Ultimately, they all worked together, using intact or at least usable pieces of wood to build a crude wooden cart. Asahi would then drive the motorcycle to tow it. In this era, there weren't many methods for communication—either letters or urgent messengers. The military also used signal flares, and obviously, none of those could be applied here.
Their location was too far for the outside to receive a signal flare, there was nothing for rapid communication, and sending a letter was impossible.
So, building the cart was the only option. However, they decided to wait until the new dawn to start moving. They were too exhausted to exert themselves now and needed a rest.
...
The next morning, at the refugee camp for citizens from Shiganshina, a new day began.
Here, all residents had to wake up very early to start working or farming. Although Wall Maria had not completely fallen, the economy was still stagnant during reconstruction, so shortages were abundant, and the government could not afford to simply sustain everyone without labor.
Excluding children and special workers, everyone over the age of fifteen would go to the fields to work, with the slogan, "The faster you work, the sooner you can go home." Of course, children could also work if they participated in tasks like growing mushrooms or weeding, though the pay wasn't great. Many families who were too poor needed this meager pay to buy one or two extra loaves of bread.
Fortunately, the Yeager family was not among them. One might even say they were relatively lucky.
Grisha Yeager was a doctor, and in any era, they were among the first class of talented individuals to be utilized. Not to mention he was highly reputable, having treated many patients from the noble class and even resolved an epidemic in the past.
Even if he didn't work now, the daily food supply for the Yeager household would not be lacking. Of course, he didn't do that.
Grisha honorably opened a temporary clinic, charging low fees. When he had no customers, he looked out the window, contemplating all the crazy things that had recently happened in a short span of time.
Just as he was deep in thought, a knock sounded outside the door.
"Grisha, it's me."
"Asahi?"
Grisha's expression immediately shifted to joy. He went out to open the door and saw Asahi carrying an unconscious Frieda in his arms, bringing her inside.
"What happened?"
"It's a long story. Just check her over first. The details... this is quite complicated."
Grisha could only start the examination. After a preliminary check, Frieda was only suffering from extreme fatigue leading to fainting. It was similar to when Grisha transformed into a Titan and ran all the way from the coastline to near the Wall; he was just as exhausted and worn out.
"Why did Frieda turn into a Titan? Did you have to fight someone?"
"Yes, we fought a battle against this sleeping woman here. She didn't just turn into a Titan; she was a Founding Titan over a hundred meters tall."
Asahi tiredly rubbed his face, recounting the cause and effect from last night until dawn. Hearing this, Grisha felt like his worldview had just been cracked open, stuffed with a few more things, and then glued back together, leaving him stunned for a moment.
"Grisha, I need to tell you something that is directly related to your son."
Asahi said in a low voice. This immediately made Grisha anxious.
"Wait, my son? Why are you suddenly dragging him into this?"
"Listen to me first."
"I went inside the Paths."
"The Paths?"
"That thing that theoretically connects all Eldian people. I saw it; it's real."
Aside from the moment he entered the pillar of light at the Coordinate, everything that happened inside the Coordinate was clearly etched in Asahi's mind. There, he was guided by Eren, and the boy even admitted he was merely a messenger.
Moreover, he remembered another detail.
The note indicating the "Reiss" house in Grisha's basement in Shiganshina, no matter how he thought about it, was strangely suspicious. It seemed to have been placed there for a very long time, just so he would see it and pursue the Reiss family, thereby unlocking everything that happened afterward.
However, he did not mention this to Grisha, as there were too many things that couldn't be explained. Saying more would only further torture the poor doctor's worldview. But he still advised him to keep a careful watch on Eren.
Meanwhile, none of them knew that the refugee camp had quietly emptied of three people, and there were three more people on the western bank of Wall Maria.
All three were indeed children, aged ten to twelve. However, they possessed the power of Titans and were the cause of the Shiganshina tragedy and almost the entirety of Wall Maria's fall.
The reason why the three were standing here now instead of in the refugee camp was because they were divided between two options, having argued incessantly since they arrived.
"Reiner, stop it! We can't handle that guy!"
"But this is too good an opportunity. Annie, I know I was wrong once. But the objective is right in front of us now; are we going to give up?"
Annie and Reiner were the two arguing. Both were products of the youth soldier Titan inheritance training program, the program that was initially implemented when Grisha was active in the Eldia Restorationists. They came here to seize the Founding Titan from the Royal Family inside the Walls.
Somehow, these young soldiers learned about the events of yesterday, and they knew their target. However, the group was now divided.
Annie was a girl with blonde hair worn down on one side, blue eyes, and an aloof demeanor. She wanted things to be certain and less risky, which meant calling for aid from Marley. Although they had made a huge mistake before, they could completely redeem themselves through merit.
Reiner also wanted to capture the Founding Titan, but he wanted more than "meritorious atonement"—he wanted to enjoy the rewards, to monopolize all the credit. If the military intervened, then everything would be tainted.
Both sides had their rationale, arguing endlessly since learning the location of the Founding Titan. In fact, there was one more person in the group of three, but due to his indecisive and relatively unremarkable personality, he could only stand aside and witness his two comrades' fierce argument.
...
"Is this okay?"
Erwin asked Asahi as he loaded supplies onto the cart, leaning against the side. Asahi sighed and shook his head.
"It's definitely not okay. You guys had better stay far away, or there's a pretty high chance you'll catch a stray bullet."
Originally, it was just meant to be an introductory confrontation. Who knew that the events of last night and the Reiss family incident would force him to immediately change the plan. This trip would be the time to force the old government to dissolve, consolidating all power inside the Walls in the shortest amount of time. Once there was nothing obstructing them inside the Walls, the Titan research program could officially operate at full capacity.
Three issues: the mysterious Titans attacking Shiganshina and Maria, the Titan mystery, and the government within the Walls. They had to resolve the latter two before they could even consider Marley, or even the world outside.
And it might involve a considerable amount of bloodshed.