"Lock, come out for a moment," Eld said seriously.
Behind him, Gunther stood with a worried look, her eyes full of unease.
"Uncle, I'll be right back," Lock said to Uncle Harry, signaling for the others to continue forging. He quickly slipped on his jacket and stepped out of the workshop.
"Going to sneak off again?" Eld teased lightly.
"No," Lock replied, shaking his head. His tone was calm but curious. "What's going on?"
Before Eld could answer, Oluo burst out angrily, "The Captain was forced to resign!"
"What?" Lock frowned, genuinely puzzled.
In his memory, Keith Shadis had stepped down after the expedition failure—his guilt over the losses and the uncompleted base driving him to hand leadership over to Erwin. But that was supposed to come later.
He couldn't understand why it was happening now. The mission had succeeded in part—they'd built a forward base in the Forest of Giant Trees and collected valuable Titan data. That achievement far outweighed any loss.
So why resign?
"Why else?" Oluo growled. "It's those pampered Military Police again! The brass forced him out! I can't understand what the president and ministers are thinking. They're cutting off our supply lines and abandoning Captain Hange and the others outside the Walls! It's madness!"
His voice rose with every word, anger seething through his teeth.
Gunther quickly covered her mouth and looked around, checking to be sure no one was nearby. "Lower your voice! Do you want to be court-martialed?"
Oluo froze mid-sentence, then clenched his fists in frustration and said no more.
"Who's taking over now?" Lock asked quietly.
"It's Deputy Commander Erwin Smith," Petra answered calmly. "Captain Keith was supposed to accompany us, but with the Corps in chaos, he has to stay behind and help Erwin manage internal affairs. He can't leave."
Lock nodded slightly. "If it's Erwin, that's not so bad."
Oluo stiffened again, shouting, "Rookie! What's that supposed to mean?!"
Lock sighed. "It means, given our current situation, we can't afford to defy the higher-ups. All we can do is follow orders and make the best of them. Honestly, this isn't the worst outcome. The government could've placed an outsider in charge—but they didn't. That tells us something."
Seeing their confusion, Lock glanced around once more to make sure they were alone. Then his tone turned sharp and cold.
"The situation's obvious. The royal government wants to suppress the Survey Corps' growth. The Military Police are just their tool. But with Erwin leading, we still have some autonomy."
He paused.
"Captain Keith was sacrificed—but that's the best result we could hope for."
It was a bitter truth.
Though the Survey Corps was the smallest of the three branches—aside from the Training Corps—its expenses were enormous. Supplies, manpower, funding… everything they consumed rivaled or exceeded the Military Police and Garrison combined.
And their soldiers were elite. Every expedition refined them further, their skills and discipline unmatched.
Naturally, that power made the royal government uneasy.
The monarchy didn't truly want the outside world explored. Their only real priority was maintaining control. The Survey Corps existed not to seek freedom, but to gather those who still dared to dream of it—and send them to die far from the Walls.
It was the perfect way to bury the restless hearts of humanity.
Lock's expression hardened. As someone who knew what the future held, he couldn't expect anything from this corrupt system.
But until the Wall fell and the truth began to unravel, he had to wait.
That event—the Fall of Shiganshina—would change everything.
Countless hidden schemes and fates would begin their march at that moment.
For now, he could only prepare.
When Lock finished speaking, the others stood silent, faces pale. Even Eld, who'd seen battle after battle, looked shaken.
"Rookie…" he muttered. "Be honest. Are you really fourteen?"
"Absolutely genuine," Lock said, smiling faintly.
Then, with composure, he added, "The Corps' current state can't be changed by us. For now, we wait. We strengthen what we can—the supply lines, the outposts beyond the Walls. When Commander Erwin gives the next order, we'll be ready."
After a pause, he turned to Eld.
"But you didn't come all this way just to tell me that, did you? There's something else."
Eld nodded, expression steady. "Of course. Commander Keith asked you to stay and oversee the weapon upgrade. How's the progress? We came to check on your work—and to deliver the official notice about the Corps' current condition."
Lock's gaze sharpened. He could tell there was something left unsaid.
And he was right.
What Eld didn't mention was that Erwin had already warned the smiths and officers: the Corps was facing resource cuts. If the weapon project failed or dragged on, it would be abandoned entirely.
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