Nile Dok came to the dungeon and met his old friend.
Looking at his friend's battered body, Nile felt a pang of pity.
But he was no longer the naive youth who had once planned to join the Survey Corps with him to save humanity.
"Look at you now. You were so arrogant when you were lecturing me before."
Nile squatted down in front of Erwin, who was slumped on the ground: "The King has decided to summon you. When that happens, he will announce the dissolution of the Survey Corps and your punishment on the spot."
"Nile?" Erwin struggled to lift his head. His face was covered in bruises and scars from torture, but his gaze remained sharp: "Where is your home? Is it in the Stohess District?"
"Answer me, Nile."
"How are Marie and your family doing?"
Nile felt uncomfortable with Erwin's tone, which sounded like he was interrogating a criminal.
But he still answered, "They are all doing well. Although I haven't been back recently, my home is in the Eastern District of Wall Rose. It's far from the Stohess District."
"Is that so?" Erwin said faintly.
"Why are you asking me this?"
Erwin coughed, his voice deep: "I entrusted something to Commander Pixis."
"If that moment arrives..."
"I will quietly watch what choice you... and they... make."
...
"Bang!"
The door to the Presidential Palace's Imperial Hall was violently pushed open.
Pixis's female adjutant, Anka Rheinberger, rushed into the hall, and everyone turned to look at her.
She saluted and shouted: "Report! Titans have breached Wall Rose!"
The Military Police Corps Soldiers preparing to escort Erwin to the Execution Platform stopped in their tracks.
"The sudden appearance of the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan has destroyed both gates of the Eastern Karanes District! The evacuating residents of the Eastern District are flooding toward this location!"
Nile was first anxious about his family's safety, then he suddenly looked at Erwin, only to find that Erwin was looking at him as well.
As if waiting for his reaction at this moment.
Pixis stepped forward and commanded, "Immediately secure the evacuation routes. All forces of the Garrison Regiment's Frontline Units are to immediately gather in the Eastern District and fully cover the civilian evacuation."
"Everyone immediately proceed to your posts and prioritize arranging civilian refuge inside the city."
All the Soldiers were about to move, but they were interrupted by an angry roar from the high platform: "No!"
Olivier waved his hand: "Immediately seal all the gates of Wall Sina! Absolutely no refugee must be allowed to enter!"
The Military Police Corps officers were stunned by this order.
Nile forcefully suppressed his emotions, stepped forward, and spoke: "But... but wouldn't this mean abandoning half of humanity to their deaths?"
Olivier didn't care about that; he pointed at Erwin and said:
"Just as this fellow said earlier, if we let them in, a civil war will break out!"
"We absolutely don't need to add more enemies for ourselves!"
Nile tried to argue: "But... his words are only hypothetical!"
Olivier clearly had no patience to discuss righteousness with Nile: "No 'buts'! The decision is in our hands. You Soldiers, obey the order!"
The words Nile was about to say were swallowed back.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Pixis's eyes. He turned to look at Anka and nodded.
Anka received the order and ran out of the hall.
The Corps' high command was still arguing whether to execute the order.
"We have no choice but to do it!"
"After all, this is the order of The Council."
Nile thought of his wife and children, remembered Erwin's words, and finally made his choice: "Then I would rather stand on the side of Wall Rose! I will use all my strength to stop you from sealing the gates!"
"What? Are you going to defy the King?!"
Nile gritted his teeth and said, "That's right."
"Me too!"
"Count me in!"
"My family is all inside Wall Rose!"
"I would rather die than do something like this!"
At this moment, a booming voice also cut in: "Count me in as well!"
Darius Zackley rushed into the hall with a group of armed Soldiers.
"General President!"
"President Zackley!"
Pixis looked at him and said, "Are you surprised by their answer, President Zackley?"
"Surprised?" Zackley adjusted his glasses: "Not at all."
He said to the officers in front of him: "That was just a false alarm. Please rest assured."
"No Titan attack has been detected so far."
...
It was over.
Nile thought, Erwin had guessed they would do this all along.
Commander Pixis had been cooperating with Erwin just now.
The President had already secured the Presidential Palace.
Had you planned everything, Erwin?
The Corps overthrew the once high and mighty Council.
The hysterical Council members were pinned to the ground and put in shackles.
Nile was relieved that he had made the right choice just now.
He sighed and said, "Erwin, it looks like you bet correctly."
Nile looked at Erwin, who was being untied, but noticed not a trace of happiness on his face.
Instead, he was full of worry.
Nile asked, "Aren't you happy?"
Erwin moved his remaining left hand and clenched his fist: "Nile, starting today, humanity must embark on a far more perilous path."
At that moment, a Soldier suddenly shouted: "Report!"
Erwin and Nile both looked toward the direction of The Throne.
The Soldier said in horror: "The King... oh no, this False King is dead..."
Zackley said with some disgust: "He probably died of fright. Olivier actually found such a worthless person to play the King."
"I originally wanted him to confess his crimes publicly before the people."
"Now it's inconvenient to let him be seen."
"Take him away."
"Yes!" The Soldier carried out the "King's" corpses.
For this coup d'état, this was merely an insignificant incident...
Late at night.
Levi carefully watched the figures approaching from a distance. Soon, he said to the people behind him, "Don't worry, it's Hange and the others."
Everyone sat around the bonfire, looking at the news Hange had brought from the Royal Capital.
"As stated in the letter, the Coup d'état was successful."
"The RoyPresident Zackley has temporarily taken over the Royal Capital and the Administrative District to the Leon Family; the Noble Factions have tacitly accepted this result, and no rebellion has occurred."
"King Fritz's identity as the False King has also been exposed, and he has committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
"The matter concerning you has also been proven to be self-defense. We are all free now."
Levi held the letter, ignoring the brats cheering behind him. He looked at Hange and said, "Committed suicide out of fear of punishment?"
His gaze implied: Is there some trickery involved?
That is to say, the Corps does it?
Hange shook her head: "The Corps had no intention of killing him. On the contrary, they wanted him alive to make a public statement."
She spread her hands: "According to President Zackley, the public certainly wouldn't believe that he died of a heart attack from fright, so it's better to say he committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
At this moment, Hange noticed that the person who had been tied to the tree was Djel Sannes, the one who murdered Pastor Nick!
So she pulled Moblit along, and they went up and gave him a severe beating.
After venting her anger, Hange said, "It looks like you've dealt with the Central Military Police Corps."
Levi calmly replied: "Yes, we can now set off for the Reiss Family's lair."
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