Murrue paused, the strange atmosphere from before disappearing. She smiled and stood up, saying,
"I'll take you. Nataru, let's do as we decided and head to Artemis."
Nataru stood straight and saluted Murrue.
"Yes!"
Murrue extended her hand, smiling gently.
"Come, let's go."
Mikazuki didn't raise his hand, but instead walked out of the bridge on his own.
Murrue gave a wry smile, retracted her hand, and hurried to catch up.
The two walked in silence through the corridor, floating forward on the conveyor belt in the wall. Murrue, who was ahead, glanced back and broke the silence first.
"Can I call you Mika?"
"Whatever."
"...That, Mika, would you like to join the Earth Alliance?"
Murrue hesitated, but still asked. To be honest, she really hoped Mikazuki would join the Earth Alliance, not just because of his abilities, but also because the boy seemed to be vaguely shouldering something.
"No."
Mikazuki's answer was crisp and direct, without the slightest hesitation.
Although Murrue had some understanding of Mikazuki's directness, she was still frustrated by it and couldn't help but say,
"Why? Being a mercenary is harder than being a regular soldier, isn't it...?"
"Tekkadan is my family. They are all my family."
"Family? Your parents are still..."
"I'm an orphan. I don't have parents."
Murrue's pupils constricted. She should have realized it long ago. These clothes, this small stature, and that maturity that didn't belong to a child... How could an ordinary child possibly operate such a massive machine?
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't worry about it. I've never been bothered about things like parents."
"Things like parents..."
Murrue's right hand left the conveyor belt. Mikazuki bumped into Murrue's back. Although it didn't hurt, he still looked up in dissatisfaction.
"Why'd you stop?"
Murrue turned around and asked,
"Mika, do you hate your parents?"
"Hate? No, I have no impression or feeling towards them at all, so I don't understand what you mean by hate."
Mikazuki didn't understand Murrue's words, but Murrue could see that Mikazuki seemed to have some issues with his emotional perception.
A maternal glow appeared in Murrue's eyes. Mikazuki's gaze, just like Lacus's last time, made her wonder if this was a sensitivity unique to women.
Having experienced the incident with Lacus last time, Mikazuki didn't get angry this time, but instead asked,
"Can we keep going? I want to rest quickly..."
Murrue quickly snapped back to reality.
"Let's go. The residential area is right below the bridge."
As they walked, Murrue and Mikazuki began chatting about Tekkadan.
"Mika, are there many children your age in Tekkadan?"
"Not many. Besides the Boss and Merribit, and a few other reliable adults, I'm considered pretty old. Hmm, I think Ride should be twelve now, right?"
Orga's voice came through Mikazuki's earpiece.
"Isn't Ride eleven this year?"
"Ah, is that so? Eleven..."
Thump
Mikazuki bumped into Murrue's soft back again.
"What now..."
As Mikazuki looked up, he was met with Murrue's shocked face.
"You mean, all the members of Tekkadan are children your age? No, are there even younger children? Even the higher-ups are...?"
"Yeah, I'm the current leader. Eugene and Akihiro are a year older than me, the same age as Orga, I guess."
"Yes, that's right. Eugene is the same age as me," Orga chimed in.
Murrue leaned against the battleship's alloy wall, stunned. It wasn't uncommon for mercenary organizations to employ child soldiers in this world.
She was more incredulous that all the members of Tekkadan were children. A mercenary group where even the leadership consisted of children.
Is this... really okay? No, the accurate question is, can such an organization even exist?
Suddenly, she seemed to understand, but asked with some uncertainty,
"So... family means... children?"
"Yes... I sincerely ask you," Murrue was taken aback by Mikazuki's next sentence.
"Please stop looking at me like that. I don't know what kind of feminine sensitivity it is, but that look really annoys me, like you're pitying me."
Although Murrue had indeed shown such an attitude, she couldn't admit to something that felt like a blow to her self-esteem. She quickly raised her hand.
"No, I..."
Mikazuki continued,
"I've never felt that I didn't have parents, or that everything I've experienced was tragic, because I have family around me who are more important than parents.
Tekkadan is an irreplaceable big family for me, for us.
Anyone who tries to harm my family, I will use all my strength, and any means necessary, to destroy them...
It doesn't matter if you look down on us, but every one of us in Tekkadan is fighting to live, so I hope you don't pity us..."
Murrue was intimidated by Mikazuki's sudden outburst of powerful aura. The air seemed to be thick with the smell of blood.
"Mika..."
Murrue was deeply moved. She seemed to see it.
She saw a group of children, born into hardship, but fighting desperately to live, fighting for their lives...
Mikazuki lay in the single room Murrue had prepared for him. Although it was a bit small, with just a bed and a workbench, for Mikazuki, who was used to Tekkadan's communal dorms, it was the first time he had ever stayed in such a 'luxurious' room alone.
Outside the room, Murrue leaned against the corridor wall, her mind filled with thoughts of Mikazuki.
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