Haze [AOT Female Reader Insert]

Chapter 7: Never Let Go

Four days after Yvo had single-handedly destroyed almost a whole navy fleet, there was an order to expedite the transfer of titan powers of the remaining warriors—the one after Yvo was Hermine, and then finally, Dedrich.

It would also be that they'd get promoted thanks to Magath and Bernhardt being proved right. Magath became the commander of the Eldian Unit, while Bernhardt was bumped up to Captain of the Warrior Unit.

And you, well....

"Are...you serious...?"

Magath's honey eyes didn't waver the slightest.

"Entirely."

Bernhardt decided he'd let Magath do all the talking, turning to play with the cuff of his shirt while glancing at you from the chair he sat in beside you.

You stood, however, finding that you felt slightly claustrophobic when you were sat down and given news like this.

And you weren't upset; you knew you'd be given the order to ship out any day.

You just didn't think it would be this fast—at the drop of a hat.

"Does the brass..." you mumbled.

Magath dipped his head in silent confirmation, and you found yourself staring down at the floor for a minute.

You hadn't even given anyone a forward about this happening—like anyone.

"So, then...tonight," you affirmed to yourself, calculating how many hours you had left before you left, "and how long does it take to reach Western Ceanti?"

"A week to reach the Edrura continent."

The nausea from imagining the sea sickness you'd get was enough to make you somber.

If it took a week to get to the most western continent, you didn't even want to think how long it would take to navigate West Ceanti. Maybe another week since it was by foot and there was no reliable means to ensure you'd have transportation.

"It's safe to say that the whole operation could take an optimistic month," Magath said, pulling out a drawer and dropping a white box onto his desk. You could recognize them as cigarettes. The favorite kind that Magath had been rationing for a while now. "And we can't truly calculate how long the mission would take now that the war room has decided to tweak some original plans. We've been waiting to get the official declaration of war from Otril, but we just got it today. It should be put out on the paper tomorrow morning."

He brought out his old metallic lighter, scooted a thin roll of tobacco, and then lit it. He took a long drag from it, and you could just see how tired he was to not even crack open a window for it.

Bernhardt must have shared the same idea as you because he was the one to stand and head over to the windows. "I got it..."

"If we can't fight off all these enemies in a matter of a year or two...Marley will truly crumble under the pressure," Magath concluded.

His eyes met yours, and while they were the same, resolved eyes you'd always look at, you could find some sincerity in them.

"If we secure one of the missing titans, then we can truly put an end to this war. But if you feel like you don't want to risk your life any more than you need to, I'll put you on reserve."

The reserve wasn't enough. That was just a glorified position. A backup without any of the rewards. That's not what you wanted. You wanted security.

"That doesn't include Marleyan citizenship, does it?"

Magath didn't respond.

"Reserve isn't a bad idea," Bernhardt said, glancing you over his shoulder. "This mission is practically suicide. You still have a chance."