Journey to Find Heroic Spirits

When Yuxian received Little Jeanne's training plan, he felt completely overwhelmed. Accustomed to a leisurely life, he despaired at the devilish schedule laid out for him.

Chiron's Pankration had ancient origins, being the world's first mixed martial art. Yuxian admired such martial arts, but he had absolutely no interest in learning it himself.

Seeing Little Jeanne staring at him with a stern expression, Yuxian clasped his hands behind his head and pleaded in a low voice, "Can't I skip this? Look at my physique, I'll probably die of exhaustion before I even learn anything."

"No!" Little Jeanne refused without a second thought. She stated matter-of-factly, "It's precisely because Master's physical condition is so poor that he needs to train harder!"

No—!!!

Yuxian was utterly devastated. He immediately thought of finding Mash to intercede for him. His junior was the most doting on him and surely wouldn't want to see him suffer so much.

However, after searching the entire outer perimeter, he couldn't find any sign of Mash. At that moment, Yuxian understood that he couldn't escape his fate of being rigorously trained. His spirit instantly dimmed, and he lowered his head, completely dispirited.

Little Jeanne followed leisurely behind him, her head held high, her adorable big eyes never leaving Yuxian. No matter how much the Master struggled, he ultimately couldn't escape my grasp.

In the following days, Yuxian felt like he was on the verge of death every single day. Chiron taught him with all his might. Yuxian would have preferred it if he went easy on him so he could slack off a bit.

Each day began with Little Jeanne waking him up at dawn and ended with him collapsing into bed, utterly exhausted.

Yuxian's physical condition gradually improved. Chiron was an experienced teacher, and he arranged his daily plan at just the right level, fully extracting Yuxian's potential, allowing his body to slowly adapt to the intensity before gradually increasing the training volume and intensity.

As a result, Yuxian could barely grit his teeth and complete each day's training, unable to slack off even a little.

In just one month, Yuxian clearly felt a significant change in his body. His overall spirit and energy had improved tremendously. He had also managed to learn the basics of Pankration, and while he couldn't claim to have mastered its essence, he had learned it well enough.

This achievement was likely due to Chiron's excellent teaching, after all, he was a renowned Great Sage.

When Chiron told Yuxian that he had completed his training, Yuxian shed tears of joy. He decided to spend a whole day lying in bed to recover from the hardship of the past period.

Compared to learning magic, such simple physical training was despairingly monotonous. Yuxian didn't know how he managed to persevere. The effort and sweat he poured into learning Pankration in such a short time were beyond words.

Perhaps it was because he didn't want to see Little Jeanne's disappointed expression.

ps:

For those who want to draw Nero, I'll give you a buff.

My compatibility with Her Majesty is excellent.

Mumu, I am a Roman!

Section 57 Chapter 37: I am a cute reindeer

The weather was gradually turning cooler, and in the blink of an eye, it was December. It had been an unknown number of days since arriving in this world, and now that everything was on track, it was time to leave.

Although he felt some reluctance, all good things must come to an end. Parting was for a better reunion.

When Yuxian announced his decision to everyone, they all fell silent.

They had made many new friends here, and leaving meant parting ways, inevitably causing them to feel a sense of reluctance.

Atalanta broke the silence first, saying, "I want to stay here. I'm still worried about these children."

Yuxian understood her decision and comforted her, "It's alright, you can always return to Chaldea. We're not saying goodbye forever, so don't feel guilty."

"Then I'll stay and help too. Master, I trust Jeanne-chan to manage things," Chiron said with a smile.

Hearing his words, Yuxian couldn't help but roll his eyes internally. He had witnessed Little Jeanne's terrifying strictness; she was truly merciless. If she said wake up at five, you absolutely couldn't be late by even ten minutes. Even the strict Yuxian had cried.

The others expressed that they would leave with Yuxian. Although they had various reasons for reluctance, Yuxian was the most important to them, and there was no reason to leave his side for anyone else.

Since the decision was made, the only remaining issue was when to leave. Yuxian planned to give everyone a few days to say goodbye to their friends, setting the departure date for a week later.

At this moment, Little Jeanne tugged at his sleeve and said hesitantly, "Christmas is coming soon..."

Yuxian was taken aback. Unknowingly, the year was coming to an end. The departure date he had set was only about ten days before Christmas. Seeing Little Jeanne's expression, he reached out and ruffled her hair, smiling, "Then let's celebrate Christmas first!"

Christmas might have been an ordinary holiday for others, but for Little Jeanne, it held extraordinary significance.

She was a Heroic Spirit born because of Christmas, a miracle of Christmas Eve. Therefore, she was exceptionally sensitive to the holiday. With Christmas only a little over ten days away, she was unwilling to leave and thus pleaded with Yuxian, hoping to spend a happy Christmas here before departing.

Everyone understood Little Jeanne's feelings and had no objections, willing to indulge her small wish.

"Do you need any help? I can work as a reindeer!" Yuxian pointed to himself with a smile.

"Then we'll help stuff Santa's gift bags!" the others chimed in, deciding to participate in this Christmas celebration.

