Levi was disappointed, but not surprised.

Eren's hardening experiments didn't go well that day, so he had to deliver reports to Erwin, who had just been discharged from the hospital and was now staying in a temporary room, and the first thing Levi noticed when he'd entered was the large bump underneath the sheets of the single bed. He didn't even need to see to know who it was.

"If the plan would have worked out, we could have plugged the hole in Shiganshina District in less than a day," Erwin mused after Levi gave his briefing.

"It's because we lack information," said Levi, his eyes fixated on the large bump as it shifted every now and then. So she's not sleeping. "Might be a different story if there was a book about the hardening ability. But we have Christa.. no, Historia Reiss. Maybe we learn about the wall through her?"

"I read the entire report about her upbringing," Erwin said. "She's the illegitimate daughter of Lord Reiss, and it's by no means a happy story."

The bump on the bed twitched, and Levi had to resist rolling his eyes. "Oi. You're at least wearing clothes under there, aren't you?"

The figure beneath the covers shifted, until it was aggressively kicked and Isanna sat, fully clothed, and Levi internally sighed in relief.

"Of course I am, dobe," she spat.

"Who spit in your food today?"

Isanna clicked her tongue and rolled on her side facing the wall, marking the end of their conversation.

Levi shot a questioning look at Erwin, who only lightly shook his head.

"She's been in a sour mood since this morning," he said.

"For what?" asked Levi.

Erwin sighed, and Levi had a feeling they'd been going at each other for a while now.

"For a silly reason," Erwin said.

"It's not silly!"

Levi deadpanned at them. He stood from his seat and decided to head back to his squad in case they'd accidentally set the cottage on fire. And, he thought he'd give these two some privacy in the meantime.

"The both of you are disgusting," Levi said with his usual dead voice as he stood by the door, hand on the knob. "Erwin, I'll send a messenger every now and then." I don't want to be third-wheeling every time I give a report, he mentally added.

After bidding farewell, Levi shut the door and silence crept inside the room. Erwin placed the paper in his hand down on the table near the window and looked outside. The streets were barren, the night cold.

Speaking of cold..

Erwin glanced over his shoulder and stared at the silent figure of the woman who was laying on his bed. That same woman who was in a sour mood for only one reason.

"Are you still sulking because I shaved my beard?" he said.

Isanna jerked into a sitting position and pursed her lips in annoyance. "I told you to leave it on."

"It doesn't look neat."

"You looked good with it."

"Are you insinuating I don't without it?"

"No, but you definitely look hotter with a beard."

This conversation was getting nowhere, Erwin thought. Isanna had the weirdest fetishes. He walked over. "You can be such a child sometimes."

"I think I deserve to be petty every once in a while," she huffed.

Erwin hummed and sat down at the edge of the bed, his weight sinking into the mattress as he thought about his trip to Mitras tomorrow.

"I contacted Nile," he said. "He'll give me a ride to the capital."

At the mention of that name, Isanna scowled. She crawled towards the edge of the bed and folded her legs underneath her, sitting beside him. "Why does it have to be him? I don't trust those MPs."

When she looked at Erwin, he seemed to be in deep thought. Well, he was always in deep thought; man looked like he was pondering about the meaning of life 24/7.

"I do have something I wanted to discuss with him," he admitted.

Isanna frowned. "Should I come with you? Those government bastards are fishy. I don't like the idea of you waltzing into their territory alone."

Erwin turned to her, and to her surprise, he was wearing a gentle smile. Erwin patted her by the head before he pulled her closer, kissing her forehead.

"I will be alright," he said. "Besides, I want you to do something else for me."

Isanna was staring at him like he'd just regrown his right arm. When she finally found her voice again, she asked him what it was.

"Go undercover in Rod Reiss' lot in the north," said Erwin. "Take a small squad with you. Gather as much information as you can about the family, and anything related to Historia. It doesn't matter how little the information is. I want everything."

When Isanna understood his intentions, she nodded. "You can count on me."

