Chapter 38: Dangerous ‘Comrades’
Early the next morning, Su Xiao left the Survey Corps, citing post-battle processing as his reason.
Although he was under suspicion now, Su Xiao’s previous actions had always been loyal to the Survey Corps, and he had made a significant contribution to sealing the hole.
Walking quickly through the streets, he could see bodies wrapped in white cloth on the roadside. The hot weather would cause these corpses to decay rapidly; if not dealt with soon, a plague would break out within a week.
Su Xiao’s target was the gathering point of the Training Corps. After last night’s discussions, the Survey Corps had decided to assemble the members of the 104th Training Corps.
On a training ground, a large number of Training Corps members were gathered together. Mikasa, Armin, and others were all present.
Su Xiao’s gaze swept over the crowd on the field, but he didn’t spot the figures of Annie, Reiner Braun, or Bertholdt.
It seemed his earlier words had taken effect. All three had gone into hiding, which was good news.
One thing Su Xiao could be sure of was that the three would definitely return within the Walls. They hadn’t completed their mission yet.
By hiding, they wouldn’t be suspected for a short time. The bodies of the fallen hadn’t been fully processed yet, so the three would temporarily be counted among the casualties.
Su Xiao left the training ground and began strolling through the streets of the town. He deliberately tucked his sheathed Dragon-Slaying Flash into his waistband, making his identity easier to recognize.
After wandering for three hours, Su Xiao’s eyes suddenly sharpened. Someone was following him.
After getting a rough look at the follower’s build and appearance, Su Xiao quickened his pace.
He intentionally headed toward sparsely populated areas, eventually stepping into a narrow alley.
“Come out. If you’re a warrior, stop skulking around.”
Su Xiao barked, but there was no movement around him.
“Now you remember to be cautious? If I hadn’t helped you out of trouble yesterday, you’d be wanted criminals within the Walls right now. Returning to your ‘homeland’ would be nothing but a dream.”
Su Xiao’s words finally struck a nerve with his follower. Two figures in gray hoods blocked the alley’s exit.
“Who are you?”
“A comrade sent as reinforcements. An experimental warrior outside the normal unit.”
“Experimental warrior?”
One of the burly figures spoke.
“Do you think an ordinary human could be as strong as me? I didn’t go hard on Annie. She can no longer stay hidden within the Walls. If she had exposed herself to me directly, and if it had been anyone else, all three of you would be dead.”
Reiner Braun pulled back his hood, a hint of excitement in his eyes.
“Are you really a comrade? It’s been so long…”
“Don’t come closer. After all these years, are you still a Marleyan? Still the young Deputy Warrior Chief?”
“Absolutely!”
Reiner Braun made a military salute different from those within the Walls, standing ramrod straight with a firm gaze.
Reiner Braun had a sturdy build, short yellow hair, and an overall mature and steady appearance. His father was Marleyan, his mother Eldian. His true identity was the Armored Titan.
“Reiner, can we really trust him?”
Bertholdt Hoover, standing beside Reiner, spoke. Bertholdt was slightly thinner than Reiner and looked listless. Due to his peculiar sleeping posture, he was often teased in the Training Corps.
His true identity was the Colossal Titan.
Bertholdt was an even more unqualified spy—indecisive, often wavering, and frequently forgetting his mission.
“Things have come to this point. Besides, he knew our identities from the start, knows about Marley, and is even aware of my position as Deputy Warrior Chief. He’s temporarily trustworthy.”
Reiner Braun walked up to Su Xiao, carefully studying his face.
“What’s your warrior number?”
“TK-317.”
Su Xiao fabricated a number based on information from the original work. “TK” was Marleyan.
“Such a low number?”
“There were very few experimental warriors. In my batch, there were about 7,000 people, but only three survived.”
Reiner Braun had been away from the Marley Empire for too long. He could barely understand some of Su Xiao’s words.
“Has the Empire’s technology reached this level? Truly reassuring.”
Su Xiao patted Reiner Braun’s shoulder warmly.
“How much time is left on your Titan power?”
Reiner Braun’s expression stiffened, but his trust in Su Xiao increased further.
“A few years at most. The mission is still far from complete. But why did you help the people inside the Walls seal the hole yesterday?”
Reiner Braun’s question was sharp. If Su Xiao answered poorly, all his previous efforts would be wasted.
“Because I discovered that the ‘Founding Titan’s power’ isn’t with the royal family inside the Walls.”
Su Xiao’s words left Reiner Braun and Bertholdt stunned.
“How is that possible? That…”
“The Founding Titan’s power is in Eren. I can confirm this. I sensed it.”
Reiner Braun and Bertholdt exchanged glances, their eyes filled with joy.
If they could obtain the Founding Titan’s power, there would be no need to breach the walls. They could simply seize it directly, and then the Marley Empire would launch its attack.
“How could you sense it?”
“My tactical value in being created was to sense Titan powers. Eren has two Titan powers within him: the ‘Attack Titan’s power’ and the ‘Founding Titan’s power.’
How’s Zeke? I’ve never been able to contact him.”
Su Xiao dropped another bombshell, mentioning the Beast Titan, Zeke, another comrade of Reiner’s group.
This time, Reiner Braun trusted Su Xiao even more.
“Zeke is outside the Walls. We haven’t contacted him in a long time.”
“I see. Now we need to carefully consider our next plan. Forget about breaching the walls—it’s too inefficient. Compared to that, I think capturing Eren is a better option.
Oh, and if the timing is right, we should also capture ‘Historia.’ The higher-ups instructed this.”
This time, not only Reiner Braun but also Bertholdt stepped forward warmly. Su Xiao knew everything about their mission.
“How’s our homeland now? Has it changed much?”
“A lot. But the war with the Middle Eastern Union is still ongoing, and resources are becoming scarcer.”
The Middle Eastern Union was a powerful force in Reiner Braun’s homeland, currently at war with the Marley Empire.
“Sigh…” Reiner Braun sighed and continued, “We need to speed up our actions. The resources here are abundant. The coal and iron mines outside the Walls have barely been touched.”
Using his knowledge from the original work, Su Xiao chatted with Reiner Braun and Bertholdt, taking the lead in the conversation and avoiding topics he didn’t understand.
The more they talked, the more familiar Reiner Braun and Bertholdt became with Su Xiao. Any lingering doubts had long since vanished.
“Things have reached this point; we can’t delay any longer. Is Annie outside the Walls?”
“Yes. Annie exposed herself in front of you, so she’s temporarily hiding outside the Walls.”
“Good. Now we just need an opportunity. Reiner, find a way to contact Annie. And you two don’t need to keep hiding. Pretend to be injured, and then do this…”
Reiner Braun and Bertholdt listened intently.
“If we move quickly, this plan will succeed easily. Let’s go contact Annie now. When should we set the time?”
“The sooner, the better. This afternoon. I can feel Eren gradually awakening the Founding Titan’s power.”
After Su Xiao finalized the plan, both nodded.
“Reiner, I know you have a good relationship with Eren. Don’t let emotions get in the way.”
“Alright… fine.”
With that, Reiner and Bertholdt left the alley, their faces barely concealing their joy.
Watching their retreating figures, a smile gradually spread across Su Xiao’s face.
“The world outside the Walls, huh? Truly something to look forward to.”
Su Xiao also left the alley. There were still some things he needed to prepare.