"In your hands, you have a draft of that plan; you can read it. In addition to that, I will give you a report on the future plans that will be integrated into our society." Gale clapped, and Hennes tacitly handed the three documents to Pixis, Erwin, and Levi.
The blond, middle-aged man stood upright behind Gale like a knight, with an expression as devout as if he were attending a religious service.
In Erwin's memory, Hennes had always been a disheveled middle-aged man, but now he was impeccably groomed, with his hair slicked back. He wore a new leather uniform and sheepskin boots, and looked energetic and youthful, as if he had become ten years younger.
An incredible change had taken place in this man; even his aura had become more resolute.
"I plan to reclaim Wall Mary before the end of April," Gale said as he drew the curtains aside, letting the sunlight flood the office.
"Reclaiming it means not only sealing the holes in the wall, but also getting rid of all the Titans within the walls."
"Eliminate all the Titans?" Levi frowned slightly and said, "Kid, you've never been outside the walls, you've never faced a Titan in person, have you?"
Levi had a sour expression on his face; he was not in a good mood. Or perhaps he was simply frustrated, as during this expedition beyond the walls, many more people had died at the hands of the Titans.
No matter how many times he saw it, the scene of Titans devouring people filled him with frustration. Every time he returned to the wall and counted the number of soldiers who had come back, he felt extremely irritable.
Fighting Titans is not something that can be done just by talking about it. He had yet to see what kind of weapon the "anti-Titan Gatling gun" Gale spoke of was, but he felt somewhat angered by Gale's dismissive attitude toward the Titans.
But... who knows what exactly was causing his irritation and frustration?
Many familiar faces flashed before his eyes. If a weapon capable of killing Titans so easily truly existed, then the soldiers who had once drunk with him would not be dead, right?
"Captain Levi, you are right, I have not yet been outside the walls," Gale said, nodding. "But I will train, and perhaps one day we will even be on the same battlefield. So, believe me when I say that my plan is very reliable."
"Unlike previous surveys conducted outside the walls, this time a total of 500 people will participate, and the list of participants has already been finalized."
"Five hundred people?" Pixis put down his papers upon hearing the number. "Congressman Hawthorne, I have never heard of the army carrying out an operation of such magnitude."
"Commander, did I say that these 500 men were selected from the army?" Gale asked with a chuckle.
"Do you intend to allow civilians to participate in the war?" Pixis stroked his beard.
Erwin, who had remained silent, spoke after flipping through the document: "No, they are not civilians, but livestock, horses, workers, logistics troops, and transport units. This plan is quite comprehensive. If the Gatling gun mentioned earlier has the power it is said to have, I believe this is a plan with a success rate exceeding 90%."
"Ninety percent?" Pixis frowned, sat down, and carefully examined the document.
Hearing Erwin's high evaluation, Levi fell silent for a moment. He was very curious to know why Erwin had reached that conclusion.
When they finally finished reading, Pixis and Levi understood what the plan represented.
It was not a simple operation to retake control of the wall; it was not merely a matter of sealing it and calling it done.
Gale's idea was to establish supply lines and rest points during the journey to the Shiganshina region, where the inner and outer gates had been damaged, and eliminate the Titans encountered along the way.
It was not so much a plan to reclaim Wall Maria as it was a battle strategy.
The document indicated that the team of 500 people included not only the operators of the "Gatling gun," but also construction workers, a supply convoy, a munitions team, and even a cooking group.
They would establish secure camps and transport routes as they advanced, constantly receiving supplies from within Wall Rose, rather than simply leading soldiers on horseback like lone wolves in extreme struggles for survival in the wilderness, as the Scout Regiment had done in the past.
The document described the power of the "Gatling gun" and included a simple drawing. It depicted a beast that had to be mounted on a special steel platform, which, with its 2-meter base, made it 0.4 meters taller than Levi.
The barrels, densely grouped together, were connected in a ring resembling a honeycomb.
The caliber of the barrel was 30 mm, and the maximum rate of fire could reach 300 rounds per minute! Just reading these words, one could imagine how terrifying that steel colossus was.
If several Gatling guns fired 30 mm rounds, even a 20-meter-tall Titan would have its joints shattered into a mass of flesh.
The document described it precisely as follows: with sufficient ammunition, a "Gatling gun" can simultaneously deal with twenty Titans.
For Titans under ten meters tall, they can be eliminated on the spot by firing at the Titan's throat for just a few seconds.
For Titans over ten meters tall, their knees can be crushed to immobilize them. Then, those accompanying them can throw bombs from a distance of three to five meters to tear the flesh from the nape of their necks and finish them off.
This operation is very simple and can be carried out even by a person without specific training.
If this weapon is real, Gale would not need elite soldiers with training and experience in prolonged combat.
He could simply recruit five hundred fearless brutes, train them in modern combat, and massacre the Titans to reclaim the territory within Wall Maria.
Repairing the walls would only be a secondary effect. If Titans could no longer threaten humanity, even without that new material called cement, they could devote more time to using a binder made of gravel, mud, and straw to gradually fill the walls with stone bricks.
"Compared to words and images, I believe seeing the piece in person will give you a better understanding of the strategic value of the 'Gatling gun.'" Gale's lips curled slightly. "I wonder if any of you have the time?"
"I can't keep up with your pace, and although I don't understand most of what you're saying, I want to see that weapon." Pixis sighed lightly. "Suddenly, I realize that I am getting very old, very old…"
"Let's go, Levi," Erwin said, standing up with shining eyes.
He was eager to see the weapon, to see what the world beyond the wall was like, what the truth of the world was; it was what he had been seeking his entire life.
And now, the dream he had pursued for so many years seemed to be within reach.
The secret of the Titans…
Everything is hidden there…
Erwin still could not forget the basement that Eren Yeager had mentioned.