Journey to Find Heroic Spirits

Everyone wanted to perform stories they were good at and liked, eagerly sharing their opinions.

Jack remained silent, unsure of what role she could play. Yuxian gently patted her head in comfort.

He said, "We should come up with a show that everyone can participate in. We can't just think about ourselves."

Everyone pondered deeply, but no suitable idea emerged, and the atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

Yuxian looked around the room and then suggested, "How about we create a brand-new story? We have seven children here, so let's perform a Holy Grail War."

Inside the room were Kanna, Saikawa, Shota, Jack, Gretel, Illya, and Little Jeanne. Yuxian immediately thought of the Holy Grail War.

"Senpai, the Holy Grail War doesn't seem appropriate. It has nothing to do with Christmas, and it's a bit too..."

Before Mash could finish, Yuxian interrupted her, "Of course, it's not the real Holy Grail War. The story goes like this..."

"The old Santa Claus is about to retire, and a new Santa Claus will be chosen from among seven children. To become qualified for the job, the seven children embark on their individual training, visiting experienced teachers for guidance. Finally, through a competition, the new Santa Claus will be selected."

Yuxian explained his idea and asked, "What do you think? This way, everyone can participate. We can also play the teachers, and each of us can figure out how to teach the children. Whoever wins will depend on their own abilities!"

"I agree!" Little Jeanne was the first to raise her hand. As long as it was related to Santa Claus, she was very enthusiastic. Moreover, in her opinion, the position of Santa Claus was undoubtedly hers, and she was full of confidence.

The others also expressed their agreement, and the show was thus decided.

Next came the grouping. Each child had to find their own teacher. Yuxian's proposal was not just about performing a show; it also contained an element of competition. The children were eager to try, all wanting to become Santa Claus in the end.

Elkoya and Shota were paired together. Kanna and Tohru were paired together. Saikawa and Fafnir were paired together. Little Jeanne and Elma were paired together. Illya and Martha were paired together. Gretel and Mash were paired together. Jack and Yuxian were paired together.

Brother Fei and Kobayashi were very busy with work and didn't have time to participate in the show, so they were excluded.

Mash asked, "Then how will the winner be decided?"

"Of course, it will be decided by the elderly residents of the nursing home. That's the fairest way," Yuxian said with a smile. "You all have to work hard!"

Seeing Saikawa hesitantly approach Fafnir, Yuxian added, "This is also a test of the mentor's teaching ability. If the teaching is too poor, it will be too embarrassing."

Fafnir scoffed. He grabbed Saikawa and prepared to find a place to seriously focus on this performance.

The others also left one by one, finding places to rehearse and discuss.

The room was instantly left with only Yuxian and Jack. To be honest, he hadn't really figured out how to teach Jack to win the applause of the elderly residents during the Christmas performance.

But it didn't matter; participation was the most important thing, and it wasn't necessary to win in the end.

"Does Jack have any ideas?" Yuxian first asked for Little Jack's opinion.

Jack tilted her head and asked, "Mom, what's the most important thing for Santa Claus?"

Yuxian replied, "The most important thing for Santa Claus is to make everyone happy."

"Then let's make everyone happy!"

Jack's words stunned Yuxian. It was uncharacteristic of Jack, and Yuxian's heart felt warm. He gently hugged Jack and softly said, "Jack is right. We need to make sure everyone has a happy Christmas."

With a clear direction, Yuxian and Jack began to rehearse earnestly. Little Jack took the performance very seriously and valued it greatly, and Yuxian did his best to help her.

Jack, with her clever mind, learned quickly. Yuxian only had to explain things once, and she could remember them. This time, she truly gave her all, completely unlike her usual carefree self.

Everyone took this performance very seriously. It had to be said that Yuxian's plan was excellent; competition breeds motivation.

Otherwise, the children might be enthusiastic, but the adults certainly wouldn't have the same level of interest.

Chapter 88: Performances of Varying Styles

Christmas soon arrived. On this day, everyone was eager to showcase their talents on stage and surprise everyone.

