"Lock, come out for a moment~" Elder said seriously.
Behind him, Gunda wore a worried expression, her eyes full of unease.
"Uncle, I'll be right back."
Signaling Uncle Harry and the others to continue forging, Lock quickly put on his clothes and stepped out of the workshop.
"Going to cheat again?" Elder asked, half-teasing.
"No~" Elder shook his head, his tone calm but firm.
Before he could say more, Oluo interrupted angrily, "Rookie, the captain was forced to resign!"
"Why?!" Lock's brow furrowed in puzzlement.
In his mind, Captain Keith had stepped down because of the failure to establish a base during the expedition, resulting in heavy losses. Feeling guilty, Keith had passed the position to Erwin.
But Lock knew their contribution had been significant. Despite imperfections, they had successfully set up a base in the Giant Forest and uncovered valuable intel about the Titans. His merits far outweighed his faults.
So why resign?
"Why else?" Oluo growled. "It's because of those pampered military police who forced this. I can't understand the president and ministers' thinking. They insisted that Captain Keith step down and rejected our proposal to supply the base. It's like leaving Captain Hanji and the others to die out there!"
Oluo's anger grew with every word. His eyes were bloodshot, and his expression terrifying.
Standing next to him, Gunda quickly covered her mouth and glanced around to make sure no outsiders were listening. She sighed and said with some blame, "Watch your words. Do you want to be court-martialed?"
"I…" Oluo opened his mouth, then hesitated.
Sighing in frustration, he gave up speaking further.
"Since Captain Keith resigned, who's taking over now?" Lock asked.
"It's Deputy Captain Erwin," Petra answered calmly. "Captain Keith was supposed to accompany us, but the corps is in chaos. He has to stay at headquarters and help Captain Erwin manage internal affairs. He simply can't leave."
"If it's Erwin in command, that's not so bad~" Lock murmured.
Oluo, who had stopped fighting, suddenly tensed and shouted, "Rookie, what do you mean by that?!"
"I understand you're furious," Lock said, "but given our current situation, we can't oppose the orders of the upper echelons. All we can do is follow them. Honestly, it's not that bad. The government hasn't sent an outsider to lead the Survey Corps— that alone tells you something."
Seeing that a few of them still seemed confused, Lock glanced around. Satisfied that no outsiders were near, he continued bluntly:
"The situation is crystal clear. The royal government only wants to suppress the Survey Corps' development. The Military Police are nothing but a knife in their hands. With Vice Captain Erwin in charge, we still maintain some independence.
"Captain Keith was sacrificed, but that's the best outcome we could hope for."
That was the bitter truth.
Although the Survey Corps was the smallest of the three major forces (excluding the Training Corps), its resource consumption was far from inferior.
Even in the years with more expeditions beyond the wall, manpower, supplies, and funding consumption were greater than in any other corps.
Moreover, with the fewest people, the Survey Corps was by far the most elite and powerful.
It inevitably drew the government's attention.
The royal family didn't actually want to explore the outside world. Their real goal was to preserve their rule.
The Survey Corps existed less to explore Titans than to gather the passionate, independent-minded people who longed for the truth.
The royal government preferred to send them into dangerous expeditions—to send them all to die if possible—rather than have their thoughts stir instability within the walls.
Reality was harsh.
As a time traveler, Lock had a godlike perspective on this cruel world.
He never expected much from the royal government.
But since he couldn't change the system now, he didn't waste time lamenting it.
The upcoming event of the Titans breaking the wall would change everything.
Countless secret plans would unfold during that period.
Of course, none of it could begin until the wall was breached.
Listening to Lock's explanation, Elder and the others began to understand more clearly.
Their eyes widened, filled with shock.
"Rookie… tell me the truth. Are you really only fourteen years old?"
"Absolutely genuine~" Lock replied casually.
He then added, "The Corps' current state cannot be changed. All we can do now is wait. The strongholds outside the wall must be supplied and strengthened. It's only a matter of time before Captain Erwin gives us further orders."
After a pause, Lock fixed his gaze on Elder.
"I don't think you came back just to tell me this news… There must be other orders, right?"
"Of course," Elder said bluntly, pointing to the workshop behind Lock.
"Captain Keith asked you to stay here to upgrade the equipment. How's the progress? We came both to inform you of the situation in the Corps and to see how far you've come."
There was another unspoken truth Elder left out: According to Erwin's orders, times were turbulent now, and the Survey Corps had to tighten its belt.
If the equipment upgrade couldn't be completed, giving up would be the only option.
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