Candy patted the small basket she carried with her, which, wrapped in a layer of pink fabric, looked unassuming yet was actually a magical storage item.

"This badge was given to us by the Elves, only with it can we freely traverse the Light Five District."

You were full of curiosity about everything ahead, "What are the Elves like?"

Candy revealed a smile.

"An attractive, beautiful, sunshine-bright, kind-hearted, natural masterpiece of a race..."

With that thought in mind, you arrived at the Light Five District, which felt like walking through a warm forest, bathed in sunlight and green leaves.

Couples of beautiful Elves leaned against the verdant trees, playing harps to the song of their partners.

It all seemed so wonderful.

You then saw your destination.

It was a giant sequoia, its hollow parts altered into a treehouse, standing out in size and atmosphere, disparate from its surroundings.

The air was chilling, and the cold breeze was like the sighs of people. You looked up to see black resentment forming clouds at the treetop, and in a trance, you saw the faces of people wailing in pain within the darkness, crying out in agony.

"I really want a girlfriend～"

"I don’t want to be alone for the holidays～"

"..."

Inside the sequoia treehouse, a group of Druids worked at their stations.

In front of each Elf was a scoop of soil and a basket full of seeds.

They painstakingly took out each seed, buried it in the soil, and began casting spells to foster plant growth; a sprout quickly appeared and gradually grew to thirty centimeters tall, then blossomed, and bore fruit. The fruit visibly swelled, eventually bending the tender branch. The rest of the plant quickly withered; thus, an apple came to maturity before its time. (This process defies biology; apples are borne on trees, and forcing them to ripen this way ensures a single seed yields only one apple—a fitting example of equivalent exchange.)

This process could be considered a miracle, but what was more concerning was the deathly pallor and vacant gaze of the working Elf Druids, as if each spell were draining their very souls.

"Damn it, why do we have to work overtime on a holiday? Being without a partner is bad enough, but we don’t even get a chance to go home and cry..."

"Stop complaining. Isn’t it common knowledge that singles have to work overtime during the holidays? Others did our work for us during the Singles Day holiday."

"It’s so painful. I don’t want to work～ I really want to fall in love～"

"I don’t know if you want to use a holiday as an excuse to find love, or if you want to find love as an excuse for a holiday."

"I want both."

"Both!"

"We all do!"

"We all do!!!"

Candy gently knocked on the door, and the resounding sound echoed through the room, silencing the whispers and the flashes of spellcasting.

In the dim setting, the door slowly opened. The sunbeams and the little yellow hat reflected off each other’s hues, and in Candy’s radiant smile, the tranquility was shattered. "Happy holidays, Elf friends."

"Roar!!!!!"

"It’s Miss Candy!!!"

"It’s the little angel Candy!!!!"

"It’s Goddess Candy!!!!"

The young Elves erupted in deafening cheers, their eyes once again brimming with life. "Welcome, Miss Candy!" Some older Elves also showed a kind and tender smile, as if they were looking at their own daughter.

Candy modestly greeted the Elves, who were wildly flailing their arms but still anchored to their seats. Their dedication was not out of professionalism but because their legs were firmly bound by the growing branches, making the apple-ripening work seem more like mandatory labor. Within the Elf Race, there was no such thing as money. They practiced balance and harmony, akin to an ideal utopian society. Every Elf fulfilled their duty, and the council of elders oversaw them.

Candy approached an elderly Elf with a goatee beard. He was the supervisor of the young ones, or rather, the manager of the production department.

"Happy holidays, Mr. Patrick."

Patrick smiled, "Happy holidays, Candy." The elder Elf gave a fierce glare to the Elves sitting upright, then turned back to Candy with a smile.

"The apples you ordered are ready; as usual, we are troubled to ask for your assistance, Candy."

"It’s what I should do." Candy, watched by a crowd of Elves, walked up to one with a smile.

The Elf eagerly handed over the apple in his hand.

"Miss Candy, this apple was ripened especially for you, and it’s sure to be the tastiest!"

Candy took the lusciously red apple with both hands. It was ripe, gorgeous, and looked very tempting.

"Thank you, my friend." Candy held the apple for a moment, then placed it back into the hands of the Elf—or rather, it was a gift. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Happy holidays, Mr. Elf."

The Elf who received Candy’s apple was ecstatic, his eyes seemingly brimming with tears.

You watched as he clasped the apple tightly, as if holding onto his own heart, his entire being spelling out four words: Life is worth living.

You felt somewhat speechless.

Wasn’t that apple ripened by you? You gave it away and got it back, from one hand to the other; why on earth was the Elf so excited?

This exchange ceremony continued, with each Elf receiving a "gift" from Candy, all succumbing to an ecstatic sense of satisfaction.

These Elves were beyond help.