The Consecration Festival’s Golden Flower War

Auetland truly lived up to its reputation as the most prosperous city in the southeast, with its commercial street during the Consecration Festival bustling with unparalleled vibrancy. Along the thoroughfare, adorned with lanterns and festive decorations, merchants offered special treats: bakeries distributed small slices of toast, jewelers gave away tiny colorful balls, and clothing stores handed out leftover buttons. Mischievous children from the neighborhood, eager for their ‘zero-cost shopping’ spree, reveled in their favorite pastime: detonating small, sound-producing, fireless firecrackers to indiscriminately ‘bomb’ every passerby. Upon explosion, these firecrackers would burst forth with golden ribbons, earning them the vivid moniker of “Golden Flower Bombs.”

On an ordinary day, such brazen acts of ‘assault’ would undoubtedly be met with a stern parental reprimand upon returning home. Yet, today was different; even a young master from the esteemed Cavendish family could find a firecracker exploded right in their face. On this special day, the rigid barriers of social status dissolved, rendering everyone equal. Unsurprisingly, fashionable young ladies who appeared to hail from affluent backgrounds inevitably became prime targets for the children, their hair soon adorned with a profusion of golden ribbons.

“Rhine, make them scatter!”

“How old are you? Why take them so seriously? The more ribbons you have, the more beloved you are. Look…”

Before the words had fully left his lips, Golden Flower Bombs exploded all around Rhine, showering him from every direction.

“Hehe, look at that silly servant! They must be an outsider who’s never seen our Lanburg County’s Consecration Festival.”

“Not even bringing a parasol when going out? How utterly foolish! They don’t know the great name of our ‘Huo Huo’ Gang, just acting as targets for us to blast. What two big idiots…”

Rhine’s mindset underwent a subtle, yet profound, shift.

“Audrey, where can I buy these things?”

“Most shops have them. Hehehe, it seems that with the emperor far away, even these petty local ruffians dare to act so brazenly right under my nose…”

At that moment, the two reached a subtle understanding. Under the watchful eyes of the children, they entered a shop. Half a minute later, they emerged, each carrying a large bag and beaming, their hands laden with enough ‘ammunition’ to supply an entire squad.

“Damn it, those evil rich people! Brothers, let’s fight them…”

Before the leading boy could even charge forward, he was plastered with seven or eight Golden Flower Bombs, their ribbons exploding and showering him from head to toe. A few gloating subordinates hadn’t even had the chance to turn on him and mock their leader’s predicament before each of them was also ‘rewarded’ with a blast.

“The firepower is too intense! Retreat, retreat! We’ve run into tough opponents. Go find the gang leader for backup; we’ll fight them guerrilla style!”

The children were routed, scattering their ‘weapons’ and being chased for half a street. Audrey and Rhine, being people who held grudges, had no intention of giving up easily, determined to follow the retreating children all the way to their headquarters.

“Leader, this is bad! All our brothers are wounded, and the enemy’s firepower is too fierce. We can’t fight this battle at all!”

“What’s the meaning of this? Which street are these opponents from, daring to snatch territory from our ‘Huo Huo’ Gang? A week before the Consecration Festival, I, the leader, had already made full preparations for this holy war. How many teams have they sent?”

“Just… just two people. Their ammunition is like it’s free. Our brothers are all fighting guerrilla style; we can’t defeat them in a direct confrontation!”

“This is outrageous! It seems I, the leader, must personally lead the charge and send them fleeing in terror. We’ll see who’s the true boss of this street!”

The gang leader quickly rose, taking out a small telescope to peer around the street corner.

The young lady, Audrey, primarily employed a ‘celestial maiden scattering flowers’ technique, throwing in a wide area, dominating with perfect aerial advantage, and effectively controlling the field. The attendant, Rhine, focused on precise headshots, like a master marksman, so accurate it was as if he had cheats activated; his output alone was comparable to an entire division.

The leader was initially astonished by their powerful combat prowess and formidable aura. It was only when he noticed the young lady’s striking gray ponytail that he realized who they were and no longer found it surprising.

“Hey, hey, hey, Second Captain, quickly tell the brothers to cease fire! We absolutely cannot fight this battle. Swiftly invite these two howling bandits to have a word with me, the leader.”

