Humanity's Butterfly

Chapter 22

Shock? Disbelief? Gratification? Unease?

Hange Zoe couldn't put into exact words how she felt. Should she be shocked? Disbelief? Anxious? When the truth came to light that the Reiss family is the true royal family and not the fraud King Fritz sitting on the throne? Or should she feel gratified that she gave justice to those who tortured Pastor Nick and his eventual death?

Either way, they've saved enough time from searching throughout the walls on who took Eren and Historia, that much is certain as Sunako finished treating Sannes of his injuries that he endured during their torture before joining up with Levi. Hange and Moblit were left leading Sannes back to his cell where Ralph also resided.

the cell offered no luxury—only two beds and occasional drips from the ceiling. Illuminated by flickering torches, the jingling keys echoed, unlocking the prison bars with a snapping sound as Sannes reentered the cell, the door sealing shut behind him.

"Sannes! Are you alright?" Ralph asked. His face marred in concern when he saw the bandaged state of his partner.

Sannes stared at him, eyes brimming with anger at his two-faced partner while Ralph unknowingly inquired. "Hey, don't tell me... You didn't tell them anything, right? Our loyalty to the King is more..."

Sannes screamed in frustration and anger as he grabbed Ralph by the neck and choked him. The usual jovial section commander uncharacteristically frowns as she and Moblit watch from the other side of the cell.

"Sannes!"

"I can't stand to hear your voice anymore! You've betrayed me from the beginning! I can't believe I trusted you!" Sannes cried in anger at his partner's supposed betrayal, his tears welled up, threatening to overflow as they cascaded down to his cheeks.

Before Sannes could choke Ralph to death, Hange decided to intervene before it escalated further. "Sannes! He never told us anything. In fact, we never questioned him."

It snapped out of his rageful spur as the older man turned his head and glanced at Hange, his grip on Ralph weakened. Hange then pulled out a note full of words and briefly explained to him. "We threatened Ralph with a knife and forced him to read this script that I wrote. That's all."

His hold on Ralph was then released as the man gasped for air when the constriction released its hold as he rubbed his neck to ease the pain while Sannes stepped back and fell to the ground in utter disbelief when he realized what he had just done. Not only was he tricked into thinking that his friend sold out on him and the King but it was he who ended up betraying the King whom he believed in.

Hange then turned to leave with Moblit in tow when Ralph spoke after regaining his breathing. "You devils."

This prompted Hange to stop in her tracks as she turned to glance at them and readjusted her glasses before taking them off and placing them up to her forehead. "I'm not trying to deny it, but I'm sure Nick thought the same thing about you."

She then approached the cell, her blood boiling in fervent anger as she grabbed the bars of the prison cell and mockingly added, "that's why I said what I did. That I was beginning to feel sorry for you. Look at how pathetic you are! Grown-ass men wailing and crying! It serves you right, morons! Let's see how you like spending the rest of your life shitting in a tiny cell!"

Having said that she calmly let go of the bars and bid farewell as she turned to leave.

"Next in line..."

Hange halts in her steps before glancing at Sanness with her brows furrowed, listening to what he has to say. "This role of ours... There's an order to it. When one's role is done, another steps in to start the act again. And thus, the world can never be rid of it."