Gale returned to his daily routine after having contacted Commander Erwin of the Scout Regiment. His intention in drawing interest toward truths that would never have been discovered before the main events if not for him was simple: he needed the influence of a commander.
For Gale, who knew the main events of history, he recognized that Erwin was a brilliant commander. Even someone like him would be willing to cross a sea of hell following that man. However, he did not have much hope.
His desire to keep moving forward despite all his losses was solely due to what lay in the basement of Eren's house in Shiganshina.
Although Gale did not truly think the same way, he knew that if he used his knowledge to fuel the curiosity of a commander who constantly fought Titans, he could trigger a shared objective that would bring them both closer to an ideal future.
For Erwin, unearthing knowledge about the Titans would be the pinnacle of his achievements. As for Gale, having the manpower to use his knowledge in this world held back by the church was exactly what he needed.
Power, an opportunity, and possessing the optimal qualities to expand his influence alongside men like Hannes, Erwin, and Levi.
Being who he was, supported by those clearly competent individuals in the eyes of the people within the walls, Gale would have no obstacles in doing whatever he wanted.
And he was clearly right, because exactly one month later, Gale received a letter, delivered to him by none other than Hannes.
The letter was simple, yet it awakened Gale's curiosity even more, because it said: "Hange will visit you tomorrow."
"Have they discovered something?" The smile on Gale's face could not be hidden. The fact that they were coming to see him tomorrow meant that he had indeed planted the seed of curiosity in Erwin.
…
Southern Refugee Zone
In front of a stream where a waterwheel turned smoothly with the flow of the water, a tall boy of no more than eleven years stood, staring at his reflection in the slowly moving water.
His hair was shorter than usual, his gaze calmer, and he now appeared quite clean.
Gale, who seemed to have had a harsh childhood judging by the scar on the left side of his lips, heard footsteps behind him and smiled without turning around.
"It's me, Hange."
Gale turned slightly and saw Captain Hange, who was wearing a black cloak.
She was alone, but from her expression, he knew she did not feel that way. That was why Gale said, "Let's go inside my house."
"Yeah…"
Gale went straight to his house, which had now been renovated by the best carpenters in the refugee zone, and entered the living room. "Captain Hange, are you the only one who came?"
"Yes, I'm the only one who could come to see you." Hange looked exhausted and, only after catching her breath, asked, "Do you have any water?"
"Yes, here you go." Gale placed a bowl of water into a wooden bowl.
"We've already investigated the wall without the central government's knowledge." Hange took a sip of water. "We found a desolate spot, spent several days breaking through the wall, and incredibly, we dug up the finger of a huge skinless giant…"
Even Gale was surprised by what he heard. He had imagined that Erwin would first look for clues about what happened to the Reiss family, which would have been much easier to do.
What he never expected was that he would do the opposite.
"And then?" Gale sat across from Hange, his brows furrowed.
"As soon as we saw it, we restored the wall to its original state." Hange wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "As for the other matter, within Reiss territory… we've also sent people there, and it's certainly very strange."
"What did Commander Erwin say?" Gale asked, trying to figure out what would happen next.
"Commander Erwin doesn't know. He's unavailable at the moment." Hange replied, then said anxiously, "After investigating the walls, he's being watched. The government seems to have discovered some of our movements and has begun to suspect Erwin. Even I had to sneak away from the eyes watching my back."
"I understand…" Gale understood what was happening—something normal, considering what they were trying to hide.
"Those bastards! They've hidden this from us all these years!" Hange clenched her teeth and said angrily. "Those nobles only used the Scout Regiment as a tool to deceive the people! Why did my comrades sacrifice themselves if everything was a lie?!"
"Is the situation tense right now?" Gale did not focus on Hange's anger; he only tried to understand more.
"Not yet. The government only suspects." Hange wiped the water from her mouth and said seriously, "Gale, I'm here to take you back. Come with me to the Scout Regiment. Erwin wants to see you."
"Hange, do you really want me to go back to the Capital?" Gale thought about his own problems, quickly weighing the pros and cons.
"Yes, that's what we want."
"No, I can't go there. If something happens in the capital, it'll all be over for me." Gale rejected Hange's invitation and instead pulled out a large stack of blueprints from his workbench.
"What… is this?" Hange looked at the design drawings in astonishment. The complex lines and processes depicted were beyond her understanding.
If the waterwheel was only slightly ahead of their design concepts, then these blueprints were completely ahead of their time—like a book written in the sky.