"I expect nothing less from you."

•

Next morning, while Erwin was still preparing for his departure to the capital, Isanna was already standing outside the building, arms crossed and a hard look fixed on her face.

Nile stood in front of a carriage, returning her stare with an equally sharp one. Ever since he'd arrived, there was the usual air of hostility between them.

"I'm warning you, Dok. If you so much lay a finger on his hair—"

"You'll take my intestines out," he said. "Yeah, I know."

"And I'll do it with my bare hands," Isanna warned, oddly sounding like a growl. Nile wondered how on earth Erwin managed to tame such a rabid yet fiercely loyal soldier. Is she a dog?

"If you're so against me, take it out on your commander," he quipped. "He's the one who contacted me."

"Erwin has his reasons," she defended.

Favoritism. Nile scoffed.

On one hand, he had no idea why Erwin wanted him to accompany him to a royal summon. The last thing Nile wanted was to get involved with the Scouts, especially with their commander. Even if said commander used to be his best friend.

"Dok," Isanna suddenly called.

He looked at her and arched a brow. "What?"

He noticed she went quieter. "Mike's dead."

The way Isanna delivered the news seemed so casual and out of the blue. As if it had been just an afterthought or something she just remembered. But Nile knew better, from the way her shoulders sagged just a tad, the spaces between her brows creased, and the way she blinked a few times faster than normal.

Nile couldn't see his own face right now, but he was pretty damn sure he was as surprised as he could get.

"Wh... what?"

"Mike's dead," she said. "Guess it's just us three with Erwin now. So do me a favor and act less like a dick. At least, to Erwin."

Nile still had a hard time comprehending the sudden news. Mike? The Mike Zacharias? Since when? And how?

"The hell... are you doing?" he muttered, still in disbelief. "I thought you guys were supposed to be strong! Why the hell.."

He lowered his gaze to the ground, ears ringing. Mike was dead. Nile couldn't even remember the last time he saw him.

"Even the strong can fall victim to death," Isanna said, tearing her eyes away from him. "We're not invincible." She clicked her tongue. "But you.. you've lived longer than most of our friends. Congratulations, I guess."

Nile clenched his jaw and raised his head, glaring at her. He stepped forward, but before anything could escalate, the door to the building opened. Erwin stepped out.

At the questioning look Nile earned from him, he begrudgingly stepped back, cursing under his breath. Nile rounded his heel and stepped into the carriage first without a word.

Erwin stepped forward and glanced at Isanna, whom he noticed had a gloom in her face. He wanted to ask what was that all about, but he figured she wouldn't tell him.

"I expect to see you when I return," he said.

"Right." She nodded. "Be careful."

Erwin returned her nod and followed Nile into the carriage. After easing into the seat beside him, the carriage rolled into the street and started its way to the interior, bumping over the uneven chips in the road.

For a while, the ride was quiet. The carriage took a few turns here and there and passed by lines of shops, and the bustling air outside was a clear contrast to the quietude inside. Despite that, Erwin could sense a bubbling turmoil churning inside the man sitting beside him.

"Minister Nick was tortured then killed by the MP's first interior squad," Erwin began, "were you aware of that?"

Nile had to take a double-take. ".. No."

His reaction seemed genuine, Erwin thought. "I see." He paused. "It seems they wanted to know Eren's location. Why do you MP's want Eren so badly that you're willing to kill?"

"We're just following orders from above. Besides, our chain of command is different from those from the interior. We don't know what they're thinking."

"What do you think?" Erwin said after a pause.

"Huh?"

"Will handing Eren over to them end this crisis inside the walls?" Erwin clarified. "What do you think?"

Nile mulled it over. "It's not my place to think about that. I just carry out the job given to me."

And then after that they went back to silence. Rolling of carriage wheels, occasional bumps, horse hooves clopping, and bustling chatter from the streets.

"Is it true?" Nile asked out of the blue, eyes strained downwards with his fists curled on his lap. "Mike's really dead?"

