Noel had once been deeply entangled in a contradiction.
He gave children hope, transformed them, endowed them with the ability to fight, and let them confront a world that was cruel and dangerous. But at the same time, he felt hesitant about his actions of bartering with the children—after all, it was behavior not approved by the masses.
"Humans should have enough enlightenment before facing an Apocalypse capable of destroying them." Yet, most people still clung to their original ideas, believing that children should live in a greenhouse, away from sin and wars, safe and sound until the year's end.
Noel, however, had glimpsed the darkness hidden behind this viewpoint—if not afflicted by sin, it meant that the children would not grow at all throughout the year. Once the year was over, what likely awaited the children was death from the engulfing flames of war, which spared no child.
