--Hello! Welcome to Gacha Kingdom Building's Christmas Special!
Before we start, a few notes:
This chapter is more like a collection of several mini-chapters/scenes.
The perspective will change several times. Every switch will be clearly tagged, but I recommend reading at a relaxed pace so it doesn't become confusing or tiring.
Since this is a free chapter, it will be posted in the auxiliary volume, making it one of the first chapters that appear when you click the book.
With that in mind, I wouldn't recommend this chapter for brand-new readers, as it will contain many characters and dynamics that only appear/develop later in the story.
Still, if you don't mind that and just want something cozy to read on the holiday, go right ahead.
For the readers who have already reached the current chapter (285), the timeline here might be a little fuzzy, but let's suspend disbelief for a while, for the magic of Christmas, shall we?
In any case, I hope you all enjoy it!--
--The following section is written in Marin's POV--
My head was throbbing...
I knew I should've stopped at the fourth bottle, but the third had such a nice lingering taste, I kept chasing after it, convincing myself that one more drink and I'd be satisfied.
Marin: "Celly...?"
I reached out, but the sheets beside me were cold.
She had been gone for a while.
I remember she stopped drinking early yesterday, and maybe I should've too...?
Unless she was more wasted than me, she was always the first up...
For her not to be sleeping beside me, or waking me up, it could only mean one thing...
She was probably with Priscilla and the Caravan.
Just to be sure, I checked the entire house, grabbed a cold one from the fridge, and headed to Pris' place.
Priscilla: "Oh. You're doing better than I thought."
The Caravan, or half of their group, about thirty or so people, were sharing a few cabins by the seaside.
Most of them were loud, obnoxious, and impossibly fun to hang around.
They've been treating their stay at the Kingdom like a vacation, and my house became their own personal bar.
Yesterday was no different.
We watched a few movies, and sang and drank our hearts out.
Right?
Marin: "Ah, you know me..."
I kept the strong stuff away, because...
Huh. Why did I do that, again?
Oh, wait...
Priscilla: "Pfft! Hahaha! Took you a while, eh?"
She laughed at me without a single care for the other Caravan members who heard the conversation.
This woman, always treating me like I'm a kid...
I couldn't get mad.
She reminded me of Grandma a little.
Especially her fake "Everyone tires me" attitude.
Someone who truly didn't care about others wouldn't spare a drunkard's ramblings a thought, yet there she was, laughing and explaining what I had trouble figuring out.
Marin: "Then... You're not going?"
Priscilla: "Nah. I'm not that close to them, and I'd rather keep an eye out for these guys."
Her tone was a little apologetic.
I thought that maybe she did want to participate, even if a little.
However, it wasn't my style to force things on others.
Marin: "I'll be going then. I'll tell them you sent your regards."
Priscilla: "That'd be nice, thanks."
I sent a request to Miwen so that I could join him in his world.
He immediately accepted it, and I was teleported to his side.
In the large, king-tier room I found myself in, there were all types of people, from humans to demons, from angels to gods.
They were all doing their own things. Some seemed busy playing, others were talking, and a few ignored the noise to read on a couch.
This wasn't much different from how they acted in the Kingdom's cafeteria, but for some reason, there was a unique warmth in their smiles.
The girls who always seemed busy or worried were more carefree; the more carefree girls were completely dispersed.
It was like being in a bad mood was against the rules today.
Which, according to what Miwen told us, was part of the point.
James: "Geez, kid. Can you give me a heads-up before summoning someone? My heart can't take that much more scares like that."
Miwen: "Whoops. I'm just accepting all notifications, so... I'll try, but no promises."
Even when he was being admonished, both parties still held a casual attitude.
Though Miwen's smug smile was par for the course, I suppose.
That came naturally to him, and it was almost impossible to take it off.
Miwen: "Huh. Rare to see you without a bottle."
Marin: "Ah..."
Those eyes that never missed anything, and that slightly worried, friendly look on them had hooked quite a few hearts.
Unfortunately, to women like me, rather than sweet, they felt annoying.
Or so I tried to convince myself.
The truth was that, even if I didn't like being seen through, there wasn't a single person who wouldn't be happy to have someone looking after them, and I wasn't an exception.
Marin: "You said not to drink, boy."
Thanks to Pris and my fading hangover, I remembered what the silence of the Kingdom and Celly's absence meant.
Today was special.
I did end up drinking, though.
But Miwen didn't need to know that.
Miwen: "No? I told you not to drink too heavily. And to keep away from the strong stuff."
Oh...
So that's why.
Finally, I got that question out of my mind.
And I sure was glad to hear that I wouldn't have to stay sober today.
Marin: "Oh, wait, was I supposed to wear that, too?"
I pointed to the only thing that still worried me in all of this: The costumes that the girls were wearing.
They had their own unique traits, but they followed a pretty similar pattern.
Almost all of them had a cutesy cap, a shirt, or a tank top paired with skirts, mini-coats, shorts, or fitted trousers in festive reds, whites, and greens.
Soft, sometimes flashy fabrics trimmed with fur and little bells were everywhere.
Even Gabriella, that overly devoted nun, had traded her habit and veil for a red top, a mini-skirt, a short cape, fluffy boots, and enough jingling accessories to match the Kingdom's church bell with each step she took.
First Daughter: "You don't need to. But the cap is cute, right? Here, try it!"
Just like that, the oldest daughter of the Endless created one of those for me to wear.
I thought it was a little embarrassing at first.
Festive things like that weren't really my thing, unless they involved a bar, but...
I guess if the nun could do it, how could I not?
Miwen: "You didn't forget your gift, right? And the person you got in the lottery?"
Marin: "Oi! Of course not! I left them at the Hotel, just like you told me to!"
I only remembered it a few minutes ago, but I had been quite responsible yesterday.