Erwin glanced out the side window. "Yes."

He heard him release a shaky breath. "I see... so.... he's really gone.."

"Did she tell you?"

Nile bit his lip, the sudden news still not quite fully settled over his head. "Yeah..."

Erwin shifted his attention from the window to the man beside him, silently observing. "How have you been faring? How's your family?"

".... Fine. Marie's pregnant with our third one."

"Congratulations."

Nile suddenly turned to him, a pointed stare shooting through his eyes. "Why do you sound so calm? Mike's gone. Shouldn't you be more—" he stopped himself with a click of his tongue. "Why... you and Herrmann. Why are you both so.. relaxed after losing Mike?"

Erwin prolonged a solid stare at him. He wouldn't exactly say that they were 'relaxed'. Losing Mike was a big blow to the Scouts in terms of manpower. But, Mike wasn't only a soldier to the regiment. To both Erwin and Isanna, he was a friend. A very precious one at that, too.

"It's not the first time we've lost someone, Nile," he said. "And it won't be the last."

"So? Herrmann sounded like she could care less—"

"Don't," said Erwin, and Nile flinched at his hardened gaze. "You have no idea what she's been through."

Nile swallowed and looked away from him with a grumble. He tightened his fists, unwillingly recalling his memories as a training cadet. All those years...

If he'd stayed in his path together with Erwin and his friends from back then, if he hadn't abandoned them for Marie, would he still be alive today? Would his present.. be different than the present he was living in now? Would he have ended up like Mike?

"But you.. you've lived longer than most of our friends. Congratulations, I guess."

"You remembered how we used to talk about our future in the Survey Corps?" said Nile.

"Yes," Erwin said. "But you fell in love and chose to protect her instead."

Nile deeply frowned. "... Yeah, that's right. I betrayed all of you... and shamelessly survived up to this day. But I don't regret it. I love my family, more than anything else in this world. And even if I'd get a second chance, I'd betray you again. I'd choose Marie, for a second time. I'd do it all over again, for her."

"But," he continued, ignoring the heavy lump at the back of his throat. Nile ducked his head low and squeezed his eyes shut. "But...! I never.. wanted any of you to die. Not our friends in the Training Corps. Not Mike. Not Herrmann. And not you."

Nile dug his nails deeper into his palms, squeezing his fists tight. I prayed.. that even if we went our separate ways.. I prayed you all stayed safe.

Erwin never expected to hear Nile's confession after all these years. After their graduation from the Training Corps years ago, they never stayed in contact, and he'd assumed that Nile despised him.

"Even Isanna?" Erwin said.

"She's a pain and a real headache to talk to, but I don't completely hate her—but don't tell her I said that," Nile admitted.

Erwin hummed and reclined in his seat. "I respect you, Nile. You were able to live in a way we could not. Our comrades we've trained with felt the same way."

Nile didn't know why, but he swore he heard a slight tinge of longing in Erwin's voice. 'Live in a way we could not'. For all this time, Nile had been living a life far more comfortable than others, While Erwin and his friends were out fighting tooth and nail.

"But I hope you know," Erwin continued, turning to him, "that just because you carry out orders given to you doesn't mean you'll be protecting your family. Our small world is changing. Soon, each of us will have to make a choice, including you."

Nile had no clue what he was talking about. He got a weird flash of nostalgia hearing Erwin talk about things he didn't understand—because Erwin tended to talk like that back when they'd been training cadets, too.

"Erwin, what do you think you're doing?"

"You know me, just another gamble," Erwin said. He looked out the window that showed the grand white headquarters of the capital. He patted Nile by the shoulder before he stepped down the carriage.

"Erwin."

Erwin stopped, but didn't look back and waited for Nile to continue.

"You... loved Marie back then too, right? You think I didn't know?" said Nile.

When Erwin still made no move, Nile continued,

"But.. you already have someone else in your heart now, don't you?"

