Man, sure is cold.
No, I have my hands full with Wasiolka.
Sorry.
Oh, fine... Have it your way.
Red and Green Ribbon
Now, everyone.
We will be doing the Holy Night delivery.
You will collect the packages from here.
Understood?
It's that season again.
Um, what's this "Holy Night?"
This is your first time, isn't it, Lag Seeing?
Holy Night is a holiday that came from up north.
It's held every year at this time to honor the Empress.
You can stuff yourself with turkey and cake and all kinds of stuff!
Sounds pretty fun.
Of course, the meaning of the Holy Night is more than that.
It's also a day to pray for everyone to live happier lives.
Every year the Bee-Hive collects presents from charity organizations,
and delivers them to needy children in the northern area.
So now you know.
Put your heart into it, and don't crush their dreams, okay?
What a pain in the...
Oh yes. Would you pair with Lag this year?
Teach him the ropes as his senior, okay?
We're counting on you.
I'll do my best!
Here.
What are these clothes?
They're the outfits of the Holy Night Messengers.
Two old men bring children presents on the Holy Night.
And then the Holy Night Messengers have to grant them a single wish.
Really?
Oh, it's a real pain every year.
Like "Become a sheep and do what I say," or "I wish you'd would grant me 100 more wishes!" etc...
Well, it's okay to refuse if it's something really horrible.
Nowadays nobody believes in the Holy Night Messengers.
Man, I dread this night every year.
This freaky outfit...
Bright red is so uncool.
The whole thing sucks.
But it looks good on you!
Like hell it does!
Now, now...
I hate this type of job worse than anything.
Let's get this over with quick.
Jewel Snow Mountain, huh?
What kind of place is it?
I've heard it's a place covered in snow.
There's a gaichuu point near the mountain top, too.
Seems like a pretty conservative area, but I've never been there before myself.
I'm gonna take a nap.
You conserve your energy too.
Goodnight.
Is Niche doing okay?
Why is Lag going on a delivery with Zazie?
This time the delivery is special.
Even if it's special, me and Lag should be together!
I am Lag's dingo, right?
Well, I know how you feel, but...
Hey, say something to her, will you?
As a Letter Bee, Lag is learning how to do different kinds of deliveries.
Sometimes he'll be delivering things without his dingo.
That is also important experience.
For experience...
Wasiolka is waiting patiently, see?
My fellow dingo, I understand. This is a time we wait.
You'd think they could at least shovel the snow!
I suppose not many people come by here.
Here.
Thanks.
Be careful, would you?
There are plenty of places like this you'll have to deliver to-
Are you okay?
Of course I'm okay!
Let's get on with it!
Ms. Sonja Malmöla, a delivery for you.
Coming!
The Holy Night Messengers!
Wow!
This is the first time you've come to my house!
You're kind of shorter than I expected.
Your red clothes are wonderful!
Here, your present.
Wow!
It's a Monsieur Criesalot picture book!
Thank you so much!
So, you get a wish, remember?
We'll grant one thing, whatever you want.
A wish?
I don't really have one.
Anything'll do. Like "pretend to be a sheep and do what I say," or something.
Lag!
Then how about you stay for dinner?
Tonight is the Holy Night, right?
Everything'll taste better if we eat it together!
Right?
Sonja really seems like a good girl.
Cheerful, and...
You think?
She's just a kid with no worries.
But it looks like she does everything herself.
Maybe she doesn't have any parents?
Who knows? It's not so rare these days.
You, me, and Sylvette don't have any parents either.
Well, true, but...
Is she okay? Maybe I should help her.
Leave her be.
She told us to wait here and have some snacks...
But...
Our job is to eat dinner with her.
By the way, you interfere far too much with the addressees.
It's not something for us to worry about.
You're hopeless...
I'll help you.
I can't do it all at once by myself.
Thank you, Mr. Holy Night Messenger!
Call me Lag.
Lag? That's a nice name!
And the other messenger?
He's Zazie. He has more experience than me.
I see. So the older ones teach the new ones?
Something like that.
Oh yeah... I have to go buy ingredients for dinner.
Zazie, Sonja tells me she wants to go shopping.
Would you mind going with her?
Huh? Why me?
She'd have a hard time carrying it all by herself, and I'll finish shoveling the snow.
