Diamond Ace: Another Story of Sawamura

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"Eijun!!!"

"You're back!"

"Oh! We're back!"

As soon as he returned to the camp, Rongchun was warmly welcomed by the small army.

"Why are you back late?"

"The butterflies came back the day before yesterday."

"The madman stayed for one day and left yesterday."

"He came here specifically to see the chief."

"What about me?" Xiaogou stood behind Rongchun and looked at them with a complaining look on his face, "I'm back too."

"Welcome back!" The children welcomed in unison and turned to look at Rongchun.

"Let us tell you something!"

“……” The puppy’s eyebrows jumped. Is that it?

"Hehe..." Rong Chun smiled helplessly, and was pulled down by the children to listen to their conversation.

"That's right, we received the mission!"

"..." Hearing this, Rong Chun's expression froze for a moment, "Did you receive the mission?"

"This is our first mission!"

“…” They seemed really happy and were laughing so happily.

"Although only three groups received the mission..."

“…” They seemed really disappointed and looked so envious.

"Then..." Rong Chun was stunned and tried to force a smile. Should he be happy for them? "Do you know when we will leave?"

"the day after tomorrow!"

"Really..." Rongchun blinked and looked back at the puppy. He just looked back and didn't respond.

"No wonder the camp seems more lively than usual..."

Tomorrow night, there will be a dance in the camp to pray and send off the 15th to the 23rd, and then send them out of the camp.

"Puppy, don't keep the leader waiting too long!"

"I know, I'll go over now."

oh...

The kids don't have code names yet, so they are all referred to by numbers.

Before their strength is recognized, each of them needs to undergo a test, and the most direct way is to go on a mission.

Only if the first mission is successful will they have their codename.

In the early morning of the day after tomorrow...

They will leave the safety of the camp and use their strength to make a name for themselves.

"Chief, I'm here."

"..." The leader remained leaning back in his chair and just raised his hand to signal the puppy to come over, "Sit down."

"..." The puppy nodded and sat next to him, looking in the direction the leader was looking, waiting for the leader to speak.

"Go ahead."

"Well... let's start from the moment we get off the plane..."

The puppy carefully told the leader everything from the moment they got off the plane, where they went, what they did, and what happened.

The leader listened calmly.

At such times the puppy was always very happy, and he would exaggerate the story without changing it.

Although they were all fleeting, it was only at such times that an expression other than expressionless appeared on the leader's face.

"I met her, she met the butterfly..."

"..." The leader turned to look at the puppy. Seeing his serious expression, the leader just smiled and said, "Butterfly said that she was surprised that you didn't rush up and bite her to death."

“……” The puppy’s serious expression collapsed.

“It means you have grown up.”

"..." The puppy's depressed expression suddenly brightened up again, and he was praised by the leader, "But... I haven't seen her since then..."

To be honest, the puppy wished he could just rush up and bite her to death right then...

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring you her head."

"puppy..."

"Yes..."

"How old are you...?"

"I think I'm... 18... 19 years old..."

"Really? I have already grown up without realizing it..."

As for Rongchun, he went to see a doctor and tortured himself...

After the doctor's examination and a series of sneering looks, Rong Chun humbly lay on the bed, waiting for the strange doctor's knife and needle to treat him.

That's right, even if he wanted to die, he couldn't die at this moment. He had to wait until all his injuries were healed before he could die.

If a patient died from injuries during the doctor's treatment, it would be a humiliation for the doctor and a challenge to her medical skills, which she would never allow.

"Does the puppy... also go through this period?"

"what?"

"It's just... having your number, and then having your code name after the mission is successful."

“I don’t have a number.”

"Eh?"

"..." Seeing that he was very curious and wanted to know something but didn't dare to ask, Xiao Gou was silent for a moment, "When I came here, I already had my own code name..."

"Was it given by the leader?" As far as Ju Rongchun knew, although everyone could choose their own code names, most of them still hoped that the leader would choose them for them.

"Hmm..." Xiaogou was silent again, and shook his head after a while, "My code name was indeed given by the first person... but it was not chosen for me..."

"..." Rongchun didn't quite understand what it meant...

"You spend more time with them..." The puppy continued indifferently: "You also know that not all children will stay here forever..."

"Ten years old is a node, 10 years old is also a node, and 15 years old is the last node."

