In an open meadow, a bonfire was burning. The horses were lying on the ground, and a white tent was erected with long ropes.
Hange's disappointed voice came from inside the tent. "No, this guy doesn't understand anything about blueprint design."
"Then… Captain Hange, I already said it. I didn't design the water wheel." Hennes was on the verge of tears.
He had been tied up with ropes and forced to sit on a stool, surrounded by a circle of people—every single one of them an important figure he had never dared to dream of meeting.
The blond man was Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps. The short man with the stern face beside him was Captain Levi, known as the strongest human alive. He had slain more Titans than anyone else, both in number and in height. His cold gaze was like that of the Grim Reaper.
And the one interrogating Hennes was Hange Zoe, the most famous Titan researcher.
Many of the current achievements in Titan research were her work, and she possessed the most advanced knowledge. In addition, she had participated in improving the 3D Maneuver Gear, and her major accomplishments were mentioned in the classes of the military academy.
Although Hennes was a bit older, if he were executed here by any one of these three, it probably wouldn't cause much of a stir. They could simply accuse him of treason.
"Captain Hange, please forgive me! I found this design by accident. I thought it would help reclaim farmland, so I tried to promote it. I did it for humanity!" Hennes said, trembling.
"Mr. Hennes…" Hange said as she crouched down, her voice cold. "The interior of the walls is very unstable right now. You understand that, don't you?"
"Because of the breach in Wall Maria, people are terrified. When will the Titans devour all of humanity? When will the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan reappear? How can we defend ourselves against something like that? Everyone is struggling with all kinds of problems just to survive."
"That water wheel—the person who designed it was incredible. It's a level that even I have to admire. Someone with that kind of talent needs to be in the right place to achieve the greatest effect."
"Do you understand?" Hange suddenly grabbed Hennes's chin, staring at him with wide eyes. "The water wheel is an invention that will go down in history. It can increase food production and allow more people to have enough to eat. Do you understand the greatness of this agricultural tool?"
Hennes's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he nodded shakily.
"Then tell us." Hange's voice was like a devilish whisper as she asked, "Who gave you that blueprint? Or rather, where did you find it? Is there someone behind you giving instructions? Who is that person? A man or a woman? It's not some toothless old man, is it?"
Hennes's gums trembled, and he didn't even dare to breathe.
"That blueprint… I found it while escaping to Wall Rose! It was in an old farmhouse in the Shiganshina region!"
Hennes had no intention of implicating Gale and the others in this matter. They were still children and shouldn't be dragged into adult conflicts.
However, at that moment, a soldier suddenly rushed into the tent.
It was Erd Gin, one of Levi's men.
"Captain, a boy has come in. He says he knows who designed the water wheel. Petra is watching him."
"A boy?" Levi frowned. "Erwin, what should we do?"
Erwin lowered his head thoughtfully, when suddenly Hennes became anxious. "No… no, Commander! That boy must be hungry and wants to beg for food. How could a child know anything about a wheel or blueprints? Don't be fooled!"
"That's strange…" Erwin narrowed his eyes and asked, "Hange, did we publicly announce that we were here for the water wheel?"
"No…" Hange released Hennes's chin. "Besides… didn't you give the order that no one was allowed to talk to people from the frontier?"
Hennes's shouting stopped abruptly, and he suddenly lowered his head.
"Let the boy in. I want to see him," Erwin ordered with great interest.
"Yes, sir." Erd Gin nodded and said, "I'll go ask Petra to bring him in right away."
Outside the tent, Gale was sharing malt candy with an older, quite beautiful woman.
This smiling woman was Petra—Petra Ral—a very gentle person.
Standing there, Gale remembered that in the original timeline, she would have been killed by the Female Titan.
Not long ago, Gale had been preparing plans for the blacksmith shop.
He learned the formula for steel and the principles of iron smelting thanks to John. He didn't fully understand most of the knowledge, but he wrote it down and studied it by candlelight at night.
At that moment, he heard the sound of rapid hooves.
He was very sensitive to this and feared that the Military Police might be coming after him.
Although his escape plan was nearly perfect, it still had a small flaw. Because he was kind-hearted and had warned Uncle Bob in advance, he sometimes worried that the Military Police might find clues and come to kill him.
So when he heard the sound, he immediately went out to observe and saw the Wings of Freedom flying under the moonlight.
Those who had come were from the Survey Corps. He went to ask the soldiers and learned that it was Erwin and his group who had taken Hannes away.
Thinking about it a little, it was clear that Erwin and his men had come because of the water wheel.
Although Gale knew the Survey Corps, they didn't know him. Erwin was a ruthless person who would rather die for the greater good. There was no telling what he might do to Hannes.
Moreover… since the Survey Corps had already arrived on his territory, rather than being discovered later, it was better to go to them himself and volunteer.
This had happened earlier than Gale had expected, to be honest. Originally, he had planned to secretly contact Erwin and the others after fully mastering blacksmithing.
But Gale had to learn to adapt to changing circumstances. Since they were already here, there was no reason not to visit them.
He needed to gain the trust of Erwin and the others during this meeting. Time was pressing—they had to build a bomb strong enough before Marley declared war, and there was no time to waste.
The basic industries of Paradis Island were extremely poor, completely deficient, and had a long way to go, which was why Gale had come uninvited.
"Petra, bring the boy inside. The commander says he wants to see him." Erd Gin looked at Gale with curiosity, and Gale smiled back at him.
"Alright!" Petra nodded slightly and smiled. "Gale, don't be afraid. Everyone in the Survey Corps is a good person, and they won't hurt you. Just tell them what you know."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Petra." Gale nodded with a smile.
He followed Petra into the tent and saw Hennes tied up, as well as the serious gazes of the three figures Gale was very familiar with.