CHAPTER 20 - Internal Conflict

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Inside their headquarters, two soldiers from the garrison and some of the new recruited soldiers of the scouting legion have gathered. He looked over the room, noticing that Armin, Annie and Eren were not there.

"Warn the guards of Wall Rose and tell this to Erwin! Tell him I'm calling for an urgent meeting!" Levi immediately commanded his soldiers before they saluted to him and left. A few moments of walking towards where the people were, another soldier greeted him and told him the news.

"Captain! We found this alongside with Ymir's titan body." The Sasha said as he handed over Levi an envelope. It was a normal envelope that a normal person would send. Levi's brows furrowed with confusion and curiosity he wanted to open the letter immediately to know what was written there, but he need to follow the chain of command. He need to send it first to those who were in the higher positions.

"Any other news? Threats around the walls?" Levi asked the Garrison guards that sent them the news and the letter.

The soldier looked at Levi eye to eye before he shook his head. "They only left the titan's body to fall on the inside gates of Shiganshina. The next thing that we saw was a titan running away from the walls."

"Details about the titan?" He asked, looking at the soldier firmly.

"The titan was on four legs sir. With a cart on its back. We were not able to estimate its actual size, but we believe that it was also a shifter." The soldier answered. "Some of the children said that they saw another titan at the top of the walls before the body of the old cadet Ymir fell. We concluded that it was that titan Sir."

Levi looked confused for a moment, digesting what the soldier had said. He then, nodded after sighing. "Very well then, return to your post and fix the existing damage that the titan's body had done."

"Also, bring the body to the main headquarters." After telling his orders, he immediately walked to Erwin's office finding several soldiers speaking to him about the news. The others followed, but with Eren and Annie missing.

"Command all the garrison on guard to guard the walls, inform Commander Pixis about this too. Survey corps be on guard." Erwin commanded before he looked at Levi who just entered his room. The soldiers who received the command soon left the room, leaving them, the main old members of the scouting legion alone.

"There's a letter that was left next to the titan's body." Levi said as he walked towards where Erwin was. Handing over the letter, Erwin looked confused as well. He immediately took the letter from Levi's hand and read aloud what was inside the letter. Everyone was listening to him attentively.

"What the actual fuck?!" Levi commented on the side. Hearing Erwin as he read what was written inside the letter. "He doesn't make any sense!"

The others stayed quiet, Erwin sighed. He as well was confused with what was written in the letter. Trust no one he said. He thought, looking at Hanji as he was thinking.

"He wants us to give him Eren and Annie after telling us to trust no one?" Hanji added that made Levi even angrier. He was so pissed with the content, mocking them was so obvious. But he sure made them all confused. "Demon blood? Blood of devil?" Hanji said as she slowly grabbed the paper from Erwin's hands.

"There are so many things that he said inside the letter." Erwin said while pinching the tip of his nose with his forehead meeting each other. "This is definitely confusing."

"He called Eren his brother. And saving him from what?" Mikasa asked, looking at Hanji. "We need to discuss this with Eren and Annie." She added. Hanji was rereading everything that was written inside the letter. There were too much information and their minds were running wild.

"But then he said..." Hanji added with a helpless look as she looked at Mikasa. "To not trust Annie."

"Yeah, it's either he is telling the truth or he is just trying to break our trust apart from each other. So that we we'll have inside war." Erwin answered to what Hanji said. "I don't think we can let this letter get known by the higher officials until we got more information about what he said."

The others agreed. Silence soon then conquered the room for a moment.

Hanji and Erwin wanted to get to the root of everything. Sasha, Jean, Connie and the others were very curious too. Of course, no one wanted war anymore, but who would just agree to the enemy's words if everything was written like a puzzle full of missing pieces.

What do they really want? Erwin thought.

Erwin looked at the envelope and noticed that there were still several pieces of paper inside. He grabbed it from the envelope, trying to read what was written.

My Dear Historia,

Given that, he immediately closed the letter and placed it back to the envelope. It was something not for them to see, unless the Queen decided to share it to them.

Levi walked towards Hanji and grabbed the letter from her hand. He just wanted everything to end. Yes, he was a loyal subject to the survey corps, but he did get tired of fighting too. It was one hell of a life for him. Just when he was already having his mind a rest of all the things around him, another problem would just appear. Suddenly speaking, Mikasa looked at him on the side with the confused look the same as his.

"What the hell is the coordinates?"

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Later that day, Erwin called for a meeting to his office. Calling the usual soldiers that they have been with throughout the years. You could say that they were at the top of the ranks of the scouting legion. They have been through a lot of missions together. Also, the veterans of the veterans to be exact.

At the table where the meeting was held, confused and worried eyes were painted along their faces. "What is going on Wall Maria?" Historia Reiss started the conversation.

Erwin, looked at Annie and Eren who were sitting beside each other before looking at the Queen, leaving Eren confused. Annie, on the other hand, was nervous.

"Ymir's titan fell on the walls of Shiganshina..." Erwin started. "But the nape part was opened, and parts of her body were eaten."

Everyone in the room was left dumbfounded, except for one person, Annie. Hanji and Erwin were keen with observing Eren and Annie's reactions within the conversation.

"A letter was found beside her corpse." Hanji broke the silence that once filled the room. "There is a letter for all of us that was written by the Beast Titan."

"Beast titan?" Armin suddenly spoke out. He was not at the meeting earlier, he was with Historia doing his research inside the castle's library. "The hairy one?"

Hanji nodded with his question before speaking again. "Yes, he called himself the beast titan, and his name is Zeke." She, then, looked at Annie. "Annie, I believe you have something to tell us."

