"Huh? That kind of thing really happens?" Yago and Thomas, along with Bertholdt, returned to the small alley where the trainee soldiers were resting and gathering.
Reiner was off to the side trying to mediate. After asking around, Yago learned that Jean Kirstein was angry because his points for a Titan model had been snatched, but that area had originally been the responsibility of Sasha's squad anyway.
For a moment, Yago didn't know what to say. After a while, Jean Kirstein spoke up: "Then let's settle it in tomorrow's training! We'll see who can get more points!"
As soon as the words fell, a deep, resonant voice came through. "How interesting!"
Everyone turned around. Commander Pixis, his face flushed with drink, walked toward them with his hands clasped behind his back. Everyone present, including Yago, immediately placed a hand on their left chest and stood at attention to salute.
Commander Pixis, Chief Official of the Southern Territories of the Garrison Regiment, was almost certainly the highest-ranking person anyone there had ever seen since they were born.
Miniko and Lian followed behind Commander Pixis. Even Sasha and Connie, who had been clowning around just moments ago, now stood straight. Though they were usually goofballs, they knew how to behave at times like this.
Jean Kirstein also looked uneasy, afraid that his earlier behavior might have offended the commander.
Pixis came to a stop before them, cast a satisfied glance over the trainees, then fixed his gaze on Jean Kirstein and the others.
"This is bad. Very bad," Jean Kirstein thought, a bead of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.
"Then I'll be the judge of your match!" Pixis said with a face full of righteous—well, drunken—energy.
"Your unusual fighting spirit has impressed me, but using tomorrow's training to settle your own competition is unacceptable!"
Yago felt a hint of admiration for this commander he had never met before. Not allowing soldiers to fight privately during training and being willing to stand up for ordinary soldiers—he seemed like a general who cared for his men, though he did appear to enjoy his drink a bit too much.
Under everyone's gaze, Commander Pixis pulled out a bottle and took a hearty swig, then said,
"Cooking. We'll compete with cooking…"
Everyone present: "...."
As if he thought his voice had been too soft, Commander Pixis deliberately repeated it louder:
"We'll compete with cooking!"
A buzzing wave of discussion broke out. Clearly, everyone was shocked by the commander's decision.
Behind Pixis, Miniko and Lian exchanged looks, silently communicating.
Miniko: See? I told you to stop the commander from drinking—now this is embarrassing!
Lian: I—I didn't expect it to turn out like this either.
They wished they could drag Commander Pixis away immediately. This was just too awkward.
But Commander Pixis still stood perfectly straight. Aside from Sasha, whose eyes were shining as she stared at him, everyone else wore expressions full of question marks.
Yago had the look of an old man staring at a phone on the subway. What the hell? Just now he'd thought Commander Pixis was very proper, but now he looked like a mischievous little old man.
Jean was also extremely confused and stammered as he asked,
"Commander, I—I don't understand. Why cooking? Aren't we soldiers?"
But Sasha, brimming with excitement, blocked Jean's path, declaring that she would give this young master a proper cooking lesson and show him what real cooking was. Connie joined in the heckling from the side.
"Yeah! Jean, even the food you eat is made by your mom!"
How could Jean Kirstein take that provocation? His blood boiled, and he immediately agreed to accept the challenge.
Pixis said, "Very well. The cooking competition will be tonight at 23:00. Consider it a midnight snack. Bring your most perfect late-night dish to compete!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd. This kind of situation was rare—there would be something to watch tonight. A cooking duel between Sasha and Jean sounded especially interesting.
Yago shook his head, finding it a bit amusing. But suddenly Commander Pixis walked up to him. A sharp smell of alcohol rushed into Yago's nose, and those eyes—seemingly unfocused yet hiding something beneath—locked onto him.
Yago immediately straightened his posture. "Commander!"
"Trainee Yago? Would you be interested in taking a walk with me?" Pixis asked calmly.
Yago replied, "Of course, Commander!"
And so, under the slightly envious gazes of the others, Yago followed Commander Pixis away.
Thinking of Yago's outstanding performance in everyday training, everyone quickly accepted it.
...
Standing atop the broad Wall Rose, one tall and one short figure walked along the ramparts. Yago felt a bit uneasy. Up ahead, Commander Pixis walked calmly, while Miniko and Lian remained on the other side of the wall and did not follow.
"It's truly beautiful, don't you think?" Pixis said, pointing toward a distant stretch of grassland. At its center, a small lake shimmered with light. It really was quite lovely, but Yago didn't understand what the commander meant.
As if not noticing Yago's confusion, Pixis continued to speak to himself.
"The scenery inside the walls is so beautiful. The view outside the walls probably isn't bad either. I've always wondered—outside the walls, besides Titans, are there still humans? Trainee Yago, do you know if there are humans outside the walls?"
Yago frowned. "Commander, I don't understand what you mean."
Pixis suddenly turned around, his eyes blazing with sharp light. There was no trace left of a drunkard. This commander was absolutely not as frivolous as he had first appeared!
Yago realized he had underestimated him.
Staring at Yago, Pixis said, "Very interesting. The Garrison Regiment once reported to me that before the Survey Corps returned, there seemed to be no one named Yago Norman in the Shiganshina District. So, trainee Yago, how do you explain that?"
Yago: "...."
Yago felt his breath catch. Coming from outside the walls was his secret. Even he himself didn't know where he had come from, yet this commander had uncovered his secret so easily. Or could it be that there was someone within the Survey Corps acting as Pixis's eyes and ears?
Seeing Yago's conflicted expression, Pixis suddenly patted him on the shoulder.
"Relax. I have no intention of offending you. I just wanted to see what kind of person Erwin had his eye on. Now that I've seen you today, I have to say—Erwin's judgment really is excellent. Hahaha."
In what felt like an instant, Pixis turned back into that muddleheaded, hard-drinking commander. Yago's head felt a little dizzy as he followed Pixis back to the starting point on the wall.
After parting ways with Pixis, Yago still felt shaken. He could sense that the commander had harbored a faint trace of killing intent—subtle, but enough to put Yago on guard. And then there was Commander Erwin. It seemed likely that all of this had been told to Pixis by him.
But what exactly had been Pixis's purpose in seeking him out? Was it a warning, or…
Yago didn't think further, but his heart felt heavy nonetheless, as if he were under suspicion.
...
That evening, the cooking showdown between Jean Kirstein and Sasha began. Sasha's group had captured a massive wild boar. The fragrant roast pork made everyone feel that Sasha was certain to win, and even Commander Pixis ate with an excited expression. Just when everyone thought Jean was already defeated, a simple omelet turned the tide.
After eating Jean Kirstein's omelet, Pixis announced the winner: Jean Kirstein!
The crowd erupted. No one had expected pork to lose to an ordinary omelet.
Sasha wore a crestfallen look at losing the cooking match, but in the end Jean Kirstein seemed to understand something as well. Rarely gentle, he reached out and pulled Sasha up. The misunderstanding was resolved, and everyone was happy.
Only Yago's brow held an extra trace of worry.