"Are we going to build a fleet here…?" Hange took off her dirty work jacket and sat on the ground. "It feels… incredible…"
"It's only been a year. A year ago, we couldn't even reclaim Wall Maria, but now we're thinking about sailing beyond the island."
"But… can a ship made of steel really float on water?" Eren asked in a low voice, as he only knew the wooden ships they had seen from afar.
"Yes, it's possible," Gale said with a cold expression, pointing as he explained. "As long as the buoyancy of the water equals the weight of the ship, there won't be any problem."
Archimedes' principle states that any body fully or partially submerged in a fluid at rest experiences an upward vertical force, called buoyant force, equal to the weight of the displaced fluid.
This force explains flotation: if the buoyant force exceeds the weight of the object, it floats; if it is less, it sinks.
Gale, of course, would not explain methods that many would not understand, and instead focused only on the essentials. "The people of Marley use steel ships. As for the energy problem, for now we can use Titans."
"We still don't have the technology to manufacture large engines like Marley does, but we have Titans. For this purpose, haven't we already found more than a dozen 'Special Titans' that can operate at night?"
"Using Titans as propellers…" Hange turned her head and looked at the Titans dressed and covered in mud. "Titans really are amazing. They can be used anywhere."
Gale, of course, would not rely too much on Titans when it wasn't necessary, but for now, that was what they had. "Keep it up. Although we've been monitoring Marley's movements at the port over the past year, we don't know when they'll lose patience and attack. That's why we need the ship to be built as soon as possible."
"Yes… There's no time to rest…" Hange dusted off her palms and stood up with difficulty.
Although the structure of the underground shipyard had already been completed, the task was far from over.
Their current goal was to build ships capable of long-distance navigation.
Gale completed the design blueprints and basic concepts of the advanced vessel within a period of four months.
In his spare time, he also built models. The rest consisted of turning that model into a real steel warship capable of sailing across the vast ocean.
Since November of last year, the government steelworks had been receiving orders to begin manufacturing ship-related parts.
Some of the parts had already been manufactured and transported to the shipyard warehouse.
In the shipbuilding workshop, they would assemble the different parts, separately constructing the ship's frame, the various cabin levels, the cannons and machine guns used on the ship, and then transport them to the sea for final assembly.
The goal was to build a battleship capable of carrying at least twenty Titans and three hundred crew members.
This includes the production and assembly of various components, from large to small, such as beds for the crew cabins, kitchen equipment, anchors, and propellers.
This was a massive project.
Fortunately, most of the resources and personnel of Paradis Island were being invested in Gale's plans without delay.
If everything went well, including the time needed for testing and experimentation, their ships would be ready to set sail in the summer.
…
Inside the walls, the royal capital.
The early spring sun shone brightly, and sparrows perched on branches, chirping and singing.
Today was the Day of Sowing, a festival celebrated within the walls.
Historia attended the celebration as a princess, walking through the crowded streets with her entourage.
Near some unfinished buildings stood construction Titans, ready to be deployed. People were already used to this and gathered at the Titans' feet to welcome the princess.
Historia, dressed in a crown and magnificent garments, stood in the carriage, smiling and waving to the people.
The lively atmosphere lasted until noon, when everyone dispersed for lunch.
However, Historia did not return to rest. Instead, she headed to a military training field on the outskirts of the city along with two government officials, Erwin Smith and Dot Pixis.
They traveled together by carriage from the capital to the training field on the prairie.
Only the most outstanding soldiers were selected for the royal capital's military training field.
Historia was occasionally asked to "visit" the new recruits. She was very popular and an idol to many. Her mere presence could boost their morale.
However, today she was not there to "visit" the soldiers, but to hold a farewell ceremony for the selected troops.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the training field. Erwin and Pixis were the first to step down, and a group of people was waiting on both sides.
Before stepping down, Historia looked at herself in the mirror she carried to make sure her appearance was perfect, then descended with dignified and elegant steps.
"Is that Her Highness the Princess? She's so beautiful…"
Inside the training field, Jean Kirschstein pulled back a corner of the tent curtain and discreetly glanced at Historia's profile.
"Move, move, let me see too." Connie Springer's shiny bald head poked out from under a soldier's arm as he looked at Historia from afar.
This was the tent for the recruits; all of them were selected soldiers who had signed confidentiality agreements.
They had not yet been told where they were going or what kind of mission they were to carry out, but they knew one thing: it was a very important mission.
After all, it seemed to be only the second time since the new government had been established that a princess had come to see off the soldiers.
Incidentally, the last group of soldiers to depart had been the troops who participated in the Battle to Reclaim Wall Maria.
However, Jean and Connie were not regular soldiers. They were too young. Although they felt honored to have been selected for this team, they were debuting as trainees.
Their main objective on this journey was to learn, refine their skills, and broaden their horizons.
They had been recruited into the same trainee group last June. They were only twelve years old when they were selected, and this year they were thirteen.
Upon enlisting, they underwent physical aptitude tests, one of which was a swimming test.
Both were children who grew up in the countryside and loved running freely.
They used to swim and play in the river, so they achieved very good results in this test.
Most of them suspected that they had been chosen for their swimming abilities.
After the physical aptitude test, they were assigned to a separate training group. Aside from basic training, all of their training was carried out in the water.
Even in the middle of winter, the instructors ordered them to train in icy water.
Many could not endure this torment and requested to withdraw from this special training camp.
However, both of them persevered. Although they were relatively young, they ranked among the top ten soldiers of their class, which was why they were selected to attend the training field in the royal capital.
"Listen up, cadets, hurry and form ranks! It's almost time!"
At that very moment, someone approached the tent and instructed them to go out and participate in the farewell ceremony.
Jean and Connie immediately stood up and saluted. "Yes, sir!"
As they had practiced beforehand, they arrived at the prairie along with the other soldiers.
There were a total of two hundred soldiers, with the famous Captain Levi at the front line of the formation.
The trainee students stood in the last row, with their total number not exceeding ten.
Jean Kirschstein blushed slightly as he looked at the short-haired female soldier standing to his right, Mikasa Ackerman.
He had only learned her name after arriving at the Royal Capital Training Field.
Compared to the radiant princess, he undoubtedly preferred this type. He thought that he should definitely try to start a conversation with her if he had the chance.