For my standards, at least.
Miwen: "Just checking~ Here, let's make peace."
I wasn't mad or anything.
But I would never refuse a free drink.
Celly: "It's pretty nice, right? It's bubbly and sweet, and there's so little alcohol, I can hardly feel it."
The black drink Miwen handed me was soda mixed with just a tinge of vodka, the same Celly had.
I had already experienced both separately, and I didn't quite like either, but together, it was perfect.
Somehow, her getup was the same.
The short skirt and sleeveless combo were close to her usual style, but the bright red colors were new.
Surprisingly, they fit.
Not that I wanted to try it for myself, though.
I was just admiring the courage.
Marin: "...Look who decided to show up?"
Celly: "Hey, you're the one who's late."
Fufu...
Marin: "And whose fault was that!?"
Celly: "Oh, you used to complain so much. Alright, captain. I'll wake you up every morning from now on."
My subordinate was getting a little too cheeky.
Marin: "Hey... Once a week is already good enough, alright?"
While sharing a drink, Celly and I bickered like usual.
In the end, I never really remembered what I was supposed to do for this festival, but...
It seemed like everyone else was doing the same as us.
When the adults from Miwen's world, like Marcus and Piper, offered us secret adult drinks, we accepted.
When the girls asked us to play, we didn't even think about refusing.
Piper: "Gotta say, I'm surprised. You guys got the spirit pretty quickly."
Marin: "Of course..."
Good food. Good drinks.
People singing, playing, and laughing.
To me, carefree days like these were exactly what I lived for.
--The following section is written in Lana's POV--
If this were a dream, I wouldn't want to wake up.
Before me was a long table with easily tens of seats.
It brimmed with sweets, with juicy meat, with all sorts of drinks, and thanks to Miwen and his dad working in the kitchen, more kept coming!
It was the best!
Lily: "L-Lana..."
Lily's hands, once pressed against her cheeks as she looked at me with distress in her eyes, gently landed on my shoulders.
Lana: "Hmmfh!"
Then, she grabbed me and started shaking my body back and forth.
She was shaking me with so much frantic strength that she had squeezed her eyes shut.
Lily: "You can't!"
Lana: "Ish fine!"
Miwen said so.
It was part of the celebration, or something.
I didn't really understand anything past: "You can eat all you want."
But that part, I engraved into my mind.
Lily: "But... Don't you want to have fun with the others?"
Lana: "Eh? But I'm having fun already?"
Lily: "Ah... But I wanted to play with you!"
I knew she wouldn't leave me alone if I didn't give her what she wanted.
And I also wanted to have fun with her, I guess.
But I also didn't want to leave the food behind...
Why... Why is the world so cruel...
James: "You know... Why don't you go with your friend, Missy? I'll bring you a full plate."
Lana: "Eh? You promise?"
James: "Haha! Of course!"
Hmm...
No.
I didn't know him, I couldn't trust him.
Lana: "You... You're going to eat everything, right? I won't allow- Aww!"
Something hit me from behind...
It didn't really hurt, but it surprised me, and I ended up jumping from my seat.
Miwen: "Stop that, dummy. I'll bring a portion for you first, alright?"
Lana: "You're showing favoritism..."
He would do anything to make Lily happy, after all.
Miwen: "Maybe. But isn't this fine? We both get what we want. Unless you don't trust me, either?"
Ugh.
He was so unfair sometimes. Most times.
But he was right, too.
Lana: "You better bring me a lot! Come on, Lily. I saw the girls playing a game on a weird table."
It was a long table divided by a small net.
Each player stood on one side, facing the other.
Sometimes, they played in pairs.
They also used a small wooden pan-like object to hit the ball from one side to the other, and watching from afar, it seemed pretty fun.
I was secretly hoping to play it with Lily after I had my fill.
Unfortunately, when we arrived, two pairs were already playing at the table: Nissa and Jackie versus Albert and Lenard, Isabella's brothers.
Their match seemed intense at first, with the brothers giving it their all, but while Jackie barely hit anything, Nissa was just too much for them to handle.
For some reason, Lenard refused to focus on Jackie, as his brother told him to, and the pair lost 10-2, despite giving it their all.
Nissa: "Not bad. But not enough."
Lenard: "Argh... Again!"
Lily: "A-Ah! Wait! We..."
Seeing Lenard ask for a rematch, Lily jumped to protest, but her voice started to fade the moment their eyes shifted to her.
Lily: "We'd like to play too..."
It would be hard to hear her whisper-like protest even in normal circumstances.
So, with the party happening around us, it was completely muffled.
Albert: "...What is it, lady?"
Lana: "She said we wanna play too."
Albert: "Oh, that's fine. We can take turns, right?"
Lenard: "Totally. I was getting tired of getting my ass beat up anyway."
I could tell.
Both brothers were usually pretty collected, in their own way, so for Lenard to be shouting and gripping his hands so tightly, this definitely hadn't been their first defeat.
However, that made me a little scared, since our opponent would be the same person who had just beaten them, who knows how many times.
In our match, I understood exactly what the problem was.
First, there was the gap in stats.
Even though she fought like a mage, during her battle with Miwen, she whipped out a light sword at the end.
So, unlike Elizabeth, Nissa had not completely neglected her physical stats.
Because of this, even though I focused mainly on speed, I couldn't keep up with her.
The second reason was her eyes.
A woman whose main combat style involved tracking and launching an endless barrage of light beams would never miss a single small white ball.
It was frustrating, but there was nothing Lily and I could do.
Nissa: "Fufu. You're a hundred years too early to challenge me, little ones."
Elizabeth: "Is that so? Then perhaps you'd like to try us?"
Just hearing Elizabeth's voice behind me sent chills down my spine, but seeing her alongside Cassandra was enough to make me cold sweat.
