After the snowy  Christmas Eve wrapped up, Christmas had finally arrived.

I slipped the book cover that Isolette gifted me onto my book, tucked a Christmas card into the pages like a bookmark, and glanced out the window. Snowmen stood across the streets, their creators a complete mystery.

The buildings were decked out in vibrant green and red decorations, making it truly feel like Christmas.

But the most eye-catching feature? The Imperial Clock Tower, adorned with string lights that transformed it into a giant Christmas tree.

“The Empire feels pretty modern too.”
“Modern…?”

“Yeah, totally.”

Every day in the Empire brought new tech and infrastructure. The foundation I set up was speeding up that development.

The Magic Tower, the Imperial Family, the Council, the Merchant Guild Alliance, the Beastman Community, the Church, the Kingdom of Harren—.

Normally, these separate “powers,” each with their own interests, were now working together, all thanks to the Foundation acting as a bridge. This “Christmas” was like a massive showcase of that change: new technology, modern infrastructure, and all the accompanying laws and political mumbo jumbo.

All those unfamiliar things advertised themselves in the most dazzling way, riding on the “magic of Christmas.”

So this was kind of a… turning point. A shift from the past to the present—not in a nasty ‘war to end all wars’ kind of way, but a peaceful upheaval.

I stared at the scene, then glanced at my watch.

“Well… we’ve got plenty of time until our appointment, I guess I’ll just hang out in the library and read a book first.”
“I’ll get ready to head out.”

“Uh-huh. Thanks as always, Sion.”
“It’s my joy to help you, Master.”

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In the great hall of the Homer Central Library.

An extravagant crowd had filled this spacious space, rivaling even the grandeur of the Empire’s parliament. Tables overflowed with food and wine, and the guests were decked out in their finest.

The ambiance reminded me of an imperial banquet hall.

No, it was fancier than that. The Third Prince of the Empire and his adopted daughter, Count Plummer, the leader of the Conservative party in the Council, King Natae, who had become the eternal ruler of Harren, Gray, the spiritual leader of the Beastman community, Cardinal Garnier from the Holy See, the Tower Master and Chief Mage, and the leader of the Merchant Guild Alliance, among many others.

All the bigwigs symbolizing power in their respective fields were gathered here.

“A Christmas dinner to celebrate the library’s founding—Homer must have planned something interesting.”
“Isn’t that the Eternal King of Haren standing over there?”
“Oh, come on. Why would the King of Haren be here?”

But it wasn’t a summit.

In addition to the powerful, there were students from Homeros Academy, priests and volunteers from the orphanage, monks from the monastery, and nobles connected to the Frieden family.

This was all because a “Christmas dinner” was on the agenda.

“Hmph… I’m so nervous! When is Mr. Homer coming? There are so many scary people around…”
“Shh, calm down and wait—”

“Ian. Is that the friend who writes the amazing stories you always talk about?”
“….”

“Nice to meet you. Miss Rolls Camel. I’m Ian’s father, Count Plummer. I’m undeservedly the leader of the Conservative Party.”
“Ah, um, hello! I’m Rolls, C-Camel!”

“Haha. No need to be nervous. I hear our Ian causes quite a ruckus. Thanks for being friends with our youngest!”
“W-Well, it’s nothing!”

Of course, just because it was a dinner party didn’t mean we’d only be eating.

Some folks were mingling and catching up, while others were hustling to exchange business cards, trying to network.

With the chatter rising, the atmosphere morphed from lively to chaotic.

The soundproofing was top-notch, so it wouldn’t bother other library patrons, but the noise was growing louder, making it tough to hear anything at all. This was especially true since some of the people I often butted heads with were also present.

The noise reached a breaking point.

The dining hall door swung open, and a man walked in. A hush fell over the crowd instantly.

“Oh! Sorry for being late. I got lost in a book and—wow, time flies…”

Homer. Herodotus. Sophocles. Giants of literature.

The greatest writers of our time.

Ed Frieden.

He awkwardly scratched his cheek, strolled in, and looked around at the sea of stares.

“Uh… Have you all been waiting long?”

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Honestly, I didn’t initially plan for this grand dinner party.

It all started with Mr. Dolling from Kindersley Publishing.

“Author!”
“Yes, sir?”

