NEVERLAND II

Looks like the weather has cleared up somewhat.

Let's start moving.

Yay! That was faster than I thought.

Blanc. Noir.

Can I leave you in charge?

Of course. We'll hold down the fort. You go ahead.

Yeah, what she said.

Okay. I'll be back.

Yippee!

Thank you, everyone.

You all can look forward to the best fireworks display you've ever seen.

Da da da~

Let's set off fireworks♬ Wherever it is we'll go♡

Not long until we reach the top!

I can already tell the fireworks are going to be spectacular.

You bet!

...

I'm glad that I tagged along.

... Hmm?

Are you crying?

Haha.

You always find a way to surprise me.

I thought the weather had cleared up, but apparently I was mistaken.

The wind is too strong.

Are you okay, Servant?

Even I feel a bit cold.

I've never seen weather this bad here.

Don't be so dramatic.

... Actually, you may not be far off.

...

We can't stay out here, or else we'll be in real danger.

Belorta.

Mica.

I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we'll have to head back down.

The storm is really picking up.

Huh?

But we're nearly there!

If we continue to press on, there's no telling what might happen.

We need to head back and try again when the weather calms down a bit.

She's right, Belorta.

Even if we did make it to the top, the fireworks wouldn't look nearly as nice in these conditions.

Hmm... that is true.

...

Fine. Let's go down.

I can't be selfish and put everyone in jeopardy.

This is not good.

Servant.

Grab my hand.

One false move, and you might get swept away.

Belorta and Mica. Follow me.

You hear that, Belorta? Stay close. No fooling around!

Oh, you don't have to worry about that.

If we head down just a little more...

Hmm?

...!!

It's coming right for us!

Get to the side!

Ohmygodohmygod!

Pull yourself together, Mica! Move it!

... Yes, yes!!

I didn't realize it would get so bad so quickly... we need to hurry.

Is everyone okay?

...

O-Old-Timer,

Ludmilla...

...

B-Belorta...

She's gone.

!!

She was right beside me, I'm sure of it.

Before the snow engulfed us... no, e-even when it covered us...

Wait, that's it!

She could be buried under all this snow!

Come on, Belorta, stop playing around!

You know I don't like these practical jokes of yours.

Belorta... Belorta?

No... this can't be happening...

N-no... nononono!

... Belorta!

Where are you?!

Belorta... Belorta!

Ah... argh... argh!

I knew it.

We should have never come here.

I should have known better.

Christmas can only be a day of tragedy for me.

These children's lives are just as important as my own.

Until every last child at Angel Orphanage grows up and can take care of themselves, they are my responsibility. And I will never shirk my responsibilities.

The Sovereigns will do all we can to

assist you in accomplishing that.

*Sob* Thank you.

By the way,

I've brought some Christmas presents for the children. May I show them?

Yes, of course.

... How did you get that injury to your shoulder?

Oh, this? I...

It's nothing...

The director hit her.

...

I... I didn't mean to hit her, of course. It's just that she's so incorrigible sometimes, and...

Just a moment.

We can end the photoshoot here. Let's go get something to eat.

I've brought in some of the finest chefs available.

I'm terribly sorry about this...

See to it that the children are taken care of. We do not want the Sovereign's reputation to suffer as a result of any mistreatment.

?!

I'm warning you.

Should one word of this get out,

there will be no more financial aid from our end.

...

I understand.

I'll make sure it doesn't happen again.

...

I knew this would happen.

Hrrnggh...

Belorta, are you okay? You're drenched in sweat!

I think I've got an upset stomach. Until earlier today, we hadn't eaten in so long, so I think that's what did it.

We need to get you to a hospital!

Should I call the director?

No. I'll be better once I lie down for a bit.

What are you doing?

I read somewhere that massaging your hands helps with a stomachache.

Really? Actually, I do think I feel a little b... Urgh!

Belorta!

There you are. Today is all your fault, you little...

Urgh...

What's going on? What's wrong with her?

M-Mr,

Belorta says her stomach really hurts! I think she should go to the hospital.

What, so you two can go blabbing to the doctors about how you got hit?

I don't think so. She'll just have to put up with it.

Hrrnggh...!

I'll tell the doctor that she got hurt while playing!

O-or, could you at least get her some medicine?

Please, I'm begging you...

How many times am I going to have to tell you?

You're not going to the hospital. Period.

So give it up.

... Please,

Mr...

Belorta is in a lot of pain.

