The council hall had never been this full.
From the moment the doors opened, high-ranking officials streamed in — nobles, ministers, administrative officers, senior captains from all three branches of the military. The deaths of many aristocrats during the recent Titan attack had hollowed out the upper hierarchy, but today's massive turnout filled every space. The room felt tight, heavy, suffocating.
On the raised dais, Darius Zackly stood beside the puppet king, his posture rigid and formal. He scanned the hall with an expression that revealed nothing. His gaze lingered briefly on Lock and Erwin Smith, who stood near the rear wall like carved stone.
Zackly nodded and stepped forward.
"Everyone is present," he announced, voice firm. "I have gathered you to deliver important information."
The hall quieted instantly.
Zackly paused long enough to ensure every eye was on him.
"In light of the recent Titan attack — and the deaths of several senior officials — the crown has decided to increase support to the Survey Corps."
A ripple of agreement passed through the hall.
No one found the decision strange. After seeing Titans slaughter people in the streets, after hearing walls crack under their weight and feeling death brush their skin, even the fiercest critics of the Survey Corps had been forced to reconsider. The propaganda that had painted the Corps as reckless troublemakers had evaporated the moment Titans appeared in broad daylight.
Many officials who once mocked the Survey Corps now silently cursed themselves for their arrogance.
And most of that resentment had lashed toward one man:
Nile Dok.
He had promised the safety of the interior. He had promised his Military Police would protect the aristocracy. But when the Titans came, they all ran.
Still, everyone could tell Zackly wasn't finished. If this announcement were the only purpose of the gathering, there would be no need to summon every captain-level officer on the island.
The real matter was coming.
Zackly continued, voice steady:
"However… as the Military Police Brigade and the Garrison Regiment performed poorly during this crisis, and in accordance with the principle of rewards and punishments — as well as the wishes of their own commanders — leadership positions in both branches will be changed."
There it was.
The hall tightened like a drawn bowstring.
Dozens of eyes snapped toward Nile Dok and Commander Dot Pixis. Though the crowd had no proof, everyone knew something had been said behind closed doors. Nile's face was controlled, his emotions buried. Pixis looked calmer than expected — but his serenity was the kind that came from accepting the inevitable.
Zackly pressed on:
"Effective immediately, Nile Dok is relieved of his position as Commander of the Military Police Brigade."
A quiet gasp traveled across the hall — but Nile didn't move.
His expression remained composed, resigned.
Zackly continued:
"His successor will be the former Commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith. Captain Levi Ackerman will serve as deputy commander."
Shock exploded through the room.
Snatches of whispered conversation crackled like static:
"Erwin? The Military Police?"
"Levi, too? That's insane!"
"He'll remake the entire branch in months…"
"They're merging power — I can see it already."
No one dared raise their voice. Not when both Erwin and Levi stood in quiet confidence, embodying battlefield authority stronger than any noble's decree.
Zackly let the murmurs linger only a moment before moving on.
"As for Commander Pixis…"
He looked at Pixis with something like respect — and regret.
"Commander Dot Pixis has expressed his desire to retire due to age and declining strength. His resignation is accepted. Until new leadership is chosen, operational command of the Garrison Regiment will temporarily fall under the Military Police Brigade."
A stunned hush fell over the crowd.
This meant one thing:
Erwin now controlled two corps at once.
Someone dared to raise a question:
"What of the Survey Corps, then?"
All eyes turned toward Lock.
The Corps' strength was unmatched. Its presence on the battlefield during the Titan attack had saved countless lives. Between Erwin's brilliance, Levi's blade, and Lock's decisive strike against the Reiss family, the Survey Corps had become an unstoppable pillar, morally and militarily.
There was no one else suitable.
But the idea was still shocking.
"A fifteen-year-old leading a full Legion?"
"Madness…"
"No… it makes perfect sense."
"Three branches unified under a single faction. If they move as one, everything changes."
"And the king approves this?"
Zackly lifted a hand for silence.
"The leadership of the Survey Corps will be temporarily transferred to the deputy commander — Lock — who will act as Commander until further notice. This is the king's decree."
The puppet king nodded obediently, his acting flawless.
Those who understood politics saw through it instantly.
The king didn't decree anything.
Lock had won.
And Erwin.
And Levi.
And Zackly.
A silent agreement had formed between the four powers that mattered most — those who could steer the Walls without the noble families' interference.
The ministers and captains in the hall swallowed their pride in silence. Many didn't like it, but the momentum was undeniable.
If they resisted, what would happen?
Erwin would crush them with military authority.
Levi would silence them with steel.
Lock would eliminate them with the ruthlessness of someone who had walked through Titans.
And Zackly… would watch and smile.
No one dared challenge it.
Even the confidants of Nile and Pixis watched their former leaders fall silent and chose to follow their example.
The reshuffling of power was complete.
It had happened in less than five minutes.
Lock watched the reactions carefully.
The hall's fear, obedience, and quiet resentment told him everything he needed to know:
Half the people here were useless.
Cowards.
Leeches fattened by decades of corruption.
If these men and women were allowed to keep their positions long-term, Paradis would rot from the inside.
But he couldn't purge them yet.
Too sudden a cut would destabilize everything they had built so far.
The foundation needed time to set.
Later — when the island was secure — these people would be removed quietly and cleanly.
No waste in the new era.
For now, Lock simply folded his arms and listened to Zackly transition into the next phase of the assembly — preparations for reform, reorganization of manpower, restructuring supply lines, and the establishment of a united chain of command.
Around him, officials nodded vigorously, fearful and eager to prove obedience. Their sycophantic gazes followed him like insects tracking warmth.
Lock didn't return a single one.
He was already thinking ahead.
Thinking about Marley.
Thinking about the outside world.
Thinking about the future of Paradis.
And how quickly the fragile order inside the Walls could collapse if he made even one mistake.
The real war — the true one — had not even begun.
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San