Even though these two were always at odds, for some reason, they often showed up together.
Worse yet, they seemed completely oblivious to how suffocating their aura could be when they were challenging someone or each other.
Without the other girls around, they were plain scary.
Nissa: "I'm not losing today."
Elizabeth: "We'll see about that. Pest, you up for it?"
Cassandra: "Oh, you know it."
Poor Jackie.
She had nothing to do with these three's rivalry, yet, afraid to tell Nissa no, she was dragged into a battle with the two worst opponents the Kingdom had to offer.
Really, the only way it could be worse was if Miwen somehow got involved.
But thankfully, he was busy in the kitchen.
Cassandra: "Hmm... That's not really fair, is it? Oh, I know! C'mere, cutie~"
After scoring seven points in succession, Cass called Lily to play in her place.
Well, "in her place" wasn't exactly the way to say it.
She turned herself into the same shape as the pan we used to hit the ball with, except she had a blade at the handle's end.
That transformation ability of hers never failed to amaze me with its flexibility.
As long as it had a blade somewhere, she seemed capable of turning into whatever she wanted.
And even though Lily was as clumsy as it gets, with the most awkward of movements, thanks to Cassandra's correction, she never once missed the ball.
Still, there was definitely some friction there, and Nissa managed to score at least a few points before losing the match.
Cassandra: "Alright. Your turn now, kitty. Let me help you get some sweet revenge, yes?"
Lana: "Eh... I'll pass."
I wasn't sure how Miwen handled that so easily.
From the way Lily moved her hand after unequipping Cassandra, I could tell how weird it must've been to have her body puppeted like that.
It looked cool, but it didn't seem fun.
So, I let Lenard have his revenge and ran away with Lily.
Our next stop was another game, this time, on another weird table.
We had to hit a disk to make it slide and enter a horizontal slit, and it was so fun that we played a bunch of matches against each other.
Although I got most of the wins, both Lily and I were starting to get tired, so we took a break to watch the movies playing on the TV with some of the others.
There, Miwen finally brought me my plate.
But he wasn't alone.
James was right behind him, carrying a smaller tray piled high with colorful candies and pudding.
No doubt, Miwen suggested it.
As a way to win me over.
And it worked like a charm.
Lily: "Hm... I guess I'll get something to eat too."
Lana: "Ah... No..."
I was having so much fun with Lily that I didn't really want to be apart from her for a minute.
But the smell coming from my plate was so alluring, I couldn't wait to eat, so...
Lana: "Here. We can share..."
Lily: "Really? Yay!"
Miwen: "Oh? What's this?"
Lana: "Don't say anything. Just... Bring her a fork..."
The way Miwen and all the others held back from laughing...
It was so embarrassing.
I decided to hide my shame by diving right in.
And it might have been the best decision I ever made.
Even though they were the same dishes, their taste was different.
Maybe because I was sharing it with Lily, or because I was with all the other girls...
Whatever the case, it was delicious!
--The following section is written in Reina's POV--
My Lord is a man who cherishes community.
As such, Christmas is his favorite holiday.
The idea of spending an entire day with the people he loves is, to him, the very reward he seeks for his every action.
That is why he asks for no retribution, why he insists on the selfishness of his overwhelming kindness.
On a day like this, while even those who do not understand enjoy the comfort of the company of others and the irresistible mood of carefreeness, my Lord continues his inexhaustible effort to provide them the best he can.
It's as his heart commands, and as he'll never betray us, he'll never betray it.
Which saddens me, as my own wish contradicts his.
I desire to be of use to him.
It is what I have sought even before meeting him, even before his birth.
I'm not a shameless woman.
I know that my past life's works have not been enough to grant me the reward of staying by his side.
That right-
That blessing.
I'll only accept it while I work for it.
I must not only pave the path, but I must lay the carpet and adorn it with petals.
For he is the king I have awaited.
The only man who can fulfill the first Son's promise and realize what I could not.
The dream I entrusted to him...
Reina: "My Lord... How may I help you?"
He was in the kitchen with his father.
Amidst the rising fire of the oven and the ticking clocks of their cooking utensils, the two worked with steady yet quick hands, always moving, always precise.
Miwen: "Can you bring those snacks to the living room? Also..."
My desires made manifest, but their meaning was lost to my Lord.
Not that he failed to understand it.
The issue was much more complex than a small misconception.
It was born out of that contradiction.
My Lord simply didn't desire to be served by me.
A man lives through purpose.
To become a king, one must embody said purpose, no matter what it is.
They must rise above their peers, blinding them out of their path and bringing them to his.
For that, the brighter the purpose, the better.
And no one's purpose is brighter than my Lord's.
So, he refuses to accept my offer, to leave everything in my hands.
His best attempt at conforming is done this way, with menial tasks to satisfy both our desires.
As his aide, I have no choice but to respect the twisted hierarchy he has built.
How could I tell my king to do the menial tasks while I did the work?
That'd be an insult.
Reina: "Yes..."
So, I accept.
I bring plates to one table and a few drinks for his entourage.
Beside me, Mei, his head maid, worked much the same, except faster, due to her experience with this type of work.
Reina: "Haah..."
Licia: "...Trouble?"
My Lord's first wife embodies many of his qualities.
With her attentiveness, a single moment of weakness of mine, a sigh of exasperation, became as unmissable as a beacon on a clear night.
And though she knew my reasons, unlike my Lord, she showed no restraint, forcing me to say the words I'd otherwise keep locked.
Once my sincere thoughts were exposed, she marched to the kitchen with furious steps, dragging Ellie along, despite the elf's confusion.
Minutes later, Miwen appeared in the living room.
Not unlike me, he had brought a few plates, which caused me to misunderstand the situation.
