"It really feels best being home, don't you think, Eren?" Yago stretched lazily under the sunlight.
Eren leaned against the wall beside him. "Yeah, it is."
"Hey, I'm serious—aren't you being a bit boring? Carla already made things so obvious last night, so why did you run off halfway? Do you think that's fair to Mikasa?" Yago suddenly grinned and hooked an arm around Eren's shoulder.
Eren awkwardly rubbed his nose, trying to change the subject, but Yago kept pressing him. In the end, with no other choice, Eren shot back,
"And you're one to talk? What about you and Annie? I think Lucia is getting pretty anxious too!"
Yago shrugged. "I don't care. Annie and I already confessed to each other, so anytime is fine. You're the one who's different—have you ever even confessed to Mikasa?"
Eren: "...."
"Yago, this is the arrangement the Paradis Island council made for our Revival Army. Take a look."
Just as Eren was feeling cornered, Serena walked in holding a file. To Eren, she was like a savior. He immediately threw out,
"You guys carry on, I'll get going," and bolted the moment he finished speaking.
Yago couldn't even stop him and could only give up. Teasing Eren really was fun.
Opening the document, Yago quickly skimmed through the arrangements Paradis Island had made for the core members of the Revival Army he brought back.
Since the core members of the Revival Army were here to help strengthen Paradis Island's basic military power, nearly a hundred of them were all assigned to the Garrison Regiment, which had the largest number of soldiers. With twenty thousand troops, after undergoing modern military training, they would barely be enough to ensure the island's safety.
However, Yago frowned slightly. It seemed the council still had some concerns. Aside from the Garrison Regiment, they had no intention of letting the Revival Army's core members get involved with the Military Police, the Survey Corps, or even the Training Corps.
That made Yago uneasy. If the Survey Corps was excluded because of its small size or special missions, then why wouldn't the Military Police, which had thousands of soldiers, accept training? And what about the Training Corps—the very foundation? Though he didn't like to admit it, the higher-ups clearly harbored some level of wariness toward the Revival Army.
...
While Yago was studying the arrangements, the council on Paradis Island was in complete uproar. The focus of the argument was none other than the recently returned Yago Norman.
"Twenty thousand troops! And even a reserve force of a hundred thousand! All under this Yago Norman?! He's only nineteen!" one council member slammed the table, clearly shaken by the intelligence on the Revival Army.
"The Revival Army? Do they have any connection to the restorationists on the island? Can we really trust them? According to Yago Norman, these reserves are fully capable of being deployed directly into battle. Forget combat effectiveness—even in sheer numbers, the Revival Army already surpasses Paradis Island," another member from the southern region pointed out.
"I think we still need to be cautious about the Revival Army. After all, they're not from Paradis Island—they're outsiders. We can't afford to lower our guard," another added.
But there were also voices supporting the Revival Army. A military representative stood up and said loudly,
"I disagree. What do you mean outsiders? Aren't we all Eldians? Haven't you seen the intelligence Hizuru has brought over these years? Haven't you heard about the suffering of our people outside the island?"
"Are all of you in the military just brainless? Do you never consider the consequences? What if the Revival Army has ulterior motives?"
"Bullshit! It's people like you who stir up trouble, just flapping your gums and spewing nonsense!"
The argument quickly escalated into an even fiercer shouting match.
As both sides continued to clash, Zackly ignored the quarrel and turned to ask Pixis, the current top military leader, for his opinion.
Pixis smiled. "Well, seeing how heated everyone is, I doubt we'll reach a conclusion anytime soon. So to avoid wasting time, I've already, in the name of the council, arranged for those Revival Army members who came from afar to start assisting with training in the military."
This move of acting first and reporting later stunned everyone present. Immediately, a flood of accusations erupted.
"Pixis! How dare you make decisions on your own?!"
"Pixis! What gives you the right to represent the council?!"
"This is arrogance! Acting unilaterally!"
"You're letting the Revival Army directly intervene in the military?! What if something goes wrong? If they seize control of the army's command, will you take responsibility?!"
Facing the barrage of criticism, Pixis remained calm. He even had the leisure to take a sip of tea. Recently, he had been trying to quit drinking, but the craving would hit hard at times, so he switched to strong tea to suppress his desire for alcohol.
He had clearly anticipated this reaction and was already prepared.
"Everyone, no need to get so worked up. For now, only half of the Garrison Regiment is involved in the training. Since there are concerns, we can take it slow. There's no need to swallow everything in one bite. How about letting just half of the Garrison Regiment test the waters for now?" Pixis said with a smile.
As soon as he said that, the previously indignant crowd calmed down somewhat. Compared to outright distrusting or fully trusting the Revival Army, this middle-ground approach was far more acceptable.
In the end, the difficult meeting finally came to a close.
...
After returning to his carriage, Pixis took out a letter and handed it to Miniko, who had followed him for many years.
"Deliver this to Yago Norman. Tell that kid not to worry—no need for concerns. The future of Paradis Island needs the Revival Army. This old man can still hold the line for them until I retire."
After Miniko left, Pixis struggled for a moment but ultimately couldn't resist. He opened his flask and took a long gulp.
"Still hard to quit… But that kid from back then has grown so quickly. Truly unexpected. Seems the world really does belong to the young."
...
"The council's orders are out. Those Revival Army people have all been assigned into the Garrison Regiment's training. We're in danger. Once the Revival Army takes control of the military initiative, our Imperial Faction will truly have no chance left!" Nacke rushed into the room, holding a sheet of paper in panic.
Inside the room, the loyal core members of the Imperial Faction had gathered. Sitting at the head seat, Arno took the document and glanced through it, a cold smile forming at the corner of his lips.
"These outsiders are really impatient… But so what if it's the Garrison Regiment? If we're afraid of them rising, then we'll crush them before they even get the chance!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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