"These are the plans for a new iron foundry and new weapons that you'll need to face your enemies—humans this time." Gale recalled Kenny and his crude pistols and could not help but sneer, because in his hands he held the pinnacle of weaponry.
"Why?" Hange did not understand Gale's decision not to go to the capital.
"Captain Hange, it makes no sense to waste energy on political struggles right now. The only way forward is to develop our armed forces and our productivity, so that we can make things like this."
What Gale pointed to was an assault rifle—the first generation of the Avtomat Kalashnikova, model 1947, which he had learned to make directly from Mikhail Kalashnikov.
The design blueprints for the rifle's components were made by Mikhail Kalashnikov, who, upon learning how backward Gale's world was, selected what they needed and modified certain aspects.
Although it sacrificed accuracy, stability, and durability, the craftsmanship was so simple that even a small workshop could produce it.
For Paradis Island, where swords and flintlock pistols were still in use, this technology was practically alien.
With these weapons, the central government and the central military police would become insignificant!
Gale showed Hange the blueprints one by one. "If we can gather personnel and establish forges and weapon factories, these repeating firearms can be mass-produced in just a few months."
"These new firearms are very easy to use, even for farmers. Now that there's no longer a king inside the walls controlling everything, as long as we can build a secret factory, we can overthrow the government!"
"Those nobles have no interest in humanity; they only want to protect their power, their houses, and their property. They want to keep enjoying their privileges! They're parasites of humanity—let's crush those pigs together!"
At that moment, Gale's gaze changed. He was no longer a child pretending to be someone else; he was a living being with the ambition to conquer everything.
With an expression full of hatred, Gale said, "What you need to know is that our final enemy is not them!"
Hange was completely stunned. She had not expected things to develop this way.
"Captain Hange, others might not understand, but you are someone who knows—you should understand the significance of these blueprints!" Gale picked up the rifle plans and presented them to Hange. "Take a look at this new structure."
"Traditional firearms require stopping and reloading after firing a single bullet, resulting in a pitifully low hit rate. But look at this rifle—it uses a magazine structure and a gas tube to cycle the action! It can hold thirty rounds at once, and to operate it you only need to pull the trigger. With a spare magazine, it can be reloaded quickly and smoothly and fire without stopping!"
"I also have the plans for this iron foundry. With enough iron ore, it can produce thousands of kilograms of molten iron per day. In addition, I have an improved formula for steelmaking. The steel produced will be stronger than the pig iron we currently use and will rival high-strength steel."
The more Hange listened to Gale, the more stunned she became.
She was in shock. If the blueprints Gale showed her were real, it was truly terrifying.
Just thinking about such a scene made her tremble with fear.
"Gale… are you sure these aren't your father's plans? These weapons can change the world as we know it. They're too…" Hange swallowed hard.
"No, quite the opposite." Gale shook his head and said, "I'm against my father's beliefs, and now my only desire is to save humanity."
Of course, Gale was not an idiot, and he said, "My father told me this was only to test my knowledge, but after his death, I believe that if anyone can change things, it's me."
"More importantly, please have the Scout Regiment help me complete the factories for these plans!" Gale took Hange's hand and said, "We can restore order and drive the Titans out of the walls!"
"This…" Hange was completely at a loss. She was a researcher, but she did not have Erwin's resolve.
"Erwin… what should I do…?" Hange asked herself, her face full of worry—even fear.
She was terrified by the weapon Gale had shown her, something designed entirely to kill. From her perspective, these design drawings were extremely reliable and did not seem fabricated at all. After all, how could a child create such precise drawings?
Did his father really teach him the basic knowledge to create these things? And where would the fate of humanity ultimately lead if she pushed Gale to create all of this?
It seemed that this moment would mark a turning point for humanity, and her decision would affect the fate of the entire world. Under Gale's anxious gaze, an invisible pressure weighed heavily on her.
Before leaving, Erwin had told her, "Hange, if something happens to me, you will be the next commander of the Scout Regiment. I believe you have the ability to make the right decision. For humanity, give your heart."
She knew perfectly well that the government was corrupt.
She had seen countless ugly faces over the years and had always hated those incompetent people who occupied positions without doing their jobs.
When those hidden secrets were discovered, she felt an intense rage at having been betrayed. They risked their lives investigating beyond the walls, yet those people clearly knew everything and still waited for them to die.
What did the lives of those fallen comrades really mean?
"Damn it!" Hange shouted in frustration. "I don't care what the world becomes! Erwin! Let's do it—for humanity."