The high-pitched bell rang out against a dark gray sky. Liberty Bell─a name familiar to every resident of Shiganshina District. The bronze bell that hung over the impressively solid, fifty-meter-tall Wall Maria was a town symbol. While it was originally made for use in emergencies and disasters, it had, fortunately, never been used a single time for that purpose.
Though it was not particularly bright out, Angel Aaltonen shaded his eyes with his hand as he looked up to the towering, cliff-like Wall Maria. While you could never forget about its incredible size, being close to it only made its enormity more prominent. The Wall had such an overwhelming presence that it could even inspire awe to the point where it was deified by some. In a world devoid of a god to pray to, the Wall was the only existence that one could take solace in.
Of course, when Wall Maria was first built, it was not in order to be a religious object. Its reason for existing was clear: to protect against outside enemies. In other words, a menace that threatened mankind existed outside the Wall. Terrifying monsters that necessitated a gigantic wall.
“Eh. Who knows if they really even exist or not.”
Angel scowled, slightly distorting his slender face as he violently scratched his head, disheveled hair and all. While his hair would shine gold if he were to take care of it, its color was hopelessly dull, perhaps because of his thoroughly hands-off approach. It was not just his hair, either─his life of shutting himself inside his workshop and spending all day creating military equipment seemed to have made his face pale to the point where his colleagues openly called him “pasty.”
Though he looked unhealthy, and while it was true that he lived an unhealthy life, Angel’s body was surprisingly robust. That much was clear even when he had his work clothes on. His body had been forged through the natural course of his work. The vitality that pervaded his body was befitting of an eighteen-year-old male such as himself.
“If only that wall were a little lower…”
“You’d be able to peek over it?”
Angel didn’t even turn as he smirked at the quiet voice behind him.
“If something’s hidden from you, it makes you want to peek.”
“Is that how men are?”
“That’s just curiosity.”
As he mumbled, Angel glanced at the profile of the woman who now stood beside him.
The woman coolly gazing at Wall Maria was known as Maria Carlstedt. Her dignified, elegant figure seemed impeccable, an impression only reinforced by the soldier’s uniform she managed to wear with style. An emblem of a rose, the sign of the Garrison, was drawn on her khaki jacket, and one could see in her a pride and confidence she held for her job. Her shining, tied black hair served as a sign of her resolve.
“Don’t do anything that’ll make you stand out. It’ll be a pain if the Military Police Brigade sets their eyes on you.”
“Are you warning me as a soldier?”
“I’m advising you as your childhood friend.”
It had started to become a taboo to have an interest in the outside world. Any conspicuous actions could mark you as a suspicious individual in the eyes of the Military Police Brigade.
They ought to just release the information.
While interest would surely fade if the royal government made public the information they held about what was outside the Wall, there must have been some group out there who profited from this ignorance and thus kept the truth a secret.
“You know, I’m running into trouble at work because of that thing.”
“We wouldn’t even be able to live our lives without the Walls, though,” reminded Maria.
Her face was full of pride as she looked up at the wall. For her, a member of the Garrison, Wall Maria was, without question, a special structure. The Garrison’s primary duties involved addressing the needs of the walled cities, as well as reinforcing and repairing the Walls, mankind’s most vital military installation.
But unlike Maria, Angel did not hold any special attachment for the Walls.
A wall is a wall.
Angel’s conclusion came from the fact that his livelihood involved developing and manufacturing arms to be sold to the military corps.
The best defense is a good offense.
He did not voice his thoughts, though. He doubted that Maria would agree with him if he were to, and he could see that any argument with her would never reach a conclusion. In fact, they had talked about the subject more than once in the past, and Angel had been left with the bitter experience of being harshly argued into a corner every time.
“And by the way, what’s with your hair?” Maria sighed as she used her hands to comb through Angel’s unkempt head.
“H-Hey! I’m not a kid, cut it out.”
Angel became flustered, concerned about what those around him would think, but Maria utterly ignored him.
“If you’re not a kid, then don’t give me so much trouble.”
“Okay, okay.”
“And don’t forget to shave.”
Having fixed his hair to her liking, Maria began to circle around Angel, checking his appearance, then gave a single, satisfied nod.
“Shouldn’t you be working, by the way?”
“I’m just off the night shift. Listen, I’m not skipping work.” Maria scowled at Angel, almost as if to add an unlike you.
“Oh, so you’re here to see Solm back. Looks like you two are getting along.”
“Same with you, right?”
“I don’t remember ever getting engaged to Solm,” Angel mumbled.
Maria wordlessly scowled, then said, “Allow me to rephrase. I guess you two are best friends of sorts.”