You've already pissed me off enough with that little stunt with the Sovereign.

If you had half a brain and had covered up your injury...!

... B-Belorta! What are you doing?!

Don't! You have to move!

I-I'm... Okay.

I just need to endure it a little longer.

It'll pass...

No, you can't do this!

Belorta...?

*Sob*

Belorta...

Belorta!

Belorta!

It happened again... I wasn't able to protect you.

Not again... don't die on me again...

I'm so sorry, Belorta.

You must be so cold. It was cold that day, too.

Mica, get a hold of yourself!

Mica.

I understand how hopeless you must be feeling right now,

but it's more important than ever in times like this that you remain calm.

So why don't you sit here and rest until you've pulled yourself together.

Servant and I will search the area.

...

Have you found anything?

It's no use. The weather isn't cooperating.

We're not getting any signal, either.

Things are going from bad to worse.

I propose that we head back and gather our...

It happened again. I couldn't protect her.

I thought it would be different when we became Nikkes.

I thought we would be together forever.

If there's no Belorta, why am I even here?

...

We shouldn't have fought today.

I never got to apologize to her.

I can't go on without her, so it's better that I join her.

...

Old-Timer.

Let me go.

Without Belorta,

there's no point in going on.

*Sob*

So please... just let me go.

*Sob*

...

The wind is picking up.

Another avalanche might be imminent.

We need to head back to Snowfield.

Finally, you're back!

We were worried sick.

Mica, your hand...

Did something happen?

Where's Belorta?

She... got swept away by the avalanche.

?!

What?!

What can we do?

The avalanche came out of nowhere.

Did you see where she got carried away?

... No.

Like I said, it was all so sudden. We didn't even have time to get out of the way.

Because of that... our potential search area is substantial.

Since the other members of Unlimited aren't here at the moment, you guys will need to be my support.

We're at your disposal.

Thank you.

The map gives a good overview of the area around the Northern Base.

This is our current location.

Belorta went missing at the rear of the mountain behind Snowfield Hot Spring, about 0.6 miles away from here.

Absolute and Delta will proceed northwest.

Roger.

Okay.

Got it.

Understood.

Signal, you stay here and handle any and all communications.

Visibility out there is poor, so we'll need someone to be our eyes and ears.

Can do.

In lieu of Alice, Neve, and Tove, I'll have Blanc and Noir accompany me.

You can count on us.

Understood.

Actually, Servant,

I thought it might be better for you to stay here with Signal.

This snowstorm is the worst I've ever seen. If you were to come with us, you'd only be putting yourself in danger.

...

Very well. If you insist, we'll head out together.

Also,

one more thing.

Before the avalanche, we felt a great vibration coming from underneath us.

So what you're saying is...

It could happen again.

If you feel a tremor while we're out there, don't move from your position.

We can use this to cinch ourselves together.

After we've done that, the hook can be anchored to the ground.

Got it.

I presume we'll be going up against Raptures as well?

What do you think, genius? Is this your first time up on the surface or something?

I'm just worried about them coming across Belorta...

Good point.

If she's not injured, she should be fine. But if she is...

Do you think she could fend them off on her own?

All we can do is hope that Belorta was able to find a safe place to hide.

In the meantime, we need to hurry up.

Okay, what's the next step?

What we'll do is...

...

Delta, can you hear me?

Reading you loud and clear.

If communications get cut off, all you need to do is press the reset button once.

Got it.

Commander, don't you think it would have been better to dress in thicker clothing?

This should do the trick.

Eunhwa, any chance you could take a gander at my firearm while you're at it?

Noir, do you think we should bring the gloves and straps that we use for our performances?

They might come in handy.

Yeah! Let's do that.

...

That's right. Until then, you just have to take it easy. You've got me worried. You look as pale as a sheet.

Relax.

We'll find her no matter what it takes.

That's right!

It'd be a real blow to Eunhwa's pride if we didn't find anything.

That's enough from you.

...

Hey.

Are you planning on sitting here staring into space all day?

...

Are you really going to sit back and do nothing?

...

Belorta would be devastated if she saw you like this.

Resigned to the fact that she's already dead! Look at you, unable to even lift a finger to help.

Mica.

Well? Are you going to sit here with that ridiculous look on your face and let your friend slip away?

...

You're really just going to leave her to die like this?

... What did you say?

Belorta told me everything.

What happened that Christmas back at the orphanage.

!!

