E-Rantel's Santa Claus

E-Rantel's Santa Claus (エ・ランテルのサンタ奇譚) was a game event in Mass for the Dead. It was released on December 13, 2021 to December 31, 2021.

Background
A new lesion afflicts E-Rantel, which is about to advance research on the threats and Chaos Beasts common to all humankind. The miracle of the Holy Night does not occur in the "disease" that eats away the orphans. Those who have various thoughts in their hearts aim for a certain victory, and――

Incident
In E-Rantel, where the recovery from Jaldabaoth's invasion is progressing, Princess Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself enjoys the peace from the demons with her friends while doing public affairs. At a suite with her associates, Climb, Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, and Evileye, the princess notes that the city to be bustling with newfound energy which Climb attributes to emanating from the new section and is now spreading to the old section of the city. The new attitude of the city is seen by Lakyus to be the result of the exhibition tournament. Since that event a lot of progress has been made, Evileye cannot help but wonder if this is all the plan of the protagonist. The conversation drifts to the specialty items from the Sorcerer Kingdom that are all the rage, the "chocolate sweets." Renner has a plate of the confections and though they are a high class item from the foreign kingdom, these are a mass produced variant create to satisfy the demand. Lakyus tries one and has nothing but good praise for the sweet.

No one is more pleased than the head of the Adventurer's Guild. Lakyus reveals that there is a plan to make goods of famous adventurers and sell them as novelties at the guild in conjunction with selling the sweets. The princess thinks that it is a good ideas as it would create employment. There is even a prototype of a doll of the "Dark Warrior" in the works according to Evileye. Lakyus makes a quip to Renner that she would not be interested unless it was of Climb, which gets an embarrassed reaction from the bodyguard.

On what the protagonist is doing, Renner tells her friends that the adventurer has been focusing on research investigating Chaos Beasts and the Cracks and have used a lot of investment in the research facilities within the Kingdom. The Sorcerer Kingdom is funding the restoration of the city and resources to create a place to create countermeasures against the threats in the world. This in mind, the nations of the Kingdom, Empire and Theocracy are coming together which Renner hopes with yield some good results.

The progress made by the Sorcerer Kingdom makes Renner consciousness of the Kingdom's state affairs such as the numerous orphans. Though employment and reconstruction plans are underway, the princess wishes to avoid mistreatment of such children wo may be put into the labor force. To her researching the future of mankind is noble but bear in mind it is also important to nurture those who will bear the future. It would not be appropriate to have a foreign nation address the issue as it would be too irresistible to mold the minds of the younger generation to their views. Still the problem cannot be left unattended, but they face problems is getting orphans in the old section to trust the Kingdom's soldiers on a patrol. Climb recommends that they try to gain the children's' trust by being in plain clothes, but Evileye advises against that as it might cause the other refugees to mistake as a mugging.

There is also a rumor that there is a bad "illness" going around among the refugees and the princess wishes to reach out to those afflicted before it becomes irreparable. Detecting the sdness withing Renner, Lakyus offers to lend her party's help. Her team though is mostly spread out with Tina and Tia on a separate mission in E-Rantel, while Gagaran is out making preparations for another operation, leaving only Evileye to assist.

In the streets of old section of E-Rantel, as the sun is setting down, the protagonist is with Soi and Surako. The trio enjoy the calm street and take in the reconstruction efforts. Their destination is the E-Rantel's Cemetery where the E-Rantel Magic Research Institute is located. Before they can go any further, Saint Clementine comes by to greet them. The trio greet the saint who they tell that they are heading to the cemetery to cull the undead there. Clementine accepts there explanation and tells them that she too has been touring the old section to see how things have changed. Also she wanted to investigate a rumor of a red figure that was running on the roofs in the middle of the night. The rumor catches the protagonist's interest who asks for more information. Sadly the saint cannot give any more, only that the sighting have been witnessed by many in the old section. As Territory Guardian of the city the protagonist plans to take a look into it once his business is done in the cemetery. Clementine thanks him for his concern and adds that something of an illness has been spreading in the old section and hopes that too will be addressed. After she leaves the three Nazarick agents talk among themselves. The news of a epidemic is concerning but the rumor of the red figure at night draws some curiousity. Surako hearing the description of the figure wonders if it could be Santa Claus. Soi though dismisses the idea as the entity only comes during Christmas and humans of this world do not have such a custom. Still the news is suspicious but the protagonist decides to prioritize visiting the research institute first and then requesting the Adventurer's Guild to investigate this red figure.

