Dangerous Territory

Ancient Sanctuary

Eren felt a deep joy from walking arm-in-arm with Levi. He did not even care where they went, so long as he could bask in this feeling of warm happiness.

They walked a couple of blocks down the street to a café, and here Levi paused.

"Are we eating here?" Eren whispered.

Levi hissed under his breath, "No. None of the restaurants are safe anymore. I'll buy us food. Wait here. The owner is skittish around Germans." He grumbled as he walked away, "And for good reason. Nazis took away his wife for being a Jew and sent her to a camp. He hasn't heard from her in four years. She's likely dead."

Eren felt stung that Levi would point that out, yet he knew the French people blamed them for a lot of things. Too many atrocities had happened since this war began.

He stood on the sidewalk, pulled out one of the packs of Lucky Strike that he had taken off an American, and lit up a cigarette. He was glad that at least the cigarettes stayed safe throughout that whole attack.

Eren thought about what Levi just said. The owner of this café lost his wife to the Nazi's hatred of Jews. Levi was the same. How many French Jews died, all because the Nazi Party saw Jews as parasites sucking on the financial wealth of Europe?

When this war with France first began, Hannes told Eren that all Germany wanted to do was bring the Lorraine region back under their protection. Historically, it was theirs! Only some unfair, prejudiced treaty written by Jewish sympathizers tore the region away from them. Germany had built up that area, bringing architecture, infrastructure, and culture to the people, enriching them in ways the French government had failed, too focused on Paris and the southern cities.

Hannes had explained, after the Great War, the Allies had robbed them of much more than just some rivers and soil. They kidnapped German civilians.

That made Eren mad. It made him think that the Battle of France was a great triumph, re-embracing their Brüder und Schwestern, innocent Germans who were abducted by greedy French politicians. Now they were back with the Reich, order had been restored, and the glory of Germany would shine upon the Lorraine region once again!

Yet he had met people in Metz who had fierce pride in being French, some who spoke German with ease, and some who seemed comfortable with either one. This region, which had passed through national hands many times in just a hundred years, was now a unique cultural mix.

Perhaps Germany did not realize just how much the locals did not want to be placed under German protection. A whole generation had grown up thinking of themselves as "French."

This created a conflict within Eren. He still felt that this area was, historically and by honorable right of combat, a part of the German Empire. Yet if the citizens felt otherwise...

He was glad he did not have to worry about politics. He was a soldier. He followed orders. Do the mission and don't ask too many questions.

Levi came out of the café and smelled the cigarette before he saw it. Eren leaned against the wall, lost in complicated and dark thoughts. Normally, Levi would have asked him to put out the cigarette when around him, but he figured the poor soldier deserved a guilty pleasure, no matter how unhealthy it was or how much it stank.

Eren straightened up as Levi strode along the sidewalk to join him. The paper bag he carried was full of something that smelled delicious, and the aroma took Eren's mind back into the present.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Sandwiches for us, a couple bottles of Fanta, and croissants as bribes."

"Brides?" Eren asked in confusion.