Nile watched as Erwin made his way through the looming gates. Bastard still liked to act cool even after all these years, Nile thought. He didn't even answer him. Not that he needed to. Nile already knew something was different since earlier—the air between Erwin and Isanna had changed drastically.

The carriage was pulled back into the street, and Nile crossed his arms and looked out the window as the view outside started moving once more.

So we've both found someone to love, huh, Erwin? he thought, then scoffed. Although you've already found her since a long time ago.

•

"Sergeant, we found access to the Reiss chapel. There's no one in the vicinity right now."

Isanna adjusted the trench coat over her shoulders and stared at the horizon of flat grasslands. The sun was harsh today, more so especially since they were in the country side far up in the north. Right after Erwin had left for Mitras earlier, Isanna had gathered a few soldiers and headed to the Reiss lot for a stake out.

The estate was vast, the ideal spot for farming crops and tending to the cattle and other farm animals. It was also noticeably tranquil compared to the downtown cities, with far lesser people.

"Did you check the main manor?" Isanna said.

"Yes, ma'am. It seems Rod Reiss is away. We've only seen a few maids going in and out of the house."

"Keep a lookout," she ordered. Isanna adjusted the hat on her head and started heading away. "Two of you, with me. The rest will search for more information on the Reiss family. Ask around, particularly what Rod's been up to in the last five years. Meet me back here in two hours."

Together with two more Scouts, Isanna reached the old, worn out chapel owned by Reiss. On the outside, it didn't seem to be anything worthwhile. But the inside had been clearly renovated, Isanna noted. There were areas where it seemed as if new materials had been built over old wood.

"Apparently, burglars snuck in five years ago and massacred the entire Reiss family except for Rod," one of the Scouts informed as they scoured through the dim chapel. "They managed to wreck the entire place before leaving."

Isanna felt a wooden ledge by the wall with her palm, running her hand through the dust. The crust beneath her palm felt grainy. Wrecked? "That's not a very burglar thing to do."

"Ma'am?"

Isanna looked at him. "If it really was just an ordinary burglary, they would have just took what they needed and made a dash for it. Tearing the place is too much work."

"That's true.."

"In other words," Isanna said, scanning the place, "something happened in this chapel five years ago. And it wasn't a burglary."

The next ten minutes were spent with them searching every nook and cranny of the chapel. It wasn't a huge chapel, so the search didn't take too much time, but they still weren't able to find anything worth noticing.

Just when Isanna thought they should move on to the next place, she walked by a floorboard that made a particularly different tap of her footstep. She paused and glanced down, eyeing the space underneath her boot, and then crouched. She knocked against the floorboard with her knuckle, and a hollow tap echoed back.

With a growing suspicion, Isanna dug her fingers between the cracks of the floorboard and pulled it up, successfully prying open an entrance. Dust and dirt fluttered at the impact, and her nose twitched.

The other two noticed her discovery and walked over. "Sergeant, this is.."

"A hidden entrance," Isanna finished, eyes still locked below. After a quick glance outside the window, she made a decision. "I'll check it myself. You stay here and call me if anything happens."

"Eh? But—"

Isanna didn't listen any longer than that and jumped down the hole, the darkness below swallowing her.

•

For an entire minute, Isanna was walking in a hallway that was void of any source of light. She had to feel her way through, using her hand and the wall on her right as a guide, until she reached a door. Pushing it open, she had to hold back a gasp of amazement.

Bright. It was so bright.

Everywhere around her were crystals. Bright, shining ores of blue glinting from all directions, including the floor and ceiling. Even the pillars seemed to be made of the same material. The place was extensive, stretching so far she couldn't even see the end of the chamber, and it was large enough for a fifteen-meter titan to stand tall.

With careful steps, Isanna padded down the stairway, soft taps of her boot clacking loudly and bouncing against the crystalline walls. Her muscles were tense. She felt for her gear underneath her cloak, just in case of battle.

