"Ugh, the smell of delicious meat is everywhere..."
"Of course, the wolf can smell it from a mile away."
"Seems like everyone's running around busy because it's Christmas Eve. With the endless smell of meat and cheese, the communal kitchen area must be packed."
"Now that I think about it, do we really need to make the food ourselves? We could just ask the restaurant staff to take care of it. Surely they’d be able to handle that, right?"
"Well, they’ll probably be incredibly busy on Christmas Eve and Day, so maybe it’s not the best idea to add to their workload... but I’m getting tempted. Ugh..."
December 24th, White Christmas Eve.
Small snowflakes continued to fall silently from the sky, most of them melting and disappearing as soon as they touched the ground. Under the thick white clouds, the Dagger team was present.
They had finally returned home, so there was a lot to do. They needed to gather food and gifts for the holiday, and set up a tree on the first floor. It seemed unnecessary, but it was something that could help them endure the hard times.
At first, they were skeptical about it, but once they tried, they realized it did bring some comfort. After all, when all you see are scenes that are unhealthy for your mental state, engaging in "normal activities" became a form of solace.
Of course, they weren’t the only ones engrossed in these "special" activities to forget about the war.
The smell of meat wafted around, and they could see thickly bundled-up children running around in the square, carefree and excited, without a care for the horrors of the war. Food trucks lined the area as well.
It might sound cliché, but these were the scenes that were only possible because of them—the last attempts of those who vowed never to forget the prosperous America that had existed before.
'...Though I’m not exactly sure about that.'
The United States, universally recognized as the most powerful and wealthiest country in the world.
Before this, they had never been to America, and having fallen into a version of the country teetering on the brink of destruction, they had never even seen a lit Manhattan.
Will they ever see it?
While these thoughts lingered, it seemed like the Dagger team had already finished coordinating with the restaurant.
"Want to go to the restaurant, you two?"
"Are you really going to do what you just said?"
"The restaurant staff said they've already prepared a lot of things in advance, so if we need anything more, it shouldn’t be a big problem. We’ll be cleaning up the dorm, so just hurry up and go."
"Okay."
And just like that, a somewhat sudden outing plan was set.
At first, it seemed odd, but it wasn’t hard at all. The task was simple: take the amount of meat that Dagger team would eat from the refrigerated storage, which had been thawing after being transferred from the frozen storage, and deliver it to the restaurant.
Initially, they thought Lapland had brought all the meat, but that wasn’t the case. Apparently, Lapland had only spoken to the warehouse manager saying, "I’ll take this much later."
Apparently, the quantity was so large that it couldn’t all fit into the mutant dorm’s fridge or freezer, so he had arranged it that way... If you think about it, it was a bit of foresight on his part. Now, all they had to do was take it to the restaurant.
And so, it was now the time for the two youngest members.
After turning on the heating, they put on thick padding, but Lapland was... just wearing a regular sweater and thin pants. He almost died in the summer, but now he was running around in the winter like it was nothing.
As they continued, Lapland gestured.
"Aren’t you cold?"
"A little bit."
"Hold on, I’ll wrap a scarf around you."
"You don’t need a scarf... Ah."
Lapland, holding a scarf, wrapped it not around my neck, but around my tail. At the end of my tail was a Santa hat. It seemed a bit odd at first, but once everything was on, it didn’t seem too strange.
I wondered if it had gotten warmer since then, but I couldn’t really tell yet. At the very least, my heart felt warmer. With that thought, Lapland and I began walking.
The refrigerated storage wasn’t far, and there wasn’t much to do. Lapland had already gotten the drinks, alcohol, cheese, and bread.
"We’re just delivering the meat and getting out quickly. We could get caught if we’re late."
"...Caught?"
"They’re always short-handed over there."
"Sounds like you've worked there before..."
"Yeah, when I first got here, I was sent all over the place. I even worked at the restaurant, and then I met that crazy cyborg bastard..."
"...Ah."
That must have been around the time the Artemis Mountain android, Valery, infiltrated.
