DISCLAIMER: This is a Repost of a Fan Translation!

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.”

The two of them remained silent as the carriage passed through the town gate; they were the men that commands the Survey Corps.

Do Attack on Titan Fans still refer to this Blog for Repost of the Stories from the Attack on Titan Short Stories Booklet/Smartpass? 👀

Sorry I’m Long-Sighted now and still without a PC/Laptop plus Real Life distracting me, so typing out the Stories can get tedious! But will try start upload again soon!

TEXT Vol. 03 Nick’s Notes on Remonstration

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

TRANSLATION: Ko Ransom

TEXT Vol. 02 Eren’s Notes

[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.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 3

The Short Stories Are Coming……..

Guess what Kodansha US is giving us this September 28, 2021:

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

Likely these 2:

So hopefully by October, 2021, this Account will see regular posting of the stories from those 2 Booklets. ヘ(￣ω￣ヘ)

Shingeki no Kyojin: Short Stories 5

••••••

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.

••••••

TEXT

••••••

Goodnight. Sweet dreams, dear Act II

••••••

Shelter from the rain Reprise

••••••

My First Time Around

Vol. 01 Erwin Smith: First Time Equestrian Training

••••••

BOOK 1 | BOOK 2 | BOOK 3 | BOOK 4

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

TRANSLATION: Ko Ransom

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

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

Won’t get my Shingeki no Kyojin: Short Stories 5 Booklet till after May 5th due to CB (“Circuit Breaker” aka Semi-Lockdown) but here’s some “Edited Scans” of SnK Vol 31 Alternate Cover, from Bessatsu Shonen Magazine May Issue (RELEASED April 9, 2020)

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

PLEASE CREDIT THIS BLOG IF YOU REPOST THE IMAGES ELSEWHERE. Thank You.

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

TRANSLATION: Ko Ransom

Shingeki no Kyojin: Short Stories 4

Taking Shelter from the Rain Reprise

••••••

Goodnight. Sweet dreams, dear Act II

••••••

My First Time Around

••••••

Credits to @yusenki, @tsuki-no-ura and @nenithil for translating some of the stories and uploading them online. (ᗒᗨᗕ)

This Idiot finally gave in and browse their copy of Shingeki no Kyojin: Short Stories 3 to confirm the AU Smartpass Stories published inside it!

Ps: Can’t read Japanese, so matched names to website listing via Japanese Characters Shape, so dun expect me to translate the story till Kodansha USA release it in English! (シ_ _)シ

Pss: Thank you @tsuki-no-ura , @yusenki , @nenithil and @sapewloth for translating and uploading some of the stories, and @momtaku for proper translation of some of the titles.

••••••

Shingeki no Kyojin: Short Stories 3

TEXT

••••••

Some Stories of Determination

Late Night Stories Vol. 01 Jean Kirstein : A Story of Disappointment

Late at night, a languid atmosphere lingered in the air in the boys barracks. In front of each of the recruits surrounding a table was a thick textbook on tactics, along with a variety of notes.

“Ugh… I’m so sleepy…” Connie said as he rubbed his eyes.

“This test is ridiculously difficult… Even I’m not close to finishing the materials,” Reiner shrugged.

“That’s why we’re all here pulling an all-nighter. You’d better not sleep,” Eren said, fighting back a yawn as he nudged Connie, who had his head in his hands. As Armin watched, he suddenly clapped.

“I know! Why don’t we all go around telling interesting stories so that we don’t fall asleep?”

“You want to tell interesting stories?” Jean echoed. Armin smiled back at him.

“That’s right… For example, Jean, why don’t you tell us about a time you were disappointed?”

“Hunh? Why me?!”

“I see… I might not fall asleep if we did that.”

“Good idea. I want to hear that, too.”

Though Jean was against the idea, he had no choice after all the others agreed. His shoulders fell.

“You, too, Marco?! Ugh… Fine.”

••••••

It happened when Jean went shopping with Marco. As part of their training duties, recruits had to calculate the food that would be needed during a fixed duration march, then go buy it.

“So you went in your military uniforms?”

“Yeah. But Jean said prices would be high in towns, so we went to a nearby farming village.”

While one could describe it as simply going shopping, this was actually an important part of their training that required a firm grasp on the many factors that went into a march.

“…And so, the shopping went fine. But…”

Jean sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

••••••

To the society inside the Walls, being a soldier meant having a stable job that allowed one to live off the people’s taxes.

…And so, to put it plainly, recruits were popular. The farmers and other young citizens of the village, both men and women, saw them as possible marriage partners who had promising futures.

Just as Jean and Marco finished shopping and had loaded their wagon, it happened.

“Um… These are for you.”

A number of girls from the village handed them snacks. The two gave their thanks and took them without a second thought before opening the packages, but…

“…Huh? What’s this letter?”

“Hm?! There’s no letter in mine!”

