A Sound Argument (Episode)

"Her child might die. And if something happens to the Queen, it's over. Giving birth is risky enough as it is."

- Nile Dawk's sound argument against immediately feeding Zeke Jaeger to Historia Reiss

A Sound Argument (正論) is the 10th episode of the 4th season and the 69th episode overall of the Attack on Titan anime, produced by.

Overview
Two years ago, with assistance from Zeke Jaeger and the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers, Paradis Island was put in contact with an old ally in the nation of Hizuru. Their envoy, Kiyomi Azumabito laid out the three part plan to keep the island safe until a time it will not need to rely on threatening the world with the rumbling. However, Hizuru's assistance came from a place of greed and a year later they would not help Paradis negotiate trade with other nations in hopes of keeping any profit from Paradis's resources for themselves. Hange Zoë concluded that the Scout Regiment would have to venture out into the world themselves and meet people firsthand.

In the present, Eren Jaeger's behavior perplexes those around him, and his friends try to come to grips with the person he currently is with the person they remember. Historia Reiss is now pregnant, which is delaying the transfer of Zeke's Beast Titan to her out of concern that the process could harm her or her unborn child.

Summary
As Eren Jaeger looks into a mirror in his prison cell and repeatedly tells himself to fight, Hange Zoë asks him what he is fighting. When Hange changes the subject to compliment his new hair style, he demands to know why they came here. Hange replies that it is to talk and that they never believed that Eren would sacrifice Historia Reiss.

Two years ago, Eren and others of the Scout Regiment meet with Yelena and the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers at the port on Paradis Island to welcome their first outside visitor. It is Kiyomi Azumabito from Hizuru, the lone nation on friendly terms with Paradis.

When Kiyomi meets the Scouts for the first time, she shows a crest to Mikasa Ackermann and asks if she recognizes it. Mikasa does, and at Eren's encouragement, removes a bandage wrapped around her wrist and shows a tattoo of the same crest. She says it was passed down to her from her mother and her mother expected her to pass it on to her own child.

Seeing this, Kiyomi reaches out and clasps Mikasa's shoulders, calling it an admirable deed. She explains that a century ago the shogun's son came to Paradis since he was on friendly terms with Karl Fritz. After the Great Titan War, Hizuru was defeated and in the resulting confusion, a child of the shogunate was left behind on the island. Mikasa is the lost descendant of Hizuru's leader.

During a break from the meeting, the military is having trouble understanding the concept of a nation, but understands that they now have leverage with Hizuru. They are uneasy, and Dot Pyxis acknowledges that the world is coming to them while they are still new at understanding it. He suggests remaining quiet and listening to what others have to say. As the military prepares to return to discussion, Historia is curious about Mikasa's crest, but is happy that she is not the only one who was born to bear a heavy burden.

As the meeting resumes, Kiyomi discusses how Zeke Jaeger made this arrangement possible, and that Hizuru agreed under the condition they would be able to meet Mikasa. When she met with Zeke, he gifted her with the omni-directional mobility gear he had taken from Miche Zacharius and explained that it needs a special fuel that is unique to Paradis in order to work: Iceburst stone. Zeke suggested that by helping Paradis, Hizuru might be able to build an industry that would restore it to its former glory. Though Zeke was not able to provide Kiyomi with an estimate of how much Iceburst Stone Paradis holds, Kiyomi says that a resource like that would be worth its weight in jewels and treasure.

Hearing this, Mikasa wonders if she is bring used as a pretext and Hange remembers Yelena telling them that the talks would go well since the Azumabitos are greedy. Historia asks Kiyomi precisely what is her arrangement with Zeke.

Kiyomi then explains Zeke's three points to protect Paradis. The first is a test run of the rumbling to show the world a sample of its power. The second is Hizuru's cooperation, to strengthen the military of Paradis until the threat of the rumbling is no longer necessary. Lastly, the Founding Titan and a Titan of royal blood must be passed down. Zeke would pass on his Beast Titan to someone of royal blood and until their 13-year term ends, they must bear as many children as possible. Though weaponry advances, the rumbling is still powerful, making inheriting Titans necessary for generations to come.

Hange wonders if it is right to push this problem on to their descendants to save Paradis in the present and decides it is not. However, Historia agrees to inherit the Beast Titan as long as the rumbling is tied to their survival. Angry, Eren stands up, against the plan and the idea of breeding like livestock. He says if that is the price of living, Zeke can shove it. The rumbling is too dangerous to gamble on and they should explore other options.

In the present, Hange says they felt the same urgency Eren did, but they still do not understand why Eren went off on his own and put the island in danger. Eren tells them that he ate the War Hammer Titan and explains how its powers work, concluding that there is no prison that can hold him. He can leave whenever he wants and they cannot kill him since he has the Founding Titan. They similarly cannot kill Zeke. He grabs Hange through the prison bars and demands to hear what they can do or if they have anything up their sleeve.