So, I'll ask again.

Are you going to let yourself sink into despair, let it render you powerless, and lose your friend again?

Are you going to abandon your friend to die a cold, lonely death out there in the snow?

No!

I...!

I'm going to find her!

Then look alive!

Don't give up.

Erase the very idea of death from your mind.

You must believe that she is alive.

Because she is. Belorta isn't dead yet.

She's waiting for you to come find her.

She knows that you're out there searching for her.

That you're willing to scour every inch of this mountain in order to find her.

I'll be there guiding you the entire way.

If you can't trust yourself, then trust me.

I will do whatever it takes to find Belorta for you.

Now let's go and find our friend. Together.

Okay...

I'll go with you.

I believe it.

Belorta is alive. She must be... and we're going to find her!

*Sob*

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for being so weak.

I was scared that history was repeating itself.

*Sob*

*Sob*

It's perfectly normal to cry when you're scared.

Let it all out.

When you're done, we'll go find Belorta.

*Sob* Thank you...

Thank you so much for doing this,

everyone.

I'll do whatever I can to help.

These are signal flares.

If we set these off, it might make the search easier for us,

as they'll help light the way.

However, they'll almost certainly draw Raptures to our location,

so we should be prepared.

Don't worry about that.

Yeah! We can kick Rapture butt no problem.

Well said.

Raptures aren't a problem for us.

Is everyone ready?

Ready.

Comms are all looking normal.

All good on Absolute's end.

Noir and I are good to go as well.

...

Ready when you are.

Let's move.

I'm coming, Belorta. Just hold on.

Visibility is severely compromised.

Is this where the avalanche happened?

Yes.

Judging from the direction the snow is headed,

I think we should head to the right.

Wait a moment!

This is...

This is the signal flare that Belorta had.

!!

If that's true, then that confirms we're heading in the right direction.

She might be closer than we thought.

We should keep our eyes peeled for any other clues that could help lead us to Belorta.

Visibility is starting to improve somewhat, at least to the point where we can see objects in the snow.

Noted.

I'll take the lead.

Hey, Mica!

Why don't you hold our hands while you walk? We're the lucky bunnies, after all.

We can share some of our luck with you.

Maybe we'll be able to help you find Belorta more easily.

Go ahead and hold onto her hand, Noir.

Here Mica, take my hand.

...

Thank you, both of you.

Mica is stronger than we initially gave her credit for.

I think she's finally realized that

inaction only gives birth to suspicion and fear.

By taking action, like we're doing now, you can take those negative emotions and turn them into courage and confidence.

What we can do is help encourage her, so that she stays strong and doesn't give up.

Good. Let's keep moving.

!!

Everyone, look!

It's Belorta's socks.

Seems like we're getting closer.

Excellent!

Looks like your luck is starting to rub off on me.

I think Belorta may be somewhere close by.

I'm going to set off a signal flare.

Belorta, if you see this...

please respond. Please.

... It's really quiet.

...

Hmm...

Is this the end of this path?

The only thing up ahead is a cliff face.

But all the clues have led us to this point.

She has to be here somewhere...

Just in case, Noir and I will go check out the cliff.

There might be a way for us to get around it.

I'll stretch my body out like this... see?

Noir and I are both very flexible.

Yeah, that'll be easy for us to do.

Impressive.

I'll leave that to you then.

You brought your gloves, right? Put those on and make sure you're holding my hand tight.

Otherwise, I might fall.

You got it!

I think I see something...

Just a little... bit... more...!

!!

!!

Pit Boss!

Yeah, I'm fine.

Wha... Pit Boss!

Yes... I'm okay.

I'm flattered that you were so worried about me.

Anyhoo, I just had a look-see, and there's definitely a side path just below the cliff.

It'll be a tight squeeze, but I think we'll be fine as long as we walk single-file.

Glad to hear that.

But it won't be easy getting down there.

We won't have to worry about that.

I brought a rope ladder just in case.

We typically use these during our acrobatic performances,

so it's capable of holding both of us.

You're quite well prepared.

Thanks!

You're so organized, Noir! Very nice.

Well, should we head down?

No, wait.

I think another big gust is coming.

Another avalanche might be just around the corner.

Let's hide in that cave and make our move later.

... Servant.

Do you remember the story Belorta told us about her past?

Yes.

...

I didn't mention it at that time,

but I have a connection to that place as well.

A familial connection, to be precise.