"What is this place?" she asked no one in particular, half-wary for whatever was in store below here, half-awed that there was a chamber hidden away in such a place.

When she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Isanna craned her neck, taking in the looming ceilings above. She walked further and passed by several pillars.

Constructed by humans? She felt a pillar with her palm, her thoughts swirling with possibilities. I don't think we have the technology for this. And... what the hell is this crystal-like substance? It looks like... like..

Annie Leonhart's crystal.

At the connection, the frown on her face deepened. A titan's hardening? But how?

Not long, the nerves in her muscle spiked up, hairs tingling.

Someone was here.

Isanna jolted and instinctively slid behind the pillar just in time to hear a door push open in an echo across the entire chamber.

Breath got hitched in the back of her throat. Isanna backed herself against the pillar and strained her ears for whoever it was, heartbeat quickening.

"The Scouts still have Eren and Historia. What are those fools doing?"

Isanna swallowed and closed her eyes, forcing her nerves to calm down. Two pairs of footsteps. It didn't sound like it came from the door she entered through. Was there a different entrance?

"Calm down, Rod. It'll only be a matter of time till ya get yer hands on 'em."

Isanna's body stiffened. Rod Reiss. He was here. There was another guy, but she had no idea who it was. The second man's voice sounded old but full of energy. He had an accent too.

"How is the new gear coming?" Rod's voice asked.

"Fancy. Those guys are a bit of a stick in the mud, but I gotta admit, they're good for comin' up with the new gear. Helps us battle against those rats."

New gear. The frown on Isanna's face deepened. Her fingers twitched towards her own gear. What gear are they talking about?

"Do you really think you have what it takes to take on those soldiers? They're known for battling against titans."

The one with the accent laughed. "Are ya lookin' down on my squad? Levi's the only one even worth mentionin'. The rest are pretty damn easy to get."

Isanna couldn't help but get ticked. Easy to get, my ass. Don't underestimate us.

"What's wrong?"

Isanna froze. They stopped walking, and the sudden end of their conversation made her feel queasy.

"Feels like a rat's on to us."

Swallowing, Isanna's hand tightly gripped on to her gear, ready to unsheathe her blade. Fuck. She was pretty sure she hadn't made a single sound nor a single bit of movement. How could they tell?

She backed her head against the surface of the pillar when the sound of footsteps came back—but this time, it was getting nearer to her direction.

Shit.. don't come here, she internally pleaded in desperation. A single bead of sweat trickled down her forehead, her hands were starting to get clammy, and the pounding of her heart dominated her hearing.

The footsteps were getting closer. Just a little bit more and the person would round the pillar, and her hiding spot would get blown. Isanna had no idea how she was going to get away with this without a battle. She could yell for help in case things get awry, hopefully her men could hear her, but maybe the enemy had reinforcements too.

Step. Step. Step. Step. And then—

"You're just imagining things," Rod's voice suddenly said.

For an agonizing set of silent seconds, Isanna waited with bated breath.

"Guess yer right." The footsteps receded, and Isanna quietly expelled her breath.

As Rod and the second guy continued their conversation, walking away, Isanna waited until the coast was clear. She wanted to search the second entrance where the two men had entered, but she didn't want to push her luck any longer. Erwin had only told her to collect information, not to engage in battle. Not yet. She headed back up and left the chamber.

•

After Erwin's meeting with the chancellery, he'd met again with Commander Pixis and had a private talk. Pixis had just left, leaving Erwin to his thoughts inside his quarters, in front of a splintered coffee table where a lone candle was all it took to light the quaint room.

Erwin watched the dancing ember, swirling like the fire of determination that had kept him going all this time, the same determination that was going to push him into doing something he'd never done before.

A bloodless revolution. It was unheard of. Even Pixis had sounded skeptical. But Erwin was dead set.

There was a knock on his door. Erwin was pulled out of his thoughts, and he stood up and crossed the room in long strides. When he pulled it open, he was mildly surprised to see Isanna standing in front of him, and a grumpy-looking Baldrick Lovof at her side.

