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[ Santa Claus (2) ]
The joint funeral ceremony is a solemn It was carried out in an atmosphere.
Families of the fallen, colleagues, government officials, representatives from all walks of life, journalists, and celebrities gathered at the Blue House.
Outside the Blue House, more than a thousand mourners were watching the funeral ceremony on television.
The memorial address was personally read by President Kim Soo-ho.
“We fought against the gate anomaly that we called a ‘catastrophe’ seven days ago. “That day… we lost 427 citizens.”
The president’s face looked very tired.
Even after preventing the disaster, I was unable to sleep for even an hour a day due to the aftermath.
“…They were soldiers, police officers, and superhumans. I was someone’s parent, child, and friend. And he was a citizen of this country.”
Sobs began to escape here and there. President Kim Soo-ho continued his eulogy with a sombre expression.
When the president finished his eulogy, the entire city was filled with sadness.
“…we will never forget the sacrifice of these heroes.”
The ceremony was followed by a moment of silence, brief biographies of the victims, wreath-laying, and incense burning.
Along the way, family members of those killed in action fainted while crying, and there were commotions caused by resentment and anger.
At that time, a broadcasting station camera captured a picture of a child being held by his mother.
The child, who looked to be around 4 or 5 years old, shouted with a bright face when he saw his father in the photo hanging at the incense burner.
“It’s dad!”
At that moment, the mother who was holding the child sobbed and sighs erupted from those around her.
“dad!”
Only the child who brightly called his father did not know the reason. The child didn’t know why people cried and didn’t know why his father didn’t come home for several days.
I was just happy to see my dad’s face. These children were not the only ones.
President Kim Soo-ho looked at the scene with a sombre expression.
‘We did everything we could to prepare…’ Both
the media and military experts said that the victory that day was overwhelming. I don’t think I could have blocked it any better than that.
How angry those words must be for the 427 fallen soldiers and their bereaved families.
The president felt as if their deaths were all caused by his own inadequacy.
“I don’t have the courage to see the Great Sage…”
Kim Su-ho looked up at the night sky with slightly reddened eyes.
It was a beautiful night sky full of stars and a bright moon that made me feel resentful.
Then something strange came into his field of vision.
“That…”
A long black silhouette was flying under the full moon, sprinkling starlight.
It was shaped like a large cart, and the silhouettes pulling it all had horns.
“Look at the sky!”
“what? “Is it a monster?”
People who followed the president’s gaze also discovered the silhouette.
The soldiers tensed their bodies and the superhumans raised their mana.
However, the children’s reaction was the opposite.
“It’s Santa Claus!”
All the children’s eyes turned to the sky at the sound of one child’s cry.
“uh? “It’s the real Santa Claus!!”
“It’s Santa Claus!”
When the murmur became quite loud, fireworks bloomed one by one in the sky.
Grumble! Grumble! Grumble!
At that moment, President Kim Soo-ho shouted.
“On alert! “Protect the citizens!”
At the same time, he transformed his body into a titan and raised his mana.
However, instead of falling to the ground, the flames formed a single form in the sky.
Grumbling.
A huge Christmas tree twinkled in the night sky like a constellation.
Even people who were in great sorrow could not help but be dumbfounded and amazed at the sight.
“It’s pretty…”
At the same time, a mysterious singing voice rang out from the sky.
[[Lala lala~]]
An incomprehensible but beautiful harmony, as if beings from another world gathered together to sing in unison.
“Mr. President. “Attack order…”
President Kim Soo-ho looked up at the sky and sighed as the chief of staff approached him.
“Leave it alone. “That’s not a monster… it’s Santa Claus.”
“yes? But…”
the President said, looking at Santa Claus disappearing into the distance across the night sky.
“Let’s put it that way.”
Even after the joint funeral ceremony for the fallen, what happened that day remained in people’s memories for a long time.
*
*
*
[[Excited-!!]]
Even after passing through the city and landing at Emerald Lake, the Nunnuni were so excited that they did not stop singing.
Always happy little elves.
Thanks to that, Daein was able to become Santa Claus today.
[Great! It was fun! Let’s do it again next time!]
Lily used the shield to launch the sleigh into the sky, and the snowmen disguised themselves as Rudolph and pulled the sleigh.
It was a clumsy disguise, but it must have looked quite convincing when viewed against the silhouette in the night sky.
The great man gathered all the snow-eyes flying in all directions in one place.
“Gentlemen. There’s still work left to do. I have to deliver a gift tonight. “Can you do it?”
Nunnun, the chubby representative, saluted with his short arms.
[Leave it to us!]
The great man nodded in satisfaction.
“As expected, it’s reassuring. “Let’s have a glass of friendship wine after work.”
At those words, the eyes circled around Daein and Lily.
[[Excited-!!]]
After a while, Daein got back on the sled and flew up into the sky.
This time I moved as quietly as possible. Fly higher and hide your presence as much as possible.
The place they went to was a temporary lodging for the families of the fallen. The address was all written on the documents handed over to Baek Young-hee.
Daein left the envelopes on the pillows of the bereaved family members and quietly left.
‘Cash is the best gift.’
All of the fallen were soldiers, police officers, and most of them were heads of families.
What the families left behind needed most was not comfort or encouragement, but practical help.
Something like an envelope filled with cash.
‘Because government subsidies are barely enough to survive.’
It didn’t take long since I just left the envelope behind.
Daein spent about half of the time with Lily and had the Nunnuni take care of the other half.
After all the gift deliveries were completed, Daein returned to the rooftop of the White House Building.
Baek Young-hee was waiting there.
“Did you have a good time?”
It was Baek Young-hee who saved the sled and gave the Nunnuni clothes to disguise themselves in.
