Volume 9 Chapter 19 December Is Here, And You Can't Miss This
Thick clouds glide across the sky. They're so dark and seem quite heavy, yet from here, you can see them moving, indicating that the wind up there is pretty strong.
The wind blowing high up in the sky is called "heavenly wind (Amatsu-kaze)," a term with quite a sense of style from whoever coined it. Middle schoolers are thrilled by this list of kanji characters, which might be taught in the lower grades of elementary school. It all depends on how you use it.
Now, as we walk on the ground in such a state,
"Brrr..."
Seems like the time of the wintry gusts has passed unnoticed, and the actual chilly winter wind has begun to blow. Every year, without fail, the moment you sense autumn, it feels like winter arrives. Sensationally, it's as short as a weekend.
When I start working, will I also lose my weekends along with autumn? I really like the sentimental four seasons and having days off, so I hope Reiwa-chan and the government will do their best. Maybe even make Wednesdays a day off and make the week more lively.
As if mocking such foolish thoughts, the freezing wind blew through. Even wearing a down jacket, the wind seeps in through the gaps in the neck and sleeves.
When I was in Asteris, I traveled in harsh environments. I've walked through heavy snow areas, mountainous regions, and even lava zones.
Thanks to my reliance on physical strengthening, I have a certain resistance to extreme climates. But that doesn't mean I'm completely fine with the cold.
It's still cold, after all.
"It's really cold, isn't it?"
"It's very interesting how the temperature fluctuates so much depending on the season. You could say it has a certain charm."
Lisha and Kanami walking beside me have red cheeks.
Nest and Bertina-san had been living with us for about a week. While going through days filled with training, we were trying to gather information about the New World (Try Order) and demon, but nothing really came up.
To be honest, the demon are one thing, but the Try Order is made up of magicians who have been living on Earth long before I was born. They have a long history of hiding their true identities.
Considering Sakaki Tsuzuri's abilities, it's unlikely that they would easily reveal any information.
Moreover, the Anti-Demon Officials are in a state of destruction.
The reality is that we simply don't have enough manpower to gather information.
Now, if you're wondering if today is a reconnaissance mission, that's not the case.
"Wow, the city is sparkling everywhere. Is this what Christmas is all about!"
As Lisha excitedly pointed out, the area near the station was filled with the colors of Christmas. Everywhere you looked, sparkling lights in various colors danced around, and there were decorations of Santa Claus and reindeer. By the way, we were at a different station from the ghost town. Over there, seriously, there's no one around.
Nevertheless, despite hearing that Tokyo Crisis had brought a gloomy atmosphere everywhere, I could feel the determination of the people to brighten up and enjoy Christmas.
Christmas is supposed to be the celebration of the birth of Christ, but I wonder where that cheerful duo with the red hat and red nose came from.
It feels the same as when I saw the knights in the party that was supposed to celebrate Hero's achievements, and Hero didn't attend. The knights were becoming popular, and I had the same feeling.
I'm participating, you know. Even though I'm not wearing armor, I'm still participating. I'm not a servant.
...No, this isn't right. I've remembered a painful past.
Anyway, Lisha's sparkling smile really warms my heart. Looking at her again, she's truly cute. The Christmas lights are noticeable, but so is she.
Of course, the same goes for Kanami.
This year, after being dumped by Tsukiko, I thought I was destined to be a Christmas loner. But just walking through the city with these cute girls gives me a sense of fulfillment, or rather, superiority.
Well, I don't even register in other people's field of vision. Just like a lighthouse motocracy.
"Do you two know about Christmas?"
"Yes, it's a festival based on this religion."
"Is that acceptable in the Goddess Faith? It becomes a pagan festival, you know?"
"Well... We can't accept demon worship, but other religions are okay. We've never been taught about it, so it feels kind of refreshing."
Ah, I see.
Since there are only goddesses and demons, maybe they don't think about rejecting other religions. The God-Demon War feels more like a war between different races than a religious war, maybe?
Anyway, whatever it is, it's fine as long as everyone enjoys it.
"Speaking of which, a Christmas party?"
"Sure, why not? A tense bow breaks when it's time to use it."
"Yeah, it's not easy for everyone to have a party together."
Yeah, by the way, today is December 23rd. I came for shopping for tomorrow's Christmas party.
The initiator is our lively and cheerful person, Hinata Yukari.
