The trust between former comrades gradually became precarious.
Connie felt that Reiner had changed, no longer the passionate young man he once was.
Connie stated that if Reiner chose to side with his half-brother and abandon the corps, they would have to be prepared to strike him down.
However, Jean, hearing this, declared that they would absolutely not let anyone do such a thing.
Connie couldn't understand why Jean was still so devoted to Reiner. Jean explained that it was because such a situation would never happen; Reiner cared about them more than anyone.
The thoughts of several people inevitably drifted back to a year ago when they were laying railway tracks. At that time, Reiner already knew his remaining time was limited; he had a little over five years left, while Zeke only had two. It was time to decide who would inherit Reiner's Titan.
This somber topic immediately dampened the once cheerful atmosphere. Jean was the first to volunteer to inherit it, but this was immediately opposed by Connie, not only because of Jean's Ackerman bloodline but more importantly, how could the descendant of a Marleyan general become a Titan?
There were too many reasons why Jean shouldn't become a Titan.
Connie then offered himself, stating that his mind was sharper than Reiner's, and he could make excellent judgments in any situation, making him a rare candidate for a Titan.
Although Jean didn't want to take Reiner's place, there was indeed no one more suitable than him. However, hearing this, Connie didn't want to see such a talented individual like Jean die prematurely.
Connie immediately declared that he would inherit the Titan. From this perspective, Connie's reasoning seemed sound, but it was met with Sasha's opposition because Sasha believed a Titan shouldn't be inherited by an idiot like Connie.
Using the process of elimination among the four, only Sasha was left. But Sasha was clearly even dumber than Connie, wasn't that a contradiction?
It seemed that none of the four wanted their comrades to shorten their lives by inheriting the Titan.
Reiner, hearing this, also stated that he would not entrust the Titan to these four people. Because they were all very important to Reiner, more important than anyone else, Reiner wished for them to live longer.
Reiner's heartfelt words made everyone a little shy, and Reiner himself blushed at his own words. Armin, standing nearby, quickly interjected that it was the setting sun causing them to blush, which eased the awkward and embarrassing atmosphere.
However, this incident showed that Reiner deeply valued everyone, which was why he was more aggressive towards others outside of the four.
Although Jean's explanation had some merit, Connie still raised doubts. Before, Reiner would never have allowed Jean to fight Titans, but now he had placed Jean on the front lines. Connie, standing beside him, also stated that if it weren't for Reiner's rash actions, Sasha wouldn't be dead. Connie then emotionally said to Jean, "Jean, do you know how Reiner reacted when Sasha died? Did you think he cried? Did you think he was full of regret?"
Jean quickly stopped Connie from continuing, but Connie, still seething, continued, "That guy actually laughed. What was so funny? What was so funny about Sasha's death?" Connie's words left Jean momentarily bewildered.
Armin felt it was time to talk to Reiner. They needed to confirm Reiner's true intentions. If he had truly betrayed them, then they would have to find another way to seize Reiner's Founding Titan.
Meanwhile, Falco and Gabi had fled to a stream. Falco reminded Gabi to take off the Marleyan insignia, as it would easily attract attention.
Gabi, however, replied that ordinary civilians wouldn't know what it represented even if they saw it. But Falco believed that Gabi's blatant display would soon be discovered by the soldiers here. After all, the two of them had no clue how to get back.
Hearing this, Gabi remained calm. Gabi stated that he had no intention of returning alive. Before that, however, he wished to see Zeke and get a clear answer: had he truly betrayed Marley?
Falco, with evident impatience, immediately threw Gabi's insignia away.
This action infuriated Gabi. Gabi declared that he was a kind Eldian. Without this insignia, wouldn't he be no different from the demons on the island?
After his anger subsided, he blamed himself, realizing that Falco didn't need to come to his death with him.
At this moment, a strange young girl with yellow hair also arrived. The girl asked where the two of them came from. Seeing their disheveled state, the girl warmly and gently invited them to her home for a meal.
However, the agitated Gabi had already grabbed a stone and was about to strike the girl to death. Fortunately, Falco quickly knocked the stone from Gabi's hand.
To avoid arousing suspicion from the girl, the two followed her towards her home.
Meanwhile, Captain Magath, based on the intelligence provided by Pieck, had confirmed Zeke's defection. Galliard couldn't believe that a comrade with whom he had fought side-by-side had become a traitor. Of course, Captain Magath would not let this matter rest.
The danger level of Paradis Island was now comparable to that of the entire world. Therefore, all countries would assemble a joint army and launch a scorched-earth operation against Paradis Island. Once the world's unified army was assembled, they could completely eradicate the reactionary forces on Paradis Island.
However, Reiner raised a different opinion. Reiner believed that Zeke would definitely have motivation during the time the world's unified army was gathering.
Therefore, to prevent this, they absolutely could not wait for the world's unified army to assemble. They should immediately launch a surprise attack on Paradis Island. This battle would ultimately have no turning back.