I thought that he'd leave them in one table and go back to his station, but instead, he sat on the floor with the First Daughter, where they opened a brand new tabletop game.
He gestured for Isabella to sit with him, and finally, for me to do the same.
Reina: "...Were you banished from the kitchen?"
Miwen: "Not really. She agreed to take turns."
The impact of those words on my heart couldn't be stated.
For one, that my wish had been granted, even if temporarily, brought me immense joy.
Yet, that joy conflicted with the anxiousness of having my wishes supersede those of my Lord.
Though I did not dare allow such chains to bind my heart.
Or, rather, they could not, for the simplicity and felicity that moment brought to my heart was too overpowering to be stopped by the mind.
First Daughter: "Oh... You are hosting the event of the century, but the budget has run dry. You need a wealthy sponsor to cover the remaining costs. Select a player. They must pay you twenty thousand in advance, and another five thousand per turn, for three turns."
Our game was conceptually easy.
The player had to move through the map according to the number rolled on their die, and each square they landed on had an event that influenced themselves or other players.
The objective was to reach the last square with the highest amount of money.
As our game progressed, as we inched closer to the last square, I was presented with a strong event that could reshape the ranks.
With that amount, I could knock Miwen down to second place and potentially win the game.
Targeting Isabella and the First Daughter of the Endless was meaningless, as one had been so unlucky that she had more debt in loans than I had in proper money, and the other, in third place, had little hope of reaching me in first.
The choice was obvious.
According to my calculations, Miwen should be second, and the only one with a chance to take first place from me.
It was only a game.
It didn't count as a betrayal of my Lord, and I knew he'd be disappointed if I didn't do it, as such a rigged game would hurt everyone's enjoyment.
At the same time, if I allowed myself to rationalize such a decision as ultimately being for his own good, would I ever recover?
I could easily grow accustomed. I could even end up betraying him.
Even if it was a game, I should not let myself be tempted to hurt him, even for a second, regardless of reason...
I was at a crossroads, and both options were equally devastating.
I gathered all of my courage, and still, when I looked at his face, my heart throbbed, and the words stuck in my mouth.
It wasn't a question of strength.
My will wavered.
"I could never."
"I would never."
Those words flashed through my mind.
Reina: "Kh..."
Miwen: "...You okay there? Do you want something to drink?"
I did not know what my expression looked like.
Despite the ridiculous look of my Lord's outfit with that silly hat on top, the genuine worry in his face was conveyed.
I failed to do it through my own strength.
However, after coming so far, I only needed a light push to do the right thing and bring back my Lord's smile.
And I knew exactly where to pull that from.
I stood up and got a drink from Marin's table.
It was stronger than I thought, but after a glass, I finally pushed the words out.
Reina: "My Lord~ Pay me~"
Miwen: "Pfft. Right... But I have this one card, you see~"
Seeing him laugh made me realize I had made the right choice.
After all, I understood what he felt.
That he prioritized himself, even for a moment, brought me immense happiness.
That I prioritized myself, even for a moment, brought him immense happiness.
He and I weren't so different.
Reina: "Actually... I was waiting to use this one on you, too~"
With that realization, I myself took off the smile I had so worked so hard to keep on his face.
Despite his best attempt, I cornered him over and over again, until he had dropped to third place, and no one could beat me.
It was a fantastic experience to share with him, and I felt silly for worrying so much.
First Daughter: "Huh. You were very close to the max amount of money one can lose without falling into a loop. In a way, it's probably a record..."
Isabella: "Hmph. Just you wait. Inflation will eat your money, and you'll feel very sorry that you didn't take cheap loans to buy a dumb artpiece from a museum..."
There was much discussion after we calculated the results and finished the game.
Through it all, despite not winning, my Lord kept cracking jokes.
But then, he stood up, ready to return to the kitchen.
Reina: "Ah... I'll be going too~"
Miwen: "Ah. No need, I'll-"
Reina: "I'm sorry, my Lord. I'm not accepting 'no' for an answer~"
Due to possessing his memories, I already knew everything about my Lord's favorite holiday.
However, I only truly understood after experiencing the shared joy of selfishness and selflessness, of giving and taking.
Thus, Christmas became my favorite Earth holiday as well.
One I'd hope to enjoy with him many, many times again.
--The following section is written in Erik's POV--
Yesterday I woke up to the sound of a loud bang outside the city hall.
Exactly one minute before the Christmas truce between Maya, the government, and the Army Of The Gifted was set to start.
I took a look at the situation from the office's window, but nothing could've prepared me for what I saw.
In the snowy ground before the city hall's doorsteps sat a rectangular box.
About two meters tall, it was wrapped in red paper, decorated with printed snowmen, Christmas trees, and other common festive embellishments.
Before the clock struck midnight, I jumped out of the office's window and landed on the ground, less than a foot from the box.
Normally, I would've thought this was a bomb or a trap of some sort.
And even if the thought of how it reached this place interested me, I would've thrown it away before it could cause damage.
Those thoughts disappeared the moment I read the note attached to the wrapping.
[Did you know?
Christmas is best enjoyed together.]
Dozens of guards patrolled the city hall.
There were no CCTV blindspots in the streets around it.
Multiple magic barriers prevented anything from entering or leaving without permission.
Yet, I had heard a loud thud, as if this box had been dropped from above.
While it could have been Santa, the most likely suspect was Maya.
She was the only person capable and absurd enough to go out of her way to do something so seemingly meaningless.
And knowing my present came from her, the idea of this breaking the truce in any form faded from my mind.
After all, she had gone through great lengths to sway the public and leverage its support against the government for a Christmas truce.
Almost as much as she did to trap me politically, when she started a campaign to claim that any factions that did not adhere to the truce were only inhumane, illegitimate terrorists vying for chaos.
