The Year Eight Fifty-Three

Early one morning at Seven O' Clock. Erwin Smith, Levi Ackerman and Hange Zoe were inside a big and clean office. The room was quiet for a moment. Hange sat at a table regularly with a letter delivered from the Azumabito Family. Levi slouched a bit with his back leaning a bit forward, his left elbow on the table and his other hand held his glass cup of liquor. Erwin Smith sat at a table with his hands by his side. He grew a thin mustache, which was cut and darkish-blonde.

"Are the Azumabito Family willing to convince other Nations to cooperate with us?" Erwin asked Hange.

"I'm sorry..." Hange shook her head no.

"I see..." Erwin Smith closed his eyes for a brief moment. He then stood up from the table. "Then it's time to move forward to Plan B."

"And that is?" Levi asked as his eyes traced and followed Erwin.

"Traveling across the world and forming alliances." Erwin said as he stood in front of a world map that was placed on a wall next to a window.

Levi gasped a bit.

"Making allies with foreign nations? That doesn't sound like a bad idea..." Hange said, giving it thought.

"Thanks to the intel given to us by Yelena, Marley is currently occupied in a war with the Mid-East Allied Forces. And with Marley distracted, we will be using Marleyan ships to enter foreign nations. While we're in foreign lands, we will form alliances." Erwin explained.

"I get it now... we're basically making friends under Marley's nose." Hange said as she rubbed a finger under her nose.

"Easier said, than done. I mean, do you really think it's going to work?" Levi asked.

"Not that I think it will work, but it has to." Erwin replied.

"No offense, but that's just crazy talk. Not everyone is gonna cooperate with us and sing songs. This is the real world. Everyone wants us "devils" wiped off the face of the earth. They want no part of us at all." Levi put down his cup of liquor.

"Yes. I am well aware of that." Erwin then turned his head towards Levi. "But in order for us Eldians to survive in the modern world, we need to prove that we are no longer the "devils" that everyone believe us to be." Erwin grabbed a

"So, we're starting small and working our way up, huh?" Hange had assumed.

"Precisely." Erwin answered.

Later that Afternoon

It is around Twelve in the Afternoon. Members the One Hundred and Fourth Cadet Corps. were outside in the heat building a trainline in a rocky terrain. The sky was blue and there was extreme heat within the air. Eren Yaeger was swinging a mallet, knocking screws within the trainline. Mikasa Ackerman was carrying at least a hundred pounds of steel to build the trainline. She wrapped her hair in a ponytail. Sasha Blouse was drinking a hand-sized barrel of water by herself. Connie Springer and Jean Kierstein was taking a small break after knocking nails in the trainline.

They were soon approached by the three top officers of the Survey Corps. Erwin Smith, Hange Zoe and Levi Ackerman. Hange wore a dark black suit from shoulder to toe. Commander Erwin and Captain Levi wore similar clothing, like matching buddies. They had all ridden horseback.

Eren stopped swinging the mallet for a moment and glanced at the Survey Corps. top officers.

"Levi, Hange and want to thank you all for your hard work. If we keep this up, this train should be completed by tomorrow afternoon." Erwin noted as he looked down at the incomplete trainline.

"You guys are working like bees." Hange noted as she sees the sweat on Jean's face.

"It's all because we have to watch this idiot, right here." Jean said, referring to Eren.

Levi cross his arms, while noticing Connie and Eren had gotten taller than him. "How dare you get so damn big..."

"Did something happen?" Eren asked.

"Hange had just received a letter from the Azumabito Family, yesterday." Erwin said.

"And?"

"I'm afraid the Azumabito Family won't be cooperating with us, after all." Erwin replied, before blinking briefly.

Eren gasped, Sasha paused, and their were looks of disappointment on Jean's, Mikasa's and Connie's faces.

"It seemed that the Hizuru only came to Paradis for obsession with our resources and technology." Erwin said.

"They're not going to help us trade with other Nations. Sure, there are people like Yelena and the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers who want to protect the Eldian race, but people like Kiyomi are money-grubbing schemers." Hange said, feeling a bit upset. "Matter of fact, the world needs Paradis to be the root of all evil."

Mikasa grunted, then thought back when she first met Kiyomi, the Ambassador of the Hizuru Clan.

"So, what now? Does that mean we just have to rely on the Rumbling... and that we have to sacrifice Historia?" Eren asked, feeling depressed.

"No. We won't do either of those." Erwin said.

"Why not?"

"Because we have found a third option." Erwin answered.

Eren and his friends gasped while looking directly at Erwin.

"What is it?" Eren asked, wanting to know what Erwin is thinking.

"We will be forming alliances with other Nations." Hange pulled out a map from her purse.

"W-wait a second... you mean, we're traveling across the ocean?" Jean asked.

"That's correct." Erwin answered Jean's question. "In order for Paradis to survive in the modern world, we have to take action, now, before Marley or any other Nation decide to attack Paradis."

"Speaking of Marley, what do you think is going on over there, Commander?" Connie asked out of curiosity.

"With the report we've received from Yelena... Right now, Marley is currently in conflict with other Nations."

"We can't exactly wait for Marley to assault Paradis Island again." Eren said with a serious tone.

"That's precisely correct, Eren." Erwin said.

"Um, speaking of traveling, when will we start leaving?" Sasha asked while raising her hand.

"In approximately three months. First, we have to finish building this trainline." Erwin had answered Sasha's question.

"Will people cooperate with us from across the sea?" Mikasa asked.

"Let's hope their are people who are willing to cooperate with us." Erwin replied to Mikasa's question.

"Will there be any delicious food across the Sea?" Sasha asked out of curiousity.

"I'm pretty sure there will be." Erwin smiled.

Sasha gasped in excitement with a blush on her face and sparkle within her pupils. "Then I definitely wanna go!" she yelled in an excited manner, while wrapping her arms around both Jean and Connie's necks.

"H-hey, Sasha! Cut it out!" Jean yelled while being yanked by Sasha and her strong arm.

"You're gripping too tight, Sasha!" Connie yelled as he's being yanked by Sasha.

Eren and Mikasa does nothing as they watch Sasha mess around with Jean and Connie.

"Tch. After all they've been through, they still act like kids." Levi muttered while walking away.

"Well, you can't blame them. They're still teenagers, after all." Hange said as she followed behind Erwin and Levi.

"Yes. Hopefully, they'll be ready to enter the outside world." Erwin said, while head back towards his horse.

Eren slightly turned his attention from Sasha choking out Jean and Connie, to look at Erwin Smith's backside. He kind of glance and had a serious look on his face.