History had long since ceased to matter to everyone. Many people, oblivious to everything that was shaking the world, lived their lives with different kinds of thoughts.
One of them was Krista Lenz, an innocent girl with golden blonde hair who had inherited her mother's face.
Although she was still young, her features were as delicate and charming as those of a noble girl from some family within the walls.
Anyone who wasn't a fool could realize this, due to her well-kept features that a child of her age should not have.
But she was unaware of all the problems surrounding her; she fulfilled her duties like an innocent child.
After finishing her daily cleaning tasks, the priest would hand her food: half a piece of hard, black bread.
It contained wheat husks and sawdust, some of which were hard enough to be used as weapons.
Even this kind of food was incredibly valuable in the current context. It was already a blessing to have something to eat, as countless people were still starving.
Krista put the bread in her pocket, returned to her bed, sat down, soaked it, and chewed it in small bites.
There were many wooden beds here, all crammed into a small room, and her bed was located in the corner.
She only ate half, then carefully stored the rest of the bread in her pocket and took her toys out from under the bed.
A wooden spinning top, a swallow-shaped kite, and a bamboo dragonfly.
She treasured these three toys. Today, she took the wooden dragonfly, ran to an open and empty space, rubbed the thin shaft of the dragonfly with both hands, and watched as the small toy flew into the sky until it ran out of energy and fell to the ground.
This was one of the few ways she relieved her boredom and depression. She listened to those people and obediently stayed in that unfamiliar place, never once mentioning the past.
Wouldn't it be easier to simply die?
Krista sat on a rock, staring at the wooden dragonfly in her hand.
Everyone she knew had died. Her mother had her throat slit right in front of her; blood splattered across the ground and she died instantly.
Before dying, her mother looked at her with hatred and told her that everything was her fault and that she should never have given birth to her.
Everyone else on the farm died as well, even her friend who had given her the toys…
He was killed too…
It was all her fault; because she was born into this world, those good people died.
Krista still remembered that afternoon, the night of the incident, when her quiet friend taught her the proper way to use the toys.
In that lonely place, she had found a playmate for the first time. Although her mother didn't care, her older brother had been willing to play with her.
We had agreed to play together again tomorrow, but because of her mistake, we all died.
"Why am I the only one who survived?" Krista sat on the stone steps, lost in thought and staring blankly ahead.
Unable to find an answer, she felt that the best thing for her would be to die. If she died, perhaps her mother would be willing to embrace her, and she could play with that boy again.
But… it's terrifying…
What should she do?
Krista didn't know; she didn't know how she was supposed to survive in this world.
"Is that her?"
"That's right, take her."
Krista looked around in confusion and faintly heard people talking.
"Who's talking? Who are they taking?" Before she could understand what was happening, she suddenly felt a gust of wind cover her eyes, plunging her into complete darkness.
A damp cloth was placed over her mouth and nose, and she was lifted as she struggled and made muffled sounds.
The cloth had a strange smell that made her drowsy.
Soon, her consciousness sank into darkness, and she knew nothing more.
…
The horses galloped across the plain, their hooves striking grass and stones.
Petra and Eld rode toward the factory, with Krista in Petra's arms.
Krista wore a long robe, and the effects of the sleeping pills had not yet worn off; she remained asleep and showed no signs of waking.
"This girl really does look like royalty," said Eld, looking at the sleeping Krista.
"Why do you say that?" Petra asked, somewhat confused.
"When you think of royalty, you think of princesses, right?" Eld laughed and said, pointing at Krista, "She looks like a lost princess."
"Is that your idea of a princess?" Petra looked at Krista and thought Eld's way of thinking was strange.
"Have you seen any other child as well taken care of as her?" Eld wanted to ease the tension of this mission a little, but the fact that he knew what Krista meant to everyone was terrifying.
Petra understood this as well and said, "Captain Levi and the others are still under investigation in the capital! I really don't understand where you get the mood to joke. Also, have you already learned how to use that new weapon?"
