"Just now, I heard a loud crash. Would someone care to explain it?"
Keith Shadis's voice drifted into the mess hall like the whisper of a demon, sliding into every trainee's ears.
Everyone stiffened. Not a single person dared to speak.
"It was the sound of Sasha farting!" Mikasa instantly shifted the blame onto Sasha. Even Chen Si hadn't reacted in time.
"Huh?!" Sasha froze in shock — utterly wronged.
"You again?" Shadis immediately covered his nose and mouth, opened the door slightly, and barked, "Learn some table manners." Then he shut the door and left.
Mina was trembling beside them, trying so hard not to laugh that she looked like her soul was about to leave her body.
Connie and Reiner were also desperately holding it in.
"Hahahahahahaha!" Only Chen Si burst out laughing without restraint.
"Chen Si! You're awful!" Sasha fumed.
Afterward, Mikasa gave half her bread to Sasha, and Chen Si promised to "zap" her with two playful electric shocks. Only then did Sasha calm down.
Graduation Day
The 218 trainees were about to graduate.
"Dedicate your hearts!"
"Yes, sir!"
"From this day forward, you have three choices," the recruitment officer announced from the stage.
"The Garrison Regiment, who maintain the walls and defend the towns.
"The Survey Corps, who venture beyond the walls with the resolve to sacrifice themselves in humanity's fight against the Titans.
"And the Military Police Brigade, who serve under the King's authority and maintain order within the interior."
"Of course, only the top ten graduates may join the Military Police. The rankings are as follows:
10th — Sasha Blouse
9th — Connie Springer
8th — Marco Bott
7th — Jean Kirstein
6th — Eren Yeager
5th — Annie Leonhart
4th — Bertholdt Hoover
3rd — Reiner Braun
2nd — Mikasa Ackerman
Top Graduate — Si Chen"
As the top graduate, Chen Si was personally received by the highest-ranking officer of the Training Corps and awarded the King's Medal as encouragement.
That Night — The 104th Training Corps Graduation Banquet
To celebrate their successful graduation, the mess hall brought out its hidden reserves. Table after table was filled with rich dishes.
Meat. Wine.
Things they had never dared to imagine before.
Food like this was usually reserved for the Military Police.
For many of them, this would be the most luxurious meal of their lives.
They cherished it — not only the food, but the fact that this would likely be their final meal together as comrades.
Many trainees came to congratulate Chen Si. Quite a few female trainees even gave him their home addresses.
He smiled and said he'd remember them.
In reality, he didn't pay attention at all.
What do I need their addresses for? The real beauties are already sitting beside me.
"I heard Chen Si and Eren are planning to join the Survey Corps. That means we might get into the Military Police!" one high-ranking trainee said excitedly.
"Really?! Then I can join too! Finally, I'll get to eat food fit for humans!" another said honestly.
"Damn it! Why did I rank lower than Eren?!" Jean muttered bitterly, drinking alone.
"Jean, swearing isn't something a good student should do," Chen Si said as he walked over.
"I'm a soldier, not a student! And you're the one who swears the most! Even the girls in the barracks have picked it up from you!" Jean shot back, taking another swig. Why is this guy so popular…?
Chen Si followed Jean's gaze.
At a nearby table, several girls were chatting — and occasionally dropping a "damn it" or worse.
"Well… you can't blame me for everything. Look, Krista never swears," Chen Si said awkwardly, pointing toward her.
Thankfully, my goddess Krista doesn't swear, he thought in relief.
"Sasha, you idiot! You can't eat that!" Krista said gently — while stopping Sasha from stuffing a beef rib into her mouth.
Chen Si's jaw nearly hit the floor.
What have I done…
Jean shot him a deadpan glare worthy of Captain Levi.
Chen Si decided not to argue.
Fine. I'll go find Mikasa. She never swears.
Because she punches first and doesn't bother talking.
Earlier, Mikasa had tried to stop Chen Si from drinking too much. He had responded by downing three cups in a row to prove he was fine. She frowned at him, slightly annoyed — but then remembered Eren's poor alcohol tolerance and went to find him instead.
"You're not joining the Military Police? Are you serious, Eren?" several trainees asked in disbelief.
"I joined the Training Corps to fight Titans — not to live comfortably in the interior," Eren said firmly.
"We can't win!" a blond trainee suddenly shouted.
The entire mess hall turned to look at him.
Flustered but determined, he continued:
"You know this! A fifth of humanity was devoured! Tens of thousands died last time! Humanity can't win!"
He lowered his head, despair evident in his voice.
Silence fell.
Many seemed to agree.
The atmosphere grew heavy with pessimism.
"Can't win?" Chen Si suddenly stood up from his seat, having just sat down to eat.
"I don't understand."
His voice was calm — but firm.
All eyes turned to him.
A faint smile curved at the corner of his lips.
It's been a while since I gave a speech.