When the trio arrive at the gate of the cemetery it is already nightfall but that is good for them as it serves their alibi as they intend to slay some undead on the way to their destination.

Finally reaching the E-Rantel Research Institute, the trio are welcomed by Nfirea, the director of the secret facility. Nfirea Bareare welcomes his benefactor, thanking the proxy to the Sorcerer Kingdom for providing valuable equipment, staff and resources for the institute. The protagonist waves away the thanks as institute is a investment aimed at the goal on unraveling the mysteries of the Cracks and Chaos Beasts. Soi adds that she has noticed that the institute is also producing new Purple Potions which have found their ways into the hands of the soldiers of the Kingdom, increasing their survival rate against the Chaos Beasts. Nfirea is highly enthusiastic that they have come and desires to show them the results of his research. The intensity of his passion unnerves the trio a bit as they follow him as he explains that Fluder Paradyne requires their aid in a small experiment.

The visitors are taken to the lower levels of the institute where Fluder is waiting examining his research subject: Gazef Stronoff. Fluder welcomes them before turning his attention to the chained feral Warrior Captain as he describes that despite the savageness of Gazef, he seems to he sane enough to recognize the protagonist as indicated by his reaction. The amount of contamination that Gazef has in his body should have overwhelmed and killed him, though its seems that Gazef is staying alive through his own will. To make an estimation, more data would be needed, hence Fluder asks Soi to fight Gazef. Soi accepts the task and has Fluder loosen Gazef's chains to allow him to move and fight. Once the duel is over, the feral human's is restrained back into his cell. From Soi's own perspective, she noted that compared to her previous battle with Gazef when he turned berserk, that he had improved. His physical impulses have declined and his physical condition is more stable. It appears that the institute's clinical treatment to cure Gazef Stronoff is paying off.

Though Nfirea is still not sure what type of drugs are affecting Gazef, and it is decided that further treatment be postponed until he can isolate what is causing Gazef to become more stable. Instead Fluder and Nfirea guess that they require a Contaminated Beast to aid them in their research as well as specimens of other Chaos Beasts in the laboratory so that the can aid in the clinical trials so that the researchers can obtain more data from all angles.

Surako deduces that some of the Chaos Beasts will be pitted against undead for Nfirea's experiments. Nfirea does not deny it and then goes to fetch some more materials for the next upcoming experiments and to inform Sophie Noia. Once he leaves the protagonist's companions. Soi and Slimeko feel that the young pharmacists is quite energetic on his research, though to the diplomat he detects that the young man is actually exhausted and pushing himself. Fluder agrees with that assessment as he has seen Nfirea grow exhilarated and irritated at times while experimenting and almost fatigue. The wizard can related to this behavior of course due to his quest to see the abyss of magic, though he at least has some more control over his obession. Knowing that Nfirea was trying too hard to get results, Fluder tried to convince him to take a vacation to no avail. The protagonist finds the news to be troubling and agrees to convince the director of the institute to take some leave as it would serve the institute no good if the director collapses from exhaustion.

Nfirea soon returns eager to resume work, but the protagonist who promises to secure new specimens once he distribute the new confections from the Sorcerer Kingdom to the city officals, asks Nfirea to take a good rest in the meantime. It has been awhile since Nfirea had returned home and while the institute is a highly confidential place, Nfirea's existence or lack of appearances in E-Rantel is not which will draw uneeded suspicion on his whereabouts. If rumors of him missing are discovered then their illgeal humans experiments will come undone. Nfirea counterargues stating that the utmost importance would be for him to remain then to keep the institute a secret. Though the argument is rejected as the protagonist wants to maintain a status quo and orders Nfirea to return home and rest at least until the new samples arrive. Nfirea reluctantly accedes to the protagonist's decision. Fluder finally seeing his young peer to take a vacation, ushers Nfirea away promising to handle the affairs of the institute in Nfirea's abscene.

