Maria wonders what's going on. She hears that the captain has left for the royal city, and she wonders if it's a summons from the central government. She also wonders if the captain's observation trip has broken his spirit. She wonders if she feels like her father is calling her to join up with the survey corps. Maria wonders why the captain is wasting cannonballs on the battle against the titans, when the real problem is the cannons themselves. If the vertical-propellers aren't producing enough cannonballs to keep the battle from getting out of hand, then the cannons won't be able to finish the job. Maria also wonders about the two plebeians who have withdrawn their applications to join the corps because they've seen the battle firsthand. They're the ones who were trampled by the panic during the Shiganshina battle 15 years ago. Maria is impressed by the two young men's knowledge of how to beat the titans. She's not worried about a second plebeian joining up, though, because she's already chosen the next team.