The night slowly crept in from the western sky, and soon, only a faint, yellowish glow remained on the distant eastern horizon.
Yakou Town was not swallowed by the darkness. Along the bustling main street, every house was adorned with lanterns and decorations. The dazzling lanterns, on this final night of the Fire Festival, seemed exceptionally brilliant, as if determined to burn with all their remaining light and heat.
Today's atmosphere was far more spirited than in previous days. Perhaps because it was the last day, the adults, whose enthusiasm had been worn down by the long festival, seemed to cherish the moment and returned to the night alongside the children.
Besides that, it was the anticipation for the fireworks festival.
The people of Kuri had never seen fireworks before, so they were naturally full of curiosity for this mysterious spectacle. Moreover, those who had come to live in Kuri from other regions knew the beauty of fireworks.
In the Land of Wano, fireworks were not something to be set off lightly. They were only permitted for the most important festivals. Therefore, even those from other provinces might only see fireworks once or twice a year.
The rarer something is, the more precious it feels. Fireworks were like snow; no matter how many times you'd seen them before, the first snowfall of each year still gave you the same heart-fluttering feeling as seeing it for the first time.
The soldiers of the Tengen Garrison carried the sedan chair to the viewing point that Saketayama had prepared.
The view here was wide open, and the elevation was relatively high. Looking back, one could see the brilliantly lit Yakou Town, and looking out, one could see the vast, dark wilderness.
In the wilderness, there was a very wide river, and the site for the fireworks was on the opposite bank. When the fireworks exploded, the wide river surface would reflect their brilliant colors, creating a shimmering spectacle.
"Are the Nagahara family's fireworks ready?" Ren asked. After all, this was the first time Kuri was holding the Fire Festival, and the fireworks display was one of its two most important events. Any mistakes would be unacceptable.
The Fire Festival had two very important events. One was the release of sky lanterns, which were essentially Kongming lanterns. This event typically took place on the first night of the festival.
People would light the prepared Kongming lanterns and let them fly into the night sky, burning out as they rose, thus expressing their remembrance for the deceased.
The other was the grand finale: the fireworks festival. When fireworks bloom, the emotion born with the explosion is one of joy and exhilaration. Perhaps this signifies that the living should continue to move forward.
Of course, this was just Ren's personal opinion.
In any case, the quality of the fireworks was directly tied to the successful conclusion of the Fire Festival.
The Nagahara family, who now specialized in making fireworks in Kuri, had originally been residents of Flower Capital. Yukiko had spent money to bring them over from there. In the Land of Wano, not many people knew how to make fireworks, and the craft itself was not very accessible.
Of course, the name "Nagahara" was one given by Ren.
The artisans who made fireworks found it hard to make a living outside of the annual fireworks festival.
Normally, these artisans would be paid by the shogunate, but there were simply too many firework artisans in the Flower Capital. The skills of a young man like Nagahara Jousuke had not been recognized by the shogunate.
In truth, Nagahara Jousuke's skills were quite good, but he was always trying to invent new kinds of fireworks, which often led to explosions. This made people think the guy was a complete amateur, and as a result, he lost his job.
Later, after Yukiko recruited artisans from various industries in the Flower Capital, he simply came along to Kuri.
Looking back now, he felt his choice at the time couldn't have been wiser. At that time, land and houses in Kuri were very cheap. After coming to Kuri, he bought some property in a slightly remote area.
Because it was far from the urban center, he could afford a house on his savings.
The remote location was not a problem; in fact, it was perfect for him. Developing new styles of fireworks was not a simple nighttime task. Even ignoring the danger, it created a great deal of noise, so a slightly out-of-the-way location was ideal.
Moreover, the daimyo of Kuri was very different from the shogun of the Flower Capital. He was very supportive of his research into new fireworks and even provided a monthly subsidy for his work, which helped cover his living expenses.
Actually, Nagahara couldn't be considered poor. The fireworks for this one festival alone earned him as much as many people would make in several years. However, developing fireworks was a huge expense.
"There won't be any problems. We did a random sample check beforehand," Yukiko said. Her gaze drifted to the distance, where the soldiers of the Tengen Garrison who had escorted them had already withdrawn.
Saketayama stood guard at the perimeter with his men, to prevent ordinary people from disturbing Ren. He wasn't particularly interested in the Fire Festival or fireworks, but he felt a deep sense of satisfaction seeing the people of Kuri, who had once lived in hell, now enjoying such a joyous life.
More importantly, once the fireworks festival was over, he could go back and drink. Ren had given special permission for this. After all, it was a festival, and they should be allowed to relax.
Saketayama was already wondering if he should just buy a large barrel of sake and just soak himself in it while drinking.
"Phew, it's finally quiet," Matsuri sighed in relief, stretching her body. She had been sitting in the sedan chair the whole way, too afraid to move, and was already exhausted.
"Matsuri, want an apple candy?" Saori asked, walking over with a bright red apple candy. Plenty of food had been prepared here, including apple candies, takoyaki, and sake—all arranged by Saketayama in advance.
However, foods like takoyaki weren't good once they got cold, so Yukiko had specifically asked Akane to come and make desserts here.
Akane had made quite a bit of money during the Fire Festival. Since coming to Kuri, the number of customers she saw in a single day was almost equal to the total she used to see in a year. Therefore, she was very grateful to Yukiko.
It was just that something had happened a few days ago that had been weighing on her mind.
"Lord Ren, Lady Yukiko, please have some," Akane said, bringing over the freshly made food and sake.
After Yukiko took it, she noticed that Akane seemed to be troubled about something.
"It's nothing. I might just be tired from the business being so good lately," Akane quickly shook her head and handed over a bowl of red bean soup. Although something was bothering her, there was no need to tell Yukiko about it.
Yukiko didn't press the issue, only telling her to take a break as well.
"The fireworks show is about to start. You should stop and watch too
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