"So you're finally getting serious."
Watching the scene unfold from atop the wall, Lillian felt a sense of relief. Based on his understanding of Annie, once she assumed that particular combat stance, it meant she would no longer hold back or retreat.
"I'm genuinely curious," Zeke said. He was sitting casually on the ground now, looking completely at ease, with no intention of transforming again. Lillian knew Zeke had not yet exhausted his stamina and could still transform if he wanted to—but he likely would not. There was no point.
"How did you manage to get Annie on your side?" Zeke asked.
"She simply saw the true face of the Marleyan military," Lillian replied, then glanced at Zeke. "But it's pointless for you to say that, isn't it? You should have… understood this long ago."
"Oh?"
This time, Zeke was genuinely surprised. He could not understand why Lillian would suddenly say such a thing. His identity—no, more accurately, his inner thoughts—should never have been exposed. So how did this boy know? Could it have been him…? No. He was already dead.
"I think there's no need for us to keep wasting each other's time," Lillian said calmly. "We might as well be honest with each other. Our goals are actually the same, aren't they? To liberate the Eldians. Of course, not to restore that arrogant and delusional Eldian Empire—but to make this nation an equal one among others, a normal country that can engage with the world and have proper diplomacy."
"…Is that so? And why would you think that?" Zeke replied evenly. "I've never had such thoughts."
"Oh."
Lillian thought to himself that this was true—he still could not fully grasp Zeke's mindset.
It could be said that Zeke wanted restoration, but was it equal rights or supremacy he sought? No one truly knew.
In Lillian's reasoning, the key to everything lay with the leader of the Eldian Restorationists—"the Owl." That man was very likely the true mastermind behind everything.
First, there was Grisha's first wife, the princess of royal blood, Dina Fritz. She joined the Restorationists through an introduction, then naturally married Grisha and gave birth to Zeke, a child with royal blood.
Was that really a coincidence?
If not, then it suggested that the Owl deliberately arranged for her to marry Grisha—his chosen candidate—so they would produce a child with royal blood, one who could one day become a "royal-blooded Titan."
Why was a royal-blooded Titan necessary?
If the Owl already knew the contents of the Vow Renouncing War, then he would have known that the Coordinate was useless in the hands of the royal family. Therefore, he needed someone—someone not of royal blood—to seize the Founding Titan. Then, paired with a Titan of royal blood, the Coordinate could be activated.
That person would bear an enormous mission and responsibility, so the choice had to be made carefully.
Why Grisha?
First, because Grisha personally witnessed his younger sister being torn apart by dogs under Marleyan soldiers' orders. That hatred could never be erased. Second, Grisha was exceptionally capable. After joining the Restorationists, he quickly rose to become their leader and central pillar.
Thus, the Owl chose him, placed Dina at his side, had them marry and produce Zeke. And Zeke's betrayal of his parents at the age of seven was also deeply suspicious. It was very possible that the Owl orchestrated it from the shadows.
Once the Owl decided that Grisha would seize the Founding Titan, Grisha had to be sent to the island as soon as possible. That meant the Restorationists themselves had to be destroyed. Only then could Grisha be exiled to Paradis. Later, on the island, the Owl would allow Grisha to eat him and inherit the power of the Attack Titan.
There was another reason as well.
If Zeke was to become a Titan of royal blood, he needed a "pledge of loyalty." Otherwise, why would the Marleyan military entrust him with the Beast Titan? Betraying his parents was the ultimate proof. Only then would Marley believe that Zeke truly stood on their side and list him as a successor.
As for why the Owl did not do all of this himself, the reason was simple: he was running out of time. If his lifespan had not been nearing its end, he could have carried out everything personally. But since it was not, he had no choice but to choose Grisha as his successor.
In the Owl's original plan, Grisha would steal the Founding Titan inside the walls and then coordinate with his son Zeke—the Beast Titan in Marley. A non-royal Founding Titan paired with a royal-blooded Titan could activate the Coordinate and shake the world.
But the Owl miscalculated.
He never anticipated that after entering the walls, Grisha would not act immediately. He investigated thoroughly—identified the true royal family and even learned their location—but during the process, he fell in love with Carla, married her, and had a child.
