– I hope you had a good lunch, as there is a chance that you will throw up soon. Haha!

The instructor gives a fiery speech about something concerning our next training session. It's been about a week since I entered the training building at number 104. During this time, I definitely realized that most of the people around me are complete fools, aiming at the military police or at least at the garrison in order to live their miserable lives there at the expense of taxpayers.

When I asked if there were those who wanted to join the scouts, almost everyone ridiculed me, only some remained indifferent. Simply put, I'm the only one who has something like this in mind. It's too sad to be true, but that's the way it is. Now I understand what Hannes was talking about when I told him about my plans for the Titans.

– Hey, Eren.

Someone spoke softly to my right as I turned my head towards the sound. It was the clear and seemingly eager voice of a young girl with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her brown eyes were directed directly at me, as if looking into my soul. I also noticed that a small trickle of saliva was flowing from her lips. I already know where this is going...

– What is it, Sasha?

– You're going to share dinner with me tonight, aren't you?

– It will depend on you.

– Mmm...

She mumbled a little when I told her this, as she perfectly understood what I was talking about. We have built some relationships with her that can be called partnership, I think? Or, rather, it's a competitive relationship. In short, who of the two of us shows himself better in training, he gets a part of dinner, lunch or breakfast.

It's a little silly, but Sasha herself is burning with this idea, so she's bothering me with it all the time. That's why it's so hard for me to refuse. Well, for the sake of fairness, I'll say that it's still not so bad to get a supplement to our small amount of food.

– In any case, brats, you are food for titans, like green fodder for cattle, but with a special ODM device, you can become better, faster, stronger. With proper handling, a person is able to kill Titans in whole groups.

Gasps and gasps broke out among the cadets around when they heard this. But, to be honest, I don't think this effect will last, because almost everyone, if not everyone, here wants to enlist somewhere deep inside the walls to avoid clashes with the Titans.

It seems that people like them don't have a brain in their head at all. After all, if the Titans were able to break through the defenses of one wall and an entire city behind it, which caused humanity to lose many of its territories, then this should serve as sufficient proof that the Titans must be reckoned with. That's just no one cares about something like that, just because they are cowards.

– And now line up in two rows, you will be given equipment.

Other instructors started unpacking the ODM for our training, after which they started using only part of it..? But why? Why do they attach an incomplete set of this equipment to the cadets?

Not understanding this truth, I just watched how the very first people in the ranks were equipped with only a part of the ODM technology. They don't have gas cylinders, which are fuel tanks that allow ODM to work. Moreover, they were not given blades that serve to cut Titans into pieces. It's pretty unprofessional if you ask me. What, then, is the essence of this training?

– Come on, try to hold on. If you fail, then this is the end for you. If you don't master this part, you will never come close to coping with fully equipped ODMs.

"What..! How is this supposed to work at all?!"

"Ah! How are you..!"

"Damn!"

"Oh, did I do it?!"

They all screamed like pigs, but over time some of them started to work out. Those who could not master something like this the first time, went to the end of the line in disgrace. They were given another chance today, but if they fail to achieve anything even so, then it will be the end of their training for them.

– Eh! Here..!

When it was my turn, I realized that I was a little mistaken in my expectations. I was swaying from side to side, but somehow I held on. It seemed that there was a lot of pressure on my body from different sides, which is why I have to make every effort not to give up. I use many muscles of my body alternately, mainly straining my back, torso and waist.

After about a minute of torment, I was told that I had had enough and I could go. Since I passed the training, this time I was free, so I could spend my time doing anything. In the end, after watching some more how the other cadets pass this training test, I decided to go to rest.

Of course I wasn't tired, but it was time for me to think about something. Now I understand that even if this part of the training was not easy, then owning a fully equipped ODM will be much more difficult. Well, I think I will succeed, it's just that now I shouldn't take this too lightly.

– I wonder what you would tell me about this... Mikasa..?

Quietly saying this to myself, I stared at the ceiling of my small house, where I did not live alone. Fortunately, my neighbors were not here right now, and I could behave as I wanted, even if it might seem strange.

