The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

When we were kids, we all wondered—if Santa Claus was real, how could he deliver presents to every child in the world in just one night?

On Earth, it wasn’t a problem since parents were the real Santas. But in TaoSoul, Santa actually exists. He has to physically deliver each and every present.
The answer? The Snowsong clan is spread out across the entire continent, each responsible for specific regions.
Right now, on the other side of the continent, there might be a drop-dead gorgeous Santa girl in a bikini, surfing on a board while handing out presents.

But that’s not the point.
Karami and Ashies, appointed as the temporary Santas, also need to finish delivering presents before the Christmas magic fades.
With a sack overflowing with gifts, they arrived at the first city aboard their magical sleigh.

The sleigh hovered in midair as Karami surveyed the area.
Despite the late hour, the city sparkled with lights and decorations, radiating the Christmas spirit.
It was beautiful to look at, but those lights were Santa’s greatest enemy. Santa had to remain a mystery, and lights were the most basic threat to that secrecy.

Like the Santa in the fairy tales, Karami wanted to slide down a chimney—
“Honestly, chimneys sound like a terrible idea, don’t they?”
That might work in a story, but in reality, he’d end up covered in soot. Worse, if someone was using the fireplace, he’d end up roasted.

The front door wasn’t an option either. The window was the way to go.
Karami pulled out the map Nicolau had provided, listing which gifts went to which houses. He grabbed a box and handed it to Ashies.
“See that green roof over there? A «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» boy named Ron wished for a toy. Go leave it there quietly.”

“Alone…?”
“My clumsy movements make stealth impossible. And if I get caught, I’m not exactly quick on my feet. Now, what are you waiting for? We’ve got a lot more stops to make.”
Karami practically flattened himself against the sleigh, clearly signaling his refusal to go down.
Not because he was scared of heights, of course. Definitely not that.

With no other choice, Ashies went alone.
She crafted an ice slide and smoothly slid down, landing lightly on the roof. Scanning her surroundings, she located the window.
Standing on the second-floor balcony, she peeked inside. A boy—presumably Ron—slept soundly.
Ashies tried to open the window. Locked.

Carefully channeling her magic, she froze the lock and shattered it. The window creaked open. She slipped inside.
Ron remained blissfully unaware, still lost in dreams.
Moving with the lightness of a snowflake, Ashies placed the box by his bedside and quietly slipped back out.

Mission complete, she returned to the sleigh.
Karami greeted her with a satisfied grin.
“Well done. You’ve got a knack for this. Shall we keep going?”

*****
The sleigh soared freely through the skies, guided by the ice reindeer.
At each stop, Ashies descended stealthily, delivering presents without being seen—

An operation so smooth it felt like a military air-drop.
Three cities cleared already. Over ten small villages, too.
They arrived at yet another city.

Ashies leaned over the edge of the sleigh, observing the streets below. Despite the late hour, a few people still wandered about. Most of them were couples, holding hands as they walked.
“Rami. People… holding hands.”
“Well, it’s Christmas. If you’re out with someone of the opposite sex, chances are you’re dating.”

“Couples… hold hands?”
“Not just couples. Anyone who’s important to each other might hold hands.”
“……”

Ashies stared even harder at the people holding hands.
“Next stop’s Molly’s house. Get ready.”
Now experienced enough to be called a proper Santa, Ashies descended once again.

This time, she landed in a dark alley far from the festive lights of the city center.
While the rest of the city sparkled with Christmas decorations, the alley remained grim and unchanged.
The target house was a shack, its walls barely holding together.

If it had a window for Santa to slip through, that would’ve been convenient—but it didn’t.
It didn’t even have a window at all.
Winter winds whistled through gaps in the walls, making it easier for Ashies to step inside.
The interior was as simple as the exterior suggested.

A single room, barely big enough for three people. Empty bottles littered the floor.
A man—probably the father—snored loudly, clutching every scrap of cloth he could find like a blanket.
In the corner, two children huddled together.

Dressed in thin clothes completely unsuited for winter, they clung to each other for warmth, but it wasn’t enough. They shivered uncontrollably.
Ashies surveyed the room, intending to leave the gift and go.
But then—

“Eek!”
The older of the two, a girl—Molly—woke with a start.
Ashies froze, startled in return.

She had suppressed her presence as much as possible. No one else had noticed her so far. Yet this harmless girl did.
Should she restrain her?
Or escape?
Before Ashies could act, Molly beat her to it.

