"Give me your hearts!"
"Yes!"
More than two hundred trainees brought their right hands to their chests in unison, the dull thump echoing. In front of them stood all the instructors who had trained them for three years; as witnesses to the trainees' graduation, they were indispensable.
Between the majority of people and the dais stood a single row of trainees—undoubtedly the "Top Ten" of this class.
"From today onward, those who officially graduate from the training corps will have three choices: the Garrison—dedicated to strengthening the walls and protecting towns; the Survey Corps—who, with readiness to sacrifice, challenge the Titans beyond the walls; and the Military Police—stationed near the king, responsible for managing civilians and maintaining order," the corps commander announced loudly from the stage.
"Of course, only the top ten in overall scores are eligible to apply for the Military Police!"
Eyes inevitably turned to the ten people in the front row.
Lillian checked—just like the original timeline, from first to tenth they were: Mikasa, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, Eren, Jean, Marco, Connie, Sasha, Krista.
No surprises; everyone accepted the result. Lillian himself was also satisfied—his overall grades were decent but not top ten. Of course, he didn't need to be in the top ten anyway.
After that came the graduation banquet.
No more heavy training or scolding instructors. After tonight, the past three years would be left behind and everyone would begin a new life.
Only—
Watching everyone gorge themselves and drink freely, Lillian thought: how many people will die tomorrow?
The day after the 104th class graduated, the Colossal Titan reappeared outside Wall Rose for the first time in five years. Just like five years ago, it kicked open the gate of death, and the smaller Titans poured in, taking life after life.
That's how the story goes. Judging by current trends, if nothing changes, tomorrow will be the same.
What should I do?
Lillian looked down at his hands. In his pale palms, besides the lines of his skin, faces seemed to flicker into view.
He felt trapped by a moral question.
If he knew nothing, then no matter what happened and how many died, it wouldn't be his responsibility — but if he knew and chose to do nothing, did that make him complicit?
Is it okay since no one else knows you know the plot?
Maybe—but could he live with his conscience? Lillian asked himself. Could he really not care?
"Lillian."
He looked up. Krista had quietly come to stand before him; her lake-blue eyes looked at him curiously. "Why are you standing here? Aren't you going to eat?"
"Ah… I'm not very hungry." He blinked back to the moment and smiled.
"Congratulations, Krista—making the top ten is really impressive."
"Of course!" Ymir walked over and picked up the thread. "You don't need the shorty to tell you that." She grabbed Krista's arm. "Come on—let him stand here being silly. Who knows what he's thinking all day? Let's go eat something good!"
"But—"
"Lillian Kafka."
A stern voice sounded from behind. The three turned to see Instructor Keith.
"Come with me."
"Yes."
Lillian followed him away. Ymir and Krista exchanged a glance, sensing that something was up.
Keith led Lillian into a room inside the fortress. A few people were seated inside whose faces Lillian didn't recognize. But from the "Law Unicorn" insignia on their clothes, it was clear they were members of the Military Police.
"You're Lillian?" a middle-aged man asked.
"Yes."
"Hm."
He nodded, his gaze drifting; he seemed distracted. He sized Lillian up from head to toe. "Not bad. We looked over your grades. Although you didn't make the top ten, you ranked near the front. I believe Keith already told you—you can be specially approved to join the Military Police."
"…Yes."
"So? Are you going to join?" The man asked as if it were a question, but clearly he wasn't prepared to hear any answer other than the one he wanted.
And Lillian's response indeed gave him no cause for surprise.
"Yes. I am willing to become an honorable member of the Military Police."
"Very good."
The man nodded. Beside him, Keith shot Lillian a complicated look, a flicker of something like disappointment passing through his eyes.
"Lillian, you're very lucky." The man stood up, picked up a few sheets of paper from the table, and handed them to him. "The king intends to meet you personally. This is what you'll need to say when that happens. Memorize it well — don't make any mistakes."
"Understood."
"Mm. You may leave. Wait for further notice."
Lillian left the room. After he was gone, the people inside began chatting casually among themselves.
"That kid's got incredible luck. Back in our day, we all slogged away in the Garrison for five or six years before even getting a chance to transfer to the Military Police."
"Right? Meanwhile he gets in straight out of graduation."
"Can't help it. The refugees from Wall Maria in the underground have been making a real mess lately. The king has to make some kind of show."
"I heard seven or eight soldiers died?"
"More than that."
Outside the room, Lillian glanced at the papers in his hand. They detailed what the king would say and how he was supposed to respond — essentially that the king sympathized with those who went on the original expedition and now wished to compensate the survivors, followed by Lillian's grateful praise.
Pure theater, he thought.
Unlike the anime or manga, the real world of the AOT was far more intricate. The balance of power and political maneuvering between factions was subtle and complex — nothing like a simple, united war against Titans.
As for why he had to go along with this charade, the reason was simple: he had no right to refuse.
More than seventy people had survived that expedition. If he declined, they could just pick someone else. And given how petty the royal government was, a refusal would almost certainly lead to retaliation against Lillian.
At the same time, Lillian did want to join the Military Police. He had his own calculations and reasons for that.