Shirt, suit, leather shoes the "scumbag gentleman" trio.
Rayan adjusted his collar in the bronze mirror, looking at the person inside and feeling a sense of unfamiliarity.
Indeed, this body never truly matched his soul. And since arriving in this world, he rarely looked in the mirror. Now, carefully observing his reflection, he had to admit that this body's appearance was quite good.
"My hair's getting a bit long."
He reached up and scratched the black hair that was almost covering his eyes, too lazy to bother cutting it.
"Rayan!" Marlo called as he ran in from outside. "The Commander is calling for you to set off!"
"Mm."
Rayan got up and went to the door. Marlo looked at him with envy. "It's so great that you get to meet the King! You'll definitely rise quickly in the future!"
Because Rayan had told him about it when they went to buy clothes together yesterday, Marlo knew about this.
"You're envious?" Rayan asked. "Didn't you tell me yesterday that you would work hard to climb to the top and then punish those extravagant and dissolute bastards? In that case, do you think being received by the King is a good thing?"
Marlo was taken aback for a moment. "Of course," he said. "This has nothing to do with the King. The main thing is that the higher-ups in the Military Police Regiment need to be cleaned up! The King must have been deceived by them, so I want to climb up and clear out all these parasites for the King!"
"..."
Rayan patted Marlo on the shoulder, saying nothing.
Although he really wanted to say, "Incomplete revolutions are useless," he thought better of it. Because of the special environment within the walls, the people's loyalty to the King was unshakable, at least for the current stage.
Leaving the dormitory building, Commander Nile was already waiting at the door. Seeing Rayan come out, he nodded and then walked towards a carriage parked to the side.
Rayan followed and got in. This was his first time riding in a carriage. This thing was a privilege for the wealthy within the walls, something ordinary people couldn't afford.
"Don't talk nonsense later," Nile reminded from the opposite side. "Just repeat what's in the draft."
"Understood."
Then there was silence all the way until the carriage stopped.
The two got out, and Rayan looked up. Without a doubt, they had arrived in the inner city of Wall Sina the Royal Capital.
They were currently in a plaza. In the center, a high platform had been erected with an exquisite wooden chair placed on it. Many people had already gathered around the platform, a dense crowd as far as the eye could see.
"The King hasn't arrived yet, let's wait a bit," Nile said.
Rayan looked at the chair on the high platform, thinking about how many years it would take to smash it.
Perhaps humanity within the walls would be extinct before that day came; perhaps it would develop into some kind of constitutional monarchy, and this chair would be preserved forever. Lost in these wild thoughts, he didn't come back to his senses until the King sat down on it.
"Rayan Kafka."
The voice calling his name came over. Rayan composed himself, walked to the steps of the high platform, and the guarding soldiers made way for him to ascend.
He stopped two meters away from the King and then knelt on the ground.
"You... in the Wall Maria reclamation operation... bravely dedicated yourselves..."
The King's voice was steady and even. He rested his head on one hand, his eyes slightly narrowed, his dignified features intimidating.
As Rayan recited his response, he thought to himself: Those nobles must have spent quite some time finding this presentable old man.
A king, in people's minds, should ideally be dignified, aloof, and handsome. This wasn't a joke; a handsome monarch was generally more beloved by the people, a universal rule across nations. So, those nobles must have gone to great lengths to find a suitable puppet.
"...bestow the Warrior's Medal."
As the King's final words fell, the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers. Rayan didn't know what they were cheering for. It seemed like one person started shouting, and the others followed suit, like a rapidly spreading flu whose symptom was loud yelling.
Someone approached with a tray holding a medal.
Rayan took it, pinned it to his chest, and then expressed his gratitude to the King, reiterating his pride and honor in participating in the Wall Maria reclamation operation.
The King nodded, and the staged performance concluded.
"The King is so kind, even awarding a Warrior's Medal."
"Indeed. I heard that's only given for great merits, like exterminating large bandit groups."
"Lucky kid, even exceptionally admitted into the Military Police Regiment."
"I really don't know what those people in the underground city are making a fuss about. Can't they see how benevolent the King is?"
The crowd dispersed, chatting amongst themselves. Rayan stepped down from the platform, took the medal off his chest, and casually put it in his pocket. Raising his head to move forward, he saw someone not far ahead looking at him, their gaze behind glasses filled with scrutiny.
"...President Zackly. Good day."
Darius Zackly, the Supreme Commander of the three military branches, held an extraordinary position. He had presided over the previous tribunal against Eren. It was also his decisive vote that allowed the Survey Corps to take Eren, saving him from being dissected for research.
