And just like that, the matter came to a temporary close.
For both sides, it was a good outcome.
No casualties.
No bloodshed.
No Titan battle.
No devastation.
The only truly awkward one was Nile—but Lillian didn't question him about it. Both sides tacitly agreed to treat the incident as though it had never happened. As for the Military Police officers who had no idea what was really going on, the official explanation was simple:
A Titan was suspected to have appeared. It turned out to be a false alarm.
Of course, Lillian's trusted subordinates knew things weren't that simple. They had personally witnessed Survey Corps soldiers pointing their blades at Lillian. Afterward, Lillian explained the situation to them.
He glossed over the details, telling them that the Survey Corps had suspected him of possessing Titan power, but after speaking with Erwin, it was determined to be a misunderstanding, and the matter was resolved.
As for Annie and Marlo, they had heard far more and naturally required more explanation—especially Annie. She was deeply concerned about the matter of the notes and had an instinctive feeling that it involved her.
So Lillian didn't hide the truth from her.
He told her that the reason the Survey Corps had been able to return so quickly when the outer gate of Wall Rose was breached was because he had provided the information. He had anticipated that the Titans would strike while the Survey Corps was away and had delivered the warning in the form of handwritten notes.
As for Marlo—his loyalty to Lillian was arguably the strongest among the new recruits. Lillian did consider him a true confidant, but that didn't mean he told him everything.
For example, the matter of Marley.
That still required a period of buffering. If Marlo were told now and accidentally leaked the information, the world inside the walls would immediately plunge into chaos. Lillian wasn't ready for that yet—he couldn't allow that upheaval to happen.
Besides that, there were two others who remained behind as well.
---
"Is it really okay to leave Krista and Ymir with him?" Hange asked Erwin on the way back.
Lillian's condition had been to keep those two with him for the next three days, and only return them to the Survey Corps when formal talks took place. Erwin had agreed.
"It's fine," Erwin said. "He's protecting them."
"They'll still be confined when they come back," Levi said coldly from the side.
Indeed, Krista's actions were bad enough—but Ymir's were far worse. She had attacked her own comrades. In the military, that was an extremely serious offense. If investigated thoroughly, it could even result in a court-martial or outright expulsion.
"But if Lillian really isn't a Titan," Hange glanced at Levi, "then that means they were actually in the right."
"That doesn't justify attacking your comrades."
"That's true too."
As the commanders talked, the trio of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin were also discussing the incident behind them.
"It's unbelievable," Armin said. "Lillian actually became a deputy commander." He only found out after everything ended—the appointment notice had just been issued the day before, and people outside the Stohess District didn't know yet. "He's the same age as us, right? That's insane."
"I heard he's just acting in the role," Eren corrected. "But still, he really does have the ability. He probably saw through our disguise from the very beginning."
Eren continued, his expression darkening.
"And then there was that line—'No one would dare commit a robbery in front of me.' Acting all cool… and now look at me…"
Mikasa noticed Eren's agitation and spoke gently. "Eren, are you upset because you're not him?"
"Yeah. Aren't you?" Eren admitted bluntly, clenching his fist. "Lillian must be really disappointed in us. We actually suspected him of being a Titan… We trained together for three years. How could he be?! I should've stood my ground like Krista did back then…"
"Eren, don't think like that," Armin said. Though he was upset too, he tried to calm him down. "Yes, it may have damaged our relationship… but it also cleared his suspicion. No—actually, it hasn't been completely cleared. Like he said, this kind of thing can't be proven—"
"Armin! How can you still say something like that at a time like this?!"
"..."
Armin froze. Eren stared at him, then realized he had overreacted. He covered his forehead with his hand.
"Sorry… Armin. I'm just… angry at myself."
Armin and Mikasa exchanged a glance and fell silent.
They both knew how much Eren valued friendship. The thing he hated most was doubting his comrades. And now, not only had he doubted Lillian, he had actively deceived him.
If Lillian turned out to be an enemy, that would be one thing.
But if he wasn't…
The guilt would only deepen—especially considering that Lillian had once helped Eren identify the problem with his belt, allowing him to pass the ODM gear test and become a soldier.
After a long pause, Mikasa patted Eren on the shoulder.
"If it's confirmed later that he's not… then we'll apologize properly."
"…Yeah."
---
"Yes, just follow this design… Of course I'm the one using it. Who else would?"
The Military Police officer holding the blueprints left with a bewildered expression. He clearly couldn't understand why Lillian suddenly wanted such a massive weapon. Judging from the materials alone, even if someone could lift it, there was no way it could be used together with ODM gear.
