Chapter 102 The Weight of Expectations

Petra smiled and began counting on her fingers.

"One, two, three, four… Two, two, three, four… Three, two, three, four… One more time…"

She finally stopped and declared with a cheerful grin, "You've killed a total of 18 titans this time. Adding your previous achievements, that brings your total to 22 titans. Ryo, congratulations! You're now officially the second-ranked soldier in the Survey Corps for confirmed titan kills!"

Closing her notebook, she continued, "I'll report this along with everyone else's results."

Ryo tilted his head, clearly puzzled. "Second-ranked? What exactly does that mean?"

Petra raised an eyebrow, amused by his cluelessness. "It's the ranking for the most titans killed in the Survey Corps. Right now, the top spot belongs to Oluo with 45 titans. The second spot used to belong to Captain Sanmao with 21 kills, but you've surpassed him. With 22 titans under your belt, you're officially number two! Quite an achievement. Shouldn't you treat us to a celebration?" She gave him a teasing smile.

Ryo laughed awkwardly. "Haha, Petra, you're joking, right? I can barely afford to treat myself, let alone everyone else!"

Petra chuckled. "Fair enough. But if you don't, they might start calling me a cradle-snatcher for teasing you!"

Ryo's face went red. "What?! Cradle-snatcher? I'm not a child, for crying out loud!"

Trying to change the subject, Ryo asked, "Why doesn't the captain have any recorded stats?"

Petra's smile faded slightly as she sighed. "That's because it's impossible to calculate his stats accurately."

Ryo furrowed his brows, confused. "What do you mean by impossible? You've been using witnesses, comparing titan wounds, and verifying with the soldiers themselves. Isn't it the same for him?"

Petra shook her head. "Not even close. His data is extraordinary, but also impossible to track. His fighting style is completely unique, and the wounds he leaves on titans vary so much that it's hard to match them to him alone. And…"

She hesitated before continuing, her voice lowering. "The real reason? Many of the battles he fights are so intense, the corps suffers heavy losses. Sometimes, the bodies of soldiers can't even be recovered, let alone the tally of the titans killed. Counting the captain's kills would mean keeping a grim record of those losses. He specifically asked us not to track his data."

Her words left Ryo deep in thought. He nodded slowly, piecing things together. "That makes sense. I guess if people always relied on the captain to save them, they'd lose their own will to fight. That's dangerous in a place like this."

Petra smiled at his insight. "Exactly. The captain carries enough on his shoulders without needing to deal with the pressure of stats. It's why we try to handle things ourselves when we can."

Ryo clenched his fists. "I understand now. I'll keep growing stronger, so I can carry some of that burden too."

Petra chuckled softly. "I have no doubt you will. You've already proven yourself out there. Even the captain must be taking notice. Your performance during this expedition has silenced anyone who doubted your place in the squad."

She paused and added thoughtfully, "To be honest, Ryo, I think you're someone with the potential to surpass even Captain Levi one day."

Her words hung in the air, leaving Ryo stunned. It wasn't praise he took lightly. But deep down, he knew one thing—he'd keep fighting, growing stronger, and earning the trust placed in him.