"I see you're back," he said in greeting, eyes softening up just a notch when he locked eyes with her, before he turned to the other person. "Baldrick. Do you have business with me?"

"Nice to see you too," he grumbled. Erwin noticed there was a lump on his forehead. It looked fresh, too.

"Found this guy lurking outside the building," Isanna said, roughly pulling him inside the room by the arm. Baldrick tried to pry away from her death grip, to no avail. "He looked suspicious, so I brought him over."

"You could have just invited me in like a normal person," he snapped, finally successful in escaping Isanna's grip. He rubbed his forehead. "Shit. I thought my head was gonna split open."

"Sorry," Isanna said, although she didn't look sorry at all. "I thought you were someone else. Had to be careful."

"Just so you know, ordinary people don't just randomly come up and hit you in the forehead!"

Erwin watched as the two of them bickered back and forth, insults after another. He wanted to wait until they calmed down, but when it seemed that they weren't stopping any time soon, he decided to step in.

"Baldrick," he called, "what business do you have here?"

That seemed to stop the two. Baldrick glared at Isanna one last time before he cleared his throat and gave his full attention to Erwin.

"I went around here and there and I heard that—woah—what the fuck happened to your arm?!"

Erwin followed his surprised gaze and placed a hand on his shoulder, face still stoic and unbothered as he simply said, "I lost it."

"Yeah—no shit. Guess even Herrmann couldn't protect you this time."

"Just tell us what you came here for," Isanna butted in, arms crossed. She looked pissed.

Baldrick shook his head and decided to focus. "Shut up Herrmann, I wasn't talking to you. Anyway, Erwin," he began, "I heard you finally answered royal summons and met with the Assembly. What did they say?"

"Why are you interested?" Erwin asked, mildly suspicious.

"Because if we're gonna work together, we need to know each other's sides, don't we?"

Both Erwin and Isanna paused and exchanged glances, before she asked him, "Work together?"

Baldrick scowled at her. "Did you already forget our conversation after you Scouts raided Stohess? We had a deal. I asked for your cooperation."

It took Isanna a few moments for the memory to resurface. "Oh." She blinked twice. "But I don't trust you."

"And I don't like you," Baldrick retorted, "so we're even. This isn't a matter of whether you trust me or not. If you want what's best for humanity and for the Scouts, we have to work together. You still have that titan boy in your clutches, right?"

"Since when did you care about humanity's best interests?" Isanna pointed out, and Erwin noticed the way the expression on Baldrick's face fell just a tad and he averted his gaze timidly.

"People.. can change," he mumbled, then quickly changed the subject. "Look, I know you don't like me. But as it stands right now, we have the same goal. At least, they're similar."

Isanna eyed him with suspicion.

"Final answer. You're telling me you're willing to go against the government to side with us? Even though I don't like you and you don't like me?" she asked.

"The friend of my enemy is my friend," Baldrick said, then paused. "Wait.. the enemy of my friend is a friend..?.. No, not that. The friend—"

"The enemy of an enemy is a friend," Erwin calmly corrected. Isanna face palmed. Baldrick flushed in embarrassment.

After an awkward silence, Erwin gestured for them to sit down. Baldrick complied and took the seat opposite Erwin, while Isanna took the edge of the bed.

After much thinking, Erwin decided to reveal what happened during his meet-up with the chancellery, as well as what he'd discussed with Commander Pixis just earlier ago, including his bold plans towards the government.

"The royal family is what ?" Isanna said, incredulous. "Could this whole shit get any more confusing?"

"A member of Hanji's squad relayed the news to me," Erwin said. "They've been on the move to acquire more information since yesterday."

"Overthrow the current monarchy," Baldrick mused as the idea rolled into his brain. "That's a big thing, Erwin."

"Yes."

"Fine," said Baldrick after a long contemplative pause. "I'll give you my support. I don't have large connections in the interior, but they're enough for you to make a move there." He stopped as a thought occurred to him. "There's something I need to disclose with you two as well."

