LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 9 - Ryuji Miyamoto as a Mercenary
This is the story of Ryuji when he was a mercenary.
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United Nations Special Forces Unit ‘SWORD’.
Operating secretly while shifting bases around the world, this secret unit safeguards global crises.
I was the youngest and most inexperienced member of the unit when I joined as a mercenary.
“Hey there, rookie. I heard Japanese people are diligent, but you sure can listen to ‘that guy’s stories well. Are you a nerd too?”
In a room at a certain base.
While I was being briefed by my companions on the use of weapons and their features, he interrupted me in English, and his name was Aaron
He’s an American ex-military guy, quite the show-off.
Ryu, Ryuji-san is amazing! I’m a weapons geek, but he listens to me taking notes with great enthusiasm without making a single tedious face even when I talk so much! “This is the first time anyone other than my daughter has done this…it’s the best!”
Saying that, with tears of excitement streaming down, Erma was skillfully disassembling and reassembling handguns and grenades.
He’s a German man with an unremarkable appearance, responsible for weapons procurement and support.
“I just want to get stronger, quickly. So, I study and train.”
As I said that, a bearded team member sitting in a hammock and reading a book replied.
“That’s right, Aaron. Knowledge helps people and stimulates imagination, enriching their lives. One shouldn’t mock a learning attitude.”
He’s Dino, an Italian. He’s always reading novels whenever he’s free, exuding intelligence and composure.
He’s sort of the brain of the team.
“Heh, knowledge is worthless if you can’t use it.”
“Aaron, you may only know English, but there are many languages in the world. Ryuji can speak other languages and always puts them to good use in the field, right?”
As usual, about to be sarcastically defeated by Dino, Aaron scratched his head, then grabbed my neck like he was lifting a kitten.
“What matters is experience, not just knowledge! Ryuji, shooting a ton in practice is a hundred times faster than listening to weapon explanations, right? Let’s hit the shooting range!”
“That might be more efficient. Alright, shooting practice it is.”
Aaron’s words did make sense, so I prepared my weapon.
Listening to the explanations made me eager to start shooting.
Not shooting at people but at targets.
“Why is Ryuuji training so hard?”
Oscar, who was cooking, asked casually.
He’s French, and despite being a mercenary, he’s a bit of a posh guy.
He’s very particular about table manners, often giving speeches about how manners shape a person.
Of course, he often argues with the rough Aaron during meals.
“I want to get stronger. Strong enough to defeat the captain.”
“Oh yeah, now that you mention it. You charged at him on your first day and got beaten up.”
“Strong enough to defeat the captain… Well, that’s quite a lofty goal!”
Aaron burst into hearty laughter.
“Hmph, say what you want. I’ll get strong soon and surpass the captain. Also, I’ll learn all the necessary battlefield skills and become an invincible mercenary.”
“Got it! Then I’ll teach you!”
With a big smile, I headed to the shooting range with Aaron.
“Hey, Ryuuji! Give it a shot too!”
Aaron called out to me as I finished my meal after training.
I looked and saw a pull-up training device and a stopwatch set up.
“A game he came up with! ‘Who can take off their socks the fastest without using their hands!'”
“…………”
I was left speechless by its immaturity.
Is this something adults do? Really?
“The rules are simple. Hang from that bar there with just your legs and take off your socks. The slowest one does the dishes tonight.”
“Why this ridiculous game? We could just play cards like usual.”
Dino closed the book he was reading and laughed.
“Recently, Aaron has been losing at cards all the time. So, he used his empty head to come up with this game.”
“Plus, you like training, right? This might be more useful than playing cards.”
“…When will the skill of taking off socks without using hands ever come in handy?”
As I expressed my exasperation, Aaron wagged his index finger left and right.
“You’ll understand that later. Life’s like that, every experience holds meaning, you know?”
“All right, I’m in too!”
With that, the enthusiastic voice belonged to Gilbert, a Spanish man.
He’s the biggest guy on the team… but at the same time, he’s overweight.
Oscar tried to stop him.
“Gil, you can’t. You weigh around 100 kg, what if the equipment breaks?”
“It’s 96.76 kg! I’ve lost weight, you know?”
“It’s impressive you remember the decimal point.”
“Silly. I’ll do the dishes for tonight. And Gilbert, go on a diet!”
As I tried to decline the game, Aaron laughed as if mocking me.
“Oh? Running away, huh? Scared of losing?”
It was a silly provocation.
However, for a young guy like me, it was quite effective.
I glared at Aaron with a challenging smile.
“All right, I’ll do it. I’ll take off not just my socks, but my pants too.”
“Don’t take off your pants…”
Oscar mumbled the sensible thing in Spanish.
30 minutes later.
In the kitchen, there I was, washing dishes after losing.
“Damn, it’s unexpectedly difficult… First, take off the sock from the right foot, then spread the toes of the left foot. That way, there’s space inside the sock… Stay calm and don’t rush…”
On another day, After practicing and getting the hang of it, I was able to take off both socks in three seconds.
“So, what’s the point of this?”
“It’s how I get you to do the dishes.”
“Hahaha! You’re right! A fool and scissors have their uses!”
Aaron loses and does the dishes.
Aaron, who can’t win at cards, can’t cook, but he is getting better and better at washing dishes.
“Ryuji, we’ve got a new friend in our squad.”
“Captain, this isn’t school, you know?”
One day, the captain of ‘SWORD’ said that and brought her in –
Charlotte Stanley.
At that time, she was a 13-year-old genius girl hacker with sad eyes.
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