Lord Commander of Paradis, Erwin Smith

(2 weeks later)

Eren rode on behind Erwin in the grand procession through Inner MItras.

The soldiers of the Survey Corps were conducting a victory parade to celebrate the retaking of Wall Maria. This was where the most well-off and wealthy members of society resided. With their taxes, the operation was possible. They needed to galvanise their support for the future as well. 

A pity that quite a number of them could not be here. Levi & Miche had been assigned to keep the captured Reiner under close surveillance, lest he tried something funny.

The parade moved with rhythmic cadence, the clatter of hooves mingling with the cheers of the crowd. Clad in the distinctive Survey Corps uniform, the soldiers rode on the horses with their cloaks billowing in the wind.

Arwin and Mikasa rode on beside him in disciplined unity as The crowd lining the streets erupted into cheers, with Flowers occasionally strewn along the path.

A group of girls, positioned along the parade route, couldn't contain their excitement as he passed them by. Their eyes widened seemingly with admiration, and excited whispers escaped their lips like a fluttering of butterflies.

"Eren! Eren! Look here!"

"Oh my gosh, there he is. I can't believe it!"

He waved back, causing the group of beautiful maidens to erupt even louder in cheers.

Eren gave a smile, but hidden beneath it was a heavy heart.

The revelations from his father's diary in the basement were too much for him. Even now, he still found himself struggling to come to terms with it.

He had noticed that since then, Mikasa was acting strangely like something was weighing down his mind. Like there was a gloominess that hung over her, was it because she knew that he'd no longer be around for a long time? With the curse of Ymir, his time alive was limited. Eren knew the girl cared a lot for him. 

There was also the Marley Empire.

Amidst the cheering crowds, he glanced at the entrance that led to the cemetery as they passed it by. 

He recalled the fateful day when he visited the area with Mikasa. The day when they remembered her parent's death. He had brought a small burial for Mikasa's parents, and his mum as well.

He recalled the sobs of the girl amidst the rain.

Marley Empire. They would pay.

They would pay for murdering the inhabitants of the wall. They would pay for murdering his parents. They would pay for murdering Mikasa's parents, for making her cry. He swore. 

During the debrief, after they'd returned, Eren suspected that the trigger for his coordinate power could be due to physical contact with a pure titan of royal blood. It was likely that his father's first wife was turned into a titan, and when he came into contact in the fields, it triggered the power.

Similarly, when he came into contact with Rod Reiss's titan, it triggered the power.

He'd been debating whether to share this with the rest of the Survey Corps. What if this information got leaked? Their enemies could secretly try to kill Rod's titan that was imprisoned, leaving Historia the sole royal blood alive. Would the Survey Corps then try to turn her into a titan or force him to eat her? He had to go visit Rod's Titan to confirm his theory once he had the chance. 

"Eren, are you alright? You look tense."

Mikasa's voice snapped him out of it.

"Oh … yeah. I`m fine."

He lied as he gave his horse a small kick, making sure it was moving forward in step with the rest of the procession.

"Look, that's the Lord Commander Erwin. At the front!"

He heard a shout coming from a direction in front of him.

"What's going on? Lord … Commander?" 

It was the first time he heard Erwin being called by such a title.

To his right, Armin chuckled as he urged his horse slowly forward.

"The royal decree just came out yesterday. It's Lord Commander Erwin Smith now. His full title as per the royal decree is Lord Commander Erwin Smith, Lord of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Most Excellent member of the Order of Garter, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star Reiss, Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm."

"That's quite long. I guess it's to be expected with Zackley's assassination, someone had to take the lead. But what does that mean for Erwin.?" Eren asked,

Lord Commander Erwin Smith … that didn't sound too bad. If that man was around, they'd be fine. They were up against an enemy that seemed insurmountable, but with Erwin. He'll find a way. Somehow. 

As a testament to the man's popularity. A branch known as the Erwinists had shortly emerged within days of their return when the truth of what was learnt in the basement had been made known to all within the walls. 

They were a radical faction who believed that the key to saving humanity lay with Erwin and swore to dedicate their lives to him.

Zackley had died in mysterious circumstances a week shortly after they returned from the expedition. The official reason was that he died of ill health. But it was likely due to the actions of the Erwinists.

Zackley was revelling in torturing some rebellious nobles when the restraints used to keep them in place were supposedly sabotaged. As a result, the nobles broke free and strangled the Commander in Chief to death. However, this quirk of Zackley was only known to a few people, how could they make it public? It would cause an uproar among the nobles if they found out about Zackley's twisted 'hobby'.

The fact they had to keep this under wraps while investigating was difficult.

"Lord Commander is a title bestowed only upon the Prime Minister. Historia has created the post and title for him. It might also be due to the pressure of the Erwinists." his friend explained. "That means … Erwin's the second most powerful person in the wall, after Her Majesty Historia. He probably has his hands full choosing his cabinet. But if you ask me, I think there's no one more suited for the position than him."

"How about yourself?" Eren asked.

"It's a secret. You'll find out on the day of the ceremony." Armin grinned as he continued to wave at the crowds. "You and Erwin are the biggest National Heroes. Aren't you interested in finding out what you got?"

"Me?" 

Armin laughed and recited the words in a cheeky tone.

"As per Her Majesty's Decree, Eren Yeager is now to be known as Lord Eren, Excellent Member of Her Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Council, Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm, Duke of Shiganshina, Grand Order of the Star Reiss, Lord Protector of Paradis."

"Lord Eren." Mikasa to her left teased her. "Or should I call you Lord Protector Eren?"

"Not you too. Mikasa!" Eren said, exasperated. "I feel sorry for Historia. It must have been due to pressure from the Yeagerists. What's with these ridiculous groups? I never asked for them!"

Being a national hero was tough. First, there were the Erwinists who treated the commander as a divine being. Then there were the Yeagerists who did the same towards him. The fact that Historia felt pressured by them meant there were members of the ruling class and elites who were part of it. 

The Yeagerists were a cult that believed he, Eren Yeager, was some God in the flesh who would save them all. 

He felt that he had truly underestimated his popularity. Defeating an Aberrant Horde, preventing Wall Rose from falling, and capturing the Female Titan. Add in retaking Wall Maria alongside the defeat of the Armored and Colossal, it did seem to be quite the achievement.

But what was he supposed to do exactly with the Yeagerists? Call for a service and get them to worship him, Eren Yeager, as their Lord and Saviour? 

If those people had the energy to spend on such silly things, he'd rather they join the Survey Corps or help rebuild the areas that had been devastated by the titan invasion. They still had work to do in clearing out the titans beyond Wall Maria as well. Humanity could really use some more land to help alleviate the food scarcity.

He was also still waiting for the system rewards to come … perhaps it would come during their award and appointment ceremony in a few months?

Eren turned and looked at Mikasa and Armin who were waving at the crowds, smiles written all over their faces.

Come to think of it, there was something important he had to do. 

He pulled at the reigns of his horse, bringing it closer to where Mikasa was. 

"Mikasa. After this procession, let's go to that tree behind Shiganshina. The one I used to always nap at as a kid."