"I just heard a loud crash. Who can explain it to me?" Keith Shadis's voice drifted into the ears of everyone in the dining hall like a demon's whisper.
Everyone present jolted, not daring to make a sound.
"That was Sasha farting!" Mikasa instantly pinned the blame on Sasha before even Chen Si could react.
"Huh?" Sasha's face was a picture of shock, innocence, and indignation.
"You again." Keith hurriedly covered his nose and mouth and opened the door.
"Learn some table manners." With that, Keith shut the door and left.
Mina was desperately stifling her laughter nearby, nearly laughing her soul out of her body.
Connie and Reiner were also fighting with everything they had to hold it in.
"Hahahahahahaha!" Only Chen Si laughed without restraint!
"Chen Si! Damn you!" Sasha was absolutely furious.
Only after Mikasa gave Sasha half her dinner bread and Chen Si promised to zap two chestnuts for her did Sasha calm down.
The 218 cadets were about to graduate.
"Dedicate your hearts!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Starting today, you cadets have three options:
"The Garrison, responsible for maintaining the walls and protecting the towns.
"The Survey Corps, prepared to sacrifice their lives to explore Titan territory beyond the walls.
"And the Military Police Brigade, which governs the people and maintains order under the King's leadership," the recruitment speaker announced from the stage.
"Of course, only the top ten cadets in the rankings just announced may join the Military Police Brigade. The list is as follows:
"Tenth place: Sasha Braus.
"Ninth place: Connie Springer.
"Eighth place: Marco Bott.
"Seventh place: Jean Kirstein.
"Sixth place: Eren Yeager.
"Fifth place: Annie Leonard.
"Fourth place: Bertolt Hoover.
"Third place: Reiner Braun.
"Second place: Mikasa Ackerman.
"Top graduate: Si Chen."
As the top graduate, Chen Si was even received by the Training Corps' highest-ranking officer and awarded the King's Medal in recognition of his achievements.
Night fell.
The 104th Training Corps held its graduation banquet.
To celebrate the cadets' successful graduation, the dining hall finally brought out many of its treasured reserves. Countless sumptuous dishes were set on the tables, leaving the cadets staring wide-eyed. There was meat and alcohol, things they would never have dared dream of before. Probably only members of the Military Police Brigade ever had a chance to eat food like this.
This might be the most lavish meal they would ever eat. Everyone treasured it and felt reluctant to let it end, not just because of the food, but because this was their last meal together as comrades.
Many cadets congratulated Chen Si, and plenty of female cadets told him their home addresses. He smiled and told each of them he would remember, though he actually paid them no mind. What do I need your addresses for?
All the real beauties are already with me.
"I heard Chen Si, Eren, and the others are planning to join the Survey Corps. That means we have a chance to get into the Military Police Brigade!" one highly ranked cadet said excitedly.
"Really? Then I can join the Military Police Brigade too! I'll finally get to eat food fit for human beings!" another highly ranked, rather guileless cadet said.
"Damn it! Why did I rank even lower than Eren?" Jean sat alone and took a gloomy swig of alcohol.
"Jean, swearing isn't something a good student should do." Chen Si came over and spoke to him.
"I'm a soldier! What do you mean, student? You swear more than anyone, don't you? Even the girls in the barracks have picked up your bad habits." Jean took another gloomy swig. This guy's so damn popular. Damn it. As he thought that, he glanced to the side.
Chen Si followed Jean's gaze. A few girls were chatting over there, occasionally letting a "fucking" slip.
"You can't blame that on me, can you? Look, Christa never swears." Chen Si smiled awkwardly and pointed at Christa.
Thank goodness. At least my goddess Historia doesn't swear. Chen Si looked at Christa as she spoke gently and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sasha, you dumb fuck! You can't eat that," Christa said gently, stopping Sasha from stuffing a beef rib into her mouth.
Chen Si's mouth fell open, his jaw practically hitting the floor. What have I done? He pressed a hand to his forehead.
Beside him, Jean gave Chen Si Levi's trademark dead-fish stare, as though saying, You scoundrel, teaching innocent girls bad habits.
Chen Si was too embarrassed to argue now. Fine, I'll go find my sweet little Mikasa. Mikasa never swears, because if she can use her fists, she won't waste time running her mouth.
Mikasa had just been with Chen Si, trying to get him to drink less. Naturally, Chen Si had downed three cups in a row to reassure her. Though Mikasa frowned in annoyance, she remembered that Eren couldn't hold his liquor and went to find him to tell him not to drink.
"You don't want to join the Military Police Brigade? Are you serious, Eren?" The cadets couldn't understand his decision.
"From the very beginning, I've wanted to fight the Titans, not move to the interior for a better life," Eren said earnestly.
"We can't win!" a blond young man exclaimed.
Everyone in the dining hall turned to look at the cadet.
Noticing everyone's eyes on him, the blond young man felt a little embarrassed, but he still spoke:
"You know, don't you? Twenty percent of the population has already been eaten, and tens of thousands died last time alone! Humanity can't win." After speaking, he lowered his head dejectedly, as though he, too, had lost hope for humanity's future.
Everyone present seemed to agree, and a wave of pessimism settled over the room.
"We can't win? I don't understand." Chen Si, who had just sat down to eat, suddenly spotted a chance to show off. He slowly stood again and spoke calmly, his voice level yet ringing with conviction.
Everyone's attention immediately shifted to Chen Si.
The corners of Chen Si's mouth curved upward slightly. It's been a long time since I gave a speech.