Chapter 96: The Survey Corps (Part 4)
"Evidence? Am I obligated to provide you with evidence? I'm simply telling you what I know. Whether you choose to believe it or not is up to you," Daniel Davis (沈飞) said calmly, looking at Erwin.
Erwin's skepticism was understandable. The information Daniel provided was so far removed from their long-held beliefs. Even someone like Eren, who was still presumably quite naive at this point, would find such claims hard to accept.
"You bastard!" One of the older squad leaders glared at Daniel. It looked like he might attack if his comrades hadn't restrained him.
"Sorry for his reaction. He can be a bit impulsive. Could you elaborate on who the Eldians are and what you mean by the descendants of the devil?" Erwin, having regained his composure, asked thoughtfully.
"You don't even know who you are anymore, huh? The so-called 'descendants of the devil' is a term used by other nations to refer to you, the Eldians. Don't tell me you don't even know that you're Eldians," Daniel replied after a moment's consideration.
He paused to think because he was trying to decide how best to explain. Initially, Daniel considered retrieving the books left by Eren's father in their basement to give to Erwin. However, he quickly abandoned this idea. He didn't know exactly where Eren's house was. This was the real world of Titans, and while he knew Eren's home was somewhere near the walls, the area near the walls was full of destroyed houses, and almost every house had a basement. Plus, there were Titans roaming around. After a brief search without success, he gave up.
Reality wasn't like the anime. While the area within the three walls seemed large, it was densely populated, making the space feel much smaller. This was why a massive underground city developed beneath the capital inside the third wall. The underground area of the third wall's city was almost as large as the surface city.
Even with the protection of the walls, living inside the first wall was far less safe than within the third wall. If not for the royal restrictions on population movement, most wealthy people would have likely relocated to live inside the capital.
Of course, if Daniel had searched thoroughly and patiently, he might have found Eren's basement. But he didn't want to waste that much time on it.
"Other nations?" Erwin and the others were stunned by Daniel's words. Their education within the walls taught them that they were the last survivors of humanity, saved by the gods who helped them build the three massive walls to fend off the Titans. Hearing that other nations existed outside was a shock.
"Where are these other nations? How do they defend against the Titans?" Hange, recovering fastest, asked excitedly. She was a somewhat eccentric scientist within the Survey Corps, and her inventions, like the Thunder Spears, later proved crucial in fighting the intelligent Titans.
"There are no Titans where they are. The only place with Titans is this island," Daniel stated bluntly, ignoring their shock.
"The Eldians, also known as the people of the Titans, are the only ones in the world who can transform into Titans. Around a thousand years ago, Eldians used their Titan powers to nearly unify the surrounding continents, enslaving other nations," Daniel continued without waiting for them to respond, elaborating on Eldian history. He also mentioned their brutal actions, acknowledging that Marley's vengeance wasn't entirely unjustified. The Eldians were indeed quite cruel during their reign with the Titans.
The residents of Paradis Island were truly pitiable, living in ignorance due to altered history, dreaming of seeing the world outside the walls. But the cause of their suffering was rooted in their own history, specifically in the actions of their king. If it were merely internal strife, it would be one thing, but the 145th king's decision to impose a vow of peace, shackling their power even when in danger, was baffling. This king had immense power with the Founding Titan, yet chose not to use it to overturn their fate, instead binding himself with a peace pact. Daniel couldn't understand such a decision from a ruler.
Among the Nine Titans, the Founding Titan held the greatest power not because of its combat abilities but because it could command other Titans. With numerous Titans over 50 meters tall at their disposal, the royal family could have easily restored order, even if the other eight intelligent Titans rebelled.
The suffering of the Eldians both on Paradis Island and those oppressed in Marley was largely the fault of their own king. This king, instead of using the Founding Titan's power to combat their enemies, chose to lock himself and his people into a state of ignorance and inaction.
Given his knowledge of both sides' perspectives, Daniel didn't want to intervene in their conflict. Informing Erwin and his team was merely a way to prevent them from fighting blindly. Daniel wasn't opposed to killing per se—he had killed many bad people over the years—but he didn't want to get involved in the war here, especially against Marley, knowing that war often impacts civilians.
He felt no moral obligation to directly kill civilians, even in the name of saving others.
Of course, his stance came from his external perspective, knowing the full story and not being a part of this world. If he were a native, his approach would likely be different. Just as in both the Marvel and Harry Potter worlds, he would naturally side with his own country, China, and would undoubtedly help if the people within the walls were Chinese.
