"Done already? Sooner than I thought."
"Have you sent the person yet?"
"Rest assured, everything is according to plan."
Erwin said with a smile, engaging in a brief exchange with Asahi. He paid no attention to the nobles and the fake king who were trembling uncontrollably not far away.
During the time Asahi was sweeping through the area, Erwin wasn't just standing guard to prevent these old men from escaping. On the contrary, he deliberately led them out, using the visual effect of dozens of fallen Garrison soldiers strewn across the corridors to intimidate them. Perhaps because the environment Asahi created was so effective, perhaps because they knew they couldn't escape, all the nobles were extremely panicked.
They panicked not just out of fear of Asahi's power; they panicked because they knew what fate awaited them. All their power, wealth, and prestige... everything would become an illusion. Few people in this world can tolerate the feeling of going from riding high to falling low, let alone those who have enjoyed high status for nearly their entire lives.
The blood that the Eldian people shed for nearly 100 years of ignorance also needed to be paid for.
Moreover, overthrowing the nobles was only one of the two main objectives in the plan that Erwin and Asahi discussed. The other objective was none other than Darius Zackly.
Former Survey Corps Commander Keith Shadis had said that apart from the Military Police and the noble faction, two other factions existed—no, calling them factions wasn't appropriate; they were two distinct forces that, while not in direct opposition, were clearly separate from the nobles and the Military Police.
The first was Dot Pixis, Commander of the Garrison Forces in the south, and the person responsible for the southern defensive line, which directly faced the Titans. A highly crucial figure. A man with a slightly eccentric personality, but one whom Keith regarded as relatively good-natured within the government, genuinely caring for the people. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken on the entire southern defense line.
Dot Pixis maintained a moderate stance, and the nobles' faction left him alone, letting him reign as the uncrowned king in the south.
The second was Darius Zackly, Commander-in-Chief of all three military branches. He was also the person who directly controlled the entire military of the government inside the Walls.
According to Keith, although Darius showed no outward signs, he had been dissatisfied with the nobles for a long time in private. The reason was simple: the nobles had repeatedly bypassed him to mobilize the military, even treating the Military Police—a formal military branch under the Commander-in-Chief—as their personal property, showing him no respect. Anyone who had climbed to this position would be frustrated.
Both Asahi and Erwin going to the trouble of overthrowing the nobles was not to seize power but to eliminate an obstacle. And once eliminated, they couldn't just discard it. They both needed someone or some force to take over the government. On the surface, nothing would change—operations would continue as before—but the interior would be renewed.
They needed a government that would not obstruct, but rather fully support them. After all, this concerned the survival of all Eldian people. As long as they remained inside the Walls, this threat would never vanish.
If the enemy were merely the mindless, man-eating Titans, simply throwing him outside the Walls would be enough. A few months would be more than enough time to exterminate the Titans.
But the enemy wasn't just the Titans. The Marley Empire, right across the ocean, was a sword hanging over the head of this place, or rather, Paradis Island.
The attack on Shiganshina was the first sign in nearly 100 years that that sword was losing patience.
On another note, ever since the attack on Shiganshina, Asahi had been secretly vigilant of those behind the large flesh-eating monsters that day. They had certainly integrated with the people inside the Walls and could be anyone, their sole objective being the Founding Titan residing within Frieda.
Since she had also experienced an abnormality, for safety, Asahi brought her here, protecting her strictly with the entire Survey Corps, even though they only numbered a few dozen people.
While waiting, Asahi suddenly spoke.
"Honestly, I lean more towards us cooperating with Dot Pixis."
"Why?"
"Just a hunch. And according to Keith's account, this person aligns well with our objectives."
"Darius Zackly... judging from his position, he doesn't seem easy to get along with..."
He sighed. Unfortunately, time was running out, and Dot Pixis was elusive, like a dragon only showing its head.
Erwin also agreed. Based on Keith's account and Darius Zackly's position, he was merely the enemy of their enemy, not a genuine ally.
Coincidentally, just as the two fell silent, many footsteps were heard from the corridor outside.
Darius Zackly appeared with his escort of Military Police. He was also wearing a military uniform, but the spot where the insignia should have been was empty. His eyes, deep and profound, looked towards the two who were waiting for him. As soon as he entered the room, he saw the power-abusing nobles he had to deal with every day "sitting" on top of him turned into a bunch of terrified mice, which couldn't help but make him feel secretly smug.
That emotion was quickly concealed. He looked at Asahi first.
Asahi was still fully clad in armor. Darius obviously couldn't probe anything. Instead, he was met with a deep and bottomless aura that countered his investigation. His gaze moved away, meeting Erwin's eyes.
"Indeed..."
"...not simple."
Both simultaneously had the same thought, marking the end of the prelude.
"Alright, Erwin Smith, 13th Commander of the Survey Corps, and the frightening individual over there. I'm sure you didn't call me here just to intimidate this old man, did you?"
Darius said in a low voice. The Military Police escort was so paralyzed by Asahi's presence that they stood still like statues, sweating profusely. Since entering, they had walked past countless fallen Garrison soldiers, and the perpetrator of it all was standing less than three meters away from them.
The Commander-in-Chief, however, showed no outward reaction. In fact, he looked pleased that the nobles had been overthrown.
"Of course not. On the contrary, we want to share a few things with you. After hearing them, it won't be too late for you to decide."
Erwin replied. The word "intimidate" in Darius's question was clearly a subtle test to see if they intended to completely overthrow the government.
He slightly frowned, realizing that this matter did not seem so simple.
Erwin gave a brief account, simplifying it to keep the main points while directly pointing to the core issues.
The history they always learned was false, the Walls that protected them were also imprisoning them, the Founding Titan controlled memories, the Titans outside the Walls, Paradis Island, the Marley Empire...
Darius's face gradually transitioned from solemnity to shocked dismay.