Author Notes:
Welcome~! Welcome~! To the special and warm Christmas chapter for GSS~! Yes, I know, it's not even Christmas yes, but much like RM, I am releasing the Christmas chapter early because I am afraid of actually missing the occasion lol. And yes, the Christmas chapters for the two fics are free, because these are festive chapters/seasonal Omake(?)
Regardless, the Christmas chapters are something I hope that can at least bring a smile or some semblance of peace to all of my readers and supporters out there! It has, indeed, become a tradition of sorts for me to write Christmas chapters lol. It's a break from the norm, at least, one that I hope you all will enjoy!
Also, shout out to Private Kirra, the newest supporter of the Reich and the Imperium!
Now then, as it stands, we are only a few days till the end of the Monthly Recruitment Drive, and with that, Christmas Day, so do come and grab the discount while it's hot. However, I need to strictly remind you all that DO NOT, for whatever reason, support any Creator through the IOS app. The IOS app is hugely more expensive than any other options out there, and any donation made through it will only arrive to the Creator's hand in 3 months' time. By then, I, and many others, may as well be dead and gone.
From here on out, should any new supporter use IOS payment method, I will respectfully refund, if possible, so that you don't lose your hard earn money in vain. Thank you, everyone, for reading thus far.
IG Ein: https://postimg.cc/WqR5tGxg
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"Hmm?" Feeling something cold land on my knuckle, I raise the hand holding Myrtenaster to inspect, only to see a piece of ice melting due to my body temperature.
Standing in the middle of a clearing, rife with jagged ice and white and pink corpses, I look up to the hazy sky with a mixture of surprise and anticipation. My expectation is answered when I start seeing one flaky piece of snow, then another, and another, until the whole open sky starts snowing in seriousness. Like a fitting curtain call after a pitched battle, Mother Nature blankets the entire battlefield, covering up traces of devastation with a layer of erasing white. And I, experiencing the purest of snowy weather for the first time in my two lifetimes, find myself oddly at peace despite the mounting cold. I commit everything to memory, not knowing if I will ever get a chance like this when I return to my home universe.
As I lose myself in the moment, I hear the icy ground behind me crack. Without even turning toward the sound, I already sense that it's Hua.
"Sister Hua, if you're here, then I guess you and Xuanyuan have cleared out your zones as well." I greet her as Myrtenaster fades away into my inventory, my palm now lies open to catch the falling snow. "Sister, do you know, this is the first time I've ever experienced a winter without smoke and gunpowder. It's beautiful, seeing such pure white in the air."
"Ein..." Stepping closer to my side, Hua exhales a breath of white mist as she surveys the surrounding terrain.
Being my master, Hua must have reconstructed the way I laid waste to a horde of Honkai beasts just from the aftermath alone. Due to the onset of early winter, I used a combination of wind, water, and ice manipulation to create a frozen hellscape that consumed the monsters and the undead. Essentially, I only manipulated what's already readily available, which was much easier on the mind than creating something out of nothing... But that's not what Hua chooses to focus on. Rather than giving me words of advice about where I should improve, Hua instead puts a hand on my shoulder.
While I am playfully spinning the snowflakes above my hands with a miniturized cyclone, I look at Hua in confusion. Still, the sympathetic look Hua gives me silences any question I may have.
"Come on, Ein..." Hua gently says. " Let's return and take a dip in the hot spring to warm our bodies up. You've done well in clearing out this small outbreak, but the aftermath... Well, we shouldn't be hanging out here for long. We can all sit out in the veranda, watching the winter's snow there with warm drinks in our hands.
I chuckle, knowing that without our internal manipulation of Honkai energy to enhance our physical bodies, both of us, especially myself, would have gotten frostbite twice over. That's what you get for terraforming a section of the land into a bootlegged version of Nilfheim.
"Right, let's go home, Sister Hua." With a flick of my hand, the snowflakes being spun are dispersed back into the wild, casting beautiful glints in the process.