Thinking about it, Lapland really does have some bad luck. I thought it, but didn’t say it out loud. If I did, Lapland might flip out.
Anyway, in this complex yet not too distant feeling, Lapland and I began walking toward the refrigerated storage.
Snowflakes were falling, just small enough not to accumulate, lightly touching the ground and melting away. The weather was much warmer than it had been recently.
Every time I exhaled, my breath burst out like a waterfall. The white mist dissolved in the cold winter air and vanished.
While I was staring at it, Lapland, glancing around, murmured softly.
"...Doesn’t it feel strange?"
"...What do you mean?"
"Just..."
What should they say in response to that? They didn’t need to ask again.
There was a conversation that only Lapland and I could have, and Lapland, perhaps out of embarrassment, had removed all the subjects and objects from his sentence, hoping I would understand.
It reminded them of the last time on Governor’s Island. So, without hesitation, they decided to speak plainly.
"How about spending Christmas Eve night with Captain Parkwoon?"
"W-what? Do you think that makes any sense?!"
"Ah, I mean, it’s what Lapland wants... Ughhh."
"Do you think I’m crazy? I would never do... that...!"
They were both blushing. Today, my cheek couldn’t stay still. Still, this time it was my fault. I probably should have approached more ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) delicately since they were still going through gender confusion in their mind.
But honestly, I didn’t care at all. I would have been fine with Lapland campaigning for 'transforming people into mutants and dating men is the right thing to do!' and prancing around with a rainbow-colored ideology. But that wasn’t the case.
If that had happened, I’d have been ready to knock them out with the butt of a rifle, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
Moreover, Captain Parkwoon... was an extremely reliable, trustworthy soldier. But if they asked me, "Do you have feelings beyond that?"... well, I’m not sure.
That aside,
"...Well, I honestly think if both of you are happy, I don’t mind what happens. But isn’t there something about Captain’s will, or Lapland’s will...?"
"You wouldn’t understand, that’s why."
"Then how about a simple gift exchange this Christmas? Wouldn’t that work?"
"...I guess so..."
What to say... This thought felt somewhat impure for the timing, but you know, it's that time when Sexy Santa outfits fly off the shelves for the transition from Christmas Eve to Christmas.
Maybe Lapland was thinking about that possibility and acting awkwardly because of it. But honestly, if neither of them was ready, it would just end in failure, right?
I’ve never been in a relationship, so who am I to meddle in others' love lives? But that’s not really the point.
"...Well, Lapland, if you just close your eyes, get through this one hurdle, and survive the aftermath, it’ll be fine. Can you do it?"
"...I don’t know. Should I drink a lot?"
"Just so you know, we don’t get drunk easily. Our metabolism is a few times faster than regular people, plus the Icarus gear... and also, dealing with something like that with alcohol might be a bit much, right?"
"..."
They were hit with the truth.
Holding Lapland’s hand, I added, even though it was cold, their hand was warm, probably because they were a mutant.
"Let’s think it over some more. We’ve got next year."
"Next year, next year... damn, why am I even thinking about this..."
"..."
Of course, they didn’t say that aloud. Adding a couple of words at this time would be the worst thing they could do.
The distance to the refrigerated storage, which should have been short, felt much longer.
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"Why haven’t you come back yet? It’s been a while since everything was finished."
"...What?"
However long it had taken, Lapland’s unrequited love problem became irrelevant.
The overwhelming strength and work ethic of the two mutants had charmed the restaurant staff, who had recruited them without even offering a scout invitation, putting them to work as daily helpers.
It had only been ten minutes since Dagger Team had gone to the restaurant.
"Looks like you were forced to come, you little kids. You sure are talking a lot."
"Ugh, my mouth hurts!"
"Shut up and speak, damn it!"
"Oh, the soldiers have arrived? Sit down, sit down. Anything I can get for you?"
"Haha, we came to find the lost youngest members."
The restaurant, filled with countless volunteers and the delicious smells that stimulated the senses, was preparing for the evening’s barbecue, which would be distributed to everyone inside HQ for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But Dagger Team’s eyes were focused on only one thing.
