"Woah, look what I found? A wild Armin on a date with Mina!" Yago teased.
Armin's face instantly flushed red.
"No! That's not it! Yago, don't talk nonsense! I'm not!"
Yago slung an arm around Armin's shoulder and joked,
"Come on, what are you shy for? We're bros, aren't we? But seriously, Armin, you're full of surprises. Tell me honestly—did you make the first move, or did Mina?"
Armin waved his hands.
"It's not like that. Mina just wanted to treat me to a meal, that's all. Don't get the wrong idea, Yago."
"Oh~" Yago put on a knowing look.
Figures—Armin looks so passive, of course it'd have to be the girl making the first move.
While Yago was teasing Armin, the rest of their companions had already dispersed throughout Trost District, enjoying their rare break.
Jean Kirstein had taken quite a few gifts to visit Marco, Sasha had gone home to reunite with her family, and Connie had gone off carrying a giant toothbrush to brush his mother's teeth.
Mikasa had gone to visit Hannes, who was now the commander of the Garrison's Engineering Corps. Seeing Mikasa made Hannes extremely happy, and he kept asking why Eren and the others hadn't come along.
"These couple of days Eren's on rotation duty. He said he'll come visit Uncle Hannes in a few days."
After buying a chocolate pie for Annie, Yago estimated the time—Serena should have already boarded the ship back to Marley's capital by now.
As for everything that had happened inside the royal capital, the outside world remained completely unaware.
"What terrible luck! Daughter, this is bad! The Military Police have rebelled!" Duke Wald's large face was drenched in sweat.
His daughter Lisa held a book, looking puzzled.
"Father, what are you talking about?"
Wald wiped his sweat and quickly explained everything that had happened in the capital to Lisa.
"All that money I spent wasn't wasted after all—someone tipped me off at the critical moment. Damn it, those bastards! What does their downfall have to do with me? It's not like I dragged them down! And now they say they're coming to settle scores with me! Good daughter, hurry up and pack—we need to find somewhere to hide first, then escape later to find your uncle."
The "bastards" Wald referred to were the old nobles who had been purged. Clearly, they had directed all their resentment toward Wald, the only great noble who hadn't been dealt with by the council.
No one knew where Wald had gotten wind of the Imperial Faction's coup, but right now he was busy packing valuables and preparing to flee.
"Lisa! Where are you going? Come back! The capital will be dangerous soon!" Wald shouted at his daughter's retreating figure as she lifted her skirt and ran out.
...
"A coup!? Are you sure?" Keith Shadis abruptly stood up, staring at the two young trainees in front of him.
"Yeah! Instructor, it's true! The Imperial Faction is staging a coup. They said they're going to seal off the entire capital and the council building. All the Military Police in the capital are on their side, and half of the Garrison has been taken over. What should we do?" Alex quickly explained, anxiously asking for a plan.
Keith Shadis wasn't the only one who knew. Across the training corps base in the capital, there were many instructors and trainees from other regions. When they heard about the Imperial Faction's coup, they were just as shocked.
Keith Shadis's expression darkened, and the surrounding instructors hurried to calm the restless recruits. Though they were all instructors, everyone's eyes were on Keith—after all, he had once been the commander of the Survey Corps. In terms of prestige, none of the others could compare to him.
After a moment,
"All trainees remain in the base. All instructors, check your equipment and move out with me!" Keith Shadis shouted.
"Yes!" The instructors in military coats placed their right fists over their left chests in salute and acknowledged the order.
"What? Instructor, why? We can join the operation too!" Alex grew anxious upon hearing they had to stay behind. How could they just sit by while the Imperial Faction staged a coup? His words immediately gained support from many trainees—after all, kids their age were full of hot-blooded passion.
"Nonsense! What use are you brats? Just here to cause trouble? Staying put here is the greatest help you can give us!" Keith Shadis scolded.
"But—"
"No 'buts'! Follow orders! Return to your quarters!"
Keith Shadis removed his military coat and swiftly equipped his Vertical Maneuvering Equipment. Gleaming blades were inserted into empty sheaths, and the gas tanks were fully replenished. Due to the nature of the training corps, the instructors were still using older models of the equipment.
Once more than twenty instructors had finished gearing up, they launched into the air at Keith Shadis's command.
"Instructor..." Alex clenched his fists as he watched them depart.
Inside the Survey Corps base in the capital, only a dozen or so soldiers remained on guard. Unaware of what was happening, they carried on with their usual routines.
At that moment, a sharp-eyed guard outside the base spotted a fully armed squad of Military Police rapidly approaching. Though it seemed strange, he didn't think much of it until they were almost at the gate.
"Military Police? What are you doing here?"
Bang!
The leading officer didn't bother with words—he kicked the soldier to the ground, and the Military Police behind him swarmed forward.
Inside the prison, Zeke and Reiner were locked together in a cramped cell, while Porco and Pieck were held in another.
The Survey Corps wasn't worried about these Warrior candidates transforming into Titans to escape. In such a confined space, if one transformed, the other—if slower or not transforming—would simply be crushed to death.
Even if one managed to escape, it didn't matter. Outside the dungeon, five Ackerman-forged blade sets were waiting to slice open that tender Titan nape.
Compared to Reiner, who looked utterly dejected, Zeke appeared much more relaxed, sitting in the corner counting ants on the ground for amusement.
Outside the cell, A-One held a pen and awkwardly scribbled in a small notebook. Annie had given it to her. Though A-One couldn't read, she still treasured gifts from friends, and she found joy in the drawings she made inside it.
On either side of her stood her older brothers, A-Four and A-Five. When bored, watching their little sister draw was surprisingly entertaining.
"Hey, you guys… this is so boring. Can't you bring us some books to read?" Zeke had somehow moved to the cell door and called out lazily.
A-Five turned back and glared fiercely.
"Shut up! Even if we gave you one, could you read it?"
It wasn't that Zeke was illiterate—it was just that Marleyan script was different from that of Paradis Island. Even if they gave him a book, he wouldn't understand it.
The scar on A-Five's face and his fierce gaze made Zeke not dare speak loudly again. He muttered quietly,
"Why so fierce? What if you scare me so much I wet myself? I only have this one pair of pants."
At that moment, a sudden commotion erupted outside the dungeon.