I knew that our family sponsored an orphanage,

but I had no idea that such horrific things were happening behind closed doors.

I should have paid more attention.

Well, I guess it doesn't make that much of a difference talking about it now.

I just wanted them to know that I'm not like the adults they dealt with as a child.

Even if I didn't personally carry out that abuse, I should do everything I can to prevent it from happening again.

I never want Mica and Belorta to feel the pain of being separated ever again.

So I have to find her.

I know. We just have to stay strong.

Hmm?

Where am I?

... Mica!

Old-Timer!

Ludmilla!

I need to get in touch with them.

Darn,

my phone got smashed.

I need to get up...

Wha... What's wrong with my ankle?

Can I even move like this?

It's no good.

Mica was right.

Christmas is a bad day for me.

Getting swept away by an avalanche.

Phone dead.

Ankle injured.

If I'd known this was gonna happen, I would have listened to Mica.

I really thought today would be the best Christmas ever.

This is the first time I've ever celebrated Christmas with so many people.

And the first time I've made a cake.

... I was so happy.

...

Ah.

Am I going to die?

Hehe, dying on Christmas Day. Again.

Ha...

Hahaha!

Oh no... what about Mica?

Knowing her,

that fool will end up getting herself killed trying to find me.

If she ends up dying because I'm not here...

...

No.

I can't let that happen.

It won't happen.

I won't let Mica die.

...

I'll leave this place, alive.

And when I do, I'll wipe the tears off that crybaby's face.

The ladder is good to go.

I'll go down first and make sure it's secure.

Noir will follow me, and then hold the ladder steady for everyone.

Got it!

All right, away I go.

See you down there.

Mica and Servant, you go next.

I'll go last.

Okay.

We made it!

The path here is wider than I thought.

Still, be careful when you're coming down.

Sure I can! This doesn't scare me at all.

You're being very brave right now.

Hehe, well, off I go.

Oh boy, that was further down than I thought...

My legs were shaking like leaves.

I will go ahead and investigate the path with Blanc.

Understood!

Pit Boss!

Are you okay?

Thank goodness!

What's all that commotion down there?

Did something happen?

N-no...!

The ladder is pretty slippery, so be careful.

All right, I'm coming down now.

That wasn't so hard. Much sturdier than I thought it'd be.

...

Hey, everyone!

Get over here!

I found something!

Let's hurry.

What'd you find?

This.

Do you remember this, Old-Timer?

It's the snowball

Belorta was playing with at Snowfield Hot Spring.

Think carefully.

This is the snowball

Belorta was playing with at Snowfield Hot Spring.

Now do you remember?

Blanc and I found this beside one of these trees.

That means Belorta might be close by.

Precisely!

She might even have left these to let us know she was here.

Things are looking up.

Let's keep heading in this direction.

*Sigh*

A fork in the road.

What should we do? We can't go both ways...

How about if we split up?

Out of the question.

The high altitude is interfering with our comms equipment.

If we split up and run into any problems, we could be in big trouble.

...

If it's a matter of luck,

why don't you let Noir and I do our thing?

Like I said before, we're lucky bunnies!

You may think I'm talking out of my rear,

but we've never taken the wrong path before, not even once.

It's true.

Whenever we come across a fork in the road, so long as we both agree on which path to take, it always ends up being the right choice.

Wow.

That is quite amazing.

Well,

with things being as they are, I'd say it's our safest bet.

Let's put our trust in the lucky bunnies.

We can't waste any more time.

Very well!

Noir, on three, you and I will say out loud which path to take.

Got it!

One...

Two...

Three!

Right!

Wow!

You really did say the exact same thing, and at the same time.

So cool!

We should get moving.

...!!

You two really are good luck charms!

Check it out. Another one of Belorta's snowballs!

How lucky!

I knew this was the right path.

Thank goodness we were right.

...

I think the avalanche may have altered the terrain, which would explain that fork in the road we saw earlier.

I remember seeing this sign during my previous search.

If we had headed in the other direction, we would have hit a dead end.

Then let's keep heading this way!

Hmm... Left?

This is Belorta's signal flare!

I'm feeling the right side.

Another snowball!

Look!

There's a cave over there.

Ssshh.

It's a polar bear.

Wow, a real, honest-to-goodness polar bear.

Should we leave?

I think that might be a good idea.

Before we do...

Should we give this place a quick once-over, just in case?

That's far too dangerous.

I know, but I feel we should, just to be sure.

