Chen Si arrived at a room where Polino had been waiting anxiously for quite some time.
The moment Polino saw Chen Si, he immediately dropped to the ground in a full prostration.
Looking at Polino lying there on the floor, Chen Si couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This so-called noble was nothing more than a minor extra in the original storyline—someone who never even made a splash. His fate in the original work was probably not very good either.
"You don't have to do that. I'm not the emperor. I can't accept such a gesture. Just tell me what you know," Chen Si said calmly.
Polino stood up and bowed again. He had already heard about Chen Si's battle against the Colossal Titan, and the feat of Chen Si killing twenty Titans in a single battle had shocked everyone. For a moment, Patrick felt a surge of confidence about getting his revenge, and he became even more respectful toward Chen Si.
"The organization that killed my parents is called Maiden's Shoulder Strap. Its leader is named Sawano Kawa. Someone hired him to assassinate my father. My mother died simply because of his cruelty and lust. He commits all kinds of evil inside Wall Sina—he's even killed many nobles. The entire underground world is under his control."
Polino had clearly done extensive research for the sake of revenge.
"Alright, I already know most of that. Your father was killed in the royal capital, right? Did he wipe out the entire Central Military Police? Otherwise, how could he be running wild like this?" Chen Si asked.
"At the time, the commander of the Central Military Police personally stepped in and destroyed the Maiden's Shoulder Strap organization. He chose not to fight the commander directly. Instead, he fled the capital and has been wandering throughout the walls ever since," Polino explained.
"And then? Hundreds of people, plus Kenny, still couldn't catch him?" Chen Si asked, puzzled.
Polino was slightly surprised to hear Chen Si mention Kenny the Ripper. That nickname wasn't widely known outside Wall Sina, but Polino didn't dwell on it. His only concern was revenge.
This Sawano Kawa—judging from the name alone—was almost certainly a transmigrator, possibly even a Japanese one. If he was a transmigrator, then he probably had some sort of cheat ability just like Chen Si. But if that were the case, why would he run when he encountered Kenny?
There was only one explanation: Sawano Kawa couldn't defeat Kenny.
If his combat ability was only at that level, then he wasn't much of a concern.
Chen Si himself might not be able to defeat Kenny relying solely on the Ackerman bloodline. But if he fully unleashed his electrical powers, instantly killing Kenny probably wouldn't be difficult.
What Chen Si found strange was how Sawano Kawa managed to escape every time. Could he also be highly skilled with the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment?
"Every time the Military Police went after him, if only one or two people found him, he could easily knock them down with one hand. Even two armed soldiers were no match for him. But when he encountered three or four people, he would immediately disappear. According to rumors, whenever Kenny the Ripper fought him, he would suddenly vanish in the middle of the battle!"
Polino spoke with visible fear. He had no idea whether Chen Si had any way to break this strange pattern where the man always escaped whenever he was about to lose.
"Disappear?" Chen Si rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
If his combat strength was roughly equal to two armed Central Military Police soldiers, that wasn't a big problem. But the ability to disappear…
That meant either invisibility, teleportation, or perhaps visual concealment.
"Yes, exactly! He suddenly disappears, then appears somewhere else. Sometimes he can even attack people while appearing or disappearing!" Polino said excitedly.
"I see." A faint smile appeared on Chen Si's lips.
"So it's invisibility… I see you now."
In an instant, Chen Si recalled something.
The person who had rescued Bertholdt back then must have been this Sawano Kawa, using his invisibility ability.
Chen Si hadn't expected that the invisibility could work on Titans as well.
That made this man an enormous threat.
If he secretly delivered Bertholdt—the equivalent of a nuclear weapon—near a target and triggered a transformation while invisible, no one would have time to react.
Chen Si frowned slightly.
Troublesome. Very troublesome.
Either Bertholdt had to be killed immediately, or Sawano Kawa had to be eliminated first.
But in Chen Si's eyes, Zeno Chuan was the priority target.
The fact that Kawa had never used the "invisible detonation" tactic yet meant there must be some limitation. But if he ever figured out how to overcome it—or if his ability could evolve—then things would become extremely dangerous.
Chen Si decided: Sawano Kawa must be dealt with first.
Maybe there was a way to lure him out. If Sawano Kawa was truly another transmigrator, then he must have already noticed Chen Si.
Besides…
One transmigrator was already enough.
A cold killing intent flashed in Chen Si's eyes. Electric arcs crackled across his body, and a blue light flickered in his gaze.
Patrick froze in fear when he saw it, but he quickly turned his head away as if he had seen nothing.
Chen Si smirked slightly.
This Polino was actually quite clever.
"I'm curious," Chen Si said with amusement. "If I didn't help you, what would you do?"
Polino's expression darkened. He clenched his fists, then relaxed them and sighed.
"I actually have another plan, though it's not very reliable. I know someone whose friend was violated by Sawano Kawa. He also wants revenge. He plans to use that friend as bait to capture Sawano Kawa. But… I always feel like he harbors some hostility toward me."
"What's this person's name?" Chen Si asked, raising an eyebrow.
"His name is Marcel," Polino replied.
"Hahaha! Excellent! Polino, you've done well!" Chen Si suddenly burst out laughing in delight.
At last—he had been waiting for this.
One fishing line, two big catches.
This insignificant extra had unexpectedly become his lucky star. The more Chen Si looked at Polino, the more pleasing he seemed.
Polino was completely confused by Chen Si's reaction, but seeing that Chen Si appeared pleased, hope rekindled in his heart.
"Don't worry. I'll help you. From now on, your business is my business," Chen Si said, patting Polino's shoulder solemnly.
Polino was overwhelmed with gratitude and hurriedly expressed his thanks.
"So… what's your plan?" Polino asked after calming down. His desire for revenge burned strongly.
A wicked smile appeared on Chen Si's lips.
"Let the dogs bite each other."
"?" Polino looked utterly confused, but he didn't question it further. Now that Chen Si had agreed to help, he took his leave.
After meeting Polino, Chen Si immediately headed toward the wall.
He knew that Pixis was about to announce the plan to recapture Trost District.
When Chen Si arrived at the base of the wall, a dense crowd of soldiers had already gathered. Officers were organizing the formations.
Chen Si ran over to the 104th Training Corps group and squeezed into the ranks, standing between Mikasa and Marco.
"I heard you killed soldiers from the Garrison Regiment. You've really got some nerve," Jean said from the side.
"If you were suddenly accused of being a traitor, would you kill or not?" Chen Si replied.
"…Fair point," Jean admitted after thinking about it.
"As long as everyone is safe, that's what matters," Marco said, still the same kindhearted person as always.
"Are you going to help that person?" Mikasa had also heard about Polino's situation and quietly asked Chen Si.
"I have to. It's also for our own sake—and for Aunt Carla. That criminal is too dangerous," Chen Si said thoughtfully.
"That man is truly disgusting. He needs to be dealt with quickly," Mikasa said with a nod. Even her usually expressionless face showed a trace of disgust.
What Sawano Kawa had done was simply too outrageous.