# Chapter 42: Relationships So Complicated It Gives a Headache
Night, inside Maria Wall.
In a church of a small town.
The church was about several dozen square meters in size. The seats inside had been stomped into pieces to be used as firewood, and a campfire had been lit within the church.
Several people sat around the fire: Su Xiao, Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt.
In the corner of the church, Eren and Ymir leaned weakly against the wall. Eren had regained consciousness by now, but his injuries left him without the strength to transform into a Titan or even stand up. At this moment, Eren glared at the four with hatred in his eyes.
Earlier, Eren had tried to curse and shout, but after Su Xiao's "careful guidance," Eren chose to shut up. If he didn't, he risked being kicked to death.
Compared to Eren, Ymir was much calmer, leaning against the wall with a somewhat dejected look.
These two weren't even the worst off. The most pitiful was Historia, the naive sweetheart.
Historia didn't have Titan power within her body, so she couldn't be controlled by severing limbs. If her arm were cut off, this naive sweetheart would become permanently disabled. So Historia was tied up tightly and thrown into the corner.
"How long until you recover your stamina?"
Su Xiao looked at Annie and Reiner. Although the two had taken turns traveling, the Female Titan that Annie transformed into didn't have great endurance. The main force for travel was still Reiner.
"At most five hours. We can set off by midnight. Without Titans harassing us at night, we'll travel faster."
Su Xiao was satisfied with the time Reiner gave. They needed to leave the walls as quickly as possible. If those thousand-plus Survey Corps members caught up, the four of them likely wouldn't be able to defeat them. Su Xiao couldn't withstand a thousand-man human wave tactic.
Su Xiao turned the wild boar roasting over the fire. He had caught it along the way earlier.
The world inside the walls had no pollution, and Titans didn't hunt wild beasts. The ecological environment here was very good.
The wild boar meat sizzled as oil dripped off it. The skin turned golden and crispy, and the fat dripped into the fire, emitting bursts of fragrance.
This kind of all-natural wild boar meat only needed a sprinkle of salt. Other spices would mask the natural flavor of the meat. Only farmed pigs needed spices to cover up the gamey smell.
Annie secretly swallowed her saliva. She had endured years inside the walls. Now seeing meat, those beautiful blue eyes flashed with anticipation.
"Bai Ye, when will it be ready? I'm starving."
Reiner was waiting impatiently and didn't hide his anticipation. He hadn't eaten meat in a long time either.
"It's ready to eat."
Su Xiao's hand flipped, and a delicate dagger appeared.
He divided the crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside wild boar meat among the three. Su Xiao sliced off a piece of the crispy skin and began eating.
The wild boar skin was crispy in the mouth. After chewing, the meat's fragrance filled the mouth.
Annie received the tenderest piece of loin meat. Although she ate elegantly, she didn't consume the food slowly.
"Hey! You guys are too cruel. Not giving us food is one thing, but do you have to eat so deliciously right in front of me?"
Ymir snorted lightly and turned her head away, no longer looking at the four. Hunger tormented her stomach. Eren did the same.
Aside from the drinking water needed for survival, the two received no food. Helping enemies recover their strength was an extremely idiotic thing to do.
Reiner, who was enjoying dinner, stopped. After hesitating for a moment, he stood up and walked toward Ymir.
"Are you having a conscience attack? I was just thinking, although you don't look that great, you wouldn't..."
Ymir stopped mid-sentence because Reiner didn't pay her any attention at all. Instead, he helped up the naive sweetheart girl, Historia, and pulled down the white cloth covering her mouth.
"Historia, eat some."
Reiner tore off a piece of meat and held it in front of Historia's mouth. Historia hesitated for two seconds before eating it.
Seeing this, Reiner revealed a smile. A very gentle smile.
Before long, Historia had eaten a large piece of meat. She still looked at Reiner with some fear.
"Th... thank you."
Historia thanked him very quietly.
"Come to think of it, from when the Titans appeared yesterday until now, we've been on the move the whole time.
I'm so sleepy. But at least the hole in the wall has been sealed. I should get some good rest too. After doing so much, my treatment after joining the Survey Corps should be pretty good. Getting promoted or something shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Reiner sat cross-legged in front of Historia and began muttering to himself.
Eren, Ymir, Historia, and even Annie were dumbfounded. None of them understood what Reiner was talking about.
Sealing the wall? Joining the Survey Corps? Getting promoted?
The walls were destroyed by Reiner and the others. With things having come this far, he still wanted to join the Survey Corps?
