The Dorky NPC Mercenary Knows His Place

As a mercenary, John Ouzos is no stranger to the battlefield, but he’s never fought for glory. To pay off his father’s debts (from purchasing a farm) and to afford his own hobbies (anime), John grudgingly pilots his ramshackle ship (the Patchwork) wherever the money leads him as long as the mission doesn’t seem like too much of a hassle. As far as he’s concerned, trouble always follows the protagonist in a story—so he’s making sure he’s not even a side character. He’s gonna be just an NPC. Despite his short, portly frame, swarms of beautiful, strong, statuesque women approach John as he drifts through the galaxy. They’re only interested in working with or dueling him, though, and only because he happens to be one of the best pilots out there. John does his best to avoid the women and stay under the radar. After all, more attention means more trouble! Pirates hiding in asteroids, space opera pastiche, and humorous misunderstandings abound in this high-flying series!

Mercenary John Ouzos continues his unglamorous journey through the stars! Despite just having survived an epic battle between two noble belligerents—and rescuing a fair maiden in the process—he’s received no acclaim...and frankly, he doesn’t want any. Whether he’s being called to war or to work security on a commercial milk run, he always does his best to stay out of trouble. Though his talents could propel him near the top of the mercenary rankings, that would mean a lot more official business and run-ins with far more snobby nobles. This installment sees Ouzos traveling to distant star systems once again, and he’s showing few signs of changing his tune. Does he look like the protagonist of this story? No way! He’s just an NPC... But why are some people—including beautiful women—giving him all this unwanted attention? He’d rather be left alone to watch anime and read light novels!