Chapter 30: An Unexpected Encounter
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The road stretching beyond Ehrmich was practically deserted.
On either side, the trees swayed gently in the breeze, while sunlight illuminated the vast fields stretching all the way to the horizon. In the distance, a few carriages traveled along the main roads, transporting goods to nearby settlements.
Naruto walked leisurely, with his hands behind his head, showing not the slightest concern about where they were heading.
Beside him, Mikasa maintained a steady pace, although she occasionally glanced over her shoulder.
Ehrmich had already disappeared from view, but she could still remember what had happened.
She hadn't liked it.
She had seen people who were injured and others who had lost their homes. Some didn't even have a place to spend the night.
Mikasa lowered her gaze slightly.
Should they have helped a little more?
She didn't know what to think. She wanted to help those people, but Naruto had already decided to leave, and she didn't want to be left alone.
Besides, she didn't know what she could have done on her own.
She glanced sideways at the blond boy.
Naruto seemed completely unconcerned. He walked as if nothing important had happened, occasionally observing the trees and the scenery.
Sometimes, she simply couldn't understand him.
How could he destroy so many things and then behave as though they had merely finished taking a walk?
It was unfair.
At least, that was what she thought. However, Naruto eventually turned his head slightly.
"What's wrong?"
Mikasa quickly looked away.
"Nothing."
"You've been staring at me for a while," the Uzumaki commented calmly, without taking his eyes off the little girl.
"I haven't."
"You have."
The girl frowned slightly before commenting, "I was just checking if you were still there."
Naruto stared at her for a moment.
"And where would I go?"
Mikasa didn't answer immediately. She didn't know. But she liked having him nearby.
Ever since her parents had died, Naruto was the only person she truly felt safe with. When she was by his side, she didn't have to worry too much about strangers or the things that might happen around her.
She knew he could protect her, and she liked that, even if he could sometimes be quite annoying.
"Naruto."
"Hm?"
"Where are we going?"
The blond boy glanced at her before slightly shaking his head, making it clear that even he didn't know.
Mikasa blinked.
"You don't know?"
"That's why I'm going to ask Aetheria," the blond boy replied before calling out to his guide. "Aetheria."
[I'm here, Naruto.]
"Is there somewhere we can rest?"
[There's a farm to the east. You'll probably find food and lodging there.]
"Perfect. We'll go there."
Mikasa sighed.
"Have you already decided where we're going?" she asked curiously, watching Naruto nod. "You didn't even ask me."
"Do you want to go somewhere else?"
Mikasa thought about it for a few seconds.
"No..."
"Then it's settled."
The girl puffed out her cheeks slightly. Sometimes, Naruto was far too carefree. However, she didn't want to argue over something so trivial either.
They continued walking.
Mikasa looked around once more and, after a few moments, decided to ask him something that was still bothering her.
"Naruto."
"Hm?"
"Aren't you worried about what happened in Ehrmich?"
"No."
The answer came so quickly that Mikasa frowned.
"Not even a little?"
"Why should I be?"
"Because there were so many people there. Some lost their homes, and others were injured."
Naruto briefly glanced at her.
"So?"
Mikasa pressed her lips together.
"You can't just do things like that and walk away."
"But we've already walked away."
"That's not what I mean!"
The blond boy tilted his head, watching as the girl tried to find the right words.
"I don't like people who hurt others without caring about anything," Mikasa murmured.
"Do I do that?"
The girl fell silent.
She didn't want to say yes. Because Naruto was also the person who had saved her and taken care of her until now. The one who had stayed with her when she needed someone the most. The one who had never abandoned her.
She didn't want to think of him as a bad person.
"Sometimes..." she finally replied.
Naruto seemed to ponder her words for a few seconds.
"Mikasa, do those people matter to you?"
"Of course they do!"
"More than I do?"
The question caught her completely off guard.
"Eh?"
"I asked if they matter more to you than I do."
Mikasa opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say.
"That has nothing to do with it!"
"It does to me."
Naruto turned his gaze back toward the road.
"You're important to me. The others are just people who happen to be there, nothing more. If I'm not interested in them, I have no reason to worry too much about them."
Mikasa remained silent.
"That doesn't mean I'll hurt you if you care about them," the blond boy continued. "You can think whatever you want and help whoever you want. But don't expect me to feel the same way."
He paused briefly.
"In the end, you're the only one who matters to me. Everyone else is insignificant to me."
Mikasa felt her cheeks beginning to grow warm.
She blinked several times.
Only her?
Had he really just said that?
A small smile appeared on her lips before she could stop it. She didn't know why, but those words had made her incredibly happy.
It felt nice knowing that Naruto thought of her that way. That, among all the people he had met, she was someone special.
Perhaps it was a little selfish to feel so happy after bringing up the people who had been injured in Ehrmich.
But she couldn't help it.
She liked being important to Naruto.
A lot.
"Why are you smiling?" he asked.
Mikasa immediately reacted, hiding part of her face behind her scarf to keep Naruto from seeing her smile.
