Santa Claus traveled throughout the imperial capital every night, delivering gifts to children.
When they woke up to find the presents, they had wished for, children were delighted, and their parents smiled warmly.
"Mom! Mom! It's a music box!"
"Are you so happy to get a music box?"
"Yes, I love it so much!"
"Hahaha!"
A warm laughter blossomed in households that had been frozen by the cold weather—all thanks to a small gift left behind by Santa Claus.
To the people of the Empire, Santa Claus was no longer a suspicious stranger but a respected saint whom everyone hoped to meet.
Children sat by the fireplace, waiting for Santa, who could arrive at any moment, and Santa brought happiness to them all.
He would sometimes get caught sneaking getting cola from the refrigerator or playfully snatch children's snacks—always a cheerful and fun grandfather figure.
Every night, he rode his sleigh, visiting children to deliver presents—the delightful Santa Claus.
As his fame grew, even the imperial family and the Church began to take notice.
The first to respond was the Emperor.
─Entering other people's homes without permission is certainly wrong, but his good deeds for the citizens align with the spirit of the imperial family.
This was practically an acknowledgment of Santa Claus's actions.
When asked if Santa Claus was a member of the imperial palace, the Emperor maintained a "no comment" stance.
Instead of giving a clear "yes" or "no," he chose vague words, avoiding a direct answer.
This clever maneuver by the Emperor planted the idea among the people that there might be a connection between him and Santa Claus.
And whenever suspicions arise, there are always those who start to believe them as fact.
"I heard Santa Claus is actually a court wizard sent by His Majesty to look after the people."
"I knew it! I had a feeling something extraordinary was going on when I saw that flying sleigh."
"Exactly! How could anyone other than the imperial family create a flying sleigh? Even the Twelve Towers couldn't manage that."
"This must have been planned for a long time."
"Long live His Majesty!"
Speculation turned into truth, and unexpectedly, the Emperor began to receive widespread praise.
Seeing this, the Church, which had remained silent, finally released a statement about Santa Claus.
─The gifts brought by Santa Claus are the wishes you prayed to God for. He is a saint delivering the blessings of God on His behalf.
This was a roundabout way of stating that Santa Claus was not part of the imperial family while also emphasizing his connection to the Church.
"Did you hear? Santa's gifts are blessings from God."
"Huh? What are you talking about? I heard Santa's gifts were funded by the imperial treasury."
Whether Santa Claus was a saint or a member of the imperial family became a hotly debated topic among the citizens.
This buzz around Santa Claus was precisely what I had hoped for.
After all, the more popular Santa Claus became, the smoother my plan to boost coke sales would proceed.
But...
"Why are they both making such a fuss?"
"They're just trying to get a piece of the action, I suppose."
"..."
Seeing the items Aria brought in, I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.
There were paintings of Santa Claus reading the Bible with children, wooden figurines of Santa riding a sleigh emblazoned with the imperial crest...
Both the imperial family and the Church were racing to release Santa Claus-themed merchandise.
"They say that the Saintess is dressed as Santa Claus, giving out gifts to children. The imperial family seems to be doing something similar too."
"They're really rowing that boat."
"Indeed."
It was like I had built the boat, but someone else was rowing it.
The character I created had become a vessel for both the imperial family and the Church to seize the oars and steer for themselves.
It was absurd, but it also worked to my advantage.
If I wanted to elevate Santa Claus's fame even further, I couldn't do it with my own strength alone.
"If they want it, I should let them have it."
I picked up a crystal orb and made a call somewhere.
*
The richest person in the world is Santa Claus.
This was once a joke circulating on Earth in my previous life.
And for good reason—there are 2.5 billion children worldwide, and even conservatively, over 500 million of them eagerly await Christmas.
Even if each gift is valued at just 10,000 won, a staggering 5 trillion won would be needed.
But that's not all.
Consider the cost of room and board for the elves who make 500 million toys, along with the transportation expenses required to deliver them safely and swiftly. Estimating Santa's wealth is simply impossible.
Even within the limited space of the Imperial Capital, operating Santa Claus alone cost me tens of thousands of golds.
Delivering gifts to all the children across the capital was nothing short of a massive project.
But I didn't want Santa Claus's fame to remain confined to the capital.
I wanted to spread Santa Claus's reputation throughout the Empire and eventually across the entire continent.
After all, the more famous our promotional model is, the more widely our processed foods will be known, right?
Of course, this was not a plan I could achieve alone.
So, I needed to gather those who could help make it happen.
"Thank you all for coming."
I bowed my head as I looked at the faces gathered in the Imperial Palace conference room.
Present were the Second Princess Christina, Minister of Finance Count Andersen, and from the Holy See, the Saintess and Cardinal Bruno.
These were key figures from both the Imperial Court and the Church.
All of them had come at my request.
In truth, if it weren't for Christina's help, bringing them together like this would have been nearly impossible.
"If this turns out to be trivial, be prepared." Christina smiled sweetly.
Though her words sounded mischievous, they were meant to protect me.
She was essentially signaling to the others not to intervene, as she would handle things if my proposal turned out to be insignificant.
"Understood."
Of course, I had full confidence in my proposal, which is why I had called them here.
"Please, come in."
"...?"
Everyone turned to look at the conference room door, puzzled.
Shortly after, the door opened, and a man stepped inside.
Everyone's eyes widened.
The man who entered was an elderly gentleman with a bushy white beard, dressed in red clothes.
"Allow me to introduce Santa Claus."
"..."
"..."
Silence filled the room.
The Saintess stood there with her mouth open, and both the Minister of Finance and Cardinal Bruno blinked in disbelief.
Amused by their bewildered reactions, Christina chuckled quietly.
She had a rough idea of what was going on since I had explained it to her beforehand.