There was a heavy silence after Daniel finished speaking. Erwin, Hange, Levi, and the others were all grim-faced. To illustrate his points, Daniel had even drawn a simple map of Paradis Island and the surrounding nations, including Marley.
The decision by the 145th king to build their society at the center of Paradis Island meant that any approach to the walls would involve a similar distance. Titans roamed all around, but because Marley's main source of Titans was their Titan serum, the direction Erwin and the Survey Corps explored was the most densely populated by Titans. This was somewhat good news for the Survey Corps, as exploring in the opposite direction might have led to demoralizing discoveries.
"Which country are you from?" Erwin finally asked after a long silence, sighing deeply. As he spoke, several squad leaders unconsciously gripped their swords.
"I'm not from any of the countries I mentioned. To be precise, I come from a faraway continent. What I've told you isn't classified information. If you ever get the chance to visit Marley, these facts are easy to verify."
"The walls have been peaceful for over a hundred years. Why are they attacking us now?" Erwin asked after contemplating for a while.
"Marley is now facing a situation similar to what the Eldians faced back then. Despite their development under Titan power, advancements in technology have provided many means to counter Titans. Titans are no longer the ultimate weapon in warfare. Marley needs the power of the Founding Titan to control the Titans within the walls and defend against the increasingly powerful Middle Eastern Union," Daniel explained, detailing Marley's intentions and their conflict with the Middle Eastern nations. Although he wasn't sure of the exact level of their technology, it seemed comparable to World War I standards in our world, not the advanced tech seen in the Marvel Universe.
He emphasized the naval battleships and aerial zeppelins. It was Eren's father's sister's desire to see a zeppelin that led to her tragic fate.
"Marley wants the power of the Founding Titan to buy time for technological development. Like the Eldians, they relied too heavily on Titan power and neglected their technological progress, allowing the Middle Eastern Union to surpass them," Daniel elaborated.
Even though this world's technology seemed primitive to Daniel, it was sufficient to combat intelligent Titans. The Armored Titan had nearly been destroyed by artillery fire.
If not for the Beast Titan, Zeke, developing his rock-throwing ability, Marley might have already lost the war against the Middle Eastern Union. Marley lacked anti-aircraft weaponry and was far behind in zeppelin technology. Zeke's ability to hurl rocks was crucial in bringing down enemy airships; otherwise, Marley would have been an easy target for bombing.
The Eldians on Paradis Island had been isolated for over a century, yet their technology wasn't significantly behind the rest of the world. The tech gap across eras is often hard to quantify. In the feudal era, centuries could pass with little change, but in modern society, technology evolves rapidly.
The island's ODM gear was quite advanced and effective in urban combat. Combined with the Thunder Spears, it could potentially stand a chance in urban warfare against Marley.
Thunder Spears were somewhat like rocket launchers but with weaker explosives.
"Damn it! All these years of effort, all the sacrifices... Was it all a joke?" Levi suddenly kicked a tree nearby and punched it several times in frustration.
His outburst caused everyone around to lower their heads, including Hange, the usually enthusiastic scientist. They no longer doubted Daniel's words.
"The royal family knew everything and just watched us die," another squad leader slumped to the ground, laughing bitterly with a mix of sadness and anger.
Daniel could feel the weight of their despair. Though he couldn't fully empathize, he understood their plight to some extent.
"You're lying! It can't be true! This can't be happening!" Another squad leader, named Miche, rushed towards Daniel, shouting.
"Enough, Miche. Verifying his claims is simple. We just need to check inside the walls," Hange said, adjusting her glasses.
"If intelligent Titans are indeed humans, then some of them must be hiding within the walls. To reach the capital, they would have to join the Military Police first," she added.
"Impressive deduction," Daniel thought, glancing at Hange.
She had pieced together much of the situation just from his statements, something he might not have realized so quickly himself.
"Do you know which Titans Marley has sent?" Erwin asked, regaining his composure. His eyes held a hint of a smile, catching Daniel's attention.
Erwin's smile wasn't a misinterpretation. He was relieved to have finally confirmed his father's theories and uncovered the truth behind his father's disappearance at the hands of the Military Police.
"That's a closely guarded military secret of Marley. I don't know for sure," Daniel replied, choosing not to reveal the identities of the Female Titan and others for their own safety.
If the three intelligent Titans acted together, their destructive power would be overwhelming. Given the current level of technology inside the walls, they would be unable to cope with such a threat, especially without the Thunder Spears. Confronting the Armored Titan would be extremely difficult and could lead to the collapse of the second wall and potentially even the loss of Eren's Titan power.
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