TN: Xmas 2021
The season is winter.
Einzheil is wrapped in wintry scenery, with fluffy white snow falling steadily outside. It’s that time of year when stepping out means your breath turns white instantly.
On a cold day like this, what else is there to do but curl up under the kotatsu and laze around?
Go outside? Hahaha, absolutely not.
「Man…… being all alone sure is lonely, huh, Itsuki-oniichan.」
「……Don’t you dare say that.」
Exactly. Even though it’s the perfect kotatsu weather, I’m stuck here warming up all by myself, feeling kind of pathetic.
The only ones at home are me and Hikari-chan.
Shion is supposed to be outside somewhere, but who knows what she’s doing.
「Uuu, cold, so cold…… Let me in too.」
「No way. Reflect on your actions.」
「Come on, just let me in…… Look, as proof of my reflection, I even brought the Santa outfit you wanted. You can be grateful and take a low-angle peek if you like, you know?」
「You’re a guy right now…… I’m not grateful, and I’m definitely not looking from a low angle……」
「Hmmn? As expected of oniichan. You noticed right away. Then here, quick change into girl mode!」
……Honestly, every time I see it, it’s still so bizarre.
No matter how unique the skill is, changing gender like that……?
And it even reshapes the skeleton properly. It really is an amazing skill, but I personally have no use for it.
If I didn’t have a lover, then sure, once I turned female, I might’ve been tempted to storm the women’s bath like any guy would imagine. But since I have plenty of precious lovers already, there’s no need for that.
「Hey? You’ve seen enough already, right? If you want, I can even flip the skirt like you asked. Today’s underwear is something else again, especially the back, it’s basically just strings.」
「I never asked for that. And wait…… you were wearing that while still in guy form just now, weren’t you?」
「Hmm～? Prejudice is bad, you know? Guys can wear T-backs too……. Come on, seriously, let me in. It’s getting really cold now. Cold is the natural enemy of girls, you know.」
「Haa…… Fine. Just squeeze into the empty spot.」
「Hehe. Thanks～」
「Oi…… Why are you sliding in right next to me?」
「Why are you squeezing in so close, anyway?
The wide side was empty, but now I’m hitting the desk leg.」
「Service, service～. Touching costs money, though.」
「I’m not touching you……」
「Come on, just touch me. I’ll make one spot free for you? I’ll accept all of lonely Itsuki-oniichan’s pent-up desires.」
「You…… this is all your fault in the first place, you know……」
Today was supposed to be our usual Christmas, just like every year.
That’s why Mizera, Wendy, and Shion went out shopping in the snow, Aina was doing her daily training outside, and Renge, Sorte, Shiro, and I were planning to relax under the kotatsu with some soup time, then have a family Christmas party at night with roast bird, cake, and everything.
Since the kotatsu got too crowded, I slip out and move to the window. I wipe the fogged-up glass with my finger and look outside.
The dimly lit garden, usually lush and green, is now blanketed pure white as snow falls steadily.
「There! Right there under the tree in the garden!」
「Hmm. We’re definitely catching him!」
「Yeah! No way we’re letting him escape!」
「I’ll beat the crap out of him if I have to to catch himssu!!!」
Angry voices echo from outside.
Shiro must have dropped down from the roof onto the terrace, then immediately leaps into the garden, charging straight at the white-bearded man in red standing there.
「Yeah…… Who would’ve thought that item I found in the dungeon would turn out to be a danger-designated item from the Yaoyorozu Agency…… What a shock.」
「I’m the one who’s shocked here……」
Exactly.
Hikari-chan had gone dungeon diving and picked up a rare item there.
『Staff That Grants Small Dreams (Small Dreamer) (Damaged)』
The item was absurdly powerful, it grants the user’s dream.
However, the dream has to be childish, and the effect is only once.
Wishes like “I want to become the strongest” or anything exceeding the staff’s own power are impossible.
It’s a mysterious staff that grants only tiny, cute, little dreams.
And apparently Hikari-chan wished like this:
『If Santa existed, I’d like him to bring a present for Hikari. And if possible, something made by Itsuki-oniichan would be nice～』
As a result…… ‘Santa-san’ was born into this world.
Not exactly a monster…… more like a spirit beast or elemental. There’s no malice or hostility. He was apparently born solely to fulfill the wish of the one who used the staff that grants small dreams.
「Can’t be helped, right? I never thought just holding it and thinking about it would trigger it…… It’s damaged anyway, so I figured maybe Itsuki-oniichan could fix it? I came to this city, saw the snow, thought about Santa on impulse…… you know?」
「Yeah, I get that it was force majeure, but still……」
Just…… even though it was supposed to be an item that grants small dreams, it seems to have been a little buggy.
After all, it was damaged.
