Chapter 175: [Sakura]The Tale of Their Meeting

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Pachi pachi, pachi pachi......

Awakened by sounds like something crackling, the young dragon opened her eyes.

(......? Um, what's this......?)

And she realized her small body was snugly wrapped in a warm blanket.

Turning her slender neck to look around, this was some riverside area.

Smooth, rounded stones littered the ground, though the chilling, dreadful darkness of night prevented seeing farther, she could hear the sound of flowing water nearby.

The pachi pachi sounds were branches crackling in a campfire.

(I......I didn't die......)

Illuminated by the warm orange glow of the campfire, the young dragon vaguely thought that.

A defect, a runt, scorned daily by the other dragons in her brood.

Her heart had reached its limit.

When pushed into the ravine, truth be told, she had felt a bit of relief.

That she would no longer have to suffer such pain.

"Kushun!'

"!?"

Then here, a sneeze sounded from behind the young dragon.

Turning in a panic, there was the figure of a creature wrapped in cloth, hugging its knees as it slept.

This creature was a human.

Seeing one for the first time, but comparing it to the knowledge she had been taught of their physical features, the young dragon judged it as such.

And......yet she did not flee, nor attempt to bite, simply staring intently at the human.

Certainly, the young dragon had already resigned herself to her fate.

However, beyond that, the moment she laid eyes on the human, she felt an inexplicable draw toward it for some reason.

She wanted to get closer.

Wanted to stay together forever.

For no reason, she felt that incomprehensible charm.

"Uu......gusun......"

The human rubbed her eyes and blew her nose before stretching her arms wide.

Then she looked toward the young dragon.

Their eyes met.

<<<Ah! You're awake!?>>>

And the human spoke directly to the young dragon's heart in that bright voice!

"!?"

<<<Ah, sorry, did I startle you? You see, I can talk heart-to-heart! Ehehe, calm down? Sorry for scaring you?>>>

The human said that while smiling at the young dragon.

While there were ancient elders in her brood who could use [Mind Voice], so she was slightly surprised, the young dragon was able to accept the human's words of the heart without much confusion.

The young dragon intently studied the human's appearance once more.

Her body was not particularly large.

Slender, delicate arms and legs.

Likely still a young female.

The young dragon did not fully grasp human beauty standards, but she thought the human had a charming face.

And...her hair color was......

(The same as mine......)

Yes, her hair color was the same pale pinkish shade as the young dragon's scales.

Among her brood, there were no other dragons with scales the same color as the young dragon's.

The young dragon felt like she had finally met her kin for the first time.

<<<Ehehe! That's right, we're the same color, aren't we!>>>

"!?"

<<<Ah, I did it again. Sorry for startling you so many times. You see, I can talk with my heart and also hear others' hearts. Sorry......does that weird you out?>>>

The human's previously smiling expression clouded over.

(Not weirded out at all. Totally fine.)

The young dragon immediately replied that.

She felt no discomfort whatsoever, and disliked seeing the human's saddened expression.

<<<Really!? Ehehe, I'm so glad!>>>

(Glad?)

<<<You see......I was hated by everyone in the village I was born in. For being able to read hearts, they said it was creepy and to stay away from me.>>>

(...........)

<<<In the end, I was driven out of the village......so I'm glad. That you accept me.>>>

(Um, me!?)

<<<Eh?>>>

Prompted by the young dragon's sudden question, the girl tilted her head in puzzlement.

(Aren't I creepy!? With this half-and-half scale color!)

The young dragon cried out.

In her heart, she cried out.

Plop plop, droplets formed on the stones at her feet.

Without realizing it, she had started shedding tears.

The girl gently smiled as she embraced the young dragon's small body.

Enveloping her young, fragile heart that seemed on the verge of shattering.

<<<It's okay, it's a wonderful color. Our color is like cherry blossom petals.>>>

"Fuchun......Fuchuuun......!"

Embraced by the girl, the young dragon's tears flowed uncontrollably.

It was her first time not being struck with wings for crying aloud.

Her first time crying with such warmth.

For a while, the two remained embracing under the starry sky.

* * *

<<<Come to think of it, we haven't properly introduced ourselves yet.>>>

After the young dragon's tears subsided and she continued embracing her while gazing at the campfire, the girl suddenly said that.

(Introduce ourselves?)

<<<Yeah! We tell each other our names. It's a ritual to become friends.>>>

(Friends! I want to become friends with you! I'll introduce myself!)

