"How dare you cause such a commotion in front of the king!"
Levi's outburst had instantly drawn the wrath of the Military Police Brigade. Within moments, several officers charged forward, attempting to subdue him.
But how could a handful of Military Police Brigade hope to restrain Levi Ackerman?
Even without fighting back in earnest—just frantically searching the crowd, desperate to find someone—Levi still tossed them aside with a few effortless moves.
Seeing him so uncontrollable, the Military Police Brigade grew even more enraged.
Sensing the danger, Erwin quickly stepped forward.
"Levi!"
That single shout was enough. Levi froze, forcing himself to still his movements. The Military Police Brigade took advantage of the pause, rushing in to restrain him. Within seconds, they had forced him to kneel before the king.
Even then, Levi's eyes continued darting through the crowd, scanning every face—still searching.
But no matter how hard he looked, Kenny was nowhere to be found.
"I apologize," Erwin said firmly, stepping between Levi and the royal dais. "He meant no disrespect to His Majesty. There must be another reason for his behavior. Levi is my right-hand man—he has never once acted against humanity. On the contrary, he has made countless contributions to our survival. He is a rare military talent. I ask Your Majesty and Mr. President for understanding."
The king sat in cold indifference, expression unreadable.
Meanwhile, President Zachary adjusted his glasses and flipped through a thick stack of papers that had somehow materialized in his hands.
"He truly is a man of illustrious military achievements," Zachary said, impressed. "He graduated from the Cadet Corps in just one year. With only a single expedition beyond the walls and one defensive operation in Shiganshina, he has already ranked first in confirmed Titan kills—twice the number of the second-highest scorer."
The hall erupted.
"Twice as many as second place? After just two battles?"
"You've got to be kidding—he's that short!"
"My god, the Levi! The smallest one's the deadliest! Defies all logic!"
The citizens didn't understand military data, but the tone of the soldiers and the president said enough
That short man—Levi Ackerman—was terrifyingly powerful.
"Even if Levi is… hypothetically, as Zeke claims, a human carrying the blood of a Titan experiment," Zachary continued, "his accomplishments are still achievements in service of humanity. If his condition can be studied or utilized, perhaps we can finally use Titan power against the Titans themselves."
The crowd stirred, a flicker of hope fighting against disbelief.
But Commander Pixis of the Southern Garrison couldn't help but interject.
"How do you determine he can wield Titan power against Titans? Just based on…" He glanced at the stack of documents on Zachary's desk, frowning. "Just those reports? He only joined two battles, and there's that much paperwork?"
Zachary hesitated, tapping the enormous pile beside him.
"Actually… this is not just from combat reports. According to the records, Levi also submitted a self-criticism essay every single day during his training period."
Levi froze. His expression darkened instantly.
Zeke and Eren exchanged glances—eyes wide with amazement.
"He actually wrote self-criticisms?"
"Every day?"
Incredible!
Levi's jaw clenched audibly. "What are you two staring at?"
"Nothing!" the brothers chorused, instantly looking away.
Zachary chuckled softly and flipped through one of the documents. "This is the self-reflection file submitted by Levi's instructor back when he was still a trainee… Excellent handwriting, thorough reflections. From these alone, I can already tell what kind of soldier he is."
"That damn old man…" Levi muttered, glaring at the floor.
Erwin immediately saluted. "Mr. President, Levi is my soldier now. I'll take full responsibility for his discipline going forward."
"That's between you two," Zachary replied evenly. "Now then, back to the matter at hand."
He turned toward Zeke.
"You said the Ackerman family was a result of Titan experiments. Apart from the royal records, is there any other way to identify them? For example—could we make him transform into a Titan on the spot?"
Erwin stepped forward at once. "Sir! According to all known data, any subject capable of Titan transformation requires Titan serum. Without injection of the serum, transformation is impossible. And currently, we possess none."
But Zeke merely laughed.
"I said the Ackerman family was a product of the Titan experiments," he replied. "I never said they could become Titans."
"...What?" Erwin blinked.
Zeke smiled, calm and certain.
"During the long centuries of experimentation, the Ackerman bloodline developed a complete antibody to Titan serum. Even if everyone here were injected and transformed, not a single Ackerman would ever turn into a Titan."
The room went silent.