"What's so difficult about it?" Eld asked arrogantly and continued, "After all, I'm the best soldier in Levi's squad. I can learn that kind of thing just by looking at it once."
"I wish I had your confidence…" Petra said, tugging lightly on the reins.
The horse ran swiftly, but she felt it wasn't fast enough. Her comrades from the Survey Corps were in danger, and she longed to return to Captain Hange to organize the next step.
However… Eld's shout suddenly snapped her back to reality.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"AMBUSH!!!" Eld shouted urgently. His horse was struck by a bullet and, in pain, ran a few more meters before collapsing to the ground.
"It's the Military Police!" Petra saw the muskets in their hands. Although they weren't wearing Military Police uniforms, their formation made it clear they weren't mountain bandits.
"Damn it! Have they discovered the route to the factory?!" Petra grabbed Krista and jumped off the horse, rolling to take cover behind a small hill.
The muskets were already loaded; if they moved forward, they would become easy targets.
The enemy was a group of three men, and finding them there was no coincidence. They had set up an ambush along this route in advance.
As they waited, they noticed figures continuing to appear among the surrounding hills; in total, there were twelve people, surrounding them from four directions.
"Damn it! Why is the Military Police here?" Eld took the newly designed weapon from his back.
"We'll talk about that later." Petra loaded a magazine into her AK-47 and said, "Those guys want to kill us. Get ready to escape!"
There were only two of them, and even with new weapons, it would be difficult to face twelve people.
The main task was to return to the factory and deliver the package to Captain Hange. Even if things became difficult, they had to accomplish it.
Even if only one person survived, they had to bring the package back. Both of them made that decision.
"Damn it!" Eld exclaimed, suddenly looking up. He aimed his weapon at the men, pulled the trigger, and fired blindly, emptying the magazine. Petra stood back-to-back with him, facing six men in another direction.
They were prepared to die, but what happened next exceeded their understanding.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Military Police were as fragile as paper before the assault rifles. They didn't even recognize the weapons in Petra and Eld's hands.
While their old muskets were still being aimed, the bullets had already pierced through them.
Even Eld and Petra were stunned.
They stared at the people falling around them, swallowing hard, and their assault rifles seemed like devilish wands.
They weren't firing bullets, but magic, and the two of them easily defeated twelve well-trained Military Police soldiers.
"The times are changing…" Petra and Eld saw those words reflected in each other's eyes.
They thoroughly checked the Military Police; only one had survived, the rest were all dead.
"Damn it! Don't come any closer!" the surviving Military Police officer shouted in terror.
Eld knocked the man unconscious with a blow to the neck, retrieved his horse, tied the man to it, and continued on his way with mixed feelings.
At dusk, they crossed the forest and arrived at the factory, where thick black smoke rose, molten iron flowed, and steel was forged without ceasing.
Workers moved parts and planks, and assault rifles were being assembled. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder from the bullet factory.
At that moment, Krista woke up, and Petra helped her down from the horse, but her attention was completely detached from the noise of the factory and the workers.
She stared fixedly at the boy, who was a head taller than her…
"Long time no see, Historia," said Gale with a smile, then asked, "Do you remember me? Come on, don't stay silent, you'll make others think we don't know each other…"
"Gale, you're alive!" Unable to contain her emotions, Krista threw herself into Gale's arms as she cried.
It wasn't that she and Gale had been especially close; they had been friends, but Gale always kept his distance from her, watching her from afar, calling her "Miss," serving her food, wiping her mouth, but rarely playing with her.
It was the first time Gale had called her by her name instead of "Miss," and she wondered if it was real, whether she was in hell or on Earth.
It turned out she wasn't the only one who had survived; it seemed she had regained the will to live.
No matter what surrounded her, it no longer mattered—she simply clung to her only light of sanity and familiarity.