So why were you the only one who joined the Military Police Brigade? They didn’t all die in that battle, did they?”

“…Only one died. The rest joined the Survey Corps.”

“The Survey Corps?! Not even the Garrison?! Why?”

Annie didn’t so much as flinch as Hitch overreacted and confronted her with the question.

“…Who knows.”

The dismissively reply made Hitch stars at Annie’s face and changed the question.

“In that case, what kind of people were your corpsmates? Huge idiots?”

“Yeah… I guess they were idiots.”

••••••

Annie’s hands never stopped sorting through the paperwork as she answered the badgering with a few words about the other members of the 104th.

“First…was an idiot obsessed with family. Her childhood friend wanted to join the Survey Corps…and she said she’d protect him. That friend of hers was fifth, right after me, but he said he was going to join the Survey Corps from the beginning… He was the weirdest one.”

“Do weirdos like that really exist in this day and age?”

“The rest of them…were probably influenced by what that idiot said. He actually declared in front of everyone the night before graduation that he’d exterminate all the Titans so that we could explore the world freely.”

“Hah. It’s not quite the same reasoning, but he sounds like Marlowe.”

“I think it’s natural for anyone to follow their ideals. Without dreams or goals, humans are just…”

Marlowe stopped working to try to give his personal opinions about the world, but Hitch cut him off and asked Annie to continue.

“Yeah, yeah. So what about the others? It’s not like everyone was influenced by this idiot, right?”

“There was one guy who said he was going to become an MP even after the battle, so…I might have been a little surprised by him.”

••••••

“He…lost his good friend… His marks were good up until then, but he was the kind of person who always bragged about them. He only ever thought of himself…but then he changed.”

“Was it something about his state of mind?” Marlowe asked, but Annie expressionlessly shook her head.

“Who knows. Like I said earlier… I’m not them. I’m not some stupid dreamer, and it’s not like I have ideals, either. I don’t have anything I want to protect… I’m a coward who just wants to save herself.”

“That goes for everyone who became an MP, though. Are you someone who gets self-conscious about what others think of you?”

“No, that’s not it. I…” Annie began, her hands stopping suddenly in the middle of organizing the pile of now-completed documents and latching them together.

“…I’m heading to bed.”

“Hey! No fair, Annie! You need to help us with the rest…! C’mon.”

Hitch’s attempts to get her to stay were in vain. Just as Annie was about to close the door, she stopped.

“I just…make whatever choice seems easiest.”

As Annie looked to the floor, she thought of her training corpsmates. She bit her tongue as if to brush the memories away and headed to the sleeping quarters.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

Late Night Stories Vol. 05 Reiner Braun A Story of Absent-Mindedness

“…You know it’s your turn today, Reiner.”

The recruits were busy training, marching through the night. They dragged their heavy feet, weary from the afternoon, as they carried torches in their hands.

“My turn for what?”

“…Remember when we pulled an all-nighter studying the other day?” Bertolt said next to him, causing Reiner to remember.

“Oh. To tell a story to keep everyone awake?”

“I’m begging you to… I feel like my feet are about to stop. I won’t fall behind if it’s an interesting story. I’d need to be in the group to hear it, after all,” Armin said, looking up at Reiner as he staggered back and forth, just barely keeping up.

“Okay. In that case… I’ll tell you a story from the other day.”

••••••

A few days earlier, Reiner was training with a group outside, when they were caught by a heavy evening squall. Of course, rain was no reason to stop a training exercise. If the soldiers didn’t have any rain gear, that just meant a drenched uniform. Their one saving grace was that they would be heading back to the barracks immediately afterwards.

“…Once all of you guys got back, the first thing you had to do was dry your clothes and wash off any mud with well water, right?” “ But you were squad leader then, Reiner, so you had to go and give a report before that,” Armin continued. Reiner nodded while a shiver ran through his body, as if he was remembering how cold he was that day.

“I finally gave my report to the instructor and went back to the well, then took off my shirt to start wiping off my body, but just as I did…”

••••••

“Aahh?!”

Reiner turned to face the shrieks and saw two female Training Corps recruits, Mina and Krista, passing by. Thinking that they must have been shocked to see him shirtless, he turned his back to them in a panic and apologized.

“S-Sorry. I’ll be done fast, so, just a minute…”

“N-No, we’re sorry, too! Don’t worry, you can finish up!”

“Really? Okay, then…”

Reiner paid no mind to the girls as they watched him wring his shirt with his exposed, muscular body, before starting to wipe it clean…

“Hey, Reiner? Um… Can we ask you a favor?”

“…And then the girls asked if they could touch my abs. It’s not like it would hurt anyone to say yes, so I let them, and…they said things like, ‘Wow, it’s really a six pack!’ or “What do you do to work out?’”

The girls didn’t hold back as they put their hands all over him.

“Heh! You’ve got a pretty solid chest, Reiner.”

“Wait, Ymir…! Hey, both of you!”

Ymir’s teasing stirred the girls on, as they started to touch not only his abs but also his chest, arms, and back. Reiner sighed at what a mess the situation had become.

“That…was surprising.”

“Wh-What did you just say happened…? Really? I’m so jealous of you!!”

While the situation could be seen as fortunate depending on one’s point of view, Reiner spoke of it as if it were a complete mystery to him. Jean, who was next to Reiner, impulsively threw his torch to the ground.

“Oh! Well, Mikasa wasn’t there, you know!” Reiner said.

“That’s not the problem here!!” Jean replied through clenched teeth. Marco tried to calm Jean while picking up his torch.

“Why don’t you try working out until you have a body like Reiner’s?”