The Restorationists were gradually pushed aside.
Between a perilous revolutionary path and a peaceful life with a wife and child, most people would choose the latter. Grisha was no exception.
Tragically, it was only after Wall Maria fell that Grisha finally woke up to reality—that unless you defeat your enemies, they will eventually find a way to destroy you. That realization drove him to seize the Titan powers and pass them on to his son, Eren.
At that point, everything became clear.
The only remaining uncertainty was what Zeke truly wanted.
His life experiences and psychological struggles were far deeper than Eren's. If suffering were a competition, no one could compare to him. Eren had only witnessed his mother being eaten by a Titan—horrifying, but it was done by the enemy.
Zeke, however, had personally sent his parents to their deaths.
That was a psychological scar that could never be erased.
If Zeke ever realized that he might have been nothing more than a pawn in the Owl's game, endlessly brainwashed, then no one could predict what he would think or do. From Lillian's perspective, the fact that Zeke had not gone completely insane was already remarkable. Or perhaps he had gone insane internally—and was quietly planning some colossal revenge.
But the Owl was already dead.
So who would Zeke take revenge on? Marley? Or the entire world?
Lillian was not afraid to assume the worst: that Zeke truly intended to trigger the Rumbling.
To be honest, everyone—including Marley—knew that the Rumbling was a scorched-earth deterrent. A final "if I die, I'll take you all with me" tactic. It was useful for intimidation, but even the people inside the walls would never willingly activate it.
Once the Rumbling began, it would spell catastrophe for the entire world—and inevitably for the Eldians themselves. Eldians living outside the island would be slaughtered first, followed by a global alliance determined to eradicate every Eldian on the island.
The world's progress would be set back decades.
No one wanted that outcome—but Zeke might not care. With his personality, he might simply say, "Why should I give a damn?" If he wanted to destroy the world just to vent his rage, then Eren's contact with him would be extremely dangerous.
Although Eren held control over the Coordinate and would ultimately decide whether to activate it, his thinking was not yet mature. There was a real chance he could be manipulated by Zeke. After all, Zeke had been subjected to brainwashing by multiple factions since childhood—by now, he was practically a master of it. Persuading Eren would not be difficult.
Thus, the safest solution would be for Lillian to have the Beast Titan inherited by someone else.
But that created another problem.
Zeke occupied a high-ranking position within Marley and had access to vast amounts of military intelligence. He was an irreplaceable top-tier insider. If he were eliminated, Marley's intelligence pipeline would be cut off completely.
That was why Lillian's current attitude toward Zeke was neither friendly nor hostile. He still needed to judge whether cooperation was possible.
At that moment, the battle below finally shifted.
Annie, who had been suppressed and at a disadvantage, reversed the situation the moment she made up her mind. She knew Reiner's fighting style far too well. She immediately used grappling techniques to restrict his movements, rendering his hardened armor useless.
Moreover, Annie could also harden parts of her body—and her crystallization was even stronger than Reiner's armor. Under these conditions, Reiner was pushed into a desperate struggle. His punches and kicks were constrained, while Annie locked him down completely, draining his stamina rapidly.
"Just like before," Zeke said as he watched. "Even during training, Reiner was never a match for Annie. And he still isn't."
"That's only natural," Lillian replied. "She always worked harder."
Before enlisting, Annie had trained in combat with her father for years, enduring extremely intense daily training. She had already left Reiner far behind at the starting line—and she never stopped. Lillian had seen her train even in her spare time. That kind of effort could not go unrewarded.
"By the way," Zeke said, turning back to Lillian, "I'm really curious about your physical abilities. Can you tell me how you… I don't even know how to describe it. Reiner's report even claimed that you could 'revive.' Is that actually true?"
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it," Lillian replied lazily. "Let's skip the nonsense and get straight to the point. Whatever your goal is, the Founding Titan is not leaving with you. If you want cooperation, then show your sincerity—bring Marley's technology to the table."
"Technology, huh? Ordinary stuff wouldn't be a problem. But don't expect me—an Eldian—to have access to core technologies. That said… since we're speaking frankly now, I can tell you this: I can serve as a bridge between you and other nations…"