In the following days, everyone began to busy themselves for Christmas. They were all looking forward to spending a memorable Christmas together and were very happy.

Mash helped with buying gifts. The gifts in Santa's bag didn't appear out of thin air; rather, it was more like a dimensional pocket that could store many items, which would then be distributed as gifts to children on Christmas Eve.

Others decorated the outer perimeter with Christmas trees, bells, and banners, hanging and arranging them everywhere. The entire outer area was instantly filled with a festive atmosphere.

Seeing the beautiful decorations, the children played joyfully. They had never experienced such a happy Christmas in their lives. All the children eagerly anticipated Christmas Day, their faces beaming with smiles as they imagined what the wonderful Christmas night would be like.

Although Yuxian had offered to be a reindeer, the task of delivering gifts to every house was far beyond his capabilities. However, he didn't want to disappoint Little Jeanne.

He called Kisaragi Tendo for help. To ensure a good Christmas and that every child in the Tokyo Area received a gift, such a task would be much more efficient and faster if handled by the government.

Kisaragi Tendo found his request strange but did not refuse. After all, Yuxian had helped the Tokyo Area overcome the crisis of extinction, so it was only right to offer assistance. Moreover, his request was not difficult to fulfill.

Seitenshi heard about Yuxian's request from Kisaragi Tendo and proactively offered her support. After several major events that had caused public unrest, she needed a grand event to help alleviate the people's fear, and this Christmas was an excellent opportunity.

Seitenshi's help was direct. She provided Yuxian with a large number of children's gifts and decorated the central plaza of the Tokyo Area, inviting everyone to celebrate Christmas there on Christmas night. She would also arrange for dedicated personnel to deliver gifts to children's homes.

While this arrangement might seem like Yuxian was slacking off, it was still easier than having him and Little Jeanne deliver presents door-to-door.

Yuxian explained Seitenshi's plan to Little Jeanne. She was a bit unhappy that the reindeer had taken matters into their own hands without consulting her, the Santa Claus, but she eventually accepted the arrangement. After all, the reindeer were too weak, and she, as Santa Claus, felt helpless about it.

Time flew by, and Christmas arrived in the blink of an eye. The entire Tokyo Area was filled with a festive Christmas atmosphere. Christmas decorations were everywhere on the streets, and the sound of jingle bells was incessant. People rarely got to relax on this day, and laughter could be heard everywhere.

Little Jeanne put on her Santa Claus costume and took out Santa's sleigh. At the same time, she also prepared a reindeer costume for Yuxian.

Seeing the reindeer costume Little Jeanne had prepared for him, Yuxian weakly asked, "Can I not wear it?"

He was internally conflicted. When he agreed to be a reindeer, he hadn't considered this part at all. The costume was too embarrassing, making it difficult for him to accept.

"No way! A reindeer has to look like a reindeer!" Little Jeanne refused without a second thought.

How could he be a reindeer without wearing a reindeer costume? Just as she didn't usually wear the Santa Claus outfit, she would definitely wear it now that she was Santa Claus. It was a matter of principle, a sense of ritual.

Mash, standing nearby, covered her mouth and chuckled. She was also looking forward to seeing Yuxian in the reindeer costume and had even prepared a camera to capture the moment as a memento.

Yuxian hadn't anticipated this at all. He wanted to refuse, but seeing Little Jeanne's serious expression, he had no choice but to pick up the reindeer costume and change.

Today was Christmas. It was too late to back out now. Yuxian had to grit his teeth and go along with it. If he chickened out now, Little Jeanne would probably throw a tantrum on the spot.

A reindeer is a reindeer, I guess. It's a unique experience!

Yuxian comforted himself. Thinking about it that way, it wasn't entirely unacceptable. He had to admit, his ability to adjust was quite strong.

Section 58 Chapter 38 Today, Everything Goes According to Santa Claus

On Christmas Day, Little Jeanne was exceptionally active. She bustled back and forth between rooms, tidying gifts one moment and checking her reflection to see if her outfit was proper the next.

She even scrubbed the sleigh inside and out, even though it wasn't dirty. She polished it until it gleamed.

Gretel and Jack called her to play, but she refused without hesitation, continuing her unnecessary preparations.

Seeing her like this, Yuxian knew she was nervous. He had felt that way before, so he comforted her, "Don't be nervous. We're just delivering presents; it's very easy and simple."

"I'm not nervous!" Little Jeanne vehemently denied.

She would never admit to being nervous. She had experience as Santa Claus; she was a mature Santa Claus.

"Yes! Yes! You're not nervous, I misspoke. What I meant was you should rest a bit. You have to stay up late delivering presents tonight. If you get exhausted, the children won't have Christmas gifts!" Yuxian changed his approach to appease her.

He sat on the sofa, and Little Jeanne flitted around in front of him. Unable to stand it any longer, he patted the empty space beside him, inviting her to sit down and rest.

Little Jeanne followed Yuxian's suggestion and sat down, but she still fidgeted anxiously, unable to sit still.

Yuxian pulled her into his arms, placed her on his lap, and gently patted her back, encouraging her to relax.

At first, Little Jeanne was a bit shy and struggled to get up, but Yuxian held her down, not letting her leave.