'Let's have a Christmas party!! Recently, everyone seems to be in unbearable darkness. If we eat something delicious and make some noise together, our spirits will lift up!'
Suddenly, she declared that.
But Hinata is right.
Even in the midst of a difficult war, or rather, precisely because of it, people must not lose sight of hope.
Everyone can endure because there are enjoyable things. That's true for adults as well.
No one objected to the proposal, and thus it was decided that the Yamamoto family Christmas party would be held.
As expected, Hinata-san is the leader.
'For now, when it comes to Christmas, it's all about feasting and cake. I'll go pick up the cake I had reserved, so senpai, please go buy the ingredients for cooking.'
When I said, "You already made a reservation?" Hinata looked at me as if to say, "This is why you're a virgin..." or something like that.
Yes, I'm sorry.
Okay, last year when Tsukiko and I wanted to go on a Christmas date, every restaurant we checked was fully booked, and it was a bit of a hassle. In the end, we just ended up having dinner together at some random place, not famous or anything – I couldn't tell if it was a restaurant or an izakaya.
Before that, I used to think Christmas dates were kind of silly. I mean, what's so fun about everyone going to the same place, right? But once I realized the effort behind it, I couldn't help but respect it.
Today, I can't let that embarrassing side of me show. It's my job to properly introduce these two sheltered girls from another world to the joy of Christmas and escort them.
"Lisha, do you know what dishes we should eat on Christmas?"
"Christmas dishes... Pie, maybe?"
"Pie is delicious. Well, I don't really get the tradition of making everything into a pie, but it's not pie this time."
In Asteris, it's quite common to eat pie. Why? Because you never know what's inside. Thanks to the widespread use of magic tools and magic, we didn't feel inconvenienced in our daily lives, but when it comes to cooking, I realized that it can't compete with the distribution capabilities of modern Japan.
Anyway,
"For Christmas, it's chicken. It's been a tradition to eat a whole roasted chicken or fried chicken since ancient times. It's even written in the Kojiki."
"A whole roasted chicken, huh? That's luxurious."
"Um, I heard that the Christmas culture has become popular in recent years..."
"Shut up. We don't need to get into the details, Kanami."
Christmas means chicken. Ideally, a whole roasted chicken. This is non-negotiable.
In the original, it's supposed to be a turkey, but even that is a trivial matter.
When I was a child, my mother used to prepare roasted chicken thigh for Christmas.
That being said, it's incredibly delicious in its own way, and I also love fried chicken from famous chains, but when it comes to Christmas, the ideal is definitely a whole roasted chicken.
Well, you know, even in the Asteris Era, I used to see whole roasted chickens quite often. In fact, not just chickens, but also pigs, cows, and even some unidentifiable animals were often roasted whole.
But you see, it's different.
The special feeling of Christmas.
Surrounded by that, the warmth of family togetherness. Only with a chicken at the center, my ideal Christmas is truly complete.
"So, let's go buy a whole chicken, Lisha."
"Understood. But I've never seen them being sold whole at the supermarket. Where should we go to buy one?"
"Uh..."
"Huh?"
Hmm, I wonder where they sell them.
Indeed, I've never seen a whole chicken being sold at the supermarket I usually go to. And even if they did sell them, I wouldn't buy one, so they probably don't have it.
Okay, where should we go? The butcher's? Nah, haven't seen whole chickens being sold there, right?
I thought we'd get anything we need once we reach the station, but was I wrong?
I hurriedly took out my phone to search 'where to buy whole chickens,' but before I could, Kanami whispered in a low voice.
"Yuusuke-sama, during this time, if you head to the big supermarket at the next station, they sell whole chickens. I confirmed it the other day using Clairvoyance, so it's accurate."
"Oh, wow. That's Kanami for you. I knew about it too, though. Still, thanks."
So, they sell them specifically during this time. Looks like I could become friends with the staff who do the stocking.
"Alright, Lisha, Kanami. Destination's set. Let's go!"
"Yes!"
"Understood."
I took the two of them and got on the train.
Author afterword:
Happy New Year!
Thank you very much for reading last year.
We plan to continue our activities this year, so we appreciate your ongoing support.
We have a new work with genre second life. The story is about a former s*x worker who didn't want to be a loner again, and fulfilling his second life. It has a life conflict and the protagonist will solve it one by one. You can find out in => [Link]
We also have a new work with genre returned from isekai. The story is punishing someone who troll in SNS, someone who cheat and many more. You can find out in => [Link]
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