While it wouldn't be the first time she broke her own rules, she would never attack me after I accepted and followed the truce.
At least that I was certain of.
Another thing I knew just as well was that whatever was inside wouldn't bring me anything resembling Christmas joy.
Still, for some reason that I might never understand, I felt compelled to investigate it before throwing it away.
To my surprise, beneath the wrapping lay a wooden segmented cone.
Several colorful and different patterns were drawn on its otherwise brown surface.
Levers and tubes protruded out of the box, alongside recessed buttons and locked drawers that wouldn't budge an inch.
On its base, I found another note.
[Did you know?
You shouldn't open your gift before Christmas!]
If the first hadn't been enough confirmation, this feeling was.
Maya was behind this.
For what purpose, I did not know.
But I planned on discovering.
And so, I called her mother, thinking she'd have a clue about her daughter's antics.
To my surprise, she had much more than that to offer.
Erik: "Put your gifts on the table before you."
Maria, like every other AOTG executive I contacted, told me she had received a gift from Maya.
The note she received read like a daughter's letter to her mother.
Aside from the Christmas motif, there was nothing unusual about it.
No encrypted message, no numbers, nothing that could be read ambiguously.
It was well crafted, and although intentionally written to be objective, the contents were filled with her feelings and wishes.
And in the last part, a clue about the box.
[P.S.
If Erik doesn't contact you, contact him instead.
He'll need all the help he can get with this one!
Hohoho!]
George: "...Why don't you just cut a hole through it?"
Adriarch: "...Lad. Even I know that defeats the purpose."
George: "Tch. Not all of us were planning on spending the day drinking in a smoky room alone."
Quite.
I had a mountain of documents still waiting to be reviewed.
However, I couldn't follow George's strategy, either.
After hours, I had not solved a single part of the puzzle, so I didn't know in which section the ultimate gift lay.
As far as I could tell, each section might have something worthwhile in store, or nothing at all.
Besides that...
Erik: "Put your faces close to it."
Adriarch: "...It's ticking? Do you think it's a bomb?"
I had already assessed the chances of that being zero.
But it could be something similar.
Erik: "It's either a time-lock and the thing will open itself..."
It wasn't unlike Maya to seek to distract me with a confusing waste of time.
Erik: "Or it's a self-destruct mechanism. I don't think the whole thing will explode, but the content might."
Which is what made me think that there might be something useful in there.
A challenge in which the reward would be a clue about Maya or her operations.
The chances for that were near zero, but not zero, and so far, the best I could hope for to understand her.
It would be unimaginable for me to do such a thing, but from that perspective, it fit her actions.
Erik: "If there's a self-destruct mechanism, it wouldn't be hard to connect it to a breach detector."
Regardless of whether this was a Christmas handout or not, I'd rather not throw away opportunities served on a silver plate.
Alexis: "I don't understand this. I received a letter praising my appearance from someone I never met, and this key with the letters 'U' and 'T' written on it."
Being a woman from another world, the meaning of sending letters and gifts today was completely lost on Alexis.
However, even with the context of Christmas, I wasn't faring much better.
U and T.
UT.
A few possibilities of acronyms and initialisms crossed my mind, but nothing seemed to work with the drawings I had identified in the box.
Maria: "Fufu..."
Erik: "What is it?"
Maria: "Nothing~"
As if.
That was a genuine giggle. Maria had noticed something I had not.
Erik: "Do I force you to say it?"
Maria: "She did say you were going to need help~ Well, UT, right? And a key... And she mentioned Alexis' appearance, so..."
Erik: "Cute? As in, key-ute? The thought crossed my mind, but what would that represent?"
Maria: "Gimme the key~"
So far, I had not attempted to brute force each key in every hole, as I thought it could trigger the self-destruct mechanism, if it existed.
As such, when Maria found a keyhole she was confident in, she had to ask for permission before inserting the key.
Erik: "Why this one?"
Maria: "Dogs are a universal symbol for cuteness."
They are not.
But I could see the logic forming now.
Though to me, that scribble looked more like a lion.
Maria: "I'm guessing... This is for you?"
Inside the drawer, Maria found a dinosaur plushie, a Santa hat, a lipstick, and lastly, a note, which she made sure to show in that order.
Of course, the only thing that interested me was the note.
[Hello, Alexis!
You don't know me, and I don't know you, so choosing your gift was extra hard!
I decided that, since you're not from Earth, I should give you something from here.
So, a dinosaur plushie!
I'm not sure if they existed in your world, but if they did, you probably didn't have the archeology to know that well about them, right?
Well, they were dangerous and powerful beasts! And I think some of them were pretty cute.
Just like you!
Just in case you didn't like it, I also put lipstick there. I thought the color would suit you.
The Christmas hat is a must that I know Erik won't bother with, but I think you should try it.
As for your clue...
I was inspired by Greek mythology.
I am a ship, but his no more.
You know of my paradox.
But if I'm not his ship...
Which other ship would you mistake me for?]
Alexis: "Ah... Thanks?"
Maria: "It's not from me, cutie~"
George: "It's gonna be a long Christmas, isn't it?"
Adriarch: "Alright. Anyone up for drinks?"
...Ship. Paradox. Not his anymore.
The Ship of Theseus, clearly. A vessel defined by the question of its own identity.
If I were to mistake it for some other ship...
Jason's ship would be the ideal candidate.
It's from the same mythology, rivals its fame, and more importantly, has historically been conflated with Theseus' ship in philosophy.
The absurdity of asking an otherworlder about something involving both Earth's mythology and philosophical debates could only be defined as Maya-esque.
It also wasn't lost on me how Jason sought to become a ruler only to see his dreams shattered by a woman...
Though that might be overreading it, the jump in difficulty, from silly to reasonable, made me rethink my line of thought multiple times.
