After tying up all the bandits and handing them over to the guard squad, Lock followed Annie back to the cabin.
Looking at the pinkish dress Annie was wearing and her long hair draped over her shoulders, Lock nodded from time to time.
"It's quite rare; Annie actually looks surprisingly good in this kind of clothing."
Annie didn't respond. She walked quickly to the girls' room, pushed the door open, went inside, and shut the door.
Lock, who hadn't seen enough yet, looked full of regret.
Before long, Annie changed back into her hoodie and trousers, tied up her hair, and walked out.
Seeing Annie back to her usual self, Lock asked with a smile, "How did it feel wearing a dress for the first time?"
Actually, it wasn't the first time; Annie had worn a dress when she went undercover in the Royal Capital to gather intelligence.
But at this moment, Annie still replied calmly, "Awkward. I don't like it."
Reaching out to help fix Annie's hair, Lock sighed, "Who else would like you besides me if you're like this?"
Annie smoothed her hair and didn't argue.
She brought up serious business: "Why does the Military Police want to kill you?"
Lock shrugged. "I guess I might have offended some people within the Military Police with what happened last time. They're probably dissatisfied that a noble like me could kill someone and still be released without charge."
Annie asked that question again: "Aren't you afraid?"
Lock gave a contemptuous smile, showing he didn't care at all. "A bunch of guys who don't dare show their faces won't amount to much."
He smiled and suggested again, "The ship will stop at the next station for about an hour. Shall we go for a walk?"
Annie said, "Not interested. Go by yourself."
After saying that, she turned and went back to their room.
Lock shook his head. Just as he was about to go out and see the scenery, the door to the opposite room opened, and the young girl walked out. She said timidly to Lock, "Hello, Mr. Leon. I haven't thanked you for earlier."
Lock glanced at the dress the girl was wearing and smiled. "What's your name?"
...On the deck, the girl with a red bob cut introduced her background to Lock.
"You can call me Lucy. I'm a biology student at Mitras University in the Royal Capital."
Sister, you look like a high school student.
Lock asked, "Then why are you coming to the Trost District?"
Lucy's eyes shone with the light of exploration. "Because I'm very curious about creatures like Titans. I heard the Survey Corps captured two specimens, so I came over immediately."
Lucy lowered her head, the light in her eyes dimming. "I just didn't expect someone to kill such precious experimental subjects out of hatred for Titans."
"I had already decided on my thesis topic..."
Lock asked in confusion, "Haven't you heard? There's a human who can turn into a Titan in the Survey Corps right now."
Lucy gave an awkward smile. "Of course I've heard, but there's no way the Survey Corps would let me get close to him."
Lock looked at Lucy and suddenly spoke like a third-rate con artist, "Actually, I lived with him in the Training Corps for three years."
"Really?" Lucy's eyes lit up again. "Mr. Leon, can you tell me what's different about him compared to the rest of you?"
Lock then gave Lucy a detailed introduction to that kid, Eren.
From his background, personality, and hobbies, to the first time Eren transformed into a Titan voluntarily, his ability to repair physical damage, and how he initiates the transformation.
Lucy asked while taking notes in a small notebook, "Are you saying he needs to commit an act of self-harm to transform into a Titan?"
Lock shook his head. "It's not the act of self-harm itself, but a bleeding wound."
...The two were chatting enthusiastically when Lock inquired, "By the way, what do your parents do in the Royal Capital?"
Mentioning her parents, Lucy lowered her eyes and said, "They were both professors at Mitras University. They died later in an accident."
Professors? An accident?
Lock thought of the methods used by the Royal Government in the original story to stifle and block the history and technology within the walls.
He asked in a low voice, "Is it convenient to ask what field your parents were researching?"
Mentioning her parents' achievements, Lucy answered with some pride, "Aerodynamics. My parents were involved in improving the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear currently used by the military."
The boat slowed to a stop, creating ripples on the river's surface.
Annie walked up to Lock at some point and interrupted them, saying coldly, "I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat."
...The guard squad escorted the group of bandits off the ship, with Lock and Annie following behind.
Lock walked leisurely with his hands in his pockets. "What do you want to eat?"
Annie said, "Whatever."
Lock noticed Annie's tone was off. "What's wrong?"
Annie didn't speak; she walked straight to a bar at the end of the street and pushed the door open.
She walked to the bar and said to the young bartender, "I'll have a glass of red wine."
Lock pulled out some money, placed it on the counter, and stopped her. "Don't listen to her. Just give her a bottle of lemon soda."
The bartender glanced at their identical clothes and took Lock's money with a smile.
Lock continued, "Do you have anything to eat here?"
The bartender said, "Sausages, bread, mashed potatoes."
Lock clicked his tongue. Hearing the names of these local delicacies made him lose his appetite. He said helplessly, "Two orders of sausages, then."
He turned to see Annie's gloomy gaze and urged, "Sit down first, sit down."
...Lock poured some lemon soda for Annie and smiled. "We have to report to the Military Police Headquarters this afternoon, so it's better not to drink."
He said earnestly, "Besides, how much was the subsidy from the Battle of Trost? Who knows if we'll be assigned immediately after reporting to the Royal Capital? If we have to wait a few days, the cost of accommodation in the Royal Capital is no joke. Let's not waste money."
Annie picked up the glass and took a sip. Her eyes lit up, and she felt that what Lock said made sense.
Seeing Annie's mood had improved, Lock began to tease her again. "I thought you weren't interested in coming out? Why the change of heart?"
Annie ate her sausage and didn't reply.
Lock lowered his voice and pressed, "Is it because you saw me talking to another girl and got upset?"
Annie replied flatly, "Narcissist."
Lock laughed happily... After eating, they returned to the ship. He chatted with Lucy for a few more minutes, then spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with Annie in their room.
They mainly talked about what happened during the Trost Recovery Operation. Since Lock had been locked in the dungeon at that time, it was natural for him to ask about the situation.
Except for not mentioning Marco, Annie did tell Lock many details.
Time passed quickly because of this.
At 4:00 PM, the ship finally arrived at the foot of the wall in Ehrmich District, south of Wall Sina.
The Military Police boarded the ship to check everyone's Transit Permits.
Lock and Annie used the certifications provided by the Military.
Seeing that they were future colleagues, the Military Police Officers politely exchanged a few pleasantries.
On the deck, Lock looked at the wall above him and remembered the day he had first transmigrated four years ago.
The ship passed through the entire Ehrmich District and finally entered the center of this island world—
The Royal Capital, Mitras.
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