“D-Dad, I’m sorry! Please don’t hit me! It hurts!”
In the pitch-black shack, Molly didn’t even check who it was. She instinctively apologized while shielding her younger sibling.
It was Ashies who was caught off guard.

Molly’s emotions were raw, filled with sorrow. But what hit Ashies most was the fear—the fear radiating from Molly struck her like a punch.
It was a sensation Ashies had never felt before.
She didn’t know what to do and stood frozen.

No fists came.
Only the sound of the man’s snores filled the room.
Realizing something was off, Molly hesitantly looked up and saw Ashies.

“Santa…?”
The dim light didn’t allow her to make out details, but the silhouette and red outfit were unmistakable.
“Are you really Santa?”

“……”
Ashies remained silent.
But her lack of denial said enough.

This was exactly the situation Nicolau and Karami had warned about—breaking the illusion of Santa and scarring a child’s dreams.
The present was already delivered. Ashies turned to leave.
But Molly lunged forward, grabbing her arm.

“W-Wait, Santa!”
The man stirred at the noise.
Molly flinched hard and lowered her voice to a whisper.

“Please… take my brother with you. If he stays here, Dad will just keep hitting him. Mom already left us. I’ll be fine, but please… just take him.”
“……”
“Santa doesn’t give presents to crying kids, right? That’s why I didn’t cry. I held it in. If it’s about the present, you can take it back. I don’t need it. Just, please…”

Molly tried to return the gift box, holding it out to Ashies.
Ashies froze.
This was something she hadn’t encountered before.

And improvisation wasn’t her strength.
What should she do?
There was only one thing she could do.

*****
“We’re almost done now.”
Karami sat in the parked sleigh hovering in the sky, skimming through a long parchment that looked like a receipt from a company dinner. The list of towns and children to deliver gifts to stretched endlessly.

They had already checked off 80% of the list. At this rate, Christmas would end without any major incidents.
As Karami reviewed the next stop, Ashies climbed back onto the sleigh.
“You’re back? We don’t have many stops left… but who are those kids?”

Trailing behind Ashies were two uninvited guests—a little girl, Molly, and her even younger brother, Marley, clinging to her back.
“Well, uh…”
Ashies fumbled for an explanation, glancing nervously at Karami, who quickly pieced the situation together.

Thin clothes barely suited for summer. Bruises covering Molly’s small frame.
They were clearly abused children.
Karami sighed heavily, and Ashies flinched.

“Ashies, didn’t I tell you? Santa can’t reveal their identity. But not only did you get caught, you also brought the kids onto the sleigh. What were you thinking?”
“…Sorry.”
“If you’re sorry, take them back right now. We still have deliveries to make, and if we waste any more time, the sun will rise. What are you waiting for?”

Molly hid behind Ashies to avoid Karami’s gaze.
But Ashies didn’t move.
She stood firm—like a wall shielding against the biting wind.

“…No.”
“Ashies, this is kidnapping.”
“They… asked me to take them.”

“And what exactly do you plan to do with them? Did you think this through?”
“No.”
Of course, she hadn’t thought it through.

But Ashies stood her ground.
“You’ll help me, Rami.”
“And how exactly am I supposed to do that?”

“…Somehow.”
Karami let out a breathless laugh at her shameless reply.
She didn’t even ask—just demanded his help, as if it were obvious.

Ashies had learned something over time.
Karami always gave in when she asked.
The once-naive Ashies was starting to get crafty.

“Ha, anyone would think I’m some kind of wish-granting Santa.”
“……”
Karami sighed again and smiled bitterly, unable to refuse.

“Well, since I am Santa for the day, I’ll allow it—just this once.”
Karami lifted the children onto the sleigh.
Santa was supposed to remain a mysterious figure. Revealing the truth would weaken that mystique.

But—
‘Not like I’m staying in this job after today.’
If something went wrong, Nicolau would be the one dealing with the fallout—not Karami.

Karami seated the children between him and Ashies, wrapping Molly in his Santa coat and placing a hat on her head.
“Uh… um…”
“Shh. No freeloading here. You’re on the sleigh, so you work. Hold on tight and don’t fall off. Now, let’s deliver the rest of the presents.”

*****
“Wow!”
The sleigh jingled softly as it soared through the sky.

Molly couldn’t tear her eyes away from the world below.
It was a sight she’d never seen before—far removed from the dark alleys she came from.
Forgetting her sadness and worries, she lit up like any other child, her eyes sparkling.

Ashies watched her with gentle eyes.
And Karami watched Ashies.
He hadn’t expected Ashies to outright refuse his orders.

