Gale, dressed in casual clothes with a black cloak concealing most of his body, walked through the streets of the Reiss territory alongside Ymir.
This area had been nationalized by the government last year and is now considered one of the zones under direct crown administration available to the people.
On both sides stood pointed stone houses, and crossing the curved arch bridge led to the largest market in the city.
The headquarters of the Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce and the new city hall were located near the market, surrounded by their people. For this reason, Gale dared to bring only Ymir as a bodyguard and walk around with just the two of them.
If he were in unfamiliar territory, he would go out accompanied not only by Ymir, but also by at least a squad of twenty armed security agents.
There was no other choice from now on; the greater the power and the higher the position, the more people would be watching him.
In the past, Hannes had drawn attention to himself, but after the Battle to reclaim Wall Maria, Gale became the center of attention.
Within the walls, things had not yet been consolidated into a cohesive unity. And without full control, caution was required in everything.
After crossing the arched bridge, they reached the entrance of the market. Five or six elderly women were sitting on the ground, each with a cloth spread out in front of them.
On the worn burlap closest to Gale lay a hand-carved wooden totem, while on other cloths there were fresh and cheap vegetables, such as radishes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
These were vegetables that were given freely to all residents of the walls.
The round skin of the white radish was covered in dirt, its leaves were green, and the corn husks were still intact, with brown roots hanging from the ends.
As soon as someone passed by, the old woman would call out several times.
There was no need to worry about selling them.
Many of the inhabitants of Wall Maria still lived within Wall Rose. Although they had fertilizers, glass greenhouses, water mills, steel farming tools, and other resources that had increased food production, they were still not wealthy enough.
People were already bargaining over prices at the vegetable stalls.
A woman, holding a small child's hand, was squatting in front of a wood carving stall, preparing to buy a small toy for her child to take home and relieve his boredom.
It was a peaceful scene.
The residents of the Reiss territory were now living very well.
It was said that this place was noble territory, but in reality, it belonged to the royal family. It had excellent geographical conditions, close ties to the capital, and was rich in resources compared to other areas.
This was the first time Gale had returned since the events of last year.
Seeing the familiar scenery again made him feel as though a long time had passed—more than a year in his mind.
He walked and stopped frequently, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.
The mass production of the Titan fluid drug would take another month, and forced recruitment was in full swing across the territory right now.
He had no time to rest; he needed to return to his mansion immediately to organize his forces and begin the "purge" within Wall Rose.
The aristocratic system of the capital had completely collapsed after the Female Titan incident last year.
But within Wall Rose, there were still a large number of native nobles.
They were local tyrants in their own territories, wielding influence over local garrison troops and maintaining their own private armies.
These were the groups that had to be eliminated if they wanted to move forward from this situation.
After the publication of Grisha's Notes, this group of nobles split into factions.
Those dissatisfied with the current government rebelled, raised the banner of opposition, and stirred public opinion, convinced that it was all a government conspiracy.
Some of the more cunning among them sensed the crisis. They did not believe in the existence of Marley, thinking it was merely an excuse, and they did not want to give up their power.
Each used their own methods to pressure the government.
The names of these individuals had been compiled on a list over the past month.
The so-called "liquidation" involved visiting high-ranking nobles within Wall Rose to learn their stance and negotiate with them.
In simple terms, it meant criticizing and denouncing the nobility, confiscating their property and power. If they were reasonable, they would be granted a small plot of land; if they could not understand, then nothing could be done.
In preparation for the war against Marley, all internal destabilizing factors had to be eliminated.
Napoleon had advised Gale again and again during his dreams. He knew what he had to do now that he held greater power.
Although everything now seemed calm, within the walls a revolution that would affect everyone was about to erupt.
Gale walked silently through the bustling market, casting quick glances at places that were familiar to him.
The shop owners and their locations remained largely unchanged. The fall of Wall Maria had not significantly impacted the Reiss territory near the capital.
Most of its residents had only heard about the devastation caused by Wall Maria, but had not witnessed it directly.
The major events that happened to Lord Reiss and the high officials of the capital had little to do with them.
In the early days, people talked about it, but once the initial excitement faded, they returned to their normal lives.
Aside from taking in some refugees, they did not notice much difference.
The only change was that the stationed soldiers had been replaced, and there were more unfamiliar faces.
Gale returned after more than a year and found that it remained almost the same as before.
From a distance, he had glanced at the tailor shop, the butcher shop, and the wholesale vegetable store in the market.
Kael's younger siblings worked in these shops.
They were full of energy, whether carrying goods as instructed or measuring customers with a tape for new clothes.
Kael's younger siblings lived positive and peaceful lives, which made Gale feel that he did not need to interfere further in their lives.
It was approaching noon, and the number of people in the market gradually decreased.
The shopkeepers also had time to rest.
Kael's younger siblings worked on the same street. When Gale had introduced them to the shop owners, he had put in a great deal of effort, finding several shops that were reliable in both character and professionalism.
The shop owners had strong business ties with the estate, and Gale was an old acquaintance of theirs.
They seemed to be doing quite well, gathering in the butcher shop during their lunch break to relax and chat with each other.
As expected, this market had been one of the first areas served by the Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce after its establishment.
When a place prospers and public security improves, its residents can naturally enjoy a good quality of life.
This was something Gale had promised Kael: to take care of his younger siblings.
He could only provide this kind of care discreetly. If it were too obvious, it would easily be discovered, and those children would be drawn into the conflict.
He had never intended for Kael's younger siblings to work for him. There would be no wealth or luxury by his side; they could die one day in a hail of bullets.
"Brother, are you really going to enlist in the army?" The younger sister was chatting with the older boy, and Gale, who was not far from them, could hear their conversation clearly.
"Mmm, I want to try. I heard that if I pass the unified test the day after tomorrow, I can enlist." They spoke casually, mainly about the boy's participation in military recruitment.
"Let's go back." Gale looked at Ymir as he adjusted his clothes.
"Have you seen enough already?" Ymir asked, resting her hands behind her head.
"After walking around for a while, it didn't seem very interesting." Gale glanced sideways at the group of teenagers eating together in the house next door.
There were four of them in total: three boys and one girl. They were a family and had grown enough to face life.
Gale knew the names of Kael's siblings, and of course, he would not allow them to join the army, so he strode forward and left the market.
A few days later, the boys and girls gathered again.
"Second brother, what was the result?"
"No… I wasn't selected, and I don't know why… Mr. Bob's nephew passed the exam." The boy sighed, turned around, returned to the butcher shop, and continued cutting meat.
The younger siblings looked at each other without offering words of comfort, then returned to their respective places, living each ordinary yet precious day.
Without them knowing, Kael's shadow shone over their lives.
"Live without war."