Seeing everyone's confident expressions, Yuxian knew they must have put in a lot of effort during this time.

At this moment, they were all waiting to present their achievements to everyone.

The elderly residents of the nursing home were very welcoming of the children's performances. They were very happy to receive慰问 performances from the children on a holiday like Christmas.

The stage props had been set up early in the morning, and everyone's costumes were ready. Much effort had been put into this performance.

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Amidst a burst of applause, the performance officially began.

While comforting Little Jack and telling her not to be too nervous, Yuxian watched the other groups' performances, curious about what wonderful shows they had prepared.

The first to appear was Illya. On her journey to become Santa Claus, she met Saint Martha and sought her guidance and skills. In the end, through her efforts, she defeated the evil dragon Tarasque and became a popular Magical Girl?

Hey, hey!

Yuxian was speechless at this script. Do you want to be a Magical Girl or Santa Claus?

However, her performance was still very well-received by the elderly residents. The realistic dragon, the gorgeous Magical Girl costume, and the dazzling special effects of various skills were highly praised by the elderly, and the applause was continuous.

The second to appear was Shota. He was dressed in a wizard's outfit, portraying himself as a wizard, and performed earnestly.

But wizards also seem to have nothing to do with Santa Claus, right?

Considering his earnestness, Yuxian didn't comment. In fact, he was beyond commenting, especially after seeing Saikawa's costume, who was about to appear next.

Anyway, everyone seemed to be letting loose, and it didn't matter as long as the elderly residents were happy.

Under Fafnir's guidance, Saikawa became an evil witch.

Yes, Yuxian heard correctly. The introduction indeed spoke of an evil witch whose goal was to defeat Santa Claus and turn Christmas into Witch's Day!!!

You've outdone yourself, Fafnir. This script is incredibly creative. I wouldn't be surprised if Martha over there decided to deliver a righteous punch to you…

Gretel's performance was much more normal, after all, with Mash's guidance, she wouldn't go too far off track.

She summoned [Trump Soldiers] as her escort, commanding them to line up in perfect formation and perform a lighthearted show on stage.

But no matter how normal it was, these soldiers looked out of place. Santa Claus, with his large entourage delivering gifts, would be truly amazing. The children would surely cry with joy.

Little Jeanne's expression was full of confidence. Being Santa Claus was simply her playing herself; there was no difficulty. She wore Santa Claus's costume, dressed Elma as a reindeer, and they made a dazzling entrance on a sled.

Seeing Elma dressed as a reindeer, Yuxian couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to be the reindeer again this year; that outfit was far too embarrassing.

Little Jeanne earnestly performed Santa Claus's actions, distributing gifts to the children.

However, Yuxian noticed that the applause from the audience seemed a bit sparse. He quickly started clapping vigorously to encourage the elderly people, prompting them to clap as well, so Little Jeanne wouldn't feel sad.

In reality, Little Jeanne had misunderstood a bit. Her portrayal of Santa Claus was indeed spot-on and very realistic, but in the hearts of the elderly, Santa Claus didn't exist.

They preferred performances like Illya's and Gretel's, finding them more spectacular.

Still, the elderly gave her very warm applause. Every child's performance brought them joy, so how could they be stingy with their applause?

Next up was Kanna's turn. Yuxian was curious about what kind of show Tohru and Kanna had prepared. He was looking forward to seeing what ideas these two dragons, who had begun to integrate into this world, would come up with.

The stage curtain opened, and Kanna, dressed in simple clothes, stood before a giant dragon.

Tohru spoke in a deep, booming voice, "Brave human, you saved me. Now I can grant you one wish. Tell me, do you desire treasure or power?"

Kanna shook her head, her cute voice reaching everyone's ears, "I don't want treasure, nor do I want power. I wish to become Santa Claus."

"Santa Claus?" Tohru asked with a hint of confusion. "Since this is your wish, it shall be granted."

With a bang, Tohru disappeared, leaving only Kanna on stage. Her simple outfit transformed into Santa Claus's attire.

Yuxian secretly nodded, satisfied with this script. Finally, there was a decent group, not strange like the others.

