Considering that becoming a soldier was itself a cruel outcome, the standards for identity verification were naturally quite lax.
Even Lianye, who had climbed over Wall of Rose and entered the Inside Wall Area only the night before, encountered no difficulties after casually making up an identity as a refugee from Shiganshina District, becoming a qualified new recruit of the 104th Training Corps.
During registration, Lianye also noticed Annie Reinhardt, Reiner Braun, and Bertholdt Hoover, a childhood trio much like Eren, Armin, and Mikasa.
However, compared to the latter three, who got along well enough to be called mutually dependent, the former trio all wore cold expressions that kept strangers at a distance.
Not only did they lack any enthusiasm for greeting the other recruits, even their relationship with one another seemed extremely distant.
There were also somewhat notable recruits within the 104th Training Corps, such as the goddess Krista Lenz and Mochi Girl, too many to list one by one.
—Lianye had a feeling that life from here on out would not be so boring.
"I see... so she still ended up dying at a Titan's hands?"
After completing the procedures to join the 104th Training Corps, Lianye had a proper talk with Eren and the others about what had happened over the past two years.
Carla Yeager, whom Lianye had originally saved, had vanished together with Eren's father and never appeared during the following two years. In the end, she had been declared dead, supposedly eaten by pursuing Titans while fleeing back from Wall of Maria to Wall of Rose.
Thus, the flames of hatred planted in Eren's heart, his teeth-grinding fury toward Titans, were no less intense than if he had personally witnessed his mother being devoured by one.
Even though he only learned the news two years later, Lianye still felt some sorrow over Carla's death. It was not because, like Cao Cao, the foremost advocate of "other men's wives are the best," he had some peculiar fondness for married women. Rather, such a gentle, virtuous woman had met such a tragic end. Wasn't that just heartbreaking?
Oh my god, that was too heartbreaking!
The world's great will seemed to harbor a considerable amount of malice toward women with the virtuous side-ponytail hairstyle. It was as obvious as a death flag: in many anime worlds, women with that hairstyle usually ended up dying helplessly from illness. It was downright spiteful.
And Carla Yeager was in a brutal world like Attack on Titan, so being devoured by a Titan was an even crueler fate.
But Lianye merely sighed over it. Carla Yeager happened to wear the same hairstyle as his older sister, which had simply made him think of her. There was no reason for him to care too deeply about Carla's circumstances, so he only offered a brief, wistful lament.
Eren, meanwhile, upon once again bringing up his mother's death, recalled the hatred deeply rooted in his heart. He gritted his teeth in anger, wishing he could immediately join the Survey Corps and rush into the Outside Wall Area to kill Titans.
"One day, I'll drive every last Titan out of this world! That's why I joined the Training Corps!"
Eren stared wide-eyed at Lianye. Two years ago, Lianye had already been able to appear and disappear unpredictably while killing Titans. Now, Lianye seemed even more composed; perhaps he had become absurdly strong.
"So, Lianye, tell me—how can I become as strong as you? How can I gain the power to kill Titans? No matter what it takes, I'm willing to do it!"
Eren aggressively pressed toward Lianye. His deep hatred for Titans had made him act somewhat impulsively.
Lianye had no choice but to avoid the approaching Eren and take a step back. It was not that he feared Eren in his current furious, blazing state, but because he respectfully declined this sort of man-on-man business. Eren's pairing was supposed to be Captain Levi, not him.
"Even if you say that, there's no way I can give you any particular guidance." Lianye shook his head with a wry smile. "You and I are different people, but one thing I can be sure of is..."
Lianye's tone became grave and low, making his words sound especially profound. "I can sense that you possess unparalleled potential to kill Titans. That power may even surpass my own. I guarantee it with everything I have achieved so far—my judgment will not be wrong. One day, you will become light—ah, no, you will undergo tremendous growth and gain great power. And when that time comes..."
...you will become valuable prey.
Lianye gave a dry laugh and patted Eren on the shoulder. "So for now, all you need to do is work hard in Training Corps training."
Taken by itself, that answer sounded extremely unreliable. But since Lianye had guaranteed it with his own strength and reputation, Eren believed that his judgment could not be wrong.
Eren nodded. Even though he himself had no idea what Lianye meant by "undergo tremendous growth and gain great power," he knew Lianye would not say something so baseless merely to brush him off. Surely, the words of a powerful man capable of killing Titans contained some far-reaching plan.
Well, in truth, Lianye was just spouting nonsense with a straight face.
Before you continue