Hange's eyes widen in fear as a light crackles around Eren. They manage to pull free and call Eren a perv and an idiot before marching towards the stairs. Once away from Eren, Hange laments that Erwin Smith made only one mistake, and it was naming them commander.

At a distant farmhouse, a young man comes out to see Historia, who is sitting on the porch, heavily pregnant. He tells her to come inside, saying that she needs to take care of her body.

Meanwhile, several officers of the Miliary Police have dinner. Roeg says they should have fed Zeke to Historia as soon as he got to the island. He also gossips about Historia's pregnancy, saying that she played around and is a low-bred girl who is Queen in name alone. Nile Dawk tells him to stop and that the Queen is free to choose her partner. The Military Police confirmed the father is not working for someone and both he and Historia grew up in the same area. He started helping out at her orphanage out of guilt for throwing rocks at her as a child, and Historia was the one who approached him first.

Roeg does not care about how their relationship started though, considering Historia's pregnancy a problem. He suspects someone, possibly Yelena, told her that if she was pregnant she would not be turned into a Titan, and as a result, Zeke gets to live another day. Belligerent and drunk, Roeg is in favor of turning her into a Titan regardless of her pregnancy, but Nile is against it. Her child might die and if anything happened to Historia, the plan would fail.

Undeterred, Roeg says such a sound argument could ruin their country, and he calls a Marleyan over for more wine. Greiz heads down below to the cellar where he meets Nicolo, who holds up a bottle and asks if this is the one.

A year ago, Jean Kirschtein and Conny Springer complain as they work on building a railroad, blaming Eren for getting them put on this task. They are waiting on Hizuru, who is acting as a mediator between Paradis and the rest of the world, and hoping there is a way to avoid the rumbling and save Historia.

Hange and Levi Ackermann catch up with the group, bearing news of Hizuru's reply. It is not good. Hange says they cannot count on Hizuru since it seems they want to monopolize Paradis Island's resources and will not help them trade with other nations, and the rest of the world wants Paradis to be evil. It unites the other countries and brings stability.

Eren is angered at the thought this means they will have to rely on the rumbling and sacrificing Historia, and Armin Arlelt is dismayed at being judged without the world knowing their true intentions. Mikasa concludes the people of Paradis are feared because the outside world does not know who they are, and Hange agrees, saying they should go meet the people outside.

The group rides in a cart behind a steam engine on the way back, discussing the plan to infiltrate Marley. Eren wishes they had more time, since he has only five years left and they are going to have to decide who inherits his Titan. Mikasa volunteers, but Jean says it should not be her since they do not know what the Ackermanns are and it might ruin their relationship with Hizuru. He instead volunteers himself and talks up how he is smarter and wiser than Eren, but Conny says they would not want to lose that kind of a person in thirteen years. Jean should become a regiment leader, so Conny offers to inherit Eren's Titan. This causes Sasha to interrupt that they cannot leave the Titan to an idiot, so she offers to inherit it, though Conny calls her an idiot as well.

Eren says that he does not want any of them to inherit it, because they are more important to him than anyone else and he wants them to live long lives.

In the present, Eren's friends gather and discuss Pyxis's detainment of the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers. The Scouts had not been informed in advance since they worked so closely with them and Eren seems to be on board with Zeke's plan now. Conny says that Eren did not seem like himself and if he means to side with Zeke over them, they need to be prepared to cut him down if necessary. Mikasa says she will not let him and Eren cares about them more than anyone.

Jean says that is not true. Eren used to try keeping her off the front lines, but he made Armin destroy a port and pulled Mikasa and the rest of them into the raid on Liberio. Mikasa suggests that is because Eren trusts them. If they had not gone, he would not have succeeded. Conny chimes in that if they had not gone, Sasha would not have died. He asks Mikasa why Eren laughed when Sasha died.

Armin says he and Mikasa will talk to Eren and find out what he has in mind. Jean is skeptical though, and asks what will happen if his goals are the same as Zeke's. Armin says they have options, especially now that they have their own supply of Titan serum. They could turn someone they trust into a Titan to inherit Eren's Founding Titan.

In a Forest of Giant Trees, some of the Scouts guarding Zeke share a drink of wine while Levi stares pensively at his charge.

Hizuru
''A small, eastern nation with its own unique culture whose head of state is called a "shogun." Producing many talented engineers, Hizuru has flourished in weapons and aircraft development and was at one time an ally of the Eldian Empire. The crest of the "shogunate" depicts three single-edge swords in its design.''

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