落とし穴外伝：２０２４年末スペシャル (Part1)
Pitfall Side Story: 2024 Year-End Special
2024 Year-End Special
The winter wind whips through the town with a sharp, biting whistle.
The cold air envelops the body, stealing away warmth in a single, ruthless sweep.
I hunch my shoulders, tensing my muscles to brace against the gale, waiting for it to pass.
"That was cold, wasn't it?"
"Indeed. Let’s head home and have something warm to drink."
"Okay."
I catch sight of a parent and child sharing those words.
Even in such biting cold, the child is vibrant and full of life, and it’s clear how much the parent, holding their hand, cherishes them.
"Something warm, huh..."
With that thought lingering in my mind, I resume my trek toward the office.
I hope there’s something warm waiting for me...
Side: Yayui
When I finish my work at the Glass Fishing Port and return to the office—which should have been empty—I find...
"Oh, welcome back."
"Welcome home."
"Welcome baaaack!"
For some reason, Yuki-sama, Orelia, and Hovis are there to greet me.
"Eh? Wait? Weren't you all over at Ohe...?"
That’s right. Yuki-sama and the others were supposed to be in Ohe, busy with field command and gathering intelligence...
"Ah, you’ve been so busy that even you’ve lost track of the date, Yayui. Look over there."
Just as I notice Prol-san approaching with a stack of documents, she directs her gaze toward a specific spot. I follow her eyes and see a calendar hanging on the wall.
"It’s already the end of the year. We’ll move if an emergency arises, of course, but since Weed and the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance are on holiday, we’ve returned."
"Ah."
That’s right. Now that I think about it, it’s the end of the year.
I had checked the date, certainly, but it hadn't truly sunk in...
As I’m thinking this, my hand suddenly grows warm.
Wondering why, I look down at my own hand.
"Geez, your hands are freezing. Do you really need to be bare-handed while instructing? No, wait, don't fishermen usually wear gloves?"
"Ah, um, yes. That is..."
For some reason, Yuki-sama is wrapping my chilled hand in his own.
It’s so warm... and, well, it makes me strangely happy.
"My, my~ Yayui, are you embarrassed to have your hand held?"
"No, Orelia, isn't physical contact like that common with Yuki-sama? Especially for Yayui, who teaches fishing—her hands are constantly getting injured, aren't they?"
Hey, don't say weird things like that.
As Orelia says, I do get injured often, and for some reason, Yuki-sama always goes out of his way to heal me himself.
I mean, the fishing port has its own dedicated healers, and I can use healing magic myself, but Yuki-sama always insisted on seeing the extent of the wounds, so I ended up showing him.
Back then, he would ask in detail about what kind of movement I was making when I got hurt, so I assumed he was just creating a safety manual for the port. In fact, he even met with the port’s healers and management to discuss it.
That’s why having my hand wrapped like this feels so fresh and new.
I mean, Yuki-sama would do it if I asked, but...
He rarely does it!
"Well, you’ve warmed up a little, but human body heat is just a drop in the bucket. Now, for the rest..."
"Yuki-sama, here."
"Thanks, Prol."
Yuki-sama takes a cup from Prol-san and holds it out to me.
"You like cocoa, don't you, Yayui?"
"Y-yes."
"There you go. Hot cocoa. Drink up and get warm."
I take the cup and bring it to my lips for a small sip.
It’s at a temperature that feels more like "hot" than "warm," but if it weren't, it would go cold in an instant in this weather.
"It’s delicious."
"I'm glad. Now, Yayui, keep drinking while you listen."
"Yes."
I wonder what this is about.
"Right then, let’s continue the meeting."
"Yes!"
A meeting? Was there something important?
I mean, there are always plenty of important matters, but we rarely hold a meeting right here, and only with Yuki-sama’s personal staff?
Did some trouble happen that I’m unaware of?
"So, starting today, the year-end parties for each department, including the wives, will begin in sequence. Fortunately, for us, it’s just the five of us, plus attending the party for Prol’s department tomorrow."
Ah, that kind of talk.
At the end of the year in Weed, we hold a dinner party to thank everyone for their hard work throughout the year.
Attendance is optional, of course, but since the food costs are covered by the department—or rather, the nation—many people attend.
Those who can't attend are given a budget equivalent to a meal.
There are all sorts of circumstances, after all.
Well, it’s a form of free booze, but since it’s a workplace gathering, many people feel obligated to attend, and it’s not rare for people to fall ill from the cold this time of year.
"The issue is Nina, and those who work in the same department, like Ria, Jessica, Cleena, Samantha, and Fiora..."
"Ria-sama says she will be joining us with Canaria-san."
"Jessica-sama, Cleena-sama, Samantha-sama, and Fiora-sama say they are tied up with the year-end parties at the embassies they are assigned to, as well as joint parties with other embassies."
Ria-sama just runs the bento shop and the flower shop with Canaria-san—though that might be underselling it, as the employees are from Kirika-san’s department—so she can join us here.
But the other wives are guards by trade, yet they also serve as Yuki-sama’s diplomatic windows for their respective nations, so they are incredibly busy.
I think you can tell just by the fact that they’ve been leaving Yuki-sama’s protection to us lately.
The other wives have diplomatic roles too, but they are completely swamped.
It just goes to show how well the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance is functioning, though.
"Well, we can have a proper year-end celebration with the family later. For now, it’ll be Prol, Orelia, Hovis, and Yayui..."
Just as he says that, the office door opens...
"I’m joining too. I can’t pass up a free meal and free booze."
Nina-sama walks in.
"Oh, you’re back from the village?"
"That’s right. The one over there is a doppelganger, so there’s nothing to worry about."
"What about Sia and Kishua?"
"They’re gathering with the members of the stuffed animal shop."
"I see. Well, that makes sense."
The other Holy Sword wielders besides Nina-sama don't have much to do with our department.
They’re an organization closer to Kirika-san’s intelligence division, so I suppose they’d gather there.
"It’s fine. They said they’d show their faces for the family-only year-end gathering. The department comes first."
"That sounds tough for you, too. But doesn't that apply to you as well, Nina?"