As Ortoren finished speaking, Admiral Sengoku looked at him in silence, saying nothing.
Seated on the sofa, Ortoren quietly sipped his tea, offering no further words. Their eyes met, both studying the other, as if trying to uncover what lay beneath the surface.
Trust was a delicate thing. Ortoren did trust Sengoku, but mostly in the sense of believing in his superior's capability and reliability.
Sengoku was competent, dependable, and a man who kept his word. If he promised a promotion, he followed through. He wasn't one to make empty promises.
But trust in shared convictions was different. That had to be tested again and again, worn smooth over time through constant probing and small exchanges.
Ortoren fully believed Sengoku stood on the side of the Marines' interests. What he doubted was how far Sengoku was truly willing to go in defending them.
He couldn't clearly read Sengoku's attitude toward Mary Geoise.
Now that the conversation had reached this point, it was the perfect moment for testing each other's stance. Ortoren was sure Sengoku thought the same—that was why he had spoken as frankly as he did.
The atmosphere in the office felt heavy. The sound of the little goat crunching paper grated on Ortoren's nerves.
Glancing at the animal, he finally broke the silence. "If nothing else works, we could always stew it."
Sengoku shot him an annoyed glare. "I don't eat mutton!"
At that, the two exchanged a look and broke into laughter.
When the laughter faded, Sengoku reached out to rub the little goat's head and said softly, "Ortoren, I can already guess some of what you want to say. And you've no doubt realized it yourself—I brought you here today to talk about these very things."
"Mm." Ortoren took another sip of tea and answered quietly.
"Before that, I have one last question for you," Sengoku said seriously, looking straight at him. "I want you to answer honestly."
Ortoren blinked, then nodded. He opened his mouth to reply, but Sengoku raised a hand to stop him.
"Don't rush. I will only ask this once. No matter what your answer is, I'll believe you this time. Ortoren, this is the most unreserved trust I have ever placed in you. Don't betray it. Do you understand?"
As he spoke, there was hesitation in Sengoku's eyes, but it slowly hardened into determination.
Sometimes, a man had no choice but to gamble—betting on the unknown.
Sengoku now stood at such a crossroads. He could keep his head down, wait until Fleet Admiral Kong became Commander-in-Chief and he himself took the role of Fleet Admiral, and only then push back. But who knew how many years that would take—or whether success would even be possible then?
Or he could abandon the conventional path, take a risk, and go all in.
But that meant placing his trust in someone else. And now, Sengoku had chosen to place that trust in Ortoren.
Meeting Sengoku's expectant gaze, Ortoren set his teacup down on the table and said firmly, "Understood. This time, I will give everything I have to repay your trust."
"Then my question is this," Sengoku asked with unshakable sincerity. "Benn Ortoren, is your stance truly with the Marines?"
Ortoren fell silent for a moment, meeting Admiral Sengoku's gaze. Then he spoke softly.
"I can't promise what the future will bring. But right here and now, my stance is with the Marines, with justice, and with the interests of the Marines. Of course, it isn't purely out of selflessness—I have my own considerations as well. But none of them involve betraying the Marines. To be completely honest, Admiral, since we've already come this far, I'll be blunt: I want the Marines to become true Marines. I want to see our justice carried through to the very end! For that, I am willing to give everything I have!!!"
Sengoku remained silent after hearing his answer, continuing to stare at him.
After a long pause, he chuckled and shook his head. "And you haven't forgotten about promotions and fortune, have you?"
"Hahahaha!" Ortoren laughed as well. "Of course not! A Marine who doesn't aspire to be Fleet Admiral isn't a good Marine. If you choose this path, you should love it fully. I, too, want to stand at the very peak of the Marines and look out over the endless seas..."
"A Marine who doesn't aspire to be Fleet Admiral isn't a good Marine—too right," Sengoku agreed with a firm nod. "Personal advancement and ambition don't conflict with the Marines' growth or the justice we uphold. Since this is your answer, then I'll choose to trust you."
"I won't let you down," Ortoren said quietly.
"Taking an unconventional path isn't impossible," Sengoku continued. "I trust you understood what I hinted at before—building up G-5 without relying on Headquarters' support..."
"I understand. I'll find a way to build the warships myself, secure our own weapons, and raise our own funds. I'll do everything I can within G-5. If I can expand its scale in the future, it will ease Headquarters' burden and give it greater leverage." Ortoren's tone was steady and resolute.
"I knew you'd understand," Sengoku said with a sigh.
But then his expression hardened. "There's something I didn't say before, Ortoren. But now I must."
"Please, go ahead," Ortoren replied.
"Progress at G-5 can be hidden for a time, but not forever. Even with Headquarters covering for you and me cleaning up behind you, things that aren't permitted will never be permitted. Sooner or later, Mary Geoise will catch on. Do you understand what that would mean?" Sengoku asked.
Ortoren nodded. "Failing the political test."
"Exactly," Sengoku confirmed. "That would make Mary Geoise lose all trust in you. And I—at least in public—won't be able to stand with you. Because I must become Fleet Admiral!!!"
When Sengoku spoke those words, his eyes burned with determination. Ortoren could tell it wasn't born of ambition for power, but of responsibility.
Before Ortoren could respond, Sengoku pressed on. "Without Mary Geoise's trust, failing the political test, the furthest I could push you is Admiral. In other words, Vice Admiral Benn Ortoren, once you make this decision, your dream of becoming Fleet Admiral ends here. Do you truly understand that?"
A faint smile touched Ortoren's lips. "I understand, Admiral Sengoku. Honestly, from the very beginning, I never intended to reach the position of Fleet Admiral by following that route..."
"So..." Sengoku looked at him with a complicated expression.
"There's one thing even a Resourceful General like you may have overlooked." Ortoren raised his hand, slowly clenched it into a fist, and spoke with unwavering conviction. "Becoming Fleet Admiral doesn't only depend on Mary Geoise. When we finally achieve victory, the Fleet Admiral will be chosen by the Marines themselves!"
Those firm words left Sengoku stunned. For a moment, he drifted in thought, murmuring, "Chosen by the Marines themselves..."
After a pause, Sengoku came back to himself and looked at Ortoren. "That path will be unimaginably difficult, Ortoren."
"But do I have a choice?" Ortoren replied earnestly. "You've shown me with your own experience where your road leads, and how it ends. So even if this other path is unbearably hard, if I want to change this broken world and carry our justice through to the very end, then I have no choice but to walk it, don't I?"
Then he smiled and added, almost to himself, "The best part is... I'm actually excited to walk this path."
Sengoku rose, walked behind Ortoren, and placed both hands gently on his shoulders. "Then I'll leave it to you."
"I chose this road myself," Ortoren said lightly.
On this day, Vice Admiral Benn Ortoren of Marine Headquarters and Admiral Sengoku reached a private, unspoken understanding—one that could never be made public.
It made Ortoren feel his return to Headquarters had been truly worthwhile. At the very least, he and Sengoku had laid many issues bare between them.
It deepened their mutual trust, strengthened their understanding, and would make their cooperation in the future far smoother.