That's why I let old memories seep into my head, which caused my heart to speed up its rhythm. A small aching pain in my chest suddenly manifested itself and grew stronger in a few seconds while I was remembering the past. Burning buildings, a destroyed wall, flying boulders, a sea of blood, piles of crushed or chewed meat from corpses and...

Suddenly, something stung my eye that I had already renounced. A little moisture in my right eye socket brought me a faint, but sharp and sudden pain, which was very different from the pain I had been feeling all this time. It's not mental pain, muscle pain, heart pain, stomach pain, or anything else.

– Hey...

I wonder if they felt the same pain..? Mother... Mikasa... Armin...

– Eren, get up.

– Huh..?

I opened my eyes and noticed that suddenly the landscape had changed. It seemed like I had only closed my eyes for a second before, but still I didn't notice anything even like that. Moreover, I didn't notice that Rainer was leaning over me and shaking me slightly by the shoulders.

– Oh, what is it? Reiner.

– It's already dinner, you shouldn't miss it.

He patted me on the shoulder and walked away to his bunk, after which he began to put on his jacket. Dinner time, unlike breakfast and lunch, could be spent in loose clothes, but for some reason Reiner always wore a uniform for these occasions. Well, perhaps he is preparing himself for harsh service in the future, hoping to climb up the career ladder, after which he will get a high rank in the garrison or military police.

Although, of course, I have never heard from him where he would like to join. With his seriousness and virtue, he would be perfectly suited to join any squad for any position. I would sincerely like to believe that one day he will go with me so that we can exterminate the Titans.

Well, I have already identified a few people for myself who are worth looking at, since they manifest themselves at a sufficient level for a soldier. Reiner, Berthold, another girl whose name I do not know. It feels like they had some kind of training before coming here, but whether that's true or not, we're still in the same boat now. I am sure that soon I will be able to see a few more students who will prove themselves well.

With these thoughts in mind, I quickly changed my clothes and went to the appointed dinner, not wanting to miss anything. Of course, the food here is far from perfect, sometimes even terrible, but we still have nothing else. Although Sasha said that the instructors quite eat meat, and a lot of vegetables, and fruits, and a variety of soups. In short, they allow themselves to have fun with food while we are trying to survive, but this can also be considered part of the training in its own way.

Moreover, you should not get into it at all. That's why I warned Sasha about this, but I'm not sure if she understood me or ignored my words.

– Eren, can I sit next to you?

A girl with whom I am already somewhat familiar came up to my lonely table. I heard that many other girls envied her because of her appearance, and the hearts of the boys were conquered by her beauty and character. Well, I could say that deep down in me, too, there is a similar feeling, but I keep it in check. After all, I have a goal that is much more important than anything else.

– Sure.

But that didn't mean I wasn't going to make friends or at least close acquaintances. After all, connections and good relationships with other people are useful always and everywhere, which is why I should have been at least a little friendly to those who are friendly to me. However, I'm still not good at it, I wonder why?

Christa sat down opposite me and started eating her food with a smile. It would look pretty cute if I didn't know that this food is not capable of causing such a happy expression on my face at all. But this girl continued to eat as if everything was just fine. To be honest, it makes me wonder as to why she behaves this way. Is it possible in this case to say that her kind attitude to everyone is also falsified?

But at the same time, she still sat down with me, which caused envious glances around. I can't say I like it, it's definitely not something good. Although, it's worth saying that after I punched that arrogant person in the nose on the very first day, no one approached me with claims.

– Eren, can we sit down here too?

– Hm? Yes, of course.

Reiner and Berthold, who always ate together at the same table, decided to approach me this time. Of course, we live in the same house and sleep on beds not far from each other, but they have never tried to sit at the same table with me before. Although Reiner is an open guy, so this is probably normal.

Heh, and Berthold next to him seems to be a very taciturn and even a little tight-lipped guy. It reminds me to some extent of me and Armin...

– Eren, are you okay?

– Ah..? Yes, I think.

– I see.

