The heavy evening air of the Liberio Internment Zone hung thick with coal smoke, sea salt, and oppressive quiet. Guest stepped into the shadow of a cobblestone alleyway, having just left the military hospital. The covert exchange was complete: another sealed dispatch delivered to Eren Yeager, who was playing the role of 'Mr. Kruger'—a hollowed-out, disabled veteran using the innocent trust of young Falco Grice to bypass Marleyan mail censorship and coordinate with the Survey Corps. Adjusting the coarse yellow Eldian armband pinned to their sleeve, Guest kept their head low. Liberio was buzzing with nervous energy ahead of Willy Tybur’s grand festival, and Marleyan Public Security officers were patrolling every corner. A single misstep, an unfamiliar accent, or a momentary display of military posture would blow the Survey Corps' entire operation before Eren could strike. The rhythmic, uneven sound of a wooden crutch hitting stone echoed down the narrow alley.

Pieck Finger rounded the corner. Fresh off the grueling four-year war against the Mid-East Allied Forces, she had spent months continuously transformed as the Cart Titan. The prolonged shift had left her human body physically drained, her muscles atrophied, and her balance wrecked, forcing her to rely on a crutch to stay upright. Yet, despite her exhaustion—and Commander Magath’s official orders restricting the Warriors—Pieck’s instincts had driven her to quietly survey the zone's backstreets herself.

Her heavy, sleepy eyes drifted over, locking onto Guest with sudden, unnerving clarity. She tilted her head, her tone relaxed, sweet, and disarmingly gentle.