The lecture finally ended an hour later.
Everyone looked at Keith in awe, thinking that shouting for an hour without losing his voice was impressive.
"Dismissed! Training officially starts tomorrow!"
At his command, the recruits relaxed, pounding their right fists to their chests in unison.
"Yes!"
The ranks dissolved. Everyone returned to their assigned dormitories. Most didn't know each other, so introductions were brief, and conversation minimal.
Lillian changed out of his Training Corps uniform into a rough civilian clothes and wandered near the dorms.
Fatigue weighed on him, but beneath it lay a deeper, helpless pain.
Closing his eyes, he could still see the horrid deaths of those people under the Titans. He had promised to lead them home—but in reality, it was impossible. He could barely guarantee his own survival, let alone protect others.
Even making it back alive himself was a stroke of luck. Without his abilities…
Yet, because of these experiences, some truths became clear. He contemplated his future plans and strategies.
First, joining the Training Corps was necessary. Lillian kicked a small stone along the path, his gaze unfocused, yet his mind alert, constantly scanning for danger.
The main group of characters—the key allies—needed to maintain strong relations; they would be essential in future battles. He himself needed combat training, at least enough to master the use of the omni-directional mobility gear.
Lillian had a clear sense of his own limits. He was no combat prodigy. In terms of slaying technique, he could not compare to Levi, Mikasa, or the others. Even if he trained tirelessly for three years, he doubted he would ever surpass them in sheer combat skill.
This was not a matter of perception—it was an objective fact.
Many people who crossed over into this world were ordinary in their previous lives. Some suddenly became geniuses, but that was one thing; talent is fickle, after all. But for someone naturally lazy to suddenly become more diligent than everyone else? That was impossible.
A modern person who couldn't even do a few pull-ups… could they suddenly train for hours every day in this new world?
Lillian knew he could not.
Thus, he did not demand superlative individual combat ability from himself. Especially in this world…
"Hey!"
A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Lillian turned and saw Eren's trio approaching.
It was Eren who had spoken, and now he stepped forward first. "Hi, I'm Eren Yeager."
"Lillian Kafka. Nice to meet you."
"And… what brings you here?" Eren asked, curious.
"Just taking a walk."
"Oh… I see."
Lillian's tone was neither cold nor warm, which made Eren a little uncomfortable. Armin, however, spoke up beside him: "Lillian, I'm Armin. We… noticed your hair and eyes—they're like our friend's." He glanced at Mikasa, who nodded slightly.
"Because Mikasa is Eastern… you—"
"I'm not," Lillian said.
"Uh… okay," Armin scratched his head, surprised. Black hair and black eyes were almost exclusively found in Easterners on the island. He had never seen anyone else with such features.
Lillian understood that the main trio were basically "lawful good" types. He did not need to flatter them—simply interacting normally was sufficient.
"Hey, Lillian. I want to ask… what do you want to do in the future?" Eren asked suddenly, eyes gleaming with expectation.
"To gain freedom," Lillian replied.
"Freedom?" Eren paused, then explained in his own terms. "That means driving all the Titans away! Yes! If we get rid of every Titan, we can be free!" He clenched his fists, a flash of anger crossing his expression. "Good thing you're not like that guy Jean… enjoying life in the Military Police. Hmph, that's his goal!"
"Eren…" Armin nudged him awkwardly. Criticizing others wasn't exactly polite.
"What's wrong, Armin? That's exactly how I feel! If everyone joins the Military Police, who will fight the Titans?"
He wasn't wrong. If everyone flocked to the Military Police, the Survey Corps would lack manpower and could easily be wiped out. Humanity's destruction would only accelerate.
Still, the assumption was unrealistic. The Military Police were highly coveted, but only the top ten graduates had guaranteed entry; everyone else had to struggle for years. Most could not join and would end up in the Garrison or Survey Corps.
Thus, Eren's words were mostly an outburst of youthful anger. At his age, having witnessed his mother's death firsthand, it was no wonder his eyes were clouded by hatred. He would naturally dislike anyone unwilling to fight Titans—not quite hatred, but strong distaste.
By comparison, Armin and Mikasa were much calmer. The saying "as the twig is bent, so grows the tree" held true here. Armin could see the bigger picture, rarely letting resentment dominate his words—his grandfather had also just died during the retaking of Wall Maria.
As for Mikasa, Lillian's gaze lingered briefly on the red scarf around her neck.
From the moment Eren placed it on her, she had regarded him as her most important person. In Lillian's eyes, she carried a heavy burden, dedicating her subjective consciousness entirely to Eren—though she was unaware and perfectly content with it. Lillian had no desire to interfere.
In this perilous world, having someone to trust completely was a comfort. Lillian's priorities were not about who was prettiest or cutest; they were about survival—how he could ensure that he himself lived.
Ding—dong—ding—dong—
The bell rang, signaling mealtime. The group fell silent and headed to the dining hall.
Passing the training grounds, they saw a girl with a ponytail running laps—Sasha, the "Potato Girl." She had been caught eating during Keith's lecture and was now punished with extra laps. For a foodie, being denied dinner was the harshest punishment. Even from tens of meters away, the despair radiating from her was palpable.
Inside the dining hall, food was laid out on the tables. Nothing extraordinary—just bread and soup, common fare in this world. Not particularly tasty, but sufficient to fill the stomach. As trainee soldiers, their daily energy expenditure was high; going hungry was not an option.
Eren's trio sat down together. Eren had intended to invite Lillian to join them, but as soon as they sat, others crowded their table. With no room to spare, Lillian opted to find a separate seat.
The reason was simple: everyone knew the three were from Shiganshina in Wall Maria and had witnessed the Titans breaking through. Naturally, curiosity ran high.
Lillian sat alone, eating while listening to the discussion.