[And then, your answer was?]
[I said, I myself will choose the lord I would serve.]

How cool.

[And because of that I was driven out from the capital.]

　── Except it was thoughtless of her.

…. Such is youth, I suppose. How amazing.

[Later, I met a kind person whom I requested to divine the path I should take. ‘Where would my True King be?’ I asked and I was foretold that the one I was seeking is in the frontier.]
[Fortune-telling?]
[… There was nothing else I could rely on.]
[Well, if the fortune-teller is skilled, then pulling off such a thing is within the realms of possibility.]

Haruka nods.

That’s right, this is a world with magic. As fortune-telling has something to do with magic, it might be reliable to some extent.

[As I was told, 『The person you’re looking for is in the frontier,』 I came here.]

With those words, Yukino finishes her story.

………… If that’s the case, then.

[Let me ask you another thing. Do you like dragons?]
[I love them. I think they’re cool.]
[How do you feel about the oni?]
[I’d love to wear horns just like theirs as an accessory.]
[What about the winged race?]
[I’d like to be their friend and fly with them.]

Yukino readily answers my questions.

Then I’ve made up my mind.
[Why don’t you come to our village, then?]

If 『Governor Kittle』 doesn’t want this talented person, then I’ll take her in. She can use magic, and she’s a reincarnated person with some knowledge on the capital. To help us survive in these troubled times, no one fits the profile better than her. My thanks to the soldier who couldn’t understand Yukino’s worth back there. I’ll have him regret it until his death later.

“I’ll talk about the specifics later, but I am currently looking for talented people. People who can fight, people who can manage others, people who can farm, people who can hunt ── I need all sorts of talented people to survive these chaotic times. If 『Governor Kittle』 says he doesn’t need you, then let me take you in. We will guarantee you food, clothing, and shelter. Danger── is present, but when a real threat arises, I will take responsibility in dealing with it. Should you find your 『True King』 at any point, we won’t mind if you decide to leave. As the 『Aberrant Overlo…』, no, as a proper member of society, I promise you this. These are my terms.]
[……….. Okay.]

Pokan, with her mouth wide open, the little girl stares at me.

[I, is that okay? I came from another worl—- I mean, you have no idea who I am.]
[I don’t mind. Rather, the information you gave us earlier alone was well worth it.]

Also, if she’s a reincarnated person, it is highly likely that she is from my world. If she were to get attacked by mamono or killed by the evil cult while wandering around the frontier……….. I’d hate that. Moreover, as expected, not utilizing such a talented person would be a waste.

At any rate, I have the 『King’s Vessel』 with me. No way I’d let a talented person that’d be useful to the king get away under my watch.

[She will be my 『Guest』.]
I turn my gaze to Haruka.

[Or perhaps she’ll be my [Guest Commander], if the person herself wishes so. Any objections on your part, Haruka?]
[Of course, there’s none.]

Haruka holds her mouth and chuckles.

[Rather, you don’t have to ask to seek our opinion, you know? Aniue-sama is the ──sama[1], after all.]
[Can’t help it. I came from a democratic country after all.]
[Do I like that kind of Aniue-sama? Yes, I like it.]
[A, ano….]

The little girl Yukino puts her hand on her lap and looks at us.
[May I confirm one thing?]
[You may.]
[Are you people on the side of the ones who are trying to end this mayhem? Or are you on the side that sows chaos instead?]
[Why are you asking us this?]
[If you belong to the latter, then I can’t join you. That’s….. what I’ve decided.]
[Well… we are──]

At the very least, we’re not on the side sowing chaos. We’re taking down the mamono and we’re opposing an evil cult. That said, we’re not the ones who will end this mayhem either. If I had to put it into words, then──

[We are── on the side that withdraws]
[Withdraws?]
[To put it simply, we withdraw ourselves to the frontier and try to survive until the mayhem ends.]
[Will you attempt to invade another governor’s territory?]
[Not unless we get attacked first.]
[…..You’re pacifists?]
[We won’t do anything that’s not in our interest. We won’t do anything that doesn’t have any merit. And we won’t do anything that’s likely to require a lot of sacrifices.]
[I understand.]

The little girl, Yukino, nods.
[In any case, I was planning to thank you for helping me.]

She stands up and bows her head to us. Then, from the bag she is carrying on her back, she pulls out a spear. It is a simple spear with a wooden handle. Pun, she swings it once and presents it to me.

[Until I find the 『True King』, I shall lend you my spear and my magic. Etto, your name is……?]
[I’m Shouma, the girl here is Haruka. We came here to this city with another girl named Lizette. We live in a remote village deeper within the frontier.]
[Once more, let me introduce myself. I’m Haruka, Aniue-sama’s sworn imouto.]

Haruka takes the little girl, Yukino’s, hand.

[You may decide whether you want to settle down in our village or not once you’re there. Aniue-sama says so as well.]
[Yes … etto.]

Yukino acs as if she was thinking for a while, then says,
[Since we’re going to become companions, I’ll tell you my legal name.]
[『Legal Name[2]』?]
[The name I’ve given you is my true name after all….]

True name.

Somehow, those words make my back itch[3].

[My legal name is Murakumo Yukino. Please call me Yukino.]
[…. How did it become 『Cloudy』 『Dragonchild』?]
[『Cloudy』 is related to “kumo”. As for 『Dragonchild』── it’s because my True King is related to dragons.[4]]
[Is your 『True King』 such an amazing person?]

I ask. I am curious about this person that she── Yukino keeps fixating about.

[That person changed my life.]

Yukino’s eyes shine brilliantly as she answers. It’s as if she is a little girl in the middle of her dream── though she is indeed a little girl.

[Back in the place I had come from── I had no hope. I had a gloomy expression every day, but that person saved me. I remembered how to smile thanks to that person. That’s why I, made that person the lord of the heart── my 『True King』.
If that person were to currently be in this world, that person would be about the same age as me. Surely that person should have no involvement with this mayhem. So… if I could meet that person, I decided I would swear my eternal loyalty.]

Yukino, with a carefree smile on her face──

[After all, it was because of that person that I was able to smile even when I died in my previous life.]

──declares such without a hint of hesitation.

---

[1] Souma told Haruka not to say that he was a ‘king’, so she just implied that he was one without saying the word ‘king’.
[2] Haruka speaks this in hiragana.
[3] True name is written here as 真名, mana, which is chuunibyou lingo. It’s a name one would assume during their chuunibyou phase. Souma is suffering a flashback cringe.
[4] Her name is Murakumo Yukino 群雲雪乃. The second character (雲) is the character for “cloud”, hence, Cloudy.

<Chapter 26.1
Chapter 27.1>