Chapter 236 235

The military district lay under a dull gray sky, its wide stone roads empty and silent.

This part of the city had been deliberately cleared. No civilians, no patrols passing too close. Only the echo of distant machinery and the muted hum of a city that never truly slept.

In a secluded corner between two warehouse-like buildings, Zeke Yeager stood with his hands behind his back, his glasses catching a faint glint of light. His expression, usually calm and detached, betrayed a moment of genuine shock.

"…Lock really came here in person?"

"That's right," Irena replied calmly.

She stood opposite him, her posture straight, her voice steady. Compared to Zeke's brief lapse in composure, she appeared far more collected—almost relieved.

Understanding his reaction, Irena continued in a serious tone.

"To be honest, I didn't plan to agree at first. Bringing him to Marley carries far too much risk. But Lock was completely uncompromising."

She paused briefly.

"To maintain cooperation, I had no choice but to accept."

Zeke let out a quiet breath.

"If he insisted," he said slowly, "then you really had no other option."

Irena nodded.

"Exactly."

After a short silence, Zeke asked in a low voice, "There were no unexpected incidents along the way?"

"It went smoothly," Irena answered. "Aside from the warship I returned on, every other vessel in the fleet was either sunk or captured by Paradis Island."

Her eyes sharpened slightly.

"I also brought most of the organization's core personnel with me. With their full cooperation, the Volunteers should soon enter a period of rapid expansion."

There was no hiding her satisfaction.

At this point, Irena was genuinely pleased with Paradis Island as an ally. Its potential—military, political, and strategic—was far greater than she had initially anticipated.

Zeke's brows furrowed.

"…They can already control the power of the Founding Titan?"

"I don't know the exact extent," Irena admitted. "But judging from the battle situation, controlling forty to fifty Titans should not be a problem."

Her voice remained composed, yet the memory stirred something within her.

The naval battle replayed vividly in her mind.

In this era, technology was advancing at a frightening pace. Cannons grew stronger, firearms more accurate, and fleets more numerous. Humanity prided itself on progress.

And yet—

Against supernatural forces like Titans, human power still felt fragile.

Even standing one's ground in the presence of Titans required extraordinary resolve. Conservative estimates suggested that nearly one-third of trained soldiers would break formation or lose combat effectiveness when faced with them directly.

Once Titan numbers reached a certain scale, even the Marley Empire—boasting nearly a million soldiers—could not suppress them without paying an unbearable price.

"Forty or fifty…" Zeke murmured.

His eyes darkened.

For a fleeting moment, the image of his mother surfaced in his mind.

Dina Fritz.

The woman whose blood bound him to royal lineage. The woman whose fate had been sealed by this cruel world.

A complex swirl of emotions rose within him—guilt, resentment, sorrow, and something dangerously close to doubt.

On the surface, cooperation with Paradis Island appeared mutually beneficial. Marley was their common enemy. Their goals aligned—for now.

But Zeke knew better than anyone that this alliance rested on unstable ground.

Even without explicit discussion, he could tell from Lock's words, his demeanor, and his unwavering resolve—

Lock would never agree with the Eldian euthanasia plan.

Once Marley was sufficiently weakened, once the immediate threat was removed, the contradictions between them would surface inevitably.

Zeke had been asking himself the same questions again and again.

Was his plan truly correct?

Was it really what the Eldian people wanted?

And what about Paradis Island's path—Lock's vision of the future?

The more he thought about it, the more uncertain he became.

Each time he tried to reach an answer, his thoughts dissolved into confusion.

Irena noticed the change in his expression.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

She had always trusted Zeke—trusted his intellect, his resolve, even his madness. As one of his most devoted followers, she had committed herself to the future he described.

"I'm fine," Zeke replied after a moment. "I was just thinking about something."

He shifted the topic smoothly.

"Given the current situation, only your ship returned. As time passes, your report to the military will inevitably be exposed."

His voice grew heavier.

"When that happens, you won't be able to remain in Marley."

Irena had already anticipated this.

"I know," she said without hesitation. "That's why this time, I'll be sending a large number of skilled individuals to Paradis Island."

Her tone hardened with resolve.

"Soon after, I'll personally lead the team there as well. Next time, I'll bring all remaining trustworthy members of the organization with me."

Zeke raised an eyebrow.

"You don't plan on coming back?"

"No," she said firmly.

Then, after a brief pause—

"Yes."

A trace of madness crept into her smile. Her eyes shone with barely restrained anticipation.

"I will come back."

"When I do," she continued softly, "it will be time to take revenge on Marley."

Zeke gave a vague hum in response.

He neither agreed nor disagreed.

To him, Irena's hatred, her desire for revenge, even the future of the Volunteers—none of it truly mattered.

What he cared about was his own goal.

Yet—

Because of Lock, that goal was no longer as firm as it once was.

Irena, uninterested in his ambiguous reaction, took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed her excitement.

Then she asked the question that truly mattered to her.

"Didn't you go to the battlefield recently?" she asked quickly. "Why did you return so soon?"

Her voice trembled slightly.

"Is the outcome already decided?"

She didn't even realize how tense she sounded.

At this critical juncture—when Paradis Island was on the verge of rapid development—a Marley Empire consumed by war would be the ideal scenario.

A prolonged conflict would exhaust Marley's resources, divide its attention, and buy Paradis precious time to grow stronger.

The longer the war dragged on, the better it was for the island.

But if Marley withdrew from the war—

If it turned its full attention back toward Paradis Island—

Then everything they had built would be placed in immediate danger.

Once Marley discovered the island's true state, the consequences would be catastrophic.

All favorable conditions would collapse overnight.

This was the future Irena feared most.

Because she knew—

She was already bound to Paradis Island.

And she would be for a very long time.

Zeke sighed.

For the first time, genuine fatigue showed on his usually composed face.

"Although the results haven't been officially announced," he said slowly, "there likely won't be any more fighting in the near future."

His words fell like lead.

"Soon, the Middle Eastern nations will send representatives. A ceasefire agreement will be drafted."

He paused.

"Peace… is coming."

Irena's face darkened instantly.

"Then Paradis Island will be in danger very soon," she said grimly.

Zeke nodded.

"That's true. The situation won't be as stable as it is now."

He adjusted his glasses.

"But it shouldn't spiral out of control immediately. After all, Paradis Island holds the power of the Founding Titan."

His tone grew analytical.

"Now, aside from the Beast Titan and the War Hammer Titan, all remaining Nine Titans are in their possession."

The weight of those words lingered.

"That level of deterrence is still significant. At least in the short term, Marley won't dare to send a massive expeditionary force."

"That only applies to the island itself," Irena replied coldly.

Her gaze sharpened.

"The northern harbor will be attacked."

Zeke fell silent.

He knew she was right.

The harbor—new, exposed, strategically vital—would become the first target.

A long, heavy silence settled between them.

Above, the clouds drifted slowly.

And somewhere in the city—

Lock had already begun to move.

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