She Is a Nobel After all

The recruits stood at the edge of the training course, each wearing their ODM gear.

Steel cables gleamed under the morning sun.

Gas canisters were checked one final time.

Veteran soldiers stood nearby, ready to correct even the smallest mistake.

Levi stepped forward.

His sharp grey eyes scanned every recruit.

"Your graduation means nothing here."

"If you make careless mistakes..."

"...you die."

The recruits instinctively straightened.

Levi continued.

"Show me what you can do."

One after another...

The recruits launched themselves into the obstacle course.

Whoosh!

Steel anchors shot into nearby trees.

Some recruits swung smoothly.

Others...

Not so much.

Connie fired one anchor too late.

He spun awkwardly before barely regaining control.

Laughter immediately erupted.

"Damn it!"

Sasha almost crashed into a tree while trying to change direction.

"I meant to do that!"

"You definitely didn't."

Even Jean's landing was slightly off.

Levi clicked his tongue.

"Tch."

"Your center of gravity is all over the place."

Jean rubbed the back of his neck.

"...Yes, Captain."

Mikasa's turn came next.

She moved through the course gracefully.

Fast.

Accurate.

Every anchor landed perfectly.

When she finished...

Several recruits applauded quietly.

Levi simply nodded once.

"Acceptable."

Finally...

"Y/N."

She stepped forward.

Without a word—

She activated her gear.

Whoosh!

The anchors shot forward.

Her body lifted effortlessly into the air.

She didn't rely on speed alone.

Every movement was deliberate.

Every turn was calculated.

She never used more gas than necessary.

Her landings were almost silent.

Even while changing direction multiple times...

Her cables never tangled.

Within moments—

She landed exactly where she had started.

Not a single unnecessary movement.

The field fell quiet.

Levi looked at the nearly full gas gauge.

Then at Y/N.

"...Efficient."

He spoke in his usual calm tone.

"You're using less gas than everyone else."

"Keep doing that."

"...Yes, Captain."

That was all.

No praise.

No smile.

Yet every veteran present understood—

Receiving even that much from Captain Levi was rare.

After a short break...

The recruits were led toward the stables.

Dozens of horses stood patiently inside.

A veteran instructor smiled faintly.

"ODM Gear won't save you everywhere."

"Outside the Walls..."

"Your horse is your lifeline."

Several recruits exchanged nervous looks.

"...I've only ridden one a few times."

Connie muttered.

Jean sighed.

"This can't be that hard..."

Five minutes later—

"It absolutely is that hard!"

His horse refused to move.

The moment Jean tried pulling the reins...

The horse tossed its head and trotted in the opposite direction.

"Hey!"

"No, not that way!"

Connie wasn't doing any better.

His horse suddenly sped up.

"WAIT—!"

"I'm gonna fall!"

Sasha was busy apologizing to hers.

"I'm sorry! Please cooperate!"

Nearby soldiers tried not to laugh.

Only one recruit remained perfectly calm.

Y/N.

She gently placed a hand on her horse's neck.

The animal relaxed almost immediately.

Without using force—

She adjusted the reins slightly.

The horse obediently followed her lead.

One veteran soldier raised an eyebrow.

"You've ridden before."

"...Yes."

"Since childhood."

The simple answer explained everything.

Growing up in a noble household...

Horse riding had been part of her education.

A loud yelp suddenly echoed across the training ground.

"Y/N!"

Jean was once again struggling to control his horse.

"It's not listening!"

Y/N walked over at a steady pace.

She looked at the frightened horse.

Then at Jean.

Her voice remained calm.

"...Don't pull the reins harder."

Jean blinked.

"...What?"

"You're making it nervous."

She gently demonstrated with her own horse.

"Relax your shoulders."

"Loosen your grip."

"Let it feel that you're calm."

"The horse follows your emotions before it follows your commands."

Jean hesitated.

Then slowly did exactly as she said.

A few seconds later...

His horse stopped resisting.

It stood quietly.

Jean stared in surprise.

"...It... actually worked."

Nearby, Connie immediately called out,

"Hey! Tell me what to do too!"

For the first time since joining the Survey Corps...

Several recruits found themselves listening carefully to the quiet girl they had only known as...

The Stone Girl.

after a while,,,,,,,,

The horse riding session continued for nearly an hour.

Gradually...

The recruits became more comfortable.

Some still struggled.

Some had already found their rhythm.

Among them...

Y/N remained the calmest.

She never raised her voice.

Never yanked the reins.

She simply guided her horse.

The animal responded as if it understood every subtle movement she made.

From a distance...

Hange watched with sparkling eyes.

"I thought she'd only be good at combat."

Erwin folded his arms.

"So did I."

"Looks like we underestimated her."

Levi's eyes followed Y/N's horse for a few moments.

"...She's not controlling it."

Hange tilted their head.

"What do you mean?"

"She's communicating with it."

"...That's harder."

A few minutes later...

The recruits were instructed to ride around the training grounds in formation.

Everything went smoothly...

For about thirty seconds.

Then—

A loud neigh echoed across the field.

One of the younger recruits had accidentally pulled the reins too hard.

The frightened horse suddenly bolted.

"Whoa!"

"I-I can't stop it!"

Panic instantly spread through the formation.

"Move!"

"Get out of the way!"

The horse charged forward uncontrollably.

The recruit's balance was already slipping.

If he fell...

He would be trampled.

Several soldiers immediately moved.

But before anyone could reach him—

A silver-haired figure urged her horse forward.

Y/N.

She didn't rush recklessly.

Instead...

She guided her horse alongside the frightened one.

Maintaining the exact same speed.

Everyone watched in silence.

"...What's she doing?"

Levi's sharp eyes narrowed.

"Don't interfere."

A veteran who had started moving stopped immediately.

Y/N kept her eyes on the terrified horse.

Not the rider.

The horse.

In a calm voice—

"Don't pull."

The recruit was nearly crying.

"It's not listening!"

"It won't..."

"Loosen the reins."

"What?!"

"Now."

Her tone never changed.

Yet...

There was something about it that made the recruit obey.

His trembling hands slowly loosened their grip.

The horse's frantic movements became slightly slower.

Y/N moved a little closer.

Her own horse remained perfectly calm.

Almost as if its calmness was affecting the other animal.

"Good."

"Keep breathing."

"Don't panic."

The recruit followed every instruction.

A few seconds later...

The frightened horse finally slowed to a trot.

Then...

Stopped completely.

The entire field fell silent.

The recruit sat there, breathing heavily.

"I..."

"I thought I was dead..."

Y/N simply nodded once.

"You're alright."

Then she turned her horse around as if nothing extraordinary had happened.

"...Amazing."

Armin whispered.

Eren crossed his arms.

"I would've tried to stop the horse by force."

Armin shook his head.

"She understood the horse first."

Connie scratched his head.

"well she is a nobel after all..."

Jean looked toward Y/N, who had already returned to her place in the formation.

"...Yeah."

Mikasa quietly glanced at Y/N for a brief moment before looking ahead again.

She didn't say anything.

But her respect for the silver-haired girl had quietly grown.

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