落とし穴５２堀：クリスマス (Part1)
**Pitfall 52: Christmas**
**Christmas**
**Side: Yuki**
I’m currently agonizing over something.
Last year, I was too busy to pay it any mind, but now that I have a bit of breathing room, I’ve been thinking about the "Three Great Evil Events" that have become such a wretched custom in Japan.
*Note: This includes some personal grievances.*
The first is the death-trap known as February 14th: Valentine’s Day. It’s a conspiracy by confectionery companies to point and laugh at the lonely. For those without lovers, it’s a time of immense social pressure, and if you’re handed "giri-choco" (obligation chocolate), you’re forced to give back three times the value—a cruel custom designed to bleed a man’s wallet dry.
Originally, it stems from the martyrdom of Saint Valentine. While it’s considered a day for lovers to pledge their devotion across the world, there are countless conflicting theories, and it was never intended to promote public displays of affection.
Much less is it a day to look down on those who don’t receive chocolate.
True love is what matters; the fact that "obligation chocolate" is accepted as a valid excuse to hand out sweets is absurd.
The second is the hateful March 3rd: Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival). Even though they changed the original May 5th—the true Boys' Day—into a generic "Children’s Day," this event remains a symbol of female supremacy, exclusively for girls.
In the first place, the origin of Hinamatsuri was to wish for a child’s growth by transferring one's misfortunes onto a doll and casting it into a river to wash the bad luck away. It was never meant to be a day just for women.
And the third.
This is the event I’m agonizing over right now.
It is called Christmas.
In general society—or rather, in Japan—it has devolved into a wretched event where couples deeply misunderstand its purpose as a time to deepen their romantic bonds.
Originally, Christmas is the day a certain saint was born; it is a nativity festival.
In other words, the Japanese image of Christmas is fundamentally wrong, and because of that, many lonely men are made to feel like they don’t belong.
I can state with absolute certainty that this is wrong.
...So I say, speaking as a man who has endured the pain of such events, but I have already moved past that stage.
I’m no longer just a man with a girlfriend; I have wives and children now.
So, if you ask why I’m complaining in this state, it’s not because of the loneliness.
It’s the problem of the presents.
"But isn't it nice to have someone to give presents to?!" some might say.
I fully acknowledge that point.
However, in my case, it’s not as simple as just handing over something my wife likes and calling it a day.
After all, there are eighteen of them.
Seraria, Rurua, Shera, Deryu, and Samantha.
For this royalty and nobility group, there’s a high chance they won’t be particularly thrilled by something expensive or rare.
Because, for people like them, receiving tribute is an everyday occurrence.
Eris, Ratz, Milly, Kirue, and Cleena.
For this group, who lean toward the literary side, books might be nice, but they might already own them. Book covers are tricky because sizes aren't standardized, and while bookmarks are an option, they feel too cheap compared to the gifts for the other wives. It’s a real headache.
Tori, Riel, Kaya, Ria, and Jessica.
For this group, who love exercise, sports equipment or weapons would be ideal. However, Narjia-san is already hard at work developing items directly related to combat, and hers are guaranteed to be of higher performance than anything I could provide. If I give them as presents, they’ll feel obligated to use them, which might actually lower their equipment performance—a worrying thought.
Labyris, Aslin, and Firia.
Finally, these three have almost no desires.
Having never known luxury, they are satisfied with what they currently have.
If I ask them, they’ll just be modest, so if I want to give them presents, I have to buy them on my own initiative. In a sense, this is the highest difficulty level.
Well, I say all this, but since this is another world, one could argue that Christmas has nothing to do with us, so presents aren't even necessary.
But the pregnant group and the literary group, who have been ordering and reading magazines from Japan, have already carried out Valentine’s Day and are deeply interested in Japanese culture.
It wouldn't be strange if they already knew about Japanese Christmas.
If I stay silent, they might worry that I’m hiding Christmas from them.
For me, Christmas is an event I actually want to do because it gives me a valid excuse to give presents to the children at the school.
However, last year was our first New Year’s, so I didn't have the leeway to spare for Christmas. I assumed there would be confusion, so I tearfully decided against it.
Given these circumstances, the "Christmas" event is already in motion, and while the children’s presents are sorted, I am at a complete loss regarding my wives' gifts.
Usually, a man has one wife and knows what she wants, but I have eighteen, and since I source what they want directly from Japan via DP, there isn't really anything they are "lacking."
No, I’m sure many would reply that they want to "eat me," but that’s a separate matter.
These presents are meant to express my daily gratitude.
A way of saying, "Even when I’m not around, I’m thinking of you."
"Something of equal value that won't cause any dissatisfaction among them... is that even possible?"
What is that? Does it exist?
Hmm, maybe a stuffed animal?
A teddy bear sounds good, but those have premium versions, and weren't there specialty shops for them?
If I ask Luna, she’ll just make replicas, and that feels... lacking.
But I don't have the time to make a teddy bear myself.
...The more I think about it, the deeper I sink into the quagmire.
Rings are already covered by wedding and engagement rings.
Necklaces have lockets for family photos...
"What are you doing coming all the way to the forge?"
"Oh, Narjia-san."
I had come to the blacksmith district, the heart of Weed’s manufacturing, hoping to find some inspiration.
It seems one of the Fairies or Dwarves who recognized me had informed their representative, Narjia-san.
"Sorry. I was just thinking about something. I thought if I looked at the production site, I might come up with an idea."
"I see. Is it for a Christmas present?"
"Oh, you know about it?"
"Well, the event and the schedule have already been announced. The forge is quite busy creating presents. We have some custom orders, too."
"I see. So it’s properly recognized in Weed."
"Yes. Between Christmas and New Year’s, Weed is truly lively. I imagine it’s even more chaotic in your homeland, Yuki-san."
"That... well, I suppose so."
Chaotic is an understatement; the whole country is one big festival.
Though, since Weed is now an independent nation, I suppose the scale is similar.
The economic impact of the event, however, is incomparable.
For now, the year-end and Christmas celebrations are confined to Weed, and other countries aren't prepared to imitate them yet.
"So, have you decided on the presents for your wives?"
"No, not really. The prices and rarity vary too much if I get them different things, and I thought about stuffed animals, but I don't have the time to make them from scratch..."
"I see. It must be tough having so many wives."
"Oh, by the way, what is that you're holding?"
Looking closely, Narjia-san was holding something.
It was a small, silver, rectangular plate...
"Ah, this? It’s a dog tag plate."
"Ah. Right, a dog tag."
"I haven't engraved the names on them yet."
Dog tags—identification tags.
The name "dog tag" came later.
Well, one can guess the origin from the name.
As for the identification tag, this is the individual ID used by the military.
That said, it doesn't serve as a reliable ID for entering or exiting facilities; it’s designed so that if a soldier dies, one half remains with the body—which may be heavily damaged—while the other is brought back to report the death.
Since it also lists simple information like blood type, it’s somewhat useful for medical treatment as well.