But as it turned out, Yuxian had thought too much.

Kanna, dressed as Santa Claus, began... began... began to cook???

What kind of unexpected turn was this?

Did Tohru and Kanna see Santa Claus as a chef?

Not only Yuxian was surprised by this, but the elderly in the audience also had their mouths wide open, their surprise evident.

Just as Yuxian thought Kanna's performance was over, Kanna, carrying a plate, hurried down the stage.

She distributed the food she had made to the elderly in the audience one by one, letting them taste it.

What kind of bizarre move was this?

"Kanna-chan is too cunning; she's bribing the judges!"

"Mhm, we should have prepared gifts too if we had known."

Little Jeanne touched the bag behind her. She had prepared gifts to give to the elderly after her performance. Seeing Kanna's actions now, she wondered if it would have been better to give them out during the show.

But it was too late now. After Kanna finished distributing the food and returned to the stage, the stage curtain closed, and her performance was complete.

Next was the act by Jack and Yuxian, who were scheduled to perform last.

This order was decided by a draw at the beginning, and Jack had drawn the last spot.

When it was their turn to go on stage, Yuxian noticed Jack was very nervous. This was the first time Yuxian had seen Jack exhibit such nervousness.

In the past, Jack had never shown such emotion; more often than not, she wore a smile, even when facing enemies with a dagger in hand.

"Jack is becoming more and more like a normal child."

Yuxian felt very gratified. He had watched Jack grow step by step, and the feeling was akin to parents watching their child grow up, bringing immense satisfaction and happiness.

ps: Thanks to "Undying Knight of France" for the support!

Section 89, Chapter 29: Christmas Dinner

The curtain opened, and Jack, dressed in a brand-new outfit, stood center stage and began her performance.

To become Santa Claus, Jack searched everywhere for the secret to becoming Santa Claus.

She learned that there was a wise man in a distant mountain village, so she set off to find him and seek his help.

Along the way, she met many people: a kind baker uncle who gave her delicious bread, a diligent farmer who offered her tasty fruits, and a circus caravan that gave her a ride.

After enduring many hardships, Jack finally arrived at the mountain village where the wise man lived. It was a small but very peaceful village. Jack arrived outside the wise man's house.

Knock, knock, knock!

Hearing Jack's knock, the wise man opened the door. Seeing Jack, he asked, "Child, what do you need me for?"

"Respected wise man, do you know the secret to becoming Santa Claus?" Jack eagerly asked the question she most wanted to ask.

The wise man didn't answer her question directly. He asked back, "Child, why do you want to become Santa Claus?"

Jack immediately replied, "Because Santa Claus brings joy to everyone!"

The wise man smiled, patting Jack's head. "Child, that's the secret," he said with a laugh.

Jack, not fully understanding, bid farewell to the wise man and began her journey home.

On the way back, she encountered the circus again. This time, she agreed to perform in place of a sick child.

She met the old farmer who had given her fruit and vegetables, and helped him weed his fields.

She visited the kind man who had given her bread and helped him deliver it to his customers in town.

Upon returning home, she told her companions the stories of her journey, performing the acts she had learned at the circus. Everyone was delighted and welcomed her warmly.

Jack's performance concluded, and the thunderous applause left her dazed and overwhelmed on stage. She had never experienced anything like it before.

Until now, only Yuxian had been truly important to her, and only Gretel could play with her. This time, she felt a profound difference. She realized that others could also like and welcome her.

This stirred a unique emotion within her. Shyly, she fled and threw herself into Yuxian's arms, refusing to let go for a long time.

Yuxian patted her back and said happily, "Jack, you were amazing!"

"Thank you, Mom!"

Jack had changed greatly, but the title 'Mom' had never wavered. Yuxian didn't mind her calling him that; in Jack's heart, 'Mom' was the most special.

The children's performances all ended.

As per the prior arrangement, the children awaited the elders' judgment, with one among the seven to be chosen as the winner for their outstanding performance.

The elders below conferred, each with different opinions, believing every child was excellent.

In the end, all seven children were declared winners.