This chapter's epigraph comes from a conversation between Captain Jessel and Lieutenant Jessel in which the two discuss the upcoming battle. They discuss the fact that they've been ordered to stand around and draw their swords. They're supposed to stop any "titans" that might enter the forest, but they don't have a good explanation for why they're being ordered to do this. They all agree that their commanding officer can't be as calm and collected as he is. They also agree that it's not a good idea to follow orders, because they'll die of mysterious injuries to the back if they do. The two men agree that this is a bad idea, because it'll only make things worse. They agree that they should follow orders and stop the enemy from entering the forest. But they also agree with the other soldiers that they shouldn't let the enemy get too close to them. They argue that the enemy is too close for them to fight, and they should stop them from getting too close. Jessel points out that they have to leave their fellow soldiers behind if they want to stop this enemy. He says he could fight on his own, but he'd have to turn to other soldiers for help if he got in trouble. He doesn't know what the outcome of the battle will be, and he's afraid that he'll be killed if he does. He tells the men to calm down, because he'm telling them to do what's right.