Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating - Chapter 124

Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating

Chapter 124    Christmas

December 24th. Two days have passed since the winter solstice.

“Looks like it’s going to snow today,” Minya says while gazing at the sky from the morning. The thick clouds have surpassed the Helhorn Mountain and reached our side.

“Yeah, seems like it’ll turn into snow. A White Christmas,” I reply.

“White Christmas?”

“Yeah.”

They seem puzzled, unfamiliar with the concept. In Japan, there’s a saying that it’s cool if it snows in the capital on Christmas.

“Well, you see, when lovers see the city covered in white, it makes their hearts flutter.”

“Hmm… I don’t really get it.”

“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t.”

There’s no use trying to explain it to them; they just won’t understand.

“As promised, let’s have some fried chicken.”

“Yeah, I love fried chicken!”

“I knew you would.”

“Hehe.”

“I’m a fan of fried chicken too.”

“Meow~ The guild’s set meal.”

Minya smiles brightly. Lania also smiles and raises her eyebrows, looking a bit proud. Ciel’s face shows excitement, as if drooling at the thought.

Looking back, it’s been quite a while since we had the chicken karaage set at the adventurer’s guild. Although we’ve had some imitation karaage a few times, it was made with rabbit instead of chicken, so it was a bit dry. While rabbit is tasty enough, chicken is still the best.

Creating the chicken coop was partially for this reason. We brought a fair number of roosters specifically for their meat. The hens are meant to lay eggs, and with the remaining roosters, we’ll be able to increase the flock. The eggs are already being supplied to the lord’s mansion.

Today, the maids are going to handle the chickens and prepare them for the fried chicken in the evening.

“Ed, Ed-chan! It’s snowing! Look, snow, snow!”

“Yeah, it’s getting quite cold.”

“Hehe, the snow is amazing!”

Running around in the backyard like dogs, even though they are cats. Right now, they definitely look more like dogs. Minya runs around while her little sister, Ciel, chases after her. Lania follows them at a leisurely pace.

Dressed in their winter maid uniforms, the girls’ figures running around in the small dancing snowflakes are truly picturesque. Occasionally, they reach out their hands to catch the snow and hop around, looking adorable. Once again, I snap the shutter in my mind, capturing this moment as a cherished memory.

Finally, the long-awaited Christmas dinner has arrived. Everyone gathers in the dining hall, including Gid-san and Melun-san.

“Today is a special day. We have safely reached another Christmas this year. We express our gratitude to Raffalier-sama.”

“Thank you very much, Mereshir La Brael.”

This sacred chant sounds somewhat nostalgic. Lately, we’ve been using more simplified expressions, so the mysterious resonance of the ancient language feels almost sacred.

The adults are having wine instead of ale today. Purple grape juice is served for the children. This was specially transported for this day, making it a special beverage.

On the altar, as usual, there are bread and dried meat. In place of holy water, wine is offered today, making it an exceptional occasion.

“Ah, this is delicious.”

“Hehe, fried chicken! It’s so yummy!”

“Fried chicken is delicious.”

“It’s fried chicken, meow!”

Everyone enjoys the mountain of fried chicken together. Since it’s shared among everyone, each person doesn’t get a large portion. But looking at this mountain of food feels like a blissful sight, and it fills us with a sense of happiness.

The restoration of Eldania is also starting to gain momentum. And there’s the news of my mother, Tomaria, being alive and coming back.

Outside the window, the snow dances and blankets the ground in white.

After saying our thanks for the meal, we try to contain our excitement and go to bed. On Christmas night, we can expect to receive presents.

In this world, there is no flying Santa Claus. Instead, it’s said that the holy knight, Dragon Knight-sama, delivers presents to children all around the world. Well, in reality, it’s still the parents who give the presents, but it’s our little secret.

“Goodnight, Ed. I hope we’ll receive some presents.”

“Yeah, I’ve been good this year and done lots of good deeds, so I think it’ll be okay.”

“That’s right. We defeated the Goblin King and the bears, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Goodnight, Minya, Lania, and Ciel.”

“Goodnight!”

Everyone gets into their futons.

Today, Lania is unusually joining us in the futon too. Since we can’t fit all three of us side by side, she’s on the other side of Minya, but she’s smiling cheerfully too.

Morning.

“Po-chu-tu-pi.”

“Pi-pi-pi-pi-pi. Pi-chu. Pi-pi-pi.”

Birds’ chirping wakes me up in the morning. Other than that, it’s incredibly quiet. The snow has fallen outside, and when it snows, the sound gets absorbed, creating a profoundly serene atmosphere.

Inside the bed, it’s warm as Minya and the others snuggle close to me.

“Munya-munya, good morning, Ed.”

“Yeah, good morning, Minya.”

I greet Lania and Ciel after Minya.

Crawling out of bed, I look around the room.

“Hey, it’s presents time!”

“Yeah, there are four boxes with name tags on the wrapping paper.”

“Yup!”

“Ta-da! A teddy bear!”

Minya’s present was a brown teddy bear plushie, about twenty centimeters tall.

“And mine is, um, a slime plushie!”

Lania received a light blue slime plushie.

“Meow, mine is a cat!”

Ciel got a cat plushie, a lovely white one that matches her appearance.

“Now, let’s see…”

As for my present…

“Oh, Ed’s stuffed animal is a goblin!”

I received a goblin doll, a green humanoid figure. It has a cute face, but I’m not particularly thrilled about it. Well, as long as Minya and the others are happy, it’s all good.

The sender is probably Gid and the others. In this world, stuffed animals are considered luxury items. Children in the slums usually have poorly made, tacky dolls made from scraps, and there’s a standard value for them. These plushies must be of higher quality, likely from the capital city.

Gid and the others are not to be underestimated.