Of the 2000 humans that had departed Quinta, fewer than a thousand two hundred had made it past Wall Rose. Miche's return unit was as much dented and every death's weight visible in the drooping of his shoulders when they had arrived. The civilians were subdued just as much, from the adults to the children, not one had dared to rejoice or cheer. They did cry though, they did bawl and kiss the ground.

Apparently, seeing civilians breaking down was so comedic a spectacle some garrison soldiers who were at the gate hadn't even kept their laughter in. Grisha couldn't help but wonder if Hannes had ever been that way.

Certainly not.

He remembered the unsteady, red-faced sentry, his indolence always salted with a healthy dose of sympathy, contrasted to the hisses and scowls from the crowds followed them from the gate to the city hall. Unsurprisingly, even fellow refugees from Wall Maria were stone-faced or derisive. All they had seen were the smaller rations that would be decreed by the Mayor. As many of them had left provisions standing in the fields in desperation after the encounter, Quinta's refugees had taken quick cognizance of the threat of titans.

When the tail of the line finally had finally come in, the hisses ceased and turned to gasps and grins. Judging her situation secure enough, Rita Iglehaut turned over most of the relief supplies that the scouts had originally brought for her people. In exchange, she'd asked for seeds, ploughs, work tools and skilled hands. Miche had been only too happy to accept. More lives would be saved from the government's suicidal plan and the food would help cities such as this one. Though looking about at the sheer self-centeredness of the people of Utopia District…

Most crucially, Rita Iglehaut's mother was among the living. Her welfare was more than a favor to the assistance by Iglehaut, it was the guarantee for cooperation against all the unending trials of Eldia. And lifting his eyes, Grisha had plainly seen the next one galloping down the street at them.

Gelgar was the first to receive it, then Miche and finally it dispersed to the rest of the legion; the Armored Titan had surfaced, the messenger claimed, and run about in Wall Rose.

Eren, please… Keep my family safe.

But all was well, no broken Walls or casualties. There, the soldiers had grinned and nodded to each other confidently. Simply excellent.

That had been hours ago before the King's Officers, magistrates and heralds had come to hear the state of Quinta. Alongside them were the pot-bellied elite of the military, the Military Policemen who jealously guarded the prosperity of Mitras and Sina. Before them, Miche recounted all his report, Grisha surfaced only once or twice as no more than a simple doctor brought along to vet the hygiene of the refugees. All the attention was on Rita Iglehaut. The brave commander who had restored order and brought the King's peace about to Quinta. The Garrison soldiers who sat to the sides of the beamed at her "victory" and the magistrates declared that she was to be promoted, regardless of whose purview it was.

Without missing a beat, Miche proffered her requests for running a sustainable Quinta. Tools, workmen and crops.

"You'll have it! Not just seeds and field-hands! Of our very own number the scouts will escort a chosen administrator to oversee the reconstruction of Quinta! Ho-ho-ho!"

Moblit Berner

After a grueling week of chasing ghosts and hunting shadows around Wall Rose, the scouts finally returned to a barracks in the heart of Wall Rose. Even barely unable to open their eyes after a lifetime of false alarms, not one scout as unable to see the casualties inflicted on Miche's group. They appeared as subdued as was their standard after any scouting mission. After the rank and file of the legion had gone to their delightful rests the majority of the squad leaders and executive officers gathered round to trade mission reports. Not to Moblit's surprise, even the pint-sized powerhouse 'Levi' had shown up for the meeting decked in comfortable civilian wear.

"My thanks to all of you in fulfilling your duties. There is no use in ambling but rest assured that Wall Rose is secure. On that count there is nothing to fear. There was in truth, the appearance of the armored at the home of the lately deceased Chief Advisor of the King, Rod Reiss. But apart from our shifter problem it's of no consequence. Miche you first. How was Quinta?"

He breathed out, "As far as Quinta, it's in great condition."

"Local soldiers took charge of the situation and run it under the authority of a garrison officer. They're more in need of laborers and field-hands than emergency supplies and evacuation. If anything the city was split between those who wished to return and those who struck off to go on their own. There's the garrison officer leading her faction and asking for visits and updates as part of the favor. Bad news; is that the magistrates want to send one of theirs back to overseeing position. Worse news… Many refugees… didn't make it."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Now what happened to the rest of your section Miche?" Erwin asked gently. The other scouts silent in fear at the dreaded response.

"A larger part of them are stationed in Quinta led by Nanaba." He said.

Erwin sighed and nodded, "That's good. We need more people we can trust. Especially in times like this. Our missions will have to grow fewer over the next few months. I told you about the armored titan at Orvud and I expect it to remain within this room than Eren Jaeger was also there engaging the titan. A fact he has failed to inform us of. Coupled with the fact that Grisha Jaeger has been exceptionally twitchy about being straightforward with us. I suspect neither of them have our interests at heart and I worry that our homes are merely a battleground between two separate groups of humanity."

All the scouts flinched and begun whispering to each other.

"Yes. Our unfounded fears can be discussed in this room but not even your wives and fathers must know this. Even our fellow soldiers can wait for a proper announcement. I worry, just as you do, that there are more than nine titans must to survive we must have titans of our own. We may find ourselves in a situation like in times of old when men fought each other. And I would not have us disarmed. Levi."

"It's purple and the crap evaporates when we expose it to the air but it'll turn any human into a titan." Levi held up a 'borrowed' bottle of the titan syrup swirling it in the light.

"Didn't Dr. Grisha say it only works on Eldians?" Hange interjected, Erwin turned to face her and silently regarded her for a stifling half-minute.

"And do you feel Dr. Jaeger can be trusted?"

"Sir.. I"

"It was a genuine question. I trust you and your judgment of the sciences. If you feel we have not been deceived in that aspect then I- we will all bank our lives on that. It's up to you Hange."

"Understood. Perhaps not fully sir. That's why we built the restraining device right?"

"It's done?" Erwin blinked in surprise. Then he exhaled with relief, "Hange, your efficiency is amazing. I'll have to give Moblit a raise of some sort."

The soldiers chuckled and smiled at their colleague. Speaking up before more jokes cropped up at his expense, Moblit warned; "There is a limit though sir. If the titan knows what he is doing… Breaking free isn't such a chore. It's useless against Titan shifters."

"It'll buy us some time?" Levi pressed.

"Hardly. If anything you'll be in a worse place. If it breaks free we'll have dozens of cables and barbs whipping-"

Moblit broke off at the tense faces and grimaces.

"Well you get the idea."

"That we do. Thank you. I don't believe everything Dr. Grisha fed us is false. Identifying the shifters for him makes us his scouts. That much is reliable. Everything else, even the number of the shifters… All I can say is don't bet on it. I ask a lot of you. To have knowledge promised and ripped away. I don't predict how you all feel. I feel disappointed. But whether you do or not. This is a new age for humanity in the walls. Let's keep our eyes open. And swords sharp."