In what was expected to be a harmonious family, there were only a few children in the dining room, with an average age of twelve.
However, despite their young age, their identities were far from simple.
Gale was a member of the council. Although he had no military power, he wielded considerable influence in other areas. He had his own construction team and a chamber of commerce. The person in charge was Hennes, but in reality, he was the one giving the orders.
Historia was a princess. As the daughter of the legitimate royal family, the Reiss, Historia was a key figure for the government. Her activities were strictly restricted, and she was not allowed to leave the capital. If she wished to go to the factory, Gale had to request permission first, and then Levi would take charge of her.
During the week, dozens of elite soldiers armed with AK-47s protected Historia 24 hours a day; her residence was almost like a military base.
Eren received practically the same treatment.
He was a special human who could transform into a Titan, and he held many secrets, such as the identity of his father, the basement he mentioned, and the reason why he could transform into a Titan.
All of these were matters that Erwin and the government wanted to clarify in the future.
Although Gale knew the truth, he did not reveal the information and pretended to know nothing about Eren's origin.
The only ones not under strict control were Armin and Mikasa. They had freedom most of the time. They worked at the foundry, doing odd jobs and cleaning. However, since they knew Eren's secret about his ability to transform into a Titan, they had to remain silent.
They lived in the factory dormitory, just like Eren, and were monitored by the Survey Corps.
After arriving in the capital, Eren was feared by many people. Wherever he went, elite members of the Survey Corps followed him, and often Levi personally guarded him.
Although Gale did not tell Eren, he knew that the orders came from Pixis and Erwin, the only commanders with real military power.
"In case any abnormal situation occurs in Eren's actions, you have the right to kill Eren Yeager on the spot." In a way, Levi was the scythe near Eren's neck, ready to kill him if he transformed into a Titan and began killing people.
However, with Levi absent today and the arrival of spring, Erwin had other plans. Yesterday, he led the Survey Corps away from the capital, intending to carry out another expedition beyond the walls and take with him humanity's strongest.
This time, the one in charge of taking care of Eren was Petra, from Levi's squad. Petra led a group of four soldiers who had killed Titans in real combat using the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear, and they were responsible for Eren's supervision.
Due to Eren's good behavior over the past six months, and the fact that he had never transformed into a Titan without permission since arriving in the capital, Gale easily convinced Petra to allow Eren and the other two to come and eat there.
Petra was like a good older sister, very tolerant with children and understanding. She felt that, as an adult, she should not interrupt the children's gathering.
The childish innocence of Armin, Historia, and Mikasa moved her, making her wait outside.
"Wow, this is incredible! Is this a steak?" Armin exclaimed, his eyes shining as he looked at the plate on the table.
On a silver plate rested a grilled ribeye, releasing a rich aroma of oil and charcoal. The black pepper sauce, accompanied by fresh asparagus, not only smelled wonderful but also had an exquisite presentation.
"It's been ages since we last ate meat, right, Eren, Mikasa?" Armin exclaimed, enthusiastically picking up his knife and fork. "Meat has become very expensive since the walls were breached. This steak looks delicious."
"Eren, I'm not very hungry, I'll share half with you." Mikasa, wearing a red scarf, pushed the plate toward Eren.
"No need, Mikasa, you can eat it yourself." Eren's attention was not on the steak, but on Gale, who had changed a lot since becoming the head of his family.
After arriving in the capital, he endured everything. Whether it was being monitored, forbidden from going out, or being asked to cooperate in Titan experiments, he endured it all.
Because Gale told them to be patient, that they had to hide things from those who were not their allies, and that they would surely defeat all their enemies in the future.
For some reason, Gale's words had a kind of magical power. Although he felt anxious inside, he listened carefully to Gale's advice and restrained his impulses.
Even he himself found it somewhat unbelievable that he had been an obedient child for half a year. Every time he felt the urge to get angry, the image of his first encounter with Gale appeared before his eyes.
"The fact that we can't do it now doesn't mean we won't be able to do it in the future."
Those were the words Gale told him: shouting will not kill a Titan, and he understood that lesson that day.
"Eat as much meat as you want." Gale, tormented by his own demons, did not let his troubled thoughts affect his expression and said, "After all, this is the princess's house; there is no shortage of meat here."
"Really!" Armin skewered the steak and tore into it with his teeth.
Everyone began to eat, and after Historia finished her steak, Gale, as usual, took a napkin to wipe her mouth, and Historia sat obediently.
He used to do the same when he worked as a servant on the farm, and the two shared a special understanding.
Every time he did this, Historia felt a warm sensation in her heart, a feeling she could not fully describe.
As for Gale, he felt that he was not too emotionally involved.
Subjectively, he believed he was simply cultivating a relationship with Historia so that the princess would trust him more and it would be easier to control power in the future.
Mikasa seemed to understand what was happening.
She thought for a moment, picked up a napkin, stood up, and was about to wipe Eren's face: "Eren, let me wipe your mouth."
"Mikasa! Are you crazy?! What are you doing?" Eren, being the typical serious boy he was, did not take it well at all. He shook his head and waved his arms as if dodging a wasp. "Stay away, I can wipe it myself."
"Alright..." Mikasa reluctantly sat back down in her seat, staring blankly at Historia and Gale.
She still could not figure out what had gone wrong, so she lowered her head with a dejected expression.
After finishing the steak, the servant brought a fruit platter. After lunch, Gale took out his handmade kite.
Behind the princess's palace was a large meadow. Gale gave the kite to Historia and asked her to fly it with Mikasa and Armin.
"Slow down, don't hurt yourselves!" Petra said with a smile to the children running around.
Eren and Gale sat in a corner of the grass, away from the noise.
"Sorry for calling you so late." Gale rested his hands on the ground, looked at the blue sky, and said in a low voice, "I've found the people who can transform into the Armored Titan and the Colossal Titan."
Upon hearing this, Eren's pupils instantly contracted, and his fingers dug into the ground.
"That group is not the final enemy. They have orders to destroy the wall, and their goal is the power of the Wall King. They don't know that the Wall King has disappeared, so they hesitate to reveal themselves openly," Gale said with a cold expression.
"Eren, I need your help. To defeat the enemy, I need to control the government's narrative."
"What do I have to do?"
"In three days, the nobles will hold a banquet. I want you to transform into a Titan at that time. Including the Armored Titan and the Colossal Titan, there is another one in their group who can transform into a Titan besides you inside the walls. I will try to bring that third person to the capital and help you defeat him."
"I hope that during that fight, you kill as many nobles as possible and make it look like an accident." Gale's cold voice sent a chill down Eren's spine.
"I'm ready. If you kill those nobles, I can quickly seize their properties, merchant guilds, and unions. With money, I can do whatever I want."
"And then what?" Eren swallowed with difficulty.
"After that, you must take Mikasa and Armin with you to join the army. I will clear the path for you." Gale's words were like a devil's whisper. "I guarantee you will be on the battlefield against the Titans."
Eren felt suffocated, his heart pounding and his breathing quickening. Slowly, he spoke:
"Alright… I'll do it."