Years of discipline allowed Badgiruel to quickly collect herself. After rapidly reviewing what she wanted to say in her mind, the woman seen by Halberton as a representative of the hardliners gave her answer.
"Personally, I support Murrue Ramius's view," Badgiruel said. "If they wish to formally enlist, I would welcome them as comrades. If they insist on leaving the battlefield, I can understand that as well. War is the responsibility of professional soldiers and should not be a burden placed on two teenagers. That is all."
Halberton looked at her in surprise. He had never expected the hardliner who always put the military first to agree with his student this time. The reaction was written plainly on his face.
"Did something happen, Lieutenant?" Halberton asked. "That doesn't sound like something you would usually say."
"Reporting, sir. Something happened that taught me lessons beyond being a soldier, about being human," Badgiruel replied.
Halberton looked at her again and nodded with satisfaction. "Now that sounds like a qualified member of the Alliance Forces. Much better than your muscle-brained father."
"Sir, my father is—"
With a wave of his hand, Halberton cut off her defense. He motioned lightly, and Hoffman immediately produced a thin paper file of only a few pages.
"In principle, I agree with your proposal," Halberton said. "However, regarding Sai-Klaus Laud, I have a confidential message from Orb and a report filed by one of the civilians aboard your ship. The message from Orb was obtained through certain channels after Heliopolis collapsed. Take a look before making your final decision."
Murrue accepted the file from Hoffman without hiding it from Mu and Badgiruel. The three of them skimmed through it quickly, then exchanged looks. None of them spoke right away.
"As for Sai's identity, we've actually had our doubts for some time," Murrue said at last. "He feels completely different from Kira, who is also a student of Orb Industrial University. But he has saved us more than once, so we will treat this as repaying that debt. That is my answer, teacher."
One document in the file was Flay's testimony against Siegfried, describing in detail her first encounter with the 'devil.' She repeatedly emphasized that he was far more than just a student from Orb. The other set of materials were photos obtained by Halberton through private channels, and in them, Siegfried and Hilde were clearly visible inside the Secret Factory. Appearing with them was Cagalli, who had shaken off Kira and chased after them alone.
"As for the identities of that boy and girl, the Sahaku family has not given a clear answer," Halberton explained. "However, they confirmed that the third person is indeed the only daughter of former Prime Minister Uzumi of Orb, Cagalli-Yula-Athha."
"This… this is the Louise who boarded the ship with Sai," someone murmured.
"That's exactly the problem," Halberton said. "After the satellite collapsed, the Sahaku family has been searching for the young princess. The last sighting was at a factory of the Dawn Society, but she was not found on any refugee lists. The only possibility is that you took her in. From all signs, those two youths are likely part of Uzumi's private guard, meant to protect his daughter."
"But that boy doesn't act like a professional soldier at all," Mu said, voicing his doubt.
The three largely agreed with Halberton's analysis, but Mu, who had interacted with Siegfried the most, still felt uneasy. His experience with the boy did not match the profile being described.
"Considering his age, Uzumi was probably grooming him as future talent for his daughter," Halberton replied. "Under normal circumstances, he would have been eased into the battlefield slowly. Even so, being thrown in like this and still achieving such results in a GINN speaks volumes. That old man really had sharp eyes."
"Then what should we do?" Murrue asked.
"Wait and see," Halberton said. "Uzumi is currently cooperating with us, and when you reach Alaska, those two will be taken back to Orb. The boy has contributed enough, so there's no need to make things hard for them. But really, what is going on with your ship? First a PLANT princess, then a Orb princess, one after the other. Are you lucky, or unlucky?"
With Halberton's half-joking words, all remaining objections disappeared. Badgiruel went to issue discharge papers to Miri and the others as instructed, while Murrue accompanied her teacher to tour the pride of his life, the X105-Assault. The meeting ended without further dispute.
At Ganaku, Kira was finishing up the final preparations on Assault, while Siegfried stood nearby with nothing to do. Completely unprepared, they suddenly ran into Halberton. The encounter caught both of them off guard.
Fortunately, Murrue gave them a look that clearly said not to panic. Siegfried was far calmer than Kira, though he could not help feeling that the gaze of this so-called master strategist lingered on him in a strange way. It made him uneasy.
After checking the condition of Assault, Halberton spoke briefly with Kira about war and the idea of protection. Then, despite the clear warning in Siegfried's eyes, he still walked over to stand beside him. Siegfried had rehearsed countless excuses in his head, but none of them were needed.
Halberton simply patted him on the shoulder. In a low voice, the general who felt more like a friendly neighbor than a high-ranking officer said something completely at odds with his status.
"The Athha family's girl is a good one. Do your best."
"Huh? What? That's not—" Siegfried stammered.
"All right," Halberton said, cutting him off. "Thank you again for your help. From here on, make your decision according to your own heart. Before deciding, ask yourself what your belief is. Good luck."
Siegfried did not even have time to react. He could not understand how Halberton knew Cagalli's identity, or why he had not exposed it after learning the truth. The approachable figure of the Earth Alliance declined Murrue's offer to continue accompanying him and left Ganaku just like that.
Before long, Miri arrived with Tolle to find Kira. Because of Flay, they rarely came together when Siegfried was around. The maintenance report still had unexplained gaps, and until the investigation was clear, Murrue could not disclose the details. In the end, aside from Marduk and the bridge trio, only Cagalli still believed in Siegfried's innocence.
Unlike Sai, who had been influenced by Flay, Miri did not treat Siegfried any differently. She was holding two discharge papers, one for Kira and the other clearly meant for him. The documents looked plain, but their weight was obvious.
Before Kira could even read what was in his hands, Siegfried tore his own paper in half without hesitation. Under Miri's shock and Kira's confusion, he casually tossed the pieces away. The gesture was abrupt and final.
"Ah, sorry for the bad manners," Siegfried said lightly. "Hope you don't mind."