"What? Yago stayed in Marley?" Erwin looked at Annie Leonhart in surprise. Annie Leonhart nodded.
"Yago said the opportunity is rare. Infiltrating Marley to obtain intelligence would be of tremendous help to Paradis Island. And Yago also said that Zeke cannot be completely trusted."
Erwin fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I understand. I'll report this to the council as soon as possible."
Annie Leonhart was also preparing to take her leave. Her father had just arrived on Paradis Island, and she couldn't quite put her mind at ease about him. But just before leaving Erwin's office, she suddenly remembered something and turned back.
"Commander Erwin, Yago asked me to pass along a message to you—when the world humanity faces changes, the human heart changes as well."
After saying that, Annie Leonhart left. Inside the office, Erwin wore a thoughtful expression.
...
At the port of Paradis Island, Hange led the island's newly formed research team, waiting at the docks. Alongside them were the Marleyan volunteers led by Yelena, also waiting at the port.
Hange excitedly tugged at the Black volunteer Onyankopon, talking nonstop. A few days earlier, the nation of Hizuru had sent over the first batch of personnel, technical assistance, and various advanced machines to help develop Paradis Island.
This brought a sense of excitement to the island's upper leadership. The advanced technologies left them in awe—they had never imagined the world beyond the island had developed so prosperously.
Vehicles that could run without horses, iron machines capable of hauling hundreds of tons of cargo, machinery that could operate continuously for days without rest… When those technicians described such technologies, Hange nearly drooled. Right now, these technologies were no less attractive to her than adorable Titans.
Of course, the talent and technology provided by Hizuru were mainly civilian and foundational. Military assistance was extremely limited. After all, Hizuru itself had been affected by its defeat in past wars, and its own military strength was fairly average. So what Hizuru could provide was merely a batch of weapons.
Naturally, this was only a drop in the bucket. However, aboard the returning cargo ships bound for Hizuru were piles of Iceburst Stone, a unique underground resource of Paradis Island.
Once Hizuru received this batch of Iceburst Stone, their level of support for Paradis Island would surely increase.
The assistance from the Marleyan volunteers, however, effectively compensated for Paradis Island's weak military strength. Although a batch of new-style weapons had recently appeared in the Marleyan army, those weapons were only equipped to a small portion of their forces and were not enough to cause concern.
Among the supplies transported to Paradis Island by the Marleyan volunteers was a relatively complete weapons production chain. While it could only produce some standard light equipment used by the Marleyan army, this was sufficient to enhance Paradis Island's military strength. Moreover, the island was rich in resources, so expanding these production lines likely wouldn't be a major issue.
But looking closely at Yelena's expression, it wasn't very good. Although Zeke's plan had been progressing smoothly so far, something felt off in her heart.
First, the sudden outbreak of war between Marley and the Middle Easterners had disrupted Zeke's original plan to personally station himself on Paradis Island. Then came the appearance of an intelligent Titan outside the Nine Titans. What exactly were these newly emerged Titans? Even Zeke didn't know.
Then there was the attitude of the Eldians on Paradis Island. For Zeke to implement the Eldian euthanasia plan, it was essential to stir up hatred among part of the island's population toward the outside world. But the current situation was that the entire island was developing peacefully. This clearly conflicted with Zeke's objective.
Zeke needed radicals to emerge on this island. Only radicals would allow the Marleyan volunteer organization to step in and interfere, rather than merely serving as background support for Paradis Island's development like they were now. Without radicals, how could they provoke the world's malice toward the Eldians?
Finally, and most importantly, there was Eren Yeager, the holder of the power of the Founding Titan—Zeke's half-brother. As the most crucial link in the Eldian euthanasia plan, the Founding power within Eren was vital.
However, after interacting with him these past few days, Yelena found that the guy named Eren seemed like a childish boy who still smelled of milk. Aside from being excited about clearing the remaining Titans on the island, he didn't seem particularly concerned about anything else. That, too, was a major problem.
Doot!!! The blaring whistle from the sea drew Yelena's attention. Soon, a fairly large cargo ship came into view.
Hange raised her hand and loudly instructed the Survey Corps soldiers at the port to prepare to receive the cargo ship.
Recalling the intelligence received a few days earlier, Yelena's eyes suddenly lit up, and a smile curled at her lips.
"There seem to be members of the Eldian Restorationists on that ship, right? Heh, Restorationists… aren't they the perfect candidates? Wick, I don't know how you pulled it off, but well done."
...
The scene shifted to Trost District. Connie held a toothbrush taller than himself, looking distressed, then turned to glance at his companions behind him.
Noticing Connie's gaze, his companions all lowered their heads in silence. Finally, Connie's eyes locked onto Jean Kirstein.
"No! Why is it always me!? Why don't you go find Sasha!? Damn it! Connie, let go of me!" Jean Kirstein was forcibly dragged toward the logistics squad by Connie, who said while walking,
"No choice—Sasha's nowhere to be found. You'll have to help me, Jean. Don't worry, it's just brushing my mom's teeth. It's easy!"
As for Sasha, she was currently sitting at a dining table, a sniper rifle wrapped in cloth slung over her back, eating and drinking heartily. Across from her sat Historia, who had secretly slipped out of the royal palace, and Ymir.
Dressed in casual clothes, Historia lacked some of the regal authority she had when wearing a crown, instead radiating the lively charm of a girl next door.
Hannah, her twin ponytails tied neatly, handed Historia a piece of cake and asked curiously,
"Historia, is it really okay for you to sneak out of the palace?"
Historia gently took a bite of the cake, her eyes lighting up. This kind of foreign delicacy was truly delicious!
"It's fine. With Commander-in-Chief Zackly and the council around, nothing will happen. And who said I snuck out? I just didn't go through the main palace gate—and the side gate just happened to have no guards."
While they were chatting and laughing, Nicolo, dressed in a white chef's uniform, emerged from the kitchen carrying freshly made seafood rice.
Historia smiled at Nicolo. "Thank you, Mr. Nicolo. The food you make is simply the most delicious I've ever tasted."
Receiving praise from the island's queen made Nicolo's face flush slightly. Seeing Sasha wolfing down the food nearby, a faint sense of satisfaction rose in his heart.
"Your Majesty flatters me. Please wait a moment—there are still some dishes being prepared."
Nicolo hurried back into the kitchen to continue cooking. Inside, another figure was present. Koris looked at the busy Nicolo and said with a wry smile,
"You brat, I told you back then not to enlist so casually. You just wouldn't listen!"
Nicolo responded with an apologetic smile. This Koris had once been his neighbor.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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