To some, Hua's suggestion to pack up and leave may seem heartless and abrupt. What they may not know is that Hua favors actions. My master will shower me with silent care and guidance instead of saying words with next to no substance. As a soldier and a part-time martial artist, Hua's attentiveness is all I could have ever asked for.
Since the minor Honkai outbreaks occurred around the allied tribes that were a fair distance away from Mount Taixuan, Hua, Xuanyuan, and me came to the sites flying. It also means that we will have to fly back the way we came from, which begs the question.
"Huh? Where's Xuanyuan, Sister Hua?" I ask, not seeing or sensing my martial sister anywhere near us.
Hua replies easily as we take to the sky, with me relying on my energy wings to soar through the chilly air. "I sent Xuanyuan home first so she can get some groceries for the household. Winter has just arrived, and I am thinking about making some dishes that will fit the occasion."
"Oh, I see." I turn to Hua, who is flying next to me. "What do you want to make, Sister? Perhaps I can help?"
I have been helping around with housework for long enough that it's becoming second nature at this point, and I know damn well that I have quite an affinity for it, System Passive Skills aside. So, imagine my surprise when Hua shakes her head, causing the red plume that forms out of Honkai energy whenever she fights or flies to wobble and sparks. Coincidentally, Hua also has beautiful red Phoenix tails that hover near her slender waist. In fact, one can even say that my blue wings are inspired by the design of Hua's red tails.
"Ein, how about you watch me make some Shenzhou dishes today? Surely there must be something I can teach you with our traditional cuisine?" Hua smiles softly as she offers a proposition.
"Sure! I always love to see you cook, Sister!" While I could name multiple reasons for the sudden change of pace, chief among which was my melancholic showing earlier which caused Hua's tenderness to rise, I opt not to dwell on it. Instead, I joyfully accept my tenure as a kitchen helper.
I didn't lie about my love of Hua's cooking.
"While the dishes may come out simple, Sister Hua always makes them tasty and well-thought-out in nutrition. This shows that you pour your heart into the craft, rather than mechanically completing the motions to get to the results. It makes your cooking beautiful, Sister!" I compliment sincerely, which actually manages to land a blush on Hua's cheeks.
"Well," Hua coughs twice into her hand. "It comes with experience, Ein. It's no big deal... But thank you. I am happy to hear you say that."
I smile, giving Hua a thumbs-up. The rest of the flight home passes by in comfortable silence, with the winter's winds showering us with a surprisingly peaceful melody. During our flight, we come across a few villages and towns, all of which have lit their fireplaces to keep warm in the cold. We even spot some hunting parties and merchants, either returning home with the fruits of their hunts or seeking shelter for the night in the nearest tavern. It is a lovely, if quaint, vista, looking at the lands from above. It's miles better than anything I have ever seen.
By the time we land on Mount Taixuan, we notice that Xuanyuan has arrived before us with the stuff she procured from the nearby town, a place on another mountain next to Taixuan. So, after Hua dries us both off of any snow still clinging to our robes with a flick of her wrist and a temperature rise, we both move to help Xuanyuan put away all the straw bags. Afterward, Hua asks me to fetch Fuxi and Nuwa so that we can all take a dip in the spring. There, Fuxi and Nuwa ask us three about our martial excursion on the lands beyond Taixuan. They mostly fuss over our well-being more than actually worrying about the results of our destruction of the Honkai outbreaks. Ah, it's good to have such lovely older sisters; you can't have too many of them.
...
...
...
Now that I think about it, counting Tsavorae, don't I already have five older sisters? At the rate I am acquiring them, I won't be surprised if the number grows substantially in the blink of an eye.
Regardless, after we're done fooling around, with Xuanyuan being the one to cause the last commotion in the form of measuring her cup size with mine due to Nuwa edging her on, we all make our way to the kitchen. True to her words, Hua relegates me to the sideline as a spectator, offering me tips and tricks as she, Xuanyuan, Fuxi, and Nuwa show off their talents in cooking Shenzhou winter family meals.