"Rayan Kafka, is it?" Zackly walked over, his full head of white hair gleaming in the sunlight. His features seemed amiable, yet occasionally revealed a hint of sinister shrewdness.
He glanced at Rayan's chest, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You took off the medal so quickly."
Rayan's heart skipped a beat. "I was afraid of accidentally dropping it, so I put it away."
Zackly nodded, offering no response to his words, leaving it unclear whether he believed him or not.
"You were only 13 when you returned from outside the walls, right? Still a child. It must have been tough."
"Precisely because I was young then, the adults took special care of me, so I was able to return."
Upon hearing this, Zackly suddenly burst into laughter, patting Rayan's shoulder. "Is that so? Those adults are truly noble," he said before turning to leave. "Work hard. I have high hopes for you."
"..."
Watching Zackly's departing figure, Rayan frowned slightly.
He knew this old fox wasn't someone easily fooled. However, could he interpret his words as an "offer of recruitment"?
After a moment of thought, Rayan shook his head and moved forward.
He didn't have time to think about such random things now. He still needed to proceed at his own pace.
...
Simultaneously with this staged performance, the editing and printing industries were working overtime.
The reporters on the scene recorded the dialogue between the King and Rayan, quickly drafted the article, and then began mass printing the new issue of the newspaper. This event would undoubtedly occupy the entire front page.
A staged performance was meant to be seen; if no one knew about it, it would be meaningless.
Moreover, this was also done for the relatives of those who died outside the walls and the people of Wall Rose, to quell some of their discontent. Thus, the next day, these newspapers circulated into everyone's hands.
Naturally, this included the Survey Corps.
In a small room, the core members of the Survey Corps sat around a table. Spread out on the table was the newspaper, Rayan Kafka's name particularly conspicuous.
"Rayan Kafka."
Erwin began, dropping a bombshell right away: "I suspect he might be one of the intelligent Titans."
Levi, Hange, and Mike were all in the room, and upon hearing this, they all frowned, wondering why Erwin would make such a deduction.
"Children are not required to participate in the Wall Maria reclamation operation," Erwin said. "Why did Rayan participate? Wouldn't a 13-year-old be afraid of Titans?"
"Maybe his family all died at the hands of Titans, and he wants revenge," Mike said. "A child's emotions can outweigh their reason. Maybe he just impulsively snuck out."
"You're right," Erwin nodded. "However, according to later investigations, none of the survivors recognized Rayan, not even a slight impression. Of course, this cannot serve as evidence."
As Erwin spoke, he produced another document.
The others looked and found it to be the testimony of former Survey Corps Commander Keith Shadis, stating that Rayan's strength was extraordinarily great, capable of punching a metal iron bar into a dent with a single blow.
"This... isn't something a child could do, right? No, even an adult couldn't do it without years of training. And according to the description, it seems like that punch was casual, not a deliberate full-force blow," Hange said with some surprise and suspicion. "Could it be..."
Levi suddenly said, "That Eren kid hasn't shown anything like that, has he?"
"Indeed," Erwin nodded. "After testing, Eren's physical abilities in human form don't exceed those of an ordinary person. However, there's a misconception here, which is, do we truly understand this 'Titan power'?"
Hange asked, "What do you mean?"
Erwin's gaze deepened as he analyzed clearly and logically: "Please recall, when Eren first transformed into a Titan, he had no reason, only knowing to kill other Titans according to instinct. However, during his second transformation, he was able to consciously lift a boulder in Titan form and block the hole in the wall."
"Are you saying..."
"If that counts as 'growth,' then isn't it also a form of 'growth' for 'the power in Titan form to transfer partially to human form'? It's just that the current Eren hasn't grown to that extent yet."
"..."
The others fell into contemplation.
If Rayan heard Erwin's deduction, he would have to kneel to his divergent thinking. It was truly a waste that he hadn't appeared in a detective novel.
However, his deduction was also reasonable, so the others couldn't refute it.
"But," Hange still found one point difficult to understand, "if he really is an intelligent Titan, then he could have snuck in during the fall of Wall Maria five years ago and followed the refugees to Wall Rose. He could have just laid low then. Why would he go and participate in some reclamation operation?"
Faced with Hange's question, Erwin shook his head.
"I don't know."
These simple and direct words surprised the others.
Erwin smiled for once. "It would be strange if I knew everything, wouldn't it?" he said. "So, I'm only speculating that Rayan is a Titan, not concluding it. However, there's a very good opportunity coming up that will allow us to make a judgment."
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Need More Chapters
Every 300 Power Stones
2 Bonus chapter
Every 500 Power Stones
4 Bonus chapter.
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