Year 840, District of Trost, Wall Rose.
"And so, the walls Sheena, Rose and Mary were created by humanity to protect us from the threat of the titans that covers the world, this is the only haven for humanity", the teacher pointed to his drawing on the board.
Three perfect circumferences, three massive murals, one bigger than the next. They were formed together with four smaller circles at the north, south, east and west of each circumference; they formed the three walls that protected humanity.
"Teacher, I have a question" A boy raised his hand, the students all perked up, wondering what he wanted to ask. The genius who had perfect scores despite seemingly never paying attention in class.
"Yes, what is it, Arthur?" The teacher rolled his eyes before the question was even put forth. If it was this kid asking, the questioning phrase was sure to be quirky and rather irksome.
"How do we know Titans aren't humans like us? I have heard they look very similar to us?" The boy asked nonchalantly, his blue eyes glaring at the teacher, searching for any wave of doubt.
"..."
The teacher sighed, rubbed his forehead... and then answered the question.
**
**
Two hours later, in another room of the school, a nun-looking young lady was pressing Arthur's head down in a form of apology.
"You should research what this kid is being taught in the orphanage to be asking those kinds of foolish questions, Sister Vanessa. Even if he's just 6 years old, this is the best age to nurture his mind properly, isn't that what you people from the Church of the Wall do?".
The nun clenched her fist and loosened it the next second, "We will see through it, Arthur is just a curious kid since he was very small, we apologise for the inconvenience, Teacher James."
"This is the third time, it better not happen again. Arthur has great scores, it is a pity he just lacks common sense" He said his piece, the teacher shrugged them off and went back to his business.
The sister apologised again and pulled the kid by the wrist, he was looking at her the whole way, "Sorry..."
The nun pulled him into an alleyway, then knelt to hold his shoulders, "Listen, Arthur, titans are our enemies, we have killed each other for centuries... There is no way they could be human like us, do you understand? A lot of us have lost valuable family members to the titans. At this point... whether they were humans in the past or not matters very little".
"Even if that's the case, even if it is something so obvious... is it a sin to be curious?" Arthur asked.
"..." The nun gasped, her lips clenched as if she had been put in a tight position.
"I just asked the teacher a question, why does he have to get upset like that, don't you think it is ridiculous, or at the very least suspicious?" The boy continued, the nun put her hand over his mouth to stop his train of thought.
She looked around once and twice, "Some questions challenge the reason and intelligence of the other person, Arthur. Do you think we wouldn't wonder if they were ever human, considering how they look?".
"..."
"Sometimes we have to keep our mouths shut and keep our thoughts to ourselves. I am sorry that I have to tell you this when you're so young... but that's the world we live in".
"Doesn't that mean we're not free, Vanessa?".
The nun bit her lips, "No, we are not. We are confined to these walls, Arthur... how could we be free? You are not free to go wherever you want, you're not free to say whatever you want... and you're not free to think whatever you want, remember this".
Although 'physically' free is not what he was referring to, the boy understood.
"Are you supposed to be telling me this?" The boy took her wrist and led her out of the alleyway back home.
"No, I am not supposed to. We're going to keep this matter between us, okay? Don't ask questions like those in the future. I have good news for you".
"Oh? Did you get my money?" The boy squinted his brows.
"U-Ugh, I-I don't have it yet hehehe" The beautiful nun laughed awkwardly.
"..." He didn't find it funny.
"But I found another way to pay you! Trust me, this is way better than any money that I could have given to you... moreover, it was just a hundred dews, you didn't make me a millionaire".
"I am kid dammit, that's a lot of money for me, how many people do you think I scammed for that?".
"Don't curse, Arthur. As I said, I have something better for you... and you should stop that, you will get caught one of these days".
Their momentum shifted, and she was once more pulling his wrist.
"There is a family interested in adopting you".
!!!
The boy stopped dead and glared at her, "I told you that I didn't want to get adopted, we had a deal... didn't we agree you'd adopt me in two years?" He stuttered in anger.
"I know, but this family is different, this is a family from the District of Orvud, they have a lot of money, Arthur... they can't conceive and want a child who's smart to inherit the business in the future. I met them during one of our church meetings in Stohess, I heard their predicament and told them about you".
The nun explained herself, but the more she talked, the more she saw the boy's face contort.
"..."
"You have a lot better chances with them. You love money, don't you? They have a lot of it, so just be obedient and do your best at the interview" She tried to convince him.
The boy put his best puppy face and held onto her sleeve, "You're the one I want, Vanessa"
"E-Eh...?" She blushed madly, even covering her mouth and looking away, "Y-You want me, how? Naughty boy! I am a nun in my twenties, and you're l-literally a toddler, control your wild hormones!" The nun screamed and panted.
"I want you as my mom, of course," He deadpanned.
"O-Oh... as a mom...?" She sighed in a mix of relief and disappointment.
"Yes, I like you a lot, Vanessa... in fact, you don't even have to pay me back, you're my mom... keep the money"
She blushed again, "N-No, we can't..."
"I want to stay with you, you're easier to control– oi!".
Arthur got his ears pulled by a fuming nun who felt a rollercoaster of emotions in less than a minute, "You damn brat! You're going to get adopted and that's the end, you better not mess this one up".
'Stupid kid, who wants to be your mom? Hmph!' She thought inwardly.
"Don't curse... you're a nun" He added.
"Hush, you. Come with me, we're going to get you nice and dressed, and you're going to show them those tricks that you do with numbers. What is it again? Sine, cos and tangent... the thing with the triangles".
"Yes, that thing Vanessa... it is called Trigonom–".
She cut him off, "I don't care what it is called, okay? Just show them that and they will adopt you for sure. Then you can be out of my sight and forget those hundred dews".
"So you won't pay me in the end...?" He asked, dejected.
"You just said I didn't have to pay it back!" The nun fought back for the sake of her wallet.
"But that's only if you become my mom, you shameless nun! I do the scams, not you!".
"I have been your mom for five years! I even asked those hundred dews just to get someone to repair the old sewing machine that I use to make clothes for YOU".
"You make clothes for everyone in the orphanage, Vanessa!".
"But YOU are the one who keeps coming back with his clothes torn all the time!"
"You know what? Keep the money, you broke-ass nun".
"W-What!?"
"Aren't you ashamed to scam a hundred dews away from your son? You're right, maybe I'll be better with those rich guys or whatever".
He said that, but then he saw her eyes turn watery as she looked at him. He scratched his head a few times.
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean that..." He stared at her again, his apologise did nothing but intensify those tears.
The nun knelt down and hugged him hard against her chest, crying. It was like years of memories flashed by. Arthur hugged her back just as tightly.
"Idiot... if it makes you sad, why are you trying to get me adopted...? Let's just run away or something? To Shiganshima, no one will find us there. The kids and I will keep scamming people until I join the legion and–" He proposed.
"We can't, Arthur... we can't go away. This is the only solution for you" She said, caressing his hair, which she found to be very silky and beautiful.
"..." Arthur looked at her and sighed. It looked like she had already made up her mind, and there wouldn't be any possibility of retorting.
"Let's go, you have to get ready", She mumbled.
"I don't want to leave you", He said again, this time with honesty. But she didn't stop this time.
"Didn't I tell you? We are not free... we don't get to choose what we want. You have been a troublemaker all these years, be obedient at least for today, okay?".
"... okay".