“I’m planning a  Christmas dinner with the staff—want to join us?!”
“I’d be grateful for the invite!”

“Oh boy… The staff will flip when they hear you’re coming! They might even faint from excitement!”

A Christmas dinner, just a small gathering with the publishing staff I often owe favors to—perfectly reasonable, so I nodded.

The venue? The Homer Central Library’s conference room.

That’s how the arrangement with the publishers came about…

“I heard everyone’s planning to spend Christmas with their significant other.”
“Absolutely! It’s a special day for lovers.”

“That means I’m spending it with my author.”
“Wait, what?”

“My favorite is your novel! Didn’t you know?” *giggles*

Princess Isu, unexpected as ever, suggested spending Christmas together.

“Well, I have plans with the publishing staff, you see…”
“Oh come on. I’ll join too.”

“What?”
“Isn’t it fine for a patron to attend a publisher’s dinner?”

“Uh, yeah…”

And just like that, the dinner party got one more guest.

But it didn’t stop there.

“Hey, Author! Our academy students want to throw a Christmas dinner for you…”
“Count Plummer’s name will secure the best restaurant!”

With the academy students eager to gather for a dinner, I found it tough to turn them down.

“It was hilarious watching the preparations for the ‘candy parachute’ you mentioned! You had to see it!”
“Really?”

“Totally! Big guys wrapping candies carefully in cloth—it was a sight! Anyway, how’s your schedule for Christmas?”

“Hmm.”

The Eternal King of Haren even stopped by personally to ask if he could attend the Christmas dinner.

Then everyone I knew started asking about my Christmas plans… So I decided to throw a massive dinner party everyone could join.

The conference room at the Homer Central Library was spacious enough to transform into a banquet hall.

And the results?

“Mr. Homer! I was blown away by ‘Metamorphosis!’ Your modern take on the head of household’s alienation is brilliantly depicted using allegorical symbols!”
“Mr. Homer, can you share the tale of the angel that was said to have descended during the Transcendence?”
“Lord Homeros, over here please!”
“Homeros saw me!”

There we go, a crowd of people surging toward me.

Honestly, I regretted coming to the banquet a minute into it. I should’ve just stayed home and read my book…

I waded through the crowd toward the food. I grabbed a plate of plum pudding and shoved some into my mouth immediately.

A bit impolite, sure, but with that mob, I had no other choice!

“Ah, Mr. Gray. Long time no see.”
“Thanks for the invite.”

“How are you enjoying the feast?”
“Thanks to your planning. I am thoroughly enjoying it.”

“Glad to hear that.”

My chat with Gray made the room suddenly go quiet. In any case, beastmen were still marginalized in this world.

Their sharp teeth and claws incited primal fear while their furry appearance repelled others.

I could hear whispers from the guests around.

“What if the Beastman hurt Mr. Homeros…?”
“They say Beastmen can’t control their impulses and get riled up at the sight of blood… Shouldn’t we get rid of them?”

The blatant bias left a sour taste in my mouth.

Even though things have improved a bit, you can’t change long-held perceptions overnight. Time is needed.

Afterward, I greeted Princess Isu, the Eternal King, Cardinal Garnier, and many others.

Thanks to that, I hardly ate anything during the  Christmas dinner…

But it was whatever.

When I felt the moment was right, I approached the center of the great hall, towards the whitewashed walls. Lights from the White Tower illuminated the path, and wizards from the Purple Tower and the Gray Tower parted the crowd left and right to create a walkway.

A path forged from people opened up in the banquet hall.

Taking my place, I delivered a brief toast. Then I motioned to Zion to bring over the gifts I had prepped.

“On this joyous day marking the Savior’s descent to earth, I have prepared a small gift for you.”

Gift boxes for every single attendee.

With curiosity tinged with anticipation, everyone’s eyes were on the boxes.

Once everyone had snagged theirs, I spoke again.

“This is my new book, scheduled for release next month!”

I might not be Santa…

But I had prepared the best Christmas gift I could give.

I’m sure they’ll all love it.

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[I still remember the advice my father gave me back when I was younger and more impressionable.]
[“When you’re tempted to criticize someone else, remember that not everyone in the world sees things from a viewpoint as advantageous as yours.”]