"I'm not smiling!"
"Yes, you are."
"No."
Naruto let out a small laugh, not knowing why Mikasa's behavior seemed so amusing to him.
Mikasa looked away, trying to hide her slightly flushed cheeks.
It was embarrassing.
She didn't understand how Naruto could say such nice things so casually, as if he hadn't just made her feel genuinely happy.
After a few seconds, she looked at him again.
"But... even if I'm the only one who matters to you, that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."
Naruto didn't answer. That went against the way he thought, and he couldn't find any reason to change it.
Mikasa noticed his silence too, but continued anyway.
"Besides, you shouldn't destroy things everywhere we go."
"That... depends."
"Naruto!"
The blond boy simply shrugged.
Mikasa wasn't sure if he had actually understood what she was trying to tell him, but at least she had managed to make him stop talking that way.
And that was enough for now.
They continued walking for several minutes.
The trees gradually became more scattered, giving way to extensive fields of farmland. A windmill slowly turned in the distance, and several wooden fences marked the boundaries of the fields.
"It's quieter here," Naruto commented.
Mikasa followed his gaze.
Along that peaceful dirt road, with the vegetation on either side swaying in the breeze, there was a sense of calm she was beginning to enjoy, especially the more time she spent with Naruto.
She liked walking beside him, listening to his comments and knowing that she didn't have to worry about being left alone. Even if he was sometimes difficult to understand, being with him was still enjoyable.
They continued forward until they reached a small rise, from which they could see a farm situated on the other side of the fields.
Several wooden buildings stood around a main house. There was a barn, a few animal pens, and even a small vegetable garden.
Naruto stopped.
"Is that the place?"
[Yes. That's the property I was referring to.]
"It looks pretty big," he commented, observing the extensive property. However, something else caught his attention.
He could hear movement around the farm, accompanied by unfriendly emotions directed toward them.
At that moment, the visor over his eyes activated, projecting a detailed three-dimensional map of the area. On it, he could distinguish several red dots scattered around the property, similar to the signals used to identify Titans.
When he directed his gaze toward those locations, his thermal scanner allowed him to make out their silhouettes. They were humans, some hiding in the trees and others concealed among the bushes.
Naruto tilted his head slightly.
What was going on?
It piqued his curiosity, since he didn't know what was happening, although he didn't pay it much attention.
With a small smile, he began walking toward the farm, interested in discovering what would happen.
As they walked, Mikasa slightly raised her gaze toward Naruto.
The boy seemed as calm as ever, not giving much thought to what they had discussed earlier. However, she still remembered it.
Her steps became a little lighter as a pleasant feeling spread through her chest.
—You're the only one who matters to me.
Mikasa lowered her gaze, feeling her cheeks grow slightly warm once again. She wasn't entirely sure why those words made her feel so good, but she liked hearing them.
Perhaps it was because, for the first time in a long while, she felt as though someone had chosen her above everyone else.
And she hoped Naruto would continue seeing her that way. Because she didn't want to be separated from him either.
And, although she still didn't know how to explain it, she wanted to remain someone special to Naruto.
It was then that a small figure appeared near the animal pens.
A little girl with blond hair was chasing a chicken that had just escaped through a gap in the fence.
"Wait! Come back here!"
The little girl ran after the animal, trying to catch it before it wandered too far from the farm.
However, the chicken suddenly changed direction and ended up heading straight toward Naruto and Mikasa.
"No, not that way!"
The girl tried to catch up with it, but the animal darted between the two of them.
Naruto reached out and grabbed it by the tail.
The chicken flapped its wings and squawked, trying to break free, but the blond boy held it calmly, unfazed by the animal's frantic movements.
"How noisy," he commented.
Mikasa looked at him.
"Naruto, let it go. Its owner is already coming."
The little girl arrived a few seconds later, breathing heavily.
She was about nine years old, with blond hair and beautiful blue eyes. She wore simple clothes, suitable for someone who lived on a farm, and had a few dirt stains on her knees.
She stopped in front of Naruto, surprised to find two strangers.
The blond boy handed her the chicken without saying anything.
The girl took it into her arms and gently stroked its feathers to calm it down.
"...Thank you."
Naruto simply nodded.
"No problem."
The little girl lowered her head slightly, both out of shyness and to avoid staring directly at the blond boy.
She didn't understand why, but ever since she had seen him, she felt her heart beginning to beat a little faster, while her cheeks grew warm.
She didn't know what these strange feelings beginning to emerge inside her were.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you."
Mikasa frowned slightly.
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"But I made you stop."
"That doesn't matter."
The girl seemed to relax a little, although she still avoided looking directly at Naruto.
"Thank you."
When Naruto got a better look at her face, a translucent window appeared before his eyes.
It was the same type of interface that had appeared when he first met Mikasa.
Until then, he had only received a screen of this nature when meeting someone Aetheria considered particularly important.
Naruto read the information.