"S-Santa? Are you really saying he is Santa Claus?"
"That's right. I am Santa Claus."
"Huh..."
"I can't believe it."
At Brümdal's response, the three of them reacted with varying degrees of shock—some clicked their tongues, while others shut their mouths in surprise.
And no wonder—Santa Claus had recently become the most talked-about figure in the capital.
Both the Church and the Imperial Court had been using Santa Claus as a promotional image.
The Saintess had even worn a Santa costume while participating in various charity events, and the Ministry of Finance had used Santa Claus as a tool for gaining public favor.
But now, with Santa Claus himself appearing before them, they had every reason to be astonished.
However, they did not remain in shock for long.
Count Andersen, the Minister of Finance, asked,
"You didn't bring us here just to introduce Santa Claus. What is your business?"
"It was my idea to create Santa Claus."
"…I thought so."
Though the word "thought" lingered slightly uncomfortably, I continued without showing it.
"The funds needed to operate Santa Claus are currently being paid by the White Tower. But giving gifts to children requires substantial costs."
"That's understandable."
"I would like to ask for help in making those gifts."
Christina asked with a hint of amusement.
"Are you saying you want to use state funds for a business venture?"
"It's not a business—it's for gifts for the children."
I emphasized that these were gifts for the children, looking over at Cardinal Bruno and the Saintess.
"I want children to receive gifts and feel joy during the cold winter."
More precisely, I wanted them to feel joy from receiving gifts from Santa Claus.
"I want to see the smiles of children who receive the divine gifts from Santa Claus and feel happiness."
Because that's how Santa Claus would become famous.
"The Heavenly Father would surely wish for that as well."
"Yuri Grail, you are truly a remarkable person."
Cardinal Bruno showed a deeply moved expression.
"To think you've been spending your own money just to see the children's smiles…!"
"If it brings joy to the children, spending my own money is no grand gesture."
"The Heavenly Father must certainly be pleased as well."
Though Cardinal Bruno expressed admiration, he still couldn't bring himself to commit to offering help.
After all, the number of children living in the Empire was not small, and promising to create gifts for all of them was not something he could easily agree to.
It would require an enormous amount of money.
However, outright refusal was also difficult.
Would those who had used Santa Claus as a promotional image until now suddenly refuse to support him?
Such a move would surely damage their image—it was as clear as day.
I decided to give them a little push to help them make a decision.
"I am not asking for a large sum. Five million gold—that would be enough."
Five million gold was certainly a lot of money, but for massive organizations like the Empire and the Church, it was an amount they could afford.
And,
"I will make sure the names of those who support Santa Claus are written on the gifts given to the children."
"Their names, you say?"
"Yes."
A system where the donor's name is written on the gift encourages voluntary donations.
With the Imperial Court's and the Church's support funds, along with additional donations from benefactors, it would be possible to spread Santa Claus's gifts over a region broader than just the capital.
"An interesting proposal."
The princess smiled slightly.
"I am in favor."
"…Your Highness, distributing gifts during the resting period may be too much."
"We will only do it for a single day."
The Minister of Finance tilted his head at my response.
"Only for a day?"
"Yes, while the distribution within the capital has already begun and cannot be helped, from now on, we will limit it to just one day."
My plan was to expand the gift-giving beyond the capital to other regions, but only for a single day.
Of course, since Brümdal couldn't visit every region, hired Santa Clauses in each area would secretly place the gifts and leave.
"The Church will accept Yuri Grail's proposal."
"Thank you, Saintess."
"No, not at all. You are doing what the Church should have been doing, so I am the one who should be grateful."
The Saintess, Yusephine, smiled gently.
"I hope there will be an opportunity to repay you properly in the future."
"…Your words alone are more than enough."
When I glanced back, Christina's face was expressionless.
However, her eyebrow twitched slightly.
It happened so quickly that I wasn't sure if I had imagined it.
"Hmm, if it's only for a day, that's not too bad."
Count Andersen nodded in agreement with my proposal.
"If it's just a day, when do you plan to do it?"
"Well, let me think…"
I pretended to ponder for a moment before speaking.
"Let's do it on Wednesday, the week after next. That timing seems appropriate."
"Wednesday, the week after next…?"
"December 25th."
December 25th.
The day of Christ's birth, and the day Santa gives gifts to children.
Christmas.
But this world's Christmas would be a bit more unique.
Because Santa Claus was going to show up holding a bottle of cola.
*
The promise of support from the Holy See and the Imperial Court proceeded smoothly.
Both the Church and the Imperial Court sent 5 million gold each, amounting to a staggering total of 10 million gold in support funds, and the first-ever altar dedicated to supporting Santa Claus was established.
The effect was tremendous.
"I heard the Santa Claus's Altar has been established."
"Are you saying an altar was created for Santa Claus?"
"That's right. Apparently, they'll include the donor's name in Santa Claus's gifts."
"Oh, that sounds fun!"
The aristocrats, intrigued by the idea of having their names included in the gifts, eagerly donated to the Santa Claus's Altar.
The notion of someone else presenting a gift bearing one's own name was a powerful trigger for vanity.
As the aristocrats' donations poured in like a relay, Santa Claus's name became a daily sensation.
High-ranking nobles, including dukes, marquises, and even members of the imperial family, contributed funds to the Santa Claus Altar.
"I wonder who will receive the gift bearing His Majesty the Emperor's name."
Since gifts bearing the names of high-ranking nobles were expected to hold high value, the question of who would receive them became a captivating spectacle.
And so, as the introduction of this sponsorship system propelled the Santa Claus craze to its peak...
—On December 25th, Santa will come to visit you.
The astonishing news that Santa Claus would reveal himself spread throughout the Empire.
***
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