There was something Evan Cross hadn't considered
people inside the Walls had never seen the ocean.
Inside the Walls, the only water sources were shallow rivers or small ports like the one in front of him.
Which meant:
No deep waters
No boats built for fishing
No fishing rods ever
All fishing was done with spears.
So even if the river under the port was full of fish, the five-meter drop made it impossible for ordinary people to reach them.
Which, in a way, made things easier for Evan…
He didn't need to explain too much.
He simply told Mikasa and Armin to dig up worms nearby
saying they would understand soon enough.
The two looked confused, but still obeyed and searched along a damp patch of soil near the riverbank.
As they dug
"Hey, Mikasa… don't you think he's strange?"
Armin whispered while flipping over chunks of mud.
Mikasa paused.
"Strange how?"
"It's Evan."
Armin frowned seriously.
"I… don't think he's from our district."
Mikasa didn't respond, but she stopped moving, waiting for him to continue.
"That day on the boat," Armin recalled,
"his clothes… I've never seen that kind of style. The fabric feels like something only nobles could afford."
He swallowed.
"And more importantly "
Armin lifted his head, expression grave.
"His expression."
"Expression?"
"He wasn't scared, Mikasa."
Armin lowered his voice.
"When the town was overrun by Titans… when the gates fell… when people were dying all around us
his face didn't show fear. Not even a little."
"...No fear at all."
Mikasa's eyes dimmed slightly as memories surfaced.
She remembered the moment Evan was trapped beneath the collapsing church
His eyes…
There was no terror.
Only stubborn rage.
Only the refusal to die.
Even when the Titan almost reached him
even when the church was falling
his gaze held only defiance.
Only unwillingness.
Only a fierce, burning will to live.
Ten minutes later
Evan returned with a handmade fishing rod in hand.
Mikasa and Armin had already collected a handful of worms.
"Nice, they're pretty plump," Evan nodded. "The fish will love them."
Armin blinked curiously at the long stick.
"Evan, that's a fishing rod? You catch fish with that?"
"You'll see in a minute."
Evan grinned.
Sitting down on the edge of the port, he bent a piece of wire into a hook and skewered a worm carefully.
He cast the line out in one smooth motion.
Mikasa frowned, unimpressed.
"So this is just… an excuse to sit here and be lazy?"
"..."
Lazy?
LAZY??
And she even said "still lazy," as if it were his trademark!
Evan resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"Sit and wait," he said, pointing beside him. "The fish will come."
Armin gawked at him.
"You mean… the fish will catch themselves?!"
Evan smirked.
"Sit or go home. Fishing takes patience."
After a moment of hesitation, both sat down quietly.
Still, Mikasa muttered
"Honestly, lying in the sun at home sounds more productive."
"..."
Evan shot her a wounded look.
"Relax, Boss Mikasa. If there are fish in this river, you'll be drinking fish soup tonight."
"I'm a girl," Mikasa mumbled. "Not 'Boss.'"
SPLASH!
The rod shook violently.
Evan's expression sharpened in an instant.
"That's a bite! Armin! Grab the basket!"
"O-okay!!"
Armin's eyes widened as he stared at the rippling water.
Mikasa's eyes also locked onto the surface.
Evan's movements were steady, practiced.
He gently tugged, then reeled the line in with controlled speed
sometimes fast, sometimes slow
feeling the weight of the fish on the hook.
And then
WHOOSH!
A large silver grass carp leapt from the water, tail thrashing wildly, jaws clamped tightly on the hook.
Both Mikasa and Armin gasped.
A living fish
caught so easily
jumping and flailing right before their eyes.
In their world, fish were only ever skewered with spears, dead long before they were brought ashore.
But this
this was vibrant, alive
And utterly miraculous to them.
Evan only smiled, casually lifting the fish with one hand.
"Welcome to the future," he said lightly.