What did I just hear? Levi thought, his mouth agape in the sudden news.

"Sir Erwin!" Floch, a redheaded young man with a mouth he cannot control called out to the worried knight that turned back to meet the boy's eyes. "Are you saying that us squires are going to battle those rebels? But we barely have any experience! What are we supposed to do?"

The crowd bustled with whispers and trembles of fear and Erwin surveyed his audience carefully and sadly.

"Let's run away!" A coward that called himself a squire called out and other cowardly yet humanly honest squires nodded and grumbled in agreement.

Everyone was fearful for their lives. They were merely squires with barely any experience. Of course, some of the squires are excellent but they would perhaps not stand a chance against those rebels that have amazing killing expertise.

Levi closed his eyes as he sighed. "Shut up." He called out to the one that suggested running away. "Why the fuck would you run away? That is desertion, you piece of cowardly shit and that is punishable by death."

The boy who yelled out the suggestion of desertion was now teary-eyed. His light eyes were glossed with panic as he looked around for support but no one sided with him. No one would want to be executed for desertion.

"Levi's right everybody." Eren said. He was putting up his bravado again that disgusted Anthony down to the ends of his hair strands. "We should pack up and leave to fight against those rebels! We can do this!" He smiled as he pumped a fist onto the air.

Erwin smiled thinly to Eren. "I appreciate your enthusiasm young man." He cleared his throat, readying himself to give a speech to inspire the crying crowd of children he commands. "Young men," He began loudly. "Fear not for this battle will give us honor and glory. Doing so will grace the Empire as well. You all have devoted your hearts for this moment so I assume that all of you will not falter against the enemy. I believe in all of you. I truly do."

A loud sniffle was heard from the crowd. Some were crying and complaining about it.

He breathed deeply as he prayed that may his speech reach the hearts of this young men that were about to be sent to their deaths which is something they are unwary of. Although deep inside, Erwin is aware that he is unable to make such a speech that would reach out to the crowd. All he has to do now is lie and fool them.

"Please." He pleaded as he looked to the floor and looked back to his audience. "Devote your hearts to this empire!" He cried out as he quickly placed a fist on his chest.

"Yes, sir!" The crowd cried as they saluted to him as well despite their fear of dying. Someone was gritting his teeth to stop his sniffling. Severino had his eyes tightly shut in fear as he felt shivers trace his spine. Sure, Severino was a good squire but he didn't want to go to war and possibly die. Connie's mouth was just open the whole time as he watched Eren, Reiner, Anthony, and Bertholdt who all looked grim. Levi, however, only looked emotionless.

They were all heading towards death, that was certain.

•••

"What else do we need?" Armin shrieked as he paced back and forth around the room, carrying things like swords and arrows then placing them inside his suitcase. Yes, a suitcase. The squires were not as poor as they were described to be.

"We need courage." Severino said with a flat voice as he stared into the wall. "I...I mean I need it."

Armin grabbed Severino's shoulders and shook it. "I NEED THAT TOO!"

Eren groaned as he stuffed extra shirts into his canvas bag. "Armin, shut up. We can survive this, I promise!"

"And what if we die?" Anthony remarked pessimistically as he slung his bag over his shoulders. "What do you have to say about it, huh, Eren?"

"That's not what I meant!" Eren shot back.

Jean's palms were sweaty as he held some bullets and stashed it into his bag. "I guess we die with honor then." He chimed to Anthony's and Eren's arguement.

"Wow. Marvelous." Anthony remarked as he walked out to go to the stables to ready his horse.

As for Bertholdt, he was rummaging for things under his bed. He kept mumbling under his breath about a locket.

Reiner sighed and squatted beside Bertholdt's bed. "Look, Bert. You wouldn't need that locket in the battle."

Bertholdt grunted under the bed as he hit his head on it. Reiner exasperatedly rolled his eyes in reaction to his friend's injury. "But I need it, Reiner!" Bertholdt cried under the bed. "I don't want to forget her!"

Reiner sighed. "Alright, alright." He pulled the said locket out of his coat pocket and showed it to Bertholdt who was still under the bed. "This one, right?"

Bertholdt's eyes widened. "Yes! That's it!" He took it from Reiner's hands right away. "But why would you steal it?" He asked the beefy boy with a voice filled with suspicion. He narrowed his eyes on his friend as well.

Reiner huffed. "I didn't steal. I just happen to see it lying around."

Bertholdt crawled out from his bed. He smiled sheepishly, his chin resting on the floor. "Thank you, Reiner."

"Welcome, Bert."

Connie snickered upon seeing Reiner and Bertholdt. "You guys!" He called out to the two gigantic human beings who just looked dumb to him. "Stop being gay!"

Reiner frowned. "Gay? We're not gay."

Bertholdt, however did not pay Connie's taunting any mind. He was only gazing upon the locket like it was a holy, extraterrestrial being.

"Do you even know what gay means?" Armin asked Connie who was feeling smart.

Connie rested his hands on his hips. "I don't know!" He said carelessly. "But I'm sure Reiner and Bertholdt are gay!"

"Me and Reiner?" Bertholdt asked absently. "Yeah, we're gay because we are happy-"

"SEE?" Connie guffawed in hysterics and slapped Armin's back repeatedly which badly hurt the boy's back. "EVEN BERTHOLDT ADMITTED IT!"

Did he not hear any word Bertholdt said? Reiner thought as he proceeded walked out of the room, sure that he has all he needs.

Bertholdt followed him with a blush on his cheeks due to the misunderstanding Connie made. That idiot just wouldn't listen.

Twenty minutes before the said hour of departure, all the squires were lined up near the stables with the reins of their own horses grasped in their palms.

Bertholdt was sweating excessively that he struggled to keep his hand attached to the leather reins. He kept holding on it but he had to take his hand to his shirt so that he could wipe his sweat on the cloth.

Despite the good weather that graced them today, no one seemed jolly. Of course, there was a chance of them dying or even worse-they could be wiped out by the rebels. They all had grim faces, uncertainly certain that the number of casualties they will receive and suffer will definitely affect their morale.

Since Levi is Erwin's personal squire, he was always beside Erwin and his horse but being there tugged at Levi's heart, slowly tearing it apart like a tapestry that was too ugly to show to the world.

Looking down and touching the mane of his black horse, he gulped down his feelings. He does not need them now.

"Squires..." Erwin called. "Prepare yourselves. We cannot back down in this battle so please, even if you are terrified, give me your best." He said humbly and even lowered his head.

The crowd of terrified squires just looked back to him, silent and unmoved.

Is Erwin starting to fail his duty? 

No, I mustn't fail my duty as a knight. Erwin reckoned and straightened himself up. 

"Soldiers..." Erwin called out which made the squires raise up their heads to him. "Onward!"

Thank you for reading this chapter.