Belorta might be somewhere around here.

If you won't do it, then I'll go alone.

But...

I'll be safe. Don't worry.

...

Okay.

If it wakes up, I'll try to divert its attention.

Perfect. Thank you.

...

We better leave before the polar bear wakes up.

Where in the world is she?

...

Huh? Oh, yes! I'm okay.

We might not have found much of note in the cave,

but that doesn't invalidate all the other clues that we found leading up to it.

I'm confident that if we keep searching, we'll eventually find Belorta.

So long as

we continue to believe that she's alive.

That will happen for sure.

... Right?

You're exactly right, Mica.

As long as we don't give up hope, then we can find light even in the darkest times.

I'm sure Belorta is doing everything she can

to find us as well.

That's right!

Let's not lose hope and keep going.

??

Do you guys hear something?

I didn't hear anything.

Me neither.

I didn't hear any...

!!

!!

And you, Ludmilla? Do you hear that?

I do. It's faint, but it sounds like someone screaming...

That...

That's Belorta's voice! I'm sure of it!

Hyyyaahh!

!!

I can hear it!

This way!

Graaaa!

Another cliff?

There's nowhere else to go!

Over there!

Belorta!

She's too far away.

She can't hear us.

I've got to get across.

There's a wooden bridge over there!

No!

It's too dangerous!

There's no way it will support our weight.

I don't care! I have to try!

By the way, that cake you made was out of this world.

You always make the best cakes.

I think your cake is what made this party.

I'm glad to see you smiling, Mica. You should do it more often.

Let's try and smile as much as possible this Christmas.

Ready, set... smile!

Something tells me that our Christmases going forward will be just as wonderful.

I-I'm... Okay.

I just need to endure it a little longer.

It'll pass...

Must go faster.

Belorta is over there.

She's still alive!

I'm not too late.

I just need to move faster.

I can't get scared.

I can't be afraid.

I can do it.

I can still save her!

Mica?!

I will protect you!

No matter what!

I will protect you!

Encounter!

Phew...

Belorta!

Are you okay?

You're not hurt, are you?

Mica, how...

How did you just do that?!

Can't you see that there are Raptures around here?

You could have put yourself in serious danger.

Hehe, I feel like we're in a bizarro world.

Usually I'm the one worrying about you.

How can you laugh at a time like this?!

Because I'm happy.

Before, you were always the one protecting me.

But this time, I protected you.

That makes me happier than you can even imagine... *sniff*

...

I really did it...

I kept you safe...

*Sob*

I'm so happy.

Belorta...

Thank you.

Thank you for staying alive.

...

And...

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for getting on your nerves back at the Hot Spring.

I'm sorry for not letting you do anything.

For taking so long to find you.

And...

You dummy!

... It's okay.

It's all okay.

I'm the one who should be sorry.

I shouldn't have been angry with you the moment I saw you.

...

When I woke up alone,

I was afraid that I was going to die.

*Sniff*

Thank you for not giving up and coming to find me.

Are you crying?

Oh jeez, don't cry.

We both...

stayed alive this time.

And we'll be together forever.

Yes, we will.

I'm so happy that you're alive.

I'm so happy I get to see you again.

Still no signal...

The wind hasn't died down yet either.

And there's a ton of fog.

Mica, do you know your way around here?

I don't...

Are we lost again?

Hehe, we were both so happy at being alive,

but now it looks like that happiness is about to be short-lived.

Don't say that!

Nothing bad is going to happen to either of us.

Because we're not alone.

Hehe, right. You're right.

Hmm...

You see that small cave over there?

Let's head inside for a little while.

When you're in a life-or-death situation, it's best to stay in one place.

Okay, let's do that.

If nothing else, it'll be less cold in there than it is out here.

Mica.

Yes?

Now that I see you up close...

your face is so swollen.

You're a sight for sore eyes.

I could say the same thing about you!

Hehehe.

Were you not scared when you were rushing to save me?

Not at all.

Even though you could see the bridge breaking all around you?

The only thing I could see was you.

Besides, the idea of not being able to save you scared me most of all.

...

Incredible.

What was that?

I couldn't hear you.

I'm not going to say it twice.

Aw, come on!

... Hmm?

Mica, look over there.

There's a light...

Is that... a torch?

!!

!!

... Finally found you.

Ludmilla!

Is everyone okay?

How did you...!

Didn't I tell you?

I said I would find you, no matter what.

