Pieck looked out the vehicle's window; the streetlights had disappeared.
The vehicle had left the electrified area, but it had not entered the open countryside; it was still traveling along the road.
Under the dim moonlight, she could see stone houses everywhere.
Unlike the scenery Pieck had seen on the way from the prisoner-of-war camp, these houses were not typical plastered concrete buildings.
The buildings Pieck saw were unique: ancient structures.
In Marley, they were considered "tourist attractions": tall buildings with spires, ribbed arches, and enormous stones, somewhat resembling ancient religious sites.
"This is the old district of the capital," Erwin explained after noticing the doubt on Pieck's face. "The government purchased this area and relocated the residents to the newly built city free of charge."
Erwin removed the cover from the huge miner's lamp inside the vehicle, allowing the bright white light to illuminate the interior.
He looked at his watch and said quietly, "At this hour, the training still hasn't ended. Hopefully we'll arrive in time."
"Training?" Pieck, who had been observing the strange light bulb, turned her head again upon hearing Erwin's words.
How could they be training around here?
Was this area reserved for practicing with that "three-dimensional maneuver device" and familiarizing themselves with urban combat?
She and Erwin stepped out of the vehicle and stopped at the foot of a staircase, waiting.
It was a quiet night, and someone was carrying one of those strange lamps.
It did not appear to be an electric lamp.
According to Pieck's observation, the structure of the object was simply a milky-white translucent stone inside a glass dome.
There was no visible battery compartment.
To use it, when light was needed, the opaque cover was lifted; when it was not in use, it was covered.
Paradise Island possessed many strange things, especially those related to Titans.
Pieck often found herself thinking, "So Titans can be used this way."
Especially after visiting the various factories, Paradise Island seemed to have developed Titan technology to its absolute limit.
The Titans Marley used to kill had created countless riches and resources for the inhabitants of Paradise Island.
However, it seemed that aside from the people of Paradise Island who possessed the Founding Titan, no one else could accomplish this.
Well, it was better not to think too much about it.
Pieck calmed herself and focused her attention on the training ground Erwin had mentioned.
She was curious about what this "omni-directional mobility gear" was.
Was it some kind of incredibly fast two-wheeled vehicle?
How had they managed to attach an internal combustion engine to a device to propel themselves?
That would certainly provide great mobility, but it did not seem very practical.
There were too many obstacles wheels could not overcome, and if the road conditions were poor, such a two-wheeled vehicle could easily get stuck.
She had the feeling it was not what she imagined.
Paradise Island's technology was probably far more advanced and incredible than she had imagined.
She carefully observed the surrounding buildings; they were all tall and tightly packed together.
There were signs of concrete construction everywhere, with barricades and awnings added, somewhat resembling the architectural layout of Liberio.
It seemed they had studied it thoroughly; Paradise Island probably had its own intelligence sources and was not entirely ignorant of Marley.
The training there would likely help them adapt to the terrain of Marley's urban cities.
After all, urban warfare was the best way to catch the enemy off guard, especially Marley, with a permanent population of 1.2 million inhabitants per city.
It was enormous and overcrowded, and if it was your first time visiting such a massive city, you would undoubtedly feel overwhelmed.
The intricate streets and narrow alleys made it easy to get lost.
"It seems Paradise Island has been planning to seize the War Hammer Titan for a long time."
Could it be to completely deprive Marley of its Titan powers, leaving it vulnerable to attacks from neighboring countries?
Pieck's mind raced at full speed. As the inheritor of the Cart Titan, who did not excel physically but surpassed many warrior candidates thanks to her intellect, her instincts were extremely sharp.
But what she saw next interrupted her thoughts.
First, she heard a whistling sound in the wind, a very abrupt noise. A cluster of buildings this dense should not produce such a sound.
When she turned to look, Pieck froze, her mouth hanging even wider open than when she had heard about killing Titans with blades.
Dozens of people emerged around the corner of the buildings, all wearing black armored combat uniforms.
"Look, someone is flying through the sky!"
"No, they're not flying, they're swinging on wires."
Is that the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear?
"My God, how are they doing that?!" Pieck was dumbfounded.
How were those people in black suits able to move through the sky so smoothly and effortlessly?
This was completely illogical!
"That is our special Omni-Directional Mobility Gear unit," Erwin said while watching the squad fly past. "Five years ago, we used the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear to surround Titans until we reached the nape of their necks, and we used special blades to cut deeply enough to kill them."
"Mr. Erwin, you said 'we.' Do you also use that... Omni-Directional Mobility Gear?" Pieck gasped in surprise. It was uncommon for a commander to personally fight in wars.
Erwin lightly clenched his fist. "Although I haven't used it in a long time and I'm a bit rusty, I haven't forgotten much."
"What does it feel like to use that device?" Pieck looked upward.
"If I had to put it into words, it doesn't feel very good," Erwin said with a smile on his face. "Most of the time we needed to use the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear was when we encountered Titans attacking us along the ճանապարհ."
"The Titans Marley deployed on the island were a huge problem for us. Many of my friends and comrades died at the hands of Titans."
"Then, Mr. Erwin, do you hate Marley?"
"For me, it is not a matter of hatred. My reason for acting is not hatred toward Marley." Erwin shook his head.
"Then what is your reason for acting? Protecting your country and your family?"
Upon hearing Pieck's question, Erwin's mind drifted toward a series of images.
It was the first time he had left the walls and seen the calm, endless sea…
"No, it is to help someone's dream come true," Erwin said after a long silence.
"A dream?" Pieck's feelings were complicated.
After the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear training ended, Pieck saw one up close.
A short man named Levi taught her how to use it and even let her try it for a bit.
Pieck sensed the strength of this equipment.
Not even Marley's elite troops could defeat them. Their coordination, tactics, mobility, and weaponry were first-class.
With the help of these people, the chances of rescuing her father increased significantly, at least to a level Pieck could trust.
There was no other option; her father's continued presence in Marley meant certain death.
She agreed to cooperate with Paradis and help them capture the War Hammer Titan.
She returned to the prisoner-of-war camp and discovered something unexpected: Zeke had agreed to cooperate with Paradis two months earlier.
This struck her as inappropriate, since Zeke was a renowned Marleyan warrior who had earned his cadet rank by betraying his own parents.
Few within Marley's high command doubted his loyalty.
However, when Zeke and Pieck were summoned to a meeting that night, Zeke's behavior far exceeded Pieck's expectations.
Zeke had infiltrated numerous spies into Marley and secretly contacted small nations; it seemed he had been preparing for betrayal for a very long time.
One night, Zeke and Pieck went to the conference room to discuss the details of the "City of Cabo Operation."
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Erwin, who was in the middle of a detailed discussion, frowned. He stood up and opened the door, and his expression changed after hearing the soldier's report.
Erwin closed the door and solemnly sat down in the center of the conference room.
Zeke and Pieck, along with Levi, Kenny, and the others present, rose from their seats and looked at Erwin.
"It's a telegram from Hange. Three days ago, the Middle Eastern Coalition launched a surprise attack against Marley," Erwin said coldly. "They have captured a fortress on Marley's southwestern border."
"The Middle Eastern Coalition has declared war on Marley…"