The soldiers pulled Eren, dazed, out from the Titan's nape.
Medical personnel examined him and determined that although he was extremely exhausted, he was fine. Even if he had near-fatal injuries, the power of the Titan would continue repairing his body.
Some people, wearing masks, counted the dead, trying to find among the rubble one or two insignias that could identify them.
Pixis listened to the witnesses' testimonies with a headache. When he was handed the list of the dead, he even felt like tearing his hair out—but he was bald, which made him experience a frustration he hadn't felt in a long time.
"How did the attack happen?" Pixis looked at all the devastation and wondered why the other two recorded Titans had not attacked.
Was it a suicide mission, or was it seeking revenge?
Pixis had no way to answer his questions, so all he could do was keep the chaos as secret as possible.
That was the only way they could buy time against the unknown enemy.
…
A few days later, the matter inevitably became public.
After all, many high-ranking nobles had died, and it was necessary to account for their deaths.
All responsibility for this incident fell on the Female Titan, and this was the explanation given to the outside world regarding the cause of the event.
Of course, this information was concealed from the outer walls. It was only reported to those who cared about the nobles' deaths and those who would be affected.
Annie was an invader, like the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan, a possessor of Titan power.
After investigation, it was speculated that she had come to the capital for the Princess—or perhaps for the power of the Founding Titan.
What was known was that she had infiltrated among the preselected maids, trying to get close to the Princess through that means.
And without anyone noticing, taking advantage of an opportunity during the banquet, she transformed into the Female Titan and launched an attack.
The army paid a heavy price, using secret weapons, and ultimately captured her.
The aristocratic system had no choice but to accept the report.
However, in the following month, the property and influence of those deceased nobles were rapidly absorbed by the Hawthorne Merchant Guild.
Pixis was the head of the army and knew how to command it, but he had no idea how to do business.
While dealing with investigations and interrogations, Gale used various means to integrate the chambers of commerce and unions within the capital.
Almost all the nobles of the capital had died, and their families were plunged into chaos. Some were left with only young children.
The minor nobles simply did not have the ability to fight against the Hawthorne Merchant Guild.
The big fish eat the small fish, and in just half a month, 80% of the capital's businesses had changed hands.
Many officers had also died in the army. After confiscating a large amount of property, Gale ordered Hannes to promote his friends and acquaintances to higher positions.
He secretly resorted to bribery to forge relationships, allowing him to gain influence within the army.
While he was not as influential as Erwin and Pixis, it was enough.
The situation had changed in his hands.
One month after the Female Titan incident, Erwin finally led the Survey Corps to conclude the 25th Expedition beyond the walls, and shortly after, Erwin and Levi returned to the capital.
…
In April, on a sunny day, the capital bathed under the beautiful spring sun.
People in the streets were smiling. After the Hawthorne Merchant Guild took control of part of the public discourse, it gave up a large portion of its profits for the benefit of the masses.
Prices in the capital dropped considerably, and the portion of productivity that the nobles had exploited was returned to ordinary citizens by Gale.
Naturally, people's quality of life improved, and they smiled more often.
In Pixis's office, Erwin sat on the sofa, reading documents about the Female Titan incident.
"There are several suspicious points in this incident." Pixis stood up and drew the curtains.
"First, there is Annie's background. Judging by her appearance, she is a girl of about ten years old. Records indicate she comes from a pioneer area in the eastern region of Wall Rosell."
After saying that, Pixis continued: "She arrived in the capital only three days before the incident and was receiving training as a maid in the Hawthorne Merchant Guild."
"In other words, she was purchased by the Hawthorne Merchant Guild and happened to appear at Count Fort's vineyard on the day of the incident."
"Second, nearly 90% of the deceased in this incident were nobles and officers. The Female Titan transformed in the middle of the crowd, and most of the dead were crushed during the battle between the Female Titan and the Titan Eren Yeager transformed into."
"And the explosives used against the Female Titan… those explosives were placed in the field in advance, and their destructive power was far greater than that of gunpowder-based explosives."
"This event appears to have been planned by someone, and we only know of one mind capable of planning something so meticulously." Pixis suspected Gale; his cruel methods were giving him a headache.
If he had already killed so many to rise to power, what would happen to them when they were no longer useful?
"Commander, is there a conjecture behind your words?" Erwin set down the documents in his hand, looked up, and met Pixis's gaze.
"Normally, to determine who orchestrated an event, you only need to find the greatest beneficiary," Pixis said with his hands behind his back. "After the nobles' deaths, the Hawthorne Merchant Guild expanded rapidly before I even realized what was happening, promoting soldiers to officers."
"Do you understand what I'm saying, Erwin?" Pixis's eyes were somewhat cold.
Erwin slightly opened his mouth, but before he could speak, there was a knock at the door.
"Hello, Commanders, it's Gale."
This was precisely the person Erwin wanted to talk about.
"You showed up just like that…" Pixis let out a chuckle, narrowed his eyes, and opened the door.
Gale stood at the doorway and greeted Pixis. "Good afternoon, Commander."
Hannes followed behind him, along with two rows of soldiers lined up in the corridor.
"These are some rather… unusual guests," Pixis said, observing the soldiers. He recognized their faces—some belonged to his own personal troops.
"How can I help you, Congressman Gale?"
"I have a new draft I would like to discuss with the Commander and Commander Erwin, who has just completed his reconnaissance beyond the walls," Gale said with a genuine smile.
"What is it about?" Erwin asked, mentally calm.
"It's about the plan to retake Wall Maria," Gale said sincerely.
Erwin's and Pixis's pupils contracted involuntarily.
Gale then asked, "Commander, shall we go inside to discuss this in more detail?"
"Please." Pixis stepped aside to let him in.
"Commander Erwin and Pixis, Captain Levi—it has been a long time," Gale greeted the three men as he entered.
"It seems you've grown quite a bit since we last met, Gale…" Erwin said with a slight smile.
"You've grown, but there's nothing I can do about it. If you hadn't, sometimes I'd have to ask Captain Hange for help to reach the books on the shelf."
"A moment ago you mentioned the draft of the plan for the operation to retake Maria. Is it the same as last year's glass greenhouse? Do you have any new ideas this time?"
"Of course." Gale placed several folders containing classified documents in front of the two commanders. "The new machine guns and ammunition are already in production and can be used to fight Titans."
"What incredible design have you come up with this time?"
"No, compared to the structure of the AK-47, the new weapon is only slightly modified. I call it the Giant Gatling Machine Gun. Although it's somewhat bulky, its firepower is enough to penetrate Titan joints."
"To achieve that, we had to create a mega metal factory capable of producing the components we need with greater precision. After all this time, we finally succeeded."
"And now that we can manufacture this new weapon, against smaller Titans, it can even penetrate the nape directly from the throat."
"But killing Titans won't be enough." Erwin's gaze remained calm. "If we don't seal the walls, Titans will continue entering from outside, and their numbers are impossible to calculate."
"You can rest assured, Commander Erwin, I also have a way to seal the wall," Gale said with a slight chuckle as he pointed. "It's a new material. Originally it was a powder, but it quickly solidifies and fills gaps when water is added…"
"Its name is cement…"