Too many times.
Maria: "Having fun, eh?"
Erik: "It is mildly interesting. I'll admit it. Though I never would've expected your daughter to attack an otherworlder with Earth knowledge. It's like she's trying to say Alexis doesn't belong here, wouldn't you say?"
Maria: "Is it? I think sharing myths is a good way to welcome someone to another culture."
Regardless of who Maya wanted to attack, or if she even wanted to attack either of us, the note itself didn't give us any way to progress.
It was only a clue for another part of the puzzle.
So, the other AOTG executives, with Maria and me, continued to dissect what their gifts represented.
It didn't take long for us to figure out the next piece, through Adriarch's letter and gift.
[Did you know?
With each passing year after the original Christmas truce during World War I, every next truce attempt became less successful.
I understand it's easy to grow resentful of your enemies.
But I think it's a shame.
Even soldiers need to rest.
That's why I'm giving you this bottle.
I think wine is a bit more classy, but I heard soldiers prefer whisky.
I hope you'll enjoy it!]
While tasting the alcohol, Adriarch noticed an oddity in the label.
His whisky bottle had been labelled as wine.
When the label was removed, we found on its flip side the tip needed for a keypad stuck in the wooden tower.
When removed, we found the tip needed for a keypad:
[If we are talking about war and puzzles, when will the soldier and the machine break this enigma?]
Again, this was a fairly easy hint into the tower.
The mention of war, solving puzzles, and breaking "the enigma" was a clear reference to the Second World War.
Erik: "1941 then."
Adriarch: "Don't be hasty, boy. Enigma was first decoded in 1932."
Correct.
But I knew Maya wasn't referencing that date.
Erik: "She made sure to call us a soldier and a machine. She also used the word 'break'. She's emphasizing the moment it loses its operational effectiveness, its meaning."
Adriarch: "Oh... Well, and here I thought I could give you a history lesson, huh?"
I'd rather not.
His stories usually took an entire afternoon to finish, and Maya's puzzle had high chances of taking just as long.
Thankfully, there was only one number keypad in her gift, and so, when I inserted the 1941 date, a drawer opened on another side of the wooden structure.
Inside it, we found Adriarch's gift, a knife that for some reason he seemed to really like, and more importantly, another note.
This note was encrypted, but it didn't take me a minute to decode it, with the key being the word "Axe".
[How are you doing, Colonel?
I hope watching Erik struggle is making your day!
To progress, you must find the key.
Though I guess you already have it, don't you?
It's been inside it all along.]
Adriarch: "Don't tell me... Did she put it inside the bottle?"
That would've been a problem.
Adriarch had already finished the bottle, key or not.
It was unlikely that he wouldn't have noticed jingling keys, though.
Most likely, the key was "inside" it all along.
I completely removed the drawer from the structure, and exactly as I thought, there was a small gap where she had hidden the key.
Interestingly, the key was painted with a hue resembling the night sky, speckled with dots.
A star map.
I took the key and inserted it into the slot marked with the Greek letter 'alpha', the symbol of Canopus, the Alpha star of the Argo Navis.
By this point, I had begun to see the pattern emerge.
This was about identity.
The Ship of Theseus had a famous variation as the Axe of George Washington.
The Argo was known both as Jason's ship and as a constellation in the sky.
"What would you mistake me for?"
Maria: "Getting really into it now, huh?"
I hated to admit it, but yes.
The structure had five levels, and after a couple of hours, we had only reached the second level from one side, which not only kept an overarching theme but also increased in difficulty while making callbacks to previous challenges.
If nothing else, I had to respect the thought behind it.
It was clear that Maya had carefully considered and handcrafted every aspect, while also taking into consideration the human element of the person she was challenging: Me.
Though in the end, I was fairly disappointed.
After hours and hours, just before the clock would strike midnight, I finally reached and opened the last drawer.
There, I found the last note standing between me and the gift she had prepared.
[Congratulations.
This will be your last challenge.
By now, you must have identified the themes of each of the three sides...]
Obviously.
They were: Identity. Authority. Community.
[So, here you have it, your last challenge.
The three themes compose me.
You know me.
You have seen me.
You have not heard me.
You have not accepted me.
It is not too late for you to understand me.
What am I?]
Hmph.
I should've known...
Maria: "Eh? What was it?"
Inside the last section, the gift she left me was a couple of photos.
Old photos of the AOTG, before I had fully taken over.
I didn't even remember taking any of them, but it was oddly nice to have a record of how far I'd come.
Though, of course, that wasn't her intention.
Erik: "There is only one person I don't understand. The last three phrases are all about her. They each contrast with one of the first three..."
What am I?
What a joke.
You should've written "What are we?"
You and me.
Erik: "...You can keep her photos, I don't care."
With that out of the way, I dismissed the executives.
And while I had plans to resume our operations come midnight...
Maya might not have convinced me, but she tired me out enough to gain herself another day of truce.
--The following section is written in Miwen's POV--
It was a strange feeling to have a Christmas party with my dad.
It had happened once before, but it was completely different back then.
I was a kid, so even though I was used to cooking for Maya, he forced me out of the kitchen, and I had no choice but to comply.
Mom helped him, and I stayed with Sis, playing and eating the entire day.
It was a fun day, and a nice memory that I held dear to my heart.
The same was true of the Christmases Sis and I spent together, just the two of us.
Miwen: "Easy there, the sauce will overpower the meat."
Marcus: "Yeah, that's the plan."
Now, Dad and I shared the kitchen, ordering each other, arguing about how it's done...
Having fun working together.
Marcus: "This one is...?"
Dad pointed to a plate I had left in a corner of the balcony.
Miwen: "Careful. That's for Isa."
Because Isabella had a low tolerance for salt and spices, I had to prepare her meals separately.
