"The President, the Military Police officer Marlo Freudenberg from Stohess District requests an audience."
"I won't see him," Zachary said without lifting his eyes from the newspaper.
"Yes, I will refuse him immediately."
As the assistant soldier approached the door, Zachary suddenly remembered something. He called out: "Wait—is that Marlo from Stohess District?"
"Yes."
"Then let him in."
Zachary put down the newspaper. The front page headline read: "Lillian Kafka, Acting Deputy Commander of Stohess Military Police, Dies During Ultra Titan Capture Operation."
A moment later, Marlo entered the room and immediately saluted, his expression nervous.
"Marlo Freudenberg, what brings you here?" Zachary asked. "Your deputy commander just died, right?"
"No… I'm here to tell you… speak with you…" Marlo overcame his nerves and said, "The deputy commander asked me to see you—he hopes for a private meeting!"
Zachary's pupils narrowed, his expression becoming stern. The glare beneath his glasses turned cold. "Are you joking, soldier? Lillian is dead."
Thud.
Feeling Zachary's chilling aura, Marlo felt as if even breathing was difficult. Swallowing, he stammered: "N-no… the deputy commander isn't dead. But… he said it would be inconvenient to see you personally… so he sent me instead. And he hopes… that you, President… don't make a scene…"
"Hm?" Zachary frowned. "Where is he?"
Marlo gave an address—a restaurant in the inner city. Zachary nodded, adding, "Soldier, you better not be joking."
"Never!"
"Out."
"Yes, sir!"
Marlo quickly stepped out, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. So this is President Zachary's aura… truly overwhelming. But now he had to hurry back—time was of the essence.
He quickened his pace. Soon after he left, Zachary ordered several of his aides to discreetly investigate the location Marlo had mentioned. At his age and position, caution in every move was necessary—he couldn't afford to risk a lifetime of plans collapsing because of carelessness.
---
Marlo returned to Stohess District and swiftly made his way to the Military Police cemetery.
Today was Lillian's funeral. All the Military Police had gathered, and Lillian's gravestone had already been placed. Since there were no remains, only his medal of valor and his uniform were buried—an honorary memorial.
Of course, if Lillian were aware, he'd be furious. "Bury the medal, sure, but my suit? That shit's expensive, you know!"
"You're late, you know," Hitch said, eyeing the tardy Marlo, clearly puzzled. "I thought you'd be the first to arrive."
"Why?"
"Huh? Aren't you the closest to him?" Hitch frowned, recalling something. "Annie… still hasn't been found?"
"She…"
"Rumor has it she went missing during the battle. Her fate is still unknown." Hitch sighed, glancing at Marlo. "Seriously, three people went, and the dumbest one came back?"
"Yes… I suppose I am the dumbest," Marlo said, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Hitch was startled. "You're smiling? Marlo, what are you smiling about?"
"What's wrong with smiling?"
"…I thought you'd be crying nonstop," Hitch muttered, producing a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. "I even prepared this for you to wipe your tears. Seems I was wrong—your feelings for Lillian aren't as deep as I thought. Cold-hearted, really."
"Shut up, Hitch!"
"You—"
As they spoke, a commotion broke out nearby. Two groups of Military Police stood at Lillian's grave, shouting at each other in clear confrontation.
"What did you just say, you bastard?! Say it again!"
"What did I say?! Did I say something wrong? That girl wasn't originally part of the Military Police! And wasn't her grave placed here thanks to Lillian's favor?"
The quarrel was between a rookie, Robert, and an older soldier. Marlo and Hitch exchanged glances and hurried over.
"What's going on here?"
"Marlo, these idiots are mocking Carol!"
"What?!"
Marlo's anger flared. He turned to the older soldier, face darkened. "What did you just say?"
The old soldier didn't back down, pointing to the gravestone next to Lillian's. "I just said that Carol wasn't a Military Police soldier, yet she's buried here. That kid Robert cursed at me! Are you gonna back me up?"
"Carol wasn't part of the Military Police, that's true. But Lillian didn't abuse his authority," Marlo said calmly. "He reported her contributions during the capture of the bandit group and, importantly, how she saved him during the explosion. That's why headquarters approved her burial in the Military Police cemetery. What's wrong with that?"
"…"
The old soldier was momentarily speechless but then sneered. "Yes, yes, you're right! But mark my words, kid—you rookies won't have an easy time. Wait until the new deputy commander arrives!"
"Exactly! Just wait!"
"Without Lillian, these rookies dare to act up?"
"Looking for trouble…"
"Let's go! Back to our card games!"
The older soldiers grumbled and left. The rookies were furious, and Robert tried to charge several times but was restrained.
Hitch looked at Carol's gravestone, sighing. "Even in death, she had to be placed in the Military Police cemetery. Lillian must have felt guilty all this time." She waved her hand helplessly. "Well, too bad. Our days ahead won't be easy. I think I'll apply to transfer to the Garrison. Even on the front lines, it's better than dealing with the new deputy commander giving us trouble every day."
The others shared her sentiment. When Lillian was alive, they had prestige, and discipline was improving. Now, without him, no one could maintain order, and the old soldiers ran rampant.
"Yes, maybe we should all apply to transfer…"
"No!" Marlo suddenly shouted, resolute. "We're not going anywhere. We stay right here!"
"Huh?"
Seeing the puzzled expressions, Marlo wanted to tell them the truth—that Lillian was still alive—but recalled Lillian's instructions and held back.
"We stay here!" he declared and turned away. Hitch watched him thoughtfully.
---
Meanwhile, in a small inner-city restaurant, Lillian finally awaited Zachary. Although partially disguised, his aura couldn't be concealed. When the old man wearing a hat approached, Lillian stood and extended a hand. "Long time no see."
"Indeed," Zachary smiled and sat opposite him, two aides standing vigilantly nearby.
"I heard you were dead."
"So blunt?" Lillian chuckled. "Hearsay is unreliable; seeing is believing. Here I am, perfectly fine."
Zachary: "I see. I 'heard,' but the Survey Corps saw it with their own eyes. Were they all blind?"
"Not blind, let's just pretend they were," Lillian replied. "By now, I assume you've located Rod Reiss. We can move to the next step."
"The address is indeed known, but your… resurrection… really concerns me. Aren't you going to explain?"
"Right now, that's not the priority. The real issue is that Rod is about to make a move. If we don't strike first, it could be a disaster. But before that, I heard the government wants the Colossal Titan captured by the Survey Corps to be transferred to the inner city?"
Zachary raised an eyebrow. "That's true. The order is that Eren can remain with the Survey Corps, but the Colossal Titan must be handed over first, to be guarded by the capital's soldiers."
"Captain Erwin won't like that, will he?"
"He won't have a choice," Zachary said calmly. "That's an order from the 'King.' Unless he wants to rebel." He squinted at Lillian. "Does he want to rebel?"