There was no need to explain for long.
It was two women, both with cheeks stuffed with something that couldn’t possibly belong in this setting, exuding an atmosphere that didn’t belong.
"Really, we were just going to finish this and go back, heh heh."
"Clean that off your lips first, ugh... I guess the little ones are sweet, huh. They've eaten so much."
"It was delicious!"
While this was happening, everyone in the restaurant was looking at one spot.
Dagger Team absorbed all the attention like a black hole, and for a moment, silence filled the large dining hall. It couldn’t be helped. Everyone here knew, directly or indirectly, what these people had done.
With a clinking sound, it didn’t take long for the tables in the large hall, filled with only volunteers and cooks, to be set.
"This... this is it."
"Thanks for coming such a long way. You should eat something, it’ll be delicious."
"...We’ll gladly eat if you give it to us."
...They had tricked those two into doing the work.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
Dagger Team soon learned how Yujin and Lapland had been roped in, but by the time they realized it, it was already a bit too late. The brisket sandwiches were absolutely delicious, and that was their only consolation.
Dagger Team, who devoured an amount that would have taken ten people to finish in a blink, got up and took their plates, ready to work as they had eaten.
But they didn’t really need to.
"Sit down. These kids already finished most of the work. They carried hundreds of kilograms of meat, potatoes, and cheese at once. We won’t have to go to the warehouse anymore."
"...Looks like they earned their meal in those ten minutes."
"Earn their meal? They offered to help. We’re just grateful. It must have been tough for them, always resting."
A short silence passed.
In the meantime, the two youngest, still with sauce on their faces, approached. Laurentina, who had been watching, smiled slyly and grabbed some tissue to wipe the sauce off their cheeks.
Feeling embarrassed, Dagger Team scratched their heads as someone spoke up.
"If it weren’t for these soldiers, this place would have been quite bleak. There wouldn’t be many survivors either..."
"Well, if you need anything, just ask. We could put up a Christmas tree in front of your dorm, if you like?"
"We always appreciate your hard work. It’s only now that we’ve gotten to see your faces and express our gratitude."
"...If you’re alive, you’ll see the next day. That’s enough reason to be grateful."
For the first time, Dagger Team received this kind of kindness from the civilians at HQ, whom they usually didn’t interact with, whether by choice or necessity.
On the other side of the cold calculation of killing to save lives, accumulating kill counts, and the sacrifices and dedication only the strongest could endure... Dagger Team had claimed to only be there for a peaceful Christmas, but it allowed everyone at HQ to forget the word "war," even just for a moment.
When they truly realized that, Dagger Team, embarrassed, quickly looked away and cleared their throats.
"Anyway, we just hope everyone stays alive until the armistice. Don’t get hurt from working so hard on Christmas, and always dress warmly."
"Heh, Logan, you really go quiet at times like this. Anyway, you’re right. You all are the reason Dagger Team exists, so always watch out for non-combat losses. Who knows, the war might end soon, but it’d be a shame to get hurt now."
"Ugh, you’re really something..."
"Alright, come over here, you two. Did you finish the work you were given?"
"Yes, ma’am."
Of course, it didn’t take long for Laurentina, always doing things at her own pace, to step in and bring the situation to an end.
She ruffled the two youngest’s heads and added,
"We’ll come back as soon as we’re ready. You can expect great things, right?"
"It’ll be the best Christmas Eve, better than anything from the past. Just leave it to us."
"We’re looking forward to it. The food was delicious."
After the situation was skillfully wrapped up, Laurentina gently pushed Dagger Team out of the door.
The moment they stepped outside the restaurant, cold air embraced them again.
Looking puzzled, Logan added,
"...I swear, it’s times like this when I’m thankful for that crazy seal. This kind of atmosphere is pretty new to me."
"Stop being such a sap. Anyway, let’s go. We still have a lot to do for the best Christmas."
Logan nodded and looked up at the sky.
The Christmas Eve they had worked so hard to reach was truly quiet.