Berthold, who sat next to me, nodded and began to eat. Reiner sat down opposite him next to Christa. His gaze often fell on her while she was calmly eating. Did he want to sit next to her? Is that the reason they came here?

In any case, I continued to eat and began to look out for Sasha, who should give me part of her dinner. But for some reason she wasn't in the dining room. Well, either she had somehow angered the instructor again, or she just didn't want to show up here because she would lose her share of food.

Still, dinner time was almost over, so after finishing my meal, I left the dining room and decided to take a little walk. Bright stars have already manifested themselves in the sky. Some of them turned out to be brighter than others and seemed to be going to blind me, but they still lacked the strength to do so. I wonder if there is a constellation of Titan..?

Considering how the members of the church of the walls claim that the constellation of the wall appears far away in the sky once a decade, we can say that for sure there is a constellation of Titan. After all, these monsters trapped people a hundred years ago, and all the rest were eaten, torn apart and trampled.

– Hey, can I ask you for advice?

– ... yeah, I think. What is it?

I was suddenly hailed by a girl who looked a little uncouth. Her dark hair was loose and tousled, but you can see noticeable dark circles under her gray eyes. She doesn't seem to be sleeping well. And somehow too much humps back.

– How do you keep your balance on this thing today? I was just swinging from side to side when I tried to hold on.

She seems to be interested in how we went through training this afternoon. She might as well have asked a few more people who more or less coped with the task, but for some reason this girl turned to me. And why now? To be honest, it's quite strange, it looks like she specifically wanted to talk to me.

– ... Well, I put some effort on my hands to stabilize my position, strain my legs, not allowing them to move, and depending on the position of my body in space, I either bend or straighten my back until I reach balance.

I answered her with some delay, while I was remembering my every move. Since she's asking me for advice, it means she needs help, that is, this girl couldn't get through training today. The instructor made it clear to all of us that if we don't master it soon, then we will have to leave the corps.

– Eh, it looks like my trouble is in the last point...

– Is it because you're so hunched over, even now?

– Most likely.

– Why don't you get up normally then?

The situation doesn't seem dangerous to me, to be honest. It can be said that this girl does not cause me either trust or distrust. My attitude towards her is quite neutral.

– You see... the muscles of my back are numb, now it's quite difficult for me to stand straight and even a little painful. I'd rather stay in that position.

It looks a little pathetic. She looks so much more like an old veteran or just a disabled person. I wonder how she lived this week here then? It must be extremely inconvenient.

– Can I help if you want?

– In what way..?

– My father was a doctor, so I know something about the properties of the human body. I can do the same thing he did to me when I twisted my back too much.

I walked up to her and stopped myself for a while, meeting her surprised look. I cautiously stretched out my hand to her back and answered her with my questioning look.

– Can I...?

– Yes, probably..? Aw!

With one sharp movement, I made her arch slightly, after which she began to lose her balance. Holding her by the shoulder with one hand, I allowed her to move a little to the wall and find a foothold there.

– Uh..! This is very unpleasant...

– Sorry.

She leaned against the wall, this time without spoiling her posture. I can clearly see that this girl is in some pain right now, but this is a necessary measure to put her on her feet in a sense.

– ... Well, it really seems to have worked. There's still a slight feeling of discomfort, but I think I'm fine. Thanks.

I stayed standing next to her just in case, because my actions could really even worsen the situation. Since I'm not like my father was, things could only get worse, since I just don't have enough knowledge in medicine. Although, judging by her words, we managed to avoid a bad outcome.

– It's not a problem.

I shrugged my shoulders as I hadn't done anything special. After all, this is a natural possibility of the human body. It's just that sometimes you need to push someone a little to do something. In this situation, almost the same.

She smiled a little, then stretched out her hand in my direction and opened her palm. It was like we could exchange something, and that's exactly what a handshake should be.

– I'm Pieck, pleased meet.

– Eren, me too.

We shook hands. Even though she seems quite frivolous about her appearance, I can see that she seems to be seriously concerned about the possibility of continuing her studies here. With her gray eyes, she really helped me understand the seriousness of all her intentions.