After leaving instructions to the remaining staff at the institute, he returns home. Though it is late, Lizzie Bareare is awake and warmly welcomes him. The two catch up with Lizzie informing her grandson that the demand for medicine is skyrocketing due to a recent disease that is going around. On which cannot be easily cured by magic which is magic Lizzie's job difficult. Nfirea recalled hearing about it in a report, but did not pay much attention since it had nothing to do with Chaos Beasts or contamination effects. Lizzie goes on to explain that the disease causes symptons that reduce the effect of the person's natural healing and is not contagious. Though the source of the disease may have originated from Jaldabaoth. During an independent investigation by the Kingdom, those with the symptoms were in the same area and they were refugees from teh old section. It's specualted that they may have been infected by the demons. Right now the source is kept secret from the public so Lizzie advises Nfirea to keep quite about it. The temple is currently trying various methods to cure the disease, but so far other than high level magic, no other treatment seems to work. Those that cannot cure the mild illnesses are in dire need of medicines.

Their conversation is interrupted when Nemu comes, having been awaken when Nfirea returns. The young girl is glad to see her "older brother" back. At Lizzie's urging Nemu asks Nfirea to to take not get sick and try to rest. While Nfirea is oblivious to the concern for rest as to him he finds it inefficient to take a break for such as boring reason, he still allay Nemu's concern by stating that he will rest. Nfirea goes to bed, leaving Lizzie and Nemu alone. Lizzie asks if Nemu's concern for Nfirea is due to a Talent, but Nemu states that it is not the case as he just seems very tired. Additionally she is very worried about her friends and that she does not wish to lose any more of her family.

The next morning in E-Rantel, Clemetine greets the day with a smile with her young charges, which include Nemu, a boy and a girl. The saint is about to go thorugh another story for teh children, when Evileye arrives. This is her second visit to see the children, who were intially scared of her due to her mask, but have since gotten used to her prescene. The magic caster brings a bag of gifts, containing a doll of the Dark Warrior, chocolate sweets and pictures of their hero. They are items from the Adventurer's Guild, some bing prototypes of their guild's newest product to supplement their operating funds. Clementine seeing the doll of the Dark Warrior jokingly asks if there are any plans for a line of tpys based on Blue Roses. Evileye has not interest in such an idea.

Of the children in the group, Evileye recognies Nemu as being the ward of Lizzie Bareare. She asks a question to the girl on whether if any of her friends have gotten sick. As it so happens the boy Nemu is friends with is under the weather though he doesn't appear to be too concerned with it has he goes through the gifts from Evileye. Clementine agrees that such children should be resting at home, but most children are living people acting as their guardians. They are night workers so they don;t permit the children to play inside so they can rest. In most cases if they are sick their guardians would not want them near them as they do not want to get infected otherwise they won't be able to work despite the disease not being contagious. And with colder weather coming in, those children might be worse off. Nemu sympathizes with other orphans as she was lucky to be taken in by the Bareare's but feels helpless. The problem though is bringing the orphans to the Bareare's pharmacy might be more harmful to the sick children due to the noxious chemicals and members of Blue Roses like Lakyus are not permitted to use healing magic unless compensated as per usual the rules of the temple. However such healing services are expensive and may not be available to service all the orphans. Additionally for E-Rantel, the reconstruction is not yet complete as many are still living in tents and temporary housing. If the city officials show favoritism to orphans it might cause a riot of disatisfaction among the citizens. Hence why the administration has been reluctant to solve the issue. The protagonist involvement has been proposed but Clementine advises against it as the hero is already managing other areas of the city.

On how to move the upper officials to address the epidemic among the children, Nemu suggests speaking with Nfirea to develop an effective medicine. There are rumors that a fruit bearing tree with the Lonegivty Fruit is effective against any disease and found in the Great Forest of Tob. Nfirea should be aware of it, though Nemy doesn't wish to trouble him, given the boy's poor health. Unknown to the group, their conversation is overheard by Soi who hides outside the alley.

Aftermath
TBA