"There's a secret group in the interior," he began, "I don't think they're skilled enough to be combatants. But apparently, they've been taking orders directly from above. I don't know how long they've been working as a group, but I've only found written records about them in the year 847, two years after the Fall. I heard.. they work closely with the Interior squad of the MP, too."

"Was that the thing you told me about?" Isanna said. "That coded thing?"

Baldrick nodded, face going grim. He took a slip of paper from his pocket and smoothed it over the surface of the coffee table between him and Erwin. "9IV47. I knew someone who investigated it.. and he went missing right after. I'm going to uncover those bastards, even if it's the last thing I do."

"Who went missing?" Erwin asked, which surprised Baldrick as he'd been pretty quiet for a while now.

"He was..." Baldrick clenched his jaw. "He was someone who helped me plant my feet in the council when my father got exposed for his crimes. If he hadn't been there, I would have.." his voice trailed, and he shook his head, as if physically pushing away his thoughts.

Erwin reclined in his seat, a ruminative look painted on his face as he eyed the code on the paper. Isanna knew that look. It was the face he always wore every time he felt like he was close to grasping a big hint to a mystery.

"If I remember clearly.. the group your father worked with. It was the Lang company, am I mistaken?" Erwin said.

Baldrick blinked a few times. "No, you're right. It was the Lang company."

"If I may ask, what happened to the company after the documents containing your father's crimes were sent to Zackly?"

"The General had his men search the company and.. jailed everyone who was involved in the illegal dealings," Baldrick explained as he tried to recall. "That was just a bit before the Fall."

"Did everyone in the company get convicted?"

"I don't know.."

"What did the company specialize in?" Erwin pressed, as stern as an investigator. "Food? Weapons? Manufacturing?"

"It was manufacturing," he answered. "Every time they shipped products to the other walls, they hid weapons solely for the military and delivered it illegally. I don't know how they got the weapons, though."

Isanna silently watched as Erwin processed the information. She could clearly see the intelligence behind his stern gaze, gears working behind them, and she remembered this was one of the many sides she loved about him. There was just something attractive about the way Erwin tended to go silent whenever he was thinking deeply with that cold, firm stare—

Oh god, she thought. Not the time to fantasize, Isa.

"Where is your father right now, Baldrick?" asked Erwin.

Baldrick looked uneasy, Isanna noticed. "He's still in jail, as far as I know."

"Do you visit him regularly?"

"I haven't seen him in years."

"Erwin," Isanna finally butted in, "are you an investigator now? What's with the questions?"

Erwin leaned forward and tapped a finger on the paper sitting on the table, pulling it closer towards him, a careful gaze glued on it.

Then he lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Baldrick. "Remnants of those who worked in Lang could be in this group you spoke of."

After a beat, Baldrick sputtered a "What?" at the same time as Isanna did.

And then with a finger, Erwin flipped the paper so that the writing looked upside down in Baldrick's view.

There, what previously seemed to be a random combination of alphanumeric codes, now read LANG.

"A gamble," Erwin said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: hi its me again, i normally dont like leaving long author's notes in this fic but i have an announcement to make

a lovely reader informed me that someone reuploaded this fic in another site without my consent

i've already tried reporting and messaging the one responsible, but i've yet to receive any feedback :// contacted the team in wattpad too but apparently they cant help bc it's in another site

i'll say this only once even tho it wont stop people, but please dont repost fics on other sites, especially without permission.

on an entirely different subject (bc i dont want to end this chapter on a negative note), thank you for reading my fic and for giving it love; although i mainly write for myself as a hobby, it's encouraging to know that others are enjoying the content i put out

i'd wanted to finish this fic by the end of this year (started this last year btw), but im afraid with college going on, i probably wont be able to reach my set deadline T-T nevertheless, i'll work hard and finish this as soon as i can to give everyone a satisfying ending :>>>>