落とし穴外伝：２０２３年末スペシャル ただいま今年最後の１６時
Side: Yuki
Truly, before I knew it, today had become the final day of the year.
The time is 4:00 PM; in eight hours, a new year will dawn.
As for what I’m doing at the tail end of the year...
"Whew, the *kotatsu* is so warm. I’m just melting away~."
"I understand. It’s quite cold outside, after all."
"It was cold, but it was fun, wasn't it?"
"Everyone is so excited for the New Year!"
I’m preparing tea while watching the four little ones chatter away.
Fortunately, we government officials managed to use our subordinates to finish the heavy lifting before the year-end, allowing us to welcome today in the comfort of our home.
Of course, there are administrative members who must head to the front lines, but I am not among them.
After all, I am the Prince Consort. If I were to go wandering into the field, it would only cause confusion. I suppose I should be grateful for that, at least.
Well, I’ll be busy with greeting rounds once the year begins, but I’d rather not think about that right now.
"Good work. You went to check on the situation outside, didn't you?"
I say this as I serve the tea I’ve brewed to everyone.
"Thanks. Well, yes. As you can see, we’re students and children, so we’re perfect for moving around unnoticed."
"It’s a bit of an eyesore if an adult goes poking around the various departments, after all."
Indeed, it’s not ideal for an adult with no specific task to show up where people are busy. They’d likely be met with murderous glares. If it were just the shopping district, it would be a simple matter of buyer and seller, but at construction sites and the like, the tension is palpable. Even if I called it an "inspection," I’d have to assign guards to myself, which would just be a nuisance. The person tasked with that would surely suffer a terrible stomachache.
On the other hand, the other wives who remained at home are high-ranking officials of Weed. If they were to inspect the sites, the people being inspected would be the ones getting stomach ulcers.
That is why Labyris and the others were the perfect candidates: they have the appearance of children, they are capable of conducting proper inspections, and the surroundings don't feel pressured by their presence.
"We were properly stealthy so no one would notice~."
"Lady Narjia’s secret tools worked perfectly!"
That’s right—Labyris, Shera, Aslin, and Firia are also high-ranking officials of Weed.
They used optical camouflage devices for their secret inspection to ensure they remained unseen. One might ask why we didn't send other members, but everyone else is on edge with their own departmental duties. In other words, nobody but the children was free.
Of course, there are members like me waiting at home, but that’s also to ensure we can move immediately if something happens. In short, we have no time to go on "inspections."
That is why the task fell to Labyris and her group.
Though, it also included the intent for them to go out and play, of course.
The proof of that is...
"Big Brother, here, a souvenir."
"Takoyaki and taiyaki!"
"Thank you."
These are the staples of take-out food from the stalls that appear at the end of the year. They retain their heat for a while, and I’m sure others besides us will be buying them. Especially when it’s cold.
I pick up a piece of takoyaki with a toothpick and bring it to my mouth.
"A-fu, a-fu..."
Since Aslin and the others kept them in their item boxes, there was no passage of time, and they were hotter than I expected.
Seeing that, Labyris and the others laugh.
"Oh my, do eat calmly."
"Do you need some water?"
"No, I’m fine. Ah, you can’t underestimate fresh takoyaki."
I say this while sipping tea to cool my mouth. No burns, thankfully.
"Ha-fu, ha-fu, takoyaki is dangerous, isn't it~."
"Ha-fu, ha-fu, you want to shove it in your mouth right away, so it’s basically a weapon."
I agree with both of them. It’s so delicious you want to eat it immediately, and then—the combo of a burn. You could certainly call that a weapon.
But, putting that aside...
"How did it look out there?"
That’s the main point: the state of Weed.
It’s not like a secret organization is moving in sync with the year-end. It’s just a simple status check.
"It feels like a typical year-end. Everyone is moving busily. Though, there’s no misery on their faces."
"Yes. They are working for a good tomorrow, to welcome the new year."
"And also~! Everyone was saying they’d go out for drinks once work is done~."
"They said they’d finish early today!"
"That’s good to hear."