With so many people and dishes coming out after each other, if I didn't set aside a space solely for Isa, I could easily spoil the party for her or someone else if I wasn't careful.
Marcus: "Oh. My new daughter?"
Miwen: "Yeah... I guess."
Her calling me brother backfired one day when Dad overheard it.
Just her luck, he instantly accepted her into the family.
She's been having a hard time deciding if that's good or not for her, though, without Pamela and Mom's approval, it's not an official adoption.
Marcus: "Wasting food, bullying a kid... Awful."
It's hard to take the smile off his face, but just hearing what Isa went through was more than enough to get his blood boiling.
Almost as much as it did mine when I was there to see it.
Miwen: "Yeah, some people are just irredeemable, I guess. But it's fine now. Take a look."
I had prepared some gingerbread cookies for Isa to taste, which I asked Mei to bring to her, together with a few turkey breast slices.
Isa was distracted playing a game with Piper, but she stopped to eat.
Dad and I took a minute to watch her reaction from the balcony in secret and were rewarded with Isa's excited smile.
Miwen: "See? Not a bad thought in that cute head of hers."
Marcus: "That's how it should be."
I couldn't agree more.
If it were up to me, I'd spend the entire day watching the girls eat and play, but unfortunately, that wouldn't happen if we kept distracting ourselves, so Dad and I returned to the kitchen.
When Marin arrived, clearly hungover, we felt like we could lift the ban on some of the heavier drinks.
Though I made sure to be careful with it, especially with Lana and Lily, who were already high-energy, running around everywhere, and Marin, who could easily take it too far if given the chance.
Miwen: "If Marin asks, you tell her this is a secretly strong drink, alright?"
I asked Dad, Alex, and Piper for help with this.
As the "Adults", Marin wouldn't question them, and the drink we chose, while having a strong taste of alcohol, was actually pretty mild.
Since it used Pip's favorite energy drink in the mix, Marin was bound to notice and ask them about it.
Miwen: "As for Lana... Just tell her that this one is deceptively sweet and that even I got sick from it one time."
It was just juice.
And yet, when sunset came, she somehow started acting tipsy.
Though given how much she ran around with Lily, it could've easily been that she was just tired.
Piper: "Pfft. Aren't you worrying a little too much?"
Miwen: "Nah, I-"
Licia: "He is!"
Suddenly, Licia barged into the kitchen with Ellie.
She was a little angry that I had not left the kitchen at all throughout the day, and came to force me out, arguing that I should enjoy the party too.
Marcus: "Oi. Listen to her."
Licia: "Thanks, Father-in-law!"
Despite my best attempt, I couldn't win against the two of them combined.
Licia even brought Ellie too, just to hammer home the point that they'd handle it even better than I could by myself.
Well, while I was happy to stand by my father's side for the first time during Christmas, it would be a lie to say I wasn't looking forward to indulging a little myself.
And I knew exactly where to start.
Somehow, I convinced the First Daughter and her siblings to participate today, and as always, she looked a little lonely.
Licia was right that I was her best friend and that she was probably looking forward to playing games with me, so I invited her to a match with Isa, Reina, and me.
These three got along fine with the others, but sometimes, they needed a small push from me to get absorbed by the mood around them.
I completely forgot about Isa's bad luck, though.
I felt a little bad for her once our game was over, but seeing Reina and the First Daughter happier made up for it a little, especially since Isa's excitement returned after I promised I'd play a game that didn't require luck with her next.
Things started to slow down a little after this.
James slept on the couch, and the girls sat around him or on the floor, talking or watching the movie on the tv.
I returned to the kitchen a few times with Reina, just to check on some final things.
Even though I mostly had her pick up things for me, Reina seemed super happy about it, so I ended up asking for her help even when I didn't really need it.
Despite the astonishing number of glasses on their tab, Marin and Celly only grew more high-energy, while Lana and Lily started to get a little sleepy as the night crept in.
Miwen: "I guess since there are so many people, we should start the gift exchange early?"
Marcus: "Good idea. Can your friend bring them all at once?"
First Daughter: "They've always been here. The Infinite Hotel exists everywhere, after all.
One by one, the gifts we had prepared for each other appeared around us, filling the living room with their colors.
It was a thing of wonder.
Miwen: "You'd make an incredible Santa Claus."
First Daughter: "Hehe! Maybe I already am one?"
As if!
As if...?
Well, the existence of Santa Claus and the Endless shenanigans aside, we had set up a fun game to spice up our Secret Santa.
Instead of just handing the gifts to each other all at once, we'd start by describing the person, and once the others guessed right who the gift was meant for, we'd give it to them.
For that, we had already set up a lottery beforehand, so all we needed was for someone to start.
Claire: "Alright then! The person I got..."
Of course, Claire jumped ahead.
She was a little tipsy, stumbling over some of her words, but at the same time, her enthusiasm was undeniable.
She even threw us for a loop, describing the person she got in the lottery as a strong-willed, disciplined ice magic user.
We initially thought it was Licia, but it turned out to be Mia out of all people.
As for her gift, Mia got herself a pair of running shoes that Claire heard were extra comfy.
She couldn't test them out well in such a small, closed space, but she said she was looking forward to seeing them in action in her next training session.
So, next was her turn.
Mia: "Alright, so... I think you'll have her easy..."
After putting away her gift, Mia stood in the center before us.
She seemed embarrassed to speak in front of everyone, but she found the right words and pushed through.
Mia: "She's funny and chill, so it's easy to talk to her. We can always leave our backs-"
Angelica: "Anna?"
Angie didn't even need her to finish, and without hesitation, beat everyone to the punch.
Mia: "Yep!"
Anna: "E-Eh?"
Even though she didn't understand it herself, Anna instantly proved Mia's words with her reaction.