I'll handle the shoveling, so you go.
She also said that she wants to talk with the other messenger.
Hey, why'd you become a messenger, Zazie?
I'm not a messenger.
You don't actually believe in that stuff, do you?
You're not? Then what are you?
I'm a Letter Bee.
I see! You're Letter Bees!
So that's why you go and deliver presents?
I guess so.
Why did you become a Letter Bee?
It's not really important.
Come on, tell me.
Grouch.
Grouch?
It's the village!
Thanks, as always!
If you're finished here, leave and go home!
Okay!
Um... There's the turkey, and then... I have to buy vegetables!
Look, it's that girl...
Oh no... I wish she wouldn't come down here...
Zazie, I'm gonna go buy vegetables, so wait here and hold this, okay?
Sure.
You're a Holy Night Messenger Letter Bee, right?
Right.
Let me warn you.
Don't get too close to that girl.
Thanks for waiting!
What's the matter?
Let's head to the next store!
Wow, this looks amazingly delicious!
Since there are three of us tonight, I made a bunch!
Have as much as you'd like.
Thanks for the food!
If you're finished here, leave and go home!
Let me warn you.
Don't get too close to that girl.
Zazie?
Oh, nothing...
Thanks for the food.
It doesn't look like it will let up any time soon.
How about you rest here until it does?
Are you sure?
Thanks a lot! That'll be a great help.
Right, Zazie?
Then, in return...
Monsieur became the Mustache King... And in the end...
And in the end...
In the end...
I'm crying so much I can't read the end!
You guys are such crybabies.
Didn't you cry when you read it, Zazie?
Sure I cried, but I was a little kid.
And even then, it wasn't that sad.
But...
But!
Sheesh, you guys are a pain.
I want to be able to write a picture book just like that.
Picture book?
Oh yeah, that picture...
I drew that.
One day I want to draw books like this one that lots of people will read.
Thank you.
You granted my wish, and I couldn't be happier.
Sure...
The snow's let up.
I'm sure you'll be able to return tomorrow.
Seems like it.
Um, hey...
Well, you're all alone up here in the mountains?
Why not live in the village?
You heard the people in the village, right?
My mom and dad were killed by gaichuu.
So now the people in the village don't like me.
They say that children whose parents were killed by gaichuu might draw gaichuu to them.
You know that's not true!
But that's what they believe!
I can't tell them to stop believing.
So it's better for me not to go to the village.
And anyway, this house has all my memories of my mom and dad.
So I'm not lonely.
Anyway, it's time for bed.
Goodnight.
My mom and dad were killed by gaichuu.
Soup?
He always prepares it so that he can feed it to them when they regain consciousness.
Even though their eyes are open.
So that's what happens when you get done in by a gaichuu...
But, that boy... He never cried even once.
Why'd you become a Letter Bee?
Why did I?
Thank you for everything!
Giving me a hand with the housework really helped me out!
And thank you as well for the wonderful meal.
Your cooking was delicious.
I'm glad to hear it.
Sonja, you see...
Hey! You're Letter Bees, right?
Come down to the village, quick!
A gaichuu has shown up!
That's...
It came down from the gaichuu point?
This is your fault!
It's because you came down to the village yesterday!
You're wrong!
Her parents being killed by gaichuu has nothing to do with it!
B-But...
Look! I promise I'll bring it down!
Then you ain't got nothin' to complain about, right?
Let's go, Lag!
That's the gaichuu, Cointreau!
It has the same weak point as a Glen Keith!
So, it's in its head, right?
Right.
Lag, get its attention and stun it with a shindan.
I'll aim for its head from above!
Got it.
Shindan, loaded!
Red Needle!
The bullet I shoot is a fragment of my hatred!
Resound, my malice!
Blue Thorn!
Zazie!
Gaichuu are attracted by heart.
Perhaps it reacted to all the presents that were delivered to the village.
This was not Sonja's fault!
If a gaichuu appears again, call me!
I'll defeat them, as many times as it takes!
As many times as it takes!
Zazie...
Here, take this.
What is this?
You really helped me a lot. This is to say thanks.
Thank you, we'll treasure it.
Yes, we will.
Zazie, thank you.
Yeah. Stay well, okay?
Sure!
Man, sure is cold.
Here.
Next: The Promised Land