So, the work sites are planning to wrap up early for the year-end. That’s a relief; working until the very turn of the year would be rough.
Of course, the police, with Tori and Riel, have night shifts even during the holidays—or rather, the holidays are when the town is packed, so they are incredibly busy. The Adventurer’s Guild also sees a decrease in dungeon explorers, but their workload in town increases significantly, keeping them quite occupied.
The members who could be considered relatively free are those in diplomatic roles like Shera. Even then, they have year-start adjustments, so it’s not exactly "easy." Kagura and Mikos are probably at Princess Carrie’s place right now, having meetings for the new year and suffering from stomachaches. They have to discuss the greetings between nations and the policies for the year ahead, which—if handled poorly, or even if handled well—leads to a nerve-wracking clash of interests between countries. The hardships faced by the diplomatic team standing on the front lines are immense.
But, putting that aside...
"How were the town, the commercial district, and the residential areas?"
"Those were peaceful. Children were running around, and the wives were cleaning or shopping."
"They were also discussing the usual lucky bags."
"They said it was helpful that the shops opening on the 1st were limited~."
"If they were all done at once, we wouldn't be able to go around, so it helped Firia and the others too!"
It seems the general public is perfectly peaceful.
As for the lucky bag sales, they have indeed resumed sales on the 1st.
Well, the original idea of closing on the 1st was for the sake of those working in shops that never get a day off. However, it is a fact that some people are inconvenienced if shops are closed, and since the reason for the crowds is the lucky bags, we reached a resolution by ensuring employees get their proper time off and staggering the sales dates across different shops to avoid congestion.
Still, I’m surprised there are people here who would line up overnight just for a lucky bag. I suppose people are the same everywhere.
However...
"So, Firia and Aslin want lucky bags, too?"
"Yeah. It’s fun to see what’s inside."
"Exactly. You get to have unexpected encounters!"
"That’s true~. Usually, shopping is about choosing what you want, so this kind of excitement is interesting, isn't it?"
"Yes. Sometimes you find things more useful than you thought, or if it’s clothes, you might find an unexpected coordination."
It seems Labyris and Shera are planning to buy them as well. Everyone has their own tastes, and I can understand what they’re saying.
But, that aside.
"So, the world is peaceful. That’s good."
Yes, knowing that the end of the year, the final day, is no different from any other day is a good thing. Of course, there is a bustle leading up to the New Year, but it’s not something to worry about for tomorrow.
For the one who created Weed, there is nothing better to hear.
Honestly, I’m relieved.
It’s something I think about every day, every year: I never want anyone to regret coming to Weed.
As I’m thinking that...
"You don't need to worry. If they came to Weed and found happiness, any regret is their own fault."
"That’s right. Those who regret things are just those who have neglected their own efforts. We provide maximum support to those who are truly unfortunate, like those involved in accidents, so there’s no need to worry about that."
"Yup, yup. People who get hurt get treated at the hospital, and we introduce them to jobs, too~."
"The idiots who don't want to work are just hopeless."
"I didn't even say anything, did I?"
" " "We can tell just by looking." " "
They stated it quite bluntly. Am I really that easy to read?
"If you’re going to worry about such idiots, why not play with us? You’re free today, right?"
"Yeah, it’s the end of the year. I’m properly off. Though, as for what we should play..."
"Yuki-sama, how do you play this?"
Right on cue, Rushi arrives. In her hands is a board game: Othello, or Reversi.
It’s surprising that Rushi doesn't know it, but it’s a good opportunity.
"Alright then. Shall we have an Othello tournament?"
"That sounds good. Let’s decide who’s the best among this group."
"I like it. The matches are short, so we’ll have results by the end of the day."
"I won't lose~!"
"Othello battle, let’s go!"
And so, an Othello tournament began on this year-end evening, with the wives and other members joining in, turning into a league that would continue well into the New Year.
With that, this is the final post of the year.
Thank you very much for all your support this year.
Thanks to all of you, the books have exceeded 20 volumes, and 11 volumes of the manga have been released.
I look forward to your continued support.
Note: Tomorrow’s update will be at 0:00.