We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
We’ll spend New Year’s Eve at home, slowly.
“No, no, no.”
Beside Priscilla-chan, who was groaning, I groaned too.
I wonder if there’s a good name out there.
How do fathers and mothers in the world name their children?
While Priscilla-chan and I were seriously racking our brains, the Spirit Tree Spirit girl sat there in a cheerful mood.
The smiling girl doesn’t look like a spirit at all.
The Wind Spirit and the Earth Spirit stood side by side, quietly gazing at Priscilla-chan.
Mistral went into the Ancient Tree Forest for some reason and isn’t here now.
“Priscilla-chan, did you think of anything?”
“Um, I’ll ask Mother and great-grandmother to think of something.”
Apparently, she’d given up.
Priscilla-chan shook her head and shrugged, saying she couldn’t think of anything.
It would be nice if I had someone to think of one for me, too.
“Elnea, you think of it, okay?”
“Urgh.”
As if reading my thoughts, the girl approached me with a smile.
“Yes, I’ll do my best to think of one.”
I couldn’t think of a good name right now, but I’m sure I can come up with a wonderful name that suits her.
It would be cruel to give her a common name.
Priscilla-chan and I gave up on thinking of names for now.
Well, I’ve already reported to Sleigsta (Old Man) and Mistral, so I’d like to take my leave today. Just as I was thinking that, Mistral returned from the Ancient Tree Forest. She was holding a vertical pot about the size of a watering can.
“Are you leaving soon?”
“Yeah, I want to stay with Mistral and the others longer, but I have to be home for New Year’s Eve.”
“That’s right, we have to go back too, so I guess it can’t be helped today.”
“I’m sorry we can’t spend more time.”
“In return, I’ll count on you to entertain Pricilla after New Year’s.”
“Um, will you take care of her?”
“Fufufu, I understand. Leave it to me.”
I scooped Priscilla-chan into my arms.
“That’s unfair, unfair!”
Then, the spirit girl flew over and clung to me too.
“You’re so popular with small children.”
“Mistral, you can hug me too, you know.”
“Yes, yes, perhaps later.”
Mistral casually brushed off my joke.
I wouldn’t mind if she actually hugged me.
Or rather, I want to be hugged.
I haven’t seen her in a while. I couldn’t help but want to be doted on by Mistral.
But, I have to hurry back today.
“Take this with you on your way back.”
Mistral, who gave a bitter smile at my fidgeting, handed me the vertical pot she was holding.
“This is Spirit Tree Dew. It’s a special day, so take this with you today.”
The reason for “special day” is likely because I successfully completed my trial and returned to the Moss Garden, combined with it being the end of the year.
Spirit Tree Dew is special water. You can drink as much as you want in the Moss Garden without issue, but taking it out was generally strictly forbidden.
After all, it was good enough as a souvenir for the Mimicho Race.
Therefore, I had never brought Spirit Tree Dew home before.
I gladly accepted the pot from Mistral.
“Thank you. We’ll drink it carefully as a family. Father and Mother will surely be surprised by how delicious this water is.”
“I’m happy if you enjoy it.”
I’m grateful for Mistral’s kindness and consideration.
As expected, Mistral is wonderful. Not just strong. Not just beautiful. She’s kind, considerate, and the best woman.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have anything in the chest area.”
Mistral reacted sensitively to Sleigsta’s mutter.
“Did you just say something?”
“N-no. I said nothing. I was just reading Elnea’s mind.”
“Hey!”
What are you blaming me for?
I wasn’t thinking about my chest at all.
Mistral glared at me, and I flinched.
“Mist is a flat-chested one.”
“Small, small.”
Two young girls, who didn’t understand the mood of the place, started to make a fuss.
[“Eeeeelllneeeaaaaa!”]
[“No! It’s a misunderstanding… Owwww!”]
Oh, dear.
I received a fist from Mistral and crouched down.
This is terrible, Sleigsta (Old Man).
Mistral glared down at me as I squatted with tears in my eyes.
“I’ll remember this after New Year’s.”
“Remember what?”
“I will instruct you strictly.”
“Nooooooo!”
This is unreasonable. It’s not my fault, but I’m the one suffering the consequences.
You heartless Sleigsta (Old Man)!
“Unfortunately, I am not human to begin with. Your thoughts are misguided.”
*Sniffle.*
I wiped away my tears.
My head hurts, and Mistral’s glare is scary, but I smiled at our usual harmonious atmosphere.
I’m back. I was able to come back.
I didn’t lose Mistral.
“You’re grinning like a creep, it’s disgusting.”
Even Mistral’s cold gaze made me happy now.
As I grinned even more, Mistral took a step back.
“Well then, let me escort you. Come again after New Year’s when things settle down.”
“Yes, I look forward to next year as well.”
I bowed, holding the vertical pot containing the Spirit Tree Dew I received from Mistral carefully.
“See you later, Priscilla-chan.”
“Um, let’s play tomorrow too.”
“No, no, no, you can’t come here tomorrow, not yet.”
Priscilla-chan, who was a bit too eager, and I shared a bitter smile with Mistral.
“Well, let’s go home.”
In response to my words, the spirit girl nodded and then disappeared in a shower of light particles.
