Cottage Meeting

Cottage Meeting (陋屋の集い) is the 4th chapter of the 11th volume and the 40th chapter overall of the Attack on Titan: Before the Fall manga, written by Ryō Suzukaze and illustrated by Satoshi Shiki.

Summary
Kuklo awakens in an unfamiliar room, lying in bed with his wounds from earlier now bandaged. He recalls his duel at the bridge with Xavi and anxiously speculates on the whereabouts of Sharle. He is then greeted by a girl introducing herself as Rosa who informs him that they are inhabiting a cottage near a training corp school in a forest within Wall Maria that has fallen into disuse. She tells him he was found in a river bank during a training session and remained comatose for nearly a week.

Rosa proceeds to change the bandages on his arm and the flank where Xavi slashed him but is astonished by how quickly the wounds have healed. Kuklo panics when realizing he is no longer in possession of the Device but Rosa calms him by opening a cabinet containing the intact gear. He explains its purpose in fighting against the Titans and his role in its practical development before remembering having heard her name before from the Survey Corps, realizing she is the daughter of Maria Carlstead and Sorum Humé.

Informing her of his own name and association with the Survey Corps he asks for her help in contacting her mother along with Jorge and Carlo. Rosa recognizes the difficulty in carrying out his request but is keen to join the fight against the Titans and agrees to aid him. That night she returns with the four other cadets who saved him from the riverbank, introducing themselves as Kay, Ivo, Hugo, and Felix.

Kuklo is reluctant to trust them with his identity and reveal the events at the Industrial City, knowing that it would cause problems for Xenophon and Jorge were his location leaked to the Military Police. The four cadets, in turn, are suspicious of Kuklo but Rosa informs them that he is part of a mysterious project to defeat the Titans. Now less apprehensive about his presence they discuss how to contact outside the forest area since they cannot leave while training, whereupon Felix informs them that Jorge will be arriving in two weeks as their new instructor and to recruit members for the Survey Corps.

Excited at the prospect of meeting Jorge the Hero they all resolve to join him to fight the Titans and see the world beyond the walls. Rosa wants to avenge her father, despite her mother being opposed to her joining the Survey Corps, she hopes of Jorge and Kuklo convincing Maria to change her stance. Kuklo promises to vouch for her to Jorge but gives a firm warning about the danger of facing the Titans. He explains to them the slaughterer he witnessed at the previous expedition and urges them to accept training from Jorge and Carlo.

For the next few days, they visit Kuklo every morning before training as he recovers, who eventually has only one wound left. Rosa remarks how abnormally fast his remaining injuries have healed and asks what he did to his body. Kuklo responds how Sharle made a similar comment which prompts Rosa to ask if she is his girlfriend, to which he replies that she is a friend and very important to him. Rosa then gives him Sharle's dagger that she found on him when he was rescued, explaining how wearing it shortened the cut across his flank and saving his life.

That night while Kuklo is alone and no longer bedridden he opens the kitchen window to take in some fresh air but is suddenly able to sense someone is coming out of the woods his way. He ducks to avoid being seen, knowing that Rosa and the others could not have sneaked out of training. Outside two members of the Military Police trek through the forest, having heard reports of lights going off in the area during nighttime. They see a light flickering ahead and follow it to come in sight of the cottage, where they presume a hunter must be residing in the abandoned building.

As they approach with rifles Kuklo remains hidden and tries to think of a plan to survive.