Chapter 4

"W-wait!! C-can you see that?!" a Garrison member on top of the wall exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah. I thought it was just an unusual day. But now that I think about it, fewer and fewer Titans have been spotted outside Wall Rose these past few weeks," another Garrison soldier said, coming to a realization.

Usually, they don't even bother checking for Titans outside because it's not like they can climb the wall with their meager intellect. However, since the appearance of the Colossal Titan a year ago, they have learned to take turns and do their jobs more diligently.

But even then, some of them are afraid to get on top of the wall, fearing they might get squashed by the Colossal Titan's palm or get closer and be crushed by huge debris from its kick at any moment, just like how it appeared out of thin air last time.

That's why only now did they notice the change in the surroundings—the lack of Titans. They hadn't even bothered to see where the Scouts were heading during their expeditions because they couldn't stomach watching those hopeless guys get eaten by Titans without even getting too far.

What they didn't know was that when the new commander of the Scouts was appointed, a new approach to exploring outside the walls was formulated. It was Erwin's plan that allowed them to drastically increase their survival rate in Titan territory. His strategy was to avoid any Titan confrontation during the day—a complete opposite of previous commanders' tactics—then kill as many Titans as possible during the night.

"Don't tell me they really did it?" one of the Garrison soldiers asked, his voice filled with a mix of hope and disbelief.

The Squad Leader hesitated, his brows furrowing. "As much as I want that to be the case, it's too far-fetched," he replied, his words heavy with doubt.

The first soldier clenched his fists, his eyes wide with desperate hope. "B-but Squad Leader! They took almost a month out there with close to zero deaths!" he said, his voice trembling as he tried to cling to the possibility that there might still be hope.

The Squad Leader, a man with straight black hair and bags under his eyes, began pacing along the edge of the wall. "Although Wall Rose covers a much smaller area than Wall Maria, there's no way the Scouts could have wiped out all the Titans..."

He continued, "It's just too vast for their numbers. Besides, we've only been monitoring this area, Trost. We have no idea what's happening in the other districts..."

He paused and gazed towards the direction of the breach in Wall Maria, even though it was far beyond his line of sight. "And lastly, there's the hole," he said, gritting his teeth.

It had been a year since his family died in that horrific incident. The squad leader still couldn't bear the memories of watching his loved ones torn to unrecognizable shreds and devoured by Titans in his nightmares. At that time, he had been a normal civilian, frozen in fear.

The Squad Leader turned back to his subordinate. "However, we can't be too sure of things," he said, tapping his subordinate's shoulder before launching himself down with his ODM gear.

He landed on the road beside the head of the Scouts and continued walking forward at the same pace as the group.

"Commander Erwin, sir. Could I get the count of injured and casualties this time so that we could report it to the medical team?" the squad leader asked, keeping his gaze fixed ahead, avoiding eye contact with someone who might have lost comrades.

"No need for that. This time, no Scouts were injured, nor were there any casualties," Erwin replied calmly. "Also, could you report something to the higher-ups while we rest at our headquarters for the day?"

The Squad Leader's eyes widened in disbelief, a flicker of astonishment breaking through his stoic exterior. He had braced himself for the worst, the usual grim reality of returning Scouts. For a moment, he let himself hope, let himself feel the weight of Erwin's words.

The image of his family, torn apart by Titans, haunted his thoughts, fueling his determination. He had joined the Garrison to protect others from the same fate, but he had never imagined hearing news like this.

He nodded, swallowing hard. "Of course, Commander. I'll make sure the report gets to the higher-ups."

As he walked beside the Scouts, he couldn't help but steal glances at them. They walked with heads held high, unscathed and resolute. The scene was almost surreal, a stark contrast to the usual battered and bloodied return. His heart pounded with a mix of disbelief and a newfound spark of hope.

"I want you to tell them that we will make a complete report tomorrow after we've had a chance to recuperate ourselves. And that...

Wall Maria has been reclaimed," the Commander of the Scouts declared, his voice ringing with resolve as he met the squad leader's gaze with steely determination.

Hearing these unbelievable words, the Squad Leader of the Garrison couldn't help but freeze in his tracks. It took a moment for the reality to sink in, and when it did, he was already left behind by the last members of the group. "Y-yes, sir!" he exclaimed, his voice choked with emotion as he pressed the bottom of his right fist against his left chest, his eyes brimming with tears of relief and disbelief.

At that moment, his subordinate flew and landed beside him, breathless with anticipation. "What was that, Squad Leader?" he asked eagerly.

With a mixture of disbelief and exhilaration, the Squad Leader relayed the news. The subordinate's eyes widened in shock, and he couldn't contain his excitement.

Falling to his knees, the subordinate let out a primal scream that echoed through the air. "EVERYONEEEE!!! WALL MARIA HAS BEEN RECLAIMEDDDD!!!"

...

//Next Day//

In the grand assembly hall of the royal castle within Wall Sina, the atmosphere was charged with tension as Commander Erwin prepared to deliver the report of the Scouts' recent expedition. Nobles, dignitaries, and representatives of the religious order leaned forward in their seats, eager to hear the details of the Scouts' daring mission.

"As you all know," Erwin began, his voice commanding the attention of everyone present, "our mission beyond the walls was not without its challenges. However, this time, we are here to report a significant breakthrough in our efforts to ensure the safety of humanity."

Anticipation hung thick in the air as Erwin continued, detailing the Scouts' strategic maneuvers and heroic exploits. But it was his revelation about how they managed to block the hole in the wall that left the assembly stunned.

"We utilized rubble extracted from the walls to seal the breach," Erwin announced, his words reverberating through the chamber.

Gasps of disbelief echoed through the grand assembly hall as Erwin's words settled over the crowd. The nobles exchanged incredulous glances, their composed facades cracking. The high priest of the Order of the Walls recoiled in shock as if his faith in the walls' sanctity was shattered.

"But surely you cannot mean..." one noble stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief. "To deface the walls in such a manner—it's unthinkable!"

"That's right! What if the wall crumbles completely because of your stupidity?! It would mean that even if we relocated our citizens back there, it would be meaningless if it just collapses!!" a priest exclaimed, hoping to stop the people from uncovering the secrets of the walls by spouting unreliable logic.

Before Erwin could respond, Hange stood up, her eyes blazing with determination. "Our actions were necessary to protect humanity," she declared firmly. "We ensured the structural integrity of the wall before taking any action. The rubble we used to seal the breach was meticulously selected and reinforced with additional materials to fortify the wall. We also conducted extensive tests to ensure its stability and had our engineers monitor the wall continuously during the process."

She met the priest's gaze unflinchingly as she calmed herself. "Our primary concern has always been the safety and well-being of humanity. We would not have taken this course of action if we believed it would endanger lives or compromise the integrity of the wall."

This time, another noble interjected, his demeanor exuding dignity and calmness. Despite his stature, he questioned with authority, "And how did you manage to do that? If I'm not mistaken, even your blades couldn't possibly slice through the wall." He stood as a slightly overweight man with a round face, short black hair, and a thin black mustache.

"As we've mentioned earlier, we only used the already broken part of the wall," Hange explained confidently. "Specifically, we used material from the 'foot' of the wall that was already on the verge of collapsing," she added, her words carrying a subtle hint of deeper truth.

The noble's expression shifted as he grasped her insinuation. "I see. Then I assume you did not just leave that part without cover?"

"We made sure to completely cover it. Not even a single ray of sunlight can pass through," Hange affirmed, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

...