After the age of 10, they can choose whether to continue with the status quo or to get in touch with more things and witness the world outside the family.

After the age of 15, you can choose what you want to do and what field you want to develop in, and you can do it without any worries, or fight for the family.

After the age of 30, you can choose the life you want, give up everything related to your family, or live your whole life for your family.

"Whatever the choice, the chief will agree to it."

"When I was 10, I chose to maintain the status quo. When I was 15, I chose to fight for my family..."

"I'm sure..." Having said this, Xiaogou looked at Rongchun and smiled gently, then said with certainty, "When I'm 30, I will choose to live my whole life for my family."

"Ah..." Eijun wouldn't even doubt that.

Because it seemed that he had already made this choice.

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The dance party came as scheduled, and the most important program was the war dance to pray for the soldiers and bid farewell.

As the dancers came forward, the soldiers' originally lively atmosphere fell into silence, with only the sound of chanting remaining in the entire camp.

"May good luck be with you, and accompany you forever."

"Drip~~"

The sound of clear water bells, which continued endlessly, was enough to soothe all emotions. The dancers bowed and chanted softly in a salute.

"Please bless me."

"..." Rong Chun only knew that this gentle, steady and quiet dance was the family's oldest tradition and the purest blessing.

Apart from that, he didn't know the meaning of it, but he respected this ceremony very much.

Because this seems to be something very important to them, almost sacred and inviolable.

It doesn't match what they do at all...

Because only at this time will everything really calm down.

As the leader stepped forward, the soldiers who were about to go to the battlefield came forward one by one to receive the salute.

"From the moment you were born into this world, you were special. You are strong, smart, and beautiful."

"After tonight, you will leave the camp and use your strength to prove yourselves."

"Just try your best to survive."

"Yes!!!"

"..."Everyone showed a different expression at this time, and Rongchun turned his head to look at the puppy.

What is the same is that there is fire in their eyes, gentle expressions on their faces, and their bodies are so honest.

There is no God in their world...

No blessing from God...

But I don’t know to whom I am asking for blessings, and I am extremely sincere about it.

In the early morning of the next day, in the thick fog, No. 15 to 23 were ready to go, and got on the departure bus one by one under the envious eyes of the small troops.

Except for Eijun, there was no adult to see them off. They were just like the other adults, like mature warriors.

Rong Chun could roughly guess what was waiting for them after this, and hoped that they could return successfully with the glory that belonged to them.

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"I'm back..."

The room was silent and no one responded to Rong Chun's intrusion. He stepped into the room and immediately found the puppy sitting on the sofa.

He squinted his eyes and crossed his legs, holding a book in his right hand and resting it on his legs, while his left hand supported his temple...

Rongchun saw Wusheng standing opposite him. This seemed to be the first time he saw him sleeping since they met.

This was just a child who had just reached adulthood, but compared to the two of them, he seemed to be someone of the same age.

He is so mature and steady that it doesn't match his age. He is even on guard when he sleeps. There are many children like him in the family.

This is one of the 'rewards' they deserve for what they do...

Such unforgivable sinners should not be shown mercy. Instead, those who should be pitied are those who have done nothing but have been innocently implicated.

Rong Chun was sure that he had already woken up the moment he came back, or even that he had never fallen asleep.

So he didn't worry about not getting too close to them during the break, he slowly walked over to the puppy and sat down gently.

"I'm sorry I embarrassed you."

Eijun adjusted his posture and slowly closed his eyes.

I can't go anywhere anymore...

I beg you, wait for me a little longer, I will try my best to catch up...

I will become stronger, until I become what the family needs...

I am self-degrading, and only with you can I be truly free...

I know very well that I can't...

Please don't abandon me...

“……” The puppy opened his eyes, but saw nothing.

The leader's words kept echoing in my mind...

'Are you impatient with his weakness...'

“…” The puppy frowned heavily.

'You should have known what would happen when you brought him here...'

'Now he has only two choices, life or death...'

"There are only two choices before you, let him die or let him live..."

'Is this what he expected? Or is this what you expected?'

The figure in my memory remains the same as it was thirteen years ago, without changing at all.

'Is this what you expected...'

"Or..." The puppy turned to look at Eijun who closed his eyes and frowned, "I made the wrong choice...Brother..."

"This is probably not what you expected..."

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