Chapter 222 221

Once Lock, Zachary, and Erwin reached consensus, the machinery of administration began to move with astonishing speed. Within days, every city inside the Walls, and even the distant farming villages and underground districts, were circulating the same news through official newspapers:

Volunteers would be allowed to settle beyond the Walls, in the northern bay.

Official newspapers had spent months building credibility. Their tone had changed, their content had grown transparent, and under the new government's management, they had become the most trusted medium of public information. Even children understood that news printed in those papers represented policy, not rumor.

So when the reports appeared, no one doubted their authenticity.

Shock swept through the Walls.

"Leaving the Walls to live at the northern bay? Am I dreaming?!"

"There are Titans outside! Isn't that suicide?"

"Danger? Yes. But look at the benefits! Free land, free housing, and full support. The first settlers get everything! It's incredible!"

"Benefits mean nothing if you die before enjoying them. I'm staying inside. It's safer here."

"You're all cowards. Lock is going. The Survey Corps is going. If they're guarding the route, what's there to fear?"

"Fine. If you're so excited, then you go."

"I will! I've lived on the same patch of dirt my whole life. I don't want to spend every day knowing exactly what I'll look like at eighty. I want the outside world!"

The arguments did not end.

Most people were still unwilling to leave the safety of the walls. The great Titan breach of years prior had scarred the collective memory. For many, the world beyond the walls was synonymous with death. Asking them to abandon stone fortresses and step among wandering Titans felt unthinkable.

But there were always outliers.

There were always those who dreamed of something more — adventurers, visionaries, the dissatisfied, the desperate. Those trapped in the underground cities, suffocating in filth and hunger, were especially eager. Even with the support programs the new government had begun, life was still grim beneath the streets. They yearned for sunlight, wind, and freedom.

So, when the recruitment points opened, tens of thousands arrived. Most had nothing left to lose. They wanted room to live, even if it meant they might die.

They would rather gamble than rot.

The reaction inside the military was no less intense. The Survey Corps — the one branch that had always faced the outside world — was electrified.

"The sea… I can't believe it's real!"

"Finally, we're not caged. We're going to the coast!"

"Like livestock… we were penned for years. Not anymore!"

"We waited two years. Now, after Commander Keith, Lock is the first to establish a true base outside the Walls — and the scale is bigger. The determination is different. We will succeed!"

"Of course. Lock has never failed."

"As long as he leads, we will win."

They laughed and shouted, slapping each other on the shoulders. Some sharpened blades. Some cleaned gear for the tenth time. The mood was contagious. Even veterans who had seen too much death felt a tremor of pride.

Lock's reputation had grown terrifyingly quickly.

He was no longer simply the young commander of the Survey Corps.

Among the public and soldiers alike, he had become a symbol. The press fed the fervor, the victories amplified it, and faith hardened into legend.

He was being worshipped — quietly, but undeniably.

While enthusiasm spread, Lock worked without rest. Planning, organizing, assigning, writing — all in precise order.

The Survey Corps had five thousand soldiers now.

Three thousand five hundred would march north with him.

Only fifteen hundred would remain behind to guard the Walls and the inner territory. They would be stationed at key districts to react to emergencies.

Of those, the Shiganshina garrison under Levi and Miche had grown to eight hundred soldiers — nearly the size Erwin once commanded during his prime, now equipped with updated weaponry. Their purpose was simple:

Hold the southernmost district at all costs.

If Marley ever launched a surprise strike from the sea, Shiganshina had to endure long enough for reinforcements to arrive. That was non-negotiable.

Another seven hundred soldiers were spread across the inland regions — patrolling, scouting, regulating movement, and ensuring security.

Materials were being stockpiled at record speed. Armories emptied, warehouses filled, caravans rolled constantly through the streets. And the number of civilian volunteers… had far surpassed expectations.

Lock stood in his office, reading the newest report. The ink was still fresh.

"There are already seventy thousand registered," he murmured. "At this rate, it will reach one hundred thousand by departure. We may have moved too quickly."

He rubbed his brow and laughed. Not regret — only surprise.

Beside him, Petra leaned over the table, troubled.

"Lock, one hundred thousand people?" she said quietly. "At once? Isn't that too many? There are still Titans on the route. It's dangerous…"

"There are many," Lock admitted. "But we've gathered supplies for months. They will bring their own. We will farm, we will raise livestock, and the land there is fertile. It won't take long before the settlement is self-sufficient."

"That's not what I mean." Petra frowned. "I'm talking about safety. We have only three thousand five hundred soldiers. How can we protect one hundred thousand people?"

Lock smiled.

"With Dina there, no Titan will come near us. You can relax."

"Dina? She isn't—"

Before Petra could finish, footsteps echoed outside, and a familiar voice sounded at the doorway.

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