At first, I didn’t want to say anything, but I didn’t want to bother asking for it myself, so I just asked Baek Young-hee.
Because I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
Baek Young-hee said with an expression that said she had endured ten years.
“ha. “It wasn’t really a mess earlier.”
She showed me a video of Santa Claus taken at a funeral on her smartphone. News and portals were already abuzz with stories about Santa Claus.
The great man who saw the video smiled with satisfaction.
“The directing was better than I expected.”
Baek Young-hee said, rolling her eyes.
“What would you have done if you had been attacked by superhumans?”
“There are only a few people who can attack to that height.”
Even though some of those people were very dangerous people, I did it because I was confident that I could at least run away.
The great man said, taking off his Santa Claus hat and cape.
“I guess I’m done with everything I have to do today. “Would you like to have a late night snack?”
“yes!”
[[Excited-!]]
A small party took place on the rooftop.
Tables were spread out and hot food prepared by guild chefs was brought to the rooftop.
Lily and Nunnuni ate it as if they were caught, and soon after hearing the news, King Guho and Jang Yeong-shin also came up.
Later, Sirutdeok brought all 7 teams up to the rooftop.
“older brother! “We’re here!”
“Sit anywhere and eat.”
The party quickly became noisy. Everyone ate, drank, and chatted happily.
There was a sled parked in a corner of the rooftop, but no one was talking about it.
Everyone had that level of awareness.
And the sounds of the fairies singing spread across the night sky.
[[Lala la la la~]]
Daein sipped his beer bottle and leisurely enjoyed the night view.
“Hmm.”
I saw a city that was very broken and destroyed.
Although there were many safe places, such as the guild building, about a third of the city was turned into ruins.
“Well, I did a good job blocking it.”
At that time, Baek Young-hee sat to the left of the great man and said.
“manager. “Can I ask you one thing?”
“what?”
“Team leader, you don’t like troublesome things. But why did you do that?”
Something like that. I’m guessing you’re talking about a Santa Claus performance.
The great man scratched his chin and said.
“Well…”
It could have been out of pity for the bereaved family,
it could have been hypocrisy out of self-satisfaction, or
it could have simply been an act done on a whim or for fun.
Or maybe it’s a mixture of all of them.
There was only one thing I could say for sure.
“Because I can do it. Because I have the ability to do that.”
Past landlords and current landlords are different.
A past where one had to live desperately, selfishly, and impatiently every day in order to survive.
But now it is different.
As the saying goes, “generousness grows with rice,” and a better wallet has changed many things.
The great man laughed softly. His smile seemed full of composure.
“If I sleep late, be lazy, and help poor people when I’m bored… I think I can live well even if I live that way.”
“…….”
Baek Young-hee, who looked at Daein quietly for a moment, sighed.
“ha. “I’m really worried.”
“What? “Are you afraid I might become a pushover?”
“That’s not it….”
Baek Young-hee continued, laughing.
“I wonder if I’ll really like the team leader like this. Of course, I still like it.”
At that moment, the great man spoke with a straight face.
“Anyway, whenever I get the chance. Are you telling me to go somewhere else and do my dating business?”
“…Tch.”
Baek Young-hee turned her head to the side and muttered to herself while dipping a pineapple with a fork.
“How can you not pass it up just once? “Aren’t you a eunuch?”
“…You talk to yourself quite loudly, don’t you?”
“oh. “I forgot that the team leader is superhuman and has good hearing.”
The great man shook his head and finished drinking the beer he was drinking. He glanced at Lily sitting to his right.
“Ugh. “Wipe yourself and eat.”
As Daein wiped the seasoning off her right cheek with a wet towel, Lily held out her left cheek as if it were natural.
“Wipe here too.”
Daein laughed as if it was absurd, but wiped his left cheek.
“Now this is just…”
I was about to nag, but I decided to stop nagging as I was enjoying the food and wondering if it was pointless.
Today I flew around wearing a Rudolph headband.
“hey. kid.”
“yes?”
The great man looked at Lily, who was looking at him, holding a piece of chicken and a pizza in each hand.
“You…”
Dae-in recalled the video of the funeral ceremony shown by Baek Young-hee earlier, where a little child was calling for his father in the photo.
Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation like this with the little boy.
“Don’t you miss Mom and Dad?”
“…….”
Lily put down the food she was holding on her plate.
Although his face had clearly darkened, Daein pretended not to notice and continued speaking.
“You never said that. “I miss my parents, what they look like, or if they passed away…”
“…….”
Lily lowered her head and was silent. Since the two were speaking in Gaia, Jang Young-shin, who was sitting next to Lily, was at a loss for what to do with the atmosphere.
“…mister. “Stop that…”
Daein said in a low voice.
“Don’t intervene. “Because it’s important.”
“…….”
The great man placed his hand on Lily’s head as she lowered her head. Then he lightly stroked my hair and said.
“Let me ask you just one question. “Answer well.”
“…….”
Lily slightly raised her head. Those eyes were shaking uneasily.
“Do you want to meet your parents? Or do you not want to meet me?”
Lily didn’t answer for a long time. The great man waited leisurely without urging.
I drank more beer, ate some food, and reached into my pocket to play with the soul stone.
At that time, Lily wiggled her fingers and spoke in a low, crawling voice.
“…I want to meet you. But…”
“Okay then, let’s go meet him.”
The mana remaining in the soul stone is about half.
It was enough to go to the continent of Gaia and back at least once.
The great man said.
“It’s been a while since I went on a tour of Gaia. I have some things to bring, and I’ll also look for your parents.”
[ Santa Claus (2) ] End
ⓒ Ganjjajang