Karami shook his head with a wry smile.
Together with their new little Santa, the group continued delivering presents.
Rustle.

Karami drew a line through the last name on the list.
It was done.
Looking at the completely checked-off parchment, Karami grinned in satisfaction.

“Perfect. That’s everything. The sun’s about to rise, so let’s head back to Nicolau.”
“…What about Molly?”
“I’ve already thought about that.”

Taking the kids to Doomheim had crossed his mind, but humans belonged with humans.
Living among dwarves wouldn’t be ideal for their upbringing.
Karami steered the sleigh toward Palanis, a city known for adventurers and mercenaries.

Because so many adventurers died in the field, Palanis was full of orphans.
To support their fallen comrades’ children, adventurers pooled money to sponsor the local church, turning it into a de facto orphanage.
If there was anywhere they could leave Molly and Marley without worrying, it was here.

The sleigh landed in a secluded spot behind the church.
Molly, still carrying Marley, stepped off the sleigh.
Karami handed her the gift box.

“Molly, you need to take this.”
“But… isn’t this supposed to be a gift?”
“This isn’t a gift. It’s your payment. You worked as a temporary Santa today—you earned this.”

No freeloaders.
But no unpaid labor, either.
Molly’s eyes widened.

“Really?”
“Really. And next year, I hope your brother gets a gift, too. Be good, or the Slave Reaper will come for you.”
“…Okay!”

The sleigh took off into the sky.
Below, nuns emerged, drawn by the noise, and found Molly and Marley.
Karami waited until the siblings were safely inside the church before gripping the reins.

It was time to report back.
*****
“Oh! You delivered all the presents! Thank you so much!”

The silver glow of dawn poured over the forest.
Nicolau came rushing out, leaving Rudolph behind, and grabbed my hands, shaking them enthusiastically.
“I don’t even know how to repay this debt…”

“Haha, well, it was a good experience for us too. But… if you really want to repay me, I won’t turn it down.”
“Of course! I can’t let my benefactors leave empty-handed. Take this.”
Nicolau handed me a gift box.

An event reward—a box that gives a random item when opened.
If I remembered right, the loot could be pretty valuable. I tucked it under my arm.
“Thank you. Let’s meet again someday if we get the chance.”

“Haha! Both of you take care. Merry Christmas!”
With Nicolau seeing us off, we left the forest.
The sunlight felt warm.

I stretched my arms out and yawned.
“Staying up all night’s tiring. Let’s go back and get some rest.”
“…What about me?”

“Hmm?”
Ashies stared at me.
“Don’t I… get a present too?”

…What?
Ashies asking for a present?
“What kind of Santa expects a gift? Making people happy is Santa’s greatest reward.”

“But… Molly got one.”
That’s…
Technically, it was always supposed to be Molly’s gift. I just reworded it to make it sound earned after Ashies dragged her along.

But Ashies didn’t seem to care about the logic. Her shoulders drooped, and she looked genuinely dejected.
What could she possibly want so badly?
Now I was curious.

“Alright, I’ll give you a present. What do you want?”
Ashies held out her hand.
“…Your hand.”

“…What? You want me to put something in your hand?”
“I want… to hold hands too.”
It was so sudden that I could only blink at her.

Was this about earlier? The people holding hands?
Ever since Ashies began to feel warmth, she’d been touching everything—like a baby grabbing at whatever’s within reach.
This was probably just an extension of that.

After all, she’d never felt the warmth of another person’s touch before.
“That’s an easy request.”
I placed my hand on hers.

Thin, delicate fingers—so fragile it felt like they might shatter if I squeezed too hard.
But I knew better.
If anyone squeezed too hard, it’d be me who broke.

Her hand was cold.
Like holding a block of ice.
The curse hadn’t lifted. It had only weakened.

“How’s your present? Any thoughts?”
“…Warm.”
It wasn’t that I was warm—Ashies was just unbearably cold.

From her perspective, it probably felt like fire.
I was about to let go, worried I might get frostbite if I held on too long—
“…?”

But Ashies tightened her grip.
She held my hand firmly and wouldn’t let go.
Her eyes fixated on our joined hands before slowly looking up at me.

“…Is it… not lonely like this?”
“What?”
“…Lonely?”

I had no idea what she meant.
But the unease glimmering in those gem-like blue eyes made me pause.
“No. It’s not lonely at all. Thanks to you.”

That was my answer.
Ashies looked satisfied.
“…Okay.”

She smiled.
A faint, fragile smile.