Annie's eye grew big as she looked at Hanji. "I don't know anything." She said, almost in a whisper, but enough for everyone at the table to hear. Eren looks worried. He knew the two of them were going to be questioned again.

But neither he could help. He did not know anything, not as much as Annie's if compared. All those memories that he had seen when he touched Historia before... Eren's eyes grew big.

Mikasa and Levi noticed his reaction and was immediately alarmed. "What is it Eren?" She asked.

Eren was recalling all the things that he saw before. He was locked for years that he forgot about it. Although the images were roughly seen, they were practically clues to the bigger picture.

"Wh-what did the letter say?" He asked, clenching his fist as he looked at Erwin. Erwin looked at Historia and signaled her to read the letter that the Beast Titan had written.

To the race of the blood of the devil,

Greetings, the people of King Fritz, Eldians with the demon blood, this is Zeke, the head of the titan shifters. I am returning the kind Ymir's body as thanks for surrendering and returning the Jaw Titan shifter to us. Good thing she was eaten half by our comrade, saving up parts of her to return to your current Queen, Historia Reiss. Annie and Eren had already escaped from us, and I assume that Annie has told everything she knew about us to all of you. But I send you this letter to inform you guys, TRUST NO ONE.

Not me, not Annie, not even your King.

When I wrote King, I mean the old King Fritz, the one who started all of this. The one who imprisoned you inside those walls for years and years. Sadly, we were still on the preparation of taking the coordinates from Eren, but he suddenly left with our precious Annie. We are here for our own selfish reasons, and it is to end everything that your coward King has started.

Lastly, to Eren, my brother. Why did you leave even before I got to introduce myself? You were locked there for years, because we were busy with war. I'm sorry I'm late, but I'll definitely save you from our father's idiocy. Also, be careful with Annie. I hope you're not too late.

Let's end everything together, if you'll cooperate with us. Give us the coordinates, and all the titan shifters, if you will comply to this request, there shall be no war.

Sincerely,
The Beast Titan

P.S. Thomnas is dead. Thanks to him we knew what is happening inside there. He sure saved us with all the information about your technological advances in killing titans. Congratulations for retrieving the outermost wall. That, again, shall be broken soon.

Armin's eyes grew big, as well as Eren. But most of all, Annie's. Everyone looked at Annie, who was now clenching her fists, biting her lower lip, and eyes wide with tremor.

"Wh-what was that about?" Eren suddenly asked, getting the attention of everyone. Well, except Hanji's. "Brother... brother..." he kept on saying, placing both of his hands on the side of his head.

Historia was shocked as well, but she could not get the grip of everything. Just like how the others took the information, it was all too much for them. They knew too little of this world.

"What is it Eren?" Mikasa asked, Armin still confused. Everyone was left thinking again. All of what was written in the letter.

"Through the memories that I saw before... My father had a first wife." He said, trembling, looking back at Mikasa. "He said something about royal bloods."

"I think I need to recall everything clearly before we try to conclude something out of it." Hanji saw how Annie's hand clenched harder. "Armin, didn't you write everything before? Every time I see memories whenever I touched Historia, I..."

"The coordinates... that was the-"

"Don't be fooled by Zeke, Eren!" Annie suddenly exclaimed. Cutting what Eren was about to say. Wide eyes, trembling hands... "Don't be fooled." She said firmly this time.

Hanji gave Erwin a pointed look, Armin saw Erwin nodded at his wife. Confused with everything, they were already being cautious with Annie.

"Annie, won't you let Eren finish his words first?" Jean asked, someone who was also cautious with the woman he was talking to.

Annie looked at Jean before speaking again.

"What Zeke wants..." She paused, releasing her breath that she was holding for a while. "Is to put all of us in doubt with each other."

Everyone was looking at her, Historia, Erwin and Hanji, Armin, Jean, Sasha, Connie, Levi, Mikasa, and lastly, Eren.

"It's easy for them to beat us if we don't trust each other. If you guys doubt me!" Annie said, suddenly felt a little unwell, something in her abdomen moved. Hurting her a little. "That's what he always do."

She stood up from her seat, she felt a little twitch from her abdomen. Touching her bump with her right hand, she looked at Historia.

Eyes teary, "Don't get fooled." She said before leaving the room. "If you'll excuse me, I don't feel well."

All of them watched her leave the room, and everyone looked at Erwin and Hanji's direction as soon as the door closed.

"Are we to lose trust in Annie just like that?" Connie suddenly asked. Looking at Erwin, then to Hanji.

"We can't be not cautious..." Erwin started, "because in the first place, Annie came from the enemy's side."

"But I can assure you that we can trust Annie." Eren said, with his fiery eyes, looking at his old commander. "She said before, they were just pawns, and that she didn't want to do what they are being told to do anymore."

"Eren-" Levi's words were cut by Mikasa.

"We understand your concern, but Eren, we still can't disregard the fact that Annie came from their side." She calmly said, it was only Eren who was left in the room that trusted Annie.

Of course, who else? He was her husband after all. Eren scoffed, finding their words unbelievable. "After all those times?!" He exclaimed, slamming the table that startled everyone. "I'll go to Annie first, I'll cooperate with the data gathering later."

"You're needed here the most!" Armin exclaimed, he was troubled with what was happening of course, but they needed to gather all the information that they could gather as soon as possible.

"Eren!" Mikasa called while standing from her seat. Levi stopped her from her movement as they watched Eren stubbornly leave the room.

Slamming the door, he exclaimed. "Annie needs me now!"

Historia sighed, deeply.

"Then we're just falling into the trap of the enemy."