The bread that Marco had been given came with something extra, and it was clear to both of them what it was…

••••••

“Bfft… Haahaha! So no love letter for you, Jean?”

The entire table burst into laughter, beginning with Reiner. Jean did everything he could to protest as they roared.

“Don’t laugh! It was our first time meeting them, you know! What’s the big difference between me and Marco, anyway?!”

“I have a feeling I know what it is. You look like a bad guy, Jean, and Marco seems like someone you’d have a more stable life with.”

“Hey, what’d you just say about my face?!”

As Armin tried to stifle his laughter and explain the workings of a woman’s heart, Marco hopped in from the side to try to smooth things over, since he was the only other recruit involved in the story.

“It’s okay. I turned them down by saying that I didn’t know if I’d be able to become a full-fledged soldier or not.”

“Again, why would you turn them down there?! It only makes it sting more!”

The recruits laughed to one another, to the exclusion of a desperate Jean.

“Ah, all that laughing woke me up… That was a good idea.”

“I bet we could use it during camping training, too.”

“I’ll pick who tells the story next time!”

“I like that idea,” Armin smiled as he looked around. Now that his fellow recruits were awake, they began to switch gears and dig into their homework.

The night was far from over.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

Three Viewpoints: Selected Cases

The Case of the Anonymous Invitation - File No. 12 Reiner's Side (3/3)

Dinnertime, a few days after the training corps received the anonymous letter…

The young soldiers was busy gossiping about who had the right to accept the invitation to a meal described in the letter.

"Is Reiner Braun here?"

"Huh…?"

Just then, the instructor's voice filled the mess hall, quieting it in an instant. Not only that, he had called a name that would normally never come out of his mouth.

"Come to the instructors' office after dinner."

"…Yes, sir."

Reiner stood and saluted, but he didn't understand. The Instructors ' office was normally a place where troublemakers went… He barely had any familiarity with it as someone with high marks.

"Hey, that's pretty rare. You getting called into the office?"

What could it be for…? I haven't messed up lately.

******

Reiner visited the instructors' office after finishing his meal, but his instructor's attitude was as indifferent as ever.

"I understand you rescued a civilian lost on a path during our mountain training exercise the other day," the instructor said.

"To be more precise, I made sure that it wouldn't interfere with my squad's actions… and guided someone I met while fetching water back down to the trail at the base of the mountain. I believe I included it in my report…"

Had it been determined that he'd done something inappropriate as squad leader? Reiner prepared to defend himself, but the instructor held him back, saying he wasn't blaming Reiner for anything.

"A letter of thanks from that civilian arrived addressed to the corps. It seems another one was sent to us through regular mail the other day, but that they forget to write a name on it. That's why they sent another."

The instructor produced an envelope with Reiner's name on it. He had seen the paper used for the envelope somewhere before. Reiner needed no prompting to open it.

"…Hm?! This note…!!"

••••••

"So that thing that read like a love letter from the other day…?"

"…It seems to have just meant they wanted to show their thanks. The envelope, ink, and handwriting all matches up."

Reiner returned to the mess hall, explained the entire situation to his corpsmates, then discussed the letter in his hand as well as the truth behind the mysterious letter.

"But I think that's a good thing. You're getting a free meal out of it, right? The handwriting's nice, too, so it's probably some beautiful…"

"…It was a middle-aged man."

"…Excuse me?"

"I saved an older man, about the same age as our instructor.”

After a moment of stillness, the mess hall exploded with laughter.

••••••

“…Gah hah hah, so it really was true?”

A few girls agreed with Ymir as she held her stomach laughing. By exchanging information in the girls barracks, it seemed as though they had figured out that Reiner was the one who helped the civilian.

“Oh, so the girls knew! We didn’t notice at all!”

“Still, Reiner. I’m impressed that you were able to be that kind and guide someone back despite being in the middle of that harsh exercise. If that had been me, a compass direction would be the absolute most I’d have been able to give him,” Eren said, praising him without any laughter. Reiner sounded serious as he explained why.

“We’re soldiers. No matter who it is, we can’t let ourselves abandon people in trouble,” he said.

…While he was trying to sound cool, it seemed as though his corpsmates would take a while to stop laughing now that they had gotten started.

“You might as well enjoy the opportunity, though. Have a nice private dinner with the old man who saved you,” one of them said.

“I already told the instructor no thanks… That was something any of us would have done. It wouldn’t be fair if I accepted.”

Reiner was now fed up with everyone’s reactions and tried to get them to go back to the barracks. But then, in a rare act for him, Bertolt came up to Reiner and delivered a warning as he sighed.

“Reiner… I don’t mind you being thoughtful… But I don’t want you getting involved in anything annoying because of it…”

“Yeah, I know. I’m not at all interested in being made fun of.”

Bertolt let out another quiet sigh. Reiner the soldier took the words as simple exasperation and followed him back to the barracks as he scratched his head.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2