As soon as the Second Captain went up to them, he was immediately ‘rewarded’ with several handfuls of firecrackers, his face crackling with explosions. He hastily cried out, “Do not harm the messenger during battle!”

Only then did the two, half-believing and half-doubting, cease fire. Following his lead, they met the gang leader, who was hidden in a tree.

Upon seeing the two approach, the gang leader respectfully jumped down from the tree and bowed, saying:

“Oh dear, Young Miss, look, isn’t this like a flood washing away the Dragon King’s Temple?”

“Kuri, so you do know I’m the Young Miss? Control your subordinates, or I’ll definitely ‘reward’ you with a few of these first.”

Kuri, who claimed to be the leader of the ‘Huo Huo’ Gang, was a 16-year-old boy. He awkwardly scratched his head, then, mortified and indignant, he reprimanded his subordinates who were watching him in his embarrassing situation.

“What are you looking at? You guys were blind, failing to recognize the supreme power of Lanburg County, and provoked them! Our inability to defeat them isn’t a matter of strength; it’s a normal phenomenon.”

“No, I think it’s precisely a matter of strength.”

Rhine interjected coolly, causing Kuri’s face to stiffen as he huffed a breath through his nose.

“Don’t think our ‘Huo Huo’ Gang is easy to bully! Even if you’re a servant from the Cavendish family, so what? — A duel! I’ll stake the gang leader’s honor and challenge you to a duel!”

Half a minute later, the gang leader, completely submerged in golden ribbons, trembled as he knelt on the ground, unable to rise.

“Ah, Leader? What are you doing, Leader!”

“What? I hit quite accurately. Why are you making such sounds, Reid~”

“Because… because…”

“I am Kuri Izka, the leader of the ‘Huo Huo’ Gang! This is nothing at all.”

“Why would you, for us…”

“Protecting my gang members is my job. So… don’t stop…”

Rhine and Audrey fell silent.

“Is your gang leader’s flair for the dramatic always this strong?”

After all the commotion, a thoroughly defeated Kuri, having tired himself out, decided to resume the battle in the afternoon. He temporarily released his gang members, returning to his true calling as a street wanderer, and acted as a commercial street guide for the two.

Audrey didn’t actually go out very often. Such opportunities were entirely self-granted; otherwise, what duke would allow his young miss to run around and play freely like common children? Her social circle had been fixed since birth. The friends of a duke’s eldest daughter were invariably young ladies from high society, and their hobbies were naturally activities that best reflected their refined taste, such as music, dance, and flower appreciation. One might not understand art, but that wouldn’t prevent them from blindly following trends and revering it. Even with only a superficial understanding, a work by some renowned master, framed and displayed at home, was enough for others to lavish praise upon it. On the surface, everyone would be superficially pleased and amicable, making it a mere decoration to conceal ignorance and display status.

However, saying the children were their guides wasn’t quite accurate. A more precise description would be that Rhine and Audrey had joined the ranks of ‘zero-cost shopping.’ With a group of seasoned ‘repeat offenders’ leading the way by example, the two naturally followed suit, filling their ‘baskets’ to the brim. Audrey was not short on money, but that didn’t stop her from delighting in these novel trinkets she had ‘earned’ herself. Rhine, on the other hand, was simply accustomed to it; he was born loving to get things for free, seizing every opportunity to ‘freeload.’

By noon, the generous Audrey treated all the children to a grand feast at a dessert shop.

“Leo, don’t buy anything for your childhood sweetheart; you’ll just end up eating it yourself anyway. This is something we rarely get to eat all year.”

The boy, who was heartily devouring an entire blueberry cake, patted his companion, who was holding a croissant and hesitating. Rhine, walking behind them, happened to overhear this remark, and just then, he finished off the cheesecake in his hand.

“Eat mine.”

“No, this… this, really?”

“Could it be fake?”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m incredibly grateful for your great kindness. What’s your name? Do you live in Lanburg County too?”

His companion beside him raised an eyebrow.

“Leo, don’t get so excited that you suddenly fall for them~”

“Nonsense! I only like Helen. I just wanted to ask their name, it’s good to get acquainted…”

“Rhine, I live with the Duke’s family. And I’m a boy, really. Don’t ask why, I’m just too lazy to explain.”

“No way, you’re so sweet-smelling, and you’re a boy?”

“Want a beating?!”