Come on, let's go home.

Wha... when did I fall asleep?

The last thing I remember was Ludmilla carrying me out on her back.

How long were we out?

Like a baby.

Mica was snoring the entire time.

Hey! You don't have to tell other people that!

Haha.

You both fell asleep on the way back, and I didn't have the heart to wake you.

How's your ankle, Belorta?

Much better than it was.

Did someone do something to it while I was asleep?

I didn't want it bother you too much while we wait to take you to the Repair Center, so I put a splint on it.

Oh my gosh, thank you!

*Sniff sniff*

What is that? Something smells good.

We prepared a couple of dishes for the Christmas party.

Huh? Didn't we already have one of those?

!!

!!

So the party hasn't ended proper.

Fireworks are the perfect end to a good party.

They're gonna be great!

If you could set off a firework shaped like a grenade, that'd really be something.

I want a snowman!

...

This time around, I'll watch the fireworks from inside the hot springs.

Thank you for saying all that...

I'm so touched!

All right, then! I'll make sure to give you all the best fireworks display this world has ever seen.

I'll go set them off on the terrace.

Mica, are you ready?

As ready as I'll ever be.

Haha. Good.

Come on, Noir, let's head inside the hot springs.

Sure thing! It'll be nice and warm.

I should take a dip as well. I need to release some of this stress.

I want to join too!

You should too, Eunhwa.

No.

Why not? It'd be fun if we go together.

I promise not to make fun of you.

Stop. Talking.

It's not like you're working with a whole lot... ugh, forget it.

What are you going to do, Delta?

I'm planning on making an igloo.

Wow! An igloo?

Can I help?

Of course. You can help me make snow bricks.

I'll do my best!

Christmas Party, take two!

How have you been, Servant?

I came to give my report to Andersen about the Hot Spring.

I figured I might as well stop by to check in on Belorta and Mica.

The resources we uncovered have apparently been a major help.

I talked it over with Andersen,

and it's been decided that Snowfield Hot Spring will remain open for any Nikkes conducting missions near the Northern Base in the future.

And if, by any chance, there are any Nikkes who have lost their way,

it'll be a nice oasis for them to warm up and rejuvenate themselves before heading back out.

Servant.

It's been quite some time since I was at the Outpost.

If you're free, could you show me the way to the Toy Store?

Welcom... Huh?

Hey, you two.

It's been a long time.

Ludmilla!

*Gasp* Welcome, Ludmilla!

Hey, Old-Timer!

Nice to see you as well.

To what do we owe this pleasure?

I came to give my report on the Hot Spring,

and figured I could stop by and see how the two of you are doing.

How are things?

I'm doing wonderfully, thanks to you.

Me too!

Glad to hear that.

There is something I wanted to ask you.

Is Snowfield going to stay open?

Yes.

Even the Central Government thinks highly of the Hot Spring.

The doors to Snowfield will remain open for the foreseeable future.

Wow! Really?

Then I want to go visit again real soon!

Spending Christmas there was heavenly.

You wanna come with me, Mica?

Sure!

We should take Old-Timer with us too.

I felt like I didn't get to prank you as much as I would've liked to.

If you decline, I'm gonna feed you a hot sauce snowball.

Ha! Sure, you can certainly try.

Seems like things are about to get interesting again.

I'm glad to see that you're both doing well.

Well, I should be on my way.

Where are you headed off to now?

I was planning on exploring downtown with Servant.

Really?

Can I come?

I don't mind.

Hehe, I'm just kidding.

I've decided to stick close to Mica from now on.

Last time when we got separated, I put Mica through hell.

So...

What are you talking about? You can go.

Huh?

I'll stay here and mind the store. You can go, no problem.

Really?

Are you sure you can watch the store on your own?

Of course!

Don't worry about me. You just go and have fun.

Like you said, you didn't get to have fun during Christmas.

So...

Even if today is Christmas,

I can still go?

Yep.

Nothing unfortunate will happen from now on.

After all, Christmas is supposed to be a day of merriment.

If you get lost,

I'll come find you, hehe.

...

The list goes on. Every Christmas, something awful happens to Belorta.

So we try not to go outside then.

If she had only slowed down, she wouldn't have gotten hurt.

... Belorta? What are you thinking about?

Huh? Oh, nothing.

Just that since you keep insisting that I go,

I can't refuse now!

Let's go, Ludmilla.

Have fun, Belorta.

... I will.

Be right back!