In this world, something like 'christmas' didn't exist.
Instead, an annual celebration was held to commemorate the new year. This international event, called 'Mag Caia', was held and celebrated in many different forms, but almost every country celebrated it all the same.
On the last day of the year, every year.
"Hey, Pete! You got your hands on the exclusive Triple-Ringed Salamander meat, right?"
―Pine Village was no exception.
"You betcha. Managed to find enough o' the things to last the whole winter! Some Manga Root, too."
"Oh, brilliant! I'll be sure to pop round at some point for some of that, then!" The brown-haired man's face lighting up, he took a mental note of all the limited time goods he would need to return another time for.
"Ah!" The woman holding onto the man's arm suddenly exclaimed, turning to her husband, "Dear, before I forget; could we get some Illac?"
"Dad, can we get some honey?" Their child added from beside the mother.
Pete nodded. "Triple-Sal, Illac and honey? Sure thing. Lily, you heard 'em!"
Shortly after yelling into the house behind him, the mentioned young girl was quick to appear beside the stocky man dragging a larger sack labelled '#4' behind her and another smaller sack labelled '#9' with one hand, and holding a glass jar filled with some kind of amber-tinted viscous liquid in the other.
"Ah, thanks. You're doing a good job."
His calloused hand briefly paused to stroke his daughter's blue-black hair as he grabbed the sack of meat and the jar of honey, handing them over to the couple as he informed them of the price.
Watching them pay with a combination of gold, silver and bronze coins, Lily lowered her head into the black scarf that shielded her vulnerable neck from the harsh and bitter winds, staring at the couple in silence as she breathed white mist into the air.
"Thanks a bunch, Pete! See you next time!"
"No problem. Enjoy!"
Satisfied with their purchases, the couple walked off through the village, the thick layer of snow crunching audibly beneath their feet.
"It's about time to close shop. Lily, you did good today--"
Turning to face his daughter with a well-earned commendation, he froze, not missing the violet gaze that stayed stuck on the back of the family in the distance.
More precisely, a vacant stare that glued to the mother.
"..."
His mouth shut, Pete had to force himself to repress the bitter expression that wanted to creep its way onto his face.
'Oh, Mira...'
Looking up at the dim sky, Pete grasped his face with one hand, slightly squeezed it for a moment, and wiped the slowly distorting look off of himself.
"...Lily."
"..."
Whether it was because she didn't hear her father or because she ignored him, there was no response.
"It'll be evening soon. Let's go inside."
The grey sky was ever-darkening, and it would not cease for a peasant girl like her.
"Lily. It's getting cold out."
The sun would continue to set.
The snow would continue to fall.
The wind would continue to grow harsher and harsher as dusk approached.
"Liliana. Come here."
"...Yes."
Perhaps it was the increased sternness in his voice, but the girl's stupor was abruptly shaken, bringing her back to the present.
The door closed on the father and daughter as they settled back at home. Back in the warmth.
Lily didn't quite realise how cold her body was getting until she made it inside.
❖─────❖─────❖
Watching Ray play with his baby sister, Eri, whilst leaving Sera to her own devices, training magic alone in her room, Eric thought to himself as he chopped up various meats and vegetables, adding them to a pot of broth.
'It's good that the kids seem to have inherited more of my constitution than their mother's. I was worried we might have a Falluhr Situation on our hands.'
The saying 'Falluhr Situation' simply meant 'a place full of sick people'. Its origin was the distant city of Falluhr, a place renowned for its exceptionally high percentage of ill population all-year round. What Eric meant was that he was glad his children weren't as prone to sickness as their mother.
Finishing the stew with some added herbs and spices, he dished the meal―which was crafted specifically for the purpose of internal warming and bodily healing―into a bowl and carefully took it into his bedroom, whereupon he found a wan and haggard-looking Serena lying sluggishly in bed.
"Here, I made you some stew. Serena, please, try to have some if you can."
"Cough, cough-! Oh, honey...~ Thank you...~"
Her smile was as uplifting and cheerful as always, but in sad contrast with her pallid and weary face, it did not seem to fit her current state at all.
Assisting her frail and subtly trembling hand with his own, he helped bring one spoonful of the stew to her mouth after another, convincing her ever so gently to take one extra mouthful if she could.
Eventually, Serena managed to finish the entire bowl with Eric's support.
"Ah...~ I do feel somewhat better now, thank you, darling...~"
The stew was supposed to assist in recovery, and it seemed to work as effectively as Eric had hoped.
Naturally, it wasn't such a special thing that could cure illness or something like that, but it did contain a small portion of Angel Weed mixed in, a herb that contained mana, which generally accelerated the speed of convalescence.
This was all Eric could do for his beloved wife as a pure swordsman who had no special abilities like being able to use Healing Magic or talents like being able to brew magical restoration or sickness relief potions.
'If only someone like Mira or Gwen were here... We didn't have concerns like these back then...'
Pine Village was far too out in the middle of nowhere, really, to have anyone capable of healing, however, and so no matter how Eric wished for two of his former party members to appear out of thin air to heal Serena, he knew such a thing was impossible.
"Of course... Just, don't hesitate to ring the bell if you need anything. You should get some more rest."
"Yes~ Goodnight, love...~"
Tucking her in underneath the thick covers of the bed, Eric gazed at the ailing figure of his wife with a pair of dejected, pitying eyes.
'...It's worse than usual this year.'
He was sure that she noticed it too, perhaps even more so than he himself did, but he couldn't bring himself to speak on it.
A moment passed, and he muttered without thinking.
"Serena... Are you sure you don't want me to send a message to your fa--"
Suddenly, Serena shot a firm look, completely unexpected were one to take a glance at her condition. Interrupting him, she uncharacteristically shot Eric down before he had a chance to finish his sentence.
"Darling. Cough, cough-! We promised to never talk about that..."
"But if it gets any worse, then what'll happen to--"
"We can't. The children... Cough, cough-! Cough, cough-! ...Shouldn't have to suffer being pinned down under 'those people'... Even if it results in... the worst case..."
"..."
Eric didn't know what to say, a complicated expression on his face as he looked at her, and so he simply shut his mouth before another argument on the matter started.
"Cough, cough-! ...Darling, come here..."
Opening her arms towards him, Serena called Eric. Without hesitation, he accepted the invitation and leant in to hug her; the couple wrapped their arms around the other, embracing each other in silence for however long.
"I'm sorry..." Serena started by saying as she whispered in a low voice into Eric's ear. "I just... You know I can't let that happen... Please..."
Eric nodded without a word.
He knew they couldn't ask Serena's father for help regarding her condition.
Whether he would even send them help in the first place was subject to doubt, but... No, if it was that man, it wouldn't be surprising if he left his daughter to rot in the countryside like this.
He knew, but something about it was just... Not right. If there was no one else to contact for support, then in the worst case...
'...I'll just make sure to get some extra potions come spring.'
Neither the travelling merchants nor the Valeni priests would be willing to come all the way out to someplace like Pine Village in the middle of such a harsh and snowy autumn or winter now, so he would have to wait months until help would become available.