Chapter 26

After this last exchange, Ezir and Mikasa parted ways. Both went to opposite sides, but the boy left to find his then sister of consideration and the girl returned to Eren and Armin's side.

"Why did you go to talk to him so suddenly? Did you know each other?" - Armin.

"I bet she went to get satisfaction for him staring at her during that strange performance, right?" - Eren.

"No, I just thought he was strangely familiar, so I went to ask if we had met before..." - Mikasa, still a bit thoughtful.

'But it is strange, according to the letter Zirken left, he should be around here...' - Mikasa.

"And what was the answer?" - Armin.

"It was only a mistake, but it seems he wants to make friends." - Mikasa.

"Being honest, I didn't like his face." - Eren.

"Why, Eren?" - Armin.

"He doesn't take it seriously, I didn't like that confident little smile one bit. I bet he'll quit in less than a week." - Eren.

'Besides, he stared Mikasa up and down at that moment...' - Eren.

After that, the three of them left to begin their first training sessions. While Ezir went on looking for Annie, but without success as he stopped his search right when he realized that she probably wanted to be alone for some reason or he would have already found her.

'Reiner and Bertolt are still around, so she just doesn't want me to find her... Although that wouldn't be easy if I used my powers, but I can't use them here.' - Ezir.

The boy opted to go straight to his first official training as a cadet. Because it was still the first day, the training time temporarily became shorter. Only a few hours later, lunch time arrived and everyone went to the dining hall.

This time they had just come out of physical training, so they were still in their soldier's clothes. Almost all the recruits of the 104th battalion are in a state of exhaustion, but the protagonist didn't look a bit tired.

Ezir immediately entered and sat down at the same table as his blue-eyed companion, more specifically next to her.

"Why did you disappear out of nowhere? I barely saw you during training." - Ezir.

"I bet it wouldn't be a problem to find me in case you wanted to." - Annie.

"It would be a problem if you really didn't want me to find you. - Ezir.

"I just wanted to be alone for a while..." - Annie.

"Okay, so get ready, because after today you won't be able to be alone for a long time." - Ezir.

Upon hearing this, Annie was a little surprised, but soon after a small smile formed on her lips and her ears warmed up to the point of turning red. However, she didn't even realize it.

Reiner and Bertolt remained seated at another table, a little away from the other two. Some of the newcomers took this time to get to know each other, while others preferred to isolate themselves, but the rest of the lunch passed quietly. Just as most were about to leave, Keith Shadis entered the cafeteria.

"I have an announcement to make and I will only say it once." - Keith.

"Where is Ezir Leonhart?" - Keith.

"Here, sir." - Ezir, rising immediately.

"Due to an error in the administration, all the quarters for the men are completely without vacancy." - Keith.

"!!" - Ezir.

Some were indifferent upon hearing this, others a little sorry for thinking he would be dismissed, but Ezir and company were shocked. Among them, even Mikasa was mildly shocked.

'That means that...' - Ezir.

"Because of this, we have made the difficult decision to assign him to the women's dormitory until this problem is resolved." - Keith.

"Eh?" - Almost all the recruits.

"This is it. You are dismissed for the rest of the afternoon, but don't relax. Tomorrow you will go through the most hellish training of those mediocre lives of yours." - Keith, as he walked out of the mess hall and left behind dozens of dumbfounded rookies.

"What do you mean? How are we going to sleep peacefully in the same room as a boy?!" - Girl A

"Is that even real?! We have to do something!" - Girl B

"That lucky bastard!!!" - Boy A, feeling envious.

"This guy has been blessed?!" - Boy B.

Most of the girls' feelings were of insecurity, fear, and indignation. On the other hand, some boys were very angry because of envy, and others congratulated him on his unbelievable luck. However, some were irritated for another reason.

"Mikasa! In case this guy does something to you, let me know and I'll go-" - Eren, abruptly interrupted.

"Don't worry, Eren. I can defend myself." - Mikasa.

