The northern gate of Wall Maria rose behind them like a final guardian, its shadow stretching across the packed earth. Under the nearly full attention of the residents who had flocked to the battlements and roadways, Lock's convoy pushed forward, wheels rumbling, hooves pounding, banners snapping in the morning wind.
Today, they were leaving the protection of the Walls and stepping into the wild expanse where mindless Titans still roamed—the place every civilian feared, yet where the future of Paradis now pointed.
A subtle tension hung in the convoy. Even the engineers and craftsmen—handpicked, sharp-minded, but inexperienced outside the Walls—couldn't keep their hands from tightening on the cart rails. But the shift in atmosphere after crossing the threshold was unexpected.
The moment the last wagon left the cool shadow of the Wall, the soldiers of the Survey Corps moved smoothly into formation. Two long columns stretched forward and backward, sealing the convoy inside a protective funnel. Every soldier wore the newest reinforced 3D Maneuver Gear, twin black-gold bamboo blades, portable sidearms, spare gas tanks, and even Thunder Spears for emergencies.
They were the most elite fighters inside the Walls—Loyal. Disciplined. Unflinching.
Their mere presence strengthened the spines of everyone present.
Within minutes, the unease inside the convoy softened into awe.
Soon, barely five kilometers from Wall Maria, the convoy encountered its first cluster of Pure Titans. Gasps surged among the engineers—some reached instinctively for tools they could not use as weapons—but something strange happened.
Before the soldiers even raised a single blade, the Titans… stopped.
Then, like frightened animals, the Titans spun around and bolted in the opposite direction. Massive forms crashed through trees, kicking up dust, all scrambling to escape the path of the convoy.
Within moments, the threats vanished.
Silence flooded the roadway.
"What… what just happened?"
"Titans running away… I've never seen it."
"Is it fear? Titans don't feel fear."
"No, look—think about who's riding at the front."
"You mean… Captain Lock?"
"And that woman near him. Didn't you see? Her gesture—right when the Titans fled…"
"Incredible."
"Whatever it is, I'm grateful. If all Titans behave like this, the road ahead might actually be safe."
"Let's not jinx it…"
The craftsmen murmured too—confusion mixing with relief.
Many had faced Titans only from observation towers or during emergency evacuations. To witness them flee, without a single blade drawn, upended everything they believed. More than one person began wondering if Titans were truly as unstoppable or terrifying as they'd been taught.
What fueled that confidence the most was Lock himself.
At the very front, he hadn't tensed, hadn't even so much as touched his weapons. He simply watched the retreating Titans with a calm expression, as though he'd expected it.
For those following behind, that composure was contagious.
A commander who did not fear Titans made his men believe they didn't need to fear, either.
Lock lifted his gaze to the shrinking silhouettes in the distance. Then he turned slightly, looking back at Dina Fritz—walking a few steps behind him, her eyes lowered in concentration.
"Will they come back this way?" Lock asked.
"I cannot be certain," Dina answered. "But in the short term, no. The influence I place on their instincts is strong. Unless they encounter an obstacle they cannot bypass, they will continue moving far from us until I direct otherwise."
Her tone was soft but confident. She wasn't hiding anything—at least not now.
After their private conversation earlier, Dina clearly understood where she stood and what was expected of her. There was no longer a veil of arrogance around her, no lingering claim to royal privilege. Her attitude had shifted into something sharp, alert, and pragmatic.
She knew very well:
If she wished to see Eldians liberated…
If she wished for Zeke to survive…
If she wished to live long enough to witness victory…
Then Lock was the one person she could not afford to alienate.
Lock gave a short nod.
"That's enough. As long as Marley continues to refrain from releasing new Titans into Paradis, all we need is to drive away the ones that remain in the northern region. Once the route stays clear, we'll have a safe path from Wall Maria to the coastline."
Dina clasped her hands behind her back.
"Once the safe route is established, the road will open not just for the convoy, but for future construction teams. The area around the planned port will grow rapidly—more people, more activity, more trade. When the port becomes fully operational, the people of Paradis will witness with their own eyes how narrow their old understanding of the world was."
Lock smiled faintly.
"And their acceptance of new ideas will grow naturally. That's when real change will spread through the island."
Her eyes shone.
"Exactly. The people who travel with us now—when they return, they will become living witnesses. They will speak of the sea, of the land beyond, of the truth outside the Walls. Their words will travel from village to village, district to district. Curiosity will spread. With you as the one who opened the path…"
Dina's voice softened, almost reverent.
"Your prestige will rise beyond anything Paradis has ever known. You will become the symbol of the new era—the belief people cling to."
Lock's expression remained unreadable.
Dina Fritz was revealing more of her character with each passing hour.
Not just a Titan shifter.
Not just a former restorationist.
But a woman with political instincts.
A woman who understood strategy, influence, and narrative.
A woman who could imagine the future and describe it in frighteningly persuasive terms.
Lock narrowed his eyes slightly—not hostile, but evaluating.
Perhaps…
He had underestimated her.
Yet that did not mean he trusted her.
Far from it.
The convoy continued forward, the road widening as they entered the northern expanse—land untouched for generations, where grass swayed in the wind and the world stretched infinitely ahead.
Every kilometer they traveled was a step toward the first port in the history of Paradis Island.
And every movement of the Titans clearing away from their path demonstrated the frightening potential of the Founding Titan—even when wielded imperfectly.
This journey would shape the future.
For Paradis.
For the world.
For Lock.
And Dina Fritz—whether ally, tool, or future adversary—was proving capable of far more than he once believed.