The night before the expedition.
The mood in Shiganshina District was a lively one as though a festival was taking place. The avenue that ran from north to south through the center of town was jammed full of people, and their numbers were only increasing.
The majority of them were not Shiganshina citizens but sightseers from around the country there to get a glimpse of the expedition. In other words, the activity in the city was a representation of people’s high hopes for the Survey Corps. It might be said that the fifteen-year freeze had been a Dark Age for humanity.
“This has gotten annoying,” Kuklo muttered sternly as he walked through the avenue with Sharle. Soldiers had been stationed at key points in order to keep a watchful eye. The majority of them were members of the Garrison, but some Military Police Brigade personnel could be spotted here and there, the signature unicorn emblems on their back. It was inconvenient for Kuklo.
The wound suffered by his right eye made him stand out, but going out of the way to hide it would only draw more attention to him. He had to mind the soldiers’ movements but couldn’t seem so preoccupied as to arouse suspicion.
An unusually large force had been deployed to Shiganshina District because military brass and royal government officials were headed there. In essence, the troops were serving as bodyguards.
“It doesn’t seem like they would have anything to do with us,” observed Sharle.
“They might remember. I have my scar, too.”
“It’s dark, you won’t stand out.”
Sharle took a look at Kuklo and nodded to confirm that nothing was amiss.
Eventually, the Survey Corps barracks appeared in front of them. It seemed as though the preparations for the expedition were already complete. Light filtered through from the windows, but barely any soldiers were walking around. A number of troops, grunts from the look of it, serviced a wagon on the premises, but that was all. It was most likely the carriage to be used by the cargo team the next day during the expedition.
Maybe I can use it. Kuklo reviewed the wagon’s specs surreptitiously. A canopy made it impossible to see inside, but he assumed it was full of supplies, food, and medicine. It was an ideal vehicle to stow away on. If he could disappear into the cargo, getting outside the wall would be easy. The expedition might find out when they resupplied, but he could worry about that if and when it happened. Just as long as he could get past the wall.
Given Kuklo’s simple goal to come into contact with a Titan, the existence of a cargo team was fortunate. Consisting of non-combat troops and managing a large amount of supplies, such units generally stayed toward the back of formations. It went without saying that they did not participate in battles. Moreover, they were in a position to be protected by other soldiers and were thus relatively safe. Of course, their opponents were Titans so there was no telling until the game was on.
“That might work out,” Kuklo said.
“Oh. That’s good.”
Sharle’s anxious, dissatisfied expression betrayed that she wasn’t convinced. She let out a deep sigh.
“Tomorrow looks like it’s going to be a long day,” she lamented.
“Do you want to get dinner, then?”
“A really long day…” Sharle groaned, placing her hand on her forehead.
✦ ✦ ✦
The moon’s dim rays lit the inn room. In the dead of night all was enveloped by stillness. It was so quiet the entire town seemed asleep.
Three hours until dawn. Only the soldiers on watch atop Wall Maria or patrolling the town would be awake.
Aside from us, of course.
With a wry smile, Kuklo stepped toward the window and took a careful look outside. Following his lead, Sharle also peeked at the darkened world.
Hardly anyone was out─unsurprising, considering the hour. Soldiers occasionally walked by on patrol, lanterns in hand, but did not seem to be on alert. While more troops than usual were around because of the big event, moving around undetected seemed feasible under the cover of night.
The Military Police Brigade’s movements were worrisome, but they were there to protect persons of interest, not to search for Kuklo. Bumping into a member of the Brigade on the street at night would be no laughing matter, but if they were on special guard duty, encountering any was unlikely. The elite would never be assigned a task as menial as patrolling.
“Are you going?”
“Yes.” Kuklo nodded and calmly headed toward the exit. He had no gear or supplies to speak of. Only his body.
“Sure you want to go empty-handed?”
“No problem.”
Sharle shrugged her shoulders. “Isn’t it a bit brash of you to leave all the preparations to the Survey Corps?”
Everything needed for an expedition─weapons, food, medical supplies, and more─would be loaded into the wagon. Since the professionals could be counted on to do their jobs to perfection, Kuklo didn’t have to draw on his non-existent expertise.
“Please, at least take this,” Sharle said, holding out a small, familiar knife.
“Is this from when you─”
“It’s my good luck charm. It might just weigh you down, but…”
“For good luck?”
“That, and I think you’ll need it to survive.”
“Survive…”
Kuklo took the knife. He promptly drew it an inch out of its sheath to reveal a silvery-white blade. It seemed to have kept well, as he could see no rust on its sharp edge. While not ideal for combat, it would surely come in handy for miscellaneous tasks. Satisfied, Kuklo sheathed the knife and placed it on his waist.
“It’s time for me to go.”
“I’ll be here, waiting.”
“I will be back by noon.”
Kuklo gently opened the door. As soon as he did, a blast of freezing air surged toward him, but it did nothing to wither his spirit. He braced himself, then went forth into the darkness.
✦ ✦ ✦
Once he left the inn, Kuklo dashed through the dark night like a wild animal. Nothing impeded his movements. While there were street lamps, they were few and far between and gave off little light, allowing Kuklo to stay hidden. The lamps used gas from Iceburst Stones as fuel, but their count was limited. Gas lanterns, widespread within Wall Sheena, were only implemented on an experimental basis in Shiganshina District.
✦ ✦ ✦
While Kuklo was concerned about encountering soldiers, all he had to do to avoid them was listen to their footsteps. Even if he ran into one, it would be easy to escape into the shadows.
Like the rest of the sleeping city, the Survey Corps barracks was still quiet. The few zealous corpsmen who’d begun warming up in preparation for the expedition didn’t deter him from sneaking in. Even as the soldiers worked up a sweat notwithstanding the intense cold, Kuklo closed in on the covered wagon within the premises. The area around the carriage was deserted, and horses had yet to be attached, making his approach an easy one.
Kuklo peeled back the canopy and examined the wagon’s interior. All the cargo he’d expected to see was packed tightly inside, including weapons, explosives, and food. There was only so much space to hide in, but it sufficed for smuggling himself out. Not only would he be protected from the cold, he would have food. On top of that, he was being taken to his destination at no cost, so there was nothing to complain about. The tradeoff was the high risk the plan involved. Naturally, the Survey Corps had not granted him permission to stow away with them. If they found him, he was certain to get jail time. In the worst case, he might even be executed. The walls were the cornerstones of the enclosed cities, and anyone trespassing through them was subject to severe punishment.
As Kuklo pushed his body through the gaps in the cargo, he quickly pulled out some rations. He found a wide variety of chow, from jerky and cheese to snack bars and dried fruit. Kuklo tried a bite of the dried fruit. A concentrated sweetness and aroma spread through his mouth.
Delicious… Kuklo’s palate was not so cultivated that he could describe the finer points of flavors, but he could at least tell whether or not something tasted good. Then again, just about anything did compared to insects.