The graduation banquet was still ongoing.
Rayan tucked away the few sheets of paper in his hand. When he returned, he happened to see Eren delivering his impassioned speech of defiance.
"I didn't join this training to live within these walls. I joined to fight the titans!"
"But we can't win at all!"
The rebutting voice caught everyone's attention. Rayan stood off to the side, watching as the speaker echoed the sentiments of the majority of the trainees.
"You should know very well that twenty percent of our population has been consumed by titans. That alone should give us the answer... Humans cannot defeat titans."
Those bleak words reflected the true thoughts of most people. Given the current state of society, fighting the titans seemed nothing more than a pipe dream. If not for the intelligent titans wreaking havoc, perhaps humanity within the walls could have eventually made a breakthrough in technology. But with the feudal system in place, the upper echelons had no interest in advanced technology; it was in their best interest to maintain their reign forever.
Thus, the warrior trio, as "invaders," didn't only bring death. They brought crisis and oppression. This external pressure, however, pushed the people within the walls to unlock more of their potential.
Marley saw this as well, but they were helpless in the face of it. With the technological progress of other nations, mindless titans and intelligent titans no longer made Marley invincible. In fact, due to previous invasions, nations on the continent had unified to oppose Marley, plunging the empire into crisis.
To ensure the dominance of their empire and the final victory in the war, Marley had to turn their eyes to the island—to obtain the Founding Titan.
The Founding Titan's power was the "Coordinate," which allowed it to command ordinary titans. This was an incredibly powerful ability. If Marley could harness it, they could transform some Eldians into mindless titans and direct them to carry out operations with military precision.
If titans could follow commands and act together like soldiers, their destructive power would be overwhelming. With this power, uniting the continent seemed feasible.
It was for this reason that Marley had sent four intelligent titans to the island. However, one was devoured by Ymir before they even reached the walls.
Naturally, the operation had not gone smoothly. Despite their strength, the intelligent titans faced significant challenges, including the inability to locate the Founding Titan. Thus, they were forced to act in secret, hoping to flush it out by destroying the walls.
In the midst of the overwhelming atmosphere of defeat, Eren spoke up once more.
"Are we really going to give up just because we think we can't win? It's true that humanity has been losing, but that's because we know so little about the titans. Against titans, human wave tactics are useless. We may have lost, but the knowledge we've gained from this fight will make us stronger in the next battle! If we give up now, what was the point of the tactical advances that cost so many lives? Don't joke around! I will drive every titan out of this world and escape the confines of these walls! That's my dream! Humanity has not failed yet!"
After his passionate speech, Eren noticed that most people were staring at him blankly, unaffected by his words. Despite his tearful eyes, no one shared his sentiment.
Rayan observed Eren running off in tears, understanding the source of his distress.
It was painful not to be understood, but Eren wasn't simply upset by this. He wasn't naive—he knew that defeating titans required more than sheer will. No matter how strong one's resolve, in reality, they would still be crushed by a titan.
Deep down, Eren also understood that humanity's only hope lay in unity. But in this moment, he was surrounded by pessimists and defeatists. While he vocalized his dreams of victory, his heart ached with disappointment and despair.
Rayan didn't fully agree with Eren's perspective either.
"Can't tell, that guy's quite the talker," Ymir commented beside him, while Krista seemed somewhat moved. "I think what Eren said was really good... What about you, Rayan?"
"Me? I'm alright."
Ymir immediately responded, "Looks like the shorty has a different idea."
"It's not so much a different idea," Rayan explained. "It's just that those words affect people differently based on their experiences."
Eren had witnessed his mother being devoured by a titan with his own eyes, which fueled his deep hatred and determination.
But what about the others?
Most of the trainees weren't from Shiganshina District. They hadn't lived through that nightmare, and many hadn't even seen a titan firsthand. Their initial reaction to the titans was fear.
In other words, if Eren hadn't lost his mother, if he had grown up in Wall Rose, would his resolve to eliminate the titans be this strong?
He might have had determination, but it likely wouldn't be as intense, to the point of self-destruction.
"Not everyone has the determination to burn themselves out," Rayan said, glancing at the two of them. "Oh, by the way," he added, "I'm joining the Military Police."
---
"Here they come! The main force of the Survey Corps!"
Under a clear, sunny sky, crowds lined the streets of Wall Rose, cheering as the cavalry approached in the distance.
Led by Erwin, the Survey Corps was about to embark on an expedition beyond the walls. Public enthusiasm for the Corps was at an all-time high, fueled by the events of the Wall Maria incident five years ago.
Great hopes were placed upon them.
The Survey Corps had once been despised. Every time they returned from an expedition, they brought back only the mangled bodies of their comrades. To the public, it had seemed like a pointless loss of life, a waste of taxpayer money.
But things had improved somewhat after Keith stepped down and Erwin took command. His implementation of the "Long-Range Scouting Formation" had reduced casualties, winning the Corps some public support, though many still held disdain.
Everything changed, however, when the Colossal Titan appeared five years ago.
The peace that had lasted a century was shattered when the Colossal Titan effortlessly breached the gate humanity believed to be unbreakable. Titans swarmed in, and Wall Maria quickly descended into chaos.
At that moment, humanity was reminded of the terror and shame of being imprisoned within the walls. The Survey Corps became the symbol of hope, and the people of Wall Rose especially placed their hopes in them. After all, with Wall Maria lost, their region had become the front line, which was far more dangerous.
However, after five years of relative peace, most had grown complacent.
"Commander Erwin! Please wipe out all the titans!"
"Look, it's Captain Levi! I heard he's as strong as an entire brigade!"
"They'll definitely bring back good news this time!"
"Yeah!"
As the Survey Corps rode through the streets, the cheers from the crowd filled the air. But unlike the public's excitement, the soldiers wore solemn expressions. They knew that once they left the walls, there was no guarantee they would return.
Just as Erwin's group neared the gate, a seven or eight-year-old girl suddenly ran from the crowd, stopping in front of Erwin's horse and offering him the flowers she was holding.
Erwin, momentarily taken aback, reached out and took them.
However, as he did, his gaze fell upon a small note hidden among the flowers.
His pupils contracted slightly.
The note was labeled "Open after leaving the walls."
"..."
Erwin calmly held the flowers, then gave the girl a kind smile. "Thank you."
"You're welcome~" the little girl smiled sweetly. "Someone gave me some candy and asked me to deliver these to you."
Erwin's voice dropped low. "What did that person look like?"
The girl shook her head. "I don't know. They were wearing a hat, so I couldn't see." After she finished speaking, she turned and ran off.
"Erwin, what's wrong?" Hange, trailing behind, noticed his odd expression and asked quietly.
"Out of the walls first," Erwin said, signaling to continue forward. Soon, the Survey Corps passed through the gate and left the walls. The crowd gradually dispersed.
---
Outside the walls, Erwin didn't hurry to move forward. Instead, he called over Hange, Levi, and a few other trusted subordinates. He quickly explained what had just happened before opening the note.
Inside, a crooked line read:
"Don't go too far. Today, the Colossal Titan will appear again and destroy the walls of Trost District. But don't get too close, or it won't appear."
"Is this?!"
The contents of the note left everyone stunned.
Even Erwin instinctively clenched the note in his hand, crumpling the fragile paper.
---
Inside the wall, in a dark and narrow alleyway, Rayan discarded the cloak he had used to disguise himself and casually tossed it on the ground.
"This way... it should be better, right?"
------------
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