Chapter 38: Mission

+————————+

Roku strode into the room, his presence commanding immediate attention from the three recruits seated inside. They rose to salute him, their expressions a mix of respect and anticipation.

"Nice to see you, Sir," one of them greeted, the determination evident in his voice.

"Take a seat, all of you," Roku instructed, settling himself down as well.

"Why did you summon us here today, Captain?" Nyxus, the recruit with glasses, inquired,

"I'm no longer the captain," Roku reminded him, his demeanor as cold and distant as ever.

"Uhh, Sorry It's just out of habit", Nyxus quickly corrected himself

"More importantly," Roku continued, cutting to the chase, "I gathered all of you here for a mission. It's a mission that requires you to sacrifice everything—your family, your loyalty, even your own lives."

The recruits exchanged uneasy glances, their apprehension palpable.

"What do you mean, Captain?" Mina, the girl among them, asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"I trust all three of you, and I believe in your potential," Roku stated, his words hanging heavily in the air.

"The mission is suicidal. If we succeed, we'll be hailed as heroes. If we fail, we'll be nothing but corpses."

Paxton, the burly recruit, spoke up with conviction.

"We trust you, Captain. Most of us joined the Survey Corps because of you. You were our hope. And if it means I'll die beside you, so be it. We knew the risks when we signed up to the Survey Corps. If the mission is that important, I'm ready to die for a good cause."

"I agree," Nyxus chimed in, his resolve matching Paxton's. "We joined the Survey Corps for the sake of discovery. We knew the risks from the start. If it's for a good cause, count me in."

Mina hesitated, her nerves getting the best of her.

"And you, Mina?" Roku prompted, his gaze fixed on her.

"I... I don't know," she admitted, her voice quavering with uncertainty.

Roku didn't press her, respecting her need to weigh her options.

"If you don't want to take the mission, the door is open. I won't force any of you to join me. It's your decision."

Mina stood there, grappling with her conflicting emotions. "I'm just worried about my parents. We're a poor family, and I'm their only child. I haven't been able to provide for them properly yet."

Roku rose from his seat and approached her, his hands coming to rest gently on her shoulders.

"If it's about that, don't worry. I'll transfer my wages to them, and I'll arrange for the commander to send them money every month. But I can't afford to lose you. You're crucial to this mission."

Mina's cheeks flushed at the proximity of Roku's touch, but his reassurance bolstered her resolve.

"If that's the case, then count me in, Captain," she declared, her determination shining through

Roku's voice filled the room with a sense of determination as he outlined the mission to his selected recruits.

"The mission is as follows," Roku began, his tone commanding.

"We will be heading out with only the four of us, venturing beyond the unknown to reach the sea and discover what lies beyond."

Mina, usually quiet but observant, raised a valid point. "But Captain, we don't even know if the sea exists."

"And that's where you have to trust me. I'm sure it's out there. The gamble lies in whether we can reach it or not."

Nyxus, ever the pragmatic one, voiced his concerns.

"Only four of us? But it's suicidal If Titans attack. Even with you, Captain."

Roku acknowledged Nyxus's concern with a nod. "First, the mission will start like any other expedition," he explained, gesturing towards a map laid out on the table before them.

"We'll proceed as usual until we reach a certain point near this forest. From there, we'll be on our own."

Paxton interjected, his brows furrowed in thought. "But isn't this betrayal?"

Roku's response was firm. "No. Captain Erwin and Commander Shadis are aware of the mission. However, it must remain secretive. We don't know if there's a mole within the Survey Corps, and such a mission wouldn't be accepted by the higher-ups. We'll only be betraying the government, not the Survey Corps."

Nyxus pressed further, expressing concerns about the potential discovery of their betrayal and Captain Erwin's involvement.

Roku's response was simple yet confident. "Leave that to me."

The recruits exchanged glances, a silent agreement passing between them. They would trust Roku's judgment and follow his lead.

Roku then revealed the next step of the mission. "As for all of you, you will be resigning from the Survey Corps," he announced,

"Resign?!!" Paxton echoed, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Nyxus, however, quickly pieced together Roku's plan. "Ah, I see," he said with a smirk. "You'll have us resign to remove any suspicion from us."

Roku nodded in confirmation.

"Exactly. But more importantly, after you resign, we will head to a training site I've selected in Wall Rose. It's a camp in a rural area where we'll prepare for the mission."

Paxton sought clarification, "What will our training entail?"

"First the normal training: ODM gear, strength, agility, and especially endurance. that's for the first part and there is special training for each one of you"

He stopped then he gave each one of them a paper,

"These papers have the training specified for each individual according to their importance to the mission"

"Starting with Mina, your expertise in Celestial Navigation will be crucial for our mission," Roku began, turning to her with a determined expression.

"I'll grant you permission to access the Nexis Library in Yarckel District in Wall Sina. You'll research books related to Celestial Navigation to aid us in our journey."

Mina nodded, her eyes alight with determination.

"Nyxus, your task will be to gather sufficient supplies and information about it, we will need supplies that will last with us at least a week," Roku continued, shifting his focus to the pragmatic recruit.

"This includes food, water, gas for our ODM gears, and any other essentials we may need. Additionally, you'll research navigation techniques using these supplies, and what's the best way we can transport, and lastly I want you to gather any illegal information about the outside world, you can accompany Mina to the library you may figure out something"

Nyxus nodded, already mentally preparing for the task ahead.

"Lastly, Paxton," Roku addressed the burly recruit,

"You will be our Muscle, defending us from titan attacks and carrying heavy loads. We'll also focus on honing your exploration skills, as they will be invaluable on our journey."

Paxton nodded solemnly, ready to fulfill his role in the mission.

Roku concluded the meeting with a sense of finality.

"I think everything is clear for now," he said, rising from his seat.

"Let's meet next month at the designated location. The details are written at the bottom of the page. Try not to contact each other until then, and stagger your resignations to avoid drawing unnecessary attention."

"And lastly, I will be visiting you monthly, to monitor your progress. Remember I can't be seen doing anything strange or the Higher-ups will catch us"

They all nodded and left the room, each thinking of the upcoming mission.

+————————+

End of the Chapter