To celebrate the first snow of the season, Hua and Fuxi prepare ingredients: wonton wrappers, scallions and other flavorings, crab meat, and cream cheese to make the appetizers, Crab Rangoon. Hua starts it off by making the filling, leaving Fuxi to be the one to wrap portions of the filling with the wonton wrappers, shaping the eventual dumplings into four-pointed stars. The Crab Rangoon is made finished after being deep-fried to crispness in vegetable oil.
For the main dishes, with Fuxi handling the Crab Rangoon, Hua moves to help Nuwa cook Kung Pao chicken after the younger of the twins marinated chicken cubes in soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, and other assorted ingredients. Hua seasons the wok before chili peppers and peppercorns are added and flash-fried to add fragrance to the oil. Then, Hua deposits the marinated chicken cubes, stir-frying them before adding spices, chopped onion, and fresh, unroasted peanuts. Much like many stir-fried Shenzhou dishes, it takes an impressive control of heat to ensure everything is well-cooked and tender, something that Hua is perfectly capable of.
Nuwa, after washing her hands clean, moves to join Xuanyuan in making deserts. Since the others are making Crab Rangoon and Kung Pao Chicken, Xuanyuan instead works on a treat called Tāng yuán, which are glutinous rice balls filled with sweet paste: peanuts, hawthorne or sesame... They are boiled before being served.
I watch, transfixed, as the four of them work the kitchen in an orderly, harmonious manner, slowly but surely cooking up a proper and true family meal. This is actually not the first time I have seen something like this coming from them, but I still lose myself in the peaceful atmosphere, each and every single time. I can't help it, you know?
I, of course, absorb the way they cook the meals, and my System talent immediately grants me methods to make the dishes even more perfect. Nonetheless, given the opportunity, I will still make everything according to their recipes. I believe nothing will beat the flavors of today, filled with love and sentiment. Ultimately, I am only allowed to join them in the kitchen because I am needed to help bring the food to the dining table. I also help Hua clean up the cooking utensils, making sure the cooking area stays clean and shiny. It's something I pick up from Hua, who favors having a spotless kitchen during and after cooking, saying it will help achieve a better dining mood. And from what I have experienced during my stay here, Hua has a valid point. Thanks to Hua constantly cleaning up the kitchen as she and the rest cooked, the final sweep of the area was completed swiftly enough for us to join the table with food still deliciously warm.
Crab Rangoon.
Kung Pao Chicken.
Tāng yuán.
The types of food I never thought I would see again, much less taste.
Seeing the golden light glinting above the dishes, a part of me can't help but eagerly anticipate what other pleasant surprises my future has in store for me. Still, looking into the warm gazes and smiles from the sisters in front of me, I temper my expectation with a happy smile. Honestly, the System giving me a chance to feel at home once more is already fortunate enough. To ask for more would be too greedy of me.
I nod in their direction with a grateful expression.
"Thank you, everyone. Seeing the efforts you all have put in, my heart is beating wildly in anticipation of the taste, you know?"
"Then what are we all waiting for? Let's dine!" Nuwa claps her hands excitedly, eager to have us all enjoy the fruit of the day's effort.
"Here, Ein, try this Crab Rangoon." Fuxi plucks a piece of golden goodness into my bowl.
This prompts everyone else to do the same, but with different offerings.
"Here, junior sister, have some chickens as well."
"Don't forget your vegetables, Ein. A healthy martial artist requires a healthy diet."
"And don't forget to taste some of the sauce~! The chicken meal won't be completed without it!"
I look at them, one by one, feeling my heart touched by their loving gestures.
I offer them my gratitude once more, this time with shimmering tears. "Thank you, sisters... And please, don't just focus on me." I start scooping up the food for the precious ones in front of me. "Eat with me."
Our dinner on the first day of snow is filled with banters and laughs. Our harmonious energy keeps the chill and snow away from our mountainous abode. I hope that, in the future, there will be more chances like this, here or back in my home universe, either of which is fine with me.