“O-Oh, so I just have to keep working out…”

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” a smiling Armin said as he listened in on the conversation, shutting Jean down completely. “Vertical Maneuvering is your specialty. If you put on any more muscle, you wouldn’t be able to use your skills as well.”

“T-True, balance is important… Wait, don’t tell me that right now, Armin! Can’t you leave me the smallest bit of hope to cling onto?!”

This made Reiner notice that Armin, who tended to lag behind, was still in proper formation with the rest of the squad. He saw that everyone else was there, too and was satisfied to know that he had accomplished something by telling his story.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

TRANSLATION: Ko Ransom

Pardon the CamScanner Watermark as that Apps put it in Automatically!

Late Night Stories Vol. 03 Krista Lenz : A Heart-Pounding Story

“Nngh… Meaaaat… Breaaad… Mrrgh.”

“Wake up, potato girl! Your textbook is covered in drool!”

Whack! The dull sound of someone’s head being struck filled the room. It was late at night, but the girls barracks still glowed bright.

“Hey, whose idea was it again to copy the boys and pull an all-nighter?!”

“You, too, Ymir. Calm down…”

“Then do you want to give up and go to sleep, Krista? You know this test about the history and construction of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment is ridiculously hard, right? And it’s even going to be counted in our overall marks!”

“Ugh… I won’t sleep. I’ll study.”

“L-Let us join, too!”

Mina and Hannah, two other recruits, gathered around the trio sitting around the table. Unable to sit there and watch everyone desperately try to rub the drowsiness out of their eyes any longer. Ymir crossed her arms and made a suggestion.

“Now that I think of it, the boys said they had someone tell a story to wake them up. Hey, Krista. Give us a story.”

“Whaat?!”

••••••

Now that she had been put on the spot, Krista looked around at everyone, flustered.

“B-But, what should I talk about…?”

“Oh, I want to hear a story about a time when someone made your heart race, Krista!”

Hannah’s proposal put a glimmer in all the girls’ eyes, aside from Krista’s. She looked skeptical, like she didn’t even understand what was being said.

“But…”

“It doesn’t have to be anything special. For example, a time you saw someone as a good person because of something unexpected they did. You know, that kind of thing!”

The girls all agreed as they looked on expectantly. Krista thought, and then she suddenly clapped.

“Oh! Then what about this?”

••••••

It happened during a training exercise meant to take place in a scenario where the recruits had to plan an escape with multiple horses from a Titan-filled area. Notifying the people of danger and evacuating them on horses during emergencies was an important part of a soldier’s duties.

At the time, Krista was in a team with Ymir and Sasha.

“The pack of horses meant for the citizens has made it to the Forest of Giant Trees!”

“I’ll use Vertical Maneuvering to be on watch! Sasha, you protect the rear!”

“Alright!”

As Krista led the horses from the front, she was concerned about Ymir overhead. Because there would be sudden Titan appearances during the training, log traps meant to recreate a Titan’s long, outstretched limbs had been placed in their way, as well as dummy Titans meant to obstruct them.

“In front!”

A dummy Titan appeared from nowhere in front of Krista. She immediately put her horse on a detour and made sure the pack had changed directions before using Vertical Maneuvering to leap into the air herself. But then—

“Guh?!”

“Ymir!!”

Now a log trap had appeared, this time in front of Ymir—

“HIYAAAAA!”

••••••

“…And that’s how Sasha saved us!”

“Yeah, that was pretty surprising.”

Though Sasha should have been in the back, she used her Vertical Maneuvering Equipment to appear in the very front, where she used both her legs to land a kick on the log, changing its direction. Thanks to her, Ymir avoided taking a direct hit while Krista was able to focus on destroying the dummy Titan, allowing training to come to a safe end.

“That was cool.”

“I’m sure it was just her intuition, but she did save us.”

Sasha had already fallen sound asleep while the story was being told, and Ymir forced a smile as she gently poked her head.

…But Mina and Hannah looked unamused, as though they had been deceived.

“Um… That’s not what we meant…”

“We wanted to hear a story about…well, a different kind of person, I guess…”

“What, that wasn’t good enough for you?”

“No…it did help us wake up, but…”

The disappointed recruits suddenly realized something. Couldn’t the trio’s trust in one another and their close teamwork be the cause of their high marks?

“…I guess that means we should be more serious about training, too, instead of just trying to hear about silly love stories.”

“Hmm? Mrrgh…”

“…It is plain annoying that the hero of that story is out cold right now, though.”

And so, the night marched quietly on in the girls barracks.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

Taking Shelter from the Rain Reprise

Vol. 01 Erwin Smith & Sasha Blouse

Vol. 02 Historia Reiss & Mikasa Ackerman

Vol. 03 Nile Dok & Hitch Dreyse

Vol. 04 Hange Zöe & Jean Kirstein

Vol. 05 Levi & Peaure

••••••

Goodnight. Sweet dreams, dear Act II

Vol. 01 Jean Kirstein

Vol. 02 Mikasa Ackerman

Vol. 03 Reiner Braun

Vol. 04 Levi

Vol. 05 Armin Arlert

••••••

My First Time Around

Vol. 01 Bertolt Hoover

Vol. 02 Moblit Berner

Vol. 03 Nile Dok

Vol. 04 Connie Springer

Vol. 05 Mike Zacharias

Vol. 06 Reiner Braun

Vol. 07 Ymir

Vol. 08 Jean Kirstein

Vol. 09 Mikasa Ackerman

Vol. 10 Hange Zöe

Vol. 11 Sasha Blouse

Vol. 12 Levi

Vol. 13 Armin Arlert

Vol. 14 Historia Reiss

Vol. 15 Marco Bott

Vol. 16 Annie Leonhart

Vol. 17 Eren Yeager

••••••