Can he finally take action?
Lock thought.
His steps never stopped.
He followed Grisha at a distance of about 70 to 80 meters.
He passed through busy streets filled with people, entered alleys where few passed, walked through a forest, and arrived at a sparsely populated country road.
The winding path was surrounded by farmland and trees, the air growing fresher.
Unfortunately, Lock ignored the beauty of his surroundings.
His entire focus remained on Grisha, who moved forward with a serious expression.
Grisha was extremely cautious—looking back from time to time, scanning the area, as if afraid someone might see him or recognize where he was headed.
From Grisha's eyes, Lock could sense inner anxiety and uneasiness.
It only confirmed his guess: Grisha was about to act.
You must be torn inside right now.
On one side, a loving family. On the other hand, the great cause of the nation.
You have to choose one…
Sighing, Lock's mind flashed images of Eren, Mikasa, and Karal.
He asked himself: If I were Grisha, what would I choose?
Probably the national cause, like Grisha.
It wasn't about lofty ambitions or lack of love for his family.
The moment Grisha inherited the Attack Titan's power, the outcome was already written.
The Attack Titan doesn't have hard armor, incredible endurance, or colossal size.
What it represents is something far greater… freedom.
Only the Attack Titan can stand against the royal family and the chains of time, without being bound by the Founding Titan.
Moreover, its inheritors can glimpse into the past and future through the memories of previous holders.
An extraordinary ability.
So when Grisha inherited the Attack Titan, he must have seen the path ahead—the choices he would make, the burdens he would bear.
He… saw the future.
Thus, he… had no choice.
This was his responsibility.
And his sorrow.
Lock's gaze shifted to Grisha's anxious back, his expression subtly different:
I wonder if I will appear in the future, you see.
After more than an hour of walking, an abandoned manor appeared.
It should be there.
Everything went surprisingly smoothly.
But Lock didn't dare relax.
He kept his distance from Grisha, ready to stop him if this was truly the Reiss family's base.
He didn't want Grisha to meet them like this.
Because once they met, things would likely spiral out of control.
The Reiss family, complacent rulers focused only on maintaining order, wouldn't allow an unstable, uncontrollable element like Grisha to remain within the walls.
Soon, Grisha arrived at the manor's building, hesitated briefly, and pushed open the door.
No guards?
Lock thought skeptically.
Was this to avoid exposure, or had the Reiss family simply become too complacent over time?
Based on the plot, Grisha should eventually eliminate all of the Reiss family except Rod Reiss himself, so no surprises were expected…
Time is truly the cruelest thing.
Over a hundred years, the enterprising spirit of the people inside the walls vanished,
and the ruling Reiss family had grown corrupt and stubborn.
Lock sighed quietly.
At the same time, he marveled at how thoroughly the Reiss family brainwashed their own bloodline.
For so long, no one questioned the so-called Twilight Paradise or the Non-War Agreement.
No one resisted.
If they really wanted to change the system,
the Reiss family members who carried the Founding Titan's power could rise.
But they didn't.
It was clear they had chosen a different path.
A different plan.
Yet… they could still be useful.
Hiding by the door frame, Lock peered through the gap between the two doors, observing Grisha as he lifted the floor panel leading to the secret basement passage.
I can't wait any longer.
He stepped forward and said calmly:
"Uncle, are you sure you want to go in?"
"You…"
Grisha's eyes widened in shock as he trembled:
"Lock… Lock, why are you here?"
"Of course I followed you…"
Lock pointed toward the dark staircase.
"Uncle, this is where the holder of the Founding Titan's power and the actual ruler of the walls resides, right?"
"How do you know?!"
Grisha's mind seemed to short-circuit.
Why didn't I see him in the future?
Why did Lock suddenly appear here?
Why is he so familiar?
Without giving Grisha time to react or resist, Lock stepped forward and knocked him unconscious with a single blow.
"Sorry, this isn't the right place for a conversation."
After closing the secret basement door, Lock carried Grisha out, meticulously checking their surroundings to ensure nothing suspicious remained.
He then made his way to a hidden spot deep in an uninhabited forest nearby, laying Grisha down carefully.
While organizing his words, he waited patiently for Grisha to awaken.
Lock's nerves tightened.
He knew this conversation would determine whether his entire plan could move forward…
About ten minutes later, Grisha finally opened his eyes.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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