A soft breeze brushed past my ear.
Even though she’s invisible, the girl is still by my side, isn’t she?
As I waved goodbye to everyone, a golden 3D magic circle unfolded around me.
Everything felt nostalgic.
I kept waving to everyone until my vision was engulfed in blinding golden light.
Then, I closed my eyes against the dazzling light.
When the light subsided, I was standing in the backyard of my house.
“I’m home.”
I entered the house through the back entrance.
“Why do you always come home through the back?”
Beyond the back entrance was a small kitchen. My mother was preparing a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner.
Even so, given our family’s circumstances, it’s little more than an ordinary dinner.
“Here’s a souvenir. It’s delicious water that can only be obtained on special occasions.”
I explained vaguely and handed the vertical pot with the Spirit Tree Dew to my mother.
“Special water?”
“Not holy water.”
Generally, when people say special water, they mean water purified by the temple to ward off evil.
But this is drinking water.
I poured a single cup of Spirit Tree Dew into a container and offered it to my mother to try.
“Why are you so fixated on water? I wish you’d focus on your future instead.”
She grumbled as she took a sip of the water.
Her eyes widened, and she froze.
“How is it? Delicious, isn’t it?”
I asked with a wry smile.
“Y-you…”
My mother drank the Spirit Tree Dew in one gulp.
“Where did you get this? I’ve never tasted water this delicious in my life.”
She looked at me with an expression mixed with astonishment and emotion.
“Ah, this water must be an absolute secret. No sharing with neighbors, either. It’s that special.”
I told her that it wasn’t for nothing that I went to the Dragon Forest every day, and she seemed to understand.
“You should become a guide for the Dragon Forest in the future.”
“Haha, what kind of occupation is that?”
The Dragon Forest isn’t a tourist spot.
There are no places near the entrance that can be guided, and it’s impossible to guide anyone to the Moss Garden.
I brushed off my mother’s words, which could be taken as either a joke or serious, and headed to my room.
I need to do some major cleaning.
“I won’t need any alcohol tonight. Father will surely be happy with this. Thank you for bringing back something so good.”
I heard my mother’s thanks from behind and hurried to clean my room.
The thorough cleaning was successfully finished by the evening.
Since I’m about to embark on a journey, and we’re not a wealthy family, my room is small and doesn’t have many possessions. So, the cleaning itself is actually quite simple.
After quickly finishing the cleaning, I helped my mother.
I wiped the dining table clean and laid out the dinner.
Father returned home around the time dinner preparations were finished.
Working until the end of the year must be tough for him.
I wonder if I could become a reliable father if I married Mistral and Ruiseine.
I briefly imagined the future, but no matter how I thought about it, I could only picture myself being henpecked by Mistral, and I slumped my shoulders in disappointment.
Speaking of which, I haven’t told my parents about Mistral and Ruiseine yet.
I don’t think it’s the right time yet.
Only someone as splendid and with a secure future as the Hero, Listea, can afford to be in a romantic relationship before their journey.
Of course, there are other couples dating at school, and some friends have promised to spend the year of their departure together.
But my circumstances are different from theirs.
On the surface, I’m the foolish child who lost the precious sword he bought the next day in the Dragon Forest and inexplicably has a wooden sword sheathed at his right hip.
Instead, I brought back firewood and fruit from the Dragon Forest every day, but that’s not very useful for the future.
Some of my classmates, who are looking properly towards the future, are apprenticing as craftsmen or working as shop assistants to learn a trade.
However, I just go to the Dragon Forest every day. Furthermore, recently, I haven’t even gone to the Dragon Forest and have been returning dejected every day from somewhere, so my parents must have been very worried about me.
I’m only causing trouble and worry for my parents.
There’s no way I can introduce Mistral and the others to them now.
I decided that once I became more respectable and could be called their proud son, I would introduce everyone.
So, I have to put in a lot of effort from now on.
My goal for next year is to become a proper, capable adult.
My family gathered, and we enjoyed our last dinner of the year happily.
Father, like my mother, was surprised by the deliciousness of the Spirit Tree Dew.
He asked me to bring it home every day from now on, but I declined, saying it was impossible.
Next year, I will be spending New Year’s Eve apart from my parents.
Many people become independent after their departure, and perhaps there are families among my classmates for whom this is a special day.
What about me?
I plan to marry Mistral and Ruiseine in the future, so I will naturally have to leave this house.
Speaking of which, where will we live together?
We cannot enter the land where we were born and raised for one year after our departure, but there are no restrictions after that. Perhaps we will live in the Capital City? If so, even if my living situation is separate from my parents’, I can visit them.
However, Mistral is of the Dragon Race. Wouldn’t it be difficult for her to live among humans?
Will we move to the Dragon Race village at the foothills of Dragon Peak?
From what I saw in the village where Anemone lived during the Rotten Dragon incident, and from my meeting with Jiludo, it seems that the Dragon Race leads a simple life. Therefore, Mistral might find the vibrant city life burdensome.
Well, I guess I’ll have to think about the future as it comes.
Not only me, but everyone probably has their own thoughts.
The last night of this year, with my various thoughts, wore on.
