Outside the northern gate of Wall Maria, the wind carried the faint smell of pine and distant soil. The massive convoy—hundreds of soldiers, engineers, wagons of steel and timber—waited silently. Lock had stepped aside to check the formation when he noticed Dina Fritz lingering behind him with an uneasy expression.
Her brows were drawn tight, her fingers restlessly twisting the cuff of her sleeve, as if gathering courage she wasn't sure she had.
Lock turned toward her.
"What is it?" His voice was calm—not warm, not cold, simply waiting.
Dina hesitated for only a second before speaking.
"Lock… are you certain it's wise for us to travel so openly?"
Lock blinked. "Why do you ask that?"
Her eyes drifted toward the engineers preparing the wagons, the soldiers adjusting their vertical maneuver gear, all moving as if this expedition were certain and safe. She lowered her voice.
"Those people who came from Marley—the Volunteers—"
Her voice tightened. "I don't believe they're completely trustworthy."
Lock studied her carefully.
"They were brought by Zeke. Why would you doubt them?"
At the mention of her son, Dina's shoulders stiffened. A flicker of guilt—regret—crossed her face. When she lifted her eyes again, she found Lock's expression unchanged, steady, unreadable.
That hurt her far more than if he had shown anger.
She forced a thin smile, but her voice trembled.
"I know… You still resent me because of Zeke."
Lock remained silent.
Dina pressed on, a quiet desperation in her eyes.
"But you must understand—back then, I was a mother. Any mother would have protected her child. Still…" She exhaled shakily. "Our goals remain the same. We both want to free the Eldian people. We both want to end Marley's tyranny. On that, Lock… we stand on the same side."
Lock did not flinch.
"What are you trying to say?"
For a moment, Dina looked as though she might crumble. Since Grisha's disappearance, the world around her had changed faster than she could grasp. She was no longer the princess of the old Restorationists, no longer the central pillar of their ideology. Here, in this rising Paradis, she was simply another wielder of Titan power—one whose usefulness Lock measured with cold precision.
The truth was bitter, but undeniable:
Her life, her safety, her future—none of it was truly in her own hands.
She took a breath.
"I think… the way we interact now is wrong."
Lock's eyes narrowed slightly.
Dina continued, voice low but steady.
"I can feel the distance between us. And I know why. Since Grisha left us, the only bond tying us together has weakened. Without him… we're nothing but two people using each other for a common goal."
Finally, Lock spoke.
"There is no problem between us. You follow my orders. Beyond that, I do not interfere in your life. Unless your actions threaten our plans or endanger yourself, you are free."
The words were delivered plainly, but they landed like ice.
He wasn't being cruel—only honest.
Dina swallowed.
Lock went on, expression unchanging.
"You are not my subordinate, and I don't treat you like one. We help each other when our goals match. If one day they don't…"
He didn't need to finish. Dina already knew.
She asked anyway.
She needed to hear it from his mouth.
"Lock… if our goals diverge one day… how would you deal with me?"
He looked her directly in the eyes. No hesitation.
Just truth.
"I would kill you."
Dina flinched.
Not from fear—but from the brutal clarity of it.
Lock continued, tone steady as stone.
"If anyone stands in the way of Paradis' survival—anyone—then I will not spare them. You included."
Dina let out a small, bitter laugh.
"So direct…"
But she wasn't angry.
In a way, she respected him more for the honesty.
Then her face softened with sorrow as she spoke again.
"Lock… I have a request."
He didn't blink.
"It's about Zeke."
Dina nodded.
"He is my son… and Grisha's. Whatever he has done, I ask that you spare his life."
Lock folded his arms.
"Even if I don't kill him, he is still a Titan Shifter. He has thirteen years. He has already used seven. Six remain."
Dina held his gaze without wavering.
Lock exhaled and nodded.
"Grisha helped me more than I can ever repay. Because of that, I will not kill Zeke—so long as neither of you interferes with my plans."
Dina bowed her head.
"I swear it. I give you my word."
Lock extended his hand toward the open wilderness beyond Wall Maria.
"Good. Once we leave the wall, I need you to control the surrounding Pure Titans. Keep them away from the convoy. Our engineers and soldiers must remain safe."
Her answer was immediate.
"I understand. I'll ensure none of the Titans approach us."
Dina's partial command of the Founding Titan's power was imperfect, but enough to push Pure Titans away in a wide radius. Not enough to give them detailed orders—but enough to carve a path.
A safe road through Titan territory.
That road would become the artery connecting the interior to the northern coast—allowing construction crews, supplies, and soldiers to travel freely. When the northern port rose from the ground, Paradis Island would finally be able to open navigation routes, develop a fleet, receive foreign support, and prepare for the inevitable conflict with Marley.
A long war.
A heavy war.
A war that demanded absolute focus.
Paradis was still too far behind the world's industrial powers.
If they hesitated, if they weakened, if they misjudged…
They would be devoured.
Lock knew this keenly.
Every decision he made now would determine whether Eldians would rise—or be erased.
At last, Dina lifted her head again. She watched Lock as he turned toward the front of the convoy, where soldiers waited for orders.
Her voice drifted softly behind him—so soft it was almost carried away by the wind.
"Grisha believed in you. I hope he wasn't wrong…" Lock didn't turn.
"He wasn't."