「Give back Shiro’s bell!」
「Our accessories tooooo!!!」
「I absolutely won’t forgive you!」
「Yeah. No forgivenessssu!!」
Exactly. Santa is supposed to distribute presents to good children.
……Except this one stole the precious belongings of Shiro and the others.
And even though they were equipped, he forcibly confiscated them.
The individual named 『Santa-san』 took the items I had given them as presents, and now they’re chasing him down with murder in their eyes.
「Yeah…… who would’ve thought. As expected of Einzheil’s very own troublemaker.」
「This is definitely not my fault, right? ……Anyway, you go take responsibility and catch him.」
「Like I could catch up to him…… It’s already freezing out there. If I go outside, I’ll die.」
「Well, that might be true, but……」
「Fortunately, he doesn’t leave the property, so we’ll get everything back eventually, right?」
Yes. Apparently, he’s bound to Hikari-chan as his master somehow, so he can’t stray beyond a certain distance, he’s stuck within the grounds of my house.
But still……
「Kuh! He disappeared again!」
「Even his presence vanished……!」
「Where next!?」
「Let’s head back toward the house for now! If he gets too close to Hikari, it’ll be trouble!」
Exactly. Santa-san is elusive as a ghost, he just fades away like smoke right in front of your eyes.
A slightly chubby man in red Santa clothes, sporting a magnificent white beard.
Watching him go 「Ho ho ho」 while vanishing before your eyes is incredibly irritating.
……But here’s the thing.
We actually don’t need to subjugate Santa-san at all.
He was born to fulfill Hikari-chan’s wish, so everything he took should eventually return to her.
In other words, if we just leave him alone, all the stolen items will come back to Hikari-chan’s hands, and from there she can distribute them to everyone. Problem solved.
『If something’s taken from me, I take it back……』
『Yeah. Obviously.』
『I can’t just let myself get done in like thisssu!』
『Those are precious things my lord gave us. If I don’t take them back myself, I won’t be able to forgive me.』
That’s how they feel.
As the one who gave those gifts, I’m honestly touched……
Still, catching someone who vanishes right in front of you has to be pretty difficult, right?
Come to think of it, Wendy and the others should be coming back soon. Shion, Mizera, and Wendy are all wearing the accessories I gave them, so they might become targets too.
While I was thinking that, right on cue, the three of them appeared coming back down the path ahead……
「Ara～? What are you all doing out here? Running around the garden in this freezing cold? You sure have a lot of energy. Do beastkin have higher body temperatures or something?」
「Suu…… haa…… It’s so cold. Let’s hurry inside, everyone. You’ll catch a cold if you stay out here.」
「You three, be careful! There’s someone going around stealing accessories given by my liege!」
「What!? Such an insolent thief!? Eh? Wait…… could it be that all of you had yours taken? Pfft. Carelessness is the greatest enemy, huh. Mine is safely…… eh?」
……Safely? The hairpin I gave her just got sucked right into Santa-san’s bag with a cheerful 『Ho ho ho』.
That bag…… judging by how there’s no clinking sound of accessories bumping around inside, it must be some kind of magical spatial pocket.
「Uuu…… No, this won’t do. This is absolutely unacceptable. These are precious things given to me by my husband……!」
Mizera is gripping it tightly with both hands, but it seems she’s being pulled by the suction force of the bag.
Santa-san is beckoning with a friendly smile, but what he’s doing is the absolute worst.
「Youuu!」
「Wha!? He just passed right through!?」
Sorte and Aina tried to pin him down, but he slipped straight through them like mist.
Apparently physical attacks don’t work on Santa-san.
「He’s some kind of spirit…… Shiro will blow him away!」
「I’ll use magic too!」
「Wait, Renge-san!? Renge-san’s earth magic is no good! The ground! The garden will be ruined! Shiro-san too! If you don’t hold back, the garden will aaaah! My weapon can hit spirits, so let me aaaah!」
Shiro is probably planning to use her possessed garment, but since he’s been running around so much, she might not hold back at all……
No helping it. In that case, I’ll join in with my Yin-Yang bland and……
「A kind of spirit……? That won’t do. Violence isn’t allowed…… okay?」
Wendy-san suddenly grabs the beckoning arm of Santa-san in a firm grip.
Caught off guard with his arm seized, Santa-san makes an 「Eh!?」 face and stares at Wendy.
Then, perhaps panicking because he can’t phase through, he starts flailing, only for Wendy to form a circle with her middle finger and thumb…… and deliver a single, crisp forehead flick.
With that, Santa-san quietly fades away.
What remains is the bag dropping to the ground with a soft plop, spilling out all the accessories.
Once everyone notices, they rush over, hurriedly pick them up, brush off the snow with care, rub them against their cheeks, and rejoice in their safe return.
Leave a Reply