At noon on the fourth day, the steam train arrived at its destination: a military base on the outskirts of the Shiganshina District.
Armin's butt had been trembling in the seat for more than ten hours and, to be honest, he couldn't take it anymore; his butt and legs were completely numb.
Everyone was fed up, but there was nothing they could do; their conditions were still very harsh.
Upon arriving at the station, everyone disembarked.
Among the group of future soldiers welcoming them, Armin saw a familiar person waving.
"Long time no see, Armin, Mikasa," Gale said, standing in front of them with a smile.
Behind him followed a group of Titans—short Titans, each on all fours like wild beasts, with baskets strapped to their backs for transporting goods.
"Gale… You're here!" Armin said happily.
"Ah, yes, we're here to welcome you. The shipyard received the list in March. Eren is here too. You haven't seen him in a long time, right?" Gale knew about the arrival of the island's future elite, so he was interested in seeing them and fulfilling some of their needs in small ways.
After a few brief greetings, Gale looked at the silent Mikasa and said, "By the way, Mikasa, Eren says he misses you."
"Eren, he…" Mikasa pursed her lips, pulled up the scarf around her neck, and covered the lower half of her face.
Gale let out a cheerful laugh and said, "You should go rest for a while. You must feel uncomfortable after sitting on the train for so long. Go eat something. Lunch is ready."
"We still have to unload the cargo and complete some transfer procedures. We won't depart until tomorrow morning to take you to the shipyard."
"Oh, really?... Then we'll go rest first…" Armin scratched his head with slight excitement.
But Mikasa clearly had trouble continuing to walk, and asked in a low voice, "Eren… did he really say that?"
"What did you say?" Gale found Mikasa's reaction quite amusing.
Mikasa's voice was barely audible as she lowered her head and asked, "Tell me… did Eren really say that?"
Gale stepped closer and said, "Yes, if my memory doesn't fail me, he mentioned it. Lately he's been so tired he hasn't had the chance to rest. You can tell he's exhausted and probably just wants to rest for a while in someone's arms."
Gale's words echoed in Mikasa's ears like the whispers of a demon.
Her mind, blinded by love, automatically replaced "someone" with "Mikasa." Eren was very tired, missed Mikasa, and wanted to rest in her arms…
Mikasa's initially melancholic gaze gradually sharpened, and even her attitude changed.
"Come on, Armin, let's go eat." Mikasa dragged Armin toward the cafeteria.
"Oh, by the way, if you want to take a shower, go to the east side. There's hot water there after 6 p.m.," Gale shouted, waving goodbye to the pair.
After the aspiring soldiers went to eat, he and Hannes headed toward an area of the base that was not open to them.
The area was heavily guarded, surrounded by Titans and soldiers, and isolated by a ten-meter-high wall.
The only gate was sealed with several iron chains, and Levi, along with Mick Zacharias, an outstanding captain of the Survey Corps, were already waiting there.
No one spoke; they waited in silence for the gate to open, listening to the creaking of the chains.
When the iron gate opened, there was only an iron block inside, guarded by dozens of people.
After passing the guards' inspection, they entered the room, which was a prison where important "war criminals" were held.
Behind the iron bars, Reiner Braun, successor of the Armored Titan, and Bertolt Hoover, successor of the Colossal Titan, were chained and confined in that place.
They lay on the floor of the cell, apathetic and dejected.
Although they were chained, their cells had everything they needed: beds, sinks, desks…
Aside from the iron bars, it looked like a normal room, with good lighting and high windows in places they could not reach.
To care for their mental well-being and prevent them from developing suicidal tendencies, their caretakers did everything possible to meet their needs and also provided them with some entertaining books.
Eleven months had passed since the capture of the two Marley warriors.
Aside from the initial months of torture, they received "humane" treatment. After the establishment of the Shiganshina military base last October, the two men were transferred to this special prison and remained under surveillance.
The soldiers guarding them were equipped with specially designed tranquilizer guns and did not carry live ammunition.
Thanks to interrogation, they obtained a great deal of information from them.
Unable to use the power of the Titans, deep down they were nothing more than immature children. Over nearly a year, Levi was able to extract all the information possible from them.
This also provided Paradis Island with basic knowledge of the outside situation, maps, and the military strength of the Marley government.
"Let them out. I want to talk to them for a while." When Gale arrived, he gave a simple order, and the soldiers complied without question.
The soldier in charge nodded, took out the key, and opened the door.
The two subjects in the cell were forced to stand up and, together with Gale, left the cell.
The facilities inside the walls were also very complete, with excellent vegetation, flowers in full bloom, and pavilions for resting.
Gale and the other two sat in the pavilion chatting, while Levi and Mick remained standing by the prison gate, closely watching the Marley warriors, eager to kill them as soon as possible to avoid future trouble.
"So, I'll be the one inheriting the power of the Armored Titan, right? That blond brat?" Mick asked in a low voice with a cold expression.
"That's right," Levi replied without much expression. "Hannes will inherit the Colossal Titan. The two of you will board the Marine One as holders of Titan power. This list of successors was finalized after dozens of deliberations."
"Tonight…" Mick looked at his hands.
"Your training will take place inside the shipyard. Hannes will return to Shiganshina after tonight to train in mastering the power of the Colossal Titan. He will return with Erwin when the ship is completed."
Levi crossed his arms. "Originally, I was supposed to inherit the Armored Titan, but it seems the Ackerman clan cannot become Titans."
"But… I still don't fully understand why they chose Hannes to inherit the Colossal Titan. There are many other candidates in the Legion who are better than him."
"The reason is simple: he is loyal enough. The mission of the Colossal Titan is simply destruction. Now, he will carry out any order he is given. That guy has become a 'fanatic' of the island's brightest mind."
"That makes sense."
…
In the wooden pavilion, Gale was speaking with Reiner and Bertolt.
"I will be magnanimous and grant you one wish. Whether it is fulfilled or not depends on the kind of request you make." Gale recognized these two people; he had seen them countless times in his past life.
He had cried and grown angry because of them. He regretted that at that time Mikasa could not kill Reiner and Bertolt, just as he regretted that Levi had not been lethal enough to finish off Reiner in that counterattack.
In this world, both were his enemies, so he would definitely not give them a chance to survive.
To win the future war, Gale needed the power of their Titans, and in fact, he already had suitable candidates.
Reiner and Bertolt raised their heads in a daze and looked at Gale's calm face in surprise.
"In truth, we do not want to go to war with the people of Marley. We would like to resolve our conflicts peacefully, if possible. So, could you tell me what your wishes are? I would like to learn more about how my own people live in Marley."
Reiner and Bertolt exchanged a glance and opened their mouths.
Having not spoken for a long time, their pronunciation was somewhat hoarse and unclear.
"…thinking…"
"What are you thinking about?"
"About going home…"