Gradually, Little Jeanne stopped struggling and relaxed completely, lying contentedly on Yuxian's lap.

Once her tense nerves relaxed, she quickly fell asleep.

Yuxian felt a pang of heartache. Little Jeanne probably hadn't slept well last night, being so tense and excited that she fell asleep so easily.

He sat there motionless, afraid that even the slightest movement would wake Little Jeanne.

When someone entered, he would put his index finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet so Little Jeanne could get some rest.

This child always acted so strong and considerate of others, but she was still just a child, still at an age where she should be able to act spoiled and play.

Her gentle breathing reached Yuxian's ears. Little Jeanne slept soundly on his lap. Being by Yuxian's side made her feel an unprecedented sense of security, and nothing else seemed to bother her.

As dusk gradually settled and night approached, Yuxian's legs, having been in the same position for too long, had gone numb from poor circulation. Yet, he still didn't wake Little Jeanne, wanting her to sleep a little longer.

After a while longer, Little Jeanne finally woke up. She got up in a fluster, looking bewildered, which brought a smile to Yuxian's face.

Yuxian's legs were numb from maintaining the same position for so long, and he couldn't stand up immediately.

He rubbed his thighs to relieve the numbness, and it took a while for his sensation to slowly return.

Seeing this, Little Jeanne said sheepishly, "It's all my fault for falling asleep and making Master take care of me."

Yuxian smiled and said, "Jeanne-chan usually takes care of me. It's nice to take care of Jeanne-chan once in a while. Besides, I'm the reindeer today!"

Little Jeanne's face was filled with emotion, and she stared blankly at Yuxian, unsure of what to say.

Yuxian's smile widened. He continued, "Oh my, Jeanne-chan looks so small, I didn't expect you to be so heavy!"

"Reindeer! It's very rude to discuss a lady's weight!" Little Jeanne immediately reverted to her usual serious demeanor upon hearing this and loudly protested Yuxian's comment about her weight.

"Alright, alright, I was wrong!" Yuxian readily admitted his mistake.

Little Jeanne didn't dwell on the issue for long. After Yuxian's playful banter, her mood quickly improved. Seeing that it was getting late, she hurriedly said, "Reindeer, we need to start working. Hurry up and change your clothes!"

Yuxian reluctantly returned to his room to change into the reindeer costume. He took a long time to emerge.

"Wow! It's a reindeer!"

"Mr. Reindeer looks very cute!"

"Yes! I also think Master has a talent for being a reindeer!"

Emerging in the reindeer costume, Yuxian found everyone waiting for him outside. Being scrutinized by everyone's gaze made him incredibly embarrassed.

Especially Mash and Chiron, whose faces were barely hiding their suppressed laughter, made him wish he could disappear into a hole right then and there.

He said, flushed with anger and embarrassment, "What are you looking at! Next time, I'll make all of you be reindeer!"

"Oh dear, that won't do at all. The Master is the Santa Claus's chosen reindeer, so we don't stand a chance!"

Yuxian shot a sidelong glance. He hadn't expected Teacher Chiron, usually the picture of propriety, to be the most teasing at a time like this. It was infuriating!

Under Yuxian's fierce gaze, everyone else stopped their teasing. Chiron then turned to business. "Seitenshi has invited all the children from the outer districts to the central plaza for Christmas. Atalanta has already taken the children there, so we should hurry too. Keeping someone waiting is impolite."

Yuxian already knew about Seitenshi's plan to hold a Christmas event in the central plaza. He hadn't expected her to personally invite the children to celebrate Christmas together.

Yuxian naturally wouldn't refuse such a kind gesture. It was a good thing that would allow the children to have a happy Christmas and would also help bridge the gap between the Cursed Children and ordinary citizens.

Currently, there were no safety concerns in the Tokyo Area. External forces wouldn't dare to act rashly, and a large number of local thugs had been eliminated during the Aldebaran incident. Tokyo's public order was excellent.

When Yuxian and the others arrived at the central plaza, quite a crowd had already gathered.

The decorations were incredibly lavish, sparkling everywhere, giving no sense of the night.

The children were captivated by the beautiful scenery and ran around the plaza. Yuxian saw Little Kohina among them, wearing new clothes and happily playing with everyone else. However, he didn't see Hiruko KageTane's figure, wondering which corner he was hiding in to observe them.

Yuxian let a few children go play on their own and walked to where Seitenshi was standing on the other side to greet her.

Little Jeanne didn't leave. She stayed close to Yuxian, afraid that if the reindeer disappeared in the blink of an eye, Santa Claus wouldn't have one.

"Yuxian-kun, you truly have a childlike heart."

Seitenshi saw Yuxian dressed as a reindeer and covered her mouth with a surprised laugh.

Yuxian felt everyone's gaze on him, a few dark lines appearing on his forehead. He didn't want to speak.

"Reindeer, be polite!" Little Jeanne reminded him from behind when Yuxian remained silent.

It was better that Little Jeanne hadn't said anything. Her words only made Yuxian more embarrassed. He could only force a sheepish smile and say, "Merry Christmas, everyone!"