Bertholdt sat by the fire, hugging his knees, and looked at Reiner with some helplessness.
"Reiner!"
Su Xiao called out. Reiner's mental state was very wrong right now.
"What is it, Bai Ye? Oh, right."
Reiner seemed to suddenly think of something. He slapped his thighs with both hands and continued:
"You're a member of the Survey Corps. After I join the Survey Corps, you have to take good care of me. As a soldier, my performance has already been excellent. Yes, excellent."
Eren and Ymir felt a chill run down their spines. Historia carefully moved back a little.
"Hey~ Mr. Reiner, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Ymir stared at Reiner, dumbfounded.
"Hm? What do you mean? Isn't it right for me to get promoted?"
Reiner chuckled lightly, his demeanor relaxed, as if he were still a member of the Training Corps, just chatting with colleagues.
"Reiner!"
Su Xiao's tone had already turned unfriendly.
"What's wrong, Bai Ye? Why are you standing up? Tomorrow..."
"You're not a soldier at all! You're a warrior! A Marleyan warrior!"
Su Xiao's words dealt a tremendous shock to Reiner.
Reiner's mind gradually recalled everything inside the walls. His pupils began to contract, and his shoulders trembled nonstop.
A few seconds later, Reiner calmed down.
"So... that's how it is."
Reiner raised his trembling hands and pressed them against his face.
"Huh~? What do you mean?"
Eren's gaze was still full of hatred, but the way he looked at Reiner was somewhat different from before.
"I think I understand what's going on."
Ymir looked at Reiner with a confident expression.
"If I'm not mistaken, his long-term life inside the walls has made him completely integrate into the Training Corps.
He was once a warrior dedicated to destroying the walls, but because he pretended to be a soldier for so long, he can no longer distinguish whether he's a soldier or a warrior.
No, it might also be that he can't bear the guilt in his heart. He projected another self in his mind. One is Reiner the soldier, whose responsibility is to protect the walls. The other is Reiner the warrior, dedicated to destroying the walls.
And this contradictory thinking has caused his mind to begin splitting, tampering with his own memories. This kind of self-talk situation probably isn't the first time. You can tell from 'Bertholdt's' speechless expression.
Amazing. To be able to go this far. Bo..."
The more Ymir talked, the more excited she became. But she didn't notice the expression gradually twisting beneath Reiner's hands.
"Shut your mouth."
Reiner's voice was frighteningly low.
Ymir immediately shut up after seeing Reiner's constantly trembling pupils.
"Sorry, I got carried away."
Ymir knew when to back down. If she dared to continue speaking, Reiner might tear her apart.
But from the cold smile on Ymir's face, it was clear her apology had no sincerity.
"Interesting. If we return to Marley..."
Ymir sized up Reiner with interest. The mischievous smile on her face had a unique charm.
"Shut up, or I'll cut out your tongue."
Su Xiao's voice wasn't loud as he glanced sideways at Ymir. Ymir immediately lowered her head and shut up, the mischievous smile disappearing from her face. She knew clearly in her heart that this man was fundamentally different from Reiner. Although his expression was calm, he was a hundred times more dangerous than Reiner.
Su Xiao glanced at Reiner, whose shoulders were still trembling. This guy's mental state was becoming more and more unstable.
The relationships within the team were very complicated now.
'Bertholdt' harbored affection for 'Annie.'
'Reiner' harbored affection for 'Historia.'
'Ymir' also harbored affection for 'Historia'~
Reiner was a mental patient. Mental patients generally weren't easy to mess with.
Bertholdt lacked initiative, commonly known as a pushover.
Annie appeared strong on the outside but was fragile inside. The fact that she cried in front of Su Xiao earlier showed how fragile her heart really was.
Historia was a naive sweetheart. Easy to handle—just tie her up.
Ymir was a motormouth + schemer. If she dared to run her mouth again, Su Xiao wouldn't mind cutting out her tongue.
Among the team, Eren, the blockhead, was the easiest to handle. If he didn't obey, just beat him.
Su Xiao suddenly got a headache. These people's relationships were no longer just a love triangle.
They had to leave the range of Maria Wall as quickly as possible. Otherwise, these teenagers and young girls with their various personalities might cause problems. If Su Xiao got angry and killed two of them, that would be troublesome.
And Su Xiao absolutely had to go to the basement of Eren's house. He might gain considerable benefits there.
Su Xiao tossed the "confiscated" key in his hand, anticipation rising in his heart.