It was cute how she had yet to realize how unintentionally funny her misunderstandings were, or how her genuine reactions of shock and surprise made us laugh.
Despite that, she was also the most grounded girl in the kingdom.
She shared various hobbies with the other girls, and her friendly and supportive attitude made the quieter girls, like Angie and Ellie, fond of her.
I'd have expected Mia to give her something to train with, considering their personalities, but to my surprise, that wasn't the case at all.
Instead, Mia gave her a plushie of a character from a fighting game Anna enjoyed.
It was a very ugly humanoid thing, but Anna seemed to adore it for some reason.
The gift exchange continued after this, with most girls seemingly enjoying the game and the gifts they received.
The festive mood and the energy were slowly returning.
It was rare not to see someone smiling.
Until Licia's turn, that is.
Licia: "Ah... Is everything alright?"
Marin: "Y-Yeah, sorry... It's just..."
Licia's gift to Marin was quite cute.
It was a ship in a bottle made out of ice, complete with a snowy port resembling Licerce, Marin's birthplace.
Since it used a monster core for energy, it could run for a whole year without needing a new injection of mana.
Marin seemed happy with it at first, but when she took a closer look, a few tears fell from her eyes.
Marin: "I had one just like this when I was a kid. It was a gift from my grandma. I had forgotten all about it, but... I guess it's what inspired me to join the Navy, haha..."
It was so rare to see Marin break her shell like this, but I was glad the tears were from joy.
Though one thing bugged me.
Miwen: "...Did you do this on purpose?"
Fifth Daughter: "Hehe~ Are you mad?"
Miwen: "...No. Thanks."
Licia wanted to detail the ship and the port as much as she could, so she asked for one of the Endless to help her.
When I noticed how excited the Fifth Daughter was to help, I felt like something was wrong, but all things considered, this wasn't as bad as her other pranks.
If anything, it was nice to see a new side of Marin, and it felt like Licia's gift became that much more meaningful to her.
So, as much as I hated it, I ended up thanking the Fifth brat of the Endless.
The rest of our Secret Santa went smoothly after that.
We finished quite late, though.
Angie: "...You're not going to open your sister's gift?"
Miwen: "It will open itself after midnight. She does that to prevent me from opening it early."
Angie: "Oh..."
A movie was playing on TV, but most girls had already fallen asleep.
I was also feeling a little tired, so I decided to go to the balcony for some air.
Miwen: "More importantly, did you have fun?"
Big social gatherings like this were a little hard for Angie.
She didn't refuse when I invited her, but I was worried she might feel a little overwhelmed.
Angie: "Hm... It was nice. Ever since I received your memories, I... I looked forward to this day."
Miwen: "Is that so? I'm glad."
I felt the same.
Ever since I obtained [Gacha Kingdom Building], this was the day I was looking forward to the most.
No worries, no fighting...
Just us, sharing a peaceful moment of joy together.
It was really nice.
Better than I could have wished for.
Miwen: "Let's go inside, ok?"
Angie: "Hmm~"
It was quite a scene.
Some girls sat asleep on the sofa, their heads gently pressing against each other.
My dad was with the other adults, drinking and laughing in the kitchen.
Lana and Lily slept on the floor, hugging each other.
Lily: "Zzzz..."
Although one of them was only pretending, I brought them a blanket.
Miwen: "Though I guess since there are two of you, maybe you deserve one more?"
Lily: "Really!? Ah..."
It wasn't anything special, yet her eyes sparkled.
She almost woke Lana up, too, so I had to be extra careful when covering them.
After I had ensured the girls were all warm and comfy, it was finally time for me to rest.
I turned off the lights, lay in front of the sofa, and fell asleep, hearing their sleeping sounds.
Just like a lullaby...
--Roy's Epilogue--
I planned to spend the day playing games alone.
But then, I received a call from Sam, saying she'd come spend Christmas with me.
I was at a loss.
I hadn't prepared anything.
When she arrived, I had just finished cleaning the place up.
In the end, there was no reason for worry.
We spent the day exactly how I imagined.
Playing games.
Just that, instead of alone, we did it together.
--Priscilla's Epilogue--
The day was about to end.
Although the boy invited me to his world, the presence of a Caravan member there would definitely cause problems, holiday or not, and I wasn't sure if I could trust the Endless that much.
It was a bit of a shame.
I liked the idea of celebrating and giving gifts. It seemed nice.
Well, I didn't have that deep of a relationship with any of them, so I guess it would be a little strange.
We're just freeloaders in his kingdom, after all.
Priscilla: "Guess it's time I-"
Travelling Merchant: "Yo!"
I was about to head to bed when I heard his unmistakable voice.
Priscilla: "I thought you were busy?"
Travelling Merchant: "I am. But not enough to forget you."
The Merchant didn't stay long.
Typical.
He came, brought me a bouquet, and disappeared before I could say anything.
Before I could return him anything...
No matter how many cycles go by, he's still an idiot.
Priscilla: "White roses, huh?"
He remembered my favorites.
But if he had time to pick flowers, he should solve his business.
I wanted to continue traveling with him.
--Maya's Epilogue--
Chris: "Are you not going to sleep?"
Maya: "Soon. I wanted to watch the fireworks a little longer."
They were colorful, beautiful.
Yet, impermanent.
I found it fascinating.
That small moment of color, of joy, that faded into a calm, silent, and dark night sky.
It encapsulated life itself.
Maya: "But even if it looks that way, the sky is not empty."
Chris: "Hm?"
There are so many stars, shining their lights on us.
They will never know it.
How important their light is to us...
Even if they look small from here, they are so, so much greater than they seem.
It's hard not to appreciate them.
Maya: "I guess we should sleep, huh?"
Chris: "Yeah? I guess?"
In that case...
Good night.
Good dreams.