"Here we are. This is Lieutenant Colonel Loya's command tent." An Eldian soldier led Zeke to Yago's tent.
Since Zeke had been ordered to bring the Sea-Diving Titan Airi and the Warrior Candidates back to the unit, and Colonel Koslow—who had originally been responsible for this task—had been injured and hospitalized, it was only natural that Zeke would be the one to inform the Marleyan commander of this unit.
But while the Eldian soldier went inside the tent to report, Zeke appeared somewhat absent-minded. That was only natural—after all, this was merely the commander of an Eldian regiment. What significance did that have to him?
Coming here to inform him was nothing more than going through the formalities.
"Warrior Captain Zeke, you may go in now," the Eldian soldier said after stepping out of the tent.
Zeke smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
Although he expressed his thanks, there was a trace of confusion in his eyes, because the attitude of the Eldian soldier in front of him felt a little strange.
It was different from the Eldians Zeke had met before. Among his own people, he had only ever encountered two kinds of attitudes toward him—and both were directed at the red armband on his arm, the symbol of an Honorary Marleyan.
Because of that, his fellow Eldians either looked at him with extreme envy, jealous that he had become an Honorary Marleyan…
Or they were filled with intense anger toward him, seeing him as a traitor. Of course, the latter was usually the attitude of the Restorationists—people like Zeke's own parents.
In short, Zeke had never seen a fellow Eldian as calm and indifferent as the soldier standing before him.
But curiosity was just curiosity. Zeke had no interest in wasting time investigating it. Lifting the flap of the tent, he walked straight inside.
If Zeke had observed more carefully, he would have noticed that it wasn't just the soldier in front of him. In fact, none of the soldiers of the Third Regiment cared about the so-called Honorary Marleyans.
Because they were the Eldian Revival Army.
Honorary Marleyans?
Compared to their ideals and their goals, such a concept was simply laughable.
...
As soon as Zeke entered the tent, he saw only a table, a military map laid across it, a camp bed, and a chair with a backrest.
Seated in that chair was a straight-backed figure.
However, the figure had his back turned to Zeke.
Compared with the living conditions of the other Marleyan commanders Zeke had encountered, the environment of this Lieutenant Colonel—no, Colonel—Loya was incredibly simple.
Previously, after the Third Regiment had captured the Middle Easterners' fortress complex, Yago had been promoted.
Compared with the other Marleyan commanders, Loya's living conditions could only be described as crude.
But what did that matter?
Zeke immediately straightened his posture and politely bowed.
"Colonel Loya, I am Zeke Yeager, Warrior Captain of the Marleyan Warrior Unit. My purpose here is to escort the Sea-Diving Titan Airi Ambers and all the Warrior Candidates. I am now reporting to you."
After finishing his words, Zeke straightened up again and prepared to turn around and leave.
The notification had been delivered. There was no need for him to waste any more time.
But the voice that suddenly came from behind him stopped Zeke in his tracks.
"Warrior Captain Zeke, is that all?"
The strangely familiar voice made Zeke's heart skip a beat.
This voice?
Why did it sound so familiar?
So familiar that it felt as though it had been carved into his mind.
The voice in that nightmare—the one that had terrified him so much that he couldn't sleep properly for days—seemed to sound just like this.
Zeke hesitated and slowly turned around.
At the same time, "Loya," who had been facing away from him, also turned around to face him directly.
The moment Zeke saw that face, it felt as if a silver needle had stabbed straight into his brain.
His mind froze for two seconds.
Even his eyes lost focus.
His thoughts were filled with a single chaotic storm.
"How could it be him?"
"How could he be here?"
"Shouldn't he be on Paradis Island?"
"How could the Marleyan commander be him?"
"That's impossible!"
"I must be dreaming!"
Just as Zeke muttered to himself, convinced he was dreaming, Yago spoke again with a cold expression.
"Warrior Captain Zeke, did you not hear my question clearly?"
"Other than taking away the Sea-Diving Titan and the Warrior Candidates, is there nothing else?"
Zeke finally snapped back to reality.
Staring at Yago's face, he asked in confusion:
"Yago? How could you be here?"
"That doesn't seem possible."
But Yago had no intention of admitting his identity directly. Instead, he raised his chin slightly and replied arrogantly:
"Who is Yago?"
"Warrior Captain Zeke, what are you talking about? Why can't I understand a single word?"
The question marks in Zeke's head multiplied.
Unable to hold back, he stepped forward a few steps, moving closer to Yago to examine him more carefully.
The more he looked, the more details he noticed.
This "Colonel Loya" did look extremely similar to Yago.
But there were still differences.
The most obvious one was their aura.
The Loya standing before him carried a stronger presence of authority.
When Zeke had previously met Yago, what he had sensed from him was caution and calculation—not the bearing of someone in power.
In addition, the scar on "Loya's" face seemed to be the best proof.
After all, for someone who possessed the power of a Titan, it was rather unrealistic for an injury to leave a permanent scar.
Even so, doubts still lingered in Zeke's heart.
But for the moment, he bowed slightly and said:
"My apologies, Colonel Loya. It's just that your appearance strongly resembles that of an old friend of mine, so I was surprised."
Friend?
Yago felt a trace of disdain in his heart.
Being friends with Zeke?
You must have never heard of the title "Acting Ape."
"Is that so? That's quite rare. It seems Warrior Captain Zeke and I must be rather fated to meet."
Zeke chuckled.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, he moved a little closer again, carefully observing Yago.
The more he watched, the more something felt wrong.
Meanwhile, Yago seemed to grow interested. He deliberately concealed his identity and continued bantering with Zeke.
And so the two of them went back and forth for quite a long time.
Everyone knows that when men start boasting, the topics they cover can span the entire universe—from astronomy and geography to headaches and fevers, from ancient history to modern times, from strange tales to curious anecdotes.
As the conversation dragged on, Zeke became increasingly irritated.
Meanwhile, Yago was still enthusiastically explaining the nine different ways to make sweet pancakes.
Zeke finally couldn't take it anymore.
Suddenly he spoke.
"I've already taken control of Eren. The power of the Founder is now in my hands. The euthanasia plan is only a few steps away from completion."
"What?!"
Yago was startled and immediately stood up.
How could that be?
How could Zeke possibly control Eren?
With just those Marleyan Volunteer Army soldiers under him, how could that even be possible?
Was this some kind of joke?
Wait.
A joke?
Yago suddenly realized something was wrong.
He had just been tricked.
Turning his head, he looked again.
Sure enough, Zeke was staring at him with a mocking expression.
That look on his face seemed to say:
"Go on. Keep pretending."
Seeing this, Yago simply chuckled and sat down again, looking at Zeke.
Zeke's inner thoughts:
"Who do you think you're fooling?"
Yago's inner thoughts:
"Old fox. Not bad at deception."
.