<<<Ehehe, thank you! Then I'll go first!>>>

Saying that, the girl placed the young dragon she had been embracing in front of herself and hunched down to meet her eye level.

<<<My name is Sakura.>>>

(Sakura......you're Sakura!)

<<<Ehehe......Actually, I'm supposed to have a different name given by my parents in this world......but in the village, I was only ever called "Hey" or "You" like that......so I forgot my name from this life. That's why I'm just using my name from my previous life, Sakura.>>>

(This life? Previous life?)

<<<Ah, sorry sorry, did I say something too difficult? Anyway, I'm Sakura. Sakura means the name of a flower. Like I mentioned earlier, it's a wonderful flower with our kind of color. Have you seen cherry blossoms before?>>>

(Cherry blossoms......don't know.)

Though she tried to recall, the young dragon had no memory of any flower resembling her scale color.

She felt a bit dejected.

Seeing her like that, Sakura gently patted her.

<<<Ehehe, don't be discouraged. Maybe there are no cherry blossoms in this world. Why don't we travel and search for them?>>>

(Travel......can I come too?)

<<<Of course! Ah, that's right, your name! Now you need to tell me your name!>>>

(My name......my name......)

Asked that, the young dragon was stumped.

Though she had said they should introduce themselves, she had never been consciously aware of having her own name.

Dragons are intelligent beings.

When a child is born, they are given a name.

So all the other young dragons were called by name from the adult dragons in the brood.

However, as the runt outcast, that had not been the case for her.

The same as Sakura, really.

She had only ever been called "Hey", "You", "It", "That"......never by a name.

So she did not know her own name.

The young dragon felt sadness.

Unlike Sakura, she had no concept of a "previous life" or anything like that.

Her name was nowhere to be found.

She could not introduce herself.

Could not become Sakura's friend.

Saddened by this, she began shedding droplets of tears once more.

Seeing the young dragon like that, Sakura hurriedly embraced her again.

<<<Sorry, sorry. Ah, so you didn't have a name, did you? Sorry for putting you through that pain?>>>

(No name. Can't be Sakura's friend?)

The young dragon weakly whimpered a fuchuu sound.

<<<That's not true. We can still be friends......Ah, that's it!>>>

Sakura lifted the young dragon, bringing their faces close together.

And with a wide smile, she said:

<<<If you don't have a name, I'll give you one! Then we'll be friends!>>>

(Give me a name? Names can be given?)

<<<Yeah! Names can be given! ......Do you not want me to give you one?>>>

(I do want it! I want Sakura to give me a name!!)

The young dragon excitedly flapped her tiny wings repeatedly.

Smiling at her reaction, Sakura intently studied the young dragon as she pondered briefly.

<<<Umm, let me ask first, you're a girl dragon, right?>>>

(Yeah. I'm a girl.)

<<<Hmmmm......got it, I've decided! Your name is set!>>>

(Tell me! Tell me!)

Placing the pleading young dragon on the ground, Sakura cleared her throat with a coughing sound.

Then with an exaggerated air of gravity, she set the solemn atmosphere.

The young dragon waited with a thumping heart to be told her name.

<<<Your scales are the color of cherry blossoms. The same as mine! And they're so beautiful, like a flower.>>>

Sakura smiled wryly at the tense young dragon before revealing the name:

<<<......Your name is Oka. Meaning the cherry blossom flower!>>>

(I'm Oka! The cherry blossom dragon, Oka!! Sakura's friend Oka!!!)

Overjoyed at receiving her name from Sakura, Oka let out a joyful fuchuuuuu~!

Then the girl and dragon began dancing around the campfire in circles.

Making silly, nonsensical movements together while laughing merrily.

On this day and time, Oka's new life began.

The young dragon, once a runt outcast from her brood wishing only for her own death, found a new home beside her human friend.

Though her form would become distorted over the long, long years ahead, Oka would go on to live out that life as a dragon among human society.

For Sakura as well, this encounter was something special.

Having been driven from her village with nowhere left but death awaiting, the girl regained memories of her previous life and found her lifelong friend.

They would travel together from now on.

Making more friends along the way, adventuring, and living happily.

And Sakura would eventually grow into the great adventurer known as "The Progenitor of All Beast Contractors."

......Though it seems she was not particularly fond of being called a "Beast Contractor" herself.

But that is a tale for the future at this point, merely an ancient past from Emi's perspective.

There is no need to elaborate on it further here.

For it would become far too long.