In front of the Royal Government Palace in the capital.
Gale and Historia followed the main group to this typical European building with a ribbed vault.
On both sides stood rows of Scout Regiment soldiers and Pixis's direct garrison troops, all armed with AK-47 rifles.
The captured Military Police, their hands tied, were crouching in a corner. The dried bloodstains on the ground were reddened by the firelight.
The smell of gunpowder masked the stench of blood, but bodies covered with white sheets could still be seen, stacked on stretchers and being carried away.
Historia glanced at the outlines forming beneath the white sheets, then took Gale's hand, her small, soft hand trembling slightly.
She knew what it was; it was a human corpse.
The corpse terrified her, reminding her of that night a few months ago, when her mother, who had once been full of life, had become a corpse, and the butler and maids of the farm had fallen in the midst of the gunfire.
Everything around her constantly provoked her, reminding her of that terrible night.
Instinctively, she clutched Gale's arm and bit her lower lip. Gale touched her forehead but said nothing to comfort her.
Since this was a coup d'état, bloodshed was inevitable.
Among the fallen Military Police, there were those who deserved to die, but there were also innocent people.
There was no legitimate reason for their deaths; it was simply a matter of differing positions.
On the night Gale escaped from the farm, he had already been prepared for the inevitable sacrifices; it was a path surrounded by blood and fire, where there would be neither sun nor flowers.
One day, Historia would stand in the public eye as the heir to the throne, and she would have to grow accustomed to such scenes and mature.
"They've arrived…" Levi, who was standing at the door, walked over and said, "The nobles of the Royal Government have been tied up and are all in the council chamber. Erwin, shall we call it a day here?"
Erwin nodded. "Go get some rest, Levi. We'll take care of the rest."
"Are you really going to do this?" Levi asked in a low voice as he stepped closer, patting Erwin on the shoulder.
"We have no other choice." Erwin said, glancing sideways at Gale, who was, in a way, the mastermind behind the coup.
"Understood, then I'm leaving." Levi lifted his AK, saluted his men, and signaled them to follow him.
Gale and Levi's gazes met for a brief moment, and then they followed the others into the government assembly hall.
The highest-ranking officials of the central government, all those nobles, were tied up like fat pigs and bound to their seats.
As for the false emperor on the throne, he was actually an elderly man with an intellectual disability. The nobles had placed him on the throne to project grandeur due to his dignified appearance.
He was a poor, confused old man who had already been taken away. It was said that when he was taken, he was still muttering, "Are we going to eat?"
Pixis and Hange removed the gags from the nobles one by one, and one of them immediately burst into curses: "Pixis! You've even joined forces with the Scout Regiment!"
"What are you thinking?! Betraying the government at a time like this! Are you trying to drive humanity to extinction?!"
"That should be my line." Pixis wore his characteristic squinting smile. "Gentlemen, at the political meeting, you issued the decree to 'reclaim Wall Maria,' even though it is not yet harvest season. Aren't you all being a bit hasty?"
"Don't you understand?!" shouted the obese noble dressed in a purple robe. "The food is almost gone! What good does it do us if we don't reduce the population and survive this year? There will undoubtedly be internal conflict next year! This is a necessary sacrifice for the survival of humanity!"
"Oh, really…?" Pixis crouched down and stuffed the strip of cloth back into the man's mouth. "But now those sacrifices are no longer necessary. We have found a way for everyone to survive, and you should understand that."
"Besides, there is something else I would like to ask all of you." Pixis stepped aside, revealing Historia and Gale behind him. "Do you… know this girl?"
"Who? Pixis, what tricks are you playing! Are you mocking us?" The noble in the shirt was sweating profusely.
"Allow me to introduce her." Gale said, bowing and greeting them politely. "This young lady's full name is Historia Reiss, and she is of royal blood."
"Reiss… could it be that girl?" All the nobles showed expressions of horror upon hearing the surname Reiss. "Pixis! What are you thinking! What are you doing! How do you know the name Reiss?! The gods will punish you! The gods will punish you!"
"Now that the position of the King of the Walls is vacant, who deserves to be called a god?" Gale asked in a mocking tone. "Gentlemen, please set aside your useless fantasies. The power of the Founding has been taken. You can no longer alter the people's memories or hide the truth."
"You brat! What do you know?! Only our lineage is noble— all of you are mere commoners!" The nobles were filled with powerless rage.
The more they shouted and raged, the less they could hide the fear within them.
Gale ignored the burly nobles and turned to Pixis, speaking calmly, "Commander, now you understand."
"Well, I never imagined that the Founding and the King of the Walls truly existed." Pixis nodded. "No further proof is needed. I will help you establish a new regime, all for the sake of humanity."
"Thank you very much, Commander." Gale said, somewhat relieved, as Hange and the other soldiers silenced the nobles.
Pixis then stepped forward and said, "It's time to speak with Darius Zackly. I didn't expect things to move this quickly. He's probably still asleep in his bed."
"Perhaps." A cold glint appeared in Gale's eyes as he thought of other matters that needed to be taken into account.
…
At the entrance of the government hall, Gale took Historia's hand and handed her over to Hange.
"Historia, Captain Hange will take you to have a new dress made. After they take your measurements, go rest. I'll come see you tomorrow."
"Alright, see you tomorrow, Gale." Historia waved her little hand as Hange led her away.
When no one was looking, Gale headed toward a corner of the government building, where he had arranged to meet Levi.
Levi had arrived early and was already waiting there.
"How did it go?" Gale asked in a low voice.
"I couldn't fail." Levi said, pulling up the hood of his cloak. "Darius Zackly, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is already dead in his bed. I took care of it without leaving a trace."
Gale let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this; it had been him who asked Levi to kill Darius Zackly.
That man was too famous, and unlike Pixis, he was not someone who got along well with others. If Darius Zackly had remained alive, he would have involved himself in political struggles from the very beginning, becoming an obstacle that needed to be removed.
Only by assassinating Darius Zackly could they better control the military power and the narrative.
Gale was the only one who could lead all the armed forces; only he understood the purpose of his weapons and the enemies beyond the island.