As for the reason why Asahi decided to meet these two men, everything, of course, had its purpose.
First, these people knew who he was.
Second, he needed allies.
The world, since he read the brief summary, had presented itself as a place where humanity was almost exterminated by the Titans, and thus had to retreat and live within the Walls.
However.
The question mark after the statement "humanity was exterminated." Grisha's strange expression when he learned Asahi was an outsider. The bizarre, human-like Titan that breached Wall Maria, and could be the same one or another similar Titan that created the initial breach in Shiganshina. All of it suggested that this world wasn't just a simple dichotomy of humans and Titans.
And the most suspicious thing was the Wall itself.
Unlike those who were born and raised here, inside the Walls, and had seen this massive structure since birth, Asahi was an outsider. Less than half a day had passed since he first opened his eyes in this world.
In just that half day, he immediately spotted the discrepancy, a massive, fundamental error in the existence of this civilization and the Wall itself.
According to the data Grisha pointed out, excluding topographical errors, the outermost Wall Maria alone spanned over three thousand kilometers in circumference. Wall Rose was nearly two thousand four hundred. The innermost Wall Sina was over one thousand five hundred. Given the radii, calculating these figures was simple.
What was striking was that this was nearly seven thousand kilometers of Wall! And all of them were precisely fifty meters high, with an estimated thickness of ten meters. By any metric, this was a project of immense scale. Even if thrown into his modern world, it would be staggering.
And what about the civilization in this world?
Modern, yet inexplicably backward.
Asahi noticed that the gear used to fight Titans possessed novel technology, and even the refined thin steel blades used to cut Titan flesh were impressive, bearing the hallmarks of modern forging technology.
But the societal aspects were awful. The military organization was weak, despite this not being a peaceful world, but one with a host of massive man-eaters roaming outside.
Based on historical experience, when humans face a threat, even a potential one, they constantly learn, innovate, and develop to eliminate or adapt to that danger. Yet here, they relied on the Walls to a ridiculous extent, dreaming and immersing themselves in its protection.
Only a fool would believe that a stone wall could protect humanity forever.
For such a result to occur, it was highly likely that someone had deliberately engineered it.
The government? Or some other power?
"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Asahi, and as you can see, I am not someone from inside the Walls."
Keith and Erwin exchanged a look, as if discussing. Afterward, Erwin was the one who spoke.
"Thank you for saving all of Wall Maria."
"It's nothing, but I want to ask one thing: can we... well, at least not become enemies?"
Hearing this question, both Keith and Erwin were a little stunned. Asahi gave a wry smile.
"So you were able to guess it already..."
"It's not a guess; this kind of thing is very common. No government, no king, wants someone like me to exist."
Not to mention an absolute monarchy; even in modern society. No one would want an individual with the power to kill a thousand people roaming free without any restrictions, unless they were utterly powerless to stop them.
"Then why did you choose to expose your power? Mr. Asahi, to be honest, that action is not beneficial to yourself at all."
"I wanted to save this place, that's all."
"If life is only about putting self-interest first, isn't that too cruel?"
Erwin fell silent, then a small smile curved his lips.
That's right, just like their Survey Corps.
The Survey Corps was established to explore beyond the Walls. They were the Wings of Freedom, seeking the truth and the outside world. They wanted to find the origin of the Titans to free humanity from the fear of the giants. Even though they were mocked by the populace and the other military branches as the Titans' "lunch," a bunch of tax-money wasters.
In a way, Asahi was a good fit for the Survey Corps.
"We..."
Erwin spoke up, looking directly into Asahi's eyes. At the same moment, Asahi seemed to see something different.
Behind Keith and Erwin, many figures appeared, all wearing the uniform of the Survey Corps with their emblem.
The Wings of Freedom.
"Welcome to the Survey Corps, Asahi."
"Likewise."
The two men shook hands, just as the last ray of light in the day disappeared.
"Commander, I apologize if my action just now was slightly out of line."
"No, it wasn't out of line. Erwin, I've already submitted my request. I will retire from the command position and return to the academy to be an instructor."
Keith gave a wry smile, placing a hand on Erwin's shoulder.
"I entrust the Survey Corps to you. This organization should be led by someone with vision like you, not an old man like me."
"Commander..."
Erwin clenched his right fist, placing it over his heart. This was a vow, the oath of every soldier to dedicate themselves entirely to humanity.
Keith was long weary, both physically and spiritually. It wasn't that he no longer wanted to contribute to humanity, but he was tired of his own incompetence. Because of his arrogance, many soldiers died without achieving anything.
He was not a good commander.
The future should be entrusted to the deserving person.
Everything was settled relatively well. The three men descended from the top of the Wall to the Survey Corps' resting place.
Erwin was about to kindly offer to help Asahi down, but then he saw him clinging to the wall and leaping down.
"Asahi, are your hands made of metal?"
Looking at the five finger marks embedded in the surface of the Wall, neither of them could resist asking.
"No, my whole body is like that. To be precise... my entire physique has surpassed the limits of a normal person."
"I see..."
Having descended, the three walked slowly together. Keith began to tell him about the military system.
There were three main military regiments: the Survey Corps, the Garrison, and the Military Police.
Survey Corps: Goes outside, expands territory, and investigates Titans and their origin.
Garrison: Responsible for patrolling and protecting the Walls.
Military Police: Tasked with maintaining order within the Walls and protecting the government and the King.
In addition, there was the Military Training Corps. This Corps was a special subdivision of the military, dedicated to training and educating cadets to become members of the three main military regiments. This was where Keith would retreat to.
Upon reaching the camp, the Survey Corps soldiers were either resting or cooking. The atmosphere was incredibly relaxed because the danger had passed. They didn't even notice that they had gained a new member.
And so, Asahi became a part of the Survey Corps. It was difficult for anyone to refuse, as after the expedition that had just concluded today, coupled with the losses in Shiganshina, their numbers were fewer than twenty. They desperately needed to replenish their strength.