'Even though you say so, I doubt he'll try something like that when he's in the middle of so many girls. Unless he's a suicidal bastard.'  - Ymir, who is at the next table and unwittingly overheard Eren's words.

"Good luck." - Annie, who was standing next to Ezir.

"You talk as if you don't know..." - Ezir.

After that, everyone finished eating and left the dining hall. The girls who were still outraged, gathered to complain at the administration house, but only managed to be forcibly kicked out by Keith and given a rope to tie the boy up at bedtime.

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Near the end of the afternoon, there were the two infiltrators and Ezir in front of the men's dormitory. The three were wearing their casual clothes, discussing something as they gazed at the horizon.

"You've drawn the big one, Ezir." - Reiner.

"Yes, a crowd of girls has formed against you." - Bertolt.

"Hehe" - Ezir, with a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Speaking of which, since when do you guys share the same last name?!" - Reiner, talking about this morning's event.

"Since I won that fight a few months ago." - Ezir.

"What?" - Bertolt.

"As a reward for the bet, I asked to share the same last name as her, hehehe." - Ezir.

"And why did you ask for something like that?!" - Reiner.

"Well, I needed a last name..." - Ezir.

'To prevent any suspicions.' - Ezir, completing in his mind.

"*sigh* Looks like you're still pretty crazy." - Reiner.

"I need to go to the administration to ask a few things, see you tomorrow." - Ezir, realizing that his time was almost up.

"See you." - Reiner and Bertolt.

After confirming that there was no one around so far, they both went back to talking among themselves.

"Poor Annie, having to share the same last name with that demon..." - Bertolt.

"That's true. But I doubt she'll call." - Reiner.

"I think you're right..." - Bertolt.

A few hours later, near the women's dormitories....

Sasha has just finished her punishment after 5 incessant hours of running. She was so tired that she just collapsed on the floor, not caring how hard it was. Seconds later she started to smell something delicious and like a beast, she launched herself after her food.

*kyyyya*

When he came to his senses, he realized he had something in his mouth.

'That's...'

"Bread!!!" - Sasha.

"It's-it's not much, but it's all I could pick up..." - Story.

Turning his vision towards the voice, he saw a girl sitting on her knees on the floor while holding a water bottle in her hands.

"But first you must drink some water." - Story.

In Sasha's eyes, the blonde-haired girl looked like a heavenly being who had descended from the heavens to help her. She quickly approached her rescuer and put her hands on her eyes.

"Are you a god?! Is that you?!" - Sasha.

"Hey, what are you doing?" - Ymir, who was approaching.

"!!" - Sasha and Historia.

Thinking quickly about the possibility of having her food taken from her, Sasha immediately started eating the bread at the fastest speed she could, while Historia tried to explain herself.

"Well...She was running straight until now." - Historia.

"You're trying to do a good thing, aren't you?" - Ymir.

*glup*

Finishing her bread in a matter of seconds, Sasha gave in completely to fatigue and collapsed into Historia's lap.

"Did you do it for the potato girl? Or did you do it to satisfy your ego?" - Ymir.

The girl answered nothing, only stared at her with her piercing blue eyes. The two girls continued to stare at each other for short seconds, as if they were communicating with just their gaze.

"*sigh* Alright. Anyway, I'll carry her to the bed." - Ymir, as he crouched down and supported the potato girl on his back.

"You want to do a good deed too?" - Historia.

"It's to make her owe me one. I have hope in her madness." - Ymir.

The girl with freckles on her face was about to leave, until she suddenly noticed someone looking in her direction. She quickly looked around to see who it was, but found nothing.

'It must have been just me...' - Ymir.

However, she was not wrong. Standing on the branches of a tree was a young man with a black hood covering his head. This individual watched everything that happened from the beginning.

"I wonder... how did they not mistake Sasha for a titan when she attacked the bread like that?" - Ezir.

A few hours later, inside the dormitory where Ezir would be staying...

'How strange...He didn't show up at dinner time and didn't even come into the dormitory to sleep...' - Mikasa