At lunchtime, everyone gathered around Lillian's table, chattering eagerly about what had happened last night.
"Hey Lillian! Did you really kill the wolves?!"
"That's amazing!"
"Yeah… If I had encountered them, I'd probably have frozen on the spot."
"I have to say, the instructors are way too irresponsible, sending us to train on a mountain full of wolves! That's way too dangerous!"
"Keith did warn us there could be life-threatening risks…"
"But—"
BANG!
Ymir slammed her fist on the table, her expression dark as she glared at everyone. "I'm telling you, if you keep yammering over here and ruin my meal, I won't hesitate to make you feel what those wolves felt yesterday when they were killed."
Thunk.
The entire room went silent. Everyone swallowed nervously, then awkwardly returned to their own tables.
No one could deny that Ymir's reputation in the 104th training corps was terrifying. There had even been an unofficial ranking: the three girls not to be messed with—Annie, Mikasa, and Ymir.
Annie naturally topped the list; her usual expressionless face was a "keep out" warning, and she either ignored or attacked anyone who approached—truly frightening. Mikasa was similar, but generally kinder and receptive to normal conversation. Ymir, however, was more unpredictable: usually smiling, but not always kindly, with moods that could swing violently in an instant. The previous second she might be laughing, the next, her gaze could feel murderous. So when she showed even a hint of anger, everyone wisely stepped back.
"Ymir…"
Krista, sitting at the same table, felt uneasy. Her personality—or rather her chosen way to survive—was to be accommodating and gentle, perhaps a little too much so.
"Sharp-tongued woman did well," Lillian said, sipping his soup. "All that noise was annoying."
"Yeah, really annoying."
The three of them sat together. Daz should have been at the table too, but his fever was still severe, and he hadn't woken up yet.
"Lillian, do you want me to help you?" Krista asked, watching him juggle a spoonful of soup, put it down, then pick up bread—a bit cumbersome. She wanted to assist.
"Ah…?"
Lillian paused, and Ymir immediately shot her a disapproving look. "Krista, you're not going to feed him, are you? That's out of the question. You haven't even fed me before. And the little guy isn't helpless—he can use his hands just fine."
Krista blushed, slightly embarrassed by Ymir's blunt words. She opened her mouth to insist, but Lillian beat her to it.
"Exactly. I don't want to start enjoying a vegetative patient's treatment early," he said. "Stop staring at me and eat. Your soup's getting cold."
"Okay… okay."
Krista's cheeks warmed as she quickly lifted her soup bowl, taking small sips while using it to hide her slightly flushed face.
After the meal, everyone began the return journey.
It was noon, and compared to yesterday's harsh weather, today's sun was bright and warm on their skin.
The instructors led the trainees along a narrow but safe and smooth path—a hidden "safety route" for quickly ascending and descending the mountain. It took less than three hours to reach the base.
"Whew—"
Everyone exhaled in relief. Though the training hadn't lasted long, the exhaustion—especially mentally—was far beyond ordinary exercises. After all, the threat of death is not easy to endure.
Back at the training base, Instructor Keith was waiting for them.
He observed the neatly lined-up trainees and nodded in approval.
"Good! This class is impressive—no one died!"
"… …"
"The other instructors have recorded your performance. I will evaluate your results accurately based on these records."
He then fixed his gaze on Lillian's bandaged arm, suspended in a sling around his neck.
"All right, everyone else, go rest. Lillian Kafka, stay."
"… …"
The trainees were surprised, exchanging glances before leaving one by one. Krista hesitated but was gently ushered away by Ymir. Soon, only Keith and Lillian remained on the vast training square.
Keith approached Lillian and placed a rough hand on his shoulder. "Well done."
"I heard what happened. You protected Krista Lenz and had a large chunk of flesh bitten off by the mountain wolves. Not bad—small guy, but already showing some manly spirit!"
"… …"
Lillian thought silently: thanks, I guess.
"Tell me what you were thinking," Keith said. Lillian looked confused.
"Thinking? About what, Instructor Keith?"
Keith glanced at Lillian's bandaged arm. "The doctor told me. You might not be able to use a blade with that arm for months… maybe ever. You can't become a soldier with only one functioning hand."
"…So you're trying to get me discharged?"
Keith shook his head. "The army currently needs soldiers like you. And your identity is special. The higher-ups are keeping an eye on you; this has already been reported."
Lillian frowned slightly—he knew exactly why his identity was special.
Half a year ago, when he had first entered the outer wall of Rose Wall, the military immediately questioned him.
This was expected. Surviving outside the Wall was rare, and the military wanted any useful information.
In fact, he had even met with Survey Corps Commander Erwin, who had asked him a few questions.
He had indeed shared some information that was useful but ultimately inconsequential—for example, the further you went from the Wall, the fewer Titans appeared. Beyond a certain point, their presence was almost nonexistent.
In short, he hadn't revealed anything truly critical. And the military hadn't made things difficult for him. After all, the citizens within the Wall knew that these people had been "abandoned," so they felt a mixture of guilt and responsibility toward the few who had returned.
Thus, Keith's words carried a deeper meaning.