Chapter 260: Arrival at Jupiter Again
During their downtime, Kudelia and Atra were also invited aboard the Hammer to spend time with the crew and visit the five children living on the ship.
Watching the little ones—some crying for attention, others wobbling as they practiced walking—their hearts nearly melted from the overwhelming cuteness.
And these were only the youngest. The older troublemakers had already been sent to school inside the satellite colony—otherwise, the Hammer would have been far more chaotic.
Time passed quickly. Before long, the Isaribi and Spark No.1 arrived at the Jupiter satellite port under the Hammer's escort.
With Naze leading them, the group successfully met Teiwaz's leader—McMurdo.
McMurdo, trimming a bonsai tree, looked up with a cheerful smile. "Ah, Naze, Tolle—you're here. And today you've brought quite a crowd."
"Old man, these are Tolle's allies. There are things they need Teiwaz's help with." Naze gave a brief explanation, then glanced between Tolle and Kudelia before continuing, "Also—Tolle and Miss Kudelia Aina Bernstein here are already a pair."
"Hahahaha!" McMurdo grinned widely and clapped Tolle on the shoulder. "Didn't expect that. Another fine surprise. Impressive—very impressive."
Kudelia immediately blushed scarlet, and Tolle scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Old man, please don't tease me."
"Hahaha—who would've thought the same Tolle who dared challenge Gjallarhorn would be shy?"
"Old man, let's discuss business first. Tolle and the others need to get to Earth soon."
After Tolle explained their objective, McMurdo agreed to provide support for Tekkadan along the route—within reason.
"Ahh, yes yes," McMurdo nodded, eyeing Orga, Kudelia, and the others. "I've heard about your situation. Seems things are going well.
And you—" he looked at Kudelia, amused, "—you must be the famous heroine of the Mars Independence Movement. It's an honor to meet such a celebrity."
Kudelia looked overwhelmed. "I didn't expect… I would become someone 'famous.'"
McMurdo continued, smiling faintly. "Your mission is to revive Mars's economy by petitioning Earth to lift restrictions on the rare metals they seized. You aim for Mars to freely sell its own resources again.
And you're going to Earth yourself—an admirable resolve. I'm not wrong, am I?"
Kudelia hadn't expected a crime lord to understand her intentions so clearly. In that moment, McMurdo felt like a kindred spirit—someone who shared the same vision as Tolle.
She nodded earnestly. "Yes, Mr. McMurdo."
"Based on our intelligence," McMurdo added, "it seems the current leader of the Arbrau Bloc—Makanai Togonosuke—is seriously considering your proposal."
Kudelia immediately brightened, thrilled. "Mr. McMurdo—truly? If that's the case, then—this may actually work!"
But McMurdo quickly poured a bucket of cold water over her enthusiasm.
"However… depending on how things unfold, your proposal could also become the spark that ignites a war."
"A… war?" Kudelia froze, fear creeping in. Subconsciously, she moved closer to Tolle.
McMurdo noticed, and decided it was time to show this naïve girl the darker side of reality.
Slowly, he continued:
"Yes. At that point, every organization will fight behind the scenes to seize or redistribute new power—and many will use any means necessary.
They will not back down—not when their interests are at stake. The conflict could drag on, long and brutal.
And even if one group eventually emerges as the victor… the power struggle will continue. Friction will never disappear.
In the end, the ones who suffer most are always the ordinary civilians."
Kudelia was stunned, her voice small and trembling. "Why…? Why would it become like that? I just want life to be better for everyone…"
Finally, McMurdo revealed his true intention. Though he clearly wanted a piece of the coming upheaval, he also wanted Kudelia to understand something important.
"Miss Kudelia. Will you designate Teiwaz?"
"If we become your officially appointed corporate backing, we can act openly in your name and solve problems before they grow.
We may not be able to stop everything—but we can minimize unnecessary tragedy."
Kudelia fell silent immediately—she understood the implication. And she hesitated.
After wrestling with her own ideals, she finally answered softly:
"Could I… have some time to think? I… I'm not ready to decide."
McMurdo's expression shifted. His smile faded. His tone grew sharp.
"This is something you need to think about?"
Kudelia flinched—and instinctively turned her eyes toward Tolle for help.
Tolle felt a wave of pressure. One wrong answer could offend either Kudelia or Teiwaz.
But—since Kudelia was already his woman—he could only step forward.
He wrapped an arm around her and spoke firmly:
"Kudelia. After everything you've been through, you should understand this by now: no matter what you choose, people will die.
This decision will shape the rest of your life—so YOU must be the one who chooses.
But no matter what you decide—I will support you."
His voice grew stronger, resolute.
"So speak the words you want to speak. Do what you believe is right.
My Spark Group will be the strongest shield behind you—no matter who we have to face.
If anyone tries to interfere—we'll break them. If they still don't understand… then we'll break them again."