Pixis stood up, picked up the bottle on the table, and drained it in one go. Now he knew he no longer needed to ask for funding.
"As a prebattle courtesy, I'll drink first." With that, Pixis turned and left with his subordinates.
Pixis felt the silver teacup he had swiped from the duke's house tucked inside his coat, secretly delighted. It should fetch enough for another two bottles of liquor.
"Hey, wait, Pixis! Stop right there! Gather your soldiers at once and defend my territory! Isn't that your duty, and theirs?" Duke Baldo shouted as he chased after Pixis.
Pixis slowly stopped and turned, looking calmly at Baldo. The duke before him had been withholding the Garrison's military funding for years, and Pixis had no fondness for him whatsoever. If not for the need to maintain stability within the walls, he would have dearly liked to confiscate all these nobles' property.
"Duke Baldo, my soldiers are fighting bloody battles in Trost District as we speak. I fear many have already lost their lives."
"Commander, I'll get the horses ready." Anka, the female staff officer beside Pixis, glanced at Baldo as she spoke. As soldiers, none of them had any respect for this duke.
Pixis nodded and continued:
"Who knows how many more lives have been lost just during this conversation you've detained me for?"
"They're only peasants. If they die, they die. Besides, you always lose to me at chess. With brains like yours, going there won't change anything," Duke Baldo said.
"Rest assured, Your Grace. Against Titans, the commander will no longer have any reason to hold back," the male staff officer beside him said slowly.
Baldo froze. Deeply humiliated, he was about to lash out.
"Enough." Pixis stopped the male staff officer, though there was not the slightest hint of reproach in his voice.
"Duke Baldo, just go about your business as usual today, and provide whatever funding you're supposed to provide." Pixis smiled faintly.
Duke Baldo called Pixis's name in despair. All he cared about was his own domain; whether the common people lived or died meant nothing to him.
The Garrison's operations room.
Knock, knock!
"Come in." Dot Pixis stood by the window with a bottle in his hand, gazing into the distance.
The door opened, and a woman with short silver hair and glasses walked in. She was Rico Braemuscă, squad leader of the Garrison's elite unit.
"Commander, Trost District's wall has been breached. Large numbers of Titans have poured in, and the residents are being slaughtered," Rico said evenly. Having witnessed the deaths of countless comrades, she had long since learned to remain calm.
"One more thing. The Colossal Titan..." Rico took two more steps toward Pixis and spoke softly into his ear.
Pixis's usually unruffled eyes widened slightly.
"He stood his ground against the Colossal Titan? The top graduate, Chen Si... Hmm, impressive. Squad Leader Rico, notify Captain Kitz Woermann immediately and have him organize the soldiers' defenses. As for Chen Si, do your best to recruit him." Dot Pixis issued his series of orders without haste.
"Yes, sir." Rico took her leave.
Pixis looked into the distance, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes. He took his coat from the rack and left the office.
"The wall's been breached. If we don't seal it soon, more Titans will get in," Connie said nervously.
"What are you doing? The battle began the moment the Colossal Titan appeared! Return to headquarters immediately and prepare for combat." A Garrison soldier flew over using his Vertical Maneuvering Equipment. Eren and the others hurriedly saluted.
The soldier noticed Chen Si on Eren's back.
"Who's he?" the soldier asked, finding him somewhat familiar.
"Sir, Chen Si is the one who just fought the Colossal Titan. But he's injured and unconscious now," Eren reported.
Is he the top graduate who can hold his own against the Colossal Titan? The Garrison soldier froze, then remembered his assignment.
"Get him to headquarters to recover. Don't let anything happen to him. Someone will come for him there," the soldier instructed before flying away with his Vertical Maneuvering Equipment.
"Yes, sir!" Eren, Connie, Thomas, and the others answered in unison.
A bronze bell rang out.
Huge numbers of refugees from Trost District surged toward the Inner City gate. The streets were packed so tightly that not a single gap remained, the people jostling shoulder to shoulder like a dense swarm of ants.
Soldiers stood at the gate, maintaining order.
"Leave unnecessary belongings behind! Evacuate in an orderly fashion!" The soldiers sweated as they struggled to keep order.
In their panic, the people had no room in their minds for any instruction beyond fleeing.
"Our wives and children are behind us! We cannot let the Titans through!" a frontline commander shouted.
"Everyone, charge with me!" The commander drew his blades and rushed ahead of the others.
"Charge!"
The Garrison soldiers on Wall Rose unleashed a fierce bombardment on the mass of Titans with their outdated cannons. Their morale roused, the soldiers then charged at the Titans, one after another.
Courage was humanity's greatest glory, but it still could not make up for their overwhelming weakness. Despite their stubborn resistance, the frontline soldiers met their ends one by one in the Titans' mouths, torn apart and trampled.
The entire vanguard was wiped out. Wall Rose was breached.
"You cadets are fine soldiers who have passed your graduation exercises. I look forward to your achievements in this battle. Everyone, humanity is in your hands." An officer of the Training Corps delivered his prebattle address.
The cadets hurriedly checked their equipment. For the first time, they were in such disarray without being reprimanded or punished by their instructor. He took a long look at the busy cadets before him.
Several years had been enough for him to remember every face. With a bleak smile, he picked up his equipment and headed for the front line.
How many of those familiar faces would remain after this battle?
"Hannah, don't be afraid. I'll protect you." Franz held Hannah tightly. He did not know whether he would survive this time, but he knew he had no choice-for humanity, and for Hannah.
"Franz..." With tears filling her eyes, Hannah buried her face deep in Franz's chest. She trembled constantly. She was afraid-not of the Titans, but of losing Franz...
As the second-ranked graduate, Mikasa was also carrying out duties in the equipment department. When she saw the foolish lovebirds embracing, her thoughts immediately turned to Chen Si, and she hurried to go look for him.
"Mikasa! Mikasa!" Eren called, carrying Chen Si on his back.
"What happened? What happened to him? What's wrong with Chen Si?" Mikasa's eyes widened as she rushed up to Eren and shouted at him.
"Chen Si fought the Colossal Titan and got injured. Fortunately, he managed to drive that Titan back. He's just unconscious. Don't worry." It was the first time Eren had seen Mikasa lose her composure like this, and it frightened him a little.
Mikasa felt Chen Si's forehead, checked his breathing, then pressed her ear to his chest. Hearing his steady heartbeat, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Titans... The Colossal Titan... At that moment, Mikasa was filled with a towering desire to kill the Titans-especially the Colossal Titan.