"I think I understand." It's something he'll have to experience himself to understand first hand, it seems.

As for the scrutiny: a little of column A, a little of column B; he wants to know the risks, and he wants to know what Levi thinks of them, what his experience with it all is. It's obvious, of course, that he can't move the way that he used to; that in and of itself has to be and adjustment, one that Erwin can well sympathize with. He hopes that Levi isn't pushing himself, even so. And while Erwin couldn't promise that he'll stay entirely away from briefs that indicate danger, it's unlikely that he's going to be jumping into them head first.

Erwin makes a little hum of acknowledgment, raising his cup to his lips again. They're in a quiet little bar, but he can almost imagine them sitting together in his quarters late at night like they used to, discussing the day or what's to come. They'd shared one last time such as this the night before Shiganshina, although there had been an unusual undercurrent of tension between them in the wake of him revealing is true goal and purpose to Levi hours earlier.

It's a wonderful relief, that it won't have been truly their last.

"Have you been on many of these missions so far?"