Lillian was well aware of that himself.
That was precisely why he was pushing himself to further develop his speed and physical abilities. His potential in that area was enormous. One-third of a Titan's physique compressed into a body just over 170 centimeters tall—if developed far enough, the explosive power it could unleash would be terrifying.
After dismissing the officer, Lillian left his office and went to find Krista and Ymir.
The condition he had discussed with Erwin was that the two of them would stay with him for these three days. The purpose was indeed to protect them—so they wouldn't be subjected to gossip or hostility upon returning.
Once the three days passed and he finished his talk with Erwin, once Erwin fully realized that Lillian was not an enemy, he would naturally restrain the Survey Corps members from acting against them. At that point, everyone would understand that Krista and Ymir had been right all along, and the rumors would die down.
For now, the two of them had been temporarily placed in an empty female soldiers' dormitory.
Lillian went downstairs and asked a passing female Military Police officer to notify them. Soon enough, the two of them came down from upstairs.
They were still wearing the Survey Corps uniform, which naturally made them stand out inside the Military Police headquarters. To spare them from unwanted attention, Lillian led them to a small garden behind the headquarters.
They walked along a gravel path, the flowerbeds on either side releasing a gentle fragrance. Breathing it in, it felt as though the tension and pressure that had weighed on them these past two days slowly eased.
"Thank you…"
"I'm sor—"
Lillian and Krista spoke at the same time, then both froze. Ymir, walking between them, glanced from one to the other and sighed.
"You two really are in sync. Looks like we should switch positions, Krista."
As she spoke, she tried to move Krista to the middle, but Krista quickly grabbed her arm to stop her. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"N-no, it's fine like this."
"…Alright, then," Ymir said helplessly. "Krista, you go first. I don't feel like listening to one of those 'no, you first'—'no, you first' exchanges."
Who even talks like that… Lillian thought.
Then again, this world didn't have TV dramas—but that kind of dialogue pattern probably existed long before television anyway.
"Okay, then…" Krista looked at Lillian, guilt surfacing on her face. "I'm sorry, Lillian. This whole operation only happened because of me."
"Don't apologize yet," Lillian shook his head. "Whether an apology is needed is for me to decide. Why was the commander involved because of you?"
"Because I… I exposed your identity."
Identity?
Lillian thought for a moment. "You mean… the one who sent the note?"
Krista nodded. She pulled a piece of candy from her pocket. The moment Lillian saw it, everything clicked. He let out a small, bitter smile.
"I see now… But there's no need to apologize. If anything, I should thank you. Because of that, I was able to speak with Commander Erwin much sooner."
He paused, then added gently, "But Krista—why haven't you eaten it? It's been quite a while."
"I—"
Ymir sighed and stepped in. "Obviously because she couldn't bear to eat it. After all, it was given by the best Lillian in the world."
"Ymir, what are you saying?!" Krista cried, flustered. She clenched her small fist and lightly punched Ymir's shoulder, her blush spreading from her cheeks down to her neck. "I never said anything like that!"
"You didn't say it out loud," Ymir shrugged, pinching her cheek, "but that's what you're thinking, right? Otherwise, why are you so red?"
"That's not true!"
Lillian watched the two of them bickering, then lifted his gaze toward the distant sky. Dusk had fallen, and the sunset cast slanted rays of light across the horizon. Warm, colorful hues settled over them, tinting everything with a faint blush.
"It's because of the sunset," Lillian said calmly.
"Right! It's the sunset!" Krista immediately agreed, pinching Ymir's cheek in retaliation. "Look—your face is red too, Ymir!"
"Really?" Ymir laughed. "Can the sunset make your face red and hot?"
Krista fell silent, too embarrassed to respond. Ymir laughed again and looked up at the glowing sky.
For a brief moment, it felt as if they had returned to their days in the training corps. Back then, after a long day of drills, they would collapse onto the ground, lying in awkward positions as they stared at the sunset together.
For some reason, simply watching it in silence made their strength slowly return and their spirits lift. Because they all knew—after the sun set, it would rise again the next day. Training and exhaustion, laughter and joy—like the sun itself, they rose and fell endlessly.
"Krista," Lillian said softly, "thank you for your courage back then. I'll remember it for the rest of my life."
He added, "And as for the candy—just eat it. There's no need to save it."
"…Huh?"
"It's just a piece of candy," he said, gazing at the sunset. "If you want it, I can buy you as much as you like. From now on—candy, sunsets… there will be plenty of both."