[Name: Historia Reiss]
[Alias: Krista Lenz / Little Queen]
[Race: Human]
[Role: Supporting Character / Royal Heir]
[Age: 9 years old]
[Universe: Shingeki no Kyojin]
[Historia Reiss is the illegitimate daughter of Rod Reiss, belonging to the royal family of the Walls. She currently lives in isolation on her grandparents' farm, separated from society and living under the identity of an ordinary young girl, unaware of the full importance of her lineage or the power residing within her blood.
Historia Reiss possesses a kind, gentle, and helpful personality, seeking the approval and affection of those around her, especially her mother, Alma. Although she tends to put the happiness of others before her own, she possesses great inner strength and determination.
As a member of the Reiss family, her blood is linked to the power of the Founding Titan, a legacy that remains hidden from her.]
[Attributes: (Health: 840/840), (Strength: 3), (Vitality: 5), (Agility: 3), (Endurance: 4), (Defense: 3), (Intelligence: 7), (Wisdom: 6), (Luck: 28), (Charm: 7)]
[Skills: (Emotional Intelligence - Intermediate), (Care and Support - Intermediate), (Hidden Willpower - Latent), (Royal Reiss Bloodline - Latent)]
[Weaknesses: (Low Physical and Combat Ability), (Low Self-Esteem and Emotional Dependence), (Submissive Personality and Fear of Rejection), (Inexperience and Lack of Knowledge of the Outside World), (Low Mental Resilience Under Pressure), (Unknown Identity)]
[Main Parameter toward Naruto: (Love/Affection: 0%)]
[Secondary Parameters toward Naruto: (Fear: 5%), (Distrust: 5%), (Trust: 0%), (Hostility: 0%), (Respect: 0%), (Empathy: 0%), (Willingness to Follow Him: 0%), (Loyalty: 0%), (Dependence: 0%)]
Naruto's eyes widened slightly.
"Wow..."
He didn't need much time to understand that the little girl held some special significance.
Her blood was linked to the Founding Titan, one of the powers that appeared in his Titan ability roulette.
That immediately piqued his curiosity.
"Aetheria."
[I'm here.]
"Is she important?"
[Historia Reiss belongs to the Reiss family, the true royal family of the Walls. Her blood is linked to one of the most important powers in this world.]
Naruto smiled.
"Does that mean she's strong?"
[Not necessarily.]
"But she could be."
[No, Naruto. That's just a special bloodline, nothing more. She, like the other members of the royal family, doesn't possess any special abilities simply because she belongs to that family, nor is she particularly strong.]
"I see."
Mikasa glanced at him.
"Naruto? What are you looking at?"
"Wait. I'm talking."
The little girl sighed.
She didn't know what he was doing, but decided to let him finish.
Historia, meanwhile, looked at both of them with a confused expression. She didn't understand why the blond boy suddenly seemed distracted, although she didn't dare ask him about it either.
Finally, Naruto turned his attention back to her.
"What's your name?"
"Historia."
"Historia," the blond boy repeated.
Although he had already seen her name in the interface, hearing it directly from her was different.
"It's a... um... pretty name?"
Historia blinked, surprised by the comment.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Historia... sounds nice."
The little girl smiled shyly, lowering her gaze a little as she hugged the chicken against her chest.
"Thank you. I'm glad you think so."
Naruto smiled casually.
"You don't have to thank me. I just said what I think."
Mikasa, who had remained silent, felt something strange inside her.
At first, she didn't pay much attention to it. However, when she saw Historia's smile and heard how naturally Naruto had complimented her name, she experienced a slight feeling of discomfort.
She frowned almost imperceptibly.
What was that?
It made no sense. Naruto had simply said that a girl's name was pretty. There was nothing strange about it, much less anything she should feel uncomfortable about.
Even so, she didn't particularly like that feeling.
It was small, almost insignificant, but it lingered somewhere in her chest.
Mikasa shifted her gaze toward Naruto, watching him for a few seconds.
He seemed completely oblivious to what was happening beside him. His attention had returned to Historia, who was still holding the chicken in her arms.
"Do you live here?" the blond boy asked.
Historia nodded.
"Yes. This is my home."
"Do you have any other animals?"
"Yes! We have chickens, some sheep, and cows too. Although I'm still learning how to take care of them."
"Interesting."
Mikasa pressed her lips together slightly.
She didn't understand why she was still paying so much attention to that conversation. Nor why it bothered her so much that Naruto seemed interested in getting to know Historia.
It was absurd.
Historia hadn't done anything wrong. In fact, she seemed like a kind and well-mannered girl. Mikasa had no reason to feel uncomfortable around her.
Then why...?
Mikasa looked at Naruto again.
The blond boy smiled at something Historia had just said. And that little pang returned.
Mikasa lowered her gaze, confused by an emotion she couldn't identify.
It wasn't anger. Nor was it distrust.
It was something different. Something she had never felt quite like this before.
She didn't want Naruto to stop paying attention to her. Nor did she want that girl to take the place she held by his side.
Although she couldn't explain it, the thought displeased her.
And, little by little, she began to understand what she was feeling.
Jealousy.
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