"Dong!"
In Trost, every so often, one can now hear the dull sound coming from the [Titan Guillotine] outside the wall.
This weapon, made using Eren's Hardening, can kill Titans during the day without taking damage.
I heard that Eren was so exhausted from overusing the Power of the Titans back then that he coughed up blood, worrying Mikasa for a while.
Lock thought that after his Titan form was exposed during this operation, he would go and help.
Eren looks quite pitiful...
Trost District Survey Corps Headquarters Mess Hall.
The Recruits who had just finished Thunder Spear training were still marveling at the power of this new weapon. Still, this amazement soon turned into boundless confidence... and anticipation of the glorious triumph after reclaiming Wall Maria.
Looking at the excited Recruits shouting around him, Lock just found them noisy.
In comparison, the 104th Training Corps table was much quieter.
Lock sat across from Sasha, his eyes fixed on the girl opposite, who dared not look at him.
"Sasha!"
"Eh? Lo... Lock."
Lock quietly asked, "My invitation should have been delivered to your house, right? Why didn't you come?"
Sasha looked flustered and stammered, "Invitation? I didn't see any invitation! Lock, did you send it to the wrong place?"
"An invitation?" Armin, who was nearby, looked strange. He asked, "Lock, you didn't invite Sasha to your house, did you?"
"Yes!" Lock's eyes were full of resentment. "Wasn't I supposed to give a gift? The first prize from the competition I held back in the Training Corps was unclaimed, so I decided to give it to Sasha as a substitute."
"I didn't expect someone to be so unappreciative."
That Martial Arts Competition Lock held, since Mikasa, Lock, and Annie didn't participate, the final champion was Reiner.
And the first prize was a three-day trip to the Leon Family home after graduation, with Lock as the guide.
And then...There was no then.
The first prize was never given out.
Lock was worrying about what to give Sasha as an apology when he suddenly remembered this matter and sent an invitation to Sasha's home.
He planned to host Sasha and her family properly.
Not only did she not come, but there was no reply either. The lock was standing just like that.
Jean, who understood the situation, suppressed a laugh and said, "Sasha! You could eat all the meat you wanted at Lock's house. Why didn't you go?"
Connie pretended to be surprised and said, "Sasha, you usually do anything for meat. How could you give up such a great opportunity this time?"
Lock looked at their expressions and suddenly realized something was wrong: "Are you guys... hiding something from me?"
"Armin, do you know what's going on?"
Armin glanced at Sasha, who was shaking her head frantically.
He spoke to Lock: "Because back then, your father, Lock, told Sasha that he hoped she would marry into the... Leon Family..."
"That's why... Sasha has been deliberately avoiding you."
"Huh? That happened?" Eren widened his eyes.
"What did you say?" Lock was dumbfounded.
No wonder... Lock suddenly understood his father's unusual behavior.
No wonder he initially disagreed when his father mentioned inviting someone over; he immediately changed his mind upon hearing that the invitee was Sasha.
He even told me to make a specific invitation, not just invite her, but invite Sasha's family too.
I really can't blame Sasha for standing him up; I'd be scared too...
Lock looked at Sasha across from him, who looked like she was about to burst into tears, feeling a headache coming on.
Anyone who didn't know better would think he had ruined her reputation.
Lock softly said, "I'm sorry, Sasha. My father is just like that. I apologize to you on his behalf!"
Lock stood up and bowed ninety degrees, saying, "I am truly sorry!"
...
Finally, with his sincere attitude, Sasha accepted Lock's apology.
Lock breathed a sigh of relief. This incident almost ruined their friendship.
What was his dad thinking?
How could he take a fancy to Sasha at first sight?
Just then, Connie stood up: "I'm leaving now that I've finished eating."
Lock asked in surprise, "In such a hurry?"
Connie calmly picked up his empty plate and said, "Tomorrow is a rest day. I want to go back to the village early in the morning to take a look."
"Maybe I'll find out something? Good night."
After speaking, Connie left alone.
Everyone's expression was complicated.
Sasha whispered, "Actually, there is a way to restore Connie's mother, isn't there?"
Armin nodded, "Yes, as long as we continue researching Titans, we will succeed someday."
Of course, Armin didn't mention the quickest method.
Looking at everyone's dispirited appearance, Lock suddenly spoke: "Eren, that man you mentioned last time, the one in your father's memory—I think I have a way to find him."
Everyone looked over. Eren excitedly said, "Really?"
...
Lock fetched the drawing board and pencils he bought from the city and said to Eren, who was standing beside him, "Come on, describe the man's appearance in detail again. I'll try to draw him."
"Okay!"
Eren described him as he recalled the memory.
Lock questioned him occasionally, and Eren would frown, remembering more details.
Half an hour later... "How is it?" Lock asked again.
Eren looked at the face in Lock's drawing and nodded, saying, "It's basically the same as in my father's memory."
"Lock, you're amazing!"
Hearing this, the others also gathered around.
Jean looked at the middle-aged man in the drawing and said, "I haven't seen him. There shouldn't be anyone like him among the Corps high-ranking officials. Could he have died in battle already?"
Armin said, "After all, it's a memory from five years ago. Let's hand it over to the Commander and the others. Someone in The Corps must know this person."
Just then, Sasha, who was standing at the back, slowly raised her hand and timidly said, "Don't you guys think... he looks a lot like... Instructor Shadis?"
Jean retorted, "How could that be? Instructor Shadis doesn't even have hair..."
"Hmm?" Jean stared at the drawing and suddenly stopped.
Armin realized, "If we remove the hair and eyebrows..."
Lock smoothly erased the portrait's hair and eyebrows and added a beard.
"Holy crap!"
"It's the same!"
"If he looked a little more fierce, it would be perfect!"
"Eek~" Sasha shivered.
Everyone found Hange and Levi that night and reported the matter to them.
Hange said in surprise, "Keith Shadis? He was the 12th Commander of the Survey Corps before Erwin. We haven't seen him in a long time."
...
Early the next morning, everyone prepared to go to the Training Corps base to look for Keith.
The night before, Lock had said to them, "You guys go, and send him my regards."
"Tell him that his most beloved student still remembers his kind teachings and will definitely visit him when there is a chance."
"I'm genuinely not afraid of Shadis, okay? It's mainly because tomorrow is a rest day, and I want to go see Annie."
"See you later!"
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