"Several hundred years ago, a terrible plague struck the Land of Water.
A sage brought back sacred water and used it to heal the sick and wounded, giving people hope for survival.
To thank the sage, after his death, people began holding the Water Garden Festival of their own accord. To this day, it has become the greatest celebration in the Land of Water."
After hearing Hayato Kamihara's explanation, Lin Qing mulled it over for a moment, then asked:
"That sage who saved everyone from their suffering... He wouldn't happen to have been surnamed Oda, would he?"
Hayato Kamihara chuckled.
"That's right."
To be precise, even if he hadn't been, once the Oda Clan rose to power, that sage would have been given the surname Oda.
Celebrations like this either involved the divine right of kings or were traditions passed down by the ancestors. In short, they were nothing more than tools for those in power to strengthen their rule.
But if you dug too deeply into some things, they lost their original romance.
Even if the deeper purpose was to bolster the Daimyo's legitimacy, there was no denying that a grand celebration truly became the year's greatest anticipation for many people.
The young women wore beautiful kimonos, while the young men puffed out their chests and hovered awkwardly at the girls' sides like their guardian knights.
The men were busy either setting up the festival stage and floats or calling out and hawking their wares on the streets.
The women picked out vegetables and meat at the market, preparing a feast for their families.
Bustle and laughter, and setting aside the troubles of the past